The night had spread into the city of Yanjing. Every household had lit their lamps, presenting a prosperous scene.
In the restaurants, singing and dancing were everywhere. Faintly, the laughter of men and women could be heard. The sounds of stringed and woodwind instruments intertwined in the air, extremely charming.
Caiyu had never been on the street since she came to Yanjing. People said that Yangzhou was the richest place under heaven. She was already used to the prosperous scenes there and thought that all the wealth in the world had gathered in Yangzhou.
But today she learned that the prosperity of Yanjing was on a par with that of Yangzhou.
It was a scene of peace and prosperity.
The Prince of Yan had governed his fiefdom very well, which also made her admire Song Yinghuai.
Her father, Marquis Yongchang Lan Yuanyi, once said that whether judging the achievements of a local official or the merits and demerits of an emperor, there was no need to look at the umbrellas presented by the common people or the merit tablets. It was enough to see whether the people under his rule lived in peace and harmony.
As for what was recorded in the history books, it was not as good as seeing with one's own eyes.
Along the way, all she could hear were the cries of peddlers.
"Delicious and crispy, tea snacks!"
"Vegetable buns with shiitake mushroom stuffing..."
"Honey cakes! Aiwowo!"
"Porridge! Fine rice porridge! Fried pastries!"
Song Yinghuai chose a stall selling stewed meat by the Taiye Pond. The steaming pig offal bobbed in the bright brown brine. The aroma of the meat that had been stewed for a long time made people drool from afar.
They sat down on the corridor by the river. A few steps ahead was a stone arch bridge. Small wooden boats were coming and going under the bridge to transport goods. The oars stirred up rippling waves. Yanjing had strong winds and dry air. This river was an inland stream of the moat dug by Song Yinghuai. It must have cost a huge amount of silver.
As soon as Caiyu sat down, her eyes kept staring at Song Yinghuai.
Whether it was the Lianyin Pavilion or the Prince of Yan's Mansion, because of Song Yinghuai, all the food in the mansion was light.
This strong aroma of meat. Song Yinghuai must not have touched it for many years, right?
Now everyone was hungry. Didn't he have the slightest desire to take a bite when smelling this alluring aroma?
Han Fen went to a nearby stall to order jade - faced steamed buns and fine rice porridge, which made Caiyu frown.
"Guard Han, you didn't buy any side dishes for the master. How can the master's body bear it if he only eats this?"
Han Fen gave her a disgruntled look. "Wasn't it you who insisted on coming to eat stewed meat? The only things suitable for the master to eat around here are the steamed buns and fine rice porridge from that stall!"
Caiyu pretended not to understand the resentment in his tone and was secretly delighted.
The shopkeeper brought up three big bowls of steaming stewed meat.
There were streaky pork, pork intestines, pig lungs, fried tofu... Each person was also served two baked buns.
A pile of meat dishes surrounded Song Yinghuai's vegetarian food. The steamed buns and white porridge among the stewed meat looked so out of place, weak and pitiful.
Han Fen looked around uneasily and said, "Master, perhaps this subordinate should also eat steamed buns!"
Song Yinghuai was sitting on a shabby, creaking small stool. With his fair and handsome face, he seemed out of place, but there was no trace of awkwardness on him. He calmly said no and then picked up the steamed bun in front of him.
Unexpectedly, Caiyu reached out and snatched it away. She smiled sweetly and said, "Master, let this servant serve you."
She broke the steamed bun into several pieces and murmured, "It's not good to just eat white flour. Since we're here, you should at least try the aroma of this brine. I guarantee that it will be full of flavor with just one bite."
As she said this, she actively poured the soup from the stewed meat onto the steamed bun and stared at Song Yinghuai eagerly.
This brine was used to cook meat dishes. Although there was no visible meat, one could smell the aroma of meat!
At least, if Song Yinghuai took a bite, he would be one step closer to breaking his abstinence.
Song Yinghuai looked at the four big steamed buns in the bowl soaked in the soup and instead of getting angry, he smiled. "It seems that you highly recommend, adore and are extremely fond of this stewed meat."
He emphasized these three words very strongly.
Caiyu was too excited to notice the hidden meaning in his words. While stuffing a mouthful of stewed meat into her own mouth, she nodded and replied, "Master, it's really a delicious food in the world. It would be a great pity if you didn't try it. This steamed bun dipped in the brine must be much more delicious than a plain steamed bun."
Song Yinghuai said with a fake smile, "Since you like it so much, these four steamed buns are all rewarded to you!"
After saying that, he pushed the steamed buns in front of Caiyu and quickly picked up the fine rice porridge to avoid being harassed by this girl again.
Caiyu couldn't swallow the mouthful of stewed meat in her mouth. She hesitated and asked, "All... for this servant to eat?"
Song Yinghuai slowly took a sip of the porridge, nodded and said, "You like it. Today the master is in a good mood. These are the master's rewards for you."
Han Fen and Zhu Xiao stared at the hill - like steamed buns in front of Caiyu with four eyes, both showing teasing expressions.
This girl had become arrogant since she went out, thinking that the prince doted on her.
Now she had kicked against the pricks, right?
Facing the four big white - faced steamed buns, Caiyu suddenly felt that the stewed meat was not so fragrant anymore. She tried to negotiate with Song Yinghuai. "Master, this servant has a small appetite. I've already eaten the stewed meat..."
Song Yinghuai took off his Buddhist robe. There was a hint of charm in his tone when he spoke, but his voice was still overbearing and cold. "Really? Then spit out the stewed meat and eat the steamed buns."
He put down the empty porridge bowl, leaned slightly to the side and calmly looked at Caiyu.
He looked as if he was going to supervise her personally.
Caiyu: ...
How could she spit out the food that had already been eaten?
Caiyu thought that if she refused again, Song Yinghuai might really find a way to make her vomit it out of her stomach.
Not daring to provoke the tiger again, Caiyu still stuffed the piece of steamed bun in her hand into her mouth.
A cool breeze blew from the river. Song Yinghuai seemed nonchalant, but he was actually watching Caiyu's every move all the time.
He saw that she ate very slowly, chewing a small mouthful dozens of times in her mouth, trying to delay time so that she could escape the punishment after everyone had finished eating.
He was very dissatisfied. His fingertips tapped on the black - lacquered table. His voice was low, hoarse and lazy. "Didn't you say that the steamed bun dipped in this brine is a delicious food in the world? You look like you're eating something delicious? What should be the punishment for deceiving the master? I think it's okay to cut off your tongue!"
Caiyu swallowed the steamed bun in one gulp and said with a bitter face, "The ancients said that one should chew food slowly to taste its flavor. Can't this servant eat gracefully?"
Song Yinghuai sighed. "The ancients also said that one should not talk during meals or sleep. You're so talkative that you've wasted the time for eating. Han Fen, cut it off."
Han Fen was happy. He picked up his sword from the table. With a "whoosh", the cold light flashed.
Caiyu let out a startled cry. She grabbed Song Yinghuai's arm and shrank behind him, only sticking out a small head and whining coquettishly. "Master! Are you really willing to cut off this servant's tongue?"
She implied a hint of seduction. "This servant's tongue has other uses besides eating. You know that, master..."
She knew that Song Yinghuai was a Buddhist and wouldn't really cut off her tongue for such a small thing. But how could she miss such a little fun?
She held Song Yinghuai's arm very tightly, so her chest was pressed against his back.
Song Yinghuai suddenly felt two soft things pressing against his back. They were soft and elastic, and were extremely hot through the clothes. Coupled with Caiyu's ambiguous words just now, his back stiffened immediately.
This girl never stopped trying to provoke his nerves.
He took a deep breath, pulled out his arm and said coldly, "You can try."
His finger tapped on the edge of the bowl with the steamed buns. "This is the second time. Even if the master doesn't cut off your tongue, I'll let you blow the cold wind all night and watch you eat these four cold steamed buns. Otherwise, you, a servant who has no respect for the master, will dare to do it again next time."
Caiyu felt a little guilty.
She had indeed tempted him to break his abstinence with food twice in a row. Song Yinghuai had punished her in a shameful way last night, and she had made the same mistake again tonight...