novelaction Chapter 384 Let's have a match!
Chapter 384 Let's have a match!
"Your Highness?" Xie Qingkuan's expression changed slightly, and the fear in his eyes, though fleeting, was still accurately captured by Duanmu Chuze.
"What? You find the things from my Chang Le Prince's Mansion unpleasant to listen to?" Duanmu Chuze leaned forward slightly, a wicked smile on his face. "Or are you afraid I'll poison you here and murder you?"
Xie Qingkuan's palms were now covered in cold sweat; the damp, sticky feeling was really unpleasant!
"Your Highness, this humble subject dares not."
Duanmu Chuze raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. He wanted to see how long Duanmu Chuze could hold out and how he would resolve this kind of crisis.
"Your Highness, I have been feeling unwell these past few days, and the doctor has advised me not to eat nuts."
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Duanmu Chuze became even more certain that he was indeed knowledgeable in medicine and poisons.
"Young Master Xie, you surely know why you won't eat this walnut pastry. I'm only giving you this one chance. If you tell me yourself, I won't just not blame you, I might even grant your wish. But if you insist on not telling me, then don't blame me for being impolite."
After saying that, he narrowed his eyes slightly and stopped talking.
Xie Qingkuan was conflicted. He was unsure about what the prince had said. Did the prince really know some of his secrets, or was he just trying to trick him?
Seeing his conflicted expression, Zi snorted coldly, "Third Young Master Xie, you'd better think this through. This isn't your Xie Manor. What is the Prince's status? And what is yours? Even if the Prince chops you into pieces, no one would dare say a word against him!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Qingkuan's body trembled, and he looked up at Duanmu Chuze, who was pretending to be asleep on the bed, with some disbelief!
Yes, how could he forget? This man is not just the Prince of Chang Le; he is also a hero in the hearts of the people of Dayong! A battlefield hero who drove the Turks back a hundred miles!
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that such a person is famous throughout the world!
If I were to die at his hands, it would probably not attract any attention at all!
A bitter smile spread across Xie Qingkuan's lips. This was reality! This was fate! What did it matter how talented he was? What did it matter how skilled he was in both literature and martial arts? He hadn't been born into a good family, and he didn't have a mother with a proper status. Whatever he did was beneath him.
Xie Qingkuan closed his eyes with a pained expression, took a deep breath, and knew best what kind of life he had lived over the years. No matter how bitter or difficult the times, he never complained about his mother's lowly birth, after all, one's birth is not something one can choose.
Just like him! If he had a choice, why would he have wanted to be born into a family like the Xie family? Even if he were born into an ordinary family, his life would be much better than it is now!
So what if he didn't have wealth and status? Had he enjoyed any of that all these years? Besides the basic necessities of three meals a day, what had he received? The disdain, contempt, and mistreatment of his brothers and sisters! He couldn't even protect his own mother. At most, he could only offer her covert protection. Even so, the grievances she had suffered in the Xie family over the years couldn't be fully recounted in just a couple of hours.
When she opened her eyes again, the struggle and embarrassment she had shown before were gone! And the indifference and nonchalance she usually feigned had also vanished.
“Your Highness, I am but a humble subject with some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. I know that this walnut shortbread is not poisonous, and eating it alone is perfectly safe. However, I just smelled some incense outside. One of the spices in that incense is incompatible with walnuts. Therefore, I dare not eat it.”
A barely perceptible smile flickered across Duanmu Chuze's lips. "Oh? Is that so? I've always heard that Young Master Xie is well-versed in literature, but only today do I realize that he is also exceptionally accomplished in medicine."
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness. I have only read a few books on pediatric medicine."
"Hmm. Very well. Zi Yi is my bodyguard, and as you know, his skills are far beyond those of ordinary bodyguards. Now, the two of you will exchange a few blows bare-handed. If you can last fifty blows against him, I will not utter a word about what happened today, and I may even help you fulfill one of your wishes. If you cannot last fifty blows, then Zi Yi's hands are heavy; if he cripples you or kills you, it will be beyond my control!"
Duanmu Chuze spoke casually, but Xie Qingkuan was completely dumbfounded!
Are you kidding me? Those are top-notch fighters selected from the royal guards! What if they accidentally injure the prince if we fight here? What shocked him even more was how this person knew about his martial arts skills, which he had always thought were so well hidden.
Even his mother, who lived with him day and night, was unaware, as were his brothers and sisters who constantly gave him cold looks and sarcastic remarks. How on earth did the Prince of Chang Le know?
However, before Xie Qingkuan could ask the question, he felt a gust of wind from a palm strike beside his ear. Almost instinctively, he turned to the side and reached out to block it.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
After hearing the sound of the wind, Xie Qingkuan knew that his opponent was going to attack without holding back. If he didn't dodge, he would surely die!
Duanmu Chuze's trusted men were already guarding the outside, and no one was allowed to approach. Even if they heard the fighting inside the house, they pretended not to hear it.
Duanmu Chuze watched the two's back-and-forth with great interest, his interest in Xie Qingkuan seemingly growing even stronger.
Soon, fifty moves had passed.
After that, eighty moves had passed.
As Zi Yi fought against him, she was also somewhat shocked. She hadn't expected that this Third Young Master Xie, who always showed weakness, would actually have such fierce skills.
Xie Qingkuan was secretly amazed. He knew his own martial arts skills well, but he never expected that Zi Yi's skills were so powerful. No wonder the emperor chose him to follow Prince Chang Le.
Duanmu Chuze watched as the two exchanged over a hundred blows before clearing his throat. The two men tensed, and simultaneously stopped their attacks!
Even Xie Qingkuan himself did not realize that his obedience to the Prince of Chang Le far surpassed his obedience to his own father.
"Young Master Xie's skills are quite impressive. I'm rather fond of heroes. So, I'll keep my word. Tell me, what wish do you want me to fulfill for you?"
Duanmu Chuze spoke casually, as if he could easily fulfill any wish Xie Qingkuan made! It gave the impression that he didn't care about anything!