Chapter 480
Chapter 480 Breaking into the Royal Mansion
The origin of the fire was the royal mansion’s firewood storage. Gao Qiu had even added some gunpowder to fuel the flames. Once ignited, the fire blazed fiercely, lighting up half of the sky with its intense glow. Chaos reigned within the royal mansion, as countless maids and servants frantically rushed towards the source of the fire with buckets and basins of water in hand.
Xu Zhen led thousands of soldiers, smashing open the mansion's grand gates. Brandishing their weapons and radiating an aura of violence, they burst inside. The maids and servants of the mansion, who had never witnessed such a spectacle, were immediately stricken with fear. Dropping their buckets and basins, they scattered in all directions.
"Attention, men! The situation is critical. First, rescue the prince and his consorts, and then put out the fire!" Xu Zhen shouted. His troops responded in unison, discarding the wooden buckets they were carrying on the ground. Like a torrential river, they surged towards the inner quarters of the mansion.
"What do you think you're doing?" A portly steward, dressed in fine silk, hastily blocked the entrance to the inner quarters. His ample flesh quivered as he shrieked, "How dare you! Are you staging a rebellion? Do you know what this place is? This is the residence of the prince, his sons, and his consorts, a home granted by the late Emperor. Commoners like you have no business wreaking havoc here. Leave immediately, and I may plead for mercy on your behalf before the prince. Otherwise, the prince will report you to the Emperor and you will be executed!"
The corpulent steward was in the midst of his heated speech when Xu Zhen’s blade flashed, and he bellowed, "Audacious! I am here to assist the prince and to prevent any harm that might befall him. You dare obstruct us? Are you in league with the arsonists? Soldiers, follow my command: advance into the residence and protect the prince and his consorts. Anyone who disobeys will be punished by military law!"
"Protect the prince, protect the prince!" Over a thousand soldiers echoed the chant as they stormed into the inner residence. Someone extended a foot, connecting squarely with the portly steward’s behind.
The rotund steward yelped and stumbled forward, taking a nosedive. Quickly turning his head, he saw the cold steel of swords and shining armor. The atmosphere was deadly serious. No longer daring to utter a word, he hurriedly covered his mouth, where a tooth had been knocked out, and retreated.
Inside the royal mansion, amidst the twin calamities of fire and military invasion, the scene had descended into utter chaos. The servants and maids had no heart left to fight the fire. A few bold ones grabbed valuables and tried to escape, only to be forced back at the gate. Surrounding the mansion were banners fluttering and war horses neighing; countless soldiers had effectively sealed off the area like an iron bucket, to the point where not even a basin of water could be thrown out.