Chapter 587: We're out of money. Let's run away...
For the next few minutes, several children wandered around the street.
The little prince found everything new and interesting. He wanted to buy one of each: candied haws, dough figurines, and windmills.
Gu Qingchen was also infected by his interest and followed him to buy things.
Qian Zhenyun watched the silver in his purse dwindle and became more and more uneasy.
"Sister, have we finished shopping?" he reminded in a low voice.
"It's okay, it's okay. It's a rare opportunity for me to come out, so let the little prince be happy." Gu Qingchen waved his hand, not caring at all.
Lin Jiayou followed silently behind, looking at the last few coins in his purse, his brows slightly frowned.
As they walked, they came to the door of a restaurant.
There was a fragrant aroma coming from the restaurant. When the little prince smelled it, his stomach immediately started to growl.
"It smells so good!" The little prince swallowed his saliva, "Let's go in and eat something!"
Gu Qingchen looked at the restaurant, which was decorated quite exquisitely, and felt a little hesitant.
"This looks quite expensive," she whispered.
"It's okay, I'll treat you!" The little prince said, patting his chest, and then strode into the restaurant.
Gu Qingchen: “…”
Qian Zhenyun: “…”
Lin Jiayou: “…”
Where did he get the money? Wasn’t it all paid by Lin Jiayou?
The other three could only follow in.
When the restaurant owner saw these children, especially the little prince's bright yellow robe, his eyes immediately lit up.
"Young gentlemen, please come in!" the shopkeeper greeted warmly, "We have the best private rooms and the best dishes here!"
The little prince was a little flattered by the warm hospitality and nodded: "Then let's have your best!"
Soon, they were taken to a beautifully decorated private room.
The shopkeeper came over in person to take the order, calling the little prince "little master" all the time, and coaxed him around.
"Give me one serving of boiled chicken, one serving of braised pork, one serving of steamed fish, one serving of seasonal vegetables, and four bowls of rice." The shopkeeper read out the names of the dishes skillfully.
Gu Qingchen was secretly shocked when he heard the names of these dishes. These dishes didn't sound cheap.
"That's enough." She waved her hands quickly, "We are just kids, we can't eat so much."
"It's okay, order more!" The little prince waved his hand, "It's my treat!"
The shopkeeper walked out with a smile and soon brought a table full of dishes.
The children had been hungry for a long time, and when they saw these delicious dishes, they couldn't help but eat them with relish.
The little prince ate with great relish, saying as he ate, "This is even better than the food in the palace!"
Qian Zhenyun whispered to Lin Jiayou, "How much does this table of food cost?"
Lin Jiayou shook his head. He wasn't quite sure, but he had a bad feeling in his heart.
After eating and drinking, the shopkeeper walked in with a smile on his face.
"Young gentlemen, this table of food costs three taels of silver in total." The shopkeeper held up three fingers.
Gu Qingchen and Qian Zhenyun looked at each other and saw astonishment in each other's eyes.
Three taels of silver, this is simply a sky-high price!
"How much?" Gu Qingchen couldn't help but ask. In her small purse, there were only a few coins that Lin Jiayou had just taken out.
The shopkeeper repeated with a smile, "Three taels of silver, fair play. The young gentlemen enjoyed their meal, and it was money well spent."
The young prince was also stunned when he heard three taels of silver. He usually spent money lavishly and had no clear concept of silver and money, but the number of three taels of silver did sound like a lot.
Qian Zhenyun's face turned pale. He quickly touched his sleeve pocket, which was empty. He had spent all his change buying things on the street just now.
"Sister, sister..." He looked at Gu Qingchen with a trembling voice.
Gu Qingchen also reached out and touched his pocket. Apart from those few copper coins, there was nothing else.
She looked at Lin Jiayou again. Lin Jiayou silently took out the deflated purse from his arms, turned it over, and only a few sparse copper coins fell into his palm.
"We have no money." Gu Qingchen's voice was a little dry.
The shopkeeper's smile froze on his face. He looked the children up and down, especially when he saw the expensive-looking robe on the little prince, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.
"No money?" The shopkeeper's voice turned cold. "Young gentlemen, please don't joke with me. You are dressed so elegantly, how could you be broke?"
"We really are out of money," Qian Zhenyun explained hastily. "We are students from the academy. We ran away today without much money."
"You ran away secretly?" The shopkeeper's expression changed completely. He realized that he might have been tricked by these kids. "You guys are eating a free meal?"
He slammed the table and raised his voice a few notches: "Someone, come here! Keep an eye on these little guys! Don't even think about leaving without money!"
The waiters in the restaurant immediately surrounded them and looked at them hungrily.
Gu Qingchen's heart tightened. She looked around and then at the little prince's pale face.
"Why don't we run away!" She whispered to the little prince and Qian Zhenyun, pointing to the window with her eyes.
When the little prince heard the word "run", his face suddenly tightened. He straightened his body and pursed his lips tightly.
"No!" The little prince's voice was filled with a hint of unquestionable stubbornness. "How can I, the dignified prince, eat for free? I'm so embarrassed!"
Gu Qingchen was stunned. He didn't expect that the little prince would still care about his face at this time.
"Oh, why don't we go away for a while and let the servants deliver the silver?" Gu Qingchen said hurriedly. Her mind was racing, trying to find a way to get away without losing face.
"Nonsense!" The shopkeeper was even more dissatisfied after hearing what they said. "You're so young and you want to default on your debt? I'll hand you over to the authorities!"
Just when the atmosphere in the restaurant was tense, the scene inside the Bailu Academy was completely different.
The little prince's guards, eunuchs, and palace maids were almost going crazy when they learned that the little prince was missing.
They searched the academy inside and out, but didn't even see the shadow of the little prince.
"The prince is missing! Go find him quickly... here, here..." The terrified cries echoed in the academy.
The headmaster and Master Li also rushed over after hearing the news. When they heard the news, their faces turned pale.
This is a huge deal! The little prince has disappeared in the academy, and none of us teachers can escape responsibility. This is a matter of life and death!
"Quick! Go and inform the Duke of Zhenguo!" the headmaster shouted loudly, his voice trembling.
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