After that night, time seemed to be fast-forwarded.
Spring passes and autumn comes, cold comes and summer comes.
The crabapple blossoms outside the window of Kunning Palace bloom and fade, fade and bloom again.
Under the concerted efforts of the emperor and empress, the Dali Dynasty flourished ever more. The national treasury was full, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and the world was at peace.
And in the passage of time, the one who has changed the most is the little baby who once needed to be held in someone's arms—His Highness the Crown Prince, Xiao Tuan.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.
The little dumpling who used to babble and spit out milk bubbles is now a four-year-old toddler.
His Highness the Crown Prince has inherited all the best qualities of both the Emperor and Empress.
He was exquisitely handsome, with large, bright, clear eyes like black grapes, resembling Lin Wanwan. His straight nose and well-defined thin lips also bore a resemblance to Xiao Che in his youth.
He was intelligent and quick-witted. He could read the Thousand Character Classic by heart at the age of three, and he began to study the Analects with the Grand Tutor at the age of four. He could often draw inferences from one instance to another, and his questions would make the white-bearded Grand Tutor stroke his beard and repeatedly praise him, saying, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is exceptionally gifted. He is a blessing from Heaven for our Great Li Dynasty."
In addition, he was gentle and sweet-talking, and would greet everyone with his beautiful eyes and a childish voice.
Therefore, everyone in the palace, from the Empress Dowager to the most ordinary palace maid, treated him like their precious darling.
It can be said that His Highness Crown Prince Xiao Tuan is the most beloved and favored mascot in this vast palace.
He was perfect in every way, almost unlike any child in the mortal world.
only……
The palace servants whispered among themselves that their seemingly perfect Crown Prince had a little "quirk".
This "quirk" is mainly reflected in two aspects.
First, it's about "eating".
His Highness the Crown Prince, though young, seems to be a natural gourmet.
He could always precisely "command" the imperial kitchen to make some novel desserts that he had never heard of, never seen, and that even the imperial chefs had to search through ancient books for a long time to find the recipes for.
For example, a few days ago, the weather was hot and humid.
After playing and getting all sweaty, His Highness the Crown Prince returned to the East Palace and suddenly said to his wet nurse, "Wang Mama, Tuanzi wants to eat... 'ice cream'!"
Granny Wang was stunned.
Ice cream?
What is that? She has served three generations of masters and has never heard of this dessert in the palace.
But His Highness the Crown Prince stubbornly pouted, looking aggrieved as if to say, "If I don't get to eat ice cream today, I'm going to cry in front of you."
Having no other choice, Granny Wang had to bite the bullet and go to the imperial kitchen to deliver the message.
As a result, even the head of the imperial kitchen was completely bewildered.
Finally, a newly arrived master chef from Jiangnan, who was also working at the white-lacquered table, slapped his thigh and said that he seemed to have seen the recipe for this dish in an ancient book from his hometown. It seemed to be made by mixing milk, honey, and crushed ice together.
So, the imperial kitchen was in chaos. After seven or eight attempts, they finally succeeded in recreating a bowl of icy-cold, milky-scented "ice cream" by evening.
When the bowl of "iced cheese" was served to His Highness the Crown Prince, the young prince immediately beamed with joy, eating until a ring of white beard clung to his little mouth.
After this incident, everyone in the Eastern Palace was amazed.
Your Highness, how did you know that something called "ice cream" existed in this world?
Secondly, there is the "reward".
His Highness the Crown Prince's "eccentricities" were also reflected in the rewards he gave to his servants.
The reward he gave was not gold or silver jewelry, but... something inexplicable, yet terrifyingly precise: "food".
For example, once, a young eunuch who was responsible for cleaning the courtyard was so sad that he missed the cured meat his mother made back home that he was depressed all day.
As evening fell, His Highness the Crown Prince passed by, suddenly stopped, pointed at the little eunuch, and said in a clear voice, "You! Yes, it's you! Come here!"
The little eunuch was so frightened that his soul almost flew out of his body, and he immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
To everyone's surprise, His Highness the Crown Prince took out a fragrant braised pork knuckle wrapped in oil paper from his own food box and handed it to him.
"Here you go!" The little prince said, hands behind his back, looking like a little adult. "This tastes almost the same as cured meat!"
The young eunuch was dumbfounded on the spot.
How...how did he know I was thinking about cured meat?!
Similar incidents happen frequently.
Over time, the palace servants all felt that their young crown prince was not only exceptionally intelligent, but perhaps... truly a "celestial being descended to earth".
Of course, these were just the palace servants' private speculations.
But the first time this "quirk" was truly brought to the forefront was on an ordinary afternoon.
...
The sunlight was just right in the Imperial Study.
Xiao Che was sitting behind his desk, reviewing memorials.
The little boy, who was already four years old and no longer needed his wet nurse to follow him around all the time, obediently moved a small stool and sat quietly at his father's feet, playing with the Luban lock in his hand.
This is the most common way the father and son have been interacting lately.
Xiao Che handled government affairs, while Tuanzi played by herself on the side, not disturbing each other, yet there was a silent warmth between them.
After reviewing memorials for half an hour, even the iron-willed Xiao Che felt somewhat tired.
He put down the vermilion brush, raised his hand, and rubbed his slightly swollen brow.
He muttered a remark unconsciously.
The voice was very soft, almost like talking to oneself.
"I'm a little tired. If I could have a bowl of almond milk, that would be perfect."
After saying that, he prepared to pick up the next memorial.
However, at this moment, the little dumpling who had been sitting quietly at his feet, engrossed in working on the Luban lock, suddenly stopped what it was doing.
He raised his delicate, porcelain-like face and blinked his large, dark, grape-like eyes.
Then, without even putting down the Luban lock in his hand, he turned his head and, facing Li Dequan, the chief eunuch who was bowing and standing at the entrance of the imperial study, said in a crisp, childlike voice, yet with an unquestionable commanding tone:
"Grandpa Li!"
Li Dequan was startled by the sudden call and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes! Your Highness, this old servant is here!"
Then the little dumpling continued, issuing his "decree" in his innocent childish voice.
"Father, I want almond milk!"
After he finished speaking, he tilted his head like a little adult, thought for a moment, and then solemnly added a sentence.
"It has to be sweet!"
Upon hearing this, the entire imperial study fell into an eerie silence.
Li Dequan was stunned on the spot.
He looked up blankly at His Majesty the Emperor on the dragon throne.
Almond milk?
Your Majesty...when did you say you wanted almond milk?
He stood there for ages, but didn't hear His Majesty utter a single word!
Xiao Che, sitting on the dragon throne, was completely stunned.
His hand, which was about to reach for the next memorial, froze in mid-air.
He slowly lowered his head, looking at his innocent son with a shocked expression, as if he had seen a ghost. The son was looking up at his son with an innocent face that seemed to say, "I helped Father Emperor convey his decree, praise me!"
He... he did think about almond milk for a moment.
But he swore that he had spoken so softly to himself that he had almost not heard it!
Tuanzi was sitting at his feet, with a large imperial desk between them. How could he possibly hear her?!
Just as Li Dequan and Xiao Che were both shocked, thinking they were hallucinating, the little dumpling became somewhat unhappy when it saw that its "command" had not been carried out for a long time.
He pursed his lips and repeated it again.
"Grandpa Li! Hurry up! Father wants to eat sweet almond milk!"
This time, Li Dequan heard it clearly.
He was startled and jumped back. Although he was still completely confused, he dared not be negligent in the slightest and hurriedly bowed and replied, "Yes, yes, yes! This old servant will go right away! Right away!"
After saying that, he slipped away as if his feet were greased.
Inside the imperial study, only the father and son remained, staring at each other in bewilderment.
Looking at his son, Xiao Che's handsome face, which was usually unfazed even in the face of a collapsing mountain, revealed an expression that could be described as "moral values shattered" for the first time.
He swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"...Dumplings."
"Hmm?" The little dumpling blinked its big eyes and looked at him innocently.
"How...how did you know, Father, wanted to eat this?"
Faced with his father's question, the little dumpling gave a matter-of-fact look.
He tilted his fluffy little head, stretched out his chubby little finger, pointed to the top of Xiao Che's head, and answered in the most innocent of tones:
"Because, above Father's head, there's a bowl of 'almond milk' floating!"
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