The whole world was watching the li jia chong in Xiao Yao's hand.
Xiao Yao, however, seemed quite at ease, not appearing to notice the pitying gazes cast her way.
After peeling the crawfish, she looked up at the man standing beside her.
"Do you want to eat it, or should I?"
Wow!
This young girl was incredibly bold!
Setting aside her disrespectful attitude towards the Prince,
Her very question was a capital offense!
How could the Prince, with his noble status, possibly eat insects?
But, to everyone's surprise, Prince Xuan reached out and took the li jia chong from the girl's hand.
The li jia chong had been peeled, revealing the white, tender flesh.
He lowered his head, bit into the white meat, chewed twice, and swallowed.
The Prince ate the li jia chong!
He really ate it!
Feng Jinrui was already impatient!
"Fourth Imperial Brother..." he rubbed his hands.
He also wanted to give the people confidence that the li jia chong was indeed edible.
Feng Ye Xuan felt a touch of helplessness. His younger brother had matured considerably after his stint on the battlefield.
Unexpectedly, upon his return, he encountered this little girl on the road. Together, they instantly reverted to acting like children!
Feng Ye Xuan nodded.
Feng Jinrui immediately rolled up his sleeves and began eating with Xiao Yao.
This Fourteenth Prince was far more approachable than Prince Xuan. He took care of himself, and was self-sufficient.
Unlike a certain aloof Prince who required others to serve him even when eating.
Xiao Yao ignored Feng Ye Xuan and happily ate and laughed with Feng Jinrui, as joyful as could be.
Even Ye Qingying, watching from a distance, could tell that her laughter was relaxed and uninhibited.
Why were they walking together?
Had Feng Ye Xuan already recognized her?
However, Feng Ye Xuan's attitude towards Xiao Yao seemed distinctly cold, stern, and even carried a sense of misplaced superiority.
It wasn't like the feeling of being with Chu Qianli.
But why could they be together?
The crowd gradually began to stir.
The Fourteenth Prince and that little girl were happily eating li jia chong.
Even Prince Xuan occasionally accepted a li jia chong offered by the little girl and ate a few bites.
Looking at the Fourteenth Prince, the li jia chong seemed… seemed delicious!
Even the Prefect was eating it!
The Prefect even called out, "If anyone dares, come and try it with the Prince and me!"
There were no rewards, nothing at all, just the shared experience of tasting.
At first, no one dared.
Gradually, one or two people walked over.
If the Prince and the Fourteenth Prince could eat it, were they afraid it was poisonous?
Finally, the crowd became lively, forming a long queue to taste them one by one.
The li jia chong was indeed edible!
Not only was it edible, but it was exceptionally delicious!
Even better than ordinary shrimp!
From this day forward, the li jia chong had a new name: Xiao Long Xia!
After tasting the Xiao Long Xia, the people, one by one, grabbed their baskets and went to the fields to catch more.
If they didn't catch them now, others would snatch them all up soon.
The Prefect was almost moved to tears by Xiao Yao. She had not only solved the people's immediate food problem but also dealt with the pest infestation.
Once the Xiao Long Xia were mostly eaten, crops could be planted again, and the lives of the people in Qingxi Town would visibly improve.
Unexpectedly, something that even the Imperial Envoy couldn't resolve was handled so perfectly by Xiao Yao with a basin of spicy Xiao Long Xia!
That day, after everything was settled, Xiao Yao immediately requested to leave and return to the inn.
However, to her utter surprise, Prince Xuan wanted to accompany her to meet her master.
"My master dislikes noise and meeting strangers," Xiao Yao protested as they approached the door.
But Feng Ye Xuan's expression remained unchanged, and his steps did not falter.
Xiao Yao, with no other choice, went ahead and pushed the door open:
"Master, I'm back!"