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Chapter 474: Wholehearted

Concubine Jing said seriously, "You don't need to be so wary of me. Since I've married you, I'm yours and will definitely be loyal to you."

Luo Qinghan: "Single-minded?"

Concubine Jing's eyes were blazing: "Yes, I am devoted to you, and I have no second thoughts!"

Luo Qinghan: "Words are not enough, seeing is believing. Since you said that you are devoted to me, then dig out your heart and let me see with my own eyes whether it is just as you said?"

The blood color on Concubine Jing's face disappeared in an instant, and she became extremely pale.

She opened her eyes wide in disbelief, fear flashing in them, but she still managed a smile: "Your Highness is really good at joking."

Luo Qinghan: "So what you said about being wholeheartedly devoted to someone was just a joke?"

Concubine Jing choked.

Luo Qinghan: "If you want me to believe you, then dig out your heart and let me see. If you can't do it, get out of there as soon as possible. I hate hypocritical people like you who only talk but don't do anything."

Concubine Jing was in a dilemma and her face became paler and paler.

Luo Qinghan took a knife from Yulinwei and handed it over: "Come, dig out your heart and show it to me now."

Concubine Jing almost fled in panic.

The emperor announced his return to the palace, and everyone returned to their carriages.

Concubine Jing was so frightened that her hands and feet became weak and she had no strength to get into the carriage. Later, the palace maids had to use their hands and feet to barely lift her into the carriage.

Even after getting into the carriage, Concubine Jing was still feeling frightened.

She used to think that the prince was aloof and difficult to get along with, but at least he was a normal person.

But now, she wasn't sure.

No normal person would force someone to dig out their heart and have a look at it.

…

After Luo Qinghan returned to the palace, he learned from Mo Hua that Baoqin had punished several eunuchs.

He said calmly, "Send those eunuchs to the stables, and let them be responsible for cleaning the stables from now on."

The stable was dirty and smelly, and the work was heavy and tiring. It was far from being as easy, comfortable and lucrative as the imperial kitchen. This punishment was much more severe than beating with a stick.

Judging from the Crown Prince's attitude, he obviously favored Concubine Xiao. Mo Hua thought that her decision was indeed correct. She lowered her head and responded: "I will arrange it right away."

Luo Qinghan didn't expect that he had caused so much speculation just because he temporarily changed the person who would accompany him to the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven.

He felt that he needed to comfort Xiao Xixi.

When Luo Qinghan arrived at Qingge Palace, he found that there was no one in the palace. After asking, he learned that Concubine Xiao had gone to the bamboo forest behind.

Inside the bamboo forest, Xiao Xixi was squatting beside the fire, drooling at the sight of the sizzling and roasted snake meat.

She wiped her saliva and urged, "Isn't it baked yet?"

Baoqin sprinkled the seasoning and said, "We have to wait a little longer."

She thought about it and felt uneasy again, so she gave a warning.

"You promised me that you would only eat a small bite and not too much. You are not fully recovered yet. The doctor said that you cannot eat too greasy food, as it will overwhelm your stomach."

Xiao Xixi stared at the roasted snake and nodded perfunctorily: "I know, roast it quickly."

Luo Qinghan followed the scent all the way here.

Seeing the prince coming, Baoqin quickly knelt down and saluted.

Xiao Xixi also stood up and said flatteringly, "Your Highness, why are you here?"

Luo Qinghan: "I came to see you, are you feeling better?"

Xiao Xixi: "It's much better now!"

Luo Qinghan paused on the roasted snake: "Your stomach is still weak, you can't eat such greasy food."

Xiao Xixi immediately defended herself: "My stomach is very good! It's not weak at all!"

Luo Qinghan: "If you are obedient, I can give you more good things in the future, but if you are not obedient, I can take back this bamboo forest at any time."

Xiao Xixi clasped her hands together and begged, "I will only take a small bite, just a small bite, okay?"

Just now, she used this kind of coquettish and naughty method to trick Baoqin into softening her heart and agreeing to grill snake meat for her.

But this trick didn't work on the hard-hearted prince.

He said coldly: "If you eat one bite today, you will never have to eat meat again."

Xiao Xixi pouted and wanted to cry!

Luo Qinghan ignored her and said to Baoqin, "Take the snake meat away."

Baoqin glanced at Concubine Xiao cautiously.

Xiao Xixi looked at the roasted snake reluctantly.

Baoqin mouthed silently, "I'm sorry!"

She turned and walked away with the roasted snake.

Watching the roasted snake getting farther and farther away from her, Xiao Xixi felt her heart was broken.

Luo Qinghan looked at her pitiful appearance, which seemed like she was about to cry at any moment, and asked, "Do you really want to eat snake meat?"

Xiao Xixi nodded vigorously: "I really want to eat it!"

Luo Qinghan: "If you want to eat, get well soon. When you are well, you can eat anything."

Xiao Xixi hummed: "I am in good health now."

Luo Qinghan: "Whether it is good or not is up to the imperial physician to decide, not you."

Xiao Xixi was not convinced: "This is my own body, don't I have the final say?!"

Luo Qinghan rubbed her head and said, "Don't be willful. When you recover, I will take you out of the palace to play."

Originally, he planned to take Xiao Xixi out to play after the ceremony, but unfortunately she was unable to attend the ceremony, so he thought of finding another time to take her out to play.

Since I have promised her, I must fulfill it no matter what and not let her down.

Xiao Xixi's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really?"

Luo Qinghan: "Of course it's true."

Xiao Xixi's depressed mood suddenly improved.

She came over and hugged Luo Qinghan's arm, and said happily: "I will definitely get well soon!"

The two returned to Qingge Palace.

Zhao Xian came to report the work progress to the prince.

"Your Highness, I have ordered people to investigate all the pawnshops in the capital. In three of them, I found people pawning the palace jewelry. According to the description of the pawnshop clerks, the jewelry should have been pawned by the same person."

Zhao Xian opened a wooden box, inside of which were three pieces of gold jewelry.

"These pieces of jewellery were confiscated from pawnshops. The man was quite cautious and deliberately pawned the three pieces of jewellery in different pawnshops. The three pawnshops were quite far apart, so it was impossible to pinpoint his exact location."

He then produced three more pawn tickets.

Luo Qinghan took the pawn tickets and took a look. They were all dead stocks and the prices were not high.

It was obvious that the man just wanted to get rid of it quickly, and he didn't care even if the price was lowered, and he had no intention of redeeming it.

The pawn ticket contains the names of the pawners, namely Zhang San, Li Si, and Zhao Wu.

You can tell it's a pseudonym at first glance.

Zhao Xian took out a portrait.

"This portrait was drawn based on the descriptions of the clerks of three pawnshops. This person was the one who secretly pawned the jewelry in the palace."

(End of this chapter)