Royal Gold Magistrate

The woman hurriedly went to the stove, fetched a small porcelain bowl, and presented it to Li Yuanzhao to see.

Li Yuanzhao leaned in to take a look. Inside was a paste-like substance mixed with vegetable leaves. The specific ingredients were unclear, but a faint sour smell wafted to his nose.

Guo Tianyang leaned over, glanced at it with disdain, and then retreated.

“What is this?”

“It’s a porridge made from rice bran, millet, and wild vegetables, with some salt added…”

Li Yuanzhao furrowed his brows.

He couldn’t imagine that this stuff was meant for people to eat… In Taoyuan County, he had seen commoners squatting by the roadside to eat.

The things inside – the rice was rice, the vegetables were vegetables – everything looked normal.

But the appearance of the stuff in front of him was unappetizing, and the smell was also unpleasant. Could it really be eaten?

“Is this thing edible?”

“Yes, it’s what this commoner’s family eats every day!”

Hearing the woman’s affirmative answer, Li Yuanzhao still couldn’t believe it.

His curiosity was instantly piqued. “Can I taste it?”

Guo Tianyang was so startled that he shuddered. He quickly pounced forward, snatched the porcelain bowl, and wailed, “You can’t eat it! Young master, you can’t eat it!”

“What if eating this unknown thing makes you sick? The master will have me killed!”

After saying that, he turned his head and glared at the woman with a fierce look in his eyes.

The woman was so frightened that she immediately shrank back into the corner.

“Then you eat it!”

“Huh?!”

Guo Tianyang was on the verge of tears. Why do I have to eat this stuff?

Couldn’t we just go back to the palace honestly? Why do we have to roll around in this trash heap? Damn that Fang Zheng, damn that Taoyuan County. The Crown Prince went there once and got bewitched?

Guo Tianyang held the porcelain bowl, staring at Li Yuanzhao with pitiful eyes, not saying a word.

Seeing him like this, Li Yuanzhao became even more excited. “Hehe, you don’t dare?! Give it to me!”

With that, he directly snatched the porcelain bowl.

“Get lost!”

Guo Tianyang hurriedly tried to snatch it back, but Li Yuanzhao kicked him away.

Li Yuanzhao looked at the paste-like substance in the bowl and suddenly felt timid.

This stuff… indeed looked inedible.

Then he glanced at the woman hiding in the corner and asked again.

“Is it really edible?”

“Yes, it is.”

Li Yuanzhao looked at the contents of the bowl, his throat feeling a bit tight. Then, steeling his heart, he used his fingertip to scoop up a small piece and quickly put it into his mouth.

The paste slowly dissolved in his mouth, and an indescribable taste instantly filled his oral cavity.

Sour, bitter, rancid, with a hint of saltiness…

*Blegh~!*

Unable to hold it in, Li Yuanzhao bent over and vomited, coughing so hard that tears and snot flowed.

The porcelain bowl also fell to the ground with a clatter.

Guo Tianyang secretly thought it was a disaster. He quickly rushed over to support Li Yuanzhao and constantly patted his back.

After coughing for a while, Li Yuanzhao finally felt a bit better.

At this moment, the woman in the corner had a trace of heartache in her eyes. She tremblingly wanted to step forward to help Li Yuanzhao.

Li Yuanzhao forcefully flung his arm, directly causing the woman to stumble!

He angrily shouted, “How dare you! You actually dared to deceive me! You don’t know what’s good for you!”

Guo Tianyang also bared his teeth and roared towards the door, “Someone come!”

Five or six people instantly rushed into the room together!

The originally small house now seemed even more crowded.

Li Yuanzhao’s chest heaved, clearly furious. He had actually been tricked by this impudent commoner.

Just as he was about to speak, the man in the house was awakened by the noise. He staggered out.

Seeing so many people crowded in the room, he became frightened.

Dragging his injured leg, he knelt down and said in a trembling voice, “Esteemed masters! What has my family done wrong?”

Guo Tianyang pointed at the paste-like substance on the ground and said with a cold laugh, “Your wife actually dared to deceive my young master, saying that this thing is edible! You two impudent commoners!”

The man had an honest and simple appearance. He anxiously explained, “It is edible! It is edible! I’ll eat it right now to show you, esteemed masters!”

With that, disregarding the woman’s attempts to stop him, he lay on the ground and started eating the paste.

Li Yuanzhao was stunned… This thing was indeed edible!

Moreover, judging from the man’s expression, it seemed like it wasn’t very difficult for him to eat.

Guo Tianyang noticed his confusion and whispered in Li Yuanzhao’s ear, “Your Highness, the food of these commoners is probably like this. Perhaps Your Highness is not used to it!”

……………….

Li Yuanzhao was frozen in place, his face turning from white to red. For a moment, he felt extremely ashamed.

Then he kicked Guo Tianyang and angrily said, “You dog! Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

Guo Tianyang covered his buttocks in grievance. What was there to say? You insisted on eating it, and I couldn’t stop you even if I wanted to. Our family has truly met with misfortune!

Looking at the man who was still lying on the ground eating the paste, Li Yuanzhao said with a red face, “Get up! Get up quickly!”

The man staggered to his feet. Li Yuanzhao saw that the man’s face was covered in quite a bit of dirt, and the shame in his heart increased a few more notches.

He said in a low voice, “This young master vomited in your house and even ate your food. I should compensate you.”

“Guo Da, give them ten taels of silver!”

The honest and simple man hurriedly waved his hand. “No need, master! Those things are not worth money! Not worth money at all!”

“If I give it to you, you must take it!” Li Yuanzhao said sternly.

Guo Tianyang directly slapped a ten-tael silver note into the man’s hand.

Seeing that the silver had been given, Li Yuanzhao left the room without another word, as if he were flying.

Guo Tianyang closely followed behind and came to the street.

Seeing that the Crown Prince’s back seemed a bit desolate, he stepped forward and said softly, “Your Highness, let’s return to the palace.”

“Tell me, do the little eunuchs in the palace also live in such houses and eat such things?”

Guo Tianyang smiled apologetically. “How could that be, Your Highness? Even the worst place in the palace is a hundred times better than this, and the food is much better than theirs!”

“This is, after all, the outer city. It’s not good! The inner city is good! Your Highness can visit the inner city more often in the future.”

“Then what did you eat before entering the palace?” Li Yuanzhao asked.

Being asked this, Old Guo once again recalled his miserable childhood before entering the palace to become a eunuch.

He sighed and said, “Perhaps even worse than theirs! Being able to have porridge to drink every day was already considered not bad. Eating once every three days, once every two days – those were also common occurrences.”

“Your Highness, don’t worry. It’s only been two years since peace was restored. The lives of some commoners may be a bit difficult now, but good days are still ahead!”

Li Yuanzhao nodded, suddenly realizing, “No wonder so many people are willing to become eunuchs and enter the palace!”

Guo Tianyang: “…………..”