Chapter 25 No Conflict, No Friendship

"What are you doing!"

Mu Fang gave a low shout, which startled several small heads by the pool, causing them to shrink back in alarm.

Qin Zheng, in particular, had just submerged her head in the water when she heard the sound. She jerked her head up and coughed repeatedly.

"Father!" Mu Yu popped her head out of the water, her face still wet with water droplets. She waved happily to Mu Fang when she saw him.

She was perfectly fine; on the contrary, she found the hot spring water warm and comfortable.

Mu Fang quickly walked to the edge of the pool, scooped his daughter out of the water, and wrapped her tightly in a large towel that he had prepared beforehand.

"Nonsense! It's autumn and chilly, how can you go swimming? What if you get sick?" He scolded, but his actions were incredibly gentle.

Qin Zheng felt a pang of sadness watching this scene.

If her father, Duke Anguo, saw her playing in the water, he would only yell at her, "You're not behaving like a girl," and then make her practice horse stance for half an hour.

"Uncle Mu, it was me who wanted to compete with Xiaoyuer, it has nothing to do with her." Qin Zheng climbed out of the water, and although she was a little afraid of Mu Fang, she still spoke with her neck stiff.

Mu Fang's gaze fell on her, and his expression softened.

He recognized this "mischievous devil" from the Anguo Duke's family.

"Is the competition over? Who won?" Mu Fang asked casually.

Qin Zheng's face flushed red instantly.

She had just plunged into the water and held her breath for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, thinking she had the victory in the bag.

But every time she couldn't hold her breath and looked up to breathe, she saw Mu Yu sitting perfectly fine at the bottom of the water, staring at her with wide eyes, looking at her curiously like a real little fish, and even blowing a few bubbles at her.

How can we even compare them?

They're not even in the same league!

"Hmph!" Qin Zheng snorted defiantly and turned her head away.

Mu Yu poked her little head out from under the towel and said in a childish voice, "Sister Qin Zheng, you lost, so all the cakes are mine!"

As she spoke, she tried to run toward the stone table where the pastries were placed.

"No! This round doesn't count!" Qin Zheng immediately exclaimed, stopping her. "Let's compete in something else!"

"What are we comparing?"

"Let's have a tree-climbing contest!" Qin Zheng said, pointing to a tall locust tree in the yard. "Whoever climbs to the top of the highest branch first wins!"

She refused to believe that this little baby could be more agile than a monkey!

Just as the two little girls were about to begin their second competition, a suppressed sob came from the other end of the garden.

"Waaah... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"Not on purpose? Do you know that this dress was newly made for me by the Imperial Clothing Bureau? The gold thread on it is more valuable than your life!" A shrill little girl's voice rang out, full of arrogance.

Mu Yu and Qin Zheng exchanged a glance and both stopped what they were doing.

They followed the sound and quietly walked behind a rockery.

Several elegantly dressed girls were surrounding a plainly dressed, thin girl.

The girl in the middle, who was about ten years old, was bowing her head and apologizing repeatedly.

Her skirt was stained with mud, while the proudest girl in front of her had a few drops of mud splashed on her brand-new skirt.

"Sister Liu, don't bother with the daughter of a servant; she'll only get your clothes dirty," a girl nearby advised.

"No way!" the girl called Sister Liu insisted. "Today she has to kneel down and lick my skirt clean!"

Upon hearing this, even the expressions of her companions changed.

This is going too far.

The girl surrounded by people trembled with fear, tears streaming down her face, but she stubbornly bit her lip and refused to kneel.

Qin Zheng clenched her fists immediately.

She couldn't stand guys who bullied others by taking advantage of their power.

She was about to rush out when Mu Yu, who was beside her, pulled her back.

Mu Yu shook her head at her, then activated her "Eye of Fortune".

The girl called "Sister Liu" had a thick cloud of gray mist floating above her head, mixed with a few strands of black hair that seemed to represent malice.

He's a bad guy.

The girl who was being bullied emanated a faint, yet pure, white aura.

Mu Yu thought for a moment, then secretly made a little face in the direction of "Sister Liu".

The water in her pool of good fortune is still shallow, so she can't use a powerful "turning misfortune around," but she can still bring a little bad luck to the other person.

"Will you kneel or not?" Seeing that the other party refused to submit, Sister Liu became even more furious and raised her foot to kick the girl.

But as soon as she lifted her foot, it felt like she stepped on an oiled stone, and she slipped suddenly!

"ah--!"

She lost her balance and fell to the ground in an extremely awkward position.

Even more coincidentally, there was a small puddle right next to her.

He sat down, and ended up sitting solidly in the mud.

The brand-new dress was no longer just splattered with mud; it had become a completely "muddy dress."

"Pfft!"

Qin Zheng couldn't help but laugh.

That smile immediately gave them away.

"Who's there!" Sister Liu screamed, both ashamed and angry, as she got up from the ground and pointed in the direction of the artificial hill.

Qin Zheng walked out confidently, arms crossed, a mocking look on her face: "You tripped and fell because you weren't watching where you were going, and you're blaming others?"

"It's you! Qin Zheng!" Sister Liu recognized her, and her arrogance immediately subsided by half.

Her father was a civil official, and he dared not offend the daughter of a military family from the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

"Me too!" Mu Yu also came out from behind, followed by Princess Jianing.

"Princess An... Princess Anguo?"

Sister Liu was completely dumbfounded.

She never imagined that she would run into the two most unapproachable young ladies in the capital at the same time.

“You,” Mu Yu pointed at her, her little face serious, “you bullied me just now, you’re not a good child.”

"I...I didn't!" Sister Liu tried to deny it.

“I saw it,” Mu Yu walked over, took the hand of the thin girl who was still in a daze, and pulled her behind her. “You made her lick your skirt? You’re so dirty.”

Children's innocent words can be the most deadly.

The words "You're so dirty" were more embarrassing for Sister Liu than any curse.

Her face flushed red and then turned pale. Finally, she glared fiercely at the thin girl, then slunk away with her followers.

The little girl looked at Mu Yu, her lips moved, and she whispered, "Thank you... thank you, Princess."

"My name is Mu Yu, you can call me Xiao Yu'er." Mu Yu smiled at her, "What's your name?"

"My name is Su Yuejian, and my mother is a female official in the Imperial Wardrobe." Su Yuejian's voice was soft, like the buzzing of a mosquito.

Qin Zheng watched from the side, and her opinion of Mu Yu underwent a complete 180-degree change.

This little girl, although she's a foodie and seems a bit silly, is absolutely decisive when it matters!

And that fall she just took... wasn't that too coincidental?

Qin Zheng walked over to Mu Yu and nudged her with her elbow: "Hey, was it you who did that thing with the surname Liu just now?"

Mu Yu blinked her big eyes, looking completely innocent: "No, it's because she doesn't watch where she's going."

Qin Zheng didn't believe it, but she didn't press the matter.

Looking at Mu Yu, she suddenly found the little girl much more pleasing to the eye.

"Alright, you win today's contest!" Qin Zheng waved her hand casually. "That plate of pastries is yours!"

She thought for a moment, then added, "But I'm definitely better at climbing trees than you! Let's compete again next time!"

"Okay!" Mu Yu happily agreed.

She felt that although this Sister Qin Zheng was a bit fierce, her aura was bright red, indicating that she was a good person.

One is bold and decisive, one is innocent and carefree, and one is gentle and introverted.

Three little girls with very different personalities become friends because of an accident.

They held hands and went back to the playground in the backyard together.

Xiao Beichen looked at them and smiled at Yan Ziche, saying, "See? I told you Xiao Yu'er had a way."

Yan Ziche waved his fan, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes behind his glasses.

He saw it clearly: the moment the girl surnamed Liu fell, Mu Yu's finger twitched.

This ability to change the situation without making a sound...

This is getting more and more interesting.

Meanwhile, inside the Duke of Huguo's mansion.

An uninvited guest arrived at Mu Fang's study.

"Your Highness, what brings you here so late at night?" Mu Fang asked, looking at Chu Chongjin sitting opposite him, his tone still distant.

He has moved into the Princess's Mansion, but the study in the Duke of Huguo's Mansion is still preserved.

Chu Chongjin gently pushed a scroll in front of Mu Fang.

"Please take a look, Lord Protector."

Mu Fang unfolded the scroll with a puzzled look.

The scroll depicted architectural drawings of the newly completed Anguo Princess's Mansion.

The blueprints themselves were fine, but Chu Chongjin circled several places on them with a vermilion pen.

These are the foundation of the main hall, the water inlet for the hot spring in the backyard, and the location under the bed in Mu Yu's bedroom.

"This is..." Mu Fang asked, puzzled.

“Something was secretly buried in these places during their construction.” Chu Chongjin’s voice was calm, but it carried a chill.

He pointed to a circle on the blueprint: "For example, here, three feet below the foundation of the main hall, there is a piece of 'Yin Soul Wood' buried."

"Yin Soul Wood?" Mu Fang's expression changed instantly.

He was a seasoned veteran and knew what this was.

This is a kind of evil tree that grows on ancient battlefields or mass graves. It absorbs death energy and resentment year after year, and it is extremely harmful to the living, especially those with strong luck and abundant yang energy.

If a person lives in a house with a foundation made of yin wood for a long time, they will suffer from all kinds of illnesses and nightmares at best, and their fortune will decline and their family will be destroyed at worst!

"What a ruthless and vicious scheme they have!" Mu Fang slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups on it jump.

He couldn't imagine what the consequences would have been if Chu Chongjin hadn't discovered it and put his little Yu'er in such a "cage"!

“I have already ordered people to secretly take these things out and replace them with ‘century-old lightning-struck wood’ that has the effect of calming the mind and warding off evil spirits,” Chu Chongjin continued. “But this is just the beginning.”

He looked at Mu Fang and said, word by word, "Duke Protector of the Nation, the enemy has already turned their butcher's knife against your most cherished treasure. Do you still choose to bear this alone?"

Mu Fang fell silent.

He looked at the Ninth Prince before him, this child who was only nine years old, who had helped him and his daughter out of crises time and time again.

He has already owed so many favors that he can never repay them all.

Being drawn into the vortex of imperial power is an unchangeable fact.

"What does Your Highness want me to do?" Mu Fang asked in a deep voice.

A slight smile finally appeared on Chu Chongjin's lips.

That's exactly what he was waiting for.

However, just as he was about to reveal his plan, a homing pigeon landed outside the window, cooing softly.

Chu Chongjin removed the letter tube from the carrier pigeon's leg and unfolded the paper.

With just one glance, his expression instantly became extremely solemn.

"What's wrong?" Mu Fang sensed something was amiss.

Chu Chongjin handed him the note.

Mu Fang took a look, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

The note contained only one short line of text:

"Urgent report from the southwest: a barbarian priest has used evil magic to incite a plague, and all three thousand border troops have been infected."