The next morning, the team left Huaxian Post Station and continued to move eastward.

She slept in the same bed with Pei Yan at night and spent the whole day in the carriage with him. Under such daily and night-time companionship, Tao Ti was able to control her image in the first three days, but later on, she gradually let herself go and became as lazy as a salted fish.

No matter what she did, Pei Yan always looked tolerant and gentle, and had an incredibly good temper.

The day before arriving in Luoyang, a rainstorm suddenly broke out on the way.

When the rain came, Tao Ti was sleeping in the carriage. Suddenly, a thunder struck, and she was frightened.

Pei Yan had just closed the car window when he turned around and saw the little girl hugging a soft pillow. Her hair was a little messy, her eyes were straight, and she looked innocent and confused.

"It's raining outside." He leaned over and asked softly, "Are you scared by the thunder?"

Tao Ti blinked blankly, and seeing her own silly look through his dark eyes, she nodded obediently, "I was frightened awake."

The thunder just now was so loud that it seemed to have exploded directly on top of the carriage.

Pei Yan raised his hand and rubbed her hair, comforting her, "It's okay, it's just thunder. The carriage is equipped with a lightning arrester, which can ensure safety..."

"Your Highness, don't worry about me. I'm not afraid of thunder. I was just scared awake just now." Tao Ti narrowed her eyes and smiled at him.

It was probably from that night at Huaxian Post Station that Pei Yan developed the habit of rubbing her head. She was a little uncomfortable at first, but gradually got used to it, and even... quite liked this intimate little gesture?

She attributed this liking to her remaining animal nature. Although the bodies of the Taotie tribe were quite scary to humans, they were still animals, and subconsciously they liked to be patted on the head.

The thunder outside was still ringing. Pei Yan stared at her. Seeing that she was really not afraid, he curled his lips slightly and said, "I didn't expect you to be so brave."

Tao Ti raised her chin, her tone revealing a little pride, "Of course."

You're kidding. She's a divine beast. If she's afraid of thunder, it would be so embarrassing if it gets out. How can she survive in the Three Realms in the future?

As the two were talking, the carriage slowly stopped, and then there were three rhythmic knocks on the door outside.

Pei Yan frowned and asked in a cold voice, "What's the matter?"

Zhan Ping's voice came from outside the door, "Your Highness, the rain is too heavy. We can't move forward. And the spies just reported that there was a landslide ahead, blocking the road."

Pei Yan hesitated for a moment and asked calmly, "Is there a place to stay nearby?"

Zhan Ping replied, "There is a mountain temple five miles ahead, where we can take shelter from the rain for now."

Pei Yan said, "Let's go to the mountain temple to take shelter from the rain first. Send a team to clear the roadblocks ahead. When the rain stops, make arrangements."

Zhan Ping responded and went down to make the arrangements.

The bean-sized raindrops hit the carriage with a crackling sound, like big and small beads falling on a jade plate, which was quite noisy.

Pei Yan sat up straight, glanced at the quiet little girl beside him, and said softly, "Let's go to the front to take shelter from the rain first... If the rain doesn't stop, we may have to spend the night in the temple. The situation is special, you have to bear with it, and you can rest well when you arrive at Luoyang Palace tomorrow."

Tao Ti raised her eyes to look at him and said softly, "It's okay to live in the temple. Your Highness, if you can live there, so can I. I'm not that spoiled."

Pei Yan's black eyes moved slightly, and he nodded and smiled, "Well, that's good."

The carriage changed direction and soon arrived at a slightly dilapidated mountain temple.

The temple was filled with cobwebs, the mountain god statues enshrined in the hall were covered with dust, and the offerings on the table had long since rotted.

In such a bad environment, even the palace servants accompanying him couldn't help but grumble and complain.

"How can people live in a place like this? I'm afraid all kinds of snakes, insects, rats and ants will come out at night."

"Oh, it's all because of the rain. It better stop soon so we can get to the next station!"

"Okay, stop talking and clean up quickly so that His Highness and the Crown Princess have a place to stay."

The mountain god temple had fallen into disrepair after many years, and the so-called cleaning was just to make the inside a little cleaner and less dusty.

Outside the carriage, Fu Xirui was waiting with an umbrella. When he saw the door open, he immediately went forward.

The first person to come out was Pei Yan, who was wearing a green robe. After he stood firmly, he took the umbrella from Fu Xirui's hand.

Fu Xirui, "......?"

Linglong guessed something, tugged at his sleeve, and led him to the side.

The prince was seen standing beside the carriage with an umbrella in his hand. After a while, a little head popped out of the carriage. It was the prince's consort.

Just when everyone thought that the Crown Prince was going to help the Crown Princess down himself, he instead handed the umbrella to the Crown Princess. Then, he bent down and actually picked up the Crown Princess horizontally.

Everyone, "!!!!"

Linglong and Fu Xirui, "!!!!"

Tao Ti, the person involved, was also confused at this moment.

She held the umbrella with blank eyes, leaning in Pei Yan's warm embrace.

Her slender arms were pressed tightly against the man's hard chest. She could clearly feel his heartbeat, which was getting heavier and heavier. In this rainstorm, his heartbeat was so fast.

Boom boom boom, boom boom boom.

For a moment, she couldn't tell whether the beating sound in her ears was his heartbeat or her own.

What was swaying in front of me was his cold white skin, his well-defined jaw, his slender neck, and his prominent, slightly sexy Adam's apple...

Somehow, she had the urge to touch it.

Suddenly, a man's deep and pleasant voice rang out above my head, "Ati, hold the umbrella higher, it's pressing down on my hair."

Tao Ti was stunned for a moment, then responded obediently, "Oh, okay."

She raised the umbrella higher and looked up at Pei Yan. His expression was calm and natural, as if it was perfectly normal for him to hold her like this.

This made Tao Ti a little confused. Is this... normal?

When Pei Yan carried her into the temple and put her down, she couldn't wait to look up and asked him directly, "Your Highness, you, you just..."

Before she could finish her words, Pei Yan answered, "The road is muddy, your embroidered shoes will get wet."

Taoti, "......?"

Pei Yan, "If your shoes are wet, the cold will enter your feet and you will get sick easily."

Taoti, "..."

This answer was so logical and perfect that she didn't know what to say.

After a moment, her pink lips moved, and finally she whispered, "Thank you... Thank you, Your Highness."

Pei Yan chuckled and said, "Put the umbrella away. You won't grow taller if you play with an umbrella in the house."

Tao Ti finally reacted. She was so focused on asking him why he hugged her that she forgot to put away the umbrella.

Linglong, who was following beside, heard this and quickly stepped forward to take the umbrella from Taoti's hand and took it to the door to close it.

Tao Ti stood in front of Pei Yan, and saw that his shoulders were wet from the rain. She felt a little embarrassed, and then she saw a layer of water beads on his forehead. She quickly took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and said, "Your Highness, here, wipe it off."

Pei Yan did not take it, but just bent slightly and faced her directly, "My hands are a little sore, can you help me wipe them?"

His tone was calm and gentle, the scent of cedar filled her air, and that extremely handsome face was so close that she could even see every one of his thick eyelashes clearly.

Tao Ti felt that she was like a fisherman whose mind was bewitched by the Siren. Let alone wiping his sweat, even if he asked her to wipe his back, she would not say "no".

only--

"Your Highness, can you close your eyes for a moment?"

When he looked at her like this, her heart beat very fast, as if it would burst out in the next second!

"Okay." Pei Yan cooperated very well and closed his eyes gently.

When he closed his eyes, his long eyelashes became more prominent, making him look like a real eyelash master.

Tao Ti raised her hand to wipe the sweat off his face. As she wiped, her eyes unconsciously fell on his lips.

His lips are so pretty, I wonder what they feel like...

As she thought this, her fingers moved to the corner of his mouth. Just as her round fingertips were about to touch it——

Suddenly, Pei Yan opened his eyes.

Those deep and charming peach blossom eyes stared at her straight, their eyes were clear and bright, as if filled with stars.

Tao Ti suddenly withdrew her hand as if she had just woken up from a dream, her face flushed, and she stammered, "Wipe it, wipe it."

Pei Yan seemed not to notice her little action, and smiled with curved lips, "Okay."

The palace servants cleared out a bench, and the two of them walked to the window and sat down together.

The rest of the people were standing guard in front of the porch outside the door. The sound of rain was accompanied by faint thunder and the sky was extremely gloomy. It was clearly noon, but it felt as gloomy as dusk.

Tao Ti glanced at Pei Yan quietly, hesitated for a while, and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, am I... a little heavy?"

He started sweating just by carrying her for such a distance. Did he eat too much recently?

Pei Yan answered straightforwardly, "Not heavy."

Tao Ti: "Then you..."

Pei Yan said, "That's not sweat on your forehead. It's because your umbrella was tilted and some raindrops fell on it."

Taoti: "Oh, that's it."

She nodded, but suddenly felt something was wrong.

If he wasn't too tired from hugging, why did he say his hands were sore just now?

She looked at Pei Yan in surprise. Pei Yan seemed to understand her thoughts and looked at her quietly.

Their eyes met and the atmosphere became unconsciously ambiguous.

Each of them wanted to find something through the other's eyes, but in the end, Tao Ti was defeated.

She stood up with her cheeks flushed. "It's a bit stuffy in the room. I'm going to the door to get some fresh air."

Looking at her petite figure running away, Pei Yanqing's handsome face showed a smile, "Little fool."

There was heavy rain and dark clouds gathered.

Tao Ti took several deep breaths at the door before she managed to suppress the inexplicable throbbing.

Linglong was looking at the red cheeks of her Crown Princess from the side, and she seemed to have guessed what had happened in the room, so she lowered her head and smiled secretly.

It was raining heavily, and the air was filled with a layer of smoke. In this white rain curtain, a wolf-like figure ran over.

Before they could get close, guards wearing straw raincoats stepped forward to stop them.

Hearing the noise, Tao Ti looked closely.

Then I realized that it was not one person, but two people, one old and one young. The old one was carrying the young one on his back, and the young one was carrying a large backpack on his back. They were all soaked to the skin, and the rain was so heavy that they could not open their eyes.

The old man put his hands together and bowed to the guards. Words like "Please, sir" could be heard faintly.

Tao Ti frowned and said, "Linglong, go and see what's going on."

Linglong responded and left with an umbrella.

After a while, she came back and reported, "They are herbal farmers who live nearby. They went up the mountain to collect herbs today, but they didn't expect to encounter a rainstorm. The old man's grandson accidentally fell and broke his leg... The two came to the mountain temple to take shelter from the rain."

Tao Ti glanced at the old man and the child and said softly, "Then let them come in to take shelter from the rain."

Linglong was startled, "This..."

Tao Ti said, "You can't stop the common people from taking shelter here just because we are taking shelter here, right? Besides, the rain is so heavy and there is nowhere else to take shelter nearby. If an old man with a child falls down accidentally, it will be terrible."

After a pause, thinking of Pei Yan's identity, she added, "Don't let them enter the palace, it's better to hide in the corridor."

Hearing this, Linglong bowed her head respectfully and said, "The Crown Princess is kind-hearted. I will go and tell the guards now."

The guards received the order and searched the grandfather and grandson carefully. After making sure they had no weapons, they let them pass.

The old man put his grandson down from his back, bowed his back, and said to Tao Ti, "Thank you, madam. Thank you, madam!"

"You're welcome, old man." She raised her hand.

The old man in front of him was about sixty years old, skinny, with white hair and beard; the little boy next to him looked about the same age as the Fifth Prince, with dark skin, dirty body, scratched trousers, and obvious injuries on his knees.

Seeing Tao Ti looking at him, the little boy timidly hid behind his grandfather.

Tao Ti smiled at him and then gently told Ling Long, "Go to the carriage and get some medicine to treat his wound."

Linglong agreed.

The old man was full of gratitude, and he took his grandson's hand and thanked him repeatedly, "Madam, you are so kind, I am really grateful."

"It's just a small matter. The rain came suddenly, and it's fate that we can take shelter together."

"Yes, it was a nice day when I went out in the morning, but I never thought it would rain so suddenly." The old man shook his head and sighed, "I didn't get many herbs, but I was soaked by the rain."

As they were talking, Linglong brought over a bottle of external injury powder and some gauze.

The old man took it politely and said, "Don't bother the young lady. I will apply the medicine for my grandson."

Linglong gave him the medicine bottle and gauze, and the old man and the young man sat on the doorstep and began to apply the medicine.

Tao Ti casually glanced at their backpacks and found that in addition to some herbs, there were also a few wild vegetables, such as bracken, shepherd's purse, and ground fungus. She thought they were picked up to cook and eat.

After the old man and the young boy applied the medicine, they returned the remaining medicine to Linglong, then sat obediently on the doorstep, looking outside, waiting for the rain to stop.

Tao Ti waved to Linglong and whispered, "Give them a blanket to cover themselves. When the rain stops a little, give them two umbrellas so they can go home."

Hearing this instruction, Linglong was moved, she was also born in a poor family, it is said that there are dead bodies frozen in the streets while there are wine and meat in the rich houses, those high and mighty nobles did not bully others, they were already thankful to heaven and earth, how could they be so considerate and gentle to lend a helping hand.

If she had met a kind person like the Crown Princess when her hometown was hit by a locust plague, who would have given her even a steamed bun, then grandma would not have starved to death.

Linglong came back to her senses from the past, and her tone became more respectful, "Don't worry, Crown Princess."

Tao Ti smiled and was about to turn around and walk inside. Pei Yan stood behind her without her knowing. She was startled. "My Lord..."

Pei Yan raised a finger to his lips and glanced at the grandfather and grandson sitting outside the door with a cold look.

Tao Ti responded, walked forward and explained, and finally asked with her head tilted, "Your Highness... well, if I don't want to reveal my identity when I'm out, how should I address you?"

A bunch of nicknames automatically popped up in her mind: Xiao Pei, Xiao Yan, A Yan, Little Brother?

Pei Yan saw that she was asking seriously, so he narrowed his eyes and said, "I called your wife, and you called me... your husband?"

Husband, lord?

Tao Ti went over the name in her consciousness, and the temperature of her cheeks gradually warmed up.

Ever since the last time they went shopping together in the East Market, Pei Yan wanted to hear her call him husband. He thought he could just be gentle and persuasive, but he didn't expect the little girl to bring it up on her own initiative...

Seeing her delicate face like white porcelain shy, he suppressed his laughter and nodded seriously, "I think this title is good, what do you think, Ati?"

Taoti: "It's... okay."

Pei Yan said, "Then in the future, when we are out and about and intend to hide our identities, will you and I address each other like this?"

Tao Ti lowered her head, pinched the hem of her skirt nervously with her white and tender fingers, and murmured "hmm" softly.

"So why don't you call me husband now?"

"Ah?" Tao Ti was stunned.

Pei Yanqing's eyebrows were tinged with a gentle smile, "Just treat it as early practice."

Tao Ti lowered her head, her long and thick eyelashes drooping, slightly covering her eyes as clear as mountain springs, and murmured softly, "Husband, husband..."

Her voice was very soft. After she finished speaking, she clenched her fingers even tighter and said hurriedly, "It's getting late, it's time for lunch, I'll ask them to light a fire!"

Seeing her hurriedly leaving, Pei Yan raised the corner of his mouth.

But he is really... very well behaved.

After a moment, he calmed down, glanced at the grandparents at the door, and seeing nothing unusual, he turned back inside.

Although the mountain temple is dilapidated, it is made of wood. Tao Ti always remembers various fire prevention slogans, such as "If there is a fire at the foot of the mountain, the director will fall in love with me" and "If you set fire to the mountain, you will spend the rest of your life in jail", so she asked people to make a fire on the corridor and collected a bucket of rainwater next to it in case of emergency.

The weather was bad and it was inconvenient to get water. After thinking for a moment, Tao Ti decided to make something convenient and water-saving - Cantonese-style braised pork rice in a clay pot.

She brought two small pots with her on this trip, one was the clay pot she used to make chicken pot last time, and the other was a clay pot suitable for making clay pot rice. Compared with other pots, clay pots are more flexible in terms of heat control, and the clay pot rice made is also more delicious.

The cooking utensils were ready and the ingredients were simple: a bowl of shredded rice, two eggs, slices of bacon and sausage... Unfortunately, there were no green vegetables; it always felt like something was missing.

Tao Ti touched his chin and suddenly his eyes lit up.

She walked up to the great-grandson and said politely, "Old man, I just saw some wild vegetables in your medicine basket. I wonder if you are selling them?"

Hearing this, the old man said, "Madam, why are you so polite? They are just some wild vegetables, not worth much." He put the basket in front of Tao Ti and said, "Take whatever you want."

Tao Ti thanked them, took a handful of shepherd's purse, and saw that the grandfather and grandson had put their lunch aside, which was two pieces of wheat cakes swollen by rain water, so she asked Linglong to take four pieces of sesame baked naan.

"Old man, your wheat bread has been soaked by rain and is hard to eat. You and your grandson can have this baked naan for lunch as a gift in return for the shepherd's purse."

"Okay, okay, thank you, ma'am." The old man nodded and took the baked naan.

Although the baked naan is cold and not as crispy as when it is just out of the oven, you can still smell a faint fragrance when you hold it in your hand, especially after you put it in your mouth, the sesame is crispy, the surface of the baked naan is crispy, the inside is delicate, and there is a faint salty aroma. The more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes.

The little boy took the baked naan and ate it in big mouthfuls. After Tao Ti walked away, he whispered to his grandfather, "Grandpa, this naan is much more delicious than the wheat cakes you made."

The old man stroked his gray beard and said with a smile, "If it tastes good, eat more."

The little boy nodded and continued to gnaw on the naan that was bigger than his face.

The old man politely broke off a small piece of cake, chewed it while looking at the busy figure beside the stove at the end of the corridor, with a hint of admiration between his thin eyebrows.

…

With the ingredients and cooking utensils in place, the steps of making clay pot rice are very simple.

After soaking the shredded rice, add it to a clay pot with water, add two teaspoons of sesame oil, and steam it until cooked. When the rice is almost completely steamed, small holes will appear on the surface. At this time, place the cut bacon and bacon neatly on the rice, add some shredded ginger, and then cover the pot and continue to simmer.

After a while, a rich aroma emerged from the pot, including the light sweet fragrance of rice and the meaty aroma of the fat from steamed bacon and sausage.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Tao Ti opened the lid of the pot, cracked two eggs in the middle, covered the pot and continued to simmer. She didn't have the conditions to prepare the sauce in bottles and jars at the moment, so she took a spoonful of the spicy sauce she brought with her and mixed it with warm water to make the sauce.

At this time, in addition to the aroma of rice and basil, you can also smell the burnt aroma of the pot. Taoti opened the lid of the pot again, put the washed fresh shepherd's purse in, and evenly poured the prepared spicy sauce into the pot, covered the pot and continued to simmer with the residual heat. Before taking the pot off the heat, sprinkle a layer of chopped green onions on it, and the clay pot rice is ready.

The table was set up in the temple, and the table in the carriage was used directly. After the palace servants brought the clay pot rice to the table, Tao Ti said to Linglong and others, "Linglong, go to the carriage and get some baked naan and meat jerky to share with everyone. You don't need to serve here... Oh, and share some meat jerky with the grandparents. It's tasteless to eat only baked naan."

Linglong was slightly startled and did not respond immediately. Instead, she looked at Pei Yan, waiting for him to speak.

Pei Yan raised his eyelids slightly and said calmly, "All are subject to the orders of the Crown Princess." He glanced at the eunuchs Fu Xirui and others beside him and said, "You can go with us."

"Thank you, Crown Prince, and thank you, Crown Princess." Fu Xirui, Linglong and others were all delighted, bowed and left.

The light in the temple was dim and the sound of rain was dripping, making the surroundings seem even quieter and more secluded, with a sense of coolness and seclusion.

But when Tao Ti opened the pot of steaming clay pot rice, the rich aroma and the misty white smoke instantly brought her back to the real world full of ups and downs.

Through the hazy smoke, Pei Yan saw her little face with a bright smile.

Her smile was simple, pure, and so accurate that it touched the softness deep in his heart.

It made him feel that this world is not all bad and that it still has a bright side.

"Your Highness, it's time to eat. What are you thinking about?" Tao Ti couldn't help but call out when she saw him looking thoughtful.

"Well, let's eat..." Pei Yan came back to his senses, smiled at her, and looked at the food in front of him.

The round clay pot was filled with delicious food. The crystal white rice was covered with a layer of tender red bacon and pork, the white eggs were topped with emerald green onions and white sesame seeds, and fresh shepherd's purse was added on the side. It was truly a delicious dish with good color, aroma and flavor.

After seeing him appreciate the attractive appearance of the clay pot rice, Taoti took a large spoon and said, "This rice tastes better when it is stirred, especially the pot crust inside. Your Highness, you must try it. It is fragrant and crispy. I like it the most."

After she stirred it, the rice, bacon, eggs, shepherd's purse and sauce were fully mixed together, and the aroma became more intense.

"Okay, you can eat now." Tao Ti smiled, scooped a bowl for herself, and couldn't wait to take a bite.

The crystal clear and oily rice grains have absorbed the aroma of fat secreted by the bacon and sausage. They are soft and tender in the mouth, accompanied by the salty and delicious soup. The taste is extremely rich, and there is a hint of sweetness when chewed carefully.

Needless to say, the taste of Cantonese-style braised intestines is lightly scented with wine, mellow and refreshing; the tender braised meat is chewy and has a unique flavor of smoke; a mouthful of rice and a mouthful of meat will give you a sense of satisfaction. If you feel sick of it, take a bite of fresh shepherd's purse, which is refreshing and sweet, and is a natural delicacy unique to the mountains and fields.

"Hmm, delicious..." Tao Ti shrugged her shoulders, looking lazy and leisurely like a soft little kitten.

Seeing this, Pei Yan also took a bite, with an expected smile in his eyes, "Mm, delicious, A'ti is really amazing."

His praise made Tao Ti feel a little embarrassed, "It's okay, it's okay, as long as you like it."

Next, the two of them divided the rice, one bowl at a time. There was still some left, so Tao Ti pushed it in front of him and said softly, "Your Highness, eat more."

Pei Yan clearly caught the slight reluctance in her eyes. She still wanted to eat, but chose to let him eat more.

He knew that before, in front of his fourth uncle, his little princess consort said that she would try her best to feed him stronger. This was not empty talk, she really proved it with her actions.

He also knew that what he said in front of his fourth uncle that day was not empty talk.