Tang Dynasty: The pot is tied to the duck nest, the little rhinoceros is here!

"Oh dear! I was just a little excited to hear that Si Zi was here. Okay, okay! Take it easy..."

As soon as the two arrived outside the hall, they saw Xiao Sizi driving his fully-restored car, drifting and coming to a steady stop in front of them.

Moreover, there was a large yellow box on the passenger side of the car.

"Sizi, what...what's that on the car?"

Little Sizi turned her head to look at the box next to her and said in a childish voice:

"Hey, this is a thermal box. It contains the food my little one brought here!"

Upon hearing the word "delicious food," Li Shimin immediately perked up.

The things that Little Sizi brought were all delicacies fit for gods; each one was a top-tier delicacy.

Li Shimin decisively took three steps at a time to the back of the carriage, stretched out his hands, and steadily lifted the box down.

I was about to put it on the ground, but then I thought it wouldn't be right—there's so much delicious food in here, how could I put it on the ground? I have to put it on the table!

So he turned his head without looking back and walked into the hall with the box in his arms.

Empress Zhangsun watched his retreating figure, and couldn't help but shake her head and smile bitterly:

"Erlang, really, the rhinoceros hasn't come down yet..."

From afar came Li Shimin's matter-of-fact response:

"Sizi, you can get out of the car slowly by yourself. Grandpa won't carry you—Grandpa is carrying the suitcase!"

Little Sizi: "..."

In the end, Empress Zhangsun walked back with a smile and gently took the little girl down from the carriage.

When they returned to the Lizheng Hall, Xiao Sizi found that her grandfather had already opened the box.

He took out the lunchboxes one by one and arranged them neatly on the table.

The lunchbox is made of PP plastic, which is biodegradable, has good sealing properties, and can withstand high temperatures.

But this lunchbox, so transparent and made of such a special material, made Li Shimin feel that it was extraordinary, even better than his rhinoceros horn cup.

Putting aside what delicacies are inside, just look at this lunchbox...

Ordinary families can't afford this. How much would it cost to buy one?

He turned around and looked at his little cotton-padded jacket, a hint of probing in his eyes:

"Sizi, this lunchbox...was prepared by your brother? Did he...say you take it back?"

Little Sizi tilted his head and shook it: "What does Grandpa and Grandma want to do?"

"Grandpa thought...this lunchbox is so rare, if your brother hadn't told you to bring it back..."

"Then Grandpa wants to keep this lunchbox as a national treasure of our Great Tang Dynasty...yes, a national treasure, what do you think?"

Little Sizi sighed softly and said in a childish voice, "Grandpa! ...Can you open up the space? Guoguo's family has so many lunchboxes like this, we can't possibly use them all..."

Li Shimin: "..."

Empress Zhangsun also came over at this moment, and upon seeing the plastic lunchbox in front of her, she exclaimed in surprise:

"The craftsmanship of this lunchbox is exquisite; I doubt anyone in our Great Tang Dynasty could make such a lunchbox!"

Li Shimin nodded in deep agreement.

But then I thought about how I was about to treat this lunchbox like a national treasure.

He was immediately embarrassed when his own daughter contradicted him.

He asked the little boy, "Little boy, is this lunchbox... expensive?"

"Hey, you duck from Buji, your husband hasn't told me anything either!"

"Fine, since that's the case, let's eat first!"

Once the lunchbox was opened, the aroma of braised chicken pieces inside immediately filled the nostrils of Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun.

"Mmm, it smells so good, Guanyinbi, you should try some!"

Although he really wanted to be the first to eat, Empress Zhangsun was watching him expectantly.

After much hesitation, Li Shimin ultimately gave the first bite to Empress Zhangsun.

As for his little darling—she shouldn't be hungry.

Little Sizi: "..."

Then Li Shimin ordered someone to bring chopsticks, and gently picked up a piece of braised chicken.

With his left hand supporting it from below, he slowly fed it into Empress Zhangsun's mouth.

This tender scene was particularly pleasing to the eye for Xiao Sizi—it seemed... her mother's face had even turned red.

Although Empress Zhangsun gestured to Li Shimin with her eyes to stop being so intimate.

But Li Shimin, who doted on his wife, simply chose to ignore it.

What's wrong with feeding my own Guanyin maid?

"How is it, Guanyinbi? Is it delicious? What does it taste like?"

After chewing gently a couple of times, Empress Zhangsun smiled and said, "Second Prince, this chicken... is especially delicious, you should try some too..."

Li Shimin picked up a piece of chicken and brought it to his mouth.

The dark reddish-brown chicken pieces, coated in a glistening, translucent broth, were cooked with a single bite—

The first sensation was the soft, chewy texture on his lips and teeth, a flavor he had never tasted before. The aroma of the sauce was irresistible, the chicken was savory and delicious, tender and not dry, and every bite was bursting with flavorful broth.

"Hmm? This tastes absolutely amazing! Why can't the chefs at the Imperial Kitchen make something like this? A bunch of mediocre people..."

He complained as he picked up another piece of chicken and put it in his mouth.

Little Sizi then walked over, stretched out her little hand, and opened the king crab lunchbox:

"Mother, you must try this, it's delicious!"

"Alright, Mother will try it now..."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's attention was instantly drawn. He saw half a very large crab...

"Little Sizi, what kind of crab is this? How come it's so big? Has it become a spirit?!"

"Please don't mind if this is a king crab; this is just a regular size. There are even bigger ones!"

"Please don't mind if this is a king crab; this is just a regular size. There are even bigger ones!"

"King Crab? What an imposing name! It's almost like my name, Emperor, but it's quite fitting for someone this big!"

Li Shimin's eyes lit up. He had never seen such a large crab before, let alone eaten it. It was truly a delicacy for immortals.

So I made a decisive move and started taking them.

"Oh dear, Grandpa Nibu is trying to steal it! My mother isn't even seven days old yet..."

As he spoke, Xiao Sizi reached out and stopped Li Shimin's chopsticks.

But his efforts were in vain—Li Shimin skillfully bypassed Xiao Sizi's hand, stole a large crab leg from below, and put it in his mouth to savor it.

The first bite of crab is an explosion of rich, spicy flavor, the fresh spiciness and numbing aroma penetrating the tip of the tongue, while the sweetness of the crab meat bursts forth between the spiciness.

The firm and tender crab meat soaks up the broth, with layers of freshness, aroma, spiciness, and numbing sensation blending together.

The more you chew, the more you can taste the natural sweetness of the crab meat; it's spicy but not dry, and fresh but not fishy.

"Delicious! Delicious! It's the best food in the world!"

……

"Rice, Mother, don't just eat vegetables, rice is also very good..."

Modern rice, when steamed, produces grains that are translucent and have a unique aroma.

It is important to know that during the Tang Dynasty, most rice varieties were local conventional rice, which had low yields and weak resistance to adverse conditions. Modern rice varieties are mainly high-yield hybrid rice and high-quality japonica/indica rice, which have been artificially bred to achieve better yields and quality.

In ancient times, only the husk was removed to obtain unpolished rice (rice bran), while the germ and aleurone layer were retained; modern rice is mostly finely milled and polished, leaving only the endosperm.

Although it is not as nutritious as rice from the Tang Dynasty, modern rice is softer, smoother, and tastes better.

Upon seeing such rice, Li Shimin and Empress Zhangsun were both stunned.