Before the seven-day mourning period for the late Empress had even passed, a monstrous fire suddenly erupted within the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince, the rightful heir to the throne, was consumed by the sea of flames.
With the deaths of the Empress and the Crown Prince occurring in such rapid succession, the imperial court was plunged into mourning, and the officials lived in a state of constant, paralyzing dread. Rumors spread like wildfire among the common people, causing unrest in the streets and alleys. The entire Capital was shrouded in a heavy, suffocating gloom.
The blaze at the Eastern Palace had broken out far too suddenly, and its intensity was deeply suspicious. Whispers began to circulate that the palace had been doused in strong liquor, which had fueled the flames and allowed them to devour the entire structure in an instant. Who had poured the alcohol? Was it the Crown Prince himself? Or someone else? Despite the endless speculation, these questions were destined to be swallowed by the river of history along with the destruction of the Eastern Palace.
Chapter 114