The Second Prince’s questioning had made the Captain of the Imperial City Imperial Guards feel awkward as he did not know how to provide an appropriate answer.
Strictly speaking, the Imperial City Imperial Guards answered solely to the Emperor and could only be redeployed under the command of His Majesty. The act of redeploying the army by anyone else would be in violation of the law.
Yet, the black-clad imperial bodyguard was an important figure who served the Crown Prince. So, they followed his order and surrounded the restaurant in desperation of wanting to please and flatter the Crown Prince. They had never expected to run into and get busted by the Second Prince.
The Captain of the Imperial Guards understood very well that the Crown Prince and the Second Prince were rivals, competing over the throne. For such competition, only until the very end could one tell who the winner would be.
The Second Prince glanced over at the black-clad imperial bodyguard and immediately recognized him to be one from the Crown Prince’s side. His eyes continued to wander, and not after long, he had figured out what happened.
Faintly smiling, the Second Prince demanded, “Captain, without my father’s order, you cannot just redeploy the Imperial Guards as you please. I will pretend I didn’t see anything here today. Now, leave.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” The Captain of the Imperial Guards saluted the Second Prince respectfully, then turned around to leave.
He left with his back soaked by cold sweat and his eyes full of fear. He felt fortunate that the Second Prince let him off and did not hold him responsible; if he were to be called to account, he would be in serious trouble.
The Second Prince watched in silence as the Captain of the Imperial Guards left. Without a word, he turned around and started eyeing the black-clad imperial bodyguard with an ambiguous and meaningful smile.
With that smile on his face, the Second Prince asserted, “If I remember correctly, you are San Huang, the imperial guard who serves my older brother. Why are you here? You should know very well the consequences if others find out that you have redeployed the Imperial City Imperial Guards without authorization.”
The Second Prince’s words made the black-clad imperial bodyguard flinch. He knew that if others had found out about this and informed the Emperor, he would be a goner without a doubt. Even the Crown Prince would not be about to save him.
The Second Prince watched as the black-clad imperial bodyguard panicked. He smiled elegantly and walked over to the imperial bodyguard. He then reached out his right hand, patted the imperial bodyguard’s shoulder and further whispered something in the imperial bodyguard’s ear before walking away.
The black-clad imperial bodyguard was dumbfounded. He did not hear anything – the Second Prince had only pretended to talk into his ear but did not actually say anything.
Seeing that the Second Prince did not mean to take action against him, the black-clad imperial bodyguard quickly turned around and fled towards the Crown Prince’s Palace.
Having failed his mission, he certainly had to go see the Crown Prince and to give a thorough account of all the events and especially of the Second Prince’s appearance in the end.
The Second Prince walked towards Qingfeng Li and Black Puppy. He spoke when he reached where they were, “The Imperial Guards should be my father’s jurisdiction. I apologize for the inconvenience their unauthorized actions have caused you.”
Qingfeng Li looked to the Second Prince approvingly; the Prince had left a favorable impression in him.
He had already made out from the earlier conversation that the young man before him was the well-renowned Second Prince of the country of Lingyun. What he did not expect was that the Prince would apologize to him for the actions of a captain of the Imperial Guards in such sincere manners.
Qingfeng Li gave a brief smile as he waved his hand and answered, “That’s not necessary.”
With a small smile on his face, the Second Prince inquired, “I would like to meet Qingfeng Li, I wonder if you know him.”
Qingfeng Li was astonished to find that the Second Prince was also there for him. He also found it a little hilarious that the Second Prince could not recognize him in person since the Prince had no idea what he looked like.
Upon hearing their conversation, the owner of the restaurant hurried towards the Second Prince and addressed respectfully, “Your Highness, this very person right before you is Qingfeng Li.”
The restaurant owner’s words brought amazement to the eyes of the Second Prince. He did not expect the young man before him to be Qingfeng Li – the person who could defeat the Young Prince with just a punch. Also, he found Qingfeng Li to be surprisingly young.
Qingfeng Li responded, “Your Highness, what is it that you needed to see me for?”
After a brief moment of surprise, the Second Prince replied, “I would like to treat you to a meal, what do you say?”
Seeing that the Second Prince was gazing at him eagerly, Qingfeng Li nodded in agreement. After all, the Second Prince had just done him a favor by driving away the Captain of the Imperial Guards.
The Second Prince was delighted with Qingfeng Li’s response and suggested, “Let’s go to Yunlan Restuarant, it is the best restaurant in the Imperial Capital.”
With a slight smile on his face, the Second Prince walked towards Yunlan Restaurant in Qingfeng Li’s company.
Yunlan Restuarant was the biggest restaurant in the Imperial Capital and was named after the Yunlan City in the Capital. It was equally famous with the Phoenix Palace – the restaurant where princesses gathered and dined; whereas, Yunlan Restuarant was where princes would feast.
Yunlan Restuarant was very vibrant and prosperous. Various delectable and exquisite cuisines were offered here. These were no ordinary cuisines, as most dishes were made with spirit herbs, spirit greens, spirit fruits, and demonic beasts.
When consumed by self-cultivators, it could help increase the level of vital essence in their bodies and could further help with their self-cultivation.
Needless to say, the price point of the restaurant was also extremely high. The restaurant did not accept money but vitality stones.
It was obvious that the Second Prince was a frequent patron of the restaurant. The moment he stepped into the restaurant, a manservant immediately came up to greet the prince with all smiles.
“Welcome Your Highness! I have already reserved the best table for Your Highness. It is right by the window and has a great view of the neighboring streets,” the server in black said pleasingly.
This guy was only about twenty years old. He looked neat, well-proportioned and handsome. The way he looked to the Second Prince implied a good amount of respect.
The Second Prince acknowledged with a nod and a smile, then started leading Qingfeng Li into the back of the restaurant.
The restaurant had high ceilings and had exactly three stories. It was entirely built with golden marble, making it look splendid and magnificent.
Located at the top of the doorframe, there were four big characters that read “Yunlan Restuarant” – the calligraphy was lively and vigorous, full of power.
Both the interior and exterior of the restaurant were decorated luxuriously and extravagantly. The floor was paved with furs of emperor level demonic beasts, and the tables and chairs were all made with spiritual wood of a cyan color.
The Second Prince directed Qingfeng Li to the seats by the window on the third floor. Those were great seats that allowed them the viewing of the neighboring street sceneries and the streams of the bustling crowd.
As a frequent patron of the restaurant, the Second Prince was constantly greeted by many other patrons who nodded their heads courteously.
As for Qingfeng Li, a young man the other patrons had never seen, they acknowledged his presence with a sense of astonishment in their eyes.
This was the first time Qingfeng Li visited the Imperial Capital. Nothing in the Capital resembled anything he had seen in other ordinary cities. In here, every person was a self-cultivator, and even the food they consumed embodied the atmosphere of self-cultivation.