Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Li Shimin thought for a moment and nodded after hearing this. "Well, this is a very good plan. Let's do as Xiaoyu said and quickly prepare it. We must ensure that the popsicles are delivered to the military camp intact."

"No, no, it's too far to the border of the Western Regions."

Cheng Yaojin scratched his head and quickly replied, "Your Majesty is right. The border of the Western Regions is indeed very far away. It's not easy to transport these popsicles over there."

Li Shimin thought for a moment, then looked at Cheng Yaojin and said, "What about these popsicles? Forget it, Cheng Yaojin, just eat them on the road. They'll help you cool down from the heat."

Cheng Yaojin grinned upon hearing this and said, "Alright, Your Majesty, I won't be polite then. It's so hot, and it's so nice to have popsicles."

Li Shimin then instructed, "Also, when you get to the military camp, you will be responsible for making popsicles. Make sure the soldiers can eat this refreshing treat to ensure they have the energy to fight in this scorching heat."

Cheng Yaojin immediately straightened his back and shouted back, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I, Old Cheng, will take care of this matter properly. I will ensure that there is a constant supply of popsicles in the barracks so that the soldiers can fight in peace!"

Xiaoyu pulled Yuyu and said, "Hurry up and get the materials from the space. Do it quietly. Don't let others see what you have created."

Yuyu nodded: "I know."

Yuyu handed baskets of popsicle ingredients to Cheng Yaojin and said, "Here, these are the popsicle ingredients. General Cheng, please keep them well."

Cheng Yaojin took the materials, placed them on the horse's back, and said loudly: "Okay!"

"Your Majesty, I'm leaving right away! But please tell my wife Hua Dajiao to keep her from worrying."

Li Shimin nodded and said, "I will. General Cheng, be careful on your journey and make sure the soldiers in the barracks have popsicles to cool down as soon as possible."

"Gee!" Cheng Yaojin shouted, driving the carriage with the sound of horses clattering.

Li Shimin straightened his robes, his expression solemn yet somewhat expectant as he spoke, "Well, I too must return to the palace. Once Cheng Yaojin has settled the popsicle issue in the military camp, I can then focus on preparing for the war with the Western Regions."

Yuyu hurriedly saluted respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, take care. May everything go well for you."

Li Shimin waved his hand and prepared to leave the tavern and return to the palace with his entourage including Lord Zhang.

Just as he was about to leave, Xiaoyu hurriedly caught up with a few popsicles in her arms: "Your Majesty, wait a minute, these are popsicles. Take them back and give them to the prince and princess to try."

Li Hao nodded and said, "It's really refreshing to eat in this hot weather, and it can also help the princes and princesses cool down."

Li Shimin was slightly stunned, then smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay, I'll take it back and let them taste it."

After saying that, he took a basket of popsicles and continued walking towards the palace.

When Li Shimin returned to the palace, the princes and princesses bowed to their father when they saw him return.

When they saw the basket of popsicles in Li Shimin's hand, their eyes were full of curiosity.

The young princess' eyes sparkled as she eagerly asked, "Father, what is this? It looks so strange."

Li Shimin smiled and replied, "This is a popsicle. I found it in the tavern today. It's a good thing to relieve the summer heat. Come and try it."

Although the princes tried hard to maintain a calm image, they could not hide their curiosity.

The eldest prince took the popsicle and examined it carefully before putting it in his mouth. He felt a cool sensation and couldn't help but exclaim, "This is very refreshing. It's really refreshing to eat in this hot weather."

The little princess took a bite, her eyes curved with joy: "Wow, so icy and sweet, father, this popsicle is so delicious." The other princes and princesses also tasted it, chattering about it while eating.

"Big Foot, Big Foot, Master Cheng is going to the border"

Upon hearing this, Hua Da Jiao's eyes widened and she asked anxiously, "What? Cheng Yaojin is going to the border? Why would he just leave like that and not come back? Humph, he didn't even say hello to me. Is he getting into trouble out there, or is he going to do something dangerous again?"

After that, he frowned, his face full of worry and anxiety as he chewed the popsicle: "This popsicle tastes good, so cold. Let Cheng Yaojin go to the border."

Cheng Yaojin was happily eating a popsicle while hurrying along. Seeing his fellow soldiers sweating profusely, he called out to them, "Come on, come on, have some too! These popsicles are really cool and can help you beat the heat."

After hearing this, the soldiers gathered around, took the popsicles and took a bite. They immediately felt the heat in their bodies dissipate a lot: "Thank you, Master Cheng!"

Cheng Yaojin laughed and said, "What are you thanking me for? Eating popsicles like this will make the journey to the border not far away. I feel that the journey is even more exciting. When we get to the military camp, I will let my brothers taste this good stuff!"

After saying that, he took a big bite of another popsicle and continued riding forward.

"Drive~"

Cheng Yaojin continued on his journey until he reached the border.

He looked at the almost melted popsicle in his hand and muttered helplessly: "How come this popsicle is almost melted already? What a pity."

The soldier next to him also felt a little regretful, but Cheng Yaojin slapped his thigh and grinned, "It's okay, we'll reach the border in a few days, and then we can start over in the barracks."

"Let the brothers have some cool popsicles. Haha, just thinking about it makes me happy."

The soldiers looked at the remaining popsicles, which had almost melted, and simply collected them all and evenly distributed them into everyone's water bags: "Come on, take some."

Cheng Yaojin said with a smile: "Although the popsicle has melted, this ice water can still cool you down. Brothers, share some and try this popsicle too."

Everyone responded and took a sip from the water bag: "Hurry up!"

A few days passed like this, and Cheng Yaojin and a group of soldiers finally arrived at the border.

Cheng Yaojin reined in the reins, looked at the military camp in front of him, and shouted excitedly: "Brothers, we are finally here!"

The soldiers were all cheered up, with expressions of relief and excitement on their faces: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Over at Zuixianlou, Yuyu was washing vegetables while mumbling, "It's been fifty days, we should be at the border by now."

Xiaoyu: "Yes, it's been so long. I don't know if General Cheng and his men are doing well. I really hope that the ingredients can be used to make popsicles so that the soldiers can eat them and cool down."

Li Hao: "General Cheng is reliable and will definitely be able to bring the popsicles to the barracks safely. Let's wait and hear good news."

Yuyu: "But I still can't help but worry. It's a long and arduous journey, and I'm afraid something might go wrong."

Xiaoyu: "Don't worry, General Cheng is capable of overcoming any difficulty. Let's just focus on cooking here."

Li Hao: "That's right, come on, stop talking, we still have to prepare, who knows what will happen when the war breaks out"

"The border is really far away. It takes fifty days to travel. The ancient times were always slow."