Chapter 74 A Crisis Suddenly Appears at the Mirror Lake Lantern Festival
The lively atmosphere of the lantern festival surged towards Mirror Lake, converging at its peak on the lakeside.
People are releasing river lanterns.
One by one, lotus lanterns and ingot lanterns were placed into the water by pairs of hands, carrying their owners' wishes as they drifted into the distance.
The lake stretched out, dotted with countless points of light, and numerous candlelight flickered on the black water.
The lights on the shore and the stars and moon in the sky are reflected on the water, intertwining with the river lanterns in the lake to form a flowing sea of light.
"I want to release it too! I want to release it too!"
Su Wan'er grasped Mu Yu's hand and shook it excitedly.
She pulled Mu Yu to the lakeside and took a delicate pink lotus lantern from a maid.
She crouched down and carefully, as if afraid of wetting the petals, placed the lamp into the water.
"I wish that Daddy and Grandpa will be healthy, and that Little Fish's eyes will get better soon!"
Su Wan'er clasped her hands together and prayed earnestly to the drifting lotus lantern.
Yan Ziche held Mu Yu steadily to prevent her from being bumped by the crowded people.
He took the koi lantern he had won at the riddle stall from the guard and handed it to Mu Yu.
"Your turn."
Yan Ziche guided Mu Yu's hand and helped her push the lifelike koi lantern into the lake.
"What is your wish?" Yan Ziche asked.
Mu Yu tilted her head, seemingly deep in thought about the question.
She thought for a moment, then spoke very softly, almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.
"I hope that Father and Ninth Brother will always be happy."
Mu Yu felt that this wish was not enough, so she added another sentence.
"Also, I hope that every kitchen in the world can have delicious food every day!"
She especially hopes to have osmanthus sugar cake and crispy chicken every day.
After hearing this, Yan Ziche's lips twitched involuntarily on his usually mature-looking face.
This wish was indeed something Mu Yu could make.
Chu Chongjin did not participate in releasing the lanterns.
He simply sat quietly in his wheelchair, holding the "potato lamp" that Mu Yu had given him.
The soft golden halo inside the lantern bathed his palms and cuffs in a warm hue.
Chu Chongjin felt that this lamp, which was lit only for him, should stay by his side and not go anywhere else.
Now it was Xiao Beichen's turn.
The young general strode to the lakeside, his face bearing the serious expression of someone heading to battle.
He bent down and took a huge bundle wrapped in coarse cloth from behind him, placing it heavily on the ground with a thud.
The dull sound immediately drew the attention of everyone around.
Mu Fang, Yan Ziche, Su Wan'er, and Mu Yu all looked over curiously.
Xiao Beichen untied the tightly knotted rope on the bundle and carefully took something out of it.
That was a ship.
A model of a huge warship, at least three feet long.
The hull was carved from the finest nanmu wood, with an exquisite structure, complete with decks, cabins, masts, rams, and all the components a warship should have.
On both sides of the boat, dozens of tiny wooden oars, thinner than chopsticks, are neatly arranged.
On the deck at the bow of the ship, there was even a small brass cannon that could rotate left and right. It was only the size of an adult's thumb, but the details were very clear.
The most striking feature is the center of the ship.
There were no small candles used for placing ordinary river lanterns there.
There, a palm-sized bronze incense burner was securely fixed, with a perforated lid to protect it from the wind.
Inside the incense burner, three incense sticks were stuck straight in the burner, each as thick as a child's arm.
At this moment, the three giant incense sticks had been lit.
Thick smoke, carrying a distinctive aroma of spices, billowed from the holes of the incense burner, drifting in the night breeze, carrying a chilling, imposing aura of impending battle.
"Brother Xiao... what is this...?" Yan Ziche looked at the exaggerated "prayer ship" and stammered.
Xiao Beichen didn't feel anything was wrong at all. He reached out and proudly patted the sturdy hull.
"This is called praying for blessings!"
Xiao Beichen turned around and explained to everyone with a righteous expression.
"Your lotus lanterns are too fragile. They'll flip over in a gust of wind or go out with a wave. How can they protect such an important wish?"
"To pray for blessings, you need strength!"
He pointed to his masterpiece, his voice booming.
"This ship of mine is a model of the same type as the Zhenyuan, the main warship of the Great Chu Navy! Look at its sturdy hull and its sharp ram!"
Then, Xiao Beichen pointed to the three giant incense sticks that were burning brightly, his voice even louder.
"My wish is that the mighty Chu navy will be invincible and sweep across the four seas! May my little fish be blessed with good fortune and protected from all evil!"
He solemnly declared.
"This is called using overwhelming military might to suppress all villains and ensure lasting peace!"
After Xiao Beichen finished speaking, he solemnly picked up the model of the warship that carried his grand aspirations with both hands.
He carefully, as if handling a rare treasure, gently pushed it into the water.
Hahahaha!
Mu Fang's laughter was the first to burst out uncontrollably. He clutched his stomach, his tall frame doubled over with laughter.
"Xiao Beichen! You really are... hahaha... a genius! A complete and utter genius!"
Chu Chongjin's lips couldn't help but curl upwards, and the smile in his eyes was more obvious than ever before.
Even Yan Ziche, who is known for his composure, couldn't hold back any longer. His shoulders were shaking, clearly indicating that he was trying his best to endure it.
Su Wan'er, without any restraint, laughed and fell into Mu Yu's arms, pounding Mu Yu's back with her little hands.
"Warships...praying for blessings...hehehe...General Xiao is so much fun..."
Amidst uncontrollable laughter, the ambitious "Zhenyuan" prayer ship was officially launched.
However, it failed to "ride the wind and waves and awe the world" as Xiao Beichen had hoped.
It was top-heavy, with the huge nanmu bow sticking up high, and the weight of the three giant incense sticks was extremely unevenly distributed.
The warship lurched violently in the water, splashing up a large spray of water.
Then, it started spinning in place.
One lap.
Another lap.
As if lost, it stubbornly and tirelessly kept spinning around.
This comical scene only amplified the laughter from those around them.
Even some passersby noticed this peculiar "big ship," pointing and whispering among themselves, chuckling to themselves.
Xiao Beichen's face instantly turned bright red, the redness spreading from his cheeks all the way to the roots of his neck.
He wished he could jump into the icy Mirror Lake immediately and retrieve that disgraceful "Zhenyuan" ship to destroy it.
A joyful atmosphere enveloped everyone by the lake.
No one noticed that a soldier dressed in the uniform of a Xuanjia Army scout was silently weaving through the bustling crowd and quickly walking up behind Mu Fang.
The scout bowed, his lips close to Mu Fang's ear, moving quickly a few times, his voice extremely low, as if afraid of disturbing this moment of peace.
The laughter that Mu Fang was about to let out stopped abruptly.
The muscles on his face froze instantly, and all the smile vanished like the receding tide.
Mu Fang's gaze swept over the warship that was still stubbornly spinning in the water, and then glanced at Chu Chongjin, who was watching the children playing with a smile not far away.
Mu Fang's gaze became as sharp as a drawn sword.
He took a step without making a sound, quietly walked to Chu Chongjin's wheelchair, and whispered a few words in his ear.
The smile on Chu Chongjin's face also disappeared.
The scout quickly stepped forward and handed something to him from his robes.
Chu Chongjin took it and, by the soft golden light of the "potato lamp" in his hand, looked down to examine it carefully.
It was a broken wooden plank with half a thick hemp rope, soaked with water, hanging from it.
The cut of the wooden board was very smooth, without any burrs, clearly a mark left by a sharp, heavy tool in one go.
"Where did you find it?" Chu Chongjin's voice changed, the gentleness from before vanished, leaving only an icy coldness devoid of any warmth.
"Your Highness, it's upstream of Mirror Lake, near the fence of the flood discharge outlet, on a section of the dike that was just reinforced a few days ago," the scout replied in a low voice.
"The patrol team discovered that the iron fence of the flood discharge outlet had been deliberately damaged with clean cuts, and then retrieved more than a dozen pieces of such wood from the nearby downstream waters."
Chu Chongjin's fingers slowly traced across the smooth, mirror-like cut.
Someone is going to breach the dam.
Some people want the raging floodwaters to once again engulf Jiayu County, which has just begun to recover.
If the floods return, everything they've done during this time will become a huge joke.
The people's praise can instantly turn into the most vicious curses.
Everyone would say that it was the incompetence of these imperial envoys sent by the court that allowed the disaster to repeat itself time and time again.
"Your Highness, it seems Sikong Ming can't wait any longer." Mu Fang's voice was filled with suppressed killing intent.
Chu Chongjin gripped the wooden board tightly in his hand, the sharp edges of the wood digging deeply into his palm, causing a slight stinging pain.
He raised his head and looked towards the brightly lit and bustling city of Jiayu in the distance.
This prosperity and tranquility turned out to be nothing more than a fragile facade.
A deadly crisis lurks like a venomous snake beneath this facade of joy.
Chu Chongjin's gaze slowly turned back, finally landing on Mu Yu not far away.
Mu Yu was still pointing at Xiao Beichen's spinning boat and laughing heartily, her small body trembling with laughter, completely unaware that danger was imminent.
Chu Chongjin would not allow anyone to ruin all of this.
Chu Chongjin would never allow anyone to harm his little koi fish.
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