If it wasn't that Kesi had listened to Mu Luming give the commands to bring A'Hong's family over a few hours ago, she would have also been fooled by his innocent gaze.
"Would you like a pastry as well?"
Extending his plate outward, he nudged a piece of red bean cake towards Kesi.
"I—"
Without waiting for her response, he shoved the small piece into her slightly opened mouth.
"Isn't this good? I sent the Puffballs on an extra special mission, and look at all these snacks that they brought back from the Imperial Kitchen!"
Smacking his lips together and licking the crumbs off his fingertips, he smiled brightly.
"If I had known that the palace had this sort of good food that was being hidden from us earlier, I would have sent the Puffballs there much earlier."
He made no motion to stand up or go anywhere, as if the message that A'Hong's family had been captured in the palace made no difference to him at all.
Carelessly, Mu Luming called over A'Hong and gave him a piece of pastry as well.
For a second A'Hong stood still, staring at the little piece of dough as if it was a chunk of gold.
"This is for me?" His voice shook as he extended his hand outward as if holding a sacred offering.
Upon hearing Mu Luming's confirmation, he looked like he was going to cry or faint on the spot.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" His voice trembled. "This is the best gift that Your Humble Servant has ever received!"
With those words, he nibbled on the piece of pastry. He eagerly bit off a little corner, but he was immediately torn by a look of regret as he chastised himself for eating too much at once. Letting the dough and sugar melt on his tongue, he was silent for a few moments as he felt the sweetness seep into every corner of his body.
"Eat the entire thing in one bite." Mu Luming's voice was commanding, leaving no room for negation at all from A'Hong.
"But…"
"One bite." Tapping against the tabletop, Mu Luming repeated. "Do you dare disobey the words of the Crown Prince?"
His head shaking like a rattle drum, A'Hong put the entire pastry into his mouth. Much to his surprise, instead of the single pang of sweetness from earlier, his taste buds were greeted with a series of explosions of tastes. The tangy, the sour, and the sweet all perfectly molded together into a tasty delight.
"See, I knew that you would like it!" Mu Luming exclaimed, handing a piece to Kesi as well. "But I have a great gift for you today that is currently waiting for you in the Imperial Kitchens. As a reward for your years of service in the palace, would you be interested in joining me there today?"
The fragrant taste from the previous treat still lingering in his mouth, A'Hong licked his lips and tried to savor every last hint of the flavor. Nodding excitedly, he wondered what sort of goods could possibly be waiting for him there.
Kesi only looked on in silent concern. Mu Luming wasn't exactly subtle with his plans, and if the Empress got word of this, there was no knowing whether she might seize this specific instance as an opportunity to remind them of her actual power. Or even worse, if news of this spread in the imperial court, Mu Luming's already nonexistent support from royals and court members would dwindle even further, putting his position as Crown Prince in severe question.
"Kesi, don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Almost as if sensing her discomfort, a small hand reached over and lightly squeezed hers. "They won't be severely hurt."
She only shook her head, amused. "You must have been a devil in your previous life." Turning to him, she laughed. "But I'm no angel in this life either. I don't care if they get hurt. I just want to make sure that you won't be."
Catching herself, she added, "Because if something happens to you, our alliance and partnership is as good as over."
In response, he only squeezed her hands, and they all began walking over to the Imperial Kitchens. In her days at the palace, Kesi had realized that a prince, especially the Crown Prince, would be usually allotted a carriage or sedan chair. But she had also since realized that the Empress had no intent of assigning one to Mu Luming.
So the trek was slow, and she wondered if A'Hong's family would be dead before they even got there. From A'Hong's words, to be honest, she would have preferred if his family was dead. The only catch would be that her mission might be ruined. But then again, her mission was to save A'Hong, and there wasn't anything there in the text that said that his family couldn't be harmed in some way. This time, she was even sure to check the fine print.
When they finally arrived at the Imperial Kitchens, the gathered crowd had already dispersed because of the long wait. All that was remaining were the three people chained to the wooden poles in the center of the courtyard.
Tied together in a way that butchers would tie down pigs for slaughter, they were bolted against the wood. Despite how their mouths were stuffed with cloth, their eyes screamed fear.
Seeing them, A'Hong nearly fainted onto the floor. Almost immediately, he began to tremble, his eyes flickering to the courtyard entrance and his face ghostly pale. Kesi grabbed him just in time, and he fell onto her side.
He touched her wound, but she tried to force back her grimace. He must have hurt more than her.
"Your Highness, as you had commanded, we kept the intruders here in the Imperial Kitchen and did not immediately send them off." A eunuch spoke up, gesturing to the three individuals. "They had claimed that they were in the palace because of Your Highness's instructions, and they were your most honorable guests."
"I wouldn't know about honorable, but guests indeed." Raising an eyebrow, Mu Luming spoke calmly. "I suppose these commoners somehow misunderstood my words, but I was simply asking them if they would like to share one of A'Hong's meals."
He turned to the eunuch leading the kitchen.
"How about a piece of chicken? Or a thousand herb soup? Hmm maybe ginseng?"
He stared down at the three hanging people one by one, shaking his head.
"I can't believe so much good food is thrown out, and I'm sure the three of you are greatly excited to try some of the delicacies that A'Hong usually eats."
A flicker of hope dashed before their eyes, but their smiles were quickly wiped out.
"Where does the Imperial Kitchen dispose of the food that isn't eaten?"