Chapter 279 Jing Hongchen becomes more shameless as he gets older (two in one)

A week later, the birthday party was held as scheduled.

Before the sky was completely dark, the luxurious banquet hall was lit up with warm light early, reflecting on the few waiters standing at the door.

Even though it was still more than an hour before the scheduled start time of the banquet, some aristocratic children who dreamed of being a prince-in-law came here in advance at the urging of their parents, holding the gifts they had carefully prepared.

As for why there is no storage space, it is naturally to show one's sincerity in front of Her Royal Highness the Princess.

Compared with the princes who need to compete for the throne, this princess who has been favored by thousands of people since she was born is obviously more attractive.

After all, no one knows what the relationship between these seemingly family-like princes is like in private. It is not that they are afraid that the prince they choose will not become the emperor, but that they are afraid that the prince they choose happens to have an unknown old grudge with the future new emperor.

If you really encounter this situation, you won't have time to enjoy the glory and wealth for a few years. If you are not careful, you may be implicated, resulting in your hometown being raided and executed overnight.

Becoming a consort would eliminate such worries. Judging from what they learned, no matter which prince won the final victory, he would not attack the princess. It could be said to be a sure-profit deal.

As a result, the excited noble children were gearing up one by one, trying their best to stand out at this birthday party and win the princess's heart.

However, before the banquet even started, the cruel reality was like a basin of cold water poured on these enthusiastic aristocratic children.

To their great disappointment, the princess not only did not stand at the door to greet them like they had attended previous banquets, but even the gifts were collected by the waiter.

The most outrageous thing is that they have to queue up to register their gifts one by one!

The waiter took their gifts as coldly as if his parents had died, affixed a number on them and sent them to a room on the second floor of the hall.

Not even a smile was shown to them during the whole process.

Although they were dissatisfied, in order to obtain the glory and wealth at their fingertips, a group of arrogant young people still forced themselves to smile and show the dignity that a noble should have.

Forbearance!

Don't talk about this grievance. If you can really become the consort, even if you have a green head, it is not unacceptable.

At this moment, a sound of rolling wheels coming from far away suddenly attracted their attention.

Following the sound and looking out the door, everyone's pupils shrank suddenly when they saw the smiling young man sitting in a wheelchair.

The slightly noisy hall instantly became silent. Even those who did not recognize the young man's identity subconsciously held their breath and looked at the young man because of this sudden change.

"I have met His Highness the Crown Prince."

In the silence, I don't know who was the first to say hello, and then, as if it caused a chain reaction, people began to say hello to the young man in the wheelchair one after another.

"Hello everyone, thank you for attending my sister's birthday dinner."

A group of noble disciples had never seen this scene before, and they all responded with excitement.

You know, even if the people standing here are their parents, they must be respectful when talking to Xu Tianran. As for these guys, they are not even qualified to say hello to the prince.

Looking at the flattered crowd, the smile on Xu Tianran's face became gentler and he raised his hand in a friendly manner.

"I have already felt your enthusiasm, but the protagonist of today's banquet is not me, but my sister."

"It's a wonderful banquet. If I, the royal brother, take over the honors, my sister will probably start to complain about me. Please give me some face and let me express my feelings first."

Everyone nodded repeatedly, sighing in their hearts at the prince's kindness and kindness, and immediately made way for a passage.

Seeing this, the attendant pushing the wheelchair stepped forward without saying a word, pushing Xu Tianran towards the registration office.

The attendant in charge of registration, who had a cold face from beginning to end, seemed to have suddenly changed, and showed a respectful smile towards Xu Tianran.

"The best gift is for His Royal Highness to come to the banquet in person. There is no need to register. If His Highness is willing, you can go to the room on the second floor and hand the gift to the Princess in person."

"I believe Her Royal Highness the Princess will be very happy to see you coming."

"Very happy?"

Xu Tianran shook his head, with a fond smile on his face: "I was ill in the past two years, and I was never able to attend the birthday party in person. It would be great if that girl didn't blame me."

Although he said this, he had no intention of rejecting the servant's proposal.

Anyway, staying here is just to listen to these dandy boys exchanging some innocuous things. He can give him a smile, which is already quite a face. Let him stay with this group of useless losers until the banquet starts?

It's better to just kill him then.

"But you are right. Now that I have finally come here, I should apologize to that girl in person."

With a wry smile and a sigh, Xu Tianran first made a simple apology to everyone, and then turned around and went upstairs with the help of the attendants behind him.

"His Royal Highness is really kind-hearted!"

"Isn't that right? If His Highness inherits the throne in the future, he will definitely become a wise king for generations to come!"

Looking at the prince's back, some people couldn't help but sigh in a low voice.

Second floor.

Before he even got close to the room, Xu Tianran vaguely heard complaints from behind the door.

"Ah - why do I have to wear this kind of clothes today? I have to hold up my skirt even when walking. It's not convenient at all..."

"Your Highness, this banquet today is very important, please don't embarrass us."

"Isn't it just a birthday party? In the past years, I always wore trousers. Don't tell me what my father told me to do. I don't want to choose some bullshit prince-in-law!"

"And look at what kind of junk these guys are giving away. It's either jewelry or gems, or even paintings. If you have money to buy these junk, you might as well buy some heavenly materials and bring them to me!"

"."

Compared to the noise inside the door, the corridor outside the door was eerily silent.

The corners of Xu Tianran's eyes twitched. After a long time, he signaled the man behind him to come forward and knock on the door.

Dong dong dong——

"Who is it!? Didn't you tell me that the birthday party has started before you let me know!?"

Listening to the roaring roar, Xu Tianran coughed twice and spoke warmly.

"Tianzhen, it's me, brother Huang, here to see you."

"Brother!?"

After the low cry full of surprise, a series of hurried footsteps sounded. Soon, the door of the lounge was opened from the inside, revealing the beautiful figure wearing a luxurious dress at the door.

Unlike her previous life when she deliberately disguised herself as a man when participating in the Soul Master Competition, Xu Tianzhen at this moment wore a gorgeous long dress dotted with countless gems, finally suppressing the rebellious spirit that was coming towards her.

"Long time no see, Tianzhen." Xu Tianran smiled widely and took the lead in saying hello: "I haven't been able to celebrate your birthday in person for two years in a row. You don't hold a grudge against me, do you?"

"You're still saying this at this time. Can I still drive my brother away? Come in, come in..."

Hearing the teasing voice, Xu Tianzhen came back to her senses as if waking up from a dream. While responding to his words, she raised her hand and tried to take the wheelchair from the attendant. The whole process, she had a look on her face. He looked at Xu Tianran in front of him curiously.

"Speaking of which, brother, where have you been during this time? It feels a lot darker..."

Not only has it turned black, but even the face has undergone a lot of changes that can be seen with the naked eye, as if it has been washed by wind and sand for a long time outside.

Seeing Xu Tianzhen extending his hand, the attendant was a little hesitant at first, until the prince waved his hand casually, and then he respectfully handed over the control of the wheelchair.

"Where can I go if I am disabled?"

Xu Tianran laughed at himself, casually brushed off the topic, and then continued to ask: "What about you? You haven't practiced well in the past two years?"

"Of course I have. My current cultivation level has reached level 57, and I even have a chance to break through to the Soul Emperor before the next Soul Master Competition."

"Yes, your talent has been the best among our generation since you were a child, and it turns out to be true now."

Not stingy with his praise, Xu Tianran turned his palm, and a small bag with gorgeous packaging appeared in his palm.

"This is a birthday gift prepared for you by me as the eldest brother. It should be able to help you successfully advance to the Soul Emperor before the Soul Master Competition."

"Soul bone?"

Looking at the bag that was often used to conceal one's breath, Xu Tianzhen couldn't guess what was inside, so she took it over excitedly.

"You girl, you are quite clever at times like this."

Xu Tianran shook his head and laughed, and introduced softly: "The right leg bone of Yanying Canglu is about 20,000 years old. Absorbing it should increase your soul power level by one or two levels."

"Thank you, brother."

Xu Tianzhen nodded happily, and after putting it into the storage space, he couldn't help complaining.

"Brother, you understand me. The gifts sent by the attendant just now are all messy things."

"Haha, it seems like you haven't taken a fancy to any of the young talents below?"

Hearing this, Xu Tianzhen couldn't help curling his lips: "What young talents are just a bunch of losers, and I told you I don't want to pick a prince-in-law!"

Compared to the grim-faced attendant beside him, Xu Tianran was obviously much more easy-going.

"If you don't want to choose, don't choose. Father is just trying his luck. He doesn't want to force you to make a choice so quickly. Maybe you will meet someone who can satisfy you?"

A few words calmed down the other party's excitement, and Xu Tianran changed the subject again for no reason. "However, rejection is still a rejection, and the proper etiquette must be in place. You are now an adult, and the scale of this birthday party is much larger than before. It would not be good if you make a joke because of your willfulness."

After saying that, he looked Xu Tianzhen up and down again and nodded approvingly.

"And doesn't it look nice on you?"

Seeing that his elder brother had said this, Xu Tianzhen didn't continue to mess around and nodded reluctantly.

"Okay, just this once!"

Seeing that Her Royal Highness the Princess was managed by just a few words, the maids on the side couldn't help but look shocked, and their eyes turned to admiration when they looked at Xu Tianran.

As time passed by in the outside world, more and more nobles were invited to come here, including some middle-aged nobles who looked quite young.

Unlike those young people who want to embrace the beauty, they came here entirely because they wanted to use the potential resources of this banquet to seek further cooperation for their families.

Of course, if the young princess prefers a man with a slightly mature temperament, they don't mind promoting the beauty of adulthood and contributing their passionate body and mind for the other party's preferences.

However, judging from their bodies that have long been hollowed out by alcohol and sex, with big bellies and sparse hair, the probability of this happening should not be very high.

Ripe fruits will emit a more charming fragrance than in their youth, but if they are overripe, they will only be filled with an uncomfortable rotten smell of alcohol.

Elegant tunes are playing on the stage in front. Everyone is holding wine glasses filled with liquids of various colors and looking for circles of interest or people who can bring benefits to the family in the hall to chat. Almost every few minutes, a deal is finalized in laughter.

As for those young people who have no cooperation to discuss, they share their not-so-exciting life experiences with each other.

Before meeting the princess herself, they can only compare in this way to see who has a better chance of sitting on the position of the prince consort that everyone dreams of.

Appearance, wealth, and even cultivation are all things that can be shown off.

Of course, for nobles with chaotic private lives, it is really difficult to arouse their interest to talk about these things.

The reason for this phenomenon is entirely because the nature of this party is different.

Originally, everyone came here to become a prince consort. Now under the princess's nose, they naturally have to pay more attention to their words and deeds.

On the contrary, if it is a private party of a noble, the content of everyone's discussion may become something unsightly.

For example, how they use some insignificant little tricks to conquer those good women who are loyal to their husbands step by step, let them take off their clothes and climb into their beds.

Or use a little money to lure those ignorant girls who are not well-versed in the world, and admire their faces in the process of devotion, and their longing for marrying into aristocrats in the future.

More exaggerated, they will even proudly state that a female star in a theater has participated in the silver party organized by themselves.

At this moment, a deliberately low-pitched exclamation attracted everyone's attention.

"Is that the head of Mingde Hall? Why is he here too!"

Everyone subconsciously looked towards the door, and when they saw Xiao Hongchen following the fat middle-aged man, they suddenly showed a look of realization.

Indeed, since it was a selection of a son-in-law, there was no reason to let go of the grandson of the famous head of Mingde Hall, the most talented soul guide genius in the history of the empire.

But why did this guy bring his granddaughter with him?

Although there were many young women attending the banquet, they almost all came as female companions.

After all, some noble children had already found a suitable marriage early on. While they were not eligible for the position of son-in-law, they did not want to give up this hard-won high-end social occasion, so they chose to bring their families to the banquet to show their identities to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings with Her Royal Highness the Princess.

And the behavior of Jing Hongchen, who brought his unmarried granddaughter to the banquet, was no different from provoking the princess.

But soon, everyone noticed the white-haired figure hiding behind Xiao Hongchen, holding hands with Meng Hongchen.

Seeing Meng Hongchen, who looked like a little bird and had a smile on her face, everyone finally understood.

So he brought his whole family to the banquet! ?

Damn it, even his grandson-in-law is brought to this kind of banquet, you old man are really good!

"Master Hongchen, long time no see, can you introduce us to the new face behind you?"

"Long time no see."

I don't know if he encountered something good, Jing Hongchen's face was full of red, and the whole person looked radiant, as if he was ten years younger.

He smiled and greeted everyone, while turning sideways to reveal Huo Yuhao behind him.

"Let me introduce you to Ling Bing, my student. There are so many young talents gathered at this banquet, so I wanted to bring him here to broaden his horizons."

As soon as the words fell, someone asked jokingly: "To be the hall master's student, I think he must have a very high talent in soul guides, but does the hall master have any important information that he hasn't told me? I think your student seems to have a special relationship with your granddaughter."

Seeing that they were so good at dealing with things, Jing Hongchen couldn't help but smile even more.

Damn, I'm just waiting for you to ask this question!

This pretentiousness is also a learning. If he blurts out everything at once, it will seem a bit deliberate.

On the contrary, if the other party asks it on his own initiative and he reveals it inadvertently, the effect will be completely different.

"Hey~ what special relationship."

Accompanied by an emotional sigh, Jing Hongchen waved his hand helplessly, but the corners of his mouth could not be suppressed.

"These kids just fell in love with each other. As elders, we really can't interfere too much. As long as they can live happily in the future, that's enough."

After these words came out, not to mention Huo Yuhao, even Meng Hongchen couldn't help but blush for her grandfather's shamelessness and spit softly.

"He's getting more shameless as he gets older."

Fortunately, although Jing Hongchen was excited, he didn't forget the purpose of Huo Yuhao's participation in the banquet. After entering the hall, he waved his hand and didn't let the three people follow him.

"Okay, I'm going to catch up with my old friends. You young people, don't follow me. Smile, you go and register the gifts, and then go make more friends, Lingbing, Meng, you two are also shopping around. visit."

"Yes, Hall Master (Grandpa)."

The three of them simply responded and, in full view of everyone, turned and walked towards the crowd.

Huo Yuhao, in particular, attracted a lot of hostile looks as soon as he appeared.

Everyone's attitude toward this genius soul master who suddenly appeared was full of twists and turns.

First of all, when they first saw Huo Yuhao's appearance, everyone regarded him as a strong rival for the position of Prince Consort.

Following Jing Hongchen's words, after realizing that Huo Yuhao would not compete with them for the princess, this hostility dissipated invisibly.

But not long after, everyone came back to their senses inexplicably.

That’s not right! Although this guy won't compete with them for the princess, is Meng Hongchen, the granddaughter of the master of Mingde Hall, so bad? ?

If possible, who here wouldn't want to become a couple with this equally talented soul master?

It's still a long way off for them to become consorts, but this guy has already won over Meng Hongchen, whose status is almost as high as that of the princess!

And everyone has two eyes and one nose. Why can this guy be so handsome?

The invisible sin of jealousy escaped from everyone and swarmed towards Huo Yuhao, making his expression even more helpless.

"Why do I feel like I have become your shield?" Huo Yuhao muttered in a low voice as he picked up a dinner plate from the dining table.

"Yeah?"

Meng Hongchen curled her lips. She first picked up the dinner plate in a similar manner, then tilted her head and kissed Huo Yuhao on the cheek. Finally, she leaned into his ear and spoke ambiguous words.

"Then you have to protect me, my man."

Huo Yuhao coughed twice and warned in a low voice: "This is a banquet. There are many people watching. Don't mess around like in the academy."

"Does that mean you can mess around after the party?"

"No way!"

In order to prevent this topic from developing in an unspeakable direction, Huo Yuhao picked up the dinner folder and began to look around the long table filled with feasts to select suitable prey.

Banquets of this level are not something you can get every time. Since the princes haven't shown up yet, his first purpose is to show off the meal.

After a brief identification, he put a piece of steak on Meng Hongchen's plate.

"This looks good, try it."

"."

As if being aroused by this warm scene, after a short silence, Meng Hongchen gently snuggled into Huo Yuhao's arms and nuzzled towards a dinner plate piled with food not far away.

"I still want to eat that."

"good."

In this way, the two of them were like aliens wandering in the crowd, constantly wandering around the long tables, and from time to time they would feed me and I feed you as if no one was around, making the eyes of everyone watching them in secret jump. .

Especially for Huo Yuhao, whether it was handed over by Meng Hongchen or taken from the dinner plate himself, almost all of them were generous mouthfuls. His eating appearance seemed to be like a starving ghost reincarnated, which made several people try to come forward. The chatting nobles stopped.

I don't know why, but they always have the feeling that if they go up at this time, their performance will be instantly lowered.

Can't afford to offend

Suddenly, there was a faint sound of wheels. Huo Yuhao subconsciously raised his head and happened to see Xu Tianran, who was looking down from the corridor on the second floor.

Seeing the other person's sudden change of expression, he curled up his lips silently.