Chapter 351 Competition
Luo Qinghan reached out and touched her cheek, and found that her face was cold.
He said in a deep voice: "Don't do such stupid things again in the future."
Xiao Xixi nodded and said yes.
Qiu Yuan beside him smiled and said, "The Queen's true love for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is touching."
Xiao Xixi looked at her, and his shadow was reflected in her clear almond-shaped eyes.
"My Lord."
Qiu Yuan bowed to her and said, "Greetings, Concubine."
They went to the warm room to rest.
There is a floor heater burning in the warm room and the temperature is very high.
As soon as the prince and Xiao Xixi entered the room, they took off their cloaks and capes.
The eldest prince Luo Yechen and Concubine Zhao had already been sitting in the warm room. When they saw the prince coming, they immediately stood up to greet him.
The burns on Lady Zhao's body have almost healed, but the scars remain.
She wrapped herself tightly with clothes, wore a scarf made of white rabbit fur around her neck, and kept her hands hidden in her sleeves. Even when she was drinking tea or eating snacks, she would only show a little bit of her fingertips to hide the scars on her body as much as possible.
Because the weather is very cold now, her dress like this doesn't seem out of place.
Maybe because of the severe trauma she suffered, her personality has become much gloomier. She doesn't like to get close to the prince as much as before, and she doesn't like to show her face in front of outsiders.
Normally, she would lock herself in the room unless necessary.
Only after the prince sat down did others dare to take their seats.
While pouring tea for the prince, Qiu Yuan said, "There is a temporary palace in Panyun City, which was built specifically for the emperor. Unfortunately, Panyun City is too far from Shengjing, and the emperor has never been here, so the palace has been empty. I have asked people to clean up the palace in advance, and the Yulin Guards and others brought by your highness have also been stationed there. Your highness can move into the palace at any time."
Luo Qinghan responded calmly: "Well, thank you for your hard work."
"It is my honor to serve the Crown Prince. I dare not say it is hard work."
Qiu Yuan said sincerely, "Your Highness has come from afar, and our palace has specially set up a welcoming banquet for you. I hope that Your Highness, the eldest prince, the concubine, and Lady Zhao will be so kind as to come."
Luo Qinghan: "Prince Chenliu is still ill, so there is no need to make a big fuss."
"Your Highness, please rest assured. We have only invited our family members to this welcoming banquet. No outsiders are invited. And my father also feels that we must hold a welcoming banquet for Your Highness. All matters have been arranged long ago. The kitchen should be preparing the banquet by now."
After hearing what he said, Luo Qinghan said no more.
Time passed quickly and the sky outside gradually darkened, but the heavy snow still showed no signs of stopping.
The welcoming banquet was held in Tongxi Pavilion.
Luo Qinghan sat in the main seat, and Xiao Xixi was arranged to sit next to him, at the same table with him.
Next was the eldest prince, followed by Zhao Xian and Xiao Lingfeng.
Opposite them sat the three young masters of the palace.
The eldest son Qiu Yuan and the second son Qiu Lei were both married, so their wives were sitting next to them. The third son Qiu Sheng was still unmarried, so he was sitting alone.
There were some women sitting behind them, they were either their concubines or the prince's concubines.
Concubine Zhao's seat was at the back. After she sat down, she hardly moved and didn't talk to the people around her.
Even though all those present were family members, there were still quite a few people, and the Tongxi Pavilion was packed.
Delicious dishes were served on the table one after another.
Xiao Xixi's mouth was watering with greed.
She picked up the chopsticks and tasted all the food and wine on the table. After making sure there was no problem, she picked up some food and served soup to the prince.
She is immune to all poisons anyway, so she can definitely take on this glorious and important task of food tasting!
Luo Qinghan rarely eats when he is outside. Even when Xiao Xixi picks up some food for him, he only tastes a little symbolically and then doesn't touch the dishes anymore.
Since Prince Chenliu was still ill and could not attend the welcoming banquet, his eldest son Qiu Yuan took on the responsibility of hosting the banquet.
He stood up first, picked up the wine glass, said some nice words to the prince, and then drank the wine in the glass.
Luo Qinghan picked up the wine glass and took a small sip.
Given his status, it was already a great honor for him to give such a response.
After Qiu Yuan sat down, Qiu Lei left and stood up, holding a wine glass in his hand and smiling at the prince very warmly.
"I have heard of your heroic name before. You saved the people of four southern counties with the help of a rainstorm. You are truly the man of destiny. I admire you from the bottom of my heart. I will drink this glass of wine first as a sign of respect!"
He drank the wine in the glass in one gulp, then poured himself a second glass and continued.
"I grew up in a military camp. I'm not good at anything else, but I'm pretty good at boxing and kicking. I heard that the Crown Prince is good at both civil and military affairs. If His Highness doesn't mind, can you spar with me someday?"
When Qiu Yuan heard this, he frowned slightly, seeming dissatisfied.
He whispered, "Second brother, don't talk nonsense. What is the status of the prince? How can he compete with you?"
Qiu Lei didn't look at him, but just stared at the prince at the top.
At this time, Xiao Lingfeng said, "If you want to compete, you can compete with me."
Qiu Lei glanced at him, obviously not taking him seriously, and snorted.
"If I want to compete, I have to compete with the best. You are not qualified enough."
When Xiao Lingfeng heard this, he was not angry, but just smiled and said, "Young people are full of vigor."
Qiu Lei was still looking at the prince. Judging from his expression, he would not give up tonight if the prince did not give an answer.
Qiu Yuan said gently, "Your Highness, please don't take him seriously. He has been like this since he was a child, arrogant and spoiled by his father. But he is not a bad person. I hope Your Highness will not take his nonsense to heart."
Qiu Lei frowned, very unconvinced.
"This is a matter between me and the prince. It's not your turn to interfere."
Qiu Yuan still looked helpless, and he really looked like a gentle and generous brother.
Qiu Lei turned to look at the prince again and asked earnestly.
"Your Highness, would you mind sparring with me?"
Luo Qinghan said calmly: "I practice martial arts to strengthen my body, not to be violent."
This was a disguised rejection of Qiu Lei.
Qiu Lei looked disappointed and a little resentful.
Then he heard the prince say.
"If you really want to compete with me, I can compete with you in something else."
Qiu Lei's eyes lit up: "What do you want to compare, Your Highness?"
He actually didn't care what the competition was about, he just wanted to prove to everyone that he could beat the prince!
If he could defeat the prince, his strength would be unquestionable, and succession to the throne would become a natural thing, and no one else would dare to say a word.
Luo Qinghan did not answer but asked: "Besides martial arts, what else are you good at?"
(End of this chapter)
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