Chapter 152 Snacks
Qi Rong fastened his coat and, seeing Li Minghua looking somewhat embarrassed, intentionally or unintentionally shielded Lin Changning behind him.
Li Minghua retreated to the outer room, head bowed, obediently preparing to await Qi Erge's reprimand.
Second Brother is good in every way, except that he is just as strict with rules as Big Sister. This time, he barged into the inner room and startled his guests, so he's going to get a lecture.
Li Minghua lowered his head and secretly glanced at the two people who came out.
Lin Changning's eyes lit up slightly when he saw the handsome Lin Changning in his red brocade robe.
This person is really good-looking.
Lin Changning followed Qi Rong out of the inner room, and seeing Qi Rong's somewhat dark face, she rubbed her nose awkwardly.
In a wealthy family, especially a royal residence, there are bound to be many rules. Judging from her second brother's expression, he'll probably have to lecture her.
Qi Rong pointed to the seat and glanced at Lin Changning: "Sit down, Sixth Brother."
Lin Changning looked up at the girl standing with her hands at her sides, carrying a food box, and hesitated. The girl was still standing; it wouldn't be appropriate for her to sit down.
Just as he was hesitating, Qi Rong pointed to the girl below and introduced her: "This is Minghua, the little princess of the Chu Prince's Mansion. She is fourteen years old this year, a year younger than you."
Lin Changning nodded, cupped his hands, and bowed to Li Minghua: "Lin Changping, commander of Daxing, greets the princess."
Li Minghua handed the food box to the maid behind him and returned the gesture with a graceful smile, his hands clasped together and his head slightly bowed. "Since you are my brother's friend, there's no need for such formalities."
Qi Rong nodded: "Although we are all family, Minghua, it is still against the rules to barge into the inner room. Go back and copy the Book of Rites."
Li Minghua's composed demeanor instantly crumbled, and he cried out in a mournful voice, "Second Brother!"
Qi Rong said calmly, "Otherwise, I'll tell my aunt what happened today."
Li Minghua covered her face: "Okay, okay, I'll copy it when I get back. I even made some snacks for my second brother."
Qi Rong chuckled: "Stop complaining. Those pastries were made in your little kitchen at most. When did you ever lift a finger to do them?"
Li Minghua pouted: "You knew it, yet you still exposed me? Second Brother!"
He then gestured to the maid to place the snacks and fruits next to Qi Rong and Lin Changning, and sat down in a chair.
With a bright smile, she said, "Try it. These are some new pastries from the kitchen. They're not too sweet, but they're fragrant and crispy. I know you don't like sweets, Second Brother, but you should all try them. If you like them, I'll bring you some more next time."
Qi Rong picked up a pastry and tasted it, then looked at Lin Changning and gestured, "Sixth Brother, try it, it tastes good."
Li Minghua blinked at Lin Changning and said, "Chief, you should try it too. It contains medicine and is also nourishing."
Under the intense gaze of the young princess, Lin Changning symbolically picked up a piece and tasted it. The taste was indeed good, slightly sweet, very fragrant, and had a soft, yam-like texture.
Once I started eating, I couldn't stop and ate two pieces with my tea.
After swallowing, she looked at Qi Rong with bright eyes: "It's really good, Second Brother."
Qi Rong chuckled, amused by Lin Changning's childlike gluttony and love of pastries: "Use as much as you like."
Lin Changning ate gracefully, but also very quickly, holding a teacup in one hand and pastries in the other, enjoying himself immensely.
Li Minghua, who had a good appetite, kept smiling as he watched Lin Changning eat snacks and drink tea. The more he looked at him, the more interesting and handsome he found him.
Qi Rong looked at his younger sister's staring gaze, then glanced at Lin Changning, who was beautiful but clueless about showing off her pastries, and coughed lightly: "Minghua, it's getting late, we should go back. I have something to discuss with Liulang later."
Li Minghua looked away and stood up to say goodbye: "Is it time to leave, Second Brother? The snacks were alright, weren't they? I'll bring you some more tomorrow."
Qi Rong raised an eyebrow: "I can't eat too much, so there's no need to send any more. If I want to eat, I can just ask someone to get it from the small kitchen in your yard."
Li Minghua winked at Lin Changning, who had already stood up, and said, "Isn't there Commander Lin here? I think he likes it quite a bit. We'll send it over tomorrow so you can eat it together."
Lin Changning blushed slightly when she was suddenly called upon: "Ah? Thank you, Princess."
Qi Rong sighed and began to shoo people away: "Liu Lang's injuries haven't fully healed, so he shouldn't eat too much to avoid the medicines clashing. There's no need to send him; I'll have someone fetch him."
Li Minghua couldn't help but roll her eyes at Qi Rong, but seeing that he was exceptionally good-looking, she glanced at him a few times. Her second brother treated her like a thief.
"Understood, Second Brother."
After saying that, he bowed and left. Qi Rong looked at Lin Changning and rubbed her temples: "My little sister is spoiled. She's terrible at etiquette and her studies are terrible, but she doesn't have any bad intentions."
Lin Changning nodded and gave a token compliment: "The little princess has a very straightforward personality, which is good. Hmm, the snacks are delicious too."
Qi Rong chuckled to himself. He had really overthought things. Liu Lang's head was completely blank; he had no idea about climbing the social ladder. His mind was full of snacks.
Minghua has a cheerful personality but is always getting into trouble. As the youngest daughter of the Prince's mansion, she is pampered by everyone and has become unruly.
Another point is that she has a particular fondness for men with outstanding looks and handsome appearances. Just now, she probably gave Liu Lang some face and returned the greeting because she thought he was good-looking. Normally, this little girl would not pay attention to people, let alone share snacks with them.
It must have been Liu Lang's appearance that caught her eye.
Qi Rong chuckled again as he watched Lin Changning obliviously munching on her snacks: "If you want some, I'll have someone fetch them for you and send them to your courtyard tomorrow."
Lin Changning's eyes lit up instantly, and he looked at Qi Rong with delighted eyes: "Thank you, Second Brother. It's delicious, but I'm too small to eat enough..."
Qi Rong chuckled softly, "Don't eat too much, it will harm your spleen and stomach. Let's talk about it after the wound has healed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Rong seemed to remember something and said seriously, "By the way, your positions will probably be finalized soon, and your official ranks will likely remain unchanged. Do you have any intentions...?"
Lin Changning put down the snacks: "None of us have any particular intentions. It doesn't matter where we work. The best we can do is continue to follow Second Brother."
Qi Rong nodded: "Of course. Your younger brother is also in the Prince's mansion, right? Recently, a physician from the mansion has taken a liking to your younger brother and wants to take him in as an apprentice. When you go back, you should ask him about it. If he is willing, he can stay in the Prince's mansion as an apprentice. After two years of apprenticeship, he can become a physician in the mansion."
Lin Changning nodded: "I'll go back and ask Shilang and Second Brother if there's any news about those who came to my house to pick them up."
Qi Rong did a quick calculation and shook his head: "A round trip would take at least a month and a half, and only half a month has passed. We still have a long wait ahead."
Lin Changning nodded dejectedly: "Well, I don't know how heartbroken my family will be when the news of my death gets back. Sigh!"
Qi Rong was about to offer some words of comfort when Zhi Qi suddenly burst in and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness! The faction of Prince Sheng has seized four cities in succession, and the border area has completely fallen into Prince Sheng's hands. Moreover, the imperial army's first campaign against them failed, and not a single city was captured."
Qi Rong remained calm, his fingers tapping the table. After a long while, he nodded and said, "Get up. I understand."
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