Chapter 3: No matter how skilled one is in martial arts, one still fears a kitchen knife

Tie Ying was stunned for a moment, and only after Qin Lei's repeated urging did he slowly sit down, resting half of his buttocks on the seat

Qin Lei winked at Tie Ying and empathically said: "Let's eat, I am also hungry..."

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This smile, in Li Guangyuan's eyes, was the elegant smile of the Fifth Prince, noble and gracious. He silently praised that a dragon's offspring is always a dragon, and with increasing respect, he said: "When we negotiate with the Qi State, if it is unfavorable to Your Highness, it must be that group of eagle claws from Nan Chu. They are vicious and ruthless, utterly insane. Your Highness must be extremely cautious."

The fleeting expression of embarrassment on Iron Eagle's face quickly vanished, and he then straightened his face, helplessly saying: "Your Highness, the cook in the residence was injured last night..."

Li Shaoqing saw that the door was guarded by his own guards, and only then did he lower his voice to Qin Lei and say: "Your Highness has made great sacrifices for the country, enduring hardships and achieving significant merits. Even in a perilous situation, you do not forget to serve the nation. I deeply admire you, and my heart aches for you as well"

He had not yet bowed down when he was supported by someone, and a clear voice simultaneously rang out: "Lord Li, you are being too courteous. We are both strangers in a foreign land and should be helping each other. Please, take a seat."

Qin Lei did not stop eating; he merely looked at his chief guard with a questioning gaze. He already knew that he was the unfortunate Fifth Prince, while Tie Ying was the generally unfortunate chief guard.

Qin Lei nodded slightly, signaling Tie Ying to accompany him in welcoming the guests

"And how can one break stones and split rocks with books, impervious to swords and spears, and take the head of a general from among a million troops?" Qin Lei continued to ask, appearing somewhat ignorant

Just as he was about to speak, Lord Li over there was already overwhelmed with emotion, quickly stopping the iron guard and saying excitedly: "Your Highness's kindness is deeply appreciated; I am truly moved. However, the situation is urgent, and there is simply no time. When Your Highness returns to the capital another day, I will certainly host a welcoming banquet for you."

Qin Lei's face showed a look of emotion, and he said with slight excitement: "How can this be?" He turned to Tie Ying and said: "Quick, go to the back and bring up breakfast."

Even though Tie Ying had a resilient mind, he couldn't help but roll his eyes internally. The two of them had finished breakfast completely, and at most, they could find a few grains of rice and half a piece of pickled vegetable; it would be more suitable if the guest were a rat. The prince had clearly indicated that he did not wish to entertain guests, Tie Ying thought to himself.

Qin Lei nodded slightly, signaling him to continue speaking, his expression showing no sign of fluctuation

The rest of the people are dead..." The Iron Eagle looked helpless.

Half an hour later, in the study.

Qin Lei pushed open the door and saw a room in complete disarray. He stepped back and closed the door, saying nonchalantly, "Just find someone to do something to make do with it."

The Iron Eagle's smile faded, and he clasped his hands towards the west, proclaiming loudly: "I am a disciple of the greatest master of the Qin Dynasty, the Purple Cloud Swordsman, Xia Suiyang. My master possesses the ability to contend with dozens of opponents and can retreat unscathed from an encirclement of hundreds. There are but a few in the world who can stand shoulder to shoulder with my master. However, if one were to fall into the ranks of the Tiger Ben army, equipped with strong bows and crossbows, and with a formidable formation, there would be no one in the world who could escape unscathed"

Li Guangyuan felt that it was more appropriate to describe His Highness's expression as a cold smile. He sighed inwardly and, with a stern face, reprimanded the soldiers: "You are audacious enough to insult my lord. Just wait and see if I don't report this to the court, making your prefect regret it!"

Lord Li clasped his hands and said: "I have not yet used it. I learned that Your Highness was attacked, and I have been unable to eat or sleep, as I have not confirmed Your Highness's safety. I cannot eat a single bite."

Qin Lei was unaware that his earlier actions had touched Tie Ying slightly. Seeing Tie Ying sit down, he picked up the millet porridge, blew on it to cool it down, took a sip, and found it fragrant and thick. He then picked up a bit of the refreshing side dish, which made Qin Lei's appetite surge and his mood improve significantly. He then reached for the crystal-clear soup dumplings, only to notice that Tie Ying had no intention of picking up her chopsticks.

Li Guangyuan knew that these ruffians were the most unscrupulous, so he did not linger on the matter. He clasped his hands and said to Qin Lei, "Your Highness, if they dare to be disrespectful to you again, I will certainly seek justice for you." He truly regarded Qin Lei as a lonely child.

Qin Lei was not very clear about his meaning, giving a vague smile as a response

Qin Lei held the bun in his hand, suspended in mid-air, looking at Iron Eagle with a questioning gaze. Iron Eagle, feeling a bit embarrassed, smiled and took out three rolled meat pancakes from the bottom of the food box, explaining to Qin Lei: "If we don't eat enough in the morning, we won't have any energy for the whole day"

As Qin Lei stepped down the stairs, he stumbled and nearly fell. He scratched his head and, feeling even more helpless, asked, "Just these three people?"

The Iron Eagle glanced at Qin Lei, who nodded in response, prompting him to go down and prepare tea. This display of formality significantly narrowed the distance between the host and the guest—now the two were seated closely together.

The two individuals whispered in the room for quite a while, roughly enough time to have three breakfasts, which is sufficient to refute the excuse that Lord Li had no time to eat.

Qin Lei still did not turn back, and quickly turned into a room, almost roaring: "Have them send food, or send a chef!"

As soon as the words fell, a series of gurgling sounds emanated from the belly of the iron eagle

As Qin Lei shook hands with Li Guangyuan to bid farewell, his expression froze, and Li Guangyuan felt a sharp pain from the grip. Qin Lei, feeling embarrassed, nodded slightly to Li Guangyuan and smiled, saying: "Safe travels, my lord. Due to certain reasons, I must refrain from seeing you off further."

Li Guangyuan observed that His Highness was neither anxious nor impatient, exuding a calm demeanor. He silently admired this and then said: "I have an unreasonable request, and I kindly ask Your Highness to grant it."

Having finished speaking, the two parted ways

Qin Lei and Tie Ying escorted the guests to the door, where the soldiers from Qi, with stern expressions, extended their long spears and coldly stated: "By order of the Governor of the Capital, hostages are not allowed to leave the residence"

Qin Lei smiled as he watched Tie Ying, who looked quite disgruntled, clumsily take out food from the lunchbox: a few small pickles, a jar of millet porridge, and three baskets of soup dumplings. Despite his rough demeanor, Tie Ying insisted on personally going to the restaurant to buy breakfast, and he was even harassed by the soldiers of Qi.

Finally, holding up a fist as large as a vinegar jar, Iron Eagle concluded, "There is no one else."

Qin Lei knew that to gain more insight, this Lord Li was the best candidate. Thus, he gathered his spirits and asked with a smile: "Have you had breakfast, Lord Li?"

Qin Lei gazed at Li Guangyuan's back and murmured to the Iron Eagle beside him, "Impertinent? I am indeed the most impertinent person in the world"

Just after finishing breakfast, someone in the courtyard shouted loudly: "Lord Li, the Deputy Minister of the Honglu Temple, requests an audience with His Highness the Fifth Prince..."

Iron Eagle looked at the fierce expression on Qin Lei's handsome face and felt quite pleased

The Iron Eagle nodded, extended his large hand, and began to count: "One cook, one maid, one doorman, me, and Your Highness." With each person counted, he curled back one finger.

Lord Li rose to his feet, and the guests took their seats. After he settled down, he looked towards the host position, only to see that the Fifth Prince's hair was somewhat disheveled and his clothes a bit wrinkled, yet his complexion was still good, and his eyes were particularly bright, seemingly much more spirited than the last time they met

Although the Qi soldiers were not afraid of the envoys of the defeated generals of the Great Qi, they were still concerned that the governor might vent his anger on He Tushu. They quickly withdrew their long spears, smiled apologetically at Li Guangyuan, and repeatedly assured him that it would not happen again.

Qin Lei watched as Iron Eagle gulped down porridge with a "slurp slurp" and devoured meat pies with a "munch munch," swallowing hard, feeling quite envious...

The Iron Commander swallowed the food in his mouth with great effort, cleared his throat, and said in a lowered voice: "Lord Li is the envoy of our Great Qin, here to discuss the alliance."

Qin Lei gave Tie Ying a perfect back of the head and walked straight to the front hall: "Then let's go out to eat, it's your treat!"

Qin Lei picked up a porcelain spoon and bowl, served a bowl of millet porridge, placed it in front of Iron Eagle, and said with a smile: "Calm down, getting angry before a meal affects your appetite. Come on, let's eat, quickly take a seat..."

The Iron Eagle grinned widely and said, "Your Highness, you jest. This is not one of those chivalrous legends; how could one soar through the skies or dive into the earth? It is said that there are top masters who can leap twelve feet, and that is the limit." When it came to martial arts, the Iron Eagle became quite talkative.

Iron Eagle shouted loudly: "Bold!" He stepped forward, grasped the long spear, and glared angrily at the Qi army.

Having taken only a few steps, the deep and rough voice of Iron Eagle floated over: "The gate of the residence has been sealed off by the Qi soldiers, and no one is allowed to enter or exit"

Upon entering the front hall, I saw a middle-aged man dressed in purple, with a handsome demeanor, already standing in the lobby, looking somewhat anxious. Hearing the footsteps, the man bowed deeply and said in a clear voice: "Your Highness, I pay my respects..."

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