In the Xinglong Teahouse, Liu Feng, who was serving the emperor, saw the emperor and the empress dowager chatting and laughing, tasting the cooking of famous chefs one by one. The Third Prince also behaved very well most of the time under the occasional questioning of the supreme emperor and empress. As for Concubine Yu and the concubines and several princesses and county ladies, at least on the surface they seemed to be having a good time. He could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
If Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying, the trouble-making pair, were to leave together, the world would truly be at peace!
However, when he wasn't paying attention, the emperor yawned somewhat listlessly.
No matter how delicious the dishes are, even if they are dragon liver and phoenix marrow, if you eat too much, it will be just like that. Moreover, he has been eating non-stop from just now until now, and his taste buds are almost numb to the point that he can no longer taste the good flavors. When the emperor inadvertently glanced at the third prince and saw that he was in a daze, he knew that his son was also bored.
If I had known, I would not have let Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying go! Zhang Shou, that kid, always causes troubles, and he is also very good at making witty remarks and making excuses. Zhu Ying is also quick-witted and never cares who her opponent is. With this pair of wonderful people around, he can eat a few more bites of food. He is not as stable as he is now, and there is not even one person who can speak funny... Alas, the Third Prince cannot compare to the Fourth Prince in this respect!
Thinking of this, the emperor put down his chopsticks and ordered unhappily: "Send someone to the Jiangdu Palace to inquire. It's fine if the young couple didn't come back, but why is Si Lang nowhere to be seen? Does it take so long to watch the fun?"
The third prince came to his senses with a start, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the emperor seemed to know what he was going to say. He quickly picked up a Cantonese salt-baked chicken leg from the plate and stuffed it directly into his son's mouth, blocking the words that were about to come out of his mouth. Then he clapped his hands leisurely.
"This dish tastes good. Since the Han Dynasty, the salt and iron monopoly has always been the best way for the court to make profits. Therefore, the price of salt is often so high that ordinary people can't afford it, and private salt dealers are even more rampant. However, Emperor Taizu was born in response to the will of heaven. He valued agriculture and industry and commerce. He did not make profits from salt, and even greatly improved the method of boiling salt. Now this dish, although the cost is high, it is not expensive."
The Third Prince's face turned red from choking on the chicken leg, but after hearing his father's words, he finally took the chicken leg out of his mouth and suddenly realized what was going on. He then nodded with reverence on his face.
When the Queen Mother saw this scene, she was both angry and amused. He had been the emperor for 27 years and had many children, but he was still so willful! He was just teasing his son, but he still spoke seriously about the truth. Only an honest child like the Third Prince would take it seriously. Such an innocent child is good, but he still needs to learn more about tact...
Concubine Yu couldn't help laughing when she saw the emperor teasing the third prince. Concubine He, who was standing by, was quiet and serene. The two of them chatted casually, but they didn't find it boring. However, she looked at the group of princesses. The three of them, Princess Deyang, who was already married, were obviously easy to talk to, but they still had to take care of the unhappy Princess Yongping from time to time. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart.
On the contrary, the Lady Dowager and Jiu Niang sat calmly, and they even had the leisure to discuss how to arrange the marriage of Zhu Tingfang and Zhu Ying... As for the previous tit-for-tat between Princess Yongping and Zhu Ying, the two seemed to not take it to heart at all.