When Xuyu rushed back to Chongtian Hall, the fire had already started in the hall, and thick smoke was constantly coming out of the hall door. Cao Huan directed the palace eunuchs to carry water to put out the fire. Many palace guards who were guarding the palace tonight also came one after another to join the firefighting. However, the water source was limited. The hall was painted everywhere, curtains were hung, and the towering foundation of the hall caught the wind. After the fire started, it was not only out of control, but also getting bigger and bigger. The smoke was so thick that people could not go in smoothly to throw water. Cao Huan was horrified and anxious. Seeing a palace eunuch holding a bucket and not daring to approach, he jumped up and cursed, and kicked him. He took the lead with water and was about to rush in. When he reached the threshold of the hall, he was forced back by a sudden burst of hot fireworks, and his hair and eyebrows were scorched in an instant. He was coughing and frantically slapping the sparks on his body when he found Xuyu coming. He rushed over and knelt on the ground. The team leader who brought Zhou He here tonight was even more terrified. He also ran over and knelt down to apologize.
After Zhou He entered the hall, he stood facing the mural for a long time at first, without seeing anything unusual. Then he said he couldn't see clearly and asked for the fire stick to be brought closer. A nearby fireman walked over as he asked. He didn't know that he had filled the interlayer of his clothes with thick fluorescent powder in advance. This is a special material powder used for painting to make it visible in the dark. However, it is very easy to catch fire, and even catches fire by itself if not properly kept. Therefore, it is not used much in the painting academy, and it is usually kept by a special person. Unexpectedly, he used his identity to steal it. He saw nothing unusual, and the fire stick was close, so he wrapped it around and ignited the fluorescent powder immediately. With the fire, he rushed to the nearby curtains.
He was wearing shackles and was a painter, looking weak and powerless. Who would have thought that he would do such a thing? Fluorescent powder was spread on the curtains. There were only two or three people in the hall at that time. After they restrained Zhou He who was running madly in the fire, the flame on one of the curtains rolled up too fast and spread rapidly. In the end, they were unable to put out the fire in time, causing it to spread.
Zhou He was not dead yet. His body was charred black, and he fell to the ground. His face had been burned beyond recognition. He was twitching constantly because of the great pain.
"Zhou He, since we met, I feel that I have not done anything to let you down. Why did you do this?" Xuyu asked, looking at the person on the ground.
He slowly opened his eyes, and when he saw who it was, he laughed hoarsely, but his throat had been damaged by the fireworks, and the sound sounded extremely strange.
"Princess, are you accusing me of betraying you?" He spoke with difficulty from his throat.
"I started learning painting and reading from my father when I was five years old. I admired the saints and sages of the past. Although I was not talented, I knew that I should die for my country and the world. During the Jingsheng Rebellion, I was young and wandered with my father. I escaped death several times, witnessed the suffering of the people, and experienced the difficulties of the world. I made up my mind to serve the court one day and realize my long-cherished wish. However, my background determined my future. I was forced to obey my father's orders and embarked on the road of painting. Being a court painter was all the future I could see in my life."
"However, after the turmoil ended and my father was innocently implicated because of Ding Baiya, I finally understood everything. What is a court painter? Even if he can become the second Ye Zhongli and hold an official position in the Imperial Academy, so what? He will always be just an official from the outside, who can only entertain people with his tricks and tricks. He doesn't even have the qualifications to stand together with the regular officials in the court, let alone discuss politics and realize his ambitions."