The three-year-old host decides to raise an emperor father for himself.

Pei Qingzhu was curious.

Pei Qingzhu wanted to try it.

but……

Xiao Lanxing: "...The pig has to be castrated from a young age."

Even after being castrated, these piglets will still grow. Raising pigs is not something that can be done in a day or two. Anyway, neither Xiao Lanxing nor Pei Qingzhu can afford to eat pork right now.

However, after whispering with the system, Xiao Lanxing still came up with a plan to remove the fishy smell from the pig that had already been slaughtered, and had the kitchen prepare it.

pork.

It was still food.

but……

Xuanyuan Jing: "Ordinary people can't afford this kind of food, and those who can afford it are more willing to eat other livestock."

While eating the sweet and savory braised pork, Pei Qingzhu listened to Xuan Yuanjing and Xiao Lanxing's conversation. After swallowing the food in her mouth and wiping her mouth, she said, "I know Your Highness cares about the people, but for the people, being able to eat meat is already good enough. If it smells a little bad, it's no big deal."

Not to mention the chaos on the border of the Great Yan more than a decade ago, natural disasters were also rampant throughout the country. One year, there was almost a severe drought, but God sent a few rains at just the right time, which prevented the people from suffering "starvation everywhere" that year.

In recent years, the territory of the Great Yan has expanded, but natural disasters have not been peaceful. Only a few areas can be described as having favorable weather, while other places have their own troubles.

The Yellow River basin suffered from floods in the first half of the year, which were not severe, but still a concern for the imperial court.

For the local residents, who almost lost their homes and suffered severe losses, life still had to go on.

In the second half of the year, when the autumn harvest was approaching in the Northwest, there were sudden and continuous torrential rains. The harvest was so rushed that it was impossible to keep up with the pace, and a lot of grain was lost. If it weren't for the good management of the local government's granaries, it would be hard to say whether the grain would have survived the winter.

As a result, after winter arrived, snow disasters began to occur in the north.

This sporadic, scattered trouble is actually considered relatively mild.

What I fear most is a natural disaster that breaks out across the entire territory, which the imperial court cannot save even if it wants to, and the people can only wait to die.

In an agrarian empire, people depended on the weather for their livelihood. Being able to eat their fill was considered a blessing, let alone having meat to eat.

With these conditions, what more could you ask for?

Pei Qingzhu: "I've been observing mourning for the past two years, living on the mountain and farming a piece of land. I'm truly only able to have enough to eat thanks to God's blessings."

Upon hearing his words, Xuan Yuanjing, recalling the recent news he had received, also fell silent.

Xiao Lanxing, however, didn't think that far ahead. Upon hearing this, she asked Pei Qingzhu, "Uncle, you know how to farm?"

Pei Qingzhu shook her head: "I wouldn't call myself an expert. I just copy what others do. I plant whatever they do, and it's barely enough to make ends meet."

"I don't live entirely off what I grow myself."

He was a general, after all, and quite shrewd. He never did anything like embezzling a salary without working. But working under Xuan Yuanjing, he wasn't afraid of the court embezzling his salary. Plus, his wife, Shu Muqing, was a capable homemaker, and the family was wealthy.

They had money, there was no famine, and if they couldn't grow their own food, they could buy it; life was pretty good.

It was only after personally going to the fields that Pei Qingzhu truly understood the hardships of those farmers, and thus her feelings deepened.

But people like him are a minority in the upper echelons.

Xiao Lanxing doesn't have a direct experience of the conditions of this era. After all, she went straight to Prince Jing's mansion as soon as she landed, and Prince Jing's mansion would never mistreat such a small baby like her.

Especially after Xuanyuan Jing acknowledged her as his daughter, her treatment only improved.

If it weren't for the fact that it was at the palace banquet and Xiao Lanxing belatedly realized that everyone's food was rather mediocre, she wouldn't have thought of preparing something better for her father after returning home.

Yes, although Xiao Lanxing herself was greedy, she felt that she also wanted to make delicious food for her dear father, so she was eager to slaughter a pig and cook.

Unfortunately, the pigs here are not the pigs she imagined. If she wants to eat delicious pigs, she'll have to wait at least half a year.

Xiao Lanxing patted his chest and said, "The castrated pig grows up fast, and I'll treat you to something delicious when it does!"

After thinking for a moment, the little girl reached out and tugged at the clothes of the man beside her, looking up at Xuan Yuanjing: "Father, I want to farm too."

Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Jing first glanced at Pei Qingzhu before looking at Xiao Lanxing, his expression gentle: "Don't imitate your Uncle Pei. He was just sitting on the mountain with nothing to do."

Xiao Lanxing: "I want to farm."

After hearing her say that, Xuan Yuanjing thought for a moment but didn't stop her. Instead, he asked, "Are you sure?"

If his little girl really wanted to farm for fun, Xuan Yuanjing wouldn't necessarily stop her.

Xiao Lanxing nodded.

Xuanyuan Jing: "Alright, but we won't be staying here for too long. We'll be going back to the palace in half a month. Once we get back, I'll have someone clear out a plot of land in the garden for you, okay?"

Xiao Lanxing: "Yay!"

Xuanyuan Jing then asked, "What do you want to plant? I'll have someone find some seeds and find someone skilled in farming to teach you."

Xiao Lanxing scratched her cheek and tilted her head: "I don't know."

She wanted to do it after Pei Qingzhu mentioned it.

Why should a little baby think so much?

Xuanyuan Jing nodded slightly: "Understood. I will have people find as many seeds as possible."

It's just farming, right? Find some more seeds for your daughter to plant for fun.

With him watching over them, the vegetables won't die no matter what.

After the meal, although Pei Qingzhu thought the braised pork tasted pretty good, Xiao Lanxing still felt there was a meaty smell and didn't like it after taking a couple of bites.

After she finished eating, Xuan Yuanjing arranged for someone to carry her to take a nap, leaving only Xuan Yuanjing and Pei Qingzhu, two grown men, at the dining table.

With the baby out of their sight, the two grown men ate with great gusto, quickly finishing off the entire table of meat.

Pei Qingzhu touched her belly, looked at the man wiping his mouth slowly, and asked, "Your Highness, are you really going to do as the little princess said and castrate a few piglets?"

Xuanyuan Jing: "Well, it's not a big deal anyway."

As a fellow man, Pei Qingzhu felt that doing this to pigs was somewhat inhumane: "Although I believe that the young princess would not speak without reason, and she always says what she thinks, how different can a castrated pig be from an ordinary pig?"

Xuanyuan Jing: "...You want to discuss this with me?"

Pei Qingzhu thought for a moment and felt that it was a bit strange to discuss this matter seriously with her prince, so she changed the subject: "Didn't the little princess want to help the prince before? How come she's busy with food after just returning from a palace banquet?"

Xuanyuan Jing smiled and said, "She thinks I'm not eating well and that I'm being wronged."

Pei Qingzhu muttered, "How can the food be bad? Your Highness has been recuperating all this time, and although the food is a bit light, every meal has meat. Ordinary people don't have that kind of luxury."

"Besides, vegetables aren't cheap in winter, and you eat them at every meal. If someone heard you say that, they might impeach you."

Pork is indeed not very tasty, but... Xuan Yuanjing doesn't serve pork on his table, so why is he being treated unfairly?