Until the water reached her eyes, Chu Jinyao felt that she was wrongly implicated.

As soon as the crowd became chaotic, she asked people to be on guard. Linglong, Jiegeng and others kept a close eye on the back, guarding against anyone taking advantage of the chaos to attack. However, she did not expect that the accident did not happen behind her, but from the front. Concubine Lian was pushed into the water. At the moment when she was about to fall, she burst out with great strength out of her desire to survive, and actually grabbed Chu Jinyao. Chu Jinyao was completely unprepared, and stumbled when she was grabbed by Concubine Lian, and actually fell down with her.

However, this was not the end. Chu Jinyao suffered innocently. After all, she could swim, so she was not at a loss in the pool. If she was a native Taiyuan lady, she would not be able to swim, but Chu Jinyao grew up in a mountain village when she was young, and there was a river at the entrance of their village. Chu Jinyao learned this skill without a teacher and learned a life-saving skill.

Unfortunately, she was able to keep her feet steady, but the Concubine next to her could not. Concubine screamed and struggled hard, her hands and feet still tightly wrapped around the only thing she could grab. Chu Jinyao was tortured by her and could only shout to Concubine Liang: "Concubine Liang, let go first, I can swim, I will swim back with you!"

However, a drowning person cannot hear what others are shouting. Chu Jinyao's hands and feet were entangled by Concubine Liang, and she gradually felt like she was drowning. Fortunately, there were always maids and old women who could swim in the Western Palace. Soon, there were splashing sounds of people diving everywhere. Linglong and others shouted anxiously on the shore: "Crown Princess!"

A maid pulled Concubine Liang away. Without another person pinching her hand tightly, Chu Jinyao felt that she could breathe freely. The palace maid led Chu Jinyao to swim to the shore. As soon as they touched the ground, Linglong spread out the wide awning and covered Chu Jinyao tightly.

The water was still cold in spring. Chu Jinyao had walked in the water and was now trembling all over. Her face was pale, and she tried hard to say to the people around her: "It's okay, I'm fine."

Linglong and the others were slightly relieved to see that Chu Jinyao was not injured except for being frightened. But the other person was not so lucky. When Concubine Lian was rescued, she was pale and had fainted completely. She was also pregnant and her condition was really bad.

Empress Xiao Qi looked at all this with a sullen face. There was a fire in broad daylight, the Crown Princess and Concubine Lian fell into the water, and now the only pregnant concubine was still unconscious. This must be her fault for managing the palace. Empress Xiao Qi shouted angrily: "What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and call the imperial physician and bring the sedan chair over!"

Chu Jinyao was wrapped in a cloak and looked towards Concubine Lian. Concubine Lian was unconscious, and the palace maids around her were crying, dazed and at a loss. It was a scene of chaos. Chu Jinyao scanned the crowd. It was easiest to see clues when something happened. Who wanted to harm Concubine Lian?

Chu Jinyao was watching intently, Linglong could only whisper in Chu Jinyao's ear: "Crown Princess, the water is cold in April, the sedan chair is already on the way, please bear with it for a while."

"I can hold on." Before Chu Jinyao finished speaking, she suddenly heard a large number of people kneeling down to greet her. Chu Jinyao pulled her cloak back and saw Qin Yi walking towards them with a sullen face.

The women on the shore were stunned for a moment and quickly knelt down: "Greetings, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Qin Yi ignored them and walked straight towards Chu Jinyao. Chu Jinyao didn't care about her disheveled clothes and was about to salute in this posture, but was pulled by Qin Yi.

"Why did you fall into the water?" Qin Yi grabbed Chu Jinyao's hand and was startled by the coldness of her fingers. His eyes changed immediately, and he slowly and coldly scanned the servants standing behind him. Qin Yi didn't say a word, but the foreheads of the servants waiting behind him were sweating. Linglong Jiegeng and the others didn't dare to defend themselves, and they just knelt down with their heads down. Chu Jinyao grabbed Qin Yi's hand, exerting a little force to remind him to pay attention to the current situation: "Your Highness, I'm fine. They are not to blame today. Let's go back first."

Qin Yi's eyes were still sharp. Chu Jinyao squeezed his hand again, with pleading in his eyes. Qin Yi suppressed his temper, glanced at the servants on the ground, and said, "Let's talk about it when we get back."

At this time, Xiao Linzi ran over, bent over and reported, "Your Highness, Crown Princess, the sedan chair has arrived."

Qin Yi nodded lightly, and before Chu Jinyao could react, he directly picked her up. Chu Jinyao was startled and subconsciously grabbed Qin Yi's clothes. After she reacted, she was anxious and embarrassed: "Your Highness, please put me down quickly. There are many ladies here! In front of the public, you...how can I establish my authority and face people in the future if you do this?"

"Why are you shaking?" Qin Yi frowned and gave Xiao Linzi a look, "Bring another cloak over."

Xiao Linzi quickly asked someone to bring Qin Yi's cloak. Qin Yi wrapped Chu Jinyao in this posture and tucked the edges and corners together. Chu Jinyao sighed in despair. If the two were not very close, Chu Jinyao almost suspected that Qin Yi didn't hear what she said at all. She wanted to be a dignified and virtuous Crown Princess, but now it's all ruined.

Chu Jinyao was carried to the sedan chair in such a desperate manner. Fortunately, it was much more secretive when she was on the sedan chair. Chu Jinyao was still wrapped in Qin Yi's clothes. She really didn't want to be visited all the way. As

soon as the sedan chair stopped, Chu Jinyao's resistance was ineffective, and she was carried back to the East Palace by Qin Yi. Ciqing Palace had received the news long ago, and the hot water was ready. If Chu Jinyao hadn't firmly opposed it, Qin Yi could have put her directly into the bathtub.

After being soaked in a pool of cold water for a long time and being blown by the cold wind for so long on the road, Chu Jinyao was already shivering with cold. It was not until she was immersed in the warm and clean bath water that she felt alive again. She soaked for a while, washed her hair, and then came out wearing her inner garment.

Outside the clean room, Nanny Gong and others had already prepared the cold-repelling soup. Qin Yi was waiting outside, and when he saw Chu Jinyao coming out, he waved to Chu Jinyao to come over and drink the medicine.

The cold-repelling soup was freshly boiled, and the smell of the medicinal materials was pungent, but Chu Jinyao endured the odor and drank it. Qin Yi watched Chu Jinyao drink the medicine, and saw that she was frowning and sucking honey dates, which made him feel distressed.

Why was this precious girl, whom he coaxed and pampered, and was reluctant to say a harsh word to, tortured like this by others? After the medicine was removed, Linglong and the palace nanny withdrew tactfully. Qin Yi first touched his forehead, then went to hold Chu Jinyao's hand. Seeing that her body had warmed up, he finally had the heart to ask about what happened today: "Why did you fall into the water?"

Chu Jinyao sighed when she talked about this: "I have been on guard all the time, but who would have thought that others did not attack me, but pushed Concubine Lian hard. Concubine Lian and I were standing very close. She suddenly fell into the water, and she signaled to grab the person next to her. "I was only concerned about protecting myself from the people around me, and I never expected to be pulled by Concubine Lian from the front, and I fell in. Actually, I can swim. If I hadn't been pestered by Concubine Lian, I wouldn't have stayed in the water for so long."

Qin Yi didn't know what to say after hearing this. He frowned and sighed helplessly: "Too many women are really troublesome. I don't know what's the point of him marrying so many and leaving them at the back, quarreling all day long."

Chu Jinyao smiled and didn't say anything. Qin Yi was the prince, he could say the emperor was wrong, but Chu Jinyao couldn't. After a while, Chu Jinyao's curiosity got the better of her again. Seeing that no one was in the room, she quietly asked Qin Yi: "Your Highness, what happened today?"

"Huh?"

"It's about the palace maid on the boat today. She was dancing peacefully, but why did she catch fire inexplicably? And the fire was strange. It burned in the water for a while before it was extinguished. And what about Concubine Lian? How is she?"

"You should ask the person who planned the fire." Qin Yi paused and said, "As for Concubine Lian, she was probably just an incidental incident."

This sentence contained so much information that Chu Jinyao didn't know which one to be surprised. "You mean, someone deliberately started the fire today? And Concubine Lian was pushed by someone in the chaos? This... I don't know who to say is more unlucky."

Qin Yi was obviously thinking as well. The two leaned against each other quietly, each thinking about their own ideas. After a while, Chu Jinyao said: "Your Highness, I think carefully, and I always feel that looking at the performance of the dancer today, she doesn't seem to be an insider. Since the dancers didn't know, how could her skirt suddenly catch fire? In full view of the public, there was no fire source on the pleasure boat, and the fire suddenly started when the dancer was spinning, and there was no such thing as someone deliberately starting it. All of this is very weird, as if the fire started by itself. If this was man-made, how did the person behind it do it? "

Qin Yi looked at her with a smile: "If I say it was man-made, do you really believe it? What if it was a fire from the sky?"

Chu Jinyao was a little confused by the question, even so, her eyes were still firm: "Your Highness said it was man-made, then it must be."

Qin Yi was stared at with such a completely trusting look, and his heart, which had been violent because of today's events, gradually softened. He sighed softly, and had no way to deal with this soft spot of his. He hugged Chu Jinyao tightly, and after a moment, he said lightly: "Just watch what they want to do."

The emperor held a banquet in the Western Palace, and first the singer caught fire, and then the favorite concubine, Concubine Lian, and the Crown Princess were pushed into the water by someone in the chaos. After Concubine Lian was shocked by cold water, she had a stomachache that night and her baby was not safe. The emperor was furious. He first scolded the Imperial Hospital and ordered them to save the baby. Then he ordered a thorough investigation of the fire.

However, strangely, the palace maids who danced that day, the musicians who accompanied the boat, and the eunuchs who gave the idea all confessed the truth, but they still couldn't find out who set the fire. In fact, everyone saw clearly what happened that day. The fire suddenly started by itself and was not man-made at all. However, the Jinyiwei didn't dare to say that, so they could only interrogate the confession and find the culprit of the "arson".

Because the incident of the dancer spontaneously igniting was really horrifying, and there were too many witnesses that day, it was impossible to silence them. Before the Jinyiwei could force them to tell the truth, some ghost rumors had already spread quietly.

Especially since the dragon seed in Concubine Lian's belly was still in danger, the old gentlemen in the Imperial Hospital were all worried and felt that their lives were in danger. The masters above were in a bad mood, and the servants below were also in danger. There were many palace maids and eunuchs in the Forbidden City, and the palace had been in a state of serious corruption for many years, and countless palace people had died in accidents. Some places were inevitably filled with ghosts, so there were many taboos in the palace, and there were also many people who believed in ghosts.

It was said from nowhere that someone attributed this strange incident to the anger of ghosts and gods. After several rounds of rumors, the culprit who angered the ghosts and gods was actually related to the Eastern Palace. Rumors in the Forbidden City were rampant, saying that the prince had a hard life and was in conflict with the ghosts and gods, so there had been no new dragon sons and grandsons in the palace in recent years. It was difficult to hide the spies in the sky from the pregnant one, but it angered the ghosts and gods in the Forbidden City, so the ghosts and gods sent Yin fire to a woman in green on the day of the banquet to warn the people in the palace. Moreover, the ghosts and gods did not see that the Concubine Lian fell into the water just after the fire was sent down from the sky. She is still in bed and unconscious, and the dragon seed in her belly is also very ferocious. This is retribution.

By the time Chu Jinyao heard the rumor, it had already spread throughout the palace. Even if the empress immediately issued an order to strictly prohibit rumors, it would be of no avail.

Soon, the turmoil in the palace spread to the outside. First, an unknown Hanlin made a memorial, euphemistically suggesting that this strange incident might be a warning from heaven, and that the emperor and the prince should reflect on themselves. After that, several fourth-rank civil officials made memorials, followed by the historians, and then the inner cabinet was also shocked. The identities of the people who made the memorials ranged from small to large, and the words they spoke ranged from euphemistic to fierce, just like a tsunami gathering strength, layer by layer, and finally creating a shocking and turbulent trend.

The rumors of the Eastern Palace's immorality swept the harem and the court. Since ancient times, when there were strange celestial phenomena or frequent disasters, the ministers believed that the emperor had lost his morality, so the heavens sent down strange phenomena as a warning. At this time, even the emperor was helpless and could only admit that his words and deeds were not pious enough and his virtues were not noble enough. He first issued an edict of repentance and then offered sacrifices and burned incense to seek forgiveness from the heavens. However, the fire this time was really strange, and the palace maid that day was wearing green clothes, and the painted boat was floating on the vast blue waves. The Eastern Palace is located in the east, and the main color is wood. Green has always been the representative color of the prince. It seems that all the elements point to one person.

In particular, it can be used as evidence that Qin Yi is not an ideal prince who is gentle and courteous. Since he was crowned, he has acted recklessly and erratically, which seems to be disliked by God. As

things have developed to this day, Chu Jinyao finally understands why Qin Yi said, "Just wait and see what they want to do." This seemingly confusing case actually lurks such a sinister mind. It is obvious that the person behind this matter has been planning for a long time. This is why he was able to incite rumors after a small trigger, and then quickly contact the front court to impeach the East Palace after the people in the harem were panicked. The people below

were spitting and impeaching fiercely, but the cabinet and the emperor had not yet expressed their views. According to the tradition of this dynasty, once an official is impeached, he must immediately resign from his official duties and stay at home to show his integrity of not coveting power. However, those who were impeached were all ministers, and no one expected that one day the person who was impeached on a large scale would become the crown prince.

This morning, Chu Jinyao asked people to open all the windows of the main hall. It rained last night, and today's wind still carried a unique moisture, cool and gentle. The breeze blew into the palace generously, lifting the thin gauze as thin as a cicada's wings, disturbing the quietly fragrant golden lion beast, and blowing the unfinished books on the desk to crackle.

Chu Jinyao picked up the chess pieces that had not been there for a long time, and slowly placed the chess pieces under Qin Yi's guidance. After Qin Yi was impeached, he no longer had to attend the morning court, nor did he have to go to Wenhua Hall in the afternoon. He suddenly had a lot of time, and he thought of Chu Jinyao's chess skills that had been abandoned halfway. Chu Jinyao could see Qin Yi all day, and of course she was happy, but she was more uncomfortable and worried.

"Focus." Qin Yi tapped Chu Jinyao's forehead with his fingers and looked at her with raised eyebrows, "Have you always been so easily distracted, or are you only like this to me? I taught you to be distracted when writing and talking, and now you are distracted even when playing chess?"

"I don't." Chu Jinyao swept Qin Yi's hand away unconvinced, but her heart moved slightly. Let's not talk about whether she is easily distracted or not. Qin Yi thinks she is easily distracted because many of the things Chu Jinyao knows now were taught by Qin Yi. Because he was the only one there, he felt that every time he was distracted once or twice, it was a lot.

Chu Jinyao noticed this, and her heart was both sad and moved. She gently put down a chess piece and tried to focus on the chessboard, but it was still ineffective: "Your Highness, what should we do outside?"

Qin Yi snorted coldly, obviously looking down on those who dared to impeach him. However, in front of Chu Jinyao, Qin Yi did not mention the group of idiots to spoil the fun, but said: "I can spend more time with you, isn't that good?"

"Of course I would like to see more of Your Highness." Chu Jinyao said, "But, every day you stay with me, you will be slandered by them. What do they have the basis? Besides, things outside have to be solved."

In the past few days, officials from the East Palace have come to discuss matters from time to time. They are also filled with righteous indignation, but the reasons are all contempt for the imperial power and shaking the foundation of the country. Only Chu Jinyao said that those people outside are hurting Qin Yi.

This is probably the most innocent reason Qin Yi has ever heard, but his heart is incredibly soft. Chu Jinyao was still taking the chess pieces from the chessboard with a straight face. She pinched a piece with her fingers and slammed it down hard, making a loud "thump" sound when it hit the chessboard. Qin Yi laughed at Chu Jinyao's actions. Just by looking at the strength she was holding the chess piece, you could tell how angry she was.

"It's okay." Qin Yi stretched out his arm and gently stroked Chu Jinyao's cheek, "I don't want to go to court anyway. It's just right to take a break during this time. As for those trivial matters, whoever wants to worry about it can worry about it."

Qin Yi became serious as he spoke, and Chu Jinyao was also waiting seriously for his next words, and then he heard him say: "Many people have asked you during this time whether you are pregnant. I think since this is the wish of the ministers, we cannot ignore it."

"Oh, Your Highness!" Chu Jinyao was suddenly angry and patted his arm helplessly, "I'm talking to you seriously, be serious!"

Qin Yi smiled and grabbed Chu Jinyao's hand. I don't know why, but every time he teases Chu Jinyao, his mood will strangely improve. Qin Yi's heart is relieved, and he wants to test Chu Jinyao: "Since you are so enthusiastic about this matter, let me test you. Who do you think planned the fire, instigated rumors, and pushed for impeachment in the court?"