Chapter 24 The First Amusement Park in the Capital

Inside the Imperial Study.

Emperor Chu Yuan listened to Chief Steward Li's vivid report and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

"Summoning rain to extinguish the fire... Hahahaha! Excellent! What a great auspicious omen for the Great Chu!"

He glanced at a memorial on his desk, which had been brought up from the fire that very night.

Beside the memorial was a charred wooden plaque covered with the ash of "phosphorus powder".

The wooden plaque bears the almost illegible characters "Eastern Palace".

Xuanjizi intended to frame the confined Crown Prince Chu Chongyun with the "grand gift" he left behind, but Chu Chongjin discovered it beforehand and turned the tables, diverting the blame elsewhere.

Chu Yuan's gaze darkened, and he casually tossed the wooden plaque into the brazier.

"Issue my decree!"

"Firstly, the traitors framed loyal officials, committed arson and assassination. The Jingzhao Prefecture and the Imperial Guards are ordered to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the mastermind behind it to justice!"

"Secondly, Xiao Beichen, son of the Marquis of Zhenbei, was rewarded for his meritorious service in protecting the emperor and was seriously injured. He is to be given a thousand-year-old snow lotus, a hundred bottles of wound medicine, and a thousand taels of gold!"

Thirdly...

Chu Yuan paused, his smile widening.

“Princess Mu Yu of Anguo is blessed with great fortune. She prayed for rain for the country, which is a great contribution to the nation.”

"The Princess's Mansion being built by the Ministry of Works in Jingshan must be completed using the best materials and at the fastest speed!"

"All the furnishings in the mansion were allocated by the Imperial Household Department from my private treasury!"

He added, "Also, provide the Princess's residence with a pastry team from the Imperial Kitchen, so that the little girl can eat a different kind of pastry every day!"

"Also, go and fetch me the rosters of the children of similar age and good character from the families of the imperial clan and important officials in the court. Little Yu'er is bored living alone, so find her more playmates to keep her company."

As Steward Li took notes, he clicked his tongue in amazement.

His Majesty is not just doting on the princess, he's practically trying to pluck the stars from the sky and present them to her.

Two weeks later.

Beside Jingshan Hill in Beijing, a brand-new mansion has sprung up.

It lacks the solemnity and grandeur of a typical royal palace, instead exuding a childlike charm and ingenuity.

Instead of imposing stone lions, the gate to the mansion is adorned with two round, chubby, and endearing jade koi.

The mansion's corridors were painted in rainbow colors, and the gardens, instead of rare flowers and plants, were filled with edible fruits and vegetables. There was also a huge pond filled with colorful koi.

The most outrageous thing is that the backyard has been transformed into a huge playground.

There are swings taller than a person, giant seesaws that require several people to play on, and even a shallow pool filled with hot spring water and paved with smooth pebbles, specially for children to play in the water during the summer.

This is the newly built Anguo Princess's Mansion!

"Wow--"

Mu Yu, dressed in a brand-new red dress, stood at the gate of the mansion, her mouth agape in an "O" shape.

Behind her were her father, Mu Fang, who was equally dumbfounded, and Princess Jianing, who looked on with envy.

"Father, is this our new home?" Mu Yu tugged at Mu Fang's sleeve, her big eyes sparkling.

“Yes, Xiaoyu will live here from now on.” Mu Fang looked at the mansion in front of him, which could almost be described as “unconventional,” and felt a mix of emotions.

The emperor's favor is both an honor and a target.

"Great!" Mu Yu cheered and rushed inside.

She would touch the rainbow corridor for a while, then run to the vegetable garden, pluck a small cucumber with a flower and thorns on top, and take a bite with a "crunch".

"Sweet!" she mumbled to Princess Jianing, who had followed her. "Jianing, you should try it!"

Princess Jianing ate the cucumber in small bites, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

Since following Mu Yu, she has been smiling more and more, and has become much more cheerful.

Soon, the emperor's "carefully selected" playmates also arrived one after another.

The first to arrive was Yan Ziche, the grandson of the Grand Tutor and a ten-year-old child prodigy.

He walked around the yard with his hands behind his back, like a little adult, and finally stopped in front of the huge seesaw with a look of disgust.

"childish."

As soon as the words were spoken, a pink figure sat down on the other end of the seesaw.

Yan Ziche was suddenly thrown up, startled, and fell flat on his back on the grass.

Mu Yu, with half a cucumber still dangling from her mouth, tilted her head and looked at him: "Xiao Chezi, why did you say the seesaw is childish? Isn't it fun?"

Yan Ziche got up, looking disheveled and angry. He wanted to argue with her, but when he looked into her innocent and wide eyes, he swallowed back all the words he had to say.

It's impossible to argue with a four-and-a-half-year-old toddler.

The second person to arrive was Xiao Beichen, who was already able to walk.

His arm was still wrapped in thick bandages, but as soon as he saw Mu Yu, his face lit up with a smile.

"Little Yu'er! Look what I brought you!"

He pulled a small wooden tiger from his pocket, as if presenting a treasure; it was so lifelike.

"Wow! A big tiger!" Mu Yu immediately dropped the cucumber, snatched the little tiger, and couldn't put it down.

Seeing her happy expression, Xiao Beichen felt that his wounds no longer hurt.

Just then, a clear, slightly arrogant girl's voice rang out.

"Hmph, what's so great about a wooden tiger?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl, about eight years old, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit and with her hair tied in a high ponytail, standing not far away with her arms crossed and a look of dissatisfaction on her face.

Her skin was a healthy wheat color, and her eyes were bright, like a spirited little leopard.

"Who are you?" Mu Yu asked curiously.

The girl raised her chin: "My name is Qin Zheng, and my father is the Duke of Anguo!"

Duke Anguo was a general who commanded the garrison troops in the capital region and was one of the few military officers in the court who could be considered equals to Mu Fang.

Qin Zheng, as the daughter of a military family, grew up surrounded by boys and was known as the queen of children among the younger generation in the capital.

She had long heard about Mu Yu's various deeds and had been holding back a lot of resentment in her heart.

Why should I?

They are all daughters of military officers, so why is it that Mu Yu can be granted the title of princess, live in such a nice house, and have so many people surrounding her?

As for cuteness, she's not bad-looking either!

In terms of courage, I could climb trees to steal birds' nests when I was three years old, and I dared to fight with wolf cubs when I was five!

She came today to have a proper "meeting" with this legendary Princess Anguo!

Qin Zheng's gaze swept around the courtyard and finally landed on the shallow pool filled with hot spring water.

Although it is early autumn, the weather is still quite hot.

"Hey, Mu Yu!" Qin Zheng pointed at the pool and shouted, "Do you dare to have a contest with me to see who can hold their breath underwater the longest?"

This is a provocation.

A simple and direct form of provocation among children.

Xiao Beichen frowned, about to speak, when Yan Ziche stopped him.

Yan Ziche shook his head at him, signaling him to leave it alone for now.

Mu Yu blinked her big eyes, looked at Qin Zheng, and then at the crystal-clear, steaming pool.

Holding your breath underwater?

She's a lucky koi princess!

Isn't this a free point question?

Before she could answer, her stomach growled at an inopportune moment.

A plump chef dressed in the imperial kitchen uniform walked over with a big smile, carrying a tray.

"Princess, your 'Seven-Colored Glazed Cake' is ready! Please try it!"

On the tray was a plate of exquisitely crafted pastries.

The pastries were crystal clear, with seven colors that shimmered in the sunlight, making them look as if they were made of crystal and gemstones.

Mu Yu's eyes widened instantly.

She slid down the seesaw in a flash, ran to the tray, picked up a piece, and stuffed it into her mouth.

It melts in your mouth, sweet but not cloying, with a subtle floral and fruity fragrance.

"Mmm...delicious!" Mu Yu squinted her eyes happily.

Qin Zheng looked at her pathetic, gluttonous appearance and felt even more disdain.

"Hey! Are you going to compete or not? You coward!"

Mu Yu swallowed the pastry in her mouth and finally remembered the "challenge" from earlier.

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then picked up a piece of pink crystal cake, walked up to Qin Zheng, and handed it to her.

"I'll treat you to some cakes."

Qin Zheng was stunned; she hadn't expected the other person to react this way.

"Who wants to eat your food!" She awkwardly turned her head to the side.

"It's delicious," Mu Yu said, pushing it forward further in a tempting tone, "If you win, all of this is yours!"

All of them... belong to me?

Qin Zheng's eyes lit up immediately.

She looked at the shiny, incredibly expensive-looking pastries on the tray and couldn't help but swallow hard.

Although her father was a duke, her mother was strict and gave her very little pocket money and snacks.

"You said it yourself!" Qin Zheng snatched the pastry from Mu Yu's hand and stuffed it into her mouth.

Mmm! It really is delicious!

"Let's compete! Who's afraid of who!" she said, wiping her mouth with a heroic air.

Princess Jianing acted as the referee, while Xiao Beichen and Yan Ziche served as the audience.

The two looked at the two small figures in the pool, their expressions different.

Xiao Beichen asked with concern, "Xiao Yu'er is so small, won't she choke on the water?"

Yan Ziche waved his fan, looking confident: "Don't worry, the Duke of Protectorate hasn't arrived yet. If he does, Qin Zheng won't even have a chance to touch a hair on the princess's head."

He had barely finished speaking when he saw Mu Fang stride over from the front yard with a dark expression on his face.

Oh no, the Duke of Protectorate has really arrived.