The servant who wanted to pour soup on Chen Ke's head was quite efficient, bringing eight more dishes in a moment.
Chen Ke wielded his chopsticks with lightning speed, not even looking up, and said, "Eight more plates!"
The servant's lips twitched, and he silently turned and left with eight empty plates.
The important figures naturally wouldn't notice this little incident in the corner; their attention was focused on the Third Prince and the Princess of Qin.
Only those uncultured bumpkins would treat the banquet hall like a canteen.
It must be said that conversing with the Third Prince was a very pleasant experience.
The Third Prince was witty and erudite, using his silver tongue to create a lively atmosphere.
Under his influence, the enthusiastic atmosphere spread outwards, and soon everyone's spirits were high.
The Princess of Qin was also a woman of the world; attending banquets large and small was practically a part of her life, so she handled it with ease.
She didn't say much, but what she did say was brilliant, and the timing was perfect, making her as elegant as a chrysanthemum in the noisy hall.
Occasionally, her bright eyes would dart towards Chen Ke in the corner.
This glutton! He ate thirty-eight dishes, two buckets of rice, and a pot of porridge for breakfast—and he's hungry again?
His eating habits are appalling; I've never heard of him ever fleeing famine.
And his alcohol tolerance is so low; that small jar is still half empty.
The Qin princess occasionally glanced at the glutton and chatted with the Third Prince, quite relaxed and at ease.
Unfortunately, her good mood was soon ruined by a song.
At the back of the banquet hall, three young nobles, their faces flushed from drinking, suddenly stood up and began to sing magnanimously:
"The new terrace is lush, the river flows wide. The pursuit of beauty and elegance, the freshness of the wild herbs is not yet complete."
"The new terrace is adorned with wine, the river flows gently, the pursuit of a beautiful woman, though seemingly insignificant, is not to be missed."
"The fishing net is set, but the swan flies away. The pursuit of a beautiful woman, only to be met with such a cruel fate."
More and more nobles joined in the singing, standing up, sometimes looking at the Qin princess with grief and indignation, sometimes at Chen Ke with disdain.
The other nobles remained silent, but were somewhat disapproving of the Third Prince's deliberate arrangement.
Since the news of Chen Ke's intention to marry the Qin princess spread, the song "The New Terrace" had quickly become popular.
In the vast city of Daxia, from princes and nobles to commoners, everyone knew how to sing "The New Terrace."
Of course, people didn't care about the historical allusion, unaware that the ancient Duke Xuan of Wei had abducted his son's wife and specially built the New Terrace, which led to the creation of this folk song.
They only knew that an ancient princess and their Qin princess shared the same fate, to marry a toad-like figure.
Chen Ke's scathing criticism is largely due to the popularity of this song.
However, on the other hand, using this song to allude to Chen Ke also implicates the Qin princess.
The Third Prince's arrangement seems somewhat frivolous.
But everyone can understand; on the day the Third Prince entered the Great Xia City in such a grand manner, the Qin princess not only didn't appear, but even openly met with Chen Ke.
Just last night, so late, Chen Ke went to the palace to see the Qin princess. It would be a lie to say the Third Prince wasn't angry or furious.
In the court, the Third Prince's plan to marry the Qin princess also suffered a setback.
Originally, only the Emperor Emeritus strongly supported Chen Ke, but now, the Empress Dowager and the new Emperor's attitudes towards Chen Ke have become subtle.
They represent the entire Xia royal family, and their resistance to Chen Ke is noticeably less intense.
The royal family's attitude, in turn, affects the court; even the ministers who were initially the most vehemently opposed to the marriage between Chen Ke and the Qin princess have unconsciously lowered their voices.
These past few days, although the Third Prince had been actively lobbying and spending lavishly, gaining some support, it seemed far from enough to turn the tide.
Therefore, given the circumstances, it's not hard to understand why the Third Prince had placed Chen Ke in a corner today and instigated the young nobles to target him.
The important figures remained impassive, curiously watching Chen Ke, wanting to know his reaction.
They knew more about the inside story, but dared not underestimate this troublemaker.
Surely this troublemaker wouldn't be indifferent in this situation?
They were wrong; Chen Ke truly remained unmoved.
A servant with a pout placed eight dishes on the small table, collected the empty plates, and silently left.
The next moment, Chen Ke picked up his chopsticks, his movements almost supernatural.
The Qin princess watched Chen Ke's gluttonous eating, a smile involuntarily playing on her lips.
Chen Ke's refusal to engage was correct; he understood that this noise wouldn't affect him at all.
Perhaps it wasn't stupidity, but rather confidence.
The Third Prince wasn't initially angry, but when he saw the Qin princess gazing at Chen Ke with affection and even smiling, he instantly flew into a rage.
"I meticulously prepared so many jokes, racked my brains to liven things up, and none of them could make you laugh.
Chen Ke just ate a few bites of food, and you laughed?!"
Someone had already noticed the Third Prince's gloomy expression and slammed their fist on the table.
"Chen Ke, you are extremely disrespectful! I challenge you to a duel!" The young nobleman stood tall, his face flushed and neck bulging, and shouted angrily at Chen Ke.
Chen Ke looked at the young man striding away in surprise.
"Duel? My foot!" he thought.
Chen Ke grabbed a plate and smashed it against the young man's face.
*Smash!*
The plate didn't break, but two spurts of blood appeared from the edge.
As the plate slid off the table, the young man's eyes were crossed, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Chen Ke's attack was too fast and sudden, and even more so, it was against the rules, leaving everyone stunned.
However, the next moment, the entire hall erupted in chaos.
"Insolence!"
"How dare you!"
"Lord Chen, you are utterly unreasonable!"
"Chen Ke, how dare you injure someone!"
...
Seizing the opportunity, the powerful nobles unleashed their full force, loudly condemning Chen Ke, wishing they could drown him in their spittle.
The Third Prince stood up, his expression gloomy and imposing, coldly looking at Chen Ke and saying, "Chen Ke, I kindly invited you to this banquet, yet you injure someone. Shouldn't you give me an explanation?!"
What explanation do you want?
Chen Ke finished the wine in the jar, chuckled, and stood up.
Looking at the Third Prince Yin Tianzheng with drunken eyes, Chen Ke lazily said, "Third Prince, since you dislike me, let's have a fight. Let's skip the formalities."
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in uproar. The Third Prince was stunned for a moment, then laughed in fury.
The Princess of Qin coldly said, "Lord Chen, you're drunk. Sit down!"
He knew the Third Prince's strength; born into royalty and trained in prestigious schools from a young age, he was considered one of the best among the new generation of the Purple Eagle Dynasty.
Although Chen Ke possessed some strength and methods, if the two were to fight fairly, Chen Ke would be no match for Yin Tianzheng.
How could the Qin Princess not be worried?
The Third Prince was determined to cause trouble for Chen Ke; he could have simply endured it.
But now, he had delivered himself right to his doorstep.