Shen Qian was in a daze, vaguely hearing some noise outside, and it seemed like a little maid was crying. But his eyelids felt heavy, as if he was experiencing sleep paralysis and couldn’t wake up, while he also sensed a burnt smell at the tip of his nose.

With a “bang,” Xiao Wan pushed open the door and rushed into the room, yanking Shen Qian off the bed, almost too anxious to punch him twice: “Why are you still sleeping! Get up, there’s a fire!!”

Being dragged by Xiao Wan, Shen Qian finally opened his eyes, shivering all over. No wonder he had sensed something was wrong but couldn’t wake up; he must have unknowingly inhaled carbon monoxide while sleeping, causing mild poisoning. Luckily, Xiao Wan came to find him.

At this moment, Shen Qian, pulled up by Xiao Wan, still felt dizzy and nauseous, forcing himself to stay alert. Seeing his flushed cheeks, Xiao Wan quickly splashed a cup of leftover tea from the table onto his face, propping him up and running outside.

The courtyard was filled with about twenty people, both masters and servants, gathered at the door.

The fire started in the main house, and it just so happened that Xiao Wan was on night duty. He was a light sleeper and noticed something was wrong, quickly waking Li Xun and shouting about the fire. The two ran out of the main house, only to see the kitchen already ablaze.

The servants’ quarters where Shen Qian and the others lived weren’t on fire, but thick smoke was billowing, causing many little maids and attendants to cough incessantly, both frightened and scared, hugging each other and crying.

Seeing Xiao Wan supporting Shen Qian out, Li Xun finally breathed a sigh of relief and asked Zhan’er to count heads: “Is anyone still trapped inside?”

“No, everyone is here,” Zhan’er replied, then hurriedly checked on Shen Qian: “Why were you sleeping so soundly, weren’t you suffocated?”

Shen Qian’s eyes were watering from the smoke, squatting there dry heaving. He was indeed a heavy sleeper, but who would have thought there’d be a fire? This fire… as he calmed down a bit, Shen Qian realized something was wrong. Their courtyard was in chaos, yet there was no commotion outside, no one coming to their rescue.

This… wasn’t an accident, someone deliberately set the fire?? Damn, Shen Qian quickly looked at Li Xun, who had also realized it, his face dark: “The courtyard gate is locked.”

No need to guess who set the fire. They had just discovered issues with the account books during the day, and now someone wanted to silence them by killing. Who else could it be but Liu Yufu? Despite drowning Yang Mei, Pan’er, and others, making all the servants in the residence aware that Liu Yufu wouldn’t protect them, she still managed to find someone to help set the fire, which was quite impressive.

Li Xun took a few steps forward, gathered his strength, and kicked hard… the door didn’t budge.

Li Xun: “…” Damn this weak body!!

If it were his own body, a mere wooden door!

Shen Qian was speechless, was this a joke at such a time? He stood up with Xiao Wan’s help, pushed Li Xun aside: “Let me!”

Xiao Die’s body was much stronger, and with Shen Qian’s recent cultivation, he had gained some internal strength. After a few kicks, under the shocked gazes of everyone, the two door panels fell to the ground, the front of the wooden boards already on fire, with a bright brass lock hanging in the middle.

But immediately, two-person-high flames surged in from outside the door.

There was fire outside too. They were trapped in this courtyard. The maids and attendants cried and screamed, huddling together and retreating in panic.

Meanwhile, the fire in the main house and kitchen grew fiercer, the smoke thicker, gradually filling the space in Ganlin Courtyard.

Shen Qian sniffed the smell on the door panels: “It’s oil.” Cooking oil. And traces of firewood could be seen at the door, likely the work of someone from the kitchen.

Granny Zhao… Shen Qian gritted his teeth in hatred, truly regretting not pouring that scalding porridge down her throat that day.

Xiao Wan, scared, clung to Zhan’er’s arm, tears streaming down: “Are we going to be burned to death? I’m so scared… I haven’t seen my mom recently, I miss her so much…”

Zhan’er was also filled with fear and sadness, silently holding Xiao Wan.

Even Xiao Wan was crying, so the younger maids and attendants cried even louder.

Li Xun’s hands were clenched into fists: “Damn it, damn it…”

Shen Qian tried to calm himself down. He didn’t have much knowledge about dealing with fires, only what he had seen in TV dramas. With everyone in the courtyard panicking, he had to step up and take charge: “Stop crying! Listen to me, we have to save ourselves!”

His gaze quickly swept across the courtyard: “Everyone, go to the rooms that aren’t on fire, find any unfinished tea, wet some cloths, and cover your mouths and noses.” Even though Shen Qian wasn’t professionally trained in fire safety, he knew that in a fire, most people weren’t burned to death but suffocated by smoke first, then burned. “Then bring out the tables, chairs, and stools from the rooms, we’re climbing over the wall!”

The courtyard wall of Ganlin Courtyard was about two meters high, usually very secure, but now without a ladder, they couldn’t see outside or climb over. In such a large courtyard, not every part was blocked by fire. Shen Qian carefully observed, noticing a few spots where there was no red glow outside the walls, indicating no fire. They could only try climbing over and see, even if there were people outside, they had to give it a shot!

Shen Qian shouted once, but few responded. The little maids and attendants were too scared, paralyzed with fear. He had to keep shouting, while Li Xun, annoyed, veins bulging on his forehead, felt like the noise of palace servants was ringing in his ears again, angrily grabbing people by the collar to wake them up: “If you want to live, do as he says, or you’ll really burn to death here!!”

After a while, they finally got up, weakly following Shen Qian’s instructions to find tea and cloths in each room, then bringing out tables and chairs.

Shen Qian hesitated for a moment, also heading to his room, but Li Xun grabbed his sleeve: “Don’t run around, just stay here and direct them.” He saw Shen Qian coughing uncomfortably from the smoke earlier, feeling a bit concerned.

“I left something in the room, I’ll just grab it,” Shen Qian said. But Li Xun still didn’t let go, displeased: “What could be so important that you’d risk your life for it!”

“Oh come on, it’s not that dangerous, the fire hasn’t reached here yet. Everyone else is moving things, why can’t I?” Shen Qian wanted to get the summoning talisman he had drawn earlier in the day. It was a particularly good one, with blood mixed into the cinnabar. He feared he wouldn’t be able to draw such a good talisman again soon.

He was hoping to save the crown prince and become a marquis. Time was precious! But looking at Li Xun, who wouldn’t let go…

Li Xun was about to say, how could anyone else’s life compare to yours?

In his mind, lives were inherently ranked, divided into classes. Although he didn’t want anyone in the courtyard to get hurt, if he had to choose, he naturally didn’t want it to be Shen Qian. But then Shen Qian hesitantly said: “…The little rabbit you gave me is still inside, I haven’t worn it even once.”

Li Xun was momentarily stunned, feeling as if something hit his heart, and Shen Qian slipped away, running off.

At this moment, Xiao Wan returned, holding a few wet cloths, first handing one to Li Xun: “Gongzi, cover your mouth and nose!” Then, looking around for Shen Qian: “Where’s Xiao Die? Where did he run off to again! So worrisome!”

Indeed, very worrisome, Li Xun thought to himself, but somehow, he took the remaining cloths from Xiao Wan and chased after Shen Qian’s room.

“???” Xiao Wan was shocked, stomping his feet in frustration: “Gongzi, gongzi!”

One is more worrisome than the other!!

Shen Qian returned to his room, first wetting a cloth with the tea on the table to cover his mouth and nose, then took the book with the talisman, and went to find the wooden rabbit. The rabbit was originally under his pillow, but now it was missing. Shen Qian hesitated for a second whether to keep looking or leave, when he suddenly heard Li Xun’s exasperated voice: “Why are you dawdling!”

Shen Qian: “…” Now he had to pretend to look for it.

Seeing Shen Qian already had a cloth covering his mouth and nose, Li Xun paused, but still slapped another cloth onto Shen Qian’s face. Shen Qian almost fell from the force, quickly steadying himself by the bed, and because of this, he found the wooden rabbit had fallen into the gap by the bed, and when he pushed the bed, the gap widened, and it fell to the floor.

Shen Qian rolled up his sleeves, handing the book to Li Xun: “Gongzi, hold this for me.”

The room was getting hotter, the smoke thicker, and Li Xun had a bad feeling, urging: “Maybe forget it, I’ll carve another one for you later.”

If he couldn’t find it, then forget it, but since he saw it and could reach it, Shen Qian thought, “How can that be, it’s the first one you carved for me.”

Li Xun: Instantly convinced.

He looked up, seeing through the hazy smoke, Shen Qian kneeling and reaching under the bed for the rabbit. From Li Xun’s position, he could only see a round butt swaying in front of him.

Li Xun: “…” The fire was burning too fiercely.

This posture! So shameless! He quickly looked away, glancing around to distract himself. In doing so, he noticed something in the book he was holding.

Opening it, he found a talisman.

Li Xun was surprised. Nowadays, peace talismans were usually folded into triangles and placed in a pouch. But this one likely wasn’t a protective talisman.

What could it be? Li Xun curiously reached for the talisman, but as soon as he touched it, everything went black, and he fell straight to the ground.

The summoning talisman briefly glowed a faint vermilion, then dimmed, as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, Shen Qian finally reached the wooden rabbit: “Alright, gongzi, let’s go…” He stood up, but Li Xun was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, he found Li Xun collapsed on the ground, not even breathing, as if dead.

Shen Qian felt something explode in his mind: “Gongzi???”