**Ding! Persuasion level at 85%!**
Xiao Chuchu watched everyone eat barbecue, as if she could taste it herself.
But the sudden alert left her somewhat bewildered.
Just now, Consort Min mentioned that the Emperor took Wei Zheng out of the palace, along with a few ministers. There weren't many guards accompanying them either.
She had assumed that Xiao Yunzhou didn't take the little tea-serving eunuch to see the comforting of the refugees.
Xiao Chuchu didn't think too much about it, until she was startled by Consort Min's exclamation.
"It's so good..." Consort Min put a dumpling into her mouth, cheeks bulging out. She took a bite and exclaimed.
"Woo, woo, woo... Call Cheng Shan over, let Cheng Qian rest a while, and have Cheng Shan grill for everyone."
Concubine Liu laughed upon hearing this.
Cheng Qian's lips curved up in a smile.
Ever since Xiao Yunzhou heard Chuchu's heartfelt words about developing intelligence through doing things oneself, he began to encourage the princes to take matters into their own hands for simple daily tasks.
If it were the past, Cheng Qian wouldn't even know how to barbecue.
But now, after the princes had spent some time learning in the kitchen, though not adept, they had at least managed not to ruin the food.
Cheng Qian was also happy to oblige his sister's words. If he could do it himself, he didn't need to bother Xiao Luzi.
Especially when it came to grilling meat for his mother and sister, Cheng Qian was more than willing.
"Sixth Brother, you eat first. I've already dirtied my hands, might as well finish the job."
Cheng Qian didn't mind, the more he grilled, the more skilled he became.
At first, he couldn't control the heat or time.
But after grilling tens of skewers, he no longer charred the meat.
With a skewer in each hand, he could leisurely turn them on the grill, with only occasional glances.
Concubine Liu and Consort Min were eating slowly, and the grilled meat would not taste good when it got cold. Cheng Qian didn't have such a sense of hierarchy, calling Xiao Luzi to distribute it to Qiu Li and other maids and eunuchs who usually took care of his mother and sister.
"Fifth Prince, the slave will do it herself."
"Yeah, you eat it yourself."
"We'll take the ones you've ruined, you keep the good ones."
The maids and eunuchs, including Qiu Li, were almost kneeling to Cheng Qian.
How could a noble prince serve them instead?
But Cheng Qian waved them off.
His little sister, so young, could care about the common people's pork issue. Naturally, as her brother, he could care for the people around him.
"I'm just lending a hand once or twice, most of the time, it's still you guys taking care of Mother and Sister."
Cheng Qian didn't care about these things.
He found it quite amazing, probably influenced by his sister.
Growing up in the palace, he had always thought he was the master, the prince, deserving of others' kowtowing.
But after his sister was born, hearing her thoughts, it seemed that he gradually realized there was not much difference in status or rank among people.
The poor scholar on the street had an intelligence of 90.
A prince born in the royal family might have an intelligence less than 50.
He was served and his combat power was less than 60.
But the little eunuch serving tea to the Emperor might be a latent master.
It showed that what identity one was born with was sometimes not that important.
"Besides, didn't you guys also lend money to the Jing Country Bank?" Cheng Qian pondered, "The costs of the new batch of pigs' feeding improvements, a portion of it came from the money you lent to the national treasury."
"This is what you deserve too."
Cheng Qian finished roasting the batch of meat brought over from the kitchen, wiped his hands, and laughed, "That's all. You'll have to roast the next yourself."
The maidservants like Qiu Li burst into laughter upon hearing this.
Why was the Fifth Prince's speech so pleasing?
They were initially a bit reserved, but now they felt less inferior and dared to take the skewers Xiao Luzi handed them.
"Thank you, Fifth Prince, we won't stand on ceremony then!"
"We'll save our monthly salary and deposit it in the bank. Let's contribute it to our national treasury for pig rearing~"
"We'll take over the roasting of the next batch! Fifth Prince, please clean your hands..."
"This is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten!"
"It's no wonder it was roasted by the Fifth Prince!"
"It's great, I wish to serve the Empress and the Fifth Prince in Chonghua Palace for the rest of my life..."
The atmosphere in the Chonghua Palace's courtyard heated up in an instant.
The gap between master and servant seemed to have narrowed a lot.
"Wow, my brother just attracted two loyal followers. Oh my," Xiao Chuchu, who had been eating melon and watching the show as she couldn't eat the roasted meat, was suddenly alerted by a system prompt.
Her little face broke into a wide grin within her swaddling clothes.
"Way to go, my dear brother~"
"Respect others, and you will receive the same, or even double the respect!"
"A ruler who loves his people as if they were his children will receive the same reciprocation from his people!"
Xiao Chuchu couldn't help but cheer for her brother.
Cheng Qian and Concubine Liu both froze upon hearing this.
"My brother's progress in gaining loyal followers is now on par with Mother and Father Emperor's."
"Wow, just three more and he can increase an attribute."
Cheng Qian hadn't expected this. He'd just helped out once.
The pork was actually from Consort Min's share.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Cheng Qian looked at Consort Min. He had given away what was hers.
But as Cheng Qian was about to put down the towel he was using to wipe his hands and pick up his sister, he was startled by Xiao Chuchu's exclamation.
"Holy crap!" Xiao Chuchu widened her sparkling grape-like eyes. "How did the persuasion progress spike to 90%?"
"When did this happen? What's going on?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than a howl rang out in the barbecue courtyard.
"Ah... damn it! Where are the two skewers of roast pork belly the Prince gave me?"
Xiao Luzi's cries of despair echoed through the heavens and the earth.
Cheng Qian was stunned, Xiao Chuchu was taken aback, and both Concubine Liu and Consort Min paused their elegant dining movements.
"There's a thief! Fifth Prince, there's a thief, he's back!"
Xiao Luzi was truly devastated this time.
He was beating his chest and stamping his feet. He was truly heartbroken.
Last time, he lost his precious instant noodles, and then they were all sent to the West Mountain Camp.
This time, it was the first batch of premium feed pork personally roasted by the Fifth Prince, who had now stopped roasting.
"Damn—I just turned around, I just wanted to grab a piece of lettuce to wrap the pork belly!"
"It was gone the moment I turned around..."
Tears welled up in Xiao Luzi's eyes. "Why does this damn thief always target me? It's the second time already. What grudges does he have against me? How have I offended him?"
"The second time?" Consort Min, the current mistress of Chonghua Palace and the person who initiated this barbecue, stood up immediately, no longer caring about her food.
"Xiao Luzi, were you also robbed in Chonghua Palace last time?"
"A thief in our Chonghua Palace?"
Consort Min, a woman of courage and wit, immediately scanned the surroundings!
However, she frowned at what she saw. All around, the palace maids and eunuchs were enjoying one or two skewers of roast meat given to them by Cheng Qian.
Everyone had their share.
Why would anyone steal Xiao Luzi's?
"Strange," Consort Min furrowed her brows, "In broad daylight, could there be a ghost?"
A vague thought flashed in Cheng Qian's mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it to ponder further.
"Damn it, the persuasion progress is still rising."
"It's at 91% now."
"And now 92%..."
Cheng Qian's vague thought was momentarily illuminated, and gradually became absurd.
What exactly is this persuasion task his sister mentioned...?
Could it be related to this thief?
*
A lithe figure crouching on the beam was carefully placing a skewer into his mouth.
He gently bit off a piece of juicy roast pork belly.
His eyes apologetic, he glanced at Xiao Luzi below and stealthily shot the extra skewer he had taken back.
Returning to him... just one skewer.
But as he finished this action and was about to run away, after hastily chewing the pork belly in his mouth, his eyes... became blurry.
He froze on the spot, his legs stiffened.
This... what heavenly delight is this?
