Chapter 282 - 167: Annihilation Was Well Deserved
Tonight, two people left the Marquis Champion’s residence.
One was Princess Changle, and the other was the marquis’s steward sent to the Prime Minister’s mansion with a message.
Both were nobles of the Capital City, and the distance between their two families was not that far.
When the steward of the Marquis Champion’s residence arrived at the Prime Minister’s mansion, he began by saying to Mr. Wei, Wei’s nephew has caught the eye of the marquis’s Princess Changle.
The people from the marquis’s residence have agreed to this marriage proposal, and Mr. Wei should find a matchmaker and send someone to the marquis’s residence tomorrow to formally propose.
"My nephew?"
Mr. Wei’s hand, which was stroking his beard, paused midair, his brows furrowed into knots.
He squinted at the old steward of the Marquis Champion’s residence in front of him. Seeing the barely concealed joy on the man’s face, he knew that the elderly Princess Changle finally had a suitor and how delighted everyone at the marquis’s residence must be.
"Indeed." The old steward bowed and said, "The marquis says that your nephew was captivated by the princess at her birthday banquet today..."
Just as Mr. Wei was about to ask further, there was suddenly a deafening explosion, shaking the window frames so they buzzed.
Following that were several more explosions, like thunder striking the rooftop. Mr. Wei’s hand shook, and the tea cup in his hand fell to the ground with a "crash", scattering porcelain shards everywhere.
"What’s happening?"
Mr. Wei stood up abruptly, his robe overturning the chair.
He couldn’t be bothered thinking about his nephew or any mutual attraction. He directly pushed aside the steward of the marquis’s residence standing before him and rushed outside.
The steward’s expression also changed. He staggered a bit, and after stabilizing himself, hurriedly followed.
The yard of the Prime Minister’s mansion was already in chaos, with servants running frantically in all directions, and the shrieks of the women rising and falling.
Mr. Wei took a quick look at the yard, seeing that nothing happened to his own household, he didn’t stop and hurriedly rushed out the gate.
Standing on the street and looking up, he saw thick smoke billowing in several directions of the Capital City at the same time, with the nearest blaze soaring into the sky, precisely where the Marquis Champion’s residence was.
"The marquis’s residence?"
The steward shouted out in shock, his face turning deathly pale instantly, "Sir, this..."
Mr. Wei didn’t have the time for many words. He grabbed the old steward’s sleeve and said, "Let’s go!"
The two hurried along the long street towards the Marquis Champion’s residence. Quite a few government officials and household servants were already poking their heads out to look, with some braver ones already carrying water buckets, rushing to the fiery place.
The closer they got to the marquis’s residence, the stronger the burnt smell in the air became.
By the time they reached the front gate, they saw the gilded plaque with "Marquis Champion’s Residence" at the gate was precariously hanging. Cries and pleas for help inside mixed into one, and sooty servants kept running out.
"Where is the master? Where is the lady?"
The steward grabbed a maid fleeing outside and demanded sharply.
The maid’s face was covered in soot, and half of her sleeve was burned and singed, upon hearing the question, she trembled all over.
"I don’t, don’t know... it suddenly... is so terrifying... heavens... the heavenly punishment." The maid pointed towards the direction of the backyard but couldn’t say more because her teeth were chattering.
𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Seeing the maid’s nonsense talk, the steward angrily rebuked, "Don’t talk nonsense, where does the heavenly punishment come from?"
Mr. Wei felt a heaviness in his heart. He looked around and found the fire seemed to be concentrated in the direction of the backyard, and tugged at the steward.
"Lead the way, let’s check the backyard!"
As they passed through the front yard, panicked servants were seen fleeing everywhere.
The rockery in the garden has collapsed on one side, and several ancient trees were broken in half.
The further in they went, the more horrifying the scene became—debris littered the ground.
Charred wooden beams were inserted haphazardly into the ruins, and some places were still burning, with the choking smell of gunpowder filling the air.
"This... this..."
The steward’s legs went weak and nearly knelt to the ground, "It was perfectly fine half an hour ago..."
Mr. Wei, having experienced great storms as the Prime Minister, after the initial shock, forced himself to calm down, his gaze sweeping over the ruins.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted, spotting a bloodstained sleeve beneath several broken beams.
"Someone! Clear this area!" he shouted fiercely.
Several bold protectors stepped forward cautiously, working together to move the half-charred beam away.
"Ah!"
A servant suddenly screamed, retreated a distance, and sat down on the ground. Others also changed their expressions, hurriedly retreating.
Mr. Wei focused his gaze, and his stomach churned immediately.
In their sight was a hand blown to a bloody pulp, with a gold and jade-inlaid ring still on the ring finger.
He recognized the ring as a gift bestowed upon the Marquis Champion by the emperor last year, but he couldn’t determine who the hand belonged to.
"This... this is the second young master’s..."