Daohua received the news Xiao Yeyang sent, learning that the Emperor and the Crown Prince would be having lunch at the Ping Prince Residence. She immediately dropped her task of counting the storeroom's inventory and hurried back to the residence to personally oversee the kitchen staff as they prepared the meal.
By the time the Emperor and his entourage arrived, the food was already ready.
Having carried Daomang for half the day, the Emperor was feeling quite hungry, so he followed the Ping Prince straight to the dining hall.
After Eunuch An used a silver needle to test all the dishes, Daohua finally instructed Guyu to lead the maids she trusted most to serve the food.
Inside the dining hall, the Crown Prince and the others had initially assumed they would get the rare opportunity to dine at the same table as the Emperor. To their surprise, however, the Emperor went directly to the main table, still holding Daomang, and gently placed the little girl in the seat next to him.
