A five-year-old goddess, raised to become an emperor for all time through a bronze mirror.

Pei Yunjing, standing some distance away, narrowed his eyes slightly, gently beckoned to the attendant behind him, and said in a deep voice:

"You all need to hurry and put out the fire! But judging from the weather, the fire shouldn't spread to other palaces."

After saying that, he slowly raised his head and gazed at the sky, which was as black as ink.

At this moment, thick dark clouds, like a huge black curtain, completely enveloped the entire capital city.

The gloomy sky made people feel extremely depressed, and the icy rain showed no signs of stopping, continuing to fall in a drizzling down.

Upon receiving the order, the servants sprang into action as swiftly as arrows released from a bow.

They sped past Nian Nian and Manager Zhao like lightning, their speed dazzling, like a gust of wind, leaving no time to even glance at what was happening.

Everyone had only one thought in mind: to extinguish the raging, menacing fire before them as quickly as possible.

So, one by one, they carried buckets of water and strode towards the fire like wild horses.

In the blink of an eye, buckets of icy cold water were mercilessly poured into the sea of ​​fire.

With a "whoosh" sound, water splashed everywhere, engaging in a thrilling battle with the raging fire.

Time passed slowly, and the fire gradually weakened.

The flames that were once unrestrained and rampant have now lost their previous arrogance and have begun to slowly become docile.

The flames no longer shot up high, but gradually shrunk, and the thick smoke no longer billowed and rolled, but gradually thinned out.

Just then, Manager Zhao's beating of Niannian finally stopped temporarily.

Zhao, the steward, had a face that was originally quite fair, but now it was flushed red with anger, veins bulging on his forehead, and his eyes were wide open, as if they could breathe fire.

She was panting heavily as she pointed at Nian Nian and cursed, "You ignorant and ungrateful wretch!"

If it weren't for these adults arriving in time to help put out the fire, you might have lost your life here today! Do you know how much trouble you've caused?

Every year, she hugged her head tightly, curled up into a ball, and cried out with a heart full of grievances:

"I really didn't, Manager Zhao! It was clearly Chun Tao..."

Just then, Pei Yunjing, who had been quietly observing from the corner, slowly stepped out.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to him.

He was dressed in a dark, narrow-sleeved python robe, with gold-threaded auspicious cloud patterns intricately embroidered on the cuffs, making it look exceptionally exquisite and luxurious.

A vermilion jade belt cinched his waist, from which hung a crystal-clear white jade pendant that swayed gently with his steps, producing a crisp and melodious sound.

He was tall and imposing, exuding an innate elegance and commanding presence that made it difficult for others to look him in the eye.

"Sixth Prince, it really wasn't me! Please believe me!"

Year after year, with tears streaming down her face, she lay prostrate on the cold, hard ground, her body trembling, as she crawled with difficulty, step by step, toward Pei Yunjing.

That pitiful and extremely weak appearance perfectly revealed the grievances in her heart.

Pei Yunjing's originally icy gaze suddenly flashed, then instantly transformed into one of concern: "Niannian, what exactly happened? Tell this prince quickly..."

However, only he himself knew that all of this was just a pretense he was putting on.

Every year, she would raise her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and look at Pei Yunjing, her heart filled with hope and pleading.

She wanted to reach out and grab Pei Yunjing's clothes, but as soon as her dirty, dusty hands reached out, she suddenly realized how disheveled she looked.

So, she had no choice but to withdraw her hand and kowtow with all her might, her forehead hitting the ground with a series of dull thuds.

"Sixth Prince, it really wasn't me! I absolutely did not do such a thing!"

Seeing Nian Nian so humbly yet persistently defending herself, everyone around was moved and showed pity.

Especially Manager Zhao, who was standing to the side, quickly knelt down and bowed, saying with trepidation:

"Your Highness, it was this lowly servant's negligence that caused the drying room to suddenly catch fire."

The fire was extremely fierce and spread rapidly, eventually igniting the entire laundry department...

Although we servants have done our utmost to extinguish the fire, the losses are still heavy! We implore the Sixth Prince to investigate thoroughly and severely punish the culprit!

"Oh?"

Pei Yunjing's lips curled slightly, and he uttered a soft question. His ink-black eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the flustered Nian Nian with a half-smile.

Nian Nian's heart tightened, and she hurriedly waved her hand to explain:

"No...it wasn't me! It really wasn't me, Your Highness!" Her voice trembled slightly, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on her forehead.

Just then, Steward Zhao, who was standing to the side, suddenly interjected, saying to Pei Yunjing with a fawning expression:

"Sixth Prince, please don't believe this lowly servant's sophistry!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Yunjing raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Steward Zhao, and asked in return, "It's alright, I'd like to hear how Niannian explains this."

After he finished speaking, he slowly shifted his gaze back to Niannian, his eyes like a bottomless pool.

Nian Nian took a deep breath, as if to gather all her courage, and then suddenly raised her head.

Without flinching, she met Pei Yunjing's deep and sharp gaze, like that of a hawk, and responded with an exceptionally firm tone:

"Your Highness, I truly know nothing about this matter. In fact, the real mastermind is Chun Tao, definitely not me!"

However, before Nian Nian could finish speaking, Steward Zhao, unable to contain himself, rudely interrupted her once again:

"That's utter nonsense! How could it be that little brat Chun Tao? It's clear that you were the one on duty these past two days!"

Manager Zhao's tone was resolute and unquestionable, as if he had complete confidence in the facts he believed, as if he already possessed irrefutable evidence.

Upon seeing this scene, Pei Yunjing's originally calm face instantly darkened, like the dark clouds gathering before a storm.

A clear look of displeasure flashed across his eyes, his expression as cold as ice, sending chills down one's spine.

Immediately afterwards, Pei Yunjing moved his finger slightly. Although the movement was small, it carried an invisible sense of authority and pressure.