Chapter 13 A Four-and-a-Half-Year-Old Toddler Angrily Rebukes the Emperor
All eyes were on him.
He placed his daughter steadily on the ground, letting her lean against his legs, and then knelt on one knee, his back straight as a spear.
"Your Majesty, I believe this action is inappropriate."
His voice was devoid of emotion, yet every word carried immense weight.
"The southwest is shrouded in miasma, and the barbarians are fierce and skilled in battle; it is by no means a safe place. The imperial court has sent troops to besiege it several times, but with little success, which shows how dangerous it is. This is not a place to be pacified, but a battlefield!"
“The Ninth Prince is a precious child, only nine years old. Sending him here is inappropriate in terms of sentiment, reason, country, and law. If the barbarians know that the prince of our Great Chu has come in person, they will not only not be grateful for the emperor's favor, but will also see him as a valuable commodity and will surely come out in droves to hunt and kidnap him.”
"At that time, His Highness the Ninth Prince's safety will be in jeopardy, and what will become of the dignity of our Great Chu? The situation in the southwest will also deteriorate to an irreparable state!"
After Mu Fang finished speaking, he looked up and stared directly at Chu Yuan on the dragon throne.
"Your Majesty, I dare to be bold and beg you to reconsider!"
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun's face turned ashen. He never expected that this military man, who had just returned to the capital, would dare to contradict the already decided imperial decree in court!
He immediately retorted, "Your Excellency is mistaken! It is precisely because the southwest is so dangerous that the prince's personal presence is necessary to demonstrate the imperial family's determination to appease the people! Your Excellency's constant emphasis on danger suggests that our Great Chu is so incompetent that it cannot even protect the safety of a prince?"
That's quite a big label to put on someone.
Mu Fang didn't even lift his eyelids, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I dare not. I only know that when a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders. If Your Majesty insists on doing so, in order to ensure Your Highness's safety, you will surely mobilize a large army to defend the area. This would go against the original intention of pacification, and would instead resemble a large army pressing in, making it easier to incite a popular uprising!"
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose.
"If Your Majesty is concerned about the chaos in the southwest, I, Mu Fang, am willing to personally lead three thousand Xuanjia soldiers and set off immediately! If the southwest is not pacified within three months, and the head of the barbarian king is brought to me, I am willing to hand over the seal of the Duke of Protectorate and commit suicide in front of the Golden Palace!"
These words shocked the entire court!
This is the true General Zhenguo! This is the true iron-blooded general! He'd risk his life and title for a single disagreement!
A hint of admiration flashed in King Chu Heng's eyes.
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun was so angry that his lips were trembling, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. Compared to Mu Fang's pledge of military service, his pretentious act of "sharing the burdens of the country" was simply a joke.
Chu Yuan, sitting on the dragon throne, had an ever-changing expression.
He looked down at Mu Fang, who was kneeling below, a man he both feared and had to use, and felt a mix of emotions.
Just as tensions were about to rise, a soft, sweet little voice broke the deadlock.
"Grandpa Emperor!"
Mu Yu had somehow let go of her father's leg and wobbled to the foot of the steps. She reached out her little hand and gently tugged at a corner of Chu Yuan's dragon robe.
"Little Fisherman?" Chu Yuan was taken aback.
The eunuchs and guards around were terrified and were about to step forward to stop him, but Chu Yuan stopped them with a look.
Mu Yu looked up at her exquisitely beautiful face, her large amber eyes filled with seriousness. With her Eye of Fortune, she could clearly see that the golden light above the Emperor's head, which had been somewhat stable, was now shaking violently again due to his anger, and the black aura beside him was stirring restlessly.
"Grandpa Emperor, the golden halo above your head hasn't fully grown yet! Those black insects are hiding behind the pillars, watching you!"
She stretched out her chubby little finger and pointed to a golden pillar with a coiled dragon in the main hall.
Everyone looked in the direction she pointed, but the place was empty, with only the cold pillar.
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun shouted sternly, "Witch! You're spouting nonsense again, trying to bewitch the Emperor! Guards..."
"Shut up!" Chu Yuan shouted angrily, interrupting the Crown Prince.
His gaze was fixed on Mu Yu, and his voice trembled slightly: "Little Yu'er, you...you continue."
Mu Yu shrank back in fear of the Crown Prince, but seeing that her grandfather, the Emperor, was listening, she mustered her courage again.
"You can't send Brother Jinlong away!" she cried, stamping her little feet in distress. "Brother Jinlong has so much golden light on him! With him here, those black bugs won't dare to come near! If you send him to a place with big tigers, he'll be eaten by them, and the golden light here will diminish even more!"
"Then, those black bugs will come out and happily continue to bite your golden light! You'll vomit black blood again, just like that day, and then faint!"
The little girl's words were illogical, but they were the most straightforward cause and effect.
With Brother Jinlong here, Grandpa Emperor is safe and sound.
When Brother Jinlong left, Grandpa Emperor vomited blood.
These words sounded like childish ramblings to the court officials, but to Chu Yuan, who had just returned from the brink of death, they were of great importance!
He suddenly remembered that before he fainted that day, Mu Yu had also pointed at the Imperial Preceptor Ling Lan in the same way, saying that he was a bad guy who was absorbing his golden light.
As a result, he really did vomit black blood!
Could it be... that this little girl can really see things... that he can't see?
Seeing that her grandfather, the Emperor, didn't speak, Mu Yu thought he didn't believe her and became anxious. She took small steps, huffing and puffing as she climbed up two steps, and reached out her little hand to pat Chu Yuan's knee.
"Grandpa Emperor, let me blow on you, and all your illnesses will fly away!"
A barely perceptible sense of good fortune passed through her palm.
Chu Yuan felt a warm sensation spread from his knees throughout his body, instantly easing the chest tightness and weakness he had been experiencing for days. His spirits lifted, and his muddled mind cleared.
He stared in astonishment at the exquisitely beautiful little figure before him.
After using up the last bit of her good fortune, Mu Yu's mind was completely drained. A strong feeling of drowsiness and hunger washed over her.
She yawned widely, tears welling up in her eyes. Her little body swayed, and she turned and ran towards her father, mumbling indistinctly as she ran, "Daddy, I'm hungry... I want to eat osmanthus cake..."
Before he could run two steps, his legs gave way and he fell flat on his backside with a thud.
"Ouch..." The fall hurt, and Mu Yu pouted, tears welling up in her eyes, feeling extremely wronged.
Mu Fang's heart broke at the sight. He quickly stepped forward, took his daughter into his arms, and gently patted her back to comfort her.
This dramatic scene left all the officials in the court stunned.
Prince Chu Heng was the first to react. He stepped forward, cupped his hands to Chu Yuan, and said, "Your Majesty, the little princess is innocent and naive, yet she has repeatedly warned and saved Your Majesty from danger. Her words, though childish, must be the will of Heaven! Please, Your Majesty, rescind your order!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
With Prince Lie and Duke Huguo taking the lead, some officials in the court who were not part of the Crown Prince's faction also knelt down to second the motion.
Chu Yuan looked at Mu Yu, who was groaning in pain from the fall in his arms, felt the warmth in his body that had not yet completely dissipated, and then looked at the people kneeling below. He had already made up his mind.
However, as an emperor, his word was law and he could not go back on his word.
He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice tinged with weariness: "The Duke of Protectorate is commendable for his loyalty and courage, and his words are reasonable. However, the training of princes is also a fundamental aspect of the nation and should not be neglected."
Crown Prince Chu Chongyun was overjoyed, thinking that his father would still insist.
But Chu Yuan changed the subject: "However... Chongjin is still young and hastily going there is not well prepared. How about this, for the matter in the southwest, first order the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to jointly draft a detailed plan, from provisions and manpower to pacification details, to ensure that everything is taken into account. As for when His Highness the Ninth Prince will set off... we will discuss it later."
"Court adjourned!"
After saying this, Chu Yuan, without waiting for anyone's reaction, turned around and walked towards the back hall with the help of Steward Li, his back view appearing somewhat flustered.
The words "We'll discuss this later" instantly turned the Crown Prince's face as black as the bottom of a pot.
This means that his meticulously planned evil scheme was ruined by a four-and-a-half-year-old toddler!
Holding his drowsy daughter, Mu Fang finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He nodded slightly to Prince Chu Heng and prepared to turn and leave this place of trouble.
Just as he brushed past Crown Prince Chu Chongyun, a chilling voice entered his ears.
"Mu Fang, you are very good."
Chu Chongyun didn't look at him, but said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You think you've won? I'll remember you. And your little bastard, you and your daughter, just you wait..."
Mu Fang paused, his arms tightening around his daughter, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes.
He did not respond, but merely glanced at the Crown Prince with a cold gaze, as if he were looking at a dead man.
However, before the father and daughter could even leave the palace gates, a kind-faced old eunuch quickly came forward and respectfully blocked their path.
"Duke Protector of the Nation, Princess, please wait."
Mu Fang frowned, shielding his daughter behind him, and asked warily, "What is it?"
The old eunuch bowed deeply, his attitude extremely humble, and said in a low voice, "His Majesty has a secret decree. He requests that the Duke of Protectorate and the young princess proceed to the Imperial Study immediately for a private audience."
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