Guess?
She had no memory of leaving the palace.
How could she possibly guess something like that?
Yuan Yao wrinkled her little nose and said in a childish voice, "Daddy's naughty!"
The Ninth Prince smiled and said, "Little Yao'er is sleepy. Take a nap first. When we get there, Daddy will wake you up."
"Um!"
Yuan Yao nodded, obediently lay in the arms of the Ninth Prince, and quickly fell asleep.
The carriage drove out of Sifang Street and traveled along the bustling streets for a long time before stopping outside a restaurant on the banks of the moat.
The guard driving the carriage said, "Your Highness, we've arrived."
The Ninth Prince moved his sleeve slightly and carried Yuan Yao out of the carriage.
Yuan Yao's eyelids twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes, asking groggily, "Father, have we arrived?"
"Awake?" The Ninth Prince shielded her from the blinding light with his sleeve, a smile playing on his lips. "Are you hungry?"
Yuan Yao patted her little belly, her eyes wide and bright: "Hungry!"
She was hungry back in school, okay?
Since she started studying at the Chinese Academy, she attends classes at around nine in the morning for three hours each day, and finishes at three in the afternoon.
During the course, the Academy of Chinese Studies would provide meals. Others had two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and a soup, but Yuan Yao only had a bowl of rice porridge and a bowl of meat soup every day, with rice water as the soup...
I've been eating this every day, and my face is almost the same color as rice porridge!
After getting off the carriage, Yuan Yao asked the Ninth Prince to let her down so she could walk on her own.
While in the carriage, the Ninth Prince changed her into a bright light blue dress, while the Ninth Prince himself changed his usual flamboyant style and wore a low-key black outfit.
Even her face has been altered; she is no longer stunningly beautiful, but she still possesses an extraordinary air about her.
As soon as the two stepped into the restaurant lobby, the plump, fair-skinned manager greeted them: "My lord."
My Lord?
Yuan Yao was surprised.
She asked, "Father, is this restaurant your property?"
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, young master."
Young Master?
Is the shopkeeper calling her?
A strange sense of joy welled up in Yuan Yao's heart.
This title is a certification of being a second-generation rich kid!
Her dad is rich!
Yuan Yao straightened her little body like a child and said to the shopkeeper in a childish voice, "No need for formalities."
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper grinned from ear to ear: "Young Master is so adorable."
Yuan Yao replied in a serious tone, "Yao'er also thinks she's very cute!"
"Hahaha..." The shopkeeper laughed so hard he almost cried, and said to the Ninth Prince, "Your Majesty, please come upstairs."
As they went upstairs, the shopkeeper said, "The cherries in southern Sichuan are growing exceptionally well this year. As soon as they arrived this morning, I had them frozen with ice..."
cherry?
Upon hearing those two words, Yuan Yao's eyes lit up immediately.
Cherries are a wonderful thing!
Every summer, she eats cherries as her main meal. Even in winter, she would rather skip a few hot pot meals than spend a lot of money to buy imported cherries.
I never imagined that I could eat this in ancient times...
Yuan Yao swallowed hard and looked up: "Father, did you come to pick me up today just to eat cherries here?"
The Ninth Prince chuckled softly: "Are you happy?"
"So happy!" Yuan Yao's eyes were practically sparkling with hearts.
At this moment, the steward laughed and said, "Young master is young and may not know this. Our Great Qi has very few cherries. The cherries grown as tribute will not be transported to the capital for a while."
"Our cherries at Yipinlou are bought from southern Sichuan and transported to the capital by fast horses."
In ancient times, there were no airplanes or trains; everything was transported to the capital by horse-drawn carriages, traversing mountains and rivers...
Cherries, a delicate and precious fruit, were mostly consumed by royalty and nobility in the capital, and ordinary people could not afford to eat them.
As soon as the two entered the private room, two plates of cherries were placed on the table.
The cherries are bright red, round and plump, like red agate, crystal clear and beautiful, and look so sweet.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "My lord, young master, would you like to try some?"
As he spoke, he made a "please" gesture.
Yuan Yao swallowed hard, looking longingly at the Ninth Prince: "Father..."
The Ninth Prince washed his hands in clear water, picked up a deep red cherry with his fingertips, removed the pit with a toothpick, and handed it to Yuan Yao: "Try one first."
Can I only eat one?
Yuan Yao stared at the two plates full of cherries, her mouth watering.
She pursed her lips and then opened them.
With one bite, the sweet cherry juice instantly fills your mouth.
Instantly, Yuan Yao squinted her eyes happily: "So sweet!"
Seeing this, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "These fruits have all been carefully selected, and are of even better quality than those offered as tribute. Naturally, they are sweet."
The Ninth Prince casually picked up a cherry, put it in his mouth, and squinted his eyes: "Hmm, not bad."
Yuan Yao swallowed hard and said in a childish voice, "Daddy, Yao'er wants more..."
The Ninth Prince put down the toothpick and asked her, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Yuan Yao smacked her lips wistfully, then obediently replied, "No."
The Ninth Prince nodded: "Wait another cup of tea's time."
"Why?" Yuan Yao asked curiously.
Could it be that ancient cherries taste better if they are stored for a longer period of time?
Maybe!
Seeing Yuan Yao staring longingly at the cherries on the table, the shopkeeper ordered someone to bring over some food.
The Ninth Prince glanced at it first, then his gaze fell on the tea and snacks on the plate: "What is this?"
The waiter delivering the food said, "Sir, this is our restaurant's best-selling Five-Nut Pastry."
Five-nut pastry?
Yuan Yao's eyes lit up, and she reached out to take it: "Let me try it!"
Just then, a large hand swiftly snatched the five-nut pastry.
Yuan Yao: "Father!" She glared angrily at the Ninth Prince: "Why can't I eat this?"
The Ninth Prince freed one hand to soothe her, saying, "Be good." Then he asked, "Five kernels, what are the five kernels?"
The servant counted on his fingers and replied, "Peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, almonds, and melon seeds."
With each name he announced, the Ninth Prince's expression grew increasingly grim.
The steward asked cautiously, "My lord, is there any dietary restriction?"
The Ninth Prince, with a stern face, handed the five-nut pastry to the servant: "Take all of these away!"
Huh?
Yuan Yao said anxiously, "Father, I haven't tried it yet!"
This five-nut pastry looks very fragrant and crispy.
It must taste delicious.
The Ninth Prince glanced at her and said to the shopkeeper, "The Princess must not touch anything made from almonds and peanuts. Don't let me see it again!"
The shopkeeper's face immediately changed, and he knelt down, saying, "Please punish me, Your Majesty."
"Let it go this time." The Ninth Prince waved his sleeve: "Make a venison soup for the princess, steam a river fish, and brew her a pear soup. Go."
The shopkeeper wiped away a cold sweat and quickly called to his servant, "Come out with me."
The door to the private room was closed.
Inside the private room, only Yuan Yao and the Ninth Prince remained.
Yuan Yao recovered from her shock.
Many mysteries seemed to have been suddenly solved...
She was over three years old and still wasn't weaned. The only foods she could eat were rice cereal, rice water, and meat broth. Later, milk was added to her diet...
The Ninth Prince forbade her from touching the five-nut pastry, and she had to try eating cherries first to see if there were any adverse reactions...
Yuan Yao bit her lip, feeling down, and asked in a childish voice, "Daddy, does Yao'er... have an allergy?"
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