Chapter 893: These Aren't Something I Got

"Here I am!" Tuan Tuan, still clutching the wooden carved boat in her arms, ran toward him, with Xiao Er and Lu Qi close behind her.

Xiao Ningxun bent down, lifted her up, walked to the table, and gently placed her into the spacious chair.

Tuan Tuan casually set the little boat on the table.

Xiao Ningxun looked at Xiao Ze and asked, "Prince, where is the completed memorial?"

Xiao Ze fished the memorial out of his bosom and handed it to him.

Xiao Ningxun unfolded the memorial, read it once, and set it on the table.

"Tuan Tuan," he said, pointing at the memorial, "this one is the memorial your Third Elder Brother wrote for His Majesty."

"On it, your Third Elder Brother reported to His Majesty that he has already promised the people of Taiyuan that they will never be taxed again."

Tuan Tuan clapped her hands and cheered, "Third Elder Brother is so great! Uncle Lin and the others will be thrilled to hear this!"

Xiao Ze's lips curled, and his gaze looked at her gently.

Xiao Ningxun nodded, "They already know, and indeed they are happy."

"But," he continued, "your Imperial Uncle will probably cause trouble."

"Why is that?" Tuan Tuan blinked, lifted her little face and looked at him, "Isn't this a good thing?"

Xiao Ningxun replied, "Because this matter was decided solely by your Third Elder Brother, without prior reporting to the Imperial Court."

"When the news reaches the capital, some ministers will say that your Third Elder Brother shouldn't have done this."

"What does their disagreement matter?" Tuan Tuan, puzzled, asked, "If Imperial Uncle agrees, isn't that enough?"

Xiao Ningchen leaned against the chair back, hummed, "That may be so, but if too many oppose, even if His Majesty agrees in his heart, it will still be difficult for him."

Xiao Er and Lu Qi exchanged a glance; if the Imperial Court doesn't approve, this matter will be hard to handle.

Tuan Tuan tilted her little head, thought for a moment, and understood.

She lowered her head, looked at the densely written memorial on the table, and gently poked it with her tiny finger, "Third Elder Brother wrote so much; do they all disagree?"

Xiao Ningxun bent down, grasped her little hand, and gently guided her fingertip to the four characters "Never levy tax", saying, "If I'm correct, these four characters are what they oppose most."

Tuan Tuan lowered her head, examined those four characters carefully, and smiled, "These four characters look so nice! I like them!"

Everyone: "……"

"Nice?" Xiao Ningyuan laughed, "Tuan Tuan, you think they're nice, but they don't feel that way."

Tuan Tuan extended her little hand and carefully rubbed those four characters for a moment.

She lifted her face, eyes sparkling, "Got it! Then I'll make everyone think those four characters are nice!"

"Huh?" The others' eyes widened; is this a question about whether the characters look nice?

Tuan Tuan picked up the little wooden boat on the table and muttered a phrase.

After speaking, she released her little hand, and the wooden boat fell to the ground.

A faint light flashed, and the wooden boat vanished.

Xiao Ningxun was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help laughing, "Truly worthy of you, Tuan Tuan! This idea is simply brilliant—better than what brother imagined!"

Xiao Ningyuan laughed heartily.

Xiao Ningchen sat up straight, his face full of unabashed pride.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi looked on with even more pride at their own miss, exclaiming, "Our miss is amazing!"

Xiao Yuanhang strode to his daughter's side, scooped her from the chair into his arms, and gently rubbed the top of her hair, "My little Tuan Tuan! You are the greatest contributor to reclaiming Taiyuan!"

Tuan Tuan clung to his neck, and two deep dimples blossomed on her little face.

"Prince, you speak truly," Xiao Ze said, his heart settling in his gut.

He folded the memorial and commanded, "Attendants! Send it back to the capital immediately, present it to His Majesty!"

A soldier rushed in, took the memorial with both hands, "Yes!" and turned to leave.

Xiao Ze stared at Tuan Tuan, his eyes flickering, "Tuan Tuan, Third Elder Brother thanks you."

"With this, I can rest easy."

He paused, looked toward the kitchen, and a smile tugged at his lips, "Let's go see how Luo Zhenjiang's stove is built."

"Whether Tuan Tuan's meal gets settled today is the biggest matter!"

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Tuan Tuan's little nose twitched as a strong fragrance mixed with the char of firewood drifted over, "I can already smell the aroma!"

Xiao Yuanhang inhaled deeply and laughed, "Indeed fragrant! Come, let's take a look."

The group walked to the kitchen doorway.

The door stood wide open, and hot air rushed out.

Luo Zhenjiang stood with his back to the doorway, in front of the stove, his sleeves rolled up above the elbows, and his two sturdy arms glistened with oil.

He tossed vegetables with his left hand in a cast‑iron pot, flipping them and letting them settle, while his right hand grasped a wooden ladle, stirring another pot twice, sweating profusely.

One soldier crouched, adding firewood to the stove mouth, while another waved a palm fan, his face flushed red by the flames.

"Whoa!" Lu Qi blurted, "Luo Zhenjiang, how did you build this stove? It really looks like the real thing!"

Everyone looked closely.

A row of three‑eye new stoves pressed against the wall.

The stove was constructed from stone blocks and yellow mud on the spot, clearly using local materials.

The stove's body reached exactly to Luo Zhenjiang's waist.

Three large iron pots sat steadily on the stove mouths; in one, a milky fish broth bubbled, while another was covered, simmering something.

Beside them, a wooden table piled high steaming baskets, and the sweet scent of rice seeped through the bamboo weave.

Luo Zhenjiang barely had time to turn his head, shouting, "Add more firewood! This soup needs a strong flame to taste good!"

Tuan Tuan slipped from Xiao Yuanhang's arms, waddled in with her short legs, and clutched Luo Zhenjiang's thigh, "Uncle Luo! So fragrant! I'm starving!"

Luo Zhenjiang lowered his head and glanced at her, his face slick with sweat he couldn't even wipe away, then grinned, "Good girl, it's hot here; you go out first, the meal will be ready soon."

He took a wooden spoon from the big pot beside him, scooped a small mouthful of fish soup, blew on it, and brought it to Xiao Tuanzi's lips: "Taste it—how's the saltiness?"

Tuan Tuan pursed her little mouth and took a sip; her eyes instantly curved into a smile: "Delicious! Uncle Luo's cooking is really tasty!"

Luo Zhenjiang laughed heartily.

Xiao Yuanhang walked to the stove edge, bent down to look at the three‑burner stove, reached out and felt the stove rim, then nodded.

He straightened up, eyes full of praise, and said, "Leader Luo, I didn't expect you to have this skill."

Luo Zhenjiang shovelled the vegetables from the iron pot into a large earthenware basin: "Those loafing at the dock—who can't cook a couple of dishes themselves?"

"Buying it is so expensive; making it yourself is both tasty and saves money!"

He pointed at the meat and fish in the pot: "These weren't made by me."

Tuan Tuan inhaled a deep whiff of fragrance, touched her little nose, and asked, "Then where did they come from, Uncle Luo?"