The princess regretted it.

Chapter 288 Escape

Jin An breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them all come out safely. It was as if she had been holding it in for a long time, and now she was finally able to let it out freely. She hurried forward, her eyes anxiously checking on the situation of Concubine Chun and the others. After all, the secret guards and Ye Yi were martial artists with excellent physical fitness. Apart from their clothes being a little messy and their faces being blackened by the smoke, they looked fine. Nanny Su and Gan Cao were in a more worrying state. Their faces were blackened by the smoke, and their original colors could hardly be seen. The ends of their hair were curled by the flames, making them look messy. At this moment, after crying, their faces were black and white, making them look even more messy.

However, Concubine Chun looked the worst at this moment. Her face was as pale as paper, devoid of color, her hair tangled and tangled on either side of her face. Her eyes were filled with endless fear and exhaustion, like a frightened deer. Her clothes were stained and wrinkled, covered in soot. Her brows were furrowed, one hand resting firmly on her protruding belly, her teeth clenched tightly around her lip, as if she was desperately trying to endure something.

Jin An felt distressed upon seeing this, and hurriedly whispered to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, Concubine Chun, you are safe now." The voice was as gentle as the spring breeze, carrying endless warmth.

Concubine Chun looked at Jin'an, tears glistening in her eyes. The complex feeling of surviving a disaster surged in her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes and she choked up and said, "Thank you, Princess, for saving my life."

At this moment, Concubine Cen, who was standing by, saw Concubine Chun was safe and sound. Her heart finally settled down, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders. She quickly stepped forward, took Concubine Chun's hand, and said with concern, "Sister, you're frightened. It's all my fault for not taking good care of you. How are you feeling now?"

Concubine Chun shook her head weakly. Before she could say anything, she felt dizzy, her vision went dark, and she passed out.

Jin An was terrified and quickly reached out to hug Concubine Chun to prevent her from falling heavily to the ground. Concubine Cen's face also changed drastically. She turned around in panic and shouted to the imperial physician who was waiting nearby, "Imperial physician, come quickly!"

The Imperial Physician, fearing the slightest delay, hurried forward and gave Concubine Chun a thorough examination. After a moment, he spoke gravely, "Princess, Your Majesty, this is a critical situation. We must immediately move Concubine Chun to a room. She was frightened and had inhaled a large amount of smoke, causing a miscarriage. Furthermore, she had just been wrapped in a wet blanket, catching a cold. She needs immediate attention, otherwise..." The Imperial Physician hesitated, his eyes filled with worry.

Jin'an and Concubine Cen exchanged a glance, a solemn look in their eyes. Concubine Cen acted decisively, shouting to the eunuchs who were helping to put out the fire, "All of you, come quickly and help carry Concubine Chun to the nearest vacant palace—Lanxin Palace." After a brief pause, she added, "Be gentle and do not disturb Concubine Chun again."

These eunuchs usually work in the palace and are all smart people. When they heard Concubine Cen's instructions, they did not dare to delay for a moment. They quickly put down the fire extinguishers in their hands and gathered around with swift hands and feet.

Concubine Cen knew that ever since she learned that the Emperor intended to hold the selection next year, she had already made preparations to deal with any possible changes, arranging for people to clean the palaces meticulously in advance, just in case. Unexpectedly, it would actually come in handy now.

Jin An watched Concubine Cen's methodical arrangements and nodded silently, not questioning them. She knew that Concubine Cen's decision was the most appropriate given the current situation. Choosing the nearest Lanxin Palace would minimize the long journey and the bumpy ride. After all, Concubine Chun was currently pregnant with the dragon heir and was frail, unable to withstand the stress of travel. Furthermore, choosing an unoccupied palace would prevent further spread of the news; the fewer people who knew, the fewer variables there would be. It would also facilitate subsequent security arrangements, providing Concubine Chun with a relatively safe haven within the palace.

Everyone carefully carried Concubine Chun to the inner chamber of Lanxin Palace and placed her there. Nanny Su was also busy. She quickly arranged for Xing'er to rush to the Imperial Hospital to ask for Doctor Fang, who had been in charge of Concubine Chun's connections case.

Fortunately, Xing'er was very nimble, and the situation was urgent, so she could walk around the palace smoothly on weekdays. Not long after, Doctor Fang arrived in a hurry.

At this time, Concubine Chun was still unconscious and her life or death was uncertain. Doctor Fang and the doctors brought by Concubine Cen did not dare to slack off. They quickly stood side by side and sat down together beside the bed. They stretched out their hands, placed three fingers on Concubine Chun's wrist, held their breath, and carefully took her pulse. From time to time, they whispered a few words to each other, with frowns and serious expressions.

Jin An and Concubine Cen walked to the main hall together, each finding a seat and quietly waiting for news. For a moment, the atmosphere in the main hall seemed to be shrouded in a thick haze, so oppressive that it made people breathless.

Concubine Cen sat there, but she was always filled with an lingering sense of uneasiness in her heart, as if she was tightly wrapped in an invisible net and could not break free.

She raised her eyes slightly and glanced at Jin An beside her. After hesitating for a moment, she couldn't help but feel curious and asked softly, "Princess Jin An and Sister Chun are familiar with each other?"

As if anticipating this, Jin An glanced sideways at Concubine Cen, her gaze calm and composed, yet revealing an elusive depth. She parted her rosy lips and spoke slowly, "I know what you're asking. I happened to be there when the fire intelligence reached the Emperor. As you know, the Emperor is hosting a celebration banquet tonight for the soldiers from the Northern Frontier. This is a matter of great importance to the reputation of the court and the morale of the troops, so I can't get away with it easily. Furthermore, the Emperor, mindful of your poor health and inability to attend to the many trivial matters of the harem, has sent me here to take a look."

Having said this, Jin An paused slightly, gently adjusted his sleeves, and then continued with a serious expression: "However, Concubine Chun is now pregnant with my father's dragon heir. This is the continuation of our royal bloodline, and it is of utmost importance. Of course, we must take even greater care of her."

She raised her eyes slightly and looked directly at Concubine Cen, a subtle warning flashing in her eyes. "This palace kindly reminds Her Majesty Concubine Cen that your most important concern right now should be the cause of this fire. Think about it, the New Year is almost here, and there was a freezing rain just two days ago. The weather is cold and damp. It is unlikely that objects would spontaneously combust for no reason unless there was human intervention. I'm afraid someone behind this is deliberate, and their heart is despicable. We must not take it lightly. We must thoroughly investigate and restore peace to the harem."