The whole family is obsessed with love? The princess woke them up one after another.

The fire in the library was unusually strange.

Splashing large amounts of water on the fire is not very effective in extinguishing it; in fact, it can be said to be very inefficient.

Normally, a fire like this would have been brought under control long ago.

However, this time the fire only grew stronger.

When the fire in the library was extinguished, the library was reduced to an empty shell.

Surprisingly, the neighboring shops were completely unaffected, only the library was burned down.

Those around looked at the charred ruins and sighed.

Many scholars, their legs trembling, knelt on the ground, their faces pale, muttering as if they had lost their souls, "Gone, all gone..."

At the same time, a horse-drawn carriage hurriedly arrived.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, the people inside jumped out.

Ignoring the fact that he landed unsteadily and almost fell, he staggered over.

Upon seeing the burned-out library, he could no longer stand, his knees slammed heavily to the ground, he banged his head on the ground, and wept bitterly.

Once there was a first, there was a second and a third. Many people came and cried loudly.

Although none of them held official positions in the imperial court, many of them were of noble status.

This doesn't mean they wield much power, but rather that they enjoy extremely high prestige.

They were all well-read scholars, and had many students.

A group of elderly, usually refined and cultured people knelt before a patch of scorched earth, sobbing uncontrollably. This scene... was truly heartbreaking.

"Princess, are you really leaving like this?" Amidst the cries, Ji Qiuyu's voice stood out.

The crowd that had been weeping immediately fell silent and looked over.

Their gazes were like knives, their expressions unfriendly; they seemed to wish they could skin Qi Zhiyu alive.

Qi Zhiyu asked, amused, "Otherwise what? You'll carry me away?"

Ji Qiuyu's face turned ashen with anger, and she coldly questioned, "The library has been burned down, and the princess intends to remain uninvolved?"

"So many precious and rare books were burned to ashes, doesn't the princess have anything to say?"

Qi Zhiyu blinked: "My condolences?"

The owner of the library could no longer stand, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, crying out, "Ancestors, your unfilial descendant has failed you."

"Princess, don't go too far!" Ji Qiuyu said through gritted teeth, "The library was burned down, and you are largely to blame!"

"Did I start the fire?" Qi Zhiyu asked curiously.

"My men and I are all standing in the lobby on the first floor. The fire started upstairs. What does that have to do with us?"

"Everyone knows that wherever the princess goes, bad luck follows. If the princess doesn't give an explanation today, this matter... is not over!" Ji Qiuyu stared at Qi Zhiyu with eyes that seemed to be poisoned.

Qi Zhiyu laughed: "I'm at home every day, and I haven't seen anything happen at my Prince Rui's mansion."

"Wherever I go, bad luck follows... Is there any proof?"

"You're even bringing up coincidences... What, so you're going to use them to slander someone you don't like by creating some trouble for them?"

Ji Qiuyu said in a deep voice, "Princess, stop trying to deny it. From the incident at the back mountain of Huguo Temple to everything that followed... Princess, don't you know who you are?"

"Moreover, the princess grew up in the countryside."

"Just what kind of extraordinary person trained you to possess such skills?"

Qi Zhiyu laughed, then glanced at the crowd glaring at her: "Are you trying to pin the infamy of being a monster on me?"

"Let's talk when you have evidence."

After Qi Zhiyu finished speaking, she turned and left.

"Stop!" Ji Qiuyu shouted.

Before she could finish speaking, she was sent flying backward.

With a thud, it fell heavily into the burnt-out library.

The ground was covered in mud and water, a mixture of all sorts of things.

Ji Qiuyu's clothes were soaked on one side in an instant, making her look filthy and quite disheveled.

Qi Zhiyu straightened her skirt and chuckled, "A mere general dares to speak disrespectfully to a princess."

"If it weren't for my imperial grandfather's benevolence and kindness towards his subjects, based on your disrespectful attitude and words just now, I would have easily had your head chopped off!"

After Qi Zhiyu finished speaking, she turned and left.

This time, apart from the complicated gazes of the crowd and Ji Qiuyu's anger that was about to materialize, no one dared to speak up to stop her.

Qi Zhiyu returned home, and before she could even sit down, she heard hurried footsteps outside.

Qi Zhiyu smiled and poured another cup of tea.

The tea had just been poured when Qi Jingxi rushed in: "Sister, sister, sister... ugh, glug glug..."

Qi Jingxi took the tea that was brought to her lips from her younger sister's hand and drank it.

"Are you calmer now?" Qi Zhiyu only let him drink a little less than half a cup before taking the teacup away.

He just ran back; it's not good to drink too much at once.

"Sister... there's a huge commotion outside this time." Qi Jingxi was so anxious that she scratched her head and cheeks. "Those scholars are furious and demand an explanation."

"Some say we should beat the drum to petition the emperor, while others say we should die at the palace gates to remonstrate."

"Not a single official in the court has spoken out." Qi Zhiyu's statement was an affirmation, not a question.

Qi Jingxi paused, thought carefully for a moment, and said, "Indeed, no."

Qi Zhiyu laughed: "It seems that those who stand on the side of King Wu no longer have any intention of protecting him."

They will not speak out again unless absolutely necessary.

That way, she can feel more at ease going to northern Yunnan.

"Sister, although no one in the court has spoken up, many of the scholars are quite prestigious." Qi Jingxi was getting anxious.

"If they really plead for their lives in front of the palace, things will really get complicated!"

"Isn't this great?" Qi Zhiyu chuckled. "Everything is going according to plan."

Qi Jingxi choked: "That's true, but... I don't feel well."

How come his sister is considered a monster?

And those guys even want to get rid of his sister!

He wanted to kill someone!

"It's nothing," Qi Zhiyu said with a nonchalant smile. "They're just a bunch of tools being used."

"Second brother, why are you getting angry at a tool?"

"Aren't you angry?" Qi Jingxi frowned. "You've done so much for them."

Qi Zhiyu laughed: "Everything in this world boils down to nothing more than self-interest."

"Back then, they benefited from me and were happy. Now that I am a demon, which infringes on their interests, they naturally resent me."

"It's only human nature, there's nothing to be angry about."

"It's like this: you can help a friend, but you can't go bankrupt and risk your own family's ruin to help a friend."

"Of course, there are also those who would do anything for others or for their beliefs, and I admire those as well. However, in the end, it all comes down to self-interest."

Qi Jingxi was dumbfounded: "Is it still about profit?"

"What if we fight to the death to defend the country?"

How could something of such noble principle be about personal gain?