Chapter 128
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“Before entering the master’s sect, your grandpa was still adorable.” This was a complaint from a disciple who, after apprenticing for just over a year, lost the source of his charm, his baby fat.
“No wonder Your Highness has lost so much weight…” Xue Yao sympathetically pinched His Highness’ face, missing its former plumpness.
“Master’s culinary skills are indeed unique.” Gu Qingyuan’s imposing manner finally faltered. He awkwardly defended his master, “For example, the head of the Qinglong Sect loves the dishes my master makes and shamelessly lives with him.”
This was also one of the reasons the Sword Saint blindly believed in his own culinary skills.
The martial brothers, who were tense just moments before, now shared a newfound understanding and tolerance, gazing at each other affectionately.
“The incident with the buried eggplants…” Gu Qingyuan confessed with embarrassment.
“No one else will know.” Lu Qian solemnly assured.
Gu Qingyuan patted his junior brother’s shoulder, expressing gratitude with a glance.
Internal conflicts within the sect were peacefully resolved by exposing each other’s secrets. Lu Qian, accompanied by the little reader-in-waiting, bid farewell to his senior brother.
However, the senior brother appeared troubled.
He couldn’t just let his junior brother go like that.
Teaching his junior brother a lesson on behalf of the master was Gu Qingyuan’s own plan. Even if it failed, the master’s instructions had to be carried out. This meant urging Lu Qian to cultivate the Sun Form of the Dual Harmony Sword to a superior level before starting to practice the Moon Form of the Dual Harmony Sword.
Lu Qian’s innate constitution for martial arts endowed him with extraordinary insight and reflexes, beyond the reach of ordinary people. Hence, the most suitable sword technique for him was the unpredictable Dual Harmony Sword, a style that had to be perfected to the extreme, while other aspects were left to his preferences.
Besides this, the Sword Saint mentioned Lu Qian’s busy year spent persuading the feudal princes. Witnessing the darker aspects of human nature led to changes in his temperament and principles. It required advice from others to prevent him from straying onto the wrong path.
The Sword Sect had strict requirements for its disciples, emphasizing not only talent but also the importance of character.
The sect’s founder had a saying: Direct disciples in the orthodox lineage should not exceed eight individuals. If any disciple deviated onto the ruthless path, causing harm without repentance, the remaining seven must unite to eliminate the rogue disciple.
While Lu Qian wasn’t exactly on the ruthless path, his situation was unique. With a noble status, if he deviated, he could become a worldly demon wielding both power and authority. Now was a crucial period for his character formation, requiring careful vigilance.
This year, the Sword Saint planned to travel overseas with Sect Master Xu, having no time to watch over his disciple constantly. He wrote a letter to his eldest disciple, not to lament about any perceived disdain for his skills but mainly to request assistance in guiding and teaching the junior disciple.
Gu Qingyuan naturally obeyed the master’s orders and couldn’t just let his junior brother leave.
Initially planning to assert authority and make Lu Qian obediently return for martial training, the revelation of the buried eggplant incident made it difficult to speak of it.
Xue Yao noticed that Hero Gu seemed to have something difficult to express, so he took the initiative to inquire.
After learning the intentions of the Sword Saint, Xue Yao was very supportive, urging the rebellious junior brother to practice martial arts diligently with his senior brother.
There was only one problem that was hard to solve. Both the eldest and the second brothers were eager for Lu Qian to strictly follow Father Emperor’s decree and ascend to the throne quickly. Practicing martial arts in one place would quickly lead to being brought back to the palace.
This was also a dilemma that bothered Xue Yao. Without the Third Prince, whoever became the emperor would not trouble them. He didn’t really want Lu Qian to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of ruling the empire.
However, the previous situation involved the Crown Prince being replaced, the whereabouts of the new heir uncertain. The Second Prince’s ascension seemed reasonable, but now that Lu Qian had returned with the imperial decree as evidence, those on the throne had lost legitimacy.
This situation could easily be exploited by rebellious organizations as a pretext for rebellion. Over time, it would lead to endless trouble. That was why the eldest brother was so anxious.
Xue Yao speculated that even if his Long Aotian just went through the motions, he would still have to inherit the throne first. Later on, he could find a reason to retire early.
Xue Yao roughly revealed some of these trivial issues to Hero Gu.
Hero Gu, originally a carefree and unconstrained person, now dared not be too arrogant due to the leverage of the buried eggplant incident. After learning the specific situation, he volunteered to provide service in person but needed a pass for free access to the imperial palace.
Xue Yao: “……”
Long Aotian’s treatment was indeed different. If it were someone else, where could they find an extraordinary master to come as a private tutor!
“That’s no problem!” Xue Yao quickly arranged for Lu Qian. “We’ll have someone deliver the pass to you within the next two days. Feel free to supervise His Highness’ martial training anytime.”
“Who should you send?” Gu Qingyuan sheathed his long sword, slung it over his neck, and with arms hanging on both ends of the sword, he reverted to his previous carefree appearance. Sauntering over to Xue Yao, he extended his neck and said, “It should be you, kid. Also, bring some of your tasty cakes. They’re not bad.”
Xue Yao was momentarily stunned but immediately stood up straight.
In these past few days, fearing to be beaten, he exchanged a pile of delicious treats from the mental space to please Gu Qingyuan. Little did he expect that Gu Qingyuan, aware that he wasn’t the junior brother all along, was actually a cunning scoundrel adept at swindling food and drink. Now, he even had the audacity to ask him for more treats!
But…
“What does Senior Brother want to eat?” Xue Yao never offended such a skilled person and was willing to provide whatever he wanted!
“Senior Brother? Why aren’t you calling me Hero Gu now? Do you want me to acknowledge your martial arts?” Gu Qingyuan stared at Xue Yao with teasing little eyes, intentionally taking a while before answering, “As long as it’s made by you, it’s fine.”
“Then I’ll give Senior Brother…” Xue Yao pondered for a moment, about to suggest sending him some of the cheapest spicy strips…
【Lu Qian’s acid level 21%】
Xue Yao: “? ? ?”
“What should you give to Senior Brother?” Gu Qingyuan pressed for an answer.
“I’ll tell you another day…” The value that inexplicably increased made Xue Yao hesitant to speak.
Gu Qingyuan raised the corners of his mouth. “What’s your name?”
“This humble one’s surname is Xue, given name…”
【Lu Qian’s acid level 36%】
“I’ll tell you another day…” Xue Yao, terrified, turned to look at the rebellious brat. Before he could see clearly, a claw forcefully pulled him close, forbidding him from talking to his senior brother.
“Meet you again later.” Lu Qian pulled back his little reader-in-waiting who was distributing snacks, coldly bidding farewell to Gu Qingyuan.
On the way back, Lu Qian held the hand of the little reader-in-waiting in silence, walking through the quiet forest.
Xue Yao had been silent all along. After confirming that those strange values hadn’t continued to rise, he quietly asked Lu Qian, “Your Highness, where are we going now?”
“Back to the palace.” Lu Qian’s face remained stern.
Xue Yao gave a soft “Oh” and felt that the rebellious brat’s mood seemed off, so he dared not speak.
Lu Qian held his hand so tightly that it was getting numb.
When they were about to exit the forest, Xue Yao gently pulled his hand, but Lu Qian’s grip suddenly tightened even more.
“Ah…” Xue Yao winced as he was squeezed, frowning as he looked at Lu Qian’s profile. The long, dense eyelashes gave this guy an indescribable sense of focus even when he had no expression.
For a moment, Xue Yao forgot to complain, but Lu Qian suddenly turned his head, stopped in his tracks, and looked at him seriously. “Yaoyao, your grandpa won’t let go.”
“Huh?” Xue Yao didn’t understand the meaning of these words.
“If your grandpa eats roasted lamb leg and sugar cakes, your grandpa will become adorable, just like before. So, Yaoyao.”
“Huh?” Xue Yao’s eyes widened as he tried to understand what message Lu Qian wanted to convey with his inexplicably serious expression.
“From now on,” Lu Qian said, “only feed Your Highness.”
“Ah… I thought it was something serious.” Xue Yao laughed. “Of course, I’ll feed Your Highness.”
“Only feed Your Highness,” Lu Qian, a bit petty, emphasized firmly.
“…..” Xue Yao looked helpless. “I just bought some food for your senior brother. I didn’t feed him.”
Lu Qian’s gaze became sharp.
“…Alright, alright. I won’t buy him food anymore.” Xue Yao raised an eyebrow. “Does Your Highness want milk?”
The rebellious brat’s eyes subconsciously changed, a tail-wagging expectation evident on his face.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” The little reader-in-waiting led His Highness, happily returning to the palace.
Three days later, in the study room.
Xue Yao felt that something was amiss.
How come the rebellious phase of the rebellious brat ended so quickly?
His Highness had been unusually well-behaved lately.
Could there be some undisclosed plan?
“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied, but I’m afraid she won’t be satisfied with me, a rough man…” Old Fifth continued to complain about his impending marriage.
Old Sixth, as usual, patiently comforted Fifth Brother. “No one would be dissatisfied with you, Big Brother!”
“But she comes from a literary family…” Old Fifth scratched the back of his head. “Does she like reciting poetry or something?”
Xue Yao couldn’t stand the background noise of the beeper cub and complained, “Most high-ranking noble girls are like that. Otherwise, does Your Highness want a Princess Consort who enjoys playing with grasshoppers?”
“It’s not that…” Old Fifth mumbled with a red face. “I’m just afraid she’s too restrictive…”
“Your Highness, you don’t seem very relaxed yourself right now,” Xue Yao honestly dismantled his argument.
If Lu Qian were here, he would have already shut down the beeper, leaving no time for nervousness.
What could the Eldest Prince called Lu Qian for?
Lu Jinan’s residence was not too far from the imperial palace, separated by two streets from the garden left unfinished by the late emperor.
The daily affairs handled here were much more burdensome than those in the imperial palace. The Emperor, Old Second, was handling things very casually. The eunuchs who colluded with the Third Prince have been dealt with. The Directorate of Ceremonial had hardly anyone capable, so most of the work was done by Lu Jinan.
Seventh Brother who escaped voluntarily returned to the palace a few days ago. Lu Jinan didn’t get angry. Instead, he called his brother to familiarize himself with the administrative processes, giving him some time to adjust so as not to scare him away in a hurry.
Lu Qian was currently sitting in the study helping with paperwork.
The two eunuchs attending to him were dumbfounded.
In the past, watching Prince Rui handle paperwork took a good half day of contemplation. Now, watching this Prince Ning handle paperwork seemed like child’s play.
Lu Qian had people arrange the papers into two rows of three, a total of six books. He glanced at them six at a time, appearing as if he hadn’t really read them thoroughly. Yet, he managed to swiftly mark them with red ink, and not a single error was found.
In this manner, Prince Ning finished a day’s worth of paperwork from Prince Rui in just an hour.
The young eunuchs lowered their eyes, already prepared to report to Prince Rui later. Prince Ning was simply fooling around!
“Tea.” Prince Ning, after finishing the paperwork, casually tapped the table twice with his fingertips, looking displeased.
Because there was never any milk prepared in Eldest Brother’s residence.
The tea was served. Lu Qian took a sip, nearly spitting it out due to its bitterness. He grimaced, swallowed it down, stood up, and headed out to report to Eldest Brother. He wanted to return to the palace to find the little reader-in-waiting.
Eldest Brother wasn’t in the main hall. The maid said His Highness had gone to admire flowers with the Princess Consort.
Lu Qian went to the west courtyard.
That was when he stumbled upon the scene of Eldest Brother and his wife kissing.
Petals scattered…
Caught off guard, Lu Jinan looked at his seventh brother who had just arrived with an expression of astonishment. “When did you get here?”
The Princess Consort pressed her handkerchief against her face, using a cough to conceal her embarrassment, leaving only a small opening to sneak a peek at her younger brother-in-law’s reaction.
Lu Qian looked at Eldest Brother and his wife with sparkling eyes, his gaze filled with eager anticipation for the two to continue.
“……” The Princess Consort blushed so much she could bite her tongue off in embarrassment.
Lu Jinan hastily supported his wife back into the inner room and, following her instructions, came out to chat with his seventh brother.
The two brothers sat in the backyard pavilion.
“Eldest Brother used to kiss your chubby little face frequently,” Lu Jinan said, “That’s how it is among family.”
Lu Qian couldn’t help but express his confusion, “But, Big Brother, you never stuck out your tongue before.”
“Ah… right.” Lu Jinan cleared his throat. “The manner is somewhat different when kissing your own wife.”
If he weren’t his own younger brother, Lu Jinan would have silenced him immediately.
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