What followed was the tedious court assembly. Ji Yingying leaned against a pillar, looking at the group of ministers. It had been almost seven days since the court assembly began, but it felt like an eternity to her.
[Host, there's some new gossip out there, do you want some?]
[Oh wow~ This is the first time you've punctuated a new melon. I almost forgot that melons could be punctuated.]
Xiangxiang: ...That's because you don't go out, which caused it to rot for a long time.
[What's the latest gossip?]
Do you see that general over there?
[I saw him! He seems to have just attended court today!] The military officer was muscular and handsome, especially with his wheat-colored skin. She would glance at him from time to time; she hadn't seen him before yesterday.
Goodness gracious! He actually has a penchant for wearing green hats and new clothes. He's even wearing a pink top under his official robes! I can't help but exclaim, "Wow, you're so flashy!" Seriously? That pink top belongs to his wife! I wonder if it would rip if I wore it?
[Wow... General Chang really knows how to have fun, wearing so many green hats! I feel like there are more and more cuckolded men these past few days. Is the dynasty going to be called the Green Hat Dynasty instead of the Heavenly Blessing Dynasty?]
[What a crazy scheme! He actually made his wife play games with multiple people... while he just watched from the sidelines. He didn't even help her when she cried for help; he even happily cheered them on...]
[What an utterly monstrous character! I don't know how someone as twisted as him can become a great general and protect the people. Look how he treats his wife! He can't even take care of his own family, how can he possibly take care of the larger family?]
"What..." General Chang's eyes darted around. The only female official in the court was Ji Yingying. He glared at her fiercely, as if he wanted to pierce a hole in her.
But he couldn't say a word, and then he performed a show about meeting the founding emperor on the spot.
Ji Yingying's eyes widened in disbelief. This kind of performance was something she had never seen before. Could it be that she wouldn't behave inappropriately?
[A genius! To dare to perform like this in front of the Emperor, he is truly a genius...] Ji Yingying silently gave him a thumbs up in her heart. Then a group of imperial guards came in and dragged him out.
"Your Majesty, I have brought back three castrated pigs from Xinhe County, which are now being sold at Juxianlou."
Oh wow~ I definitely have to grab a bite after work. I'm not eating much, just braised pork trotters, stir-fried pork with green peppers, braised pork intestines with pickled cabbage, boiled sliced pork, shredded pork with garlic sauce, stir-fried pork with vegetables, sweet and sour pork, crispy fried pork, and some pork bone soup, etc. That'll be enough for me!
[This is making my mouth water! Just imagine, that braised pork trotter, simmered until it's so flavorful, one slurp... tsk tsk... it's divine! And then there's stir-fried pork with green peppers and rice. Just think about the taste, I could eat three bowls of rice! Sigh! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.]
[Host, are you sure these dishes you ordered exist in this world?]
[I'm not sure. Isn't this some big shot's restaurant? I can just have my chef go there and cook it. If people want to learn, I can have my chef teach them. It's not like it's a secret recipe. Besides, these past two days eating here, I've only been able to eat a couple of bites of fish, a few bites of chicken, a few bites of duck, and a few sips of soup. I can't eat anything else.]
Upon hearing this, Ji Cailiang couldn't help but wipe his sweat. This was something else entirely, and he still called it not being able to eat?
【No, it's the Crown Princess's shop!】
"That's easy, I'll go talk to the Crown Princess and tell her. I've been here for so long and haven't had a proper meal." Ji Yingying's tone became coquettish at the end.
"Ahem~" The Emperor coughed lightly and said, "Since they've all been delivered, and we have nothing else to do today, then all of you ministers may go and take a look. Hmm... Minister Ji, your cook has come from Xinhe County. Have your cook go to the restaurant and prepare a meal, just follow the menu that Minister Ji just gave us."
"Here?" Ji Yingying, who was lost in conversation with Xiangxiang, suddenly heard her name called. She immediately raised her hand and shouted, her speed comparable to Su Shen's 9.83 seconds.
Everyone immediately looked at her. Ji Yingying suddenly shrank back, feeling extremely embarrassed. Why didn't they listen to what was happening?
"My beloved subjects, let's go!"
Ji Yingying was still confused; what exactly had been said?
She cautiously tugged at the man in front of her and asked, "Sir, what happened just now?"
The official dared not make any big moves. Ever since Ji Yingying came behind him, he had never dared to slack off during court sessions.
"The Emperor said he would take us out to eat and let us try castrated pigs. He told you to have your cook prepare the kind of food you usually eat."
【What? Ah... a company team building event! The boss is so generous! I love him! With such a great boss, I'll definitely work hard and make sure I get my money's worth!】
The emperor, who was walking in front, almost tripped and fell. Luckily, Eunuch Cao caught him in time, otherwise, he would have lost all face!
Are young girls these days really this bold? They can even say "I love you" out loud?
At this moment, all the emperor wanted to say was: Don't love me. I'm too embarrassed to even touch you. You're only ten years old, not even of marriageable age yet. Don't ruin my lifelong reputation.
Ji Cailiang, who was following behind, was in a terrible predicament. His son, how could he say such things? No, he had to tell his wife tonight that she must keep him in check and not say anything out of line.
The ministers beside him looked at Ji Cailiang with a mixture of admiration and disdain... a whole range of expressions.
They were colleagues in the same hall, yet each of them harbored countless schemes.
When they arrived at Juxianlou Restaurant, a private room on the second floor was already prepared. As they went upstairs, Ji Yingying kept a close eye on her father. With her father there, she figured the people at that table wouldn't dare to compete with her for food.
Before they could even sit down, the Emperor said, "Minister Ji, young Minister Ji, please sit here."
At the table where the Emperor was seated, there were only the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and there were still seats available, which were just enough for Ji Yingying and Ji Cailiang to sit at.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor!" Ji Cailiang expressed his gratitude, and Ji Yingying followed suit, expressing her gratitude in a similar manner, before sitting down to wait for the dishes to be served.
[Host, there's new juicy gossip, wanna eat some?]
"The food hasn't even arrived yet, of course we should eat! Hurry up, we have some sunflower seeds." Ji Yingying grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and started cracking them open: "See that waiter over there?"
[I saw it! Wow, what a ruthless person! He actually forced his mother to live in a dog kennel and wouldn't even let her see a doctor when she was sick.]
[How can someone like this deserve to live? Although his mother came from a poor background and was a prostitute, she did everything she could to leave that life and raise him, even finding him a wife. And now, in her old age, she's treated like this by her son—it's utterly heartless!]
[Tsk tsk... Being his mother is really too miserable. This bastard kicked his mother out to live in a doghouse and doesn't feed her for days on end, just because his mother is sick. It's not a serious illness, and the medicine wouldn't cost much, but he's just so unfilial...]
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