Chapter 95 A Child's Innocent Remarks Startle the Crown Prince
After making up her mind, Mu Yu began to think about how to tell the Crown Prince about this.
You can't just run up to her and say "You have bugs on you," he'll think she's crazy.
I need to find a way that he can understand without immediately getting angry.
The little koi's thought process is very simple.
To deal with disobedient people, you either have to bribe them with delicious food, or... scare them a little.
Bribery seems to be out of the question, so I'll have to scare him.
The opportunity came soon.
Two days later, the emperor summoned several princes to the Chengxin Pavilion in the Imperial Garden to test their academic performance.
As the newly appointed "walking little accessory to the emperor," Mu Yu was naturally carried along by Mu Fang.
They euphemistically called it: to be influenced by the literary style of the royal family.
In reality, it was just that the emperor wanted to see her.
At that time, Crown Prince Chu Chongyun was speaking eloquently about the "National Policy Treatise," citing classical texts and presenting his arguments clearly and logically, which drew frequent nods of approval from the accompanying Grand Secretaries.
The emperor also wore a satisfied smile.
In any case, Chu Chongyun, as the crown prince, was indeed impeccable in terms of both scholarship and political affairs.
The Third Prince, Chu Huaijin, stood to the side, his expression somewhat unnatural, his eyes filled with jealousy.
Chu Chongjin listened quietly, his expression indifferent.
Mu Yu sat on Mu Fang's lap, munching on the apple bestowed upon her by the emperor, while secretly activating her "assessment and review mode".
She noticed that the rust-colored layer on the golden canopy above her brother's head seemed to have deepened a little.
The cold, resentful malice directed at his father still lingers in the "bad guy performance" record behind him.
We can't wait any longer!
Mu Yu seized an opportunity, taking advantage of the moment when the Crown Prince had just answered a question and everyone was commenting, and suddenly spoke up.
The sound was crisp and clear, like the tinkling of a mountain spring.
"Brother Crown Prince!"
All eyes instantly turned to the little one.
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun looked at her with some surprise, but still maintained a gentle smile.
"What advice do you have, little princess?"
"I had a dream last night," Mu Yu said seriously.
"Oh? What did you dream about?" the emperor asked with great interest.
“I dreamt that my brother’s Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s palace, turned into a huge… honeycomb.”
Mu Yu tried her best to describe the scene she "saw".
"There were no bees in the beehive, only lots and lots of big black bugs that looked like cockroaches."
"puff--"
The Third Prince, Chu Huaijin, almost spat out the tea he had just drunk.
What a load of nonsense.
The crown prince's expression changed slightly.
"And then?" Chu Chongjin asked at the opportune moment, guiding her.
"Then, those black bugs crawled out of the beehive, crawled onto the prince's bed, crawled into your clothes, and even crawled into your rice bowl."
Mu Yu spoke vividly, as if it were the truth.
"They crawl all over you, and while you sleep, they secretly bite you, little by little, eating away all your good luck."
"In the end, the Crown Prince became unhappy, always got sick, and his face turned dark, making him not cute at all!"
After the little girl finished speaking, she sighed seriously, looking as if she was "so worried about you."
The Imperial Garden was deathly silent.
The scholars looked at each other, unsure of what expression to make.
Children may speak without thinking, but what they said was just too... creepy.
The emperor's brow furrowed imperceptibly.
The smile on Crown Prince Chu Chongyun's face had completely vanished.
His face turned pale and then flushed, looking extremely unpleasant.
What does it mean when someone says, "Their face has turned dark and they're not cute at all"?
Is this a curse?
"Nonsense!"
A sharp shout shattered the silence.
Chu Huaijin stepped forward and pointed at Mu Yu with righteous indignation.
"Father! My elder brother, the Crown Prince, is the heir apparent of the nation, his status is so noble! How can a mere child be allowed to spout nonsense and curse so wantonly!"
He was overjoyed.
This is truly a stroke of luck!
This Mu Yu, relying on his father's favor, actually dared to say such things in public; he's practically courting death!
This is a perfect opportunity to give her and Chu Chongjin a good thrashing.
“Princess Mu Yu, I know you are young, but there are some things that cannot be said carelessly.”
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun finally spoke.
His voice remained steady, but anyone could hear the suppressed anger within it.
"The Eastern Palace is a royal stronghold, guarded by the Imperial Guards day and night, and further protected by arrays set up by the Imperial Observatory. How could it possibly contain those...filthy things you mentioned?"
"Who taught you to say that?"
His gaze, like two sharp swords, shot straight at Chu Chongjin beside him.
The intention is obvious.
He believes that Chu Chongjin was behind this, using a child's mouth to carry out curses and undermine his position as crown prince.
Before Chu Chongjin could speak, Mu Fang got angry.
"Your Highness, you are mistaken!"
He shielded Mu Yu behind him, his tall figure like a mountain.
"My daughter was merely speaking innocently, recounting what she saw in her dream. Why is Your Highness making such a big deal out of it? Does Your Highness believe that my Duke of Huguo's mansion would resort to such despicable tactics?"
Mu Fang's voice was firm and resonant, carrying the iron-blooded aura of a seasoned battlefield veteran.
The crown prince's face grew even uglier.
He naturally dared not publicly criticize the Duke of Protectorate.
"Your Excellency, you misunderstand. I did not mean that," he explained stiffly.
"I'm not making this up!" Mu Yu poked her little head out from behind Mu Fang and retorted angrily.
"I saw it! The evaluation badge above your head is almost black!"
"Assessment badge?"
This novel term left everyone present stunned.
"What is that?" the emperor asked curiously.
Mu Yu pointed at the Crown Prince and said loudly, "It's that golden plaque above your head! It used to be shiny, but now it's covered in rust and is almost black!"
"If this continues, you'll lose all your merits and be overwhelmed by the 'bad guy' performance evaluation!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, her face turning bright red.
She felt she had explained it very clearly.
However, to others, this was utter nonsense and a complete fantasy.
"Enough!"
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun finally lost his temper and slammed his fist on the table.
"This child's nonsense is utterly absurd!"
He rose with a flick of his sleeve and bowed deeply to the emperor.
"Father, I am feeling unwell and must take my leave now!"
Having said that, he didn't even look at the crowd, turned around, and strode away.
That silhouette was filled with anger and resolve.
The atmosphere at the scene was incredibly awkward.
Chu Huaijin secretly gloated, thinking that the feud between Chu Chongyun, Chu Chongjin, and Mu Fang was now completely settled.
The emperor's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.
He rubbed his temples, glanced at Mu Yu who was too frightened to speak, and then at Mu Fang whose face was ashen.
"Alright, all of you, step back." He waved his hand wearily.
The examination ended unhappily.
On the way back, the carriage was silent.
Mu Yu knew she had probably gotten into trouble. She lowered her head, not daring to speak, her little hands nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.
"Little Yu'er, don't be afraid." Chu Chongjin gently patted her head.
"Did I...did I say something wrong?" she asked softly, her voice trembling with tears.
“You’re not wrong.” Chu Chongjin’s tone was very certain. “You’re just telling the truth. It’s just that the truth isn’t always pleasant.”
Yan Ziche also sighed: "His Highness the Crown Prince is arrogant and conceited, yet he is deeply entangled in the situation without realizing it. In his eyes, the little princess's blunt 'reminder' is the most vicious provocation and curse."
"Hmph! What a load of bull, what a prince!" Xiao Beichen said indignantly from the side. "His kindness was taken for granted! If it weren't for Xiao Yu'er, he wouldn't even know how he died after being eaten alive by insects!"
Mu Fang remained silent, simply holding his daughter in his arms.
He wasn't angry that his daughter had caused trouble, but rather that he was angry at himself for not being able to protect her and for making her suffer.
"Father, don't be angry..." Mu Yu sensed her father's emotions and cautiously looked up at him.
Mu Fang forced a smile: "Father is not angry. Father is just thinking that if something like this happens again, Father should beat him up until he believes it."
Everyone: "..."
Duke, isn't your method of education a bit too... simplistic and brutal?
Mu Yu was amused by her father, and the grievances in her heart dissipated considerably.
But she was still somewhat unwilling.
Why doesn't the Crown Prince believe her?
What she saw was clearly real.
Isn't there any way to let him, and everyone else, see what she saw?
Or is there anything that can prove that what she said is true?
The little koi's thoughts began to wander.
She thought of the thick, dusty ancient books in her brother Yan Ziche's study.
Brother Yan once said that the book contains all the knowledge and secrets of the world.
Could there be any records about "black insects" and "merit assessment" in there?
Or, is there any way to deal with these bad things?
Mu Yu's eyes lit up.
She made her decision.
Once she gets home, she's going to go to Yan Ziche's study and read all his books!
She refused to believe she couldn't find the answer!
Her small fist clenched again.
In the sea of consciousness, on the scroll of the Koi and Auspicious Clouds Record, a new line of small characters quietly appeared below the [Dragon Gate Progress Bar].
[New Mission: Uncover the Truth. Reward: Unlock basic 'Auspicious Purification' privileges.]
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