Chapter 9: Meat Burger

During the Western Han Dynasty, the Son of Heaven held a morning court every five days. Su Wen came in to remind the Son of Heaven at the right time, but he didn't expect that his words would make the expressions of the Emperor and Empress look strange.

Su Wen silently closed his mouth, wondering where he had said the wrong thing.

Liu Che's face darkened. He reached out and pulled Ajiao to the side, took a deep breath and said: "We don't know when we will be able to swap back. After you go to the court, you just need to collect the memorials from the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers."

Ajiao nodded: "Understood."

Liu Che seemed to want to say something else, but the words were stuck in his throat for a long time. He sighed: "Forget it, everything will be discussed after you return from the morning court."

Ajiao turned to look at her mother, bowed slightly, and then turned to leave with Su Wen.

If she didn't leave now, she wouldn't make it to the morning court.

After "Liu Che" left, Liu Piao waved her hand to let the palace maids take Liu Li away to comb her hair and tidy up.

Liu Li thought that Liu Piao probably wanted to say something private to Ajiao, so she obediently left with the palace maids.

The palace maids brought Liu Li back to her room, and then three or four palace maids followed in. A palace maid held an exquisite jade bowl and handed it to Liu Li: "Princess, rinse your mouth."

Liu Li lowered her head slightly, took a sip of the salt water in the jade bowl, and then gargled and spat it into the bronze basin.

In this era, don't even think about toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Afterward, two palace maids came to Liu Li's side. One helped her wipe her face with a hot towel, and the other began to comb her hair.

While being surrounded by a group of beautiful palace maid sisters, Liu Li closed her eyes and began to look for daily necessities in the system store.

Although she thought that since she had transmigrated to this era, she should integrate well, and others had lived like this without toothbrushes and toothpaste, Liu Li just felt uncomfortable.

Just like the ancient people wiping their butts after going to the toilet, they used bamboo chips and leaves, and even tiles and wooden sticks. Liu Li felt that she would rather die than use these things to wipe her butt!

So at this moment, she suddenly realized the importance of daily necessities.

As for the clock and bicycle she had her eye on before, let's put them aside for now. After she redeemed the daily necessities, she would consider them.

Dou Taizhu Liu Piao's 80 points of favorability allowed Liu Li to redeem 640 points, which was 8 times. Liu Li was quite satisfied with this ratio.

It seemed that if she wanted more points, the popularity of the historical figures she unlocked had to be high.

Liu Li checked the system store and found that although her points were enough to redeem daily necessities, these items were in a locked state.

The system prompted that she needed to unlock a historical event before she could redeem these things.

Liu Li was a bit depressed. She was currently deep in the harem, where could she witness famous historical scenes? She had to think about it carefully.

In the main hall, Liu Piao dismissed the palace maids who were serving, and pulled her daughter to her side: "I saw you and the Emperor just now, your relationship seems quite good recently?"

Liu Che replied casually: "Hmm."

Liu Piao was overjoyed upon hearing this, raised her eyebrows and said: "It's good that you have reconciled. Among my three children, the one I worry about the most is you."

Liu Che found this funny, raised his eyebrows without a trace and said: "What do I have for Mother to worry about? I am the Empress."

Liu Piao snorted coldly: "If the Empress Dowager were still alive, of course I wouldn't have to worry about you. But ever since the Empress Dowager passed away, Liu Che's methods of suppressing the Dou family in these years have made me feel terrified just looking at them."

Sometimes Liu Piao even wondered if, had she not helped Liu Che ascend the throne, the Chen family would have been among the suppressed imperial relative families.

Thinking this way, Liu Piao turned to hold her daughter's hand and said earnestly: "Jiaojiao, you should also restrain your temper in the future, and don't lose your temper with him anymore. The current Liu Che is no longer the Liu Che who was constrained when your grandmother was alive."

Liu Che was very surprised that his aunt would say such things to "Ajiao," which made him feel a bit proud in his heart.

He was the true Son of Heaven of the Great Han now. Even someone as noble as Ajiao had to bow her head to him!

Just when Liu Che was feeling proud of what he had achieved today, he heard Liu Piao lower her voice and say: "But Jiaojiao, if you can give birth to an imperial prince, then Mother will definitely make this child the Crown Prince and the Son of Heaven in the future."

Liu Piao had ambition. She had been the daughter of the Son of Heaven, the sister of the Son of Heaven, the aunt and mother-in-law of the Son of Heaven, and now she wanted to be the maternal grandmother of the Son of Heaven even more.

Hearing Liu Piao's words, Liu Che suppressed the annoyance in his heart and sarcastically said: "Mother, the Dou family is basically gone, how can you guarantee that I will become the Crown Prince if I give birth to an imperial prince?"

Liu Piao looked at him strangely, secretly calling her daughter a fool, and then said: "You gave birth to the legitimate eldest son. According to the rules of our Great Han, he should be the Crown Prince, and the Imperial Clan Court will also stand on your side. Even if Wei Zifu gives birth to an imperial prince before you, he is still a concubine-born child and poses no threat."

Liu Che was speechless for a while.

Indeed, if Ajiao gave birth to their imperial prince, he would undoubtedly be the Crown Prince. For a moment, he felt very glad that the first child Ajiao gave birth to was a girl.

Holding this thought, when Liu Che saw Liu Li, who was dressed up like a doll, walking over, he suddenly felt that she was much more pleasing to the eye.

"A Li, come to Father... cough, come to Mother's side." Liu Che deliberately softened his voice and beckoned to Liu Li, letting her

On the table in front of them was today's breakfast, consisting of steamed buns and roasted flatbread, and beside it was a whole piece of roasted meat, though it was unclear what kind of meat it was.

Liu Li's attention was drawn by this breakfast; after all, when she was recuperating, she could only drink millet porridge. That there was actually meat for breakfast today was simply a rarity.

Unlike the three meals a day for modern people, ancient people had two meals a day, namely breakfast and dinner. Moreover, meat in ancient times was especially expensive, and it was impossible for ordinary commoner families to eat meat in the morning.

Liu Li felt very fortunate that she was a princess at this time. She sat obediently beside "A Jiao," watching the movements of his hands with some curiosity.

Liu Che used a dagger (a knife used for cutting cooked meat products) to split the roasted flatbread in half, cut a slice of meat to place on top, and then handed it to Liu Li: "Eat."

Liu Li blurted out: "Meat Burger?" Wow, this is authentic old Chang'an Meat Burger!

"What is a Meat Burger?" Liu Che asked curiously.

Liu Li pursed her little lips, took the Meat Burger from his hand, tilted her head, and explained: "It's just this, meat clamped inside a bun, so it's abbreviated as Meat Burger."

Her daughter's voice was crisp and pleasant to the ear, and Liu Che nodded approvingly: "That is indeed a good name; then from now on, let this be called Meat Burger."

Liu Li looked at the "A Jiao" beside her and felt a bit strange. She leaned closer to him: "Mother, why do you feel strange today?"

Liu Che raised an eyebrow: "Where is it strange?" This daughter could actually perceive the difference between himself and A Jiao?

Liu Li's little mouth opened slightly, but she couldn't say why. Her gaze darted elsewhere, and she suddenly remembered she hadn't seen the Empress Dowager, so she hurriedly asked: "Grandmother isn't having breakfast with us?"

Liu Che nodded: "She has already returned."

"Hmm..." Liu Li took a bite of the Meat Burger in her hand, but the bun on the outside was too hard; her five-year-old teeth couldn't bite through it at all, leaving only a row of shallow tooth marks on the bun.

Liu Li furrowed her small brows and said quite pettishly: "It's not tasty at all."

Liu Che was amused by her petulant appearance, feeling that his daughter's expressions were very vivid, looking exactly like A Jiao when she was young. He reached out and gently flicked her little nose: "It is my fault for not considering that you are still a young child."

My? (Zhen?)

Liu Li was even more confused. A Jiao actually referred to herself as 'Zhen'? She hesitated for a moment, decided to pretend she hadn't heard the self-reference, and reached out to grab a steamed bun, but couldn't reach it because her arms were too short.

She turned her head and looked longingly at "A Jiao."

Liu Che raised his hand and pushed the plate toward her. Liu Li finally got a steamed bun, but she didn't know how to use the dagger well, so she had to ask "A Jiao" for help again.

"Mother, I want to make meat clamped in a bun, can you help me cut it?"

"Very well." Liu Che considered himself an approachable father; he helped his daughter cut open the bun and helped her cut the

meat slices, then handed them to her.

Liu Li curved her brows and eyes, looking up at him: "Thank you, Mother."

Honestly speaking, this was the first time Liu Che had spent time with his legitimate daughter, and this child seemed not to regard him as the Son of Heaven at all. Unlike Liu Yue, who was always respectful and well-behaved whenever he went to the Pixiang Hall.

No, he was A Jiao now, so it was normal for A Li not to treat him as the Son of Heaven.

Liu Li took a bite of what could be considered an ancient Meat Burger and unexpectedly felt that the taste of the meat was actually quite good; the meat was roasted very fragrantly, and it seemed salt had been sprinkled on it.

She licked her lips and asked: "What kind of meat is this?" She didn't seem to have eaten this kind of meat in the modern era.

"Dog meat."

Liu Li: "..." Ah, she should have guessed it was dog meat. During the two Han dynasties, dog meat was one of the main meat sources.

Hmm, it tastes really fragrant.

——

Because she had inexplicably swapped bodies with Liu Che, and because seeing her mother had delayed her, A Jiao hadn't even had breakfast before taking the Imperial Chariot to attend the morning court.

Although A Jiao had never been to the imperial court, she had once seen the scene where her grandmother met with the Prime Minister, so she could imitate a little bit of the appearance now.

"Today, I am feeling unwell; you may present your memorials, and matters shall be discussed another day." A Jiao thought in her mind of how Liu Che looked when he said this.

"Your Majesty." Right Neishi Zheng Dangshi stepped forward and said: "Since the fifth month, the Yellow River at Huzi has breached its banks, the floodwaters rushed into Juye Marsh, and then overflowed into the Si River and Huai River, submerging sixteen commanderies, a situation that remains unresolved to this day. The common people are displaced and in dire straits. I request Your Majesty's decree to manage the flood."

Since it concerned the common people, A Jiao gathered her spirits, and hearing Zheng Dangshi's description, she also felt the matter was serious. But she couldn't easily make decisions for Liu Che on such matters; just as she was about to speak, someone else stood out.

The person who came was the current Imperial Relative, Liu Che's own uncle, Prime Minister Tian Fen.

Tian Fen memorialized: "Your Majesty, the breaching of the river is truly the will of Heaven. I believe it cannot be forcibly blocked by human effort; one must absolutely not act against the will of Heaven."

There were others nearby who nodded in agreement, believing that Prime Minister Tian was right.

The two factions with different opinions began to argue; in short, each had their own reasons. A Jiao had a headache from their noise and raised her voice to interrupt: "Shut up, all of you."

She suddenly stood up from in front of the desk and looked at Zheng Dangshi, asking: "Neishi, what percentage of certainty do you have to block the breach?"

Zheng Dangshi said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the breach is blocked and then destroyed again; I... have no certainty."

Tian Fen, who was nearby, said: "See, this is the will of Heaven."

A Jiao glanced at Tian Fen; she had no good feelings for this uncle of Liu Che's. This person had only become Prime Minister because the Empress Dowager entered the Weiyang Palace, the Tian family became Imperial Relatives, and he relied on the Empress Dowager's connections.

"Prime Minister Tian, did I ask you a question?" A Jiao scolded coldly.

Tian Fen immediately shut his mouth, his expression looking somewhat strange as he looked at the Son of Heaven on the dais. This nephew actually scolded him like this in front of the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers, making him unable to step down!

A Jiao continued: "I will give serious consideration to the matter of flood control, and I will issue a decree later."

Zheng Dangshi: "Understood."

Apart from the issue of the Yellow River breach, there were no other matters at the moment, and after the ministers presented their memorials, the court was dismissed.

A Jiao sat in front of the desk and let out a long breath, feeling that her palms were full of sweat. She looked at the mountain of memorials again, and for a moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment.

This was an experience she had never had in her previous life, and it felt a bit subtle.