TPITWOHEF

Chapter 19

Hotpot?

Skewers?

The Fifth Prince looked bewildered. In the palace, meals were always planned in advance, and such things had never appeared before.

What is this?

He could understand the names, but he had never tasted them before.

"Thank you, Wei Zheng, for relaying the message."

The Fifth Prince thought to himself and followed closely behind Wei Zheng with a serious expression on his young face.

Throughout the journey, he worried.

His sister had said that the Tianqi Dynasty would decline in less than three years under the new ruler.

Lately, even in the study room, his tutor had been talking about flooding and the loss of farmland. The tutor had also mentioned the issue of refugees.

Money was needed everywhere now.

The Tianqi Dynasty already had hidden risks of collapse.

How could the Emperor still have the leisure to fuss over food, indulging in luxury and waste?

The Fifth Prince's face showed some displeasure, but as soon as he entered the Chonghua Palace, he heard his sister's babbling voice and involuntarily stopped in his tracks.

[Wow, fried mushrooms are delicious! Draw cross-shaped cuts on the back of the thick mushroom, deep-fry it in oil, and when you take a bite, it's soft, juicy, and locks in the flavor. Add cumin powder, salt...]

[Deep-fried cabbage is also excellent. The high temperature completely removes the original earthy smell of the vegetable, leaving only sweetness...]

[Fried chicken fillet is even more amazing. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with the oil encapsulated within. It's tender and not dry, fresh and not salty. After eating that, have another skewer of fried rice cakes, with sweet sauce coating...]

All of the Fifth Prince's complaints vanished in an instant.

So, it was his sister who came up with the idea of skewers.

It turned out they were all inexpensive things like mushrooms, cabbage, and rice cakes that ordinary families could afford.

As he stepped into the Chonghua Palace, a warm smile appeared on his face.

"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince has arrived," Wei Zheng relayed with a smile.

In a side hall of the Chonghua Palace, Emperor Xiao Yunzhou, at this moment, lifted up the sleeves of his dragon-patterned robe. In his left hand, he held a skewer, and in his right hand, a bottle of cumin, which he sprinkled onto the skewer.

Upon hearing the news, he looked towards the entrance.

At first glance, Xiao Yunzhou was also taken aback.

Though he was not particularly close to his children, he did pay attention to his own offspring.

The Fifth Prince, Cheng Qian, had always worn a stern expression since childhood, as if others owed him money.

As the revered ruler, Xiao Yunzhou naturally disliked seeing people in such a mood.

So, he rarely invited his fifth son to have a meal, to avoid indigestion.

But unexpectedly, today Cheng Qian walked in with such a conspicuous smile, which made Xiao Yunzhou pleasantly surprised!

"Cheng Qian, come here quickly! Father personally seasoned the skewers. Have a taste."