Xiao Xixi intuitively felt that there was a pit hidden inside this question. She forcefully changed the subject: “Your Highness’s sudden visit, is there something you wish to instruct?”
Luo Qinghan did not answer but asked instead: “Do you plan to keep standing here talking to me?”
“Hehe, this concubine did not expect Your Highness to come. This concubine was too excited and forgot her manners; it is this concubine’s fault. Your Highness, please come in.”
While blowing rainbow farts, Xiao Xixi sidestepped to make way.
Luo Qinghan lifted his foot and stepped over the threshold.
As soon as he walked into the room, he saw that pot of steaming hot, numbing and spicy hotpot.
Luo Qinghan had come too abruptly. Even though Xiao Xixi and Baoqin had tried their best to clean up, they still could not find a place to hide the hotpot, and could only let it sit in the center of the room.
A lot of chilies and Sichuan peppercorns had been put into the hotpot, and a thick layer of red oil was floating on the surface.
A rich, fragrant, and spicy aroma permeated the entire room.
Xiao Xixi enthusiastically invited him: “Your Highness hasn’t eaten yet, right? Do you want to sit down and have some together?”
Luo Qinghan looked at her expressionlessly.
“Where did you get the pot from?”
Xiao Xixi scratched her cheek, her gaze drifting and unfocused: “Ah, that, that is a copper basin used for washing faces.”
Luo Qinghan: “…”
Eunuch Chang: “…”
A group of maids and eunuchs: “…”
Luo Qinghan sneered: “You are using a washbasin to cook hotpot, and you still want to invite me to eat it with you?”
Xiao Xixi quickly said, “This washbasin was washed very cleanly. Your Highness can eat with peace of mind; it will absolutely not ruin your stomach!”
Luo Qinghan did not want to eat it.
His gaze swept around those side dishes next to it, finding that the variety was actually quite rich—there were eggs, chicken meat, lotus root slices, fish meat, baby bok choy, Chinese cabbage, and white radish slices.
“Where did these dishes come from again?”
Xiao Xixi asked cautiously, “Can I not say?”
Luo Qinghan cruelly refused: “No.”
Xiao Xixi sighed: “Ah, the chickens and fish were raised by ourselves, and we can pick up several eggs every day. The lotus root, baby bok choy, Chinese cabbage, and white radish were also grown by ourselves.”
“…You are raising chickens and growing vegetables in the Eastern Palace?”
Luo Qinghan’s face still bore no expression, but from his gaze, one could see that he was likely doubting life at this moment.
Xiao Xixi could only laugh awkwardly: “Hehe, usually bored with nothing to do, so I raised some chickens and ducks and grew some vegetables in the backyard of Qingge Hall.”
Luo Qinghan fell silent.
The atmosphere in the room fell into a bizarre silence.
Only the hotpot was still constantly bubbling, making a gurgling sound.
After a long while, Luo Qinghan finally spoke, his voice carrying a bit of gritted teeth.
“Someone, go and clear away all the chickens, ducks, and vegetable plots in the backyard of Qingge Hall for me!”
His Eastern Palace absolutely could not degenerate into someone else’s poultry farm!
Xiao Xixi was as if struck by lightning.
With a thud, she fell to her knees on the ground, grabbed Luo Qinghan’s long legs, and began to wail and plead.
“Your Highness, please raise your hand in mercy and spare those poor chickens, ducks, and vegetable plots! They are still only children!”
Luo Qinghan: “…”
He did not have such children.
He said coldly: “Let go.”
Xiao Xixi whimpered: “Those chickens, ducks, and vegetable plots were all raised by this concubine bit by bit. They embody countless efforts of this concubine. If they are all gone, how will this concubine live in the future? Your Highness, please spare those little chickens, little ducks, little fish, and little vegetables for the sake of this concubine helping you block a disaster today!”
Luo Qinghan asked, “How did you know that I would have a disaster today?”
“This concubine said it before; your forehead is dark, which is very clearly a bloody disaster.”
“You know physiognomy?”
“I know a thing or two.”
Luo Qinghan sized her up: “I actually did not know that the eldest young lady of the General of Loyal Courage’s estate actually knew physiognomy.”