Chapter 21 Who gave you the audacity to touch her!
Which lackey has the audacity to try and fool her with counterfeit goods?
Now is not the time to punish the lackey; it's time to save face for herself.
Consort De's lips twitched, forming a stiff shape: "It seems the servants made a mistake and brought up a replica from my collection. Please forgive the embarrassment."
Even she herself didn't believe what she said.
The women present dared not expose the truth and could only agree with it.
"So that's how it is."
"Your Majesty has such refined tastes."
The scene was strange; everyone was lying.
Ignoring the adults' games, Mu Yu tugged at Mu Fang's sleeve and whispered, "Daddy, Yu Bao is hungry. Let's go home for dinner. The cakes here aren't very tasty."
Mu Fang was looking for an excuse to leave, so he seized the opportunity to bid farewell to Consort De.
Consort De had no intention of continuing the banquet, so she waved her hand in acknowledgment.
Mu Fang turned to leave, holding his daughter.
A voice rang out.
"Princess Anguo, please wait."
Everyone looked over.
A girl in a pale yellow dress stood there, about twelve or thirteen years old. She was Liu Qingqing, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel.
Liu Qingqing is an admirer of the Ninth Prince, Chu Chongjin.
She'd disliked Mu Yu for a long time.
Why should the daughter of a warrior win the favor of the Ninth Prince and be granted the title of Princess?
In her eyes, Mu Yu was just a country girl who only knew how to eat, and had no right to be associated with the Ninth Prince.
In Liu Qingqing's view, everything that just happened was simply Mu Yu's good luck.
Mu Fang stopped in his tracks, his voice devoid of warmth: "Miss Liu, what is it?"
Liu Qingqing bowed to Mu Fang, but her gaze was fixed on Mu Yu, filled with undisguised disdain: "I've heard that the princess is exceptionally intelligent and naturally gifted. Today at the Hundred Flowers Banquet, we sisters are about to compose poems on the theme of flowers. I wonder if the princess would also like to compose a poem and broaden our horizons?"
This is a provocation.
Everyone in the capital knew that Princess Anguo was only four and a half years old and couldn't even recognize all the characters.
Making her write a poem was meant to embarrass her in front of everyone.
Xiao Beichen leaned back in his chair and stood up: "Hey Liu, what do you mean? You're picking on a four-and-a-half-year-old child? Do you have any shame?"
Liu Qingqing met Xiao Beichen's gaze without backing down: "General Xiao, you misunderstand. I merely admire the Princess's 'intelligence' and wish to learn a thing or two. Could it be that the rumors outside are all false? That Princess Anguo actually knows nothing?"
That's a very harsh statement.
If Mu Yu does not accept the challenge, it would be an admission that he is unworthy of the title "auspicious omen".
Mu Fang's aura changed.
He was about to speak.
Mu Yu patted his chest, signaling him to put her down.
Mu Yu walked up to Liu Qingqing, tilted her little face up, and asked with curiosity in her eyes, "What is reciting poems? Can you eat it?"
A burst of laughter rang out from the warm pavilion.
Liu Qingqing felt as if she had punched a ball of cotton with all her might.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Composing poems is an elegant pursuit, not food! You wild girl, you really don't know anything!"
"Oh." Mu Yu nodded, then turned to look at Chu Huaijin, who was standing not far away watching the show, and asked in a loud voice, "So are you in cahoots with that bad brother? He wants to embarrass me too, and you want to embarrass me too."
Liu Qingqing subconsciously glanced in Chu Huaijin's direction.
Chu Huaijin's heart skipped a beat, and he cursed inwardly that this little girl had too sharp eyes.
He immediately adopted an innocent demeanor.
“Princess, I’m just standing here, I haven’t said a word.”
Yan Ziche suddenly appeared out of nowhere, holding a string of candied hawthorns in his hand.
He walked over to Mu Yu and slowly continued, "But this Miss Liu is indeed interesting. She writes poetry whenever she wants, but she insists on dragging a four-year-old child along. People who don't know the situation might think that you are so insecure about your own talent that you need to find a pitiful sense of existence by comparing yourself with a child."
Yan Ziche is the grandson of the Grand Tutor, and his reputation as a child prodigy is widespread, so his words carry considerable weight.
Liu Qingqing's body began to tremble: "You! You're talking nonsense! I just..."
"I just wanted to show off in front of the Ninth Prince and, by the way, put down the Princess so that you would stand out from the crowd. Am I right?" Yan Ziche's words left no room for mercy.
Ninth Prince Chu Chongjin didn't come today, but everyone present could see through Liu Qingqing's intentions.
Having her secret thoughts exposed in public, Liu Qingqing's cheeks flushed, and tears welled up in her eyes. She felt both ashamed and angry.
Seeing that she was about to cry, Mu Yu thought for a moment, broke off half a skewer of candied hawthorn from Yan Ziche's hand, and handed it to Liu Qingqing.
"Don't cry, here, have some. Father said that girls don't look pretty when they cry."
This action caused Liu Qingqing to lose her composure.
This is an insult.
They humiliated her with the "food" she despised the most!
"Who wants your stuff!"
Liu Qingqing waved her hand away, swatting away the hand Mu Yu offered.
The candied hawthorn flew out and landed on the ground, covered in dust.
Mu Yu was stunned.
Mu Yu looked at the candied hawthorns on the ground, then at her little hand with the red marks on it.
Her lips pursed.
The next second, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Wow--!"
The sound of crying shook the entire warm pavilion.
This stirred up a hornet's nest.
"How dare you hit my daughter!"
Mu Fang roared, and the murderous aura that had accumulated on the battlefield erupted. The noble ladies around him retreated one after another, fearing that they would be affected.
"Liu Qingqing! You're asking for it!"
Xiao Beichen's fist made a grinding sound; if Mu Fang hadn't blocked his way, he would have already rushed forward.
Yan Ziche's nonchalant expression vanished. He looked at Liu Qingqing and said in a cold tone, "Miss Liu, this matter is not over."
Liu Qingqing was stunned.
She just wanted to embarrass Mu Yu, how did it turn out like this?
Looking at Mu Yu, who was crying her heart out, and at the men who looked like they wanted to devour her, she felt like her soul was about to fly away.
Just then.
A person emerged from behind the screen deep within the warm pavilion.
The man was wearing a black robe embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread.
The moment he appeared, it seemed as if all the light in the entire warm pavilion was focused on him.
It is the Ninth Prince, Chu Chongjin.
There was not a trace of warmth in his expression.
He walked straight to Mu Yu's side, ignoring everyone around him.
He crouched down and gently wiped away Mu Yu's tears and dust with his sleeve.
Then, he looked up.
His gaze was fixed on Liu Qingqing, whose face had turned deathly pale.
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.
"Who gave you the audacity to touch her?"
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