Li Shimin looked at Li Jue with a smile, his face full of doting affection.

Although he still couldn't be sure of the child's identity, the fact that he looked so much like his eldest grandson was enough to make him take the matter seriously.

After all, for him, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, it wouldn't matter even if he eventually discovered he had mistaken the person. He could simply accept the mistake, recognize this adopted grandson, and bestow upon him a lifetime of wealth and honor.

Moreover, deep down, Li Shimin didn't really care about the truth.

Because once it is proven that the person in front of him is the eldest grandson of the Tang Dynasty, then he will have to punish him according to the laws of the Tang Dynasty and then exile him to Qianzhou again...

Therefore, after a little thought, Li Shimin felt that it was good to pretend to be confused occasionally.

At the very least, I can enjoy the happiness of family life right now.

Li Jue only came to help out at the stall because he was bored; he wasn't a regular worker at the stall.

Besides, he already hired two women to work at the stall, so why would he need us to run around doing this and that?

However, these two strange old men immediately ordered him to serve them. Weren't they taking themselves too seriously?

"Aunt Wu, go and greet them!"

"Okay!"

As soon as Aunt Wu walked up to Li Shimin, he waved her away dismissively.

"Call that doll over here!"

"I dare to let you know, sir. That is my young master. Just tell me what you need, and I will do my best to satisfy you!"

"Hmph, I'll just let your young master handle it. Just ask him if he's coming or not!"

As Li Shimin spoke, he winked at Zhang Anan, who immediately pulled out a silver coin weighing several ounces from his pocket.

The main currency of the Tang Dynasty was copper coins. Ordinary people were not allowed to use or possess silver. If the government found out, they would be arrested and imprisoned and flogged!

Therefore, Aunt Wu panicked as soon as she saw the silver and hurriedly looked to her young master for help.

Li Jue had long realized that these two were not ordinary people; their attire and demeanor were not those of ordinary folks.

Seeing the two men take out silver, he became even more certain of his thoughts.

"Gentlemen, a fried dough stick and a bowl of soy milk at a roadside stall cost only a few coins. There's no need to scare us with money, is there?"

Li Shimin snorted coldly upon hearing this.

"snort!"

"If you don't pay, you little brat, you'll think we can't afford it!"

Li Jue waved to Aunt Wu, signaling her to attend to other guests. Then he picked up a plate, took four fried dough sticks from the draining bamboo basket, and poured two bowls of soy milk over to her.

"Please, gentlemen, have a taste. This meal is on me!"

Seeing this, Zhang Anan quickly took a bite before Li Shimin could, and then eagerly drank a mouthful of scalding hot soy milk.

This was done to test the poison on Li Shimin, but Li Shimin had already seen countless people eat it and was not worried at all that it was poisonous.

"eventful!"

"Why are you in such a rush when you're just having a meal!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Anan just chuckled foolishly, but his mouth was busy, and he finished off a fried dough stick in a few bites.

Li Shimin's eyes lit up after tasting it. This thing was golden and crispy, with a slightly salty and fragrant taste. Paired with a sip of sweet and fragrant soy milk, it really had a unique flavor.

"This stuff tastes alright, it's kind of interesting, but it's not as good as the locals say, is it?"

"What smells so good it travels for miles? The most delicious food in Chang'an..."

Upon hearing this, Li Jue refilled their bowls with soy milk while making a slightly sarcastic remark.

"These two distinguished guests are used to delicacies, so naturally they don't find this food delicious."

As soon as Li Jue finished speaking, an old man queuing to buy fried dough sticks began to explain things to Li Shimin with a smile.

"Just by looking at how this gentleman eats, I can tell he's someone of importance!"

"oh?"

What does the old man mean?

"We poor people can't afford to eat fried dough sticks like you do. We buy them to cook with!"

"Cooking?"

Li Shimin looked down at the fried dough stick he was holding with his chopsticks. Although he didn't understand cooking, he could tell that it was a kind of pasta made from flour and then deep-fried in boiling oil.

But this thing can actually be used to cook?

"You may not know this, but when cooking wild mountain vegetables, adding a small piece of fried dough stick to the pot makes the steamed vegetables incredibly fragrant!"

"Oh oh oh..."

"Actually, there's another way to eat it: cut the fried dough sticks into small pieces about an inch long, then sprinkle them with salt, chopped green onions, and cilantro. If you can also add a couple of drops of sesame oil, the taste is absolutely amazing!"

Li Shimin was quite tempted by these words and decided to have the imperial chefs in the palace prepare it in the same way when he returned. But just as he thought this, he heard the little boy who called himself Shi something speak.

"Don't even think about it, sir. This way of eating is only suitable for ordinary people. If you try it at home, you will definitely be very disappointed."

"Here's another plate of salted radishes for you two!"

Li Jue placed a plate of salted radishes on the table and decided not to pay any attention to the two people.

However, Li Jue's words successfully caught Li Shimin's attention, and he immediately stopped Li Jue.

"Little one, why is this way of eating not suitable for us?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jue frowned slightly and explained with a displeased expression.

"Is there even a need to ask that?"

"This kind of eating is only suitable for ordinary people who rarely see meat. You two look like wealthy people who are used to eating rich and delicious food. How could you possibly be used to eating such common food?"

After saying this, Li Jue didn't forget to subtly mock the Tang Dynasty.

"In the end, it was because the Tang Dynasty was too poor and the people were too suffering..."

These words deeply stung Li Shimin. He had always boasted that he was a good emperor. Even if he couldn't reach the level of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang, he could at least be on par with the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing.

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