Chapter 22 The Little Princess is Framed

Liu Qingqing was so frightened by these words that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.

Chu Chongjin didn't look at her again, but gently picked up Mu Yu and patted her back softly.

"Don't cry, Brother Jinlong is here."

Mu Yu sobbed and nestled on his shoulder, her little hand pointing at the candied hawthorn on the ground: "My...candied hawthorn...is dirty..."

"I'll give you a hundred skewers," Chu Chongjin coaxed softly.

He carried Mu Yu and walked up to Mu Fang, saying, "Duke Protector of the Nation, I will give you and the Princess an explanation for what happened today."

After saying that, he picked up Mu Yu and left the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

Xiao Beichen and Yan Ziche immediately followed, one acting as a guard and the other as a strategist.

Mu Fang watched their retreating figures, his expression complex.

It's a good thing that my daughter has so many people protecting her, but these people are all inextricably linked to the royal family.

He sighed and followed.

Consort De was reprimanded by the emperor for "fake tribute" and was confined to her quarters for three months.

Liu Qingqing was confined by her father, the Minister of Personnel, and will not be able to cause trouble for a while.

However, the matter did not end there.

A few days later, a terrible rumor suddenly began to circulate in the palace.

Princess Anguo is not an auspicious omen, but a harbinger of disaster!

Rumors say that the "dragon scale" on Mu Yu's hand is not a protective dragon scale at all, but something called "reverse scale".

The arrival of auspicious omens should signify favorable weather, abundant harvests, and national prosperity and peace.

But ever since Mu Yu was granted the title of Princess Anguo, strange things have been happening in the palace: first, Consort De's rare flower broke for no reason, and then there was discord among the people at the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

This is all misfortune brought about by "being overly sensitive"!

The rumors were quite detailed, claiming that this "reverse scale" was unpredictable and that if you pleased her, you would have some good luck; if you displeased her, you would suffer misfortune!

At the Hundred Flowers Banquet, wasn't it because Liu Qingqing made her cry that she was embarrassed in public and disliked by the Ninth Prince?

This rumor is very insidious. It does not deny Mu Yu's abilities, but instead distorts her "fortune-gathering" into "unpredictable mood swings".

For a time, people in the palace were filled with anxiety.

Many palace servants kept their distance from Mu Yu when they saw him.

Even some of the concubines who had previously shown goodwill towards Mu Yu began to distance themselves from her.

Although the emperor ordered an investigation into the source of the rumors, such things are difficult to control once they spread.

That night, Mu Yu was asleep when she suddenly smelled a strong burnt smell.

She twitched her little nose and poked her head out from under the covers.

Outside the window, flames soared into the sky!

"Fire! Fire! The library is on fire!"

There was a lot of noise coming from outside.

Mu Fang rushed in immediately, wrapped his daughter in his cloak, and ran outside with her in his arms.

As soon as I ran into the courtyard, I saw that the area north of the palace's library was engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing upwards.

The Imperial Guards and eunuchs were carrying buckets of water and were in a chaotic mess, but the fire was too big and they couldn't do anything about it.

Just then, one of the eunuchs in charge of putting out the fire, whether choked by the smoke or terrified, pointed in Mu Yu's direction and shouted loudly:

"It's her! It's that jinx! I saw it! I just saw a seven-colored light fly out of her courtyard, land in the library, and then it caught fire!"

Everyone who was fighting the fire stopped and turned to look at Mu Yu.

"She started the fire!"

"She's a monster! She's going to burn down the palace!"

Burn her! Burn this jinx!

The crowd was outraged, and several bold eunuchs even picked up stones from the ground, intending to throw them at Mu Yu.

"Who dares!" Mu Fang roared.

He drew the sword from his waist and held it across his chest, intimidating those with ill intentions into retreating.

"Father..." Mu Yu was terrified and hugged Mu Fang's neck tightly, her little body trembling uncontrollably.

She didn't know what was happening. She had just taken a nap. Why was there a fire outside? Why was everyone looking at her with such terrifying eyes?

At this moment, Chu Chongjin, Chu Heng, Xiao Beichen and others also rushed over upon hearing the news.

Upon seeing this scene, Chu Chongjin's face instantly darkened.

What a wicked scheme!

First spread rumors, then create disaster, and then find someone to identify the perpetrator.

"Nonsense!" Xiao Beichen roared at the eunuch, "The young princess has been sleeping the whole time, how could she have set a fire! You're clearly making baseless accusations!"

The eunuch knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "This servant dares not lie! This servant saw it with his own eyes! That seven-colored light was exactly the same as the light emitted by the scale on the back of her hand!"

Upon hearing this, everyone believed it even more.

King Chu Heng frowned; he didn't believe Mu Yu would set a fire.

Chu Chongjin calmly looked at the sea of ​​fire, then suddenly said, "No, this fire is no ordinary fire."

He pointed to the flames: "Look, the flames are dark red, and the smoke is pure black. Ordinary wood and paper cannot produce flames of this color."

Yan Ziche arrived as well. He jogged to the edge of the fire, squatted down, picked up a bit of ash from the ground, smelled it, and his expression changed: "It's 'Yin Phosphorus Powder'! This is commonly used in Taoist sorcery. It ignites when exposed to wind, produces extremely fierce fires, and is very difficult to extinguish with water!"

He looked up at Chu Chongjin, and the two exchanged a glance.

He's a warlock!

Chu Huaijin and Consort De have powerful sorcerers behind them!

However, just as everyone was shocked, the eunuch kneeling on the ground suddenly pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed at Mu Yu!

"I will kill you, you monster, and rid the Great Chu of this scourge!"

He was too close and his movements were too sudden; no one had time to react!

Mu Fang was holding Mu Yu and didn't have time to swing his knife to block!

The poisoned dagger was about to pierce Mu Yu's small body!

"Little Yu'er!" Mu Fang's eyes widened in fury.

He was holding his daughter, his movements were restricted, and he didn't have time to draw his sword.

He instinctively twisted his body, trying to use his back to block the fatal blow!

However, a crimson figure was faster than him!

"court death!"

With a furious shout, Xiao Beichen pounced like an arrow released from a bow. Unarmed, he used his arm to smash the assassin's wrist.

"Crack!"

A crisp sound of bone cracking rang out.

The eunuch's wrist was smashed, and the dagger flew out of his hand, arcing through the air before landing with a clatter on a bluestone slab a few steps away.

But Xiao Beichen also paid a price.

His right sleeve was slashed open by a dagger, revealing a deep wound that exposed bone. Dark blood gushed out rapidly, a horrifying sight.

"Brother Beichen!" Mu Yu was so frightened that her face turned pale and tears streamed down her face.

"I'm fine!" Xiao Beichen gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, his left hand pressing hard on the wound, but black blood continued to seep out.

He's been poisoned!

"Quickly! Imperial Physician!" Prince Chu Heng reacted swiftly and immediately shouted.

The imperial guards, as if waking from a dream, rushed forward and pinned the eunuch with the severed hand to the ground.

The eunuch didn't struggle; instead, he let out a maniacal laugh: "Hahahaha! Burn her! Burn this monster! Eliminate this scourge for Great Chu! For..."

His laughter stopped abruptly.

A trickle of black blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

He actually committed suicide by poisoning himself on the spot!