After breakfast, Yinhe and Qingyan changed into casual clothes and took the two children to the main courtyard. Before dinner the previous night, he had asked Su Peisheng to consult with Kangxi on whether he could take Empress Dowager Tong and Consort Tong out.
"Fourth Prince, does Father Emperor allow it?" Li Dequan did not give any answer, and Yin felt uneasy. He could not answer the question she raised.
Yin shook his head directly, saying he didn't know for the time being.
Empress Dowager Tong and Consort Tong had been staying in their residences and the inner palace for far too long; they felt it was a great privilege to be able to go out even once.
As the family of four stepped into the main courtyard, they found that Yin's family of three was also there, and everyone had already changed into their travel clothes.
"Fourth Prince, this time we're going to Linglong Pavilion. Have you made the arrangements?" Kangxi asked people to give up staying at Linglong Pavilion because he was worried that the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager Tong wouldn't be used to it.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I have personally scouted the place." Yin smiled. The four of them were dining at Linglong Pavilion, where the local specialties were the best hospitality they could receive.
Yuelai Inn?!
The Emperor looked at Yin, "This restaurant is also his?"
"Father, the Yuelai Inn belongs to Qingyan." Kangxi seemed to have seen through the Emperor Emeritus's thoughts and explained directly.
Emperor Kangxi did not value commerce. However, as the imperial merchants under the Imperial Household Department repeatedly encountered problems, Kangxi realized that the wool industry was a major factor, and the complementary tax revenue was also greatly affected.
Yinhe and Qingyan were able to obtain firsthand information from the business world, which can be considered as helping the royal family.
"Hmm, this is a good place; the information network is excellent." The Emperor expressed his satisfaction. The royal family would send out a large number of people to gather information, mostly from teahouses or restaurants, as these were the easiest places to obtain news.
Qingyan's face flushed slightly, sensing that the Emperor's words had a hidden meaning.
"Mafa, Linglong Pavilion and Yuelai Inn are part of Xiaoguai's dowry. It would be great if they could help the royal family." How many of the shops that are part of a Fujin's dowry can be run successfully?
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction; Qingyan did not go out of his way to open a shop.
Seeing the Emperor Emeritus nod in satisfaction, Qingyan felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. Ever since discovering that the Emperor Emeritus was still alive, she had been worried that he would dislike her, which would not only implicate Yin but also implicate Lady Yingenjueluo.
“Father, there’s also a share from the eldest daughter’s family in Linglong Pavilion. The sisters-in-law also help each other out, earning some money for cosmetics.” Consort Tong quickly spoke up for Qingyan and the other two.
The Emperor nodded slightly. Having lived among the common people for several years, he understood the status of Linglong Pavilion and Yuelai Inn. These two places raised money every year for disaster relief and porridge distribution, making them well-regarded shops.
At the time, the Emperor Emeritus was puzzled, wondering which shop owner could have such awareness.
"Alright, is everything ready? Let's go shopping together today." Kangxi waved his hand, and the whole family went out. They would have lunch at the Yuelai Inn.
The guards had received the imperial decree long ago and went to the market early, disguised as passersby. The group could not go in large numbers, and there were also some secret guards to ensure the safety of Kangxi and his entourage.
As the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Dowager Tong walked down the street, looking at the bustling crowd, they were filled with many emotions.
Since he went south, he has been unable to go out except for a short trip during the winter when he is bundled up. He can't go out at all when spring is in full bloom.
"Mother, the rice cakes at the market here are quite good. Yiken brought them for us; they were bought from here." Kangxi received the food brought back by the twins, and a happy smile appeared on his face. His grandsons, whom he had raised, thought of him no matter where they went.
Compared to the Crown Prince, this filial piety is of greater significance.
Empress Dowager Tong nodded. When the twins went out, they would buy something for each person. Although it was Yin and Qingyan who paid for it, the elders understood from the gifts that the two children must like them.
In their eyes, a rice cake and a ginger candy brought by their two children are things they like. They even buy small items like clay figurines to give as a token of their respect when seeing guests off.
Those whimsical gifts greatly improved the mood of Emperor Kangxi and his entourage.
"Mafa, Mafa, there are shrimp wontons ahead, they taste better than the ones at home!" Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen knocked on Qingyan and pleaded with Kangxi.
Yesterday, Qingyan limited his daughter to eating shrimp. He bought a bowl of authentic shrimp wontons from a roadside stall and gave it to her as a late-night snack.
Kangxi not only nodded, but Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen also shared the delicious food he had.
"Alright, let's go try it." Kangxi was very casual. The food prepared by the imperial kitchen was definitely not as good as the local food. In addition, these stalls had been operating in the area for decades and all had their own unique skills.
Emperor Kangxi and his entourage of more than a dozen people arrived at the wonton stall. They saw that the stall was run by a middle-aged couple who were busy serving customers.
"Shopkeeper, I'd like seventeen bowls of wontons," Tu Lichen said as he approached the stall.
"Alright, please wait a moment, sir." The middle-aged man, who was only around forty years old, quickly replied upon noticing the group's extraordinary demeanor.
Qingyan sat on a chair with her daughter in her arms, watching the shop owner's wife bring out the cold dishes. The cold dishes here were very delicious, and they were also a treat with the wontons.
Tu Lichen and the others sat on the outer perimeter, seemingly unintentionally surrounding their hosts.
When the wontons were served, Qingyan ate one first. Kangxi glared at her, and Li Dequan stood awkwardly to the side, caught in a dilemma.
"Father, this tastes good. Your daughter-in-law couldn't resist, hehe." Qingyan quickly replied.
Li Dequan simply returned to his original table, and no outsider could see any flaws in his actions, so Li Dequan would not attract any attention.
"This is a one-time exception." Qingyan clearly didn't care about her own safety, so Yin squeezed her little hand as a warning.
"Yes!" Qingyan immediately replied.
The little farce was thus resolved. Qingyan frowned, worried that people would pay attention to Li Dequan. A man in his forties or fifties without a beard must be a eunuch.
After eating the wontons, Qingyan slowly followed the group towards Linglong Pavilion, as they said they were going to browse the shops.
"Fourth Prince, Anda is too conspicuous. Can we talk to Father Emperor and ask Anda to put on a beard?" Qingyan asked in a low voice.
Yin was taken aback. They were all used to seeing Li Dequan without a beard and had forgotten that he was different from normal men.
"Is there a disguise over at Linglong Pavilion?" Yin also noticed that Li Dequan was attracting too much attention.
"Yes." Qingyan felt uneasy all over. Su Peisheng and Yin were about the same age, and outsiders didn't react much to the fact that he didn't have a beard.
Listening to the conversation between Yin and the other man, Li Dequan, from a passerby's perspective, seemed rather abrupt, realizing that he should also deal with Xiao Shunzi, who was beside him.
"Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law," Yin said in a low voice.
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