Upon arriving at the commercial street, Qingyan helped Yin down from the carriage, where a specially made carriage for Emperor Kangxi by the Imperial Household Department was parked directly in front of them.
"Father, didn't you and Mother go shopping?" Yin asked, looking at Kangxi and Consort Tong waiting for them.
The Crown Prince's carriage was already empty, but Emperor Kangxi did not accompany him.
"Little darling, is there anything you want to buy?" Kangxi chuckled as the little guy asked Sulan how many copper coins she had exchanged.
"Vinegar!" Qingyan said lightly.
vinegar?!
Everyone was helpless. Could Ninghua Prefecture really afford to lack the vinegar it was offering as tribute?
"Vinegar!" Qingyan smiled and told Suzhu to go buy a few jars of vinegar first.
"Fine, you're planning to live with a jealous heart all your life, aren't you?" Consort Tong covered her mouth and laughed. Her little darling was very jealous; Emperor Kangxi always teased her about it.
Qingyan blushed and glared at him.
"Come on, let's go with them!" Emperor Kangxi often accompanied Consort Tong on outings, ostensibly to observe the people's conditions, but this was merely an excuse to appease the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.
Consort Tong led her two daughters-in-law into the commercial street first. Qingyan looked back and forth at the stalls on both sides. These were the original shops.
As soon as they entered, shouts and calls came from afar.
"Ah, this is getting interesting! The hexagon is gleaming, and nothing is difficult."
Upon hearing this, Qingyan's eyes lit up instantly. This was Zhenjiang's most famous snack, the hexagonal Jingjiang Shiqi.
"Mother, that one is nice, we..." Qingyan pouted, thinking they couldn't very well use it sitting on the street.
“Little Darling…” Yin said helplessly, trying to stop him.
"Little darling, which one is tastier?" Kangxi glared at Yin, then turned to Qingyan, reassuring her to speak.
"Hmm, this is a local snack. There are sweet and savory ones. It's best to eat it fresh out of the oven." Qingyan wrinkled her little face and looked at the stall in the distance. It was just a small umbrella with four or five tables.
"Alright, let's treat this as a one-time treat!" Kangxi laughed. Li Dequan and the others were a little worried. If the Emperor were to be misused, the Fourth Princess Consort would be in trouble.
Waaaaah!
Qingyan felt a chill run down her spine; wasn't this a bit too far-fetched?
"Father, you should go to the Yuelai Inn instead." Under Yin's angry glare, he awkwardly changed his tune.
"You brat, if you glare at me again, get back in the carriage!" Kangxi looked at Yin, knowing his sons' worries. "Go and eat, all of you. Yin, you stay with Xiao Guai; the things she likes should taste good. Street food is better for these kinds of snacks. When we get back to the capital, your father will take you to eat tripe!"
Yin and Yin were speechless. It was rumored that Kangxi would often change out of his dragon robe and go to Dashilan to eat snacks, not going to big restaurants, but specifically going to roadside stalls.
"Let's go, we've eaten our fair share of street food in the capital!" Consort Tong glanced at the petrified crowd, then led Xiao Guai towards the stall.
"Don't say anything about Xiao Guai when you get back. Even if she doesn't say anything, there's no way to stop this meal!" Yin understood that Kangxi probably already knew. It's quite a distance from where they got off the carriage to here!
Yin nodded and followed the women soldiers in front of him.
"Boss, bring fifty bowls of Jingjiang steamed buns, one bowl of chicken soup, one bowl of beef soup, and one bowl of Jingguo noodles for each table." Qingyan glanced at Sulan and quickly told her to go and order.
Looking at the cleaned tables and benches, Emperor Kangxi nodded in approval. They were much cleaner than the shops in the capital!
"Father, give Yierha more Jingguo powder, the kids love it. Jingjiang steamed buns taste good when soaked in chicken or beef broth after cooking. This isn't something just anyone can afford, a few of them are quite expensive." Qingyan turned his head and saw that all six tables were full. Their table was full of masters, with Li Dequan and others standing by to serve them.
Upon hearing Qingyan's words, Yierha clapped his little hands and cheered.
"You can all sit down and use the tables. It's not easy for you to come all this way." Kangxi waved his hand, and the stall owner's wife tidied up two more tables, which was just enough for the servants to go over.
Li Dequan was in a dilemma, but seeing that Kangxi was determined, he led his men over.
"Sir, your family is quite wealthy, why don't you use the Yuelai Inn?" The old man found it strange that Kangxi and his entourage's clothing didn't seem to be from a roadside stall.
For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Yuelai Inn is Xiaoguai's business. If the food isn't good, I'm not going to say bad things to her face.
"Grandpa, we just came from Yuelai Inn. The waiter there said that the authentic Jingjiang cuisine can only be found here!" Qingyan replied with a smile.
The old man waved his hand shyly, but the pride in his eyes was undeniable.
Qingyan smiled and said, "The Jingjiang Shiqi was originally purchased by Emperor Qianlong for the Empress Dowager. Now, it has entered the eyes of the royal family two generations earlier."
"Don't tell me, my son runs the Yuelai Inn, but his skills aren't quite there yet," the old man's wife said proudly.
"Auntie, really!" Qingyan saw that bowls of meat soup were served first, and Fei Yanggu and the others took Jingjiang food and started eating. Kangxi understood that Fei Yanggu was tasting the food.
"You old codger, come here." Kangxi was furious as he watched Fei Yanggu squint his eyes in enjoyment.
Fei Yanggu quickly shook his head, and a plate of Jingjiang steamed buns was served.
“It’s good to eat more of the delicious food that Dunfu introduced!” Fei Yanggu said.
Zhang Ying?!
The princes present looked at Fei Yanggu, and finally, Kangxi instructed Tulichen to invite Fei Yanggu to the main table.
"You're using it down there, trying to make it difficult for the fourth prince and the others to use it properly." Kangxi glanced at Fei Yanggu. "What does this have to do with Dunfu?"
The people knew Zhang Ying, but not his courtesy name. Fei Yanggu used Zhang Ying's courtesy name to avoid revealing his identity.
“Dunfu is from Zhenjiang, and he’s told me this a lot…” Fei Yanggu glanced at Qingyan, but didn’t recognize the last character.
"It's Jingjiang Shiqi!" Qingyan whispered to her father.
“Yes, this is the best restaurant in Jingjiang.” Fei Yanggu shrugged. Yin and Yin were completely speechless. These adults would talk about their family’s food in private.
Kangxi nodded. When they went on the expedition together, they often quenched their thirst with plums.
Yierha had already started eating, taking a bite of Jingguo rice noodles and a bite of Jingjiang steamed buns, her big phoenix eyes forming crescent moons.
"It tastes good!" Emperor Kangxi tasted some and gave his praise.
"Take some back with you and have them prepared." Kangxi thought these would make a great breakfast.
"Yes!" Yin Jingqing agreed, and would come back to buy it before leaving.
Qingyan ate with her head down, saying the taste was definitely better than modern versions; the old-fashioned techniques were truly excellent.
In modern times, she was dragged to Zhenjiang by her best friend and ate this stuff for several days. She always thought the crunchy texture was delicious. However, the original Jingjiang steamed bun was octagonal, but it was changed to hexagonal because it was taboo under the Eight Banners system.
"Little girl, we'll be counting on you in a bit!" Consort Tong expressed her satisfaction; it was good that her little darling liked reading travelogues.
"After we return, you can read any of the travelogues in the library!" Kangxi promised. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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