Changyu looked at the at pie in her right hand, which she had already eaten more than half of, then looked at the intact at pie in her left hand, and finally turned to look at the half at pie left in Mingda’s hand.
Mingda ignored her, took a slow bite while eating and walking, Aunt Fan couldn’t help but murmur behind them, "Eating while walking, how can a princess be so rude?"
Princess Changyu then saw the sa thing Aunt Fan did, and scolded, "Aunt, why did you go and call Brother Crown Prince?"
Aunt Fan explained, "I was going to find Aunt Shang, but I ran into His Highness the Crown Prince on the way, and when he asked, I couldn’t not answer."
Aunt Fan was Mingda’s upbringing aunt and had been with her since she was very young, considered a trusted aide of the emperor and empress.
However, as Mingda grew older over the past two years, she didn’t need her as much. Naturally, young girls prefer to be with other young girls, so Mingda preferred to use the maids around her.
Aunt Fan also knew that staying by Mingda’s side would make the other party uncomfortable, so she consciously took care of so needlework and managed so minor palace affairs, basically serving as a mascot now.
So she didn’t know about the secret arrangent between Manbao and the two princesses. She was only following because Princess Mingda got up early and wanted to go out, which seed strange to her.
It was springti, and usually, Princess Mingda wouldn’t leave the palace doors at this ti, yet they ended up at the palace gate.
No one would say anything, and it wasn’t until Manbao arrived that she knew they had co so early just for a bite.
Though Manbao was an imperial doctor, she couldn’t let Princess Mingda eat outside food, and she knew Princess Mingda was always determined; probably only the empress could stop her in the palace.
So she hurriedly went to find the empress, but ran into the Crown Prince on the way.
At this point, the Crown Prince had already taken a basket to enter the palace. Since they were at pies and the Crown Prince had one in his mouth, no one thought the at pies were poisoned, so the guards didn’t stop him.
Everyone watched him walk away, shrugged, raised their eyelids, and quickly checked the items to enter the palace.
The guards looked at Bai Shan, Manbao, and Bai Erlang, reached out to flip through their belongings, saw the bamboo tube hanging on the side of the food box, and signaled Bai Shan to open it.
After seeing the flowing liquid inside, they said, "You can’t bring this inside either."
Bai Shan simply handed the food box to Daji, casually opened a bamboo tube, and gave it to Liu Huang, "Here, have a drink."
Liu Huang happily opened the bamboo tube and drank, "What is this made of? It seems to have a bean flavor."
"It’s made from beans," Bai Shan said, "Soy milk, made in the process of making tofu. Do you not have it here?"
Liu Huang was stunned, shook his head, "I’ve had bean curd, but that’s only been available for the past two years. So, soy milk is even thinner than bean curd?"
Zhao Liulang heavily planted the basket in front of them, cast a sideways glance at them after the inspection, and went in through the gate.
Manbao asked, "What’s with him?"
Bai Erlang guessed, "Is it because he didn’t get to eat the at pie?"
Liu Huang looked at the half at pie left in his hand and quickened his eating pace.
Bai Shan said, "It’s fine, he’ll be alright soon."
Manbao added, "Well, he’s unrefined, but I’m well-mannered. He didn’t even let pass. So why did he cut in front of ?"
Lu Yue, who was about to slip in behind Zhao Liulang, froze. Although he felt aggrieved, he had to silently let them go first.
After everyone finished checking, Liu Huang drank two sips of soy milk, shoved the bamboo tube into Daji’s hand, and hurried to catch up.
The guards turned a blind eye to their impropriety, but the officials heading to the morning assembly did see them.
Minister Liu saw his grandson, who had set off early, still lingering at the palace gate and hadn’t had ti to be angry before he noticed the boy stuffing sothing into his mouth, cheeks bulging.
In public, very improper.
Minister Liu frowned, and Minister Li chuckled, "Minister Liu, boys in their teens are growing, breakfast is important, don’t neglect the child."
Lord Tang, who had experience, nodded, "Indeed, the young lad still looks sowhat frail, he should eat more. Look at my Tang He, always well-fed since childhood, that’s why he’s grown so strong."
Minister Liu couldn’t help but snort; Tang He wasn’t lacking in food, but did that an their Liu family was lacking?
The boy had clearly eaten a basketful of buns and a bowl of porridge for breakfast; how could he have known that he could eat so much, acting like he was starving at the palace gate?
After the anger, Minister Liu couldn’t help but feel sorry, his face tight, inwardly blaming his wife for not taking care of the child despite having nothing to do all day.
The child was so hungry, and she wouldn’t prepare more food for him. Even if in a hurry, she could make so snacks for him to have on the road or at the palace.
The grandson being this hungry must be due to insufficient nutrition.
Minister Li and Lord Tang, seeing Minister Liu’s face darkening with fire about to ignite, decided to stop lest he explode on the spot.
Liu Huang finished mopping up his belly after entering the palace behind Bai Shan and the others and couldn’t help but pat his full stomach and said, "Manbao, your sister-in-law’s at pie is really tasty, just as good as the bread at Primus Pavilion. Why doesn’t your family’s restaurant have these pies?"
"Don’t they?" Manbao tilted her head in thought and then said, "The nu has them listed at six cents a piece."
"Do they? When I went last ti, I didn’t sll this scent?"
Bai Shan laughed, "That’s either Sixth Brother Zhou or Chef Zhang from the restaurant making them, different from what Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou makes."
Liu Huang earnestly suggested to Manbao, "If your sister-in-law made bread, it’d surely sell well."
Manbao shook her head, "It doesn’t matter really, it depends on whether my sister-in-law is willing or not."
She said, "With the amount of stead ats she prepares for the restaurant daily, it takes half a day, plus she has to look after the family too. You can’t make money off everything, so there’s no need to do everything."
Bai Shan nodded in deep agreent, "I think it’s fine as it is now; if sister-in-law starts cooking at the restaurant, and later if she stops, the reputation might suffer."
Currently, besides making so stead ats, atballs, and sauces, she hardly involves herself in the restaurant’s operations, and does it mostly based on her mood.
When she has free ti, she does it; if not, she doesn’t, quite carefree, and Zhou’s and their neighboring shops get along fine, so there’s no fear of taking anyone’s job.
Bai Shan continued, "If sister-in-law went to the restaurant to make pancakes and breads, the entire street’s pancake sellers and breakfast vendors might end up resenting our restaurant."
Bai Erlang agreed, "We’ve eaten at, so we should let others have so soup, right?"
Liu Huang remarked, "But I see His Highness the Crown Prince likes it quite a lot too."
Manbao nonchalantly waved, "There are plenty of good foods in the palace; they like it because it’s hard to find similar tastes, a couple of tis is fine, but the novelty fades if you eat a lot."
She emphasized, "Our ho doesn’t usually make at pies; it’s only when we enter the palace or head out that my sister-in-law makes them. Usually, it’s vegetable pies."
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