CHAPTER 380: CHAPTER 380: REQUESTING LEAVE

After the eunuch delivering the imperial gift left, the Ninth Prince clung to the inkstone and wouldn’t let go.

He hadn’t received a gift from the Emperor in a long time.

Especially a gift just for him, unique to him alone.

He was an unfavored prince, and the gifts he usually received were the sort given to everyone during holidays.

This time, he owed it to the blessing of the little eunuch.

The Ninth Prince would certainly not bring back a peacock to admire it.

Such antics were only something Su Yang would do.

But why the Emperor would agree to such behavior, Su Yang couldn’t fathom either.

However, this was a good thing for him.

The Ninth Prince looked at him with admiration.

Earlier, when Su Yang suggested they visit the Imperial Kitchen, the Ninth Prince disagreed.

Now that Su Yang brought up the idea again, the Ninth Prince nodded.

After hiding the inkstone securely, Su Yang went with the Ninth Prince to the Imperial Kitchen.

His big brother said that most of the great chefs in the world had been recruited into the palace to cook for the Emperor.

Thinking of how he had even dressed as a woman just to have a meal at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion with such a great sacrifice, now that he’s in the palace, if he doesn’t eat upon leaving, he’d be doing a disservice to himself.

But the meals from the Imperial Kitchen were not so easy for Young Master Su to get his hands on.

The Ninth Prince was young and had no place at palace banquets, so almost no one in the Imperial Kitchen knew him.

Plus, the brocade robe he wore was not very noticeable; if someone thought he was a young master from a minister’s family, no one would doubt it.

When Young Master Su and the Ninth Prince went to the Imperial Kitchen, they were driven away.

"This is the Imperial Kitchen, go play somewhere else," the little eunuch said.

"We’re here to eat," Young Master Su said.

The little eunuch laughed, "The Imperial Kitchen may not have much else but has plenty of food, but this is not something you can just eat."

"He is the Ninth Prince, surely he can eat it freely, can’t he?" Young Master Su pointed at the Ninth Prince.

In Young Master Su’s eyes, wasn’t his own kitchen just a place where he could take whatever he wanted?

This was also why he insisted on bringing the Ninth Prince along.

He’s just someone who freeloads meals.

But he didn’t know that there’s a world of difference between the Imperial Palace and Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

Even the Ninth Prince couldn’t casually come to the Imperial Kitchen to eat.

The Ninth Prince looked at Young Master Su, "I told you it wouldn’t work."

"I didn’t expect your influence to be so small," Young Master Su sighed.

"...."

The Ninth Prince felt disheartened.

It was already shameful enough that his family’s servants didn’t respect him, yet here he was being openly mocked.

But this didn’t deter Young Master Su; he said, "Let’s sneak in."

For mischievous acts like this, the Ninth Prince had just started learning, but Young Master Su was already an expert.

They sneaked in when no one was watching and hid under a table.

Above the table, there were dishes. Young Master Su took down a plate, and they devoured it together, then took another plate.

After several plates were emptied, the Imperial Chef noticed something was wrong and lifted the tablecloth to find Young Master Su gnawing on a roasted pigeon.

"These are Imperial Banquets for the Emperor, how dare you two eat them?!" the Imperial Chef yelled.

"Both of you come out!"

Do you think Young Master Su would listen?

"Run!" he shouted.

He and the Ninth Prince ran towards the door but were blocked from escaping.

Several Imperial Chefs tightly barricaded the door, leaving no space to squeeze through.

Young Master Su and the Ninth Prince were caught, and Young Master Su said, "He is the Ninth Prince."

"Even the Tenth Prince isn’t allowed!" the Imperial Chef exclaimed.

"...."

"It must have been you, little eunuch, inciting the Ninth Prince," the Imperial Chef pinpointed.

Young Master Su was at a loss for words.

The Imperial Chef threatened to hang him up, but Young Master Su broke free from the eunuch’s grip and then pulled out a jade pendant from his boot.

Seeing the jade pendant, the Imperial Chefs were shocked.

This...

This was the Emperor’s jade pendant!

All the Imperial Chefs kneeled.

Young Master Su was stunned, looking at the jade pendant in his hand in disbelief.

Was this jade pendant actually this effective?

He was merely trying his luck with nothing to lose, not expecting a jade pendant to have more sway than the Ninth Prince himself.

If only he had known, he would have taken it out earlier; it would have saved so much trouble.

"Can I eat now?" Young Master Su asked.

The Imperial Chefs, "...."

With such a powerful jade pendant tucked in a boot, let alone eating a few dishes, even if you ate half of the Imperial Kitchen, no one would dare to utter a word.

Young Master Su turned around to continue eating.

The corners of the Imperial Chefs’ mouths twitched uncontrollably.

Some Imperial Chefs suspected the jade pendant was stolen and questioned where it came from, only to find out he was the son of Marquis Dongxiang.

A shadow loomed over the Imperial Kitchen.

Back when Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion came to the Imperial Kitchen, almost all the Imperial Chefs were defeated.

Even the Emperor only got a few dishes; no one expected her brother to come...

Seeing them eat from one end of the table to the other, the Imperial Chefs sighed: at this rate, the Emperor’s lunch might only have a few dishes left.

Meanwhile, Young Master Su and the Ninth Prince were feasting; though the Ninth Prince was indeed a prince, he hadn’t really tasted any genuinely good food, let alone an entire table of varied dishes.

In the Buddhist Hall.

Su Jin was reading, casually flipping a page.

Outside, Xingxing burst in, exclaiming, "Miss, something bad happened, Young Master is missing."

"How could he be missing?" Su Jin frowned.

"He’s really missing; Madam took people and searched the entire Capital City several times without finding Young Master, and Steward Lin sent people to ask if you have any way to find Young Master," Xingxing said anxiously.

Unless absolutely necessary, Mrs. Tang wouldn’t send anyone to find Su Jin.

Especially since her father, Marquis Dongxiang, was domineering in court and had a grudge against Duke Chong, for Dongxiang Marquis Mansion to make such an obvious effort to find someone was like publicly exposing a weakness to others.

Unless they were genuinely anxious, with the calm disposition of Mrs. Tang and Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, they wouldn’t act this way.

Su Jin put down the book and headed outside with Xingxing.

The housekeeper barred Su Jin from leaving.

Su Jin coldly said, "Go tell the Old Madam that I’m taking a day off."

The housekeeper, "...."

Isn’t this supposed to be house arrest?

Can someone still take a day off?

But Eldest Young Madam’s brother went missing, so if she went out, the Old Madam wouldn’t blame her.

At Yongning Palace.

The Empress Dowager and Empress were discussing matters.

A little eunuch hurried in and said, "Empress Dowager, Young Master of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion snuck into the palace."

The Empress was stunned, "Marquis Dongxiang’s son is in the palace?"

"He was caught stealing food from the Imperial Kitchen with the Ninth Prince. He was dressed like a little eunuch and claimed to be Marquis Dongxiang’s son, so no one dared do anything to him," the little eunuch explained.

"Quietly bring him here," the Empress ordered.

The little eunuch was just about to leave when Duke Chong walked in.

"There’s no need to capture him, dismissed," Duke Chong said.

The little eunuch promptly withdrew.

Not only he, but all the palace maids and nannies retreated.

The Empress looked at Duke Chong and asked, "Why not capture Marquis Dongxiang’s son?"

"I had someone bring him into the palace," Duke Chong replied.

"How could it be you who brought him into the palace?" The Empress couldn’t believe it.

Upon further thought, the Empress’ face turned pale.

She dared not imagine Dongxiang Marquis’s reaction upon returning and finding out his son had been...

Wouldn’t he go mad?

Having come into conflict with Duke Chong’s Mansion, he should have anticipated such a consequence.