Gold, silver, jewels, gold bars, silver notes, pearl hairpins, and head ornaments—just the gold beans alone filled an entire sack she found buried beside the well in the garden, located with her metal detector.
The items in Zhaoyang Hall vanished rapidly. The first to notice something amiss were the palace maids guarding the Emperor. Why were the decorative pieces in the side hall dwindling?
Wait—there had been three vases there just moments ago. When were they stolen?
A palace maid trembled in fear and screamed, “Someone, come quickly! A thief is stealing things!”
The guards stationed outside rushed in. At a glance, they saw that many valuable items around where the Emperor lay were missing—antiques, calligraphy, and paintings had all disappeared!
They could only assume a master thief had struck.
As guards flooded into the side hall, they remained unaware that the Imperial Noble Consort’s bedchamber, left unguarded, had already been stripped bare, leaving only a large bed behind.
Xie Zhizhi went straight to the Imperial Noble Consort’s bedside. She scattered a packet of knockout powder, splashed paint all around, and tossed down cloth strips along with several lighters.
Whoosh!
A massive blaze engulfed the entire opulent palace, twisting it in the flames.
Xie Zhizhi controlled her Space and left the scene.
The deep palace was heartless. For the sake of the throne, so many had been killed. Since the Dog Emperor loved beauties so much, let the two of them become a pair of roasted mandarin ducks in the afterlife!
Xie Zhizhi left Zhaoyang Hall before the fire fully erupted, lingering nearby to observe the aftermath.
She never expected to uncover the cause of the Original Host’s death so directly. In the book, the Original Host had died without ever knowing how or who had sent the assassin.
Ah, being love-struck was truly a mistake. Since the Original Host had given her body to her, this could be considered settling the Original Host’s score.
Back at Zhaoyang Hall, the guards and palace maids at the entrance screamed in panic.
“Fire! Zhaoyang Hall is on fire! Hurry, save the Emperor!”
“Quick, into the bedchamber to rescue the Imperial Noble Consort!”
“Help! The Emperor is still inside!”
“Someone, come quickly!”
In just half a minute, the fire had already spread throughout Zhaoyang Hall. The dry weather and stiflingly hot breeze fanned the flames, which leaped onto the palace walls.
The blaze was so fierce it rapidly consumed the entire space. Just as the guards tried to move the Emperor’s body to safety, a beam from above suddenly crashed down.
Bang!
“Ah!” Braving the intense heat, a guard watched in horror as the Emperor’s body shuddered, his hand slipping off the edge of the bed. The guard trembled all over and murmured, “The Emperor… has passed away…”
The Emperor: died in humiliation.
The fire in the Imperial Noble Consort’s quarters was even more severe. The palace maids dared not enter, as they were scalded by the heat the moment they approached.
With the Emperor dead and the fire raging, everyone knew they would face death regardless, but they couldn’t just burn to death.
That would be too agonizing.
The palace maids and guards quickly fled outside to call for reinforcements.
That night, both Zhaoyang Hall and the national treasury caught fire simultaneously, shocking the entire rear palace. Empresses and consorts rushed toward Zhaoyang Hall, each harboring their own thoughts.
The Crown Prince and the Third Prince also arrived swiftly.
But upon learning that the Emperor and the Imperial Noble Consort had not been rescued from inside, their faces instantly paled.
Among them, the Third Prince was hit the hardest. Staring into the sea of flames, he broke down and cried out, “Mother! Mother! Your son has come too late! Wuwuwu…”
Ignoring attempts to stop him, the Third Prince tried to charge into the fire to save his mother, only to be driven back by the scorching heat and restrained by the guards. He could only watch helplessly as the once-glorious Zhaoyang Hall collapsed, its beams and walls reduced to ashes.
The wells around the surrounding palaces were crowded with servants drawing water, but their efforts were a drop in the bucket, utterly futile.Xie Zhizhi saw that nearly everyone from the rear palace had gathered near Zhaoyang Hall.
The most eye-catching were the hundreds of imperial concubines, who had hurried over draped in cloaks, rushing in like a crowd of aunties scrambling for discounted vegetables at a supermarket.
The Empress wept heartbrokenly, nearly fainting onto the Crown Prince, who wore an equally sorrowful expression on the surface.
Xie Zhizhi felt no ripple of emotion in her heart. If there was anyone the Original Host hated the most, it was undoubtedly the Empress.
Perhaps because their bodies had merged, she genuinely felt disgust.
At every palace banquet, the Empress would inevitably make things difficult for the Original Host, embarrassing her in front of all the young nobles—all because the Original Host was the Third Prince’s fiancée. Humiliating her meant humiliating the Third Prince.
Fortunately, the Original Host had a bold and cheerful personality. She had retorted a few times and wasn’t severely affected. If it had been any other delicate young lady with thin skin, she would have been too ashamed to show her face.
Once, the Original Host was even pushed into a river by the Empress’s own niece. Luckily, Jing Yi and Jing Er jumped in just in time to rescue her. If a man had saved her instead, her reputation would have been ruined. In the end, the Empress dismissed it with a simple “it was an accident.”
She truly looked down on this old woman who picked on a girl with no parents or family by her side.
Xie Zhizhi noted that she knew exactly where the Empress’s bedchamber was.
Well, she didn’t believe in holding grudges overnight—she preferred to settle scores on the spot.
If they crossed paths, it was fate.
Below, the Empress, still supporting the Crown Prince in her grief, had no idea that the fire in the rear palace was about to burn her.
…
Kunning Palace.
Under the moonlight, Xie Zhizhi could clearly see just how wealthy the Empress’s palace was.
The eaves outside the palace were gilded, shimmering under the moonlight.
The floors inside were made of white jade, the pillars in the bedchamber were crafted from rare sandalwood, the curtains were strung with hundreds of large pearls, the large bed made of agarwood was draped with golden gauze curtains, and the incense burners and small tripods were carved with exquisite phoenix patterns…
Every detail screamed, “I’m rich, come and take me!”
Xie Zhizhi didn’t hold back. With a single thought, everything swished into her Space.
Golden dragon and phoenix statues, jade mirrors, treasures and riches, calligraphy and ink from the study, the phoenix throne and guest chairs—even the carpets and curtains were swept clean.
But that large bed was unlucky, so she left it.
Seeing no one around, Xie Zhizhi materialized directly, took out her gold silver copper detector, and looted the Empress’s hidden private savings.
It had to be said, the Empress’s private treasury was as rich as one-fifth of the national treasury!
Just look at these gold bars and silver ingots—how beautifully they glittered.
She left the short tunnel, restored it to its original state, and moved the shifted bed back to its original position. Even if it was hidden under the bed, she’d find it!
Not a single coin left behind!
She patted the detector she’d bought for a hundred thousand coins as a reward, smiled slightly, raised her eyebrows, and praised, “You’re still the most useful!”
That night, Xie Zhizhi made a fortune and settled the Original Host’s grudges.
It was time to leave the palace.
Tomorrow, after breakfast, she’d come back to the palace to watch the show—the two princes vying for the throne. Who would win and inherit an empty national treasury?
She was looking forward to it.
Their expressions would surely be priceless!
Speaking of which, she still had her eye on the Vice Minister of War.
…
Kunning Palace.
Two hours later, the Empress, exhausted and supported by the Crown Prince, returned to her bedchamber. Her swollen eyes stared in shock and disbelief at the empty room, with nothing left but a single bed.
“Crown Prince, am I seeing things? This… this… Did we enter the wrong palace?”
The Crown Prince halted his steps. His handsome face twisted with a mix of emotions, and his eyes churned with shock and turmoil. What was going on!The Crown Prince exclaimed in shock, “Where have all the items from Kunning Palace gone?”
The Empress was dazed, nearly fainting on the spot. “My antiques! My money! How could they just disappear?”
Her legs went weak, and the Crown Prince barely managed to support her. “Mother, please take care of yourself.”
Suddenly remembering something, the Empress urged him, “Quick! Go check under the bed to see if the treasury you saved for me is still there!”
The Crown Prince thought to himself: You want me to crawl under the bed?
At that moment, the guard stationed at the palace gate rushed in, panting heavily. His voice was filled with unprecedented terror and panic as he shouted, “Your Majesty, it’s terrible! The palace’s flying eaves have been torn off!”