Kong Xingzhuo took a closer look, his face lit up with surprise, and he quickly stood up, "Your Highness the Seventh Prince, here, here..."
The young girl opposite, no, the young boy, paused for a moment, then took two steps forward, "Commander Kong? How did you appear here?"
That's right, this young boy was the son of Consort De, the current Seventh Prince—Xiao Junbao...
Consort De, in her middle age, had begun to gain weight, becoming quite plump. As a result, the Emperor had always been indifferent to her and her son.
But Xiao Junbao didn't care about these things.
He didn't care whether his father favored him or loved him; as long as he lived happily...
Wasn't it good to quietly be a handsome man?
Kong Xingzhuo smiled and walked forward, cupping his hands in a salute, "Ah, Your Highness the Seventh Prince, you truly are changing with each passing day, becoming more and more..."
"Commander Kong!~"
Before Kong Xingzhuo could finish his sentence, Xiao Junbao interrupted him angrily, pointing at himself with his thumb, "I am a boy, what do you mean by changing with each passing day? You said that on purpose, didn't you?"
Kong Xingzhuo: "..."
Your Highness the Seventh Prince, such slip-ups are really hard to correct.
Take your attire and appearance today, for example. You're wearing a plain white cross-collared robe, with a light blue silk sash tied around your waist.
Three thousand strands of hair flutter in the wind, two willow-like eyebrows are gracefully curved, paired with that cherry-like small mouth and eyes full of charm, how can this not be seen as a standard beautiful girl...
"Your Highness the Seventh Prince, please don't be angry, your subordinate was wrong, alright!~" Kong Xingzhuo suppressed a smile and cupped his hands in a salute again.
Xiao Junbao heard this and cast a cold glance at him, "Kong Xingzhuo, you never visit without a reason. What do you want to do by entering the palace this time?"
He hadn't seen Kong Xingzhuo for many years, so meeting him by chance felt quite friendly...
Kong Xingzhuo looked back, saw no one passing by, and leaned closer to Xiao Junbao, "Your Highness the Seventh Prince, it's not me looking for you, it's His Highness the Crown Prince who needs you urgently!~"
"Hmm? Is it Jin Heng?" Xiao Junbao seemed a little stunned.
"Yes, it's an urgent matter, and the Crown Prince has no one available, so he thought of asking Your Highness the Seventh Prince to help..." Kong Xingzhuo explained.
He had expected Xiao Junbao to agree without hesitation, but to his surprise, he scoffed and raised his chin, "Jin Heng really is like Zhong Wuyan when he has something to do, and Xia Yingchun when he doesn't. He's been back in the capital for so long, and he hasn't even come to see his imperial brother!~"
"Hmph, now that he's in urgent need, he remembers me. Why should I help him?"
Kong Xingzhuo: "..."
His Highness the Crown Prince is busy with state affairs every day, so busy he can't even touch the ground. Forget about Your Highness the Seventh Prince, he doesn't even have time to visit the Emperor and Empress.
"Oh, Your Highness the Seventh Prince, please try to understand him. His Highness the Crown Prince is investigating a shocking case since his return to the capital, so busy that he forgets to eat and sleep, and works day and night..."
As Kong Xingzhuo spoke, he glanced at Xiao Junbao's lips. Under the sunlight, those thin lips were simply crystal clear and moist, making people have endless fantasies.
Xiao Junbao saw him staring intently at him, so he covered his chest and took two steps back, "Commander Kong, you are truly audacious to dare to stare at this Prince like this..."
Kong Xingzhuo was startled and snapped back to reality, "Your, Your Highness the Seventh Prince, your subordinate suggests that you wear a mask or veil when you go out in the future, otherwise, it will cause a lot of trouble!~"
Alas, being too good-looking is also a kind of trouble.
Xiao Junbao: "..."
Is it wrong for this Prince to be beautiful?
Why should I wear a mask?
Am I that unbearable to see?
"I won't wear one!~" Xiao Junbao snorted coldly, kicked Kong Xingzhuo, "Let's talk business..."
Kong Xingzhuo chuckled and told Xiao Junbao everything the Crown Prince had asked him to do, to find someone in the Yan Kingdom.
After hearing this, Xiao Junbao frowned, "Yan Kingdom? Heh, Jin Heng really can sacrifice me. Me, a frail young boy, going to the Yan Kingdom alone, isn't that like jumping into a wolf's den?"
Kong Xingzhuo: "..."
Your Highness the Seventh Prince, can you be more responsible with your words!
Who doesn't know in and out of the palace that you have superb martial arts skills, and more than ten people can't get close to you? You've been a good martial arts prospect since childhood...
It is said that your current cultivation is almost catching up to Marquis Gu.
Such a powerful master, who would dare to lay a finger on you?
Seeing Kong Xingzhuo looking at him miserably, Xiao Junbao coughed lightly, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. If you want me to help Jin Heng find someone, that's fine, but you have to explain things clearly to my mother. You know her temper..."
It probably wouldn't be easy to go out of the palace to have fun.
Kong Xingzhuo heard this, adjusted the package in his hand, and said with a simple smile, "Your Highness the Seventh Prince, don't worry, I've prepared everything!~"
If he couldn't even handle Consort De, then he shouldn't be working in the palace anymore; it would be too shameful...
Xiao Junbao glanced at the package, "Alright, I'll take you in!"
Inside the palace hall.
Consort De sat in the main seat, looking at the simple meal on the table, with no appetite at all...
"The Emperor is really something. He even controls what I want to eat. How can I eat these radishes and cabbage? It's all clear soup and water, with no flavor at all!~"
As she spoke, Consort De stood up with labored breaths, picked up a large flatbread, "And these cornmeal flatbreads and buckwheat flour dumplings with vegetable filling, even if I put them in my mouth, I can't swallow them. They'll scratch my throat. So much coarse grain, with no nutrition at all..."
"Mother, Father is doing this for your own good!~" Xiao Junbao's voice came.
Consort De looked up and saw her son walking in with Kong Xingzhuo, the former commander of the Imperial Guards...
"Commander Kong?" Consort De looked surprised.
Didn't he accompany His Highness the Crown Prince to Dashui Village? Why did he suddenly return?
Kong Xingzhuo stepped forward and bowed, "Your humble servant greets Consort De..."
Good heavens, after a few years, Consort De had become this plump, her body was already developing horizontally, no wonder the Emperor didn't favor her.
Xiao Junbao glanced at the food on the table and sighed slightly, "Mother, Father said that once you lose weight, Father will come to see you. These diet meals were specially prepared for you by Father..."
Consort De pouted her lips upon hearing this, "Hmph, the Emperor just dislikes me and doesn't care about me. If he doesn't want to come, he should just say so. He has to use this method to fob me off. He, he's too outrageous!~"
Before, when a new concubine came to the palace, who was also fat and old, the Emperor still frequented her...
"The Emperor just dislikes me for being old and faded, that's why he hasn't visited for years!" Consort De said with a hint of sadness.
Kong Xingzhuo heard this and burst into silent laughter.
It seemed His Highness had seen through Consort De's thoughts long ago, which was why he had asked him to bring the things...
"Consort De, your humble servant has a way to help you lose weight quickly!~" Kong Xingzhuo stepped forward and said.