Chapter 11 The Secret of the Fox's Free Meals "What is 'using beauty to please'...?"
In the dead of night, the fox, familiar with the place, squeezed its head through the door and crawled into the house.
Still drunk, he walked unsteadily, his left foot constantly tripping over his right. With his not-so-clear mind, he tried to recall the events, and the more he tried, the more panicked he became.
What did he do tonight?
My head was spinning, and I couldn't remember clearly, but I think I first argued with the wall on the road, hit Chen Yu, bit Tinglan's hand, and finally touched his chest.
The fox's beady eyes filled with despair for the future. It's all over. Tomorrow someone might say there's a morally corrupt fox living nearby.
Ji Qing shook his head, his ears crackling from the shaking. Dejected, he jumped onto the bed, head down, bottom up, tail sticking out, and buried himself in the blankets to deeply repent.
My dear friend, I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. And Chen Yu, your roast chicken was delicious. I didn't mean to hit you.
He buried his head in the blanket, whimpering sadly. He turned around and curled up, hugging his tail with his two front paws. Already drunk and heartbroken, he drifted off to sleep in a daze.
The next morning, Qiu Yuan woke up early, wearing a new silk flower in her hair. Humming a song, she walked towards the small kitchen, thinking that His Highness had been drunk yesterday, so she should make some light dishes and some of His Highness's favorite snacks.
Pushing open the door, she saw the cooks standing in a corner. When Qiu Yuan entered, they all looked worried and hesitated to speak.
Qiu Yuan didn't pay any attention, continued humming a song, walked to the stove, and opened the pot lid.
With a clatter, the pot lid in her hand fell to the ground and rolled a few times. "What... what happened? Are there mice in the kitchen? How come there's only a skeleton left of the chicken?"
"Miss Qiu, look over here, there's more than that." The cook sighed, stepped aside, and revealed a basket of autumn pears behind her.
There was a neat row of teeth marks on the pear.
"That thief is quite something, he ate all the ripest pears. These were specially picked out to make pear soup for His Highness," the cook said indignantly.
"The rats can't possibly eat this much, can they?" Qiu Yuan patted her forehead. "Our Changqiu Palace has been robbed!" But what kind of thief is so cowardly, finally managing to get into the imperial palace only to come here to eat something...
Qiu Yuan circled the kitchen, wondering what to do, when she turned her head and saw Ji Qing standing at the door, looking completely dumbfounded.
"Your Highness, what brings you here? The kitchen was burgled last night, and the food is inedible. I'll have someone clean it up right away and have the Imperial Kitchen send over some food."
Ji Qing was internally wailing, rubbing the ground with her feet, head down, twisting the hem of her clothes with her hands, "Actually... I'm not a thief."
Help! What else did I do last night?! Now I'm really a bad fox...
"Not a thief?"
“It’s a fox…it’s the fox I fed outside. It was probably hungry and came looking for me to eat.” Ji Qing used all the wisdom he had ever had to explain, stammering.
The cook exclaimed in sudden realization, "Your Highness is right! There are teeth marks on these pears. No human has such long, sharp teeth."
The fox silently lowered its head, closed its mouth, and licked its canine teeth with its tongue.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yuan turned around, looked around the small kitchen, and muttered to herself, "Then... this fox must be starving, it actually ate so much."
Ji Qing had excellent hearing, so she heard what he said clearly. Her ears turned bright red instantly, and she covered her face as she ran out of the small kitchen. "Qiu Yuan, I'm sorry, I'll pay!"
Breakfast passed in a chaotic mess, while lunch was served by the Grand Master to the Thirteenth Prince.
"Did Your Highness's fox return last night?" Tinglan rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of pale wrist bone, and ladled soup for the little prince.
Ji Qing was busy stuffing a spicy beef bun into her mouth, and nodded casually, "You're back."
"It really is His Highness's pet."
The steamed bun in Ji Qing's hand clattered onto the plate, and she spoke cautiously, "Actually... I only know that fox."
"I see. That little fox is quite cute."
Upon hearing this, Ji Qing's eyes lit up. He was no longer flustered. He leaned forward, pouted, and said with great interest, "You have a good eye. Pure white foxes like this are very rare."
“She’s intelligent and quick-witted; no wonder Your Highness likes her,” Tinglan continued with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Ji Qing took a deep breath, leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, tilted his head smugly, and chuckled to himself for a while, "That's right! Very smart!"
My sister says I'm silly, the Taoist priest next door says I'm stupid, but only you, my best friend, say I'm smart.
I like you the most!
Tinglan looked at Ji Qing, who was inexplicably happy, and smiled as he lowered his eyes. A fleeting gloom flashed in his eyes. He had just dealt with a few gossipy people today, so it seemed that the young prince had not heard those rumors.
That's good. After today, those rumors will stop.
The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs seemed unusually quiet today, with fewer people coming and going as usual. There seemed to be even more guards standing watch outside. Chen Yu, standing to the side, looked serious, and the window frame that Ji Qing had smashed last night had been quickly replaced with a new one.
Only the gentle smile on the palm print remained unchanged.
The fox was completely oblivious to this, and continued to happily eat his bun, which had a crispy bottom and tasted delicious.
After finishing his meal, Tinglan had to work, so the fox ran out and scurried around the palace. It squatted under a tree and fed the hedgehog apples. This place was desolate and sparsely populated, so there were many squirrels and hedgehogs. Ji Qing loved to go to such places.
Just as the fox crouched down, it heard voices in the distance. The fox didn't say anything and hid behind a tree. The one speaking was that annoying Prince Wei, and the fox didn't want to pay any attention to him.
I even thought of throwing the hedgehog at his butt, but the hedgehog was innocent, sigh.
The voices were getting closer and closer, and with Ji Qing's hearing, he could hear them clearly even without trying.
"What kind of intelligence is this? 'Pei Jiqing and Tinglan have a very close relationship.' I've known for a long time that he uses his looks to please women. A bunch of good-for-nothings would risk their lives for this. I need to know where Pei Yue is!" The Prince of Wei held a small piece of paper in his hand and roared in a low voice.
The fox crouched under the tree and poked the hedgehog with a small stick skewered with apples.
Pei Jiqing is him, so what does it mean to use one's looks to please others? I don't understand, I don't get it. He's a white fox, where does his color come from?
But I'm still a little bothered by it, because this bad guy also mentioned Tinglan.
The fox put down the little stick, found a clean leaf, and placed the apple pieces on it. "Little hedgehog, eat up." He raised his head, looked ahead, and walked away silently.
The King's bodyguard was perched on a tree. He saw Tinglan feeding the hedgehogs ahead. Although he couldn't see Tinglan's face clearly, he felt that Tinglan looked like a child. Since His Highness the King hadn't revealed any major secrets, he remained silent.
Forget it, it's not a big deal.
The guard turned around and looked in another direction.
A fleeting glance sent a chill through my veins, and my heart pounded as if it would burst out of my chest.
He saw a person.
A person who had appeared out of nowhere stood lightly on the treetop and waved to him.
He would never have reacted this way if he had only seen a stranger.
The newcomer had long, dark hair, striking features, and a red bead hanging from his forehead. He stood lightly amidst a patch of red and yellow tree shadows, like a mountain spirit, not an ordinary person.
He recognized the person.
The thirteenth prince, Pei Jiqing.
Why is he here? It's too much of a coincidence... and his lightness skill is terrifying.
"Hello," the fox said politely. When he wasn't drinking, he was a truly good fox.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Thirteenth Prince." The guard bowed with difficulty, his manner so stiff that he almost fell off the tree.
I want to ask you a question.
"Your...Your Highness, please speak," the guard stammered.
"What do you mean by 'using one's looks to please others'?" the fox asked lightly, flashing a smile that revealed two dimples.
Foxes aren't smart, but they can still ask questions.
That smile didn't seem so friendly or welcoming to the other person. The guard's palms immediately broke out in a cold sweat, his breathing quickened, and he thought to himself, "Whether I stick my neck out or not, I'm going to get stabbed anyway." He closed his eyes and thought, "It means... I make a living off my pretty face."
Now it was the fox's turn to be greatly shocked.
So that's how it is! Now everything makes sense. No wonder no one ever asks me for money for meals! No wonder you can eat all the delicious food here!
It's free! What a great deal!!
Sister, did you know? The pretty girls down the mountain can eat whatever they want! If you have the chance, you should invite me over for a meal too; you're beautiful too.
The fox hopped over happily, pulled a packet of dried apricots from its sleeve, and handed it to the fox, saying, "Thank you for telling me. Here, have some."
The other person didn't take it, so the fox forced it into his hand, then jumped down from the branch and sauntered away.
The unfortunate guard seemed to wake from a dream, clutched his chest, gasped for breath for a while, looked down at the dried apricot in his hand, and couldn't help but squeeze it.
Is there any poison in this...? Is it really safe to eat?
What exactly does the Thirteenth Prince mean? Why is he so unpredictable... Are all important figures like this?
Upon hearing this wonderful news, the fox hopped away, but then he thought about it again and felt that something was not quite right. He had paid for the steamed buns and food he bought down the mountain, so why didn't he have to pay for them here?
The fox racked its brains to recall what King Wei had said, and it seemed there was another sentence: "He has a very close relationship with Tinglan."
The fox slapped his thigh. Now everything made sense. He gradually understood everything, and his mind was working smoothly again.
Thanks to Tinglan, we all benefited from his influence.
He really is my best friend!
The fox laughed heartily and ran away, ready to give Tinglan a big hug. Now he wouldn't have to worry about running out of money.
I'll dress up nicely and play with Tinglan from now on, so I can get free meals.
There are so many things to learn down the mountain!
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