Li Yan was still preparing to continue speaking, but he saw the emperor wave his hand and said, "Eat first!"
Li Yan only then noticed the dimness of the light within the hall, clearly indicating that the sun was setting outside, probably well past lunchtime. He immediately replied, "I will obey!"
This was the first time Li Nian had dined with the First Emperor, and he was also curious about what the emperor ate. Although it was probably similar to what he had at the Six States Palace, he had never seen it with his own eyes.
Servants and maidens entered carefully with trays, placing the food on the tables in front of the First Emperor and Li Yan.
By all accounts, one should be seated on the ground with knees bent and feet together in front, known as "shiju," to eat at a table. However, it was evident that the First Emperor now found sitting in a chair while dining much more comfortable.
It's indeed true that normal people prefer things that are more comfortable and convenient, whether it's ancient people or modern ones. People like those from the Foot Basin group, who aren't considered human, have different tastes and enjoy some alternative activities from the netherworld.
Li Yan's face looked odd for a moment, but he didn't say anything. He looked at the food in front of him.
A plate of grilled deer meat, a piece of boiled lamb, a bowl of fish soup, a bowl of millet rice, and two bowls of steamed vegetables were placed before him. They were quite similar to what he usually ate.
Compared to that old witch who eats over a hundred dishes at a time, it's not clear where all the frugality has gone; she deserves to have her tomb desecrated.
Thinking of the old witch, Li Yan couldn't help but recall a news report he had seen before his time traveled.
It was reported on a music program that Chinese singers were outshone by foreign singers, with only one Chinese singer remaining on the list. Certain shameless media outlets then proclaimed this to be "the fate of the Yehenalara clan" and "a knot that cannot be untied, a fate that cannot be escaped from or destiny that cannot be untangled."
The singer was forcibly portrayed as a Chinese hero, a warrior over fifty years old who still fought for the Chinese music scene against foreigners.
When I saw these claims on a music app, I almost couldn't help but burst into laughter. "The Yehenalara clan guards the country's gate" - are you guys serious?
However, after laughter, Li Yan felt a surge of anger and sadness. It had only been a short time since then, yet some people had forgotten history and the shame of those past years.
If only people had a better understanding of the Yehe Nalara clan, they wouldn't say such things. To put it simply, the late Qing Dynasty empress who was a scourge to China was from the Yehe Nalara clan.
Noticing that Li Yan was staring at the food but not eating it, the First Emperor asked, "Is it not to your liking?"
Li Yan said, "I just remembered some events from the later period! King, the danger caused by the Huns is far more than just looting and killing our Han Chinese people. If we let them take over China, the harm will be even greater."
"Because they will not regard themselves as part of the Chinese nation; they will only consider the Han people as their slaves and view China as land they have seized."
"Therefore, they will not cherish this land, will not care about the life or death of the Han Chinese, will not care whether China is surpassed by others, as long as they can maintain their power and wealth. They won't hesitate to hand over Chinese land to others as long as they can keep their grip on power and wealth."
Seeing the righteous indignation in Li Yan's words, it was clear that such events had occurred in later history and had been accompanied by extremely painful lessons.
Ying Zheng said, "I cannot speak of the future, but as long as I am alive, the Hu people will never be able to take control of the realm of God. You can rest assured!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After thanking the First Empress, Li Yan also volunteered to apologize, "I have sinned; I should not have spoken of such negative things, which have ruined Your Majesty's pleasure!"
Ying Zheng said, not giving a hoot, "Your heart is set on China, and you are specially alerting me. It can be seen that you have a sincere heart for China. What's the crime? Please eat!"
Sitting down to eat, Li Nian hadn't eaten for long when the First Emperor's voice came again, "How do people in the future eat, and what kind of food do they have?"
Li Yan said, "The ingredients in later times are diverse, with birds in the sky, beasts on the ground, fish in the sea, as well as various vegetables and fruits. The cooking methods for these ingredients are different, making the food more numerous. Later people used to tell jokes about it: steamed lamb chops, steamed bear claws, and steamed deer tails..."
After saying a lot about food, the First Emperor could only lament the abundance of food in later times.
The First Emperor asked further, "Is it possible to make such dishes in the Qin Dynasty?"
He also wanted to taste the delicious food of later times.
Li Yan said, "Some can be made, while others are hard to make. Certain vegetables and fruits do not grow in China but are imported from foreign countries, such as corn, tomatoes, and watermelons. Furthermore, the cooking skills I possess in later times are not excellent, so some of the delicious foods I know about may be difficult to reproduce in the Qin Dynasty. The dishes I can make will certainly be offered to Your Majesty without any hesitation."
The First Emperor said, "I have heard that in later times, people do not eat individually; instead, families and close friends gather together at one table?"
Li Yan said, "That is indeed so. During mealtime, families gather at one table, either discussing major world events or talking about daily hardships. Later times, due to the needs of livelihood, families and close friends gather together even more closely. Only after daily work is completed or after a rest day do they have the opportunity to reunite."
Thinking of the time when family and close friends gather together, it is undoubtedly the Spring Festival during childhood. At that time, the most eagerly awaited thing was to celebrate the Spring Festival, to enjoy good food and have fun.
As one grows older, it feels that the Spring Festival is not as joyful as before. The New Year's Day loses its charm. Whenever the Spring Festival approaches, one can only sigh: Oh, another year is about to pass!
Too bad he doesn't know if he has the chance to sit with modern family and friends to brag and drink together again in the Qin Dynasty. In that era, he was actually an anomaly.
The First Emperor also thought of this, saying, "You have mentioned that you are twenty-six years old. Have you taken a wife?"
What, are you going to marry your daughter to me? Am I going to become your dad?
Finally, I have waited for this moment!
I wonder how it is like in the Qin Dynasty.
Anyways, it's definitely better than the princesses of the Tang Dynasty!
Upon hearing the First Emperor's words, Li Yan's thoughts became lively. He was a mortal, and also had normal physiological desires. If he could find a good woman in this era to be his wife, that would be fine.
Even if the princesses of the Qin Dynasty are not the most beautiful women in the world, in this era, princesses who eat well and drink well are definitely healthier and more developed than most women.
It's science fiction to think that in ancient times, just running into a maidservant would be an encounter with a beauty.
Beautiful women are certainly present in ancient times, but they will not be everywhere.
Li Yan also did not have the conceited idea of "it's a princess, I would never marry," and since if Emperor Qin was determined to give him his daughter, it was something he couldn't refuse.
Moreover, from a practical standpoint, marrying a princess would be beneficial for Li Yan in terms of earning the Emperor's trust, which would ensure his safety and well-being in the Qin Dynasty.
The original "Emperor Father" just became his father in reality.
How can a father-in-law not be considered a father?
But the premise is that I absolutely cannot allow that wretch, Hu Hai, to ascend the throne. Otherwise, when Hu Hai kills the princess, I don't think he would be kind enough to spare my life.
The historical records only mention that Hu Hai had ten princesses executed, without saying anything about their families. However, it can be assumed that they didn't fare well either. How could Gongzi Gao have feared the involvement of his family and committed suicide proactively?
In a flash, Li Nian thought about the pros and cons of marrying the princess. It seemed that apart from completely standing against Hu Hai, there were no other drawbacks, but standing against Hu Hai was something he had already done.
Based on the things he said to the First Emperor, if Hu Hai came to power and found out, he might even develop the torturous method of being torn apart in advance.
