Zhao Yao waved his hand with an air of generosity and said, "It’s okay."
The Emperor chuckled in exasperation, pulling his youngest son into his arms and pinching Zhao Yao’s chubby cheeks.
"You little rascal..."
Seeing that it was about time, Liang Zhaoyi said, "Your Majesty, Miss Qin needs to rest, so I won’t disturb you any longer."
Yu Meiren and Pan Cairen hurriedly saluted the Emperor.
Liang Zhaoyi looked at Qin Xiulian and said, "Miss Qin, take a good rest."
"Safe journey, Lady Zhaoyi."
Zhao Yao pulled away from the Emperor’s embrace, gave his father a stern look, and then bowed, "I take my leave, Father."
Liang Zhaoyi led Zhao Yao out.
The Emperor watched the departing figure of Liang Zhaoyi, slightly furrowing his brow, with a thoughtful expression.
"Mother, let’s hurry back to eat dumplings." As soon as they emerged from Qin Xiulian’s tent, Zhao Yao eagerly said, "I want to eat fifty dumplings."
Inside the tent, the Emperor heard his youngest say he wanted to eat fifty dumplings and laughed, scolding, "That little rascal is a pig, eating so many."
Qin Xiulian said, "Your Majesty, you should have your dinner now."
The Emperor wasn’t in the mood to linger any longer. He stood up and said, "I’ll come see you later."
"Safe journey, Your Majesty."
The Emperor nodded and then left Qin Xiulian’s tent, returning to his own.
Sun Kui asked, "Your Majesty, what would you like to eat for dinner?"
The Emperor blurted out, "I want to eat dumplings."
"Dumplings?" Sun Kui was momentarily stunned, then he understood, "Then I will go to Lady Zhaoyi’s and fetch some."
"Go ahead." The Emperor recalled Zhao Yao’s earlier declaration of wanting to eat fifty and instructed, "Get me fifty dumplings."
"Your Majesty, wouldn’t fifty be a bit much?" The most the Emperor had ever eaten was over thirty.
The Emperor gave Sun Kui a sidelong glance, "I told you to get them, why all this nonsense."
"I’ll go right away."
Sun Kui arrived just as Liang Zhaoyi’s first batch of dumplings was coming out of the pot.
When Zhao Yao heard Sun Kui say the Emperor wanted fifty dumplings, he immediately protested.
"Mother, they didn’t make many dumplings, and Father wants to eat fifty all by himself, what are we supposed to eat then?"
Sun Kui said nothing, only offered an awkward smile.
"No way." Zhao Yao guarded the dumplings, "If Father wants dumplings, let the Imperial Chef make them for him, don’t take ours."
"Tenth Prince, this..."
"No extra for Father, let the chefs make his own."
"Tenth Prince, isn’t that a bit much?"
Zhao Yao was about to say more when his little head was gently rapped by Liang Zhaoyi.
"Your Majesty won’t eat fifty, Mr. Sun, take twenty back."
"Twenty, that’s too many!" Zhao Yao complained, "Ten is plenty!"
Liang Zhaoyi ignored Zhao Yao, served twenty dumplings into a food box, and handed it to Sun Kui.
"We didn’t make many, so only twenty for His Majesty, please forgive us."
Zhao Yao pouted unhappily, "Why does Father have to eat ours when I’m not going to have enough later."
Sun Kui took the food box and thanked Liang Zhaoyi, "Thank you, Your Ladyship, I take my leave."
"Safe journey, Mr. Sun."
Once Sun Kui left, Zhao Yao began to complain, "That tricky Father, he’s definitely doing it on purpose to steal my dumplings."
Liang Zhaoyi, seeing her son all puffed up with anger, reached out with amusement to poke his little cheek.
"Who else can you blame, you’re the one who said at the door you wanted fifty dumplings, and your Father heard you."
Zhao Yao looked remorseful, "It’s my own fault."
"If you don’t have enough, your second mother and I will make more." Liang Zhaoyi served fifty dumplings, "Aren’t you going to invite your fourth brother for dumplings? Take these to him."
"Mother, fifty dumplings with Fourth Brother won’t be enough." Zhao Yao said, "I can eat fifty by myself."
"Just because you can, doesn’t mean I’ll let you." Liang Zhaoyi pinched Zhao Yao’s little nose, "Do you want to burst your little belly?"
"Mother, I really can eat fifty..."
Liang Zhaoyi interrupted Zhao Yao, "Alright, hurry and take the dumplings over, they won’t taste good later." With that, she handed the food box to Tong Xi.
"Mother, don’t forget Lady Li’s dumplings."
"I haven’t forgotten, I’ll send them to Lady Li in a moment."
Zhao Yao said no more, bouncing off to find the Fourth Prince.
Meanwhile, Sun Kui had already returned to the Emperor’s tent with the dumplings.
"Your Majesty, Lady Zhaoyi said they didn’t make many, so you can only have twenty."
"Didn’t the little rascal even call out?"
"He did, Tenth Prince didn’t want to give them to you and said if you want dumplings, ask the Imperial Chef to make them. Don’t take his."