Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 952: Chapter 863: Refusing to Be a Slave 83

Lady Jing, who had been running outside with me just a moment ago, was now lying on the ground in a sorry state, with a burning window frame fallen on her back!

Fortunately, her clothes were wet and did not catch fire from the window frame, but the fire had directly hit her body, and the painful, scorching heat quickly burned her skin, causing Lady Jing to roll on the ground in pain!

Seeing Lady Jing’s lower body still inside the hall, the Emperor, enduring the pain from his fall, got up and grabbed Lady Jing’s hand, pulling her out forcefully. Just as he pulled her out, the burnt door frame fell; if it had been a moment later, Lady Jing would have been crushed.

The fire erupted, Lady Jing rushed into the hall, and then the Emperor and Lady Jing dashed outside—all happened within a very short time. By the time they emerged, the servants and guards had gathered around them.

Among them, Nangong Shuangshuang, who had been waiting with the other concubines’ palace maids and eunuchs in the outer courtyard of the Imperial Awakening Temple, rushed in first, sprinting directly towards Lady Jing. As she approached, she heard the Emperor shouting for someone to call her.

Nangong Shuangshuang wasted no time and quickly administered emergency treatment for Lady Jing’s burns. To make the situation appear genuine and ensure Lady Jing couldn’t be suspected of preemptively knowing about the fire, Nangong Shuangshuang didn’t bring a medical kit.

Fortunately, the Imperial Awakening Temple wasn’t far from the Imperial Pharmacy. Nangong Shuangshuang opened the pharmacy, and a quick-footed little eunuch immediately dashed over to fetch the medicine.

After the chaotic fire and rescue ended, the Emperor followed Lady Jing back to Yingyue Palace, watching as Nangong Shuangshuang treated her wounds and applied ointment before finally feeling relieved. He then thought of calling the Imperial Physician to tend to his own persistent injuries.

Forgetting oneself for the sake of another woman was an experience the Emperor had never had before, but this time, he did it naturally.

The final image of Lady Jing collapsing on the ground, with her once-beautiful back, pale neck, and part of her face burned and blackened by the fire, with most of her hair scorched off, deeply affected the Emperor.

The Emperor’s heart was in a state of shock. From birth, he enjoyed his father’s favor and had been cherished his entire life. Whether as a Crown Prince or as the Emperor, women had always been around him, eager to please.

However, his noble status as Emperor also blinded him to the true intentions of the women around him. Though he had considered whether any woman truly had genuine feelings for him, once favored, women would demand all sorts of things—favors, status, rewards, and benefits for their families. Over time, the Emperor’s heart became cold, believing these women were only interested in his status.

But Lady Jing’s actions shattered the Emperor’s preconceived notions. Nothing compares to life because wealth and glory only have meaning if one is alive to enjoy them.

Yet, in the terrifying moments when the doors were sealed by fire, the Emperor had despaired, thinking he would die in the flames. It was Lady Jing who first rushed in; when facing danger, she chose to save him first and leave the danger to herself. Such a decision made in such a brief moment could only have been instinct!

The Emperor even recalled many of Lady Jing’s virtues. Once, she also asked him to promote her father, so he never thought she was different from other women.

But thinking back now, Lady Jing never excessively asked for anything. Although she asked for an official position for her father, she wasn’t greedy. After her father became the Vice Censor-in-Chief, she never asked for another promotion.

Aside from promoting her father, Lady Jing never requested anything from the Emperor—no rank, no rewards, unlike other concubines who were never satisfied and always greedy. Upon reflection, this must be Lady Jing’s way of showing her true feelings for him.

Also, asking for a position for her father is understandable; as a daughter wishing to honor her father, who else was there to turn to but her husband? Moreover, Lady Jing never sought a high position for her father.

This was the first time the Emperor truly felt that a woman loved him, willing to prove it with her own life; hence the Emperor experienced shock, indescribable emotion, and a sense of wonder.

The Emperor had never loved anyone, so he couldn’t imagine someone loving another enough to disregard their own life. This feeling was utterly incredible, but undeniably, the Emperor felt warmth and excitement in his heart. Despite having dominion over the world, true affection was rare to find, perhaps existent but unseen. However, at this moment, he truly felt the preciousness of holding someone’s genuine affection in his hands.

Therefore, the Emperor endured the pain from his wounds, waiting until Lady Jing was treated and fell asleep before tending to his own injuries.

That forceful push from Lady Jing had torn the skin on the Emperor’s palm, along with several other abrasions. While previously concerned about Lady Jing’s safety, he hadn’t felt much pain; now, as he treated his wounds, he realized the extent of the pain.

Although his emotions had overridden his reason for a time, the Emperor soon calmed down and started to suspect the cause of the fire in the hall of the Imperial Awakening Temple, as the fire had spread with uncanny speed.

Due to Lady Jing’s decisive rescue actions and her current state of unconscious injury, the Emperor did not suspect her of orchestrating the event. Instead, he wondered if an anti-court organization had bribed those at the temple, or more plausibly, if the Empress Dowager was behind it.

This matter threatened the Emperor’s safety. Thus, he commanded his Hidden Guard to investigate. The Hidden Guard was one of the Emperor’s most powerful forces, unmatched in intelligence-gathering capabilities; they could uncover even the words whispered in a minister’s dreams should the Emperor wish to know.

No sooner had the Emperor ordered the Hidden Guard, than Song Lin, a close confidant of the Emperor, appeared pale, kneeling before him to confess, ”Emperor, this servant has sinned. Please punish me, Your Majesty. The incident at the Imperial Awakening Temple was because I leaked the details. I plead for your judgment.”

After the fire at the Imperial Awakening Temple, Song Lin linked it to Bi Ying, who had previously ignored him and had suddenly become warm, suspecting his error was a factor. Terrified, he had been stunned.

After much internal turmoil and deliberation, Song Lin decided to confess to the Emperor, for he was genuinely loyal to the Emperor, and the matter could not be hidden. By admitting his mistake, he hoped the Emperor might consider their past relationship and grant a lighter punishment.