The Eighth Prince's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but he then spoke with some hesitation,
"This Highness is clumsy and not as tall and mighty as my second brother. I fear I will be unable to play cuju well and will hold back Lord Lin..."
At the end, the Eighth Prince's head drooped.
Seeing this, Lu Mingxuan poured out all he had learned over the years, showering the prince with compliments. It would not be an exaggeration to say he spoke like a blooming lotus.
In a short while, he had coaxed His Highness the Eighth Prince into smiling broadly.
To gain some peace for himself, Lin Qingge also nodded in agreement. After all, Hua Jinrong, who had requested leave, was a shirker.
She would let His Highness the Eighth Prince find any corner to stay in, as long as he didn't get in the way.
However, Lin Qingge's plan went awry.
Whether it was a genuine love for cuju or being puffed up by Lu Mingxuan's flattery,
Regardless, His Highness the Eighth Prince was incredibly active on the field.
His small body seemed to be powered by a perpetual motion machine, constantly full of energy, running back and forth, leaping and bouncing.
...
Once again realizing the terror of a mischievous child, Lin Qingge casually took the sweat towel handed to her and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Immediately after, she heard a young boy's clear voice,
"Lord Lin, may I call you 'Brother Lin' from now on?"
!!!
Lin Qingge, who had just caught her breath and broken out in a cold sweat again, hurriedly clasped her hands and said,
"Your Highness the Eighth Prince, I am grateful for your kindness, but I truly cannot bear the title of 'brother'!"
How big would her head have to be to be foolish enough to call a prince her brother?
"Is that not acceptable?"
The rejected boy pursed his lips tightly, his innocent deer-like eyes clouded with a thin layer of mist, looking incredibly wronged.
"Er—"
Lin Qingge, feeling a sliver of guilt but quickly extinguishing it, cast her gaze toward Lu Mingxuan again.
Although he didn't know the term 'sucker,' Lu Mingxuan, feeling as if he had dug up Lord Lin's ancestral graves or stolen Lord Lin's wife in his past life, resignedly stepped forward.
"Your Highness the Eighth Prince, the market on the next street sells food that is quite distinctive to Fengtian Prefecture. Perhaps let me lead you there to see the hustle and bustle?"
Seeing that His Highness the Eighth Prince was still pouting, Lu Mingxuan changed his tone,
"I imagine Lord Lin and the others must be quite hungry after practicing for so long. Why don't we buy some delicious food from the market to reward them?
I believe Lord Lin would be especially pleased if she knew."
Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince immediately waved to the eunuch beside him, "De Gui, let's go!"
After Lu Mingxuan led the troublesome brat away, Lin Qingge turned to a corner in the distance and said, "Alright, stop hiding. Get out quickly."
"My lord, you are as popular as ever~"
Hearing the deliberately seductive lilt in the voice, Lin Qingge couldn't help but roll her eyes toward the sky, "Advisor Hua, have you suffered from a stomach ache so badly that you've expelled your brain and left only the waste?
Popular?
In my opinion, it's clearly malicious intent!"
Hua Jinrong walked closer, fanning himself, and said disapprovingly,
"My lord, how heartbroken would His Highness the Eighth Prince be if he heard you say that~"
"That's true. Although his intentions are unclear, the Eighth Prince is at least openly flirtatious, which is far better than some people who are sneakily despicable."
"My lord, how can I not understand what you are saying?"
"It's fine if you don't understand. Eat this packet of Five-Poison Powder, and I guarantee you'll understand everything."
With that, Lin Qingge took out a small paper packet from her waist.
"My lord, if I eat this, I fear I won't understand everything, but rather be completely managed, won't I?"
Facing Hua Jinrong's outright refusal, Lin Qingge said with a forced smile,
"Advisor Hua, I merely thought that since you look like a decent person, I'd help you find another excuse to take leave.
Don't worry, as long as you finish this packet of Five-Poison Powder, I guarantee you can save thirty to fifty years of hard work and reach the pinnacle of life!"
If Hua Jinrong hadn't known the potency of Murong Bai's poison, he would have almost believed it. He slapped his forehead, "My lord, I suddenly remembered that Ruohua from Chengbai Street is getting married today. Please excuse me."
With that, Hua Jinrong turned to leave, but his path was blocked by the expressionless Ling Han.
After a moment of surprise, Hua Jinrong, realizing it must have been someone's instruction, turned back reluctantly, "My lord, is there anything else you wish to command?"
"I have no commands, but why did you suddenly come here?"
"I just felt that the young master is being sought after, and appearing in a crowded place might pose a risk to his life, so I specifically came to remind you, my lord."
"Don't worry, they definitely won't see us."
Leaving that sentence behind, Lin Qingge returned to the field and began sparring with the three Yu brothers to practice cuju techniques.
Meanwhile, Hua Jinrong pouted at the person hidden in the shadows beside him, "Sir, didn't I say your actions were superfluous?
With our 'Lord Lin's' intelligence, how could she not notice anything?"
"A careful ship sails ten thousand years. At this critical juncture, not a single slip-up can be tolerated.
Also, send more people to guard Yongning and ensure she doesn't cause any trouble."
Hua Jinrong fanned himself leisurely, "I'm not too worried about Yongning. I'm worried about you, sir.
Fengtian Prefecture isn't that large, but it's not small either.
If you were to be encountered by the Second Prince or the Eighth Prince, it would truly be impossible to explain.
I say, sir, are you truly not planning to return?
Feng Si sent several urgent messages yesterday, saying he's going to throw in the towel and let anyone who wants to do it take over~"
Seeing the other person's gaze focused on him, Hua Jinrong quickly flashed a flattering smile,
"Of course, I've already rejected him on your behalf.
How could someone destined to be alone and unmarried understand your resolve and despair in hanging yourself from a crooked tree~"
Suddenly feeling the temperature around him drop, Hua Jinrong rubbed his arms and wisely changed the subject,
"By the way, sir, did you have people spread the rumors about Lord Lin in the capital?"
"No."
"Then it's strange. If it wasn't you or I, nor Feng Si, and certainly not Lord Lin herself, then who orchestrated it?
And what is the motive behind this person?"
...
As night fell.
The Eighth Prince, who should have been in bed, happily sat up upon seeing the person who appeared in his room.
"I told you, don't have designs on 'that person'."
A low, unmodulated male voice filled the room, carrying an unrefusable tone and an innate aura.
But the Eighth Prince chuckled softly, "A true man of ambition should not be petty. I didn't expect you to be so infatuated, brother~"