In the children's play area, parents could leave their children to play freely. The local government office, which was hosting a special Jing Country gathering, had even assigned constables to verify adults' identities before they could retrieve their children.
"Half an hour for twenty coins, it's not expensive," Princess Yunwu of Chu remarked, listening to the constant laughter from the children in the sandbox. She found this idea brilliant.
Her own two children would cry when separated from her. From pregnancy until her children were three years old, she could barely leave home. On the rare occasions when she attended gatherings with other noble ladies or visited her parents at the palace, she never dared to stay long, always rushing back home.
But to her surprise, here in the sandbox were boys and girls who seemed no older than five, playing happily together. Even with their fathers nearby, the children didn't rely on them, instead communicating with their playmates on their own.
They played marbles, crawled in and out of hollowed-out tree trunks, or busied themselves building things on what looked like sandbox tables.
"Interesting. These tree trunks are novel, allowing children to be active. With many children around, they can make friends too."
Several children crawled into one side of a tree trunk, winding their way through, and emerged from another opening.
[Modern kids love these tunnels too~ They can even slide down~ But let's forget about using actual tree trunks, they're too fragile.]
Xiao Chuchu thought to herself, muttering quietly.
Xiao Yunzhou immediately coughed lightly and turned to the Minister of Works, "The tree trunks might rot and collapse easily. It would be better to use other, more durable materials."
Chen Xun, the Minister of Works, nodded quickly in agreement.
The Princess of Chu, imagining the tree trunks and hollows replaced with sturdy iron or wood, felt much more at ease. Watching the boys and girls playing joyfully and even screaming with delight, Yun Wu felt a twinge of regret.
She had left her two children at the temple today, under the care of their wet nurse. She had assumed that the Jing Country gathering would mostly involve things unsuitable for children to eat or drink, but it turned out not to be the case. After just a few steps, she had already seen so many novel play items for children.
Children would probably love it.
The princess regretted her decision; had she known, she should have brought her two children along to experience and enjoy these activities.
[The Chu Princess's favorability towards Jing Country has increased to 7%.]
Xiao Chuchu noticed the system prompt and grinned, her little tummy rumbling at the same time.
Xiao Yunzhou and Liu Chaniang immediately looked down at her with concern.
"Let's go in for a meal. Little prin... ahem," Liu Chaniang coughed lightly, covering up her near slip of the tongue, "It's getting late."
Xiao Yunzhou nodded and made a gesture of invitation towards the Princess of Chu.
The zongzi shop was located between the milk tea shop and the tofu pudding shop, with the aroma of hotpot and roast duck wafting from not far away.
Xiao Chuchu secretly glanced at Princess Yunwu and noticed that her dignified face showed no sign of being tempted by the enticing smells.
She felt anxious inwardly, [Compared to the Ji sisters, the princess is indeed harder to win over.]
[It's understandable. The system says she was the King of Chu's first child. At that time, the king was nearly thirty and had been married to the queen for over ten years without having a child of their own. The pressure was immense.]
[Back then, the court officials of Chu suspected that the king had... performance issues. They not only recommended remedies and famous doctors to the king but also hinted that he should quickly visit efficacious temples to pray and confess his sins to his ancestors, hoping it might help him have a child.]
[If that didn't work, they suggested the king should adopt a child from his elder brother and establish them as the crown prince.]
Xiao Yunzhou, Liu Chaniang, and Liu Runnian were stunned by this gossip, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Especially Xiao Yunzhou, who had originally despised the King of Chu. This man, who had been at odds with the late emperor, was still alive and continued to create obstacles for Jing Country at every turn. He had previously attempted to sabotage the relationship between Wu Yun Country and Jing Country, and according to his daughter, the King of Chu even wanted to attack Jing Country's cities.
The King of Chu ranked among the top three people Xiao Yunzhou disliked.
But he never imagined that this king actually had... performance issues.
[In modern terms, the King of Chu's condition would be described as having weak sperm.]
[Later, because he had no children, he became anxious and agitated, favoring the queen and all the beauties in his harem daily, which made his condition even worse...]
[Goodness, the system says he was like a needle mushroom.]
"...!"
Xiao Yunzhou opened his mouth, strongly suppressing a laugh.
Liu Chaniang lowered her head and coughed lightly.
[At thirty, he finally had his first child, the princess, born to the queen.]
[A miracle at last!]
Xiao Yunzhou's mouth twitched. His fairy daughter was perfect in every way, except that her knowledge of earthly matters was somewhat lacking.
Is that how you use the phrase "a miracle at last"?
[Princess Yunwu naturally became the King of Chu's most favored child.]
[Because this child proved his manhood, proved that there was nothing wrong with him!]
Xiao Yunzhou looked at the Princess of Chu with a complex expression.
[At that time, the King of Chu gave Princess Yunwu everything, saying she was the most noble princess - even the most noble woman - under heaven.]
Xiao Yunzhou's eyes widened. He couldn't accept that!
The most noble in the world must be his precious little princess.
The King of Chu could go to hell!
What kind of good father was he?
Princess Yunwu was just inviting Xiao Yunzhou to sit down, "Brother Liu, how about this window seat?"
But when she looked up, she saw Xiao Yunzhou's competitive gaze fixed on her, which startled Yun Wu.
Xiao Yunzhou quickly forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "That's fine, Brother Yun, please."
Xiao Chuchu's baby stroller was soon settled in the safest position at the innermost part of the table.
Facing the dining table, she quickly continued her inner monologue that had been interrupted earlier.
[Princess Yunwu has been accustomed to the imperial kitchen's delicacies since childhood. She's probably tasted all sorts of precious foods like roasted venison and bear paws.]
[Ordinary milk tea, barbecue, and fried skewers probably won't excite her anymore.]
Xiao Yunzhou's expression was complex. Indeed, although he loved these heavenly delicacies his daughter introduced, he couldn't enjoy them for more than a few days.
Born into an imperial family and used to the finest food and drink, milk tea and such were just novelties to be enjoyed occasionally.
[Princess Yunwu wants for nothing in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities. Because the King of Chu viewed her as an auspicious sign, bringing him several princes afterward, including the crown prince, she was raised very well.]
[How to win her over indeed seems to be a problem.]
[However, it's clear that she cares a lot about children and is interested in both the baby stroller and the children's play area.]
Xiao Chuchu pondered, [Should we set up an entire kindergarten?]
Kindergarten?
Xiao Yunzhou was also deep in thought.
Just at that moment, the salted egg yolk meat zongzi and beetroot soup were served.
The zongzi, triangular in shape, was cut in half down the middle.
On the cross-section, one could clearly see plump glutinous rice grains thoroughly soaked with the juices from the marbled meat wrapped inside, giving it a glossy, soy sauce-colored sheen.
In the center, besides the honey-colored meat chunks, there was also a round, golden salted egg yolk that had been cut open.
Zongzi existed in Chu State as well.
But Yun Wu had never seen one with an egg yolk inside.
Additionally, the waiter brought each person a bowl of vegetable soup that looked thick and delicious, as if an entire tomato had melted into it.
[Wow, it really looks like borscht!]
[I want to drink some~]
Xiao Chuchu struggled to lift her head.
Liu Chaniang smiled, taking the special little golden spoon and feeding her a small, cooled mouthful.
Xiao Chuchu let out a little "awo" sound, closing her eyes in delight.
[Who couldn't love this thick tomato flavor? It's making the elderly and children next door drool with envy!]
She was small but drank with gusto, her face showing an adult-like expression of intoxication that even Princess Yunwu found adorable, stirring up a bit of an appetite in her as well.
The princess unconsciously took a spoonful to her mouth and sat up straight.
[Oh, the system prompts me that this has triggered the princess's childhood favorite sour food!]
[The princess's favorability towards Jing Country has risen to 11%.]