The White-haired Queen

Under the careful escort of Tian Fangzhou, Princess Qinghe walked into the largest restaurant in Yue - Xifeng Restaurant, like a curious but timid little deer.

This restaurant is three stories high, with flying eaves and brackets, and is magnificent. Red lanterns are hung at the door, swaying in the wind, as if waving and welcoming people. After entering the restaurant, a rich aroma hits your nose, making you salivate.

Princess Qinghe was led to a private room on the second floor and sat down. After a while, the waiter brought a plate of exquisite snacks, which were glutinous rice dumplings. These dumplings were small and exquisite, crystal clear, and as round and cute as pearls.

Princess Qinghe gently picked up a dumpling and looked at it carefully. Its skin was as thin as a cicada's wing, and inside it was wrapped with sweet fillings. She took a careful bite and immediately felt that the taste was delicate, sweet but not greasy, and the fragrance lingered in her mouth.

Tian Fangzhou was very happy when he saw Princess Qinghe's satisfied expression. He introduced to the princess: "This glutinous rice dumpling is a special delicacy of Yuedi. It is made of high-quality glutinous rice flour and fresh fruits. It is not only delicious but also nutritious."

Princess Qinghe was enjoying the beautiful scenery outside the window while tasting the glutinous rice dumplings. The mountains in the distance were rolling, and the streets nearby were bustling and lively. Everything seemed so beautiful. She couldn't help but sigh, "This is such a great place!"

In the Yue region, which is very close to the Nanyue Kingdom, there is this unique delicacy - fruit glutinous rice dumplings.

As one of the regent's confidants, Li Changqing had been by his side for many years, fighting in the south and the north, conquering the east and the west, and sleeping in the open air had long been commonplace. Before this, he did not have much attention to food and pursued it, and only wanted to complete his mission and serve the country.

However, fate is always full of unexpected twists and turns. Once, the relief grain was accidentally robbed by refugees, so he led them to develop and build Heishui Mountain, where potatoes were discovered and tasted the potato dishes made by Queen Mother Wen.

At that moment, he seemed to have opened a door to a new world - it turned out that simple ingredients could become so delicious!

From then on, Li Changqing began to develop an interest in food. He was appointed as an envoy to the Kingdom of Nanyue, where he tried to learn some cooking techniques for potatoes. At the same time, he asked the chef in the Regent's palace for some other recipes and seasoning methods.

He went on a diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Nanyue and participated in a food competition, winning first place. Gradually, he was not only able to taste the subtle differences and unique flavors between different dishes, but also mastered many cooking secrets and was happy to share them with people around him, and even tried his hand at cooking himself!

At the moment, Li Changqing looked at these round and cute little dumplings with soft and chewy skin and a faint rice aroma. But what was unexpected was that their fillings were actually various fresh fruits. He was also surprised.

When Princess Qinghe and Li Changqing tasted this novel delicacy for the first time, they couldn't help but stare at it with wide eyes, and secretly exclaimed in their hearts: "Why have I never thought of this before?" This idea of ​​wrapping fruit in glutinous rice is really amazing! Every bite is full of fresh fruity fragrance and sweet taste, as if a gorgeous flower bloomed in the mouth.

Tian Fangzhou looked at their wide eyes and couldn't help but laugh.

Princess Qinghe looked at Tian Fangzhou with great interest and asked softly, "Prefect Tian, ​​besides the way it's made at Xifeng Restaurant, are there any other ways to make glutinous rice dumplings at home?"

Tian Fangzhou smiled slightly and answered confidently: "Of course there can be some changes and innovations. For example, glutinous rice dumplings can be made into other forms with fillings, so that the taste will be richer and more varied. And the filling can be sweet, such as adding an appropriate amount of white sugar, honey or various fresh fruits; you can also try to make it salty, such as adding a little minced meat, chopped vegetables and other ingredients as fillings. In addition, if you like a more unique flavor, you can also consider using fresh flowers as sweet fillings to make the glutinous rice dumplings exude an elegant floral scent. In this way, it can not only increase appetite, but also bring people a different taste enjoyment." As he explained, he seemed to be immersed in the world of food and couldn't extricate himself.

Princess Qinghe has always thought that delicious food is a favorite of women, but she never expected that two grown men would also be immersed in delicious food. It seems that delicious food can really heal everything.

Princess Qinghe said coquettishly: "Learn one thing a day. Today I will learn how to make glutinous rice balls." Her voice was clear and pleasant, like the sound of nature.

Tian Fangzhou replied respectfully: "Tomorrow, I and Lieutenant General Li will go to the capital to report on our work. This trip to the capital is of great importance, and I hope the princess can go with us so that we can be taken care of. If the princess wants to stay in Yue, that's fine. I will arrange everything and let Governor Qi take care of the princess' daily life. But Yue is not as prosperous as the capital after all, so please give it more consideration." His tone was sincere and firm, and his eyes revealed his concern and worry for Princess Qinghe.

Li Changqing said respectfully, "This potato is a treasure discovered by our Queen Mother with her discerning eyes! And the exquisite method of cooking potatoes was taught to me personally by our extremely noble Queen Mother Wen. If Your Highness the Princess comes to the capital this time, she will definitely have the opportunity to meet our beautiful and capable Queen Mother Wen."

His voice was full of admiration and respect for Empress Dowager Wen, as if he could see the image of that woman who was of a high status but approachable, with unparalleled wisdom and beauty emerging before him.

Princess Qinghe sat quietly by the side, listening to their conversation. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she couldn't help but feel a desire to go to the capital.

This was the first time in her life that she had stepped out of the country, leaving the familiar palace and land. However, before she left, her father had privately told her to stay in the border area of ​​Nanyue for a while, study hard for a while, and then return home.

This mission was exciting but also somewhat restrained for the young and curious Princess Qinghe. On the one hand, she was eager to experience the customs and practices of a foreign country; on the other hand, she was well aware of her father's good intentions and understood that this trip was not only her dream of learning and growth, but also her father and mother's concerns and worries about her as a woman traveling.

What kind of scenery will be waiting for her in the capital of Shangxie Kingdom? Are there countless unknown stories and wonderful experiences hidden there?

Princess Qinghe pondered secretly, and looked forward to the trip to the capital of Shangxie Kingdom more and more. Perhaps, in that world, she could find more answers about herself, her country, and her future...