Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

Chapter 10 Investigating Xiao Ran!

Li Shimin patted the little princess's head, "Alright, let's do it again!"

Xiao Ran's fishing rod and bait made fishing so enjoyable, and since Xiao Ran was more experienced in fishing, Li Shimin wanted to try again.

"Girl, that rice looks a little different. How does it taste?" Li Shimin actually wanted to try it, but seeing that there wasn't much, he said he wasn't hungry and felt embarrassed to eat it.

"Grandpa~ Good morning~" the little princess said first.

"It's really delicious! It's different from the rice from the Tang Dynasty." Li Lizhi pondered for a moment. "It's whiter, and the grains are uniformly sized and plump. It looks much better than the rice from the Imperial Kitchen."

During the Tang Dynasty, rice was hulled using tools such as stone mills and mortars, resulting in a rough processing method that made it difficult to completely remove the bran and husks. The finished product was mostly brown rice or semi-refined rice, with a yellowish, gray, or brownish color, irregular grains, and occasional broken rice.

"It lacks a bit in aroma and chewiness, but the texture is softer and more delicate, which I think is more suitable for the elderly and children."

"Another good thing!" Li Shimin nodded thoughtfully.

The rice from the Imperial Kitchen is the best tribute rice, but it turns out it's not as good as what Xiao Ran eats.

"If I see the young master again in the future, I'll see if I can buy some for my grandfather, mother, and second sister to try," Li Lizhi said with a smile.

"It should be possible; Xiao Ran is not a stingy person."

Li Lizhi continued, "Grandpa, the young master's kitchen utensils are also rare items that I have never seen before. His kitchen knife is small and exquisite, and looks particularly sharp."

“Yes! The bowls and chopsticks he uses are of a higher quality and color than those used by the royal family. Those things are not simple and their value is immeasurable.” It wasn’t just Li Shimin who noticed this; Cheng Yaojin, Zhang Anan, and the others also noticed it.

I never imagined that an ordinary person would use such luxurious things.

Li Shimin looked at the calcium milk biscuits and thought that they must be very expensive pastries because they tasted delicious.

"The young master is generous and doesn't seem like someone who craves luxury." That was Li Lizhi's impression.

"I feel that the young man is very different." But Li Lizhi couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.

"Your Highness, I believe it is a fair and impartial treatment, without any discrimination," said Cheng Yaojin, who was riding a horse and carrying fish.

“Uncle is absolutely right!” Li Lizhi nodded.

"He could sense that we were all different people, but he treated us all the same. That's really special!" Li Shimin's most direct feeling was that Xiao Ran's attitude towards Zhang Anan was the same as his own.

"Ananda, go back and go to the Ministry of Justice to check the transit records for the past two years. See if Xiao Ran is listed. He said he came from the Western Regions, so you can check the transit records for the Western Regions."

Li Shimin gave some instructions.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this servant has remembered."

The official document for traveling long distances was called a "pass," which was a document that combined identity verification and travel permission, equivalent to a modern pass or passport.

Merchants use it more often to register their names, destinations, routes, accompanying persons, and items they are carrying.

The core function of the checkpoint is to prove the holder's identity, itinerary, and legality, ensuring that the holder is officially recognized when passing through checkpoints and post stations.

Without this item, if someone runs around and gets caught, they will face a year of imprisonment according to the laws of the Tang Dynasty.

If you attempt to bypass government inspections by going through remote areas, you will be punished more severely if caught, with a sentence of one and a half years!

"Zhijie, remember to make arrangements; we might have to visit your residence."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand!"

Li Shimin couldn't say "the palace," so he could only say "Cheng Yaojin's house."

Xiao Ran quickly packed his things, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, and turned to walk towards the ravine where the RV was.

Xiao Ran kept one fish, and released the others back into the water.

As I walked, I pondered what I should do next to gain a foothold in this era.

The people mentioned earlier were of high status, so it would definitely be beneficial to befriend them.

However, he also had to offer corresponding benefits. In fact, Xiao Ran had other fishing rods, but he couldn't run back to the RV to get them before.

As a seasoned angler, how could I possibly only have one fishing rod!
Xiao Ran wouldn't mind giving away a fishing rod later; having so many fishing rods wouldn't affect his fishing in the future. He walked to the front of the cave, checked that no one was around, and then led the box inside.

Back in the RV, I instinctively reached for my phone, but there was still no signal.

Sitting on the sofa, Xiao Ran suddenly realized that if the car was hidden away and couldn't be exposed to the sun, the battery would definitely not last long.

"Looks like I'll have to take it out for some sunshine. It still has gas now, but what will I do when it runs out?" Xiao Ran thought about this and got a headache.

Upon returning to Chang'an, Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin escorted them to the palace gates before they left.

The little princess was drowsy in the carriage; it was nap time for her.

"Sizi, we're almost home. Go back to sleep in a bit." Li Lizhi rubbed the little princess's chubby face.

"Mmm-hmm~" The little princess rubbed her eyes and perked up.

"Would you like to play with Xiao Hei again?" Li Lizhi deliberately started a conversation with the little princess.

"Hehe~" The little princess smiled, thinking of the Samoyed's adorable appearance. "I miss it~"

"Call him Xiao Hei," Li Shimin shook his head helplessly. "Normally, he should be called Xiao Bai."

"Hey duck~ The dog's name is Xiao Hei~" The little princess also remembered.

Li Shimin shook his head helplessly; indeed, they were not playing by the rules.

Hearing the commotion and knowing that Li Shimin and his entourage had returned, Empress Zhangsun in the Lizheng Hall stood up.

He pulled Princess Chengyang and walked outside.

Just then, they saw Li Shimin carrying the little princess out of the carriage, with Li Lizhi following closely behind.

"Mother~ I'm here~" The little princess got down from Li Shimin's arms and ran towards Empress Zhangsun with her short legs.

Empress Zhangsun opened her arms wide, "Sizi, slow down!"

The little princess threw herself into Empress Zhangsun's arms.

"Hee hee~"

Empress Zhangsun also saw Zhang Anan carrying two fish. "Is fishing with rhinoceroses fun?"

"That was so much fun! I want to go again!"

"Father and elder sister!" Princess Chengyang called out.

"His Majesty!"

Li Shimin pulled on Empress Zhangsun's arm and said, "Guanyinbi, I met an interesting person while fishing this time. Let me tell you about him."

The group knelt down in front of the table, and Li Lizhi took out a few calcium milk biscuits. "Mother, try this!"

"Crispy and crunchy~ So delicious~"

Empress Zhangsun picked up a calcium milk biscuit. "This doesn't seem to be from the Tang Dynasty."

“It doesn’t really look like it.” Li Shimin nodded.

Empress Zhangsun took a small bite; it was crisper than she had imagined, and the taste was not bad either.

"This tastes good." Empress Zhangsun fed it to Princess Chengyang. "It seems to be roasted. It's truly remarkable how well it was roasted to this temperature."

"Mother, this is delicious!" Princess Chengyang exclaimed excitedly.

Hehe~ It's duck, it's duck~

Li Shimin and the others recounted their encounter with Xiao Ran.

(End of this chapter)