The princess regretted it.

Everyone looked toward the source of the sound. A fiery red figure emerged from the crowd without a hurry. His fiery red clothing stood out against the crowd, and as he walked, the hems fluttered slightly, as if carrying a hint of unruly air. As he walked, he said, "Is there some kind of magical power in the lake of this imperial garden? It can actually cause people to fall into it for no apparent reason." His words were filled with mockery.

Mu Zixuan was delighted to see the newcomer. His eyes lit up instantly, and an excited smile appeared on his face. Jin An's eyes were calm, but he was complaining in his heart: There are so many things going on, and there is such a big fuss just for a show.

Changsun Wuwang looked at the newcomer, his pupils suddenly shrinking, and he was secretly shocked: "When did this Zhong Chuzhou come? Where did he go just now? Could this matter be related to him?" His eyes were fixed on Zhong Chuzhou, trying to find some clues from his expression and movements. Zhong Chuzhou had a faint smile on his face, that smile seemed to see through people's hearts, making people unpredictable. His eyes were deep and mysterious, and under the gaze of everyone, he still seemed calm and unhurried. He approached step by step, and each step seemed to tread on Changsun Wuwang's heart, making his uneasiness even stronger.

Upon hearing this, Jin Wu Hou Wu Anshuo immediately retorted, "What do you mean, Prince Zhong? Stop your nonsense." Wu Anshuo's face was gloomy, his eyes revealing a hint of dissatisfaction and vigilance. Today's events were planned, and now this mess has occurred, someone must have been trying to disrupt the situation. Wu Changfeng stood aside, his expression also extremely grim.

When Changsun Hongze saw Zhong Chuzhou, he just shook his head helplessly, feeling very troubled by this imperial nephew. He knew that Zhong Chuzhou had an unruly personality and often acted unexpectedly, but he had to admit that he had been extremely intelligent since he was a child.

Zhong Chuzhou's phoenix eyes darted forward, his lips curled up slightly, a faint smile playing. He spoke slowly, "Why are you so excited, Lord Jin Wu? This prince simply finds this a bit too coincidental. I'm just a little curious." His eyes swept over Wu Anshuo and Wu Changfeng, a scrutinizing look. "After all, Prince Wu is a martial artist. How could he not know how he fell into the lake? And how could he happen to be in the water with this girl?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Zixuan walked out of the crowd and exclaimed: "Oh! Yes! How can it be such a coincidence?" Although Mu Zixuan didn't know what his cousin Zhong was planning, he knew how to cooperate with his cousin after so many years of getting along with him.

Zhong Chuzhou's smile became more intense, and he continued, "That's right! Could it be..." He suddenly paused, his eyes widened instantly, one hand gently covered his mouth, his face full of surprise, and a look of understanding revealed in his eyes. His gaze moved back and forth between Lan Zhu and Wu Changfeng.

Seeing this, Mu Zixuan once again cooperated tacitly. With an expression full of curiosity on his face, he looked at Zhong Chuzhou and asked, "Cousin, what is it? Just tell me!"

Zhong Chuzhou smiled mischievously and looked at Mu Zixuan and said, "Zixuan, look at this girl. She is so beautiful and charming. Could it be that Prince Wu has developed feelings for her?"

"Nonsense!" Wu Changfeng was instantly enraged at Zhong Chuzhou's words, and he shouted furiously. His face flushed crimson, his eyes filled with anger and resentment. Wu Changfeng took a sudden step forward, glaring at Zhong Chuzhou as if he wanted to devour him alive.

"Prince Zhong, please stop slandering me! I've never met this maid before, so how could I possibly have any feelings for her? What are your intentions behind such baseless slander?" Wu Changfeng's voice trembled with anger, each word coming through gritted teeth. His upright figure trembled slightly, clearly angered by Zhong Chuzhou's words. His fists were clenched tightly, the knuckles white, as if ready to strike Zhong Chuzhou at any moment.

Wu Changfeng knew that if he admitted to the affair, he would be branded a lecher, which was absolutely unacceptable. As the crown prince, his reputation was of paramount importance. If he were to be labeled as such, it would not only bring shame upon himself, but also damage the reputation of his family.

At this moment, Wu Anshuo, Fan, and Changsun Wuwang all wore extremely grim expressions. Their eyes were filled with anger and dissatisfaction, secretly resenting the Zhong Shizi for being such a scoundrel. Changsun Wuwang was in no position to intervene, and he couldn't say anything. He could only mentally ponder how to resolve this matter quickly.

Fan was so angry that she lost her mind and cursed, "Prince Zhong, you are deliberately damaging Changfeng. This is simply the behavior of a villain." Fan's face turned red, her eyes were full of anger, and her voice trembled slightly with anger.

"How dare you!" A stern shout rang out. The old lady of the Duke of Huguo, Changsun Wanqing, had a gloomy expression, her eyes revealing majesty. She glared at Fan and said in a deep voice, "Fan, how dare you scold the son of the Duke of Huguo like that? Are you criticizing the upbringing of the Duke of Huguo? How audacious!"

Fan's face turned pale, her lips trembling slightly. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet Changsun Wanqing's gaze. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Grand Princess, please calm down. I simply felt that Master Zhong's words were too hurtful. In a moment of desperation, I spoke without thinking. Please forgive me, Grand Princess."

Wu Anshuo's face was gloomy, his brow furrowed. He looked at Zhong Chuzhou, a surge of intense anger welling up in his heart. He stepped forward, knelt before the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive my wife's deep love for my son. In a moment of anxiety, I spoke without thinking. Your Majesty, what Prince Zhong said was truly disrespectful and based on baseless speculation. This is detrimental to the reputations of both my son and this young lady. I, an old minister, will not tolerate such slander. Please make the decision, Your Majesty!"

Chang Sun Hongze frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "Chu Zhou, stop messing around and stop making groundless guesses!"

Zhong Chuzhou leaned forward and saluted the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty, I have no dealings with Prince Wu, nor do we have any grudges against him. So I'm not making trouble out of nothing. I'm just curious. I just heard this girl say that she woke up in this lake while she was getting clothes for the princess. This is a bit strange. Was she knocked unconscious? Who would have knocked her unconscious? She's just a maid in the palace, who would want to harm her? And why would Prince Wu come to this place in the Imperial Garden alone? If it were a little further ahead, there would be a side hall for the female family to rest. And unfortunately, he fell into the lake somehow? Could it be that Prince Wu has other plans?"

Zhong Chuzhou's words startled everyone present. Everyone's eyes turned to Wu Changfeng, their gazes filled with doubt and scrutiny.