Chapter 335: Another Family Struck by Disaster (Part 2)

Li Zhongxin hurriedly trotted forward, and when he picked up the birdcage, the mynah was still flapping inside, its eyes like black beans fixated on the grenade on the table, chirping ever more joyfully.

“Fool! Drink, drink!”

The Empress looked at the birdcage being taken away, a rare smile curling up at her lips.

“Why must Your Majesty fuss with a mere feathered creature? Let us drink instead!” She reached out and hooked her finger into the ring on the grenade.

Emperor Jing snorted coldly and picked up the grenade in front of him: “Hmph! Don’t mention that creature. Come, Ying’er, let us drink together as husband and wife.”

“Your Majesty, just pull this ring.” The Empress gently guided, her nails stained with bright red balsam juice, glaring like blood in the candlelight.

Emperor Jing’s fingers hooked into the ring: “Ying’er is thoughtful.”

“Pop!”

“Pop!”

Two light sounds, as the rings of the two wine jugs were simultaneously pulled, and the safety levers sprang open.

Emperor Jing and the Empress exchanged a smile and clinked their cups.

“To…”

“Boom!”

Just as the Empress’s toast words left her mouth, the whole world exploded into white light.

The two grenades detonated almost simultaneously, the shockwave shattering the carved window lattices and camphorwood beams.

Emperor Jing’s smiling face twisted in a fraction of a second, then transformed into a sky of bloody rain.

The Empress’s luxurious ceremonial robe was instantly torn to shreds, the pearl-embedded belt shooting like an arrow into the gilt pillars.

The priceless glass screen collapsed with a roar, and the four palace maids guarding the door had their throats slit by flying shards before they could even scream.

The high temperature from the explosion quickly ignited the torn clothing of the Emperor and the Empress, as well as the billowing light gauze, and the fire became uncontrollable.

Li Zhongxin, just reaching the courtyard with the birdcage, was swept to the ground by the airwave.

Terrified, he turned back, only to see that most of the main hall of Weiyang Palace had collapsed, the flames within illuminating half of the Imperial Palace.

The mynah in the cage was frantically crashing into the bars, feathers flying, its cries shrill: “Fool! All dead! All dead!”

“Your Majesty! Empress!”

Li Zhongxin cried out in agony, collapsing to the ground, the birdcage rolling from his hand. His cries were drowned out by the screams erupting from all directions.

The first to arrive were the Imperial Army on patrol nearby. The Commander rushed into the smoke-filled hall, only to stagger back out, his armor covered in bits of flesh and blood.

“Quick… Quick, seal off the palace gates!” he shouted in terror, his voice shaking, “Go… go summon Her Noble Consort!”

Within the palace, aside from the Emperor and Empress, there were only concubines, guards, and palace staff.

With most of Weiyang Palace collapsed, such a monumental event occurring, the Guard Commander thought first to summon the highest-ranking Noble Consort to take charge.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the entire palace buzzed like a disturbed beehive.

Torches were ignited everywhere, disheveled concubines, supported by palace maids, surged toward Weiyang Palace.

Seeing the chaos inside Weiyang Palace, everyone was stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

The Noble Consort, supported by her maid, also staggered forward, her phoenix hairpin askew, her face pale as paper.

As she drew nearer and saw the blood and flesh scattered inside the hall, she suddenly bent over and retched.

Struggling to stop her retching, she called for the terrified Li Zhongxin and the surviving palace staff of Weiyang Palace to inquire, only to know that the Emperor and Empress had been drinking inside, and for unknown reasons, an explosion occurred.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”

“Empress.”

“Your Majesty, Empress.”

The concubines only dared to stand at the edge of the ruins, calling out and searching, not daring to approach.

At this time, the Imperial Physicians also rushed over from the Imperial Medical Institute, carrying their medicine boxes, they searched futilely through the ruins, finally gathering some scattered limbs, indistinguishable in their mangled state.

Confirming that Emperor Jing and the Empress were truly dead from the explosion, everyone burst into tears.

But among them were those concubines who had been secretly bullied and oppressed by the Empress, who had suffered miscarriages, and although their faces were full of mournful weeping, in their hearts they whispered, “Retribution!”

The Noble Consort’s trembling finger pointed towards the in-mix of blood and gold-embroidered flesh in the Imperial Physician’s hands. It took her a long time to steady her emotions, yet her voice still trembled.

“Quick… strengthen the defense… quickly summon the civil and military officials… immediately to the palace!”

With the Noble Consort’s command, the palace heightened its defenses, with the Imperial Army and Emperor Jing’s Hidden Guard mobilized, surrounding the palace completely.

Meanwhile, outside the palace was already in turmoil. On a quiet night, the sound of grenades exploding could carry beyond ten kilometers.

Thus, the entire Capital City was alarmed.

The watchman dropped his clapper in shock, night travelers panicked, and even those asleep were awakened by the explosion.