coobybook Chapter 356 The arsonist?
Chapter 356 The arsonist?
"I am worried about you. I don't know who is so bold as to murder the emperor." The queen looked worried. Who is it? He is good at making trouble but not at helping others. If the emperor died, my fourth prince would inherit the throne.
"I'm fine, you don't have to worry."
During this short moment, the emperor had already been tossing his mind a thousand times. Was it Prince Heng who was ready to make a move, or was it Nian Gengyao who was trying to kill the king and usurp the throne, or were it his sons who were being restless? The hands of foreign countries were not long enough to reach into his harem.
"Your Majesty, the palace maid who set the fire has been caught." Su Peisheng came to report to the emperor.
Lingrong had already put on her clothes and came out of the side hall, putting one of the emperor's clothes on him. Since the fire was discovered, the emperor had been standing outside in his pajamas, and no one dared to approach.
"Why did you come out?"
"I really can't help but be curious. Was it an accident or someone was so bold as to set fire in the Forbidden City?" Although she knew it was not an accident, she still felt that the fire was a bit unexpected. After all, it was discovered before it even started. If someone really wanted to burn herself to death, they shouldn't have been discovered so quickly.
"Your Majesty, please spare me! This slave girl really didn't mean it!" A little palace maid was dragged before the emperor by a eunuch. Her face was ashen, and she banged her head against the ground, begging for mercy. "Your Majesty, please spare me!"
"Lily?" Lingrong called out the name in surprise. She had a vague impression of this palace maid. She was already 25 years old and would be released from the palace this year. She was surprised because she would obviously be released in a few days, so why did she do this?
"My Lady, please spare me, My Lady, I really didn't mean it."
"What's going on?" Looking at Lily's genuine expression, the emperor was somewhat puzzled. Was there really no one behind this?
"Your Majesty, when we found her, she had fainted in the curtain between the main hall and the bedroom. If it had been any later, she would have been burned to death."
Su Peisheng's explanation surprised everyone. If she had set the fire on purpose, how could she have been found lying in the curtain and almost died there?
"Couldn't she be deliberately creating confusion and trying to stop the thief?" A low voice of doubt reached everyone's ears, and the doubt that had subsided slightly climbed up everyone's mind again like a vine.
"You said you didn't set the fire, so why did it spread so quickly? There were people guarding the door. If it wasn't intentional arson, it should have been discovered as soon as it started."
At the critical moment, it was the Queen Mother who grasped the key point. Her nose has always been sensitive, and she could still smell a hint of kerosene, mixed with the smell of burnt wood and water, and it was not obvious.
Hearing the Queen's question, Su Peisheng immediately thought of something. With a gesture, several young eunuchs immediately scattered around the location of the fire in the main hall, looking for something.
"No, I really didn't. I really didn't. I've been in poor health since I was a child. I faint when I'm hungry. Juqing and Li Ma also know this. I always keep a piece of cake with me, and I eat it when I feel dizzy. Today, I came here in a hurry to turn off the lights in the Queen's bedroom, so I forgot to bring it with me. I didn't expect that I would suddenly fall and knock over the candlestick. Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please spare me!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, we all know about Lily's problem. She always has two pieces of cake on her body. But she shouldn't have entered the palace to serve today." Nanny Li is the head nanny of Yongshou Palace, so she knows almost all these tiny details.
"Your Majesty, it was Lumei who was supposed to be on duty today, but she said she had a stomachache and ran away in a hurry after talking to me." Lily knew that her life depended on whether she could clear herself of the matter now, so she immediately told the situation.