This is not the first time Xia Guangcheng has gone on an expedition.

However, on this journey, he tasted a kind of dried meat he had never had before.

What surprised him was that his young girl hung a sachet at his waist, and inside were the dried meats.

Whenever he felt hungry during the march, he would take out a piece to eat, which was both fragrant and filling.

This dried meat made Xia Guangcheng’s eyes light up!

Wouldn’t it be great to use it as a ration to replenish the soldiers’ strength during battle?

Of course, upon hearing that one jin of dried meat required about three jin of pork, Xia Guangcheng gave up on the idea: Military provisions were limited and could not accommodate such luxuries.

Only his young girl would be so generous.

At Xia Mansion, Mrs. Xia also tasted this kind of dried meat for the first time.

"It’s quite good, quite fragrant." Mrs. Xia, whose teeth were still good, said, "You were thoughtful."

See, there’s a real difference between having a wife and not having one.

With a wife, there’s someone to care for him.

"But why cut them into small square pieces, why not slices?"

"Yes, Mother, why?"

Panpan couldn’t figure it out either, mainly because her teeth weren’t very strong. Just yesterday, she lost a front tooth from "stealing a taste" of the dried meat, making her wonder why her mother insisted the cook cut it into small squares, or else her tooth might not have fallen out.

"If they’re sliced thin and dried, they easily break into crumbs, making them inconvenient to eat and carry."

Xiao Chunyu said, "Cutting them into small squares is slightly more difficult to dry, but they won’t crumple."

The old lady nodded, and Panpan felt disheartened.

"Panpan can’t bite it."

Just then, the nanny came to report: The palace had sent someone to fetch Miss Panpan to the palace.

"Who did they send this time?"

"It’s Aunt Yu."

"Quick, invite Aunt Yu in." That was someone from the Empress’s side, Mrs. Xia said, "Go tidy up the young lady so we don’t keep Aunt Yu waiting."

Aunt Yu entered the mansion, greeting the old lady and Xiao Chunyu.

"Old Lady, Madam, the Empress said it’s been too long since she last saw Miss Panpan, and she misses her, so she sent me to invite the young lady to the palace to stay for a few days."

"Thank the Empress for thinking of us," said Mrs. Xia, "Panpan was just thinking about visiting the Empress and the Crown Prince, so I leave it to you to take her."...

Xiao Chunyu admired the old lady, who always spoke so appropriately.

"It’s my good fortune to escort Miss Panpan to the palace."

Aunt Yu was also quite fond of Panpan, a little girl who was truly adorable despite her young age.

What amazed her was that whenever her knees ached due to her age, Panpan seemed to notice her discomfort, suggesting she apply some medicine to relieve the pain.

This little child rummaged through her cloth bag and pulled out a small green ceramic bottle, then put it back, saying it wasn’t the right one; she rummaged again and found a small red bottle, declaring it was the right one, and suggested applying it daily.

At the time, Aunt Yu thought the child was just playing around and took the bottle, thanked her, and slipped it into her pocket without thinking much of it, later placing it on her pillow when she got back home.

But a few days ago, after a heavy rain, her leg was unbearably sore and swollen, making it hard to get out of bed.

Accidentally touching the small ceramic bottle on her bedside, she remembered what Panpan had said and, with nothing to lose, decided to try it.

Within half an hour, the sensation of soreness and swelling markedly diminished.

An hour later, she could walk again.

What a delightful surprise!

Finally, she understood why the Empress and the Crown Prince liked her so much.

This child was indeed a little fortune child.

So when the Empress asked someone to fetch Panpan to the palace today, she readily volunteered.

"Nanny, Panpan is ready to go to the palace."

With her small cloth bag still slung over her shoulder, only this time, she was also bringing a small food container, insisting on carrying it herself despite any offers of help.

Don’t be fooled by Panpan’s young age; she was fully aware of the palace rules.

Especially when it came to food meant for the Crown Prince, she always personally carried it, allowing no one else to touch it.

"Well then, Madam, Madam, I’ll take Miss Panpan to the palace now."

"Thank you, Aunt Yu," Xiao Chunyu said, caressing her daughter’s head with the usual advice, "Listen to the nanny, don’t be naughty in the palace..."

Routine reminders to stay safe.

Actually, Xiao Chunyu had a feeling that her daughter was quite clever, able to navigate palace pitfalls in ways that even she, in the same situation, could not. Her daughter not only avoided these traps but managed to save the Crown Prince from trouble time and again.

It’s one thing if it happens once or twice, but when it’s time and again, there’s something uncanny about it.

"Mother, Panpan understands."

Panpan ran forward to hug Mrs. Xia, "Grandma, Panpan will be in the palace for a few days, don’t miss me too much. I’ll be back soon."

"Alright, alright, I won’t miss you too much, just occasionally think of you."

The old lady’s smile could not be concealed; the child’s farewell words were endearingly amusing.

"Mother, Panpan is going to the palace now."

"Alright."

"Brother, sister is going to the palace now; you must be good and listen to Grandma."

Panpan was like that, greeting everyone before leaving, looking at ease, like she was not entering the palace but going out for a stroll in the fields.

Her relaxed demeanor was unparalleled.

Every young lady entering the palace usually looked nervous, fearing they might offend someone important or fall into some palace intrigue.

Only Panpan could confidently navigate the palace as if it were her own domain.

Those who had tried to harm Panpan before never met a good end.

Even the Emperor protected her, and anyone considering going against her would have to think twice about whether their entire family’s heads were worth risking.

Panpan followed Aunt Yu into the palace.

Mrs. Xia asked Xiao Chunyu what was in Panpan’s food container.

"I don’t know," replied Xiao Chunyu.

Only realizing afterward, Xiao Chunyu felt a bit negligent with this child...

Oh well, there’s no need to worry about what she does.

In the palace, Panpan opened the food container and looked at the Crown Prince.

"Big brother, Panpan advises you to chew this slowly and eat slowly, or else your teeth might break. See..."

She opened her mouth wide to show him her missing front tooth.

"Panpan is growing up, changing her baby teeth," the Crown Prince chuckled. This child, the dried meat is not to blame.

However, the dried meat was indeed delicious but very hard and dry.

"Who made this?"

The Crown Prince chewed slowly, mulling something over in his mind but unable to quite grasp what it was.

"My mother made it. It was prepared as a ration for my father when he traveled to the border."

"Yes, that’s it!" the Crown Prince exclaimed, hitting the desk, "This is the perfect ration for the military!" He stood up excitedly, "Panpan, you really are my little lucky star."