sjar Chapter 646 The Burning of the Library!
Chapter 646 The Burning of the Library!
Zhao Yunci calmly announced Gu Qingchen's "fate".
"Someone, take Miss Gu to the library."
"She is to be punished by having to read through the entire 'Daily Records' of our dynasty since its founding, word for word. Three days later, I will personally examine her. If she makes even a single mistake..."
The emperor paused, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"I will have Physician Meng use the longest needle to properly treat your overly 'active' mind."
Library?
Daily Records?
Gu Qingchen's face instantly fell.
Those were mountains of files, recording the daily words and deeds of emperors throughout history, so dry that even a fly would fall asleep inside.
Are you going to make her finish reading it? There's even an exam coming up.
This is worse than being whipped!
"No, Your Majesty!" Gu Qingchen cried out and lunged forward to hug the emperor's leg, but was stopped by a quick-thinking eunuch.
"I was wrong! I was really wrong! Please punish me by making me copy books! I'll copy as many as I want! Please don't make me look at those things! They'll kill me!"
Zhao Yunci remained unmoved, her face cold.
"As for the Crown Prince and Qian Zhenyun," he glanced at the other two little ones, "they are confined to the Eastern Palace and made to copy the Classic of Filial Piety and the Standards for Being a Good Student and Child one hundred times each. They are not allowed to leave the palace until they finish copying them!"
After saying that, he turned away and refused to look at the wailing little girl again.
Soon, only the emperor remained in the imperial study.
Outside the door, Gu Qingchen was being dragged towards the library by two eunuchs, one on each side.
Her earth-shattering wails echoed throughout half the palace.
"I don't want to go! It's so boring! I'd rather be pricked with needles! Help, Dad! Mom! If you don't come back soon, your precious daughter will be killed by books!"
Zhao Yunci's face, which had been dark with anger, now showed a sense of relief, as if the storm had passed.
The thought of Gu Qingchen being carried away by two eunuchs, crying and wailing, made his smile deepen.
To deal with this kind of troublemaker, you have to use what she fears most.
Whips and paddles were all physical punishments, but she endured them with her neck stiff.
Only those dry and boring books could truly wear down her sharp edges.
In high spirits, the emperor stood up and decided to visit the empress's palace to share his glorious achievements in "suppressing the internal rebellion" that day.
Inside the Phoenix Palace, Empress Su Wan was preparing to retire when she was surprised to see the Emperor enter in high spirits.
"Your Majesty, why are you here so late?"
Zhao Yunci dismissed the palace servants, sat down by the bed, and smiled smugly: "Today, I have finally found a good place for that girl from the Gu family."
He vividly recounted the farce that had unfolded in the Imperial Palace during the day, as well as how he had cleverly outmaneuvered Gu Qingchen in the Imperial Study.
After listening, Su Wan shook her head helplessly, a look of worry appearing on her gentle face.
"This child needs to be disciplined properly." She sighed softly. "With such a mischievous nature, how can she take care of the Crown Prince if she enters the Eastern Palace in the future, and how can she shoulder the heavy responsibility of the Crown Princess?"
Zhao Yunci nodded in deep agreement: "That's why I punished her by making her read the 'Daily Records of the Emperor' so that she could learn the rules and see how virtuous empresses of the past acted."
As the two were talking, the door to the bedchamber was suddenly knocked on, and the sharp, anxious voice of the chief eunuch came from outside.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! There's a fire!"
Zhao Yunci frowned instantly and asked in a deep voice, "Where is the fire? Why are you in such a panic!"
The chief eunuch's voice was choked with sobs, almost shouting, "It's the library! The library is on fire!"
"what?"
Zhao Yunci sat up straight on the edge of the bed in an instant.
Library?
Gu Qingchen is still inside!
His mind went blank for a moment, and all thoughts of his military achievements and pride were instantly forgotten.
Gu Junze is his only precious son. If something were to happen to him in the palace, that protective Duke of Zhenguo would probably come after him with a knife!
"Quick! Prepare the vehicle!"
Zhao Yunci's voice changed tone. She rolled out of bed, not even having time to put on her outer robe, grabbed a cloak and rushed out.
Empress Su Wan's face also turned pale. She also thought of the child and, without daring to delay, immediately got up and followed.
From afar, one could see the towering flames that illuminated half the night sky in crimson, thick smoke billowing, accompanied by the crackling of burning wood and the panicked cries of the palace servants.
Zhao Yunci was extremely anxious the whole way. When he arrived at the library, it was already in complete chaos.
Hundreds of imperial guards and eunuchs ran back and forth carrying buckets of water, trying their best to put out the fire, but the fire was too big. The three-story pavilion, which was usually solemn and majestic, was now being mercilessly devoured by the raging flames.
"Where is he? Where is Gu Qingchen?" Zhao Yunci grabbed a passing Imperial Guard commander and roared with bloodshot eyes.
Ying Qing was startled and quickly pointed to a large tree not far away: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Xiao Qingchen is fine. He was rescued early this morning!"
Zhao Yunci and Su Wan looked in the direction he pointed and sure enough, they saw a small figure sitting alone on a stone step.
The child was wrapped in an imperial guard's outer robe, his face blackened and white with soot, looking like a little kitten just pulled out of the stove.
He was hugging his knees, staring blankly at the sea of fire.
Zhao Yunci's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down with a "thud".
It's good that everyone is alright. It's good that everyone is alright.
He breathed a long sigh of relief. As long as the little rascal wasn't missing any limbs, burning down a library didn't seem like such an unacceptable thing.
Just then, Gu Qingchen on the stone steps seemed to have noticed their arrival.
She slowly turned her head and saw the emperor and empress. Her eyes, which shone brightly in the firelight, blinked.
Then, she grinned, revealing a radiant smile, her perfectly white teeth standing out starkly against her dark face.
The breath Zhao Yunci had just released was instantly swallowed back down, stuck in her chest, neither rising nor falling.
He felt a throbbing sensation in his temples.
Empress Su Wan was heartbroken. She quickly stepped forward, took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, squatted down, and carefully wiped the soot off her face.
"Qingchen, are you alright? Were you scared?"
Gu Qingchen shook his head, letting the Empress gently wipe his face, but his eyes were still glancing at the Emperor not far away.
Soon, thanks to the valiant efforts of a large number of imperial guards, the fire in the library was finally brought under control and gradually extinguished, leaving only a charred ruin and choking smoke.
Zhao Yunci looked at the attic that had been burned down to its frame, and her heart was bleeding.
He stepped forward, his voice hoarse with heartache: "What about the losses?"
"Your Majesty, the losses are devastating. The rare books from various dynasties and the manuscripts of previous dynasties that are treasured in the pavilion have been almost completely destroyed."
As Yingqing spoke, she glanced unconsciously at the unharmed little figure beside her out of the corner of her eye.
Zhao Yunci felt a sudden darkness before her eyes and her body swayed.
Those are priceless treasures! They represent the hard work and dedication of generations!
He suppressed the excruciating pain in his heart, his gaze sharp as a knife as he stared intently at the culprit: "Tell me! How did the fire start!"
When Gu Qingchen was glared at like that, he shrank back, and his fearless spirit vanished instantly.
She stood up from the stone steps, head down, her small hands nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.
"It's too dark inside. The bookshelves are tall and close together. You can't see the way with just one candlestick."
As she spoke, she secretly glanced up to observe the emperor's expression.
"I... I was thinking that if I lit more candlesticks, it would be brighter and easier to find books."
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
"Who knew...who knew those bookshelves were so flimsy? I accidentally knocked one over when I was moving candlesticks, and then...and then it caught fire so easily..."
Zhao Yunci's vision went black for the first time, and then black again.
He felt his blood rushing wildly to the top of his head.
Gu Junze! When are you finally coming back?! Hurry up and take this little devil of yours away with me!
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "Someone come here!"
"Take her back! Confine her! Confine her..."
"Without my order, you are not to step out of your room!"