MCUS Chapter 36

‘Rewarded him with a meal?’ Yan Ge snorted inwardly as he skillfully picked up the last lion head in the braised lion head dish with his chopsticks.

Huangfu Yuchen looked at his pitiful expression and murmured, “If you haven’t had dinner after returning to the palace, you can always come and have dinner with me.”

Yan Ge agreed immediately. How could he not be happy to frequently eat the dishes made by the imperial kitchen?

Suddenly, Emperor Huangfu Yuchen said leisurely, “Wait for me outside the palace gate tomorrow morning. We’ll go out together.”

Yan Ge, who had just taken a bite of the lion’s head, looked at him unexpectedly. He swallowed the food in his mouth and asked uncertainly, “Your Majesty, are you going out of the palace?”

Huangfu Yuchen replied, “I’m curious about your company and want to visit. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Of course not,” Yan Ge understood his curiosity about new things, there was nothing to hide anyway. “However, there’s a snack shop opening tomorrow, and I want to go and have a look. I’m afraid you won’t like noisy places. Perhaps, you can go directly to the company with Gao Feng and Gao Yun?”

Huangfu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, “I’d rather go with you. It’s good to walk around.”

Yan Ge then said, “Since Your Majesty is going out disguised, it’s best to bring along a few more guards.” From the history textbooks and TV dramas, he had always thought that “emperors” were dangerous and terrifying people. If anything displeased them, they would either punish or kill their subjects. But after interacting with Huangfu Yuchen for a long time, he didn’t find him terrifying. On the contrary, he felt that it was nice to be able to get along with him.

Or maybe he hadn’t touched Huangfu Yuchen’s bottom line, which was why Huangfu Yuchen didn’t show his terrifying side in front of him. But that was enough. As long as he remembered not to cross Huangfu Yuchen’s bottom line, he could continue to hug his thigh in peace.

“Deng Mande will arrange it,” Emperor Huangfu Yuchen said.

“Your Majesty, Yan Daying, please rest assured.” Deng Mande thought to himself, ‘the slave thought that Your Majesty didn’t know that the slave was also present. The atmosphere between Your Majesty and Yan Daying is too harmonious, as if no one else exists.’

The eunuchs and palace maids on the side also felt that the atmosphere was different from before. But living in the Tenglong Palace, they knew what they could and couldn’t say outside. Otherwise, it would be best to prepare for death.

The next day, Yan Daying waited outside the palace gate for a long time before Huangfu Yuchen finally arrived in disguise. He wore a jade hairpin to tie up his hair, dressed in a white silk gown with blue embroidered gold patterns along the edges, and draped a dark gold robe over it, exuding an air of nobility with every move. Deng Mande followed behind him, along with four guards dressed similarly.

“Your Majesty, are you only bringing these few people?” Yan Ge frowned disapprovingly.

Huangfu Yuchen said, “Don’t worry.”

Yan Ge secretly probed and sensed a few hidden auras in the shadows. They were well concealed, and it was difficult to detect without careful perception. It turned out there were hidden guards.

Huangfu Yuchen didn’t prepare a separate carriage and got on the carriage with Yan Ge, while the others mounted their horses and they all moved towards the inner city.

Every day in the capital was lively. The streets were bustling with traffic, people coming and going, and the hustle and bustle filled the air. The sound of horse hooves, the clattering of carriage wheels, and the tireless shouting of the vendors. There were people selling food, sugar-coated haws, roasted sweet potatoes, malt candy; selling clothes, fabric, and shoes; selling toys, clay figurines, masks…etc

When they arrived at the snack shop, the opening ceremony had already ended. The fragrant aroma of spicy hot pot and barbecue wafted out, enticing everyone. Customers lined up outside the shop, creating a lively scene.

Inside the shop, every table was occupied, and several waiters carried trays back and forth between the tables, busy to the point where their feet barely touched the ground. They occasionally shouted to the kitchen, asking which table’s dishes were ready.

“Boss, I want to go inside. What about you?” Yan Ge said.

Huangfu Yuchen took the folding fan from his hand. “It’s fine. But just call me… Brother. Is there a private room?” He was interested in the fragrant food emanating from inside. “It’s just in time for an early lunch.”

Yan Ge looked at him in surprise. “Actually, it’s very… common food.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Huangfu Yuchen waved his hand.

Yan Ge was speechless. “What I mean is, this is a shop that caters to common people, so there are no private rooms. However, there’s a small hall in the backyard.”

“Let’s go in,” Huangfu Yuchen stepped forward.

Yan Ge quickly followed, walking beside him. This was an important figure. If anything went wrong in his shop, how would he be able to hug his thigh?

Huangfu Yuchen smiled silently when he noticed how Yan Ge closely followed him and scanned the surrounding guests with guarded eyes.

Xiao Chuanzi and Wan Xiang had already entered the city ahead of them. They were busy with their hands full and when they saw them coming in, they hurriedly approached.

Yan Ge shook his head and gestured towards the inner courtyard.

Xiao Chuanzi quickly led two attendants and rushed in to tidy up. He had never had the fortune to meet the emperor, but Yan Ge had told him that he would go out of the palace with the emperor. Who else could that impressive man be if not the emperor?

This group of people exuded an imposing presence and the customers in the shop curiously looked over, but when they met the cold eyes of the four guards’ eyes, they quickly averted their gaze.