Chapter 514: I, the prince, am hungry

Commander Xiao stood outside the prison gate, saluting Xiao Yin who sat on the straw stack.

He conveyed the emperor's oral decree, but Xiao Yin didn't move at all.

In Commander Xiao's view, it was outright treason; after all, it was the emperor's decree, yet he neither knelt nor accepted it.

Commander Xiao clicked his tongue in disbelief; such arrogance—no wonder the emperor wanted to have him cut down everywhere.

Seeing Xiao Yin unmoving, Commander Xiao whispered again, "Your Highness, the emperor has urgent business asking you to come to the Hall of Nourishing the Heart."

Though the words were spoken clearly, Xiao Yin slowly rose from the straw stack, stretched, rubbed his belly, and smiled faintly, saying, "I'm hungry."

Commander Xiao's eye twitched; on one side he had to report back the imperial order, on the other he was being delayed.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, forcing a smile as he said softly, "Your Highness, this is an imperial edict."

To Xiao Yin, the words "imperial edict" were as good as dog feces; he chuckled softly, "I'm hungry."

Commander Xiao truly didn't know what to do; he was utterly defeated by this person's shamelessness.

As a messenger, if he failed to bring Xiao Yin back promptly, any imperial wrath that might arise would fall on him.

He never imagined the emperor would yield to Xiao Yin; now the emperor, worn out in the palace, still has no trace of his sons.

Anyone who has long served beside the emperor can tell with their toes that this time Xiao Yin is likely behind it.

Everyone keeps their distance from this madman; when he goes mad, he's truly ruthless.

From ancient times, who has ever made an emperor cut off his heirs, and moreover nearly wipe out all his sons—isn't that tantamount to exterminating the emperor's entire clan?

Commander Xiao really had no choice; he hurriedly asked with a smile, "I don't know what Your Highness would like to eat; I'll have someone bring it right away."

Xiao Yin counted on his fingers and smiled faintly: "The buns from Hundred Flowers Pavilion, the perch from Long Celebration Pavilion, the salted duck from the Front Street Stall, and also the vegetarian fare from Blessings Full Pavilion—it feels like meat, even better than meat..."

Commander Xiao was driven to hunger by this fellow, grinding his teeth, he forced a smile and said carefully, "Your Highness, please understand my situation; how about I bring you a full meal from Myriad Blessings Pavilion?"

"To get all that you'd have to run all over Jing Cheng, and the emperor is waiting over there; if you really anger him..."

Xiao Yin snorted, suddenly collapsed onto the straw stack, and laughed loudly, "It's fine—I'm so hungry I can't walk; I'll rest here until I recover, then go."

What nonsense is this?

Commander Xiao dared not report that to the emperor; he had no choice but to steel himself and dispatch all the officials of the Imperial Court of Justice and the Feathered Forest Guard he had brought, to fetch the few items Xiao Yin had just named.

The Imperial Court of Justice was thrown into chaos by Xiao Yin's antics; everyone scrambled to feed him well, and Xiao Yin glanced at the bustling crowd, his eyes flickering slightly.

Just as the Imperial Court of Justice was in turmoil, several agile black-clad figures swiftly leapt into it.

They even reached the room where the Imperial Court of Justice stored its documents, and after half an hour slipped back out.

Under normal circumstances, who could allow someone to move through the Imperial Court of Justice as if it were uninhabited?

After Xiao Yin's recent disturbance, the shortage of staff naturally left a large gap.

With so many people sent out to fetch those dishes and snacks for Xiao Yin, they were surprisingly fast—within less than an hour, steaming delicacies were packed into exquisite food boxes and brought before him.

Xiao Yin also thoughtfully sent a portion to his cellmate Gu Kang; Gu Kang bowed his hands to Xiao Yin, smiled, and without ceremony picked up his chopsticks and began to wolf down his food.

One was a princely lord of Southern Qi, the other a powerful minister of Southern Qi; the two ate as if they hadn't seen food in eight lifetimes, gulping it down voraciously.

Commander Xiao anxiously watched the sandglass in the corner; already delayed this long, any further delay would surely earn the emperor's reprimand—and that would be the mild outcome.

Commander Xiao approached Xiao Yin cautiously and said, "Your Highness, have you finished eating? If so, let's go."

Xiao Yin readily set down his food, wiped his hands with a cloth, then rose slowly and said to Commander Xiao, "Let's go; please lead the way, Your Highness—I am a condemned man; should I wear shackles?"

Before arriving, Commander Xiao had already received the imperial order to capture Xiao Yin with utmost care, avoiding provoking him.

From the emperor's tone, it was clear he no longer wished to pursue the matter.

Commander Xiao escorted Xiao Yin out of the Imperial Court of Justice, and they proceeded by carriage into the night.

Xiao Yin lifted his gaze to the sweeping eaves and corridors, the painted beams and carved pillars of the towers; everyone expends their lives for power and status, but retreating into seclusion with a beloved would be a fine choice.

Soon Commander Xiao brought Xiao Yin to the outside of the Hall of Nourishing the Heart; Eunuch Wang, without reporting, led the party straight inside.

The Hall of Nourishing the Heart was packed with a crowd—officials and martial merit clans alike, all standing.

The scandal that erupted at Huangjue Si was, for these people, actually not a bad thing.

After all, if they could truly drain the opponent's strength, the lord they supported would thereafter have an easier path.

As the officials in the Hall of Nourishing the Heart harbored ulterior motives, Xiao Yin entered slowly, and the crowd turned to look at him in unison.

Seated beside the Dragon Desk, Emperor Longqing saw Xiao Yin enter; his fingers twitched into fists, wishing he could punch the fellow unconscious.

Moreover, refusing to believe it, he had sent out so many people to turn Jing Cheng upside down, even the secret guards of the jianghu.

No matter how Emperor Longqing strove, there was not a trace of his sons' whereabouts.

Emperor Longqing grew restless; three days had passed, and his sons might have met some fate—three days enough to claim a life, and he could no longer stay calm.

Previously his three sons had rebelled, nearly seizing him to be killed; that turmoil also cost several sons' lives, but fortunately he valued the Sixth Prince most—as long as they lived, it could be managed.

Xiao Yin paid no heed to the gazes shooting at him from all sides; he walked slowly through the crowd to stand before Emperor Longqing, dropped to his knees with a thud, and performed a proper salute.

"Your Majesty, long live, long live, long long live!"

Emperor Longqing waved his hand impatiently: "Rise!"

Emperor Longqing coldly watched Xiao Yin rise from the ground, stand there glaring with small eyes, and said, "Within three days find my imperial sons, or else face extermination."

Emperor Longqing's words were already restrained; in fact he wished he could dispatch someone right away.