A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 175: Chapter 174: Here to Trap People, Right?

Feeling listless, Xia Ruqing looked up unintentionally and saw several peculiar people.

Why peculiar?

Because they didn’t look like they were from this country at all.

Big beards, white skin, blue eyes, high nose bridges. They resembled Europeans, but there was something different about them.

These must be... ancient Europeans, right? Xia Ruqing mused.

There were six or seven of them, peddling their wares along the street. On the stall before them were all sorts of bizarre and strange items!

”These are the Southern Ocean People doing business!” Zhao Junqi explained.

”Southern Ocean People?” Zhao Junyao frowned. ”Why such a name?”

Zhao Junqi spread his hands. ”Because they came here by boat from the south, that’s what the common folk call them!”

”Oh...” Zhao Junyao pondered for a moment and nodded.

Xia Ruqing didn’t dare to wander off, so she followed behind the Emperor.

Zhao Junyao approached the stall and examined the items laid out for sale with an air of great interest.

Hmm, I don’t recognize a single one!

He casually picked up a round object. It had a stand underneath, and with a push of his hand, it could spin.

”What is this?”

The Southern Ocean person with white skin and blue eyes hastily explained, ”This is... the globe...”

His speech was quite stiff, even his tone was odd!

Zhao Junyao listened with a frown.

Xia Ruqing looked at the object, a familiar sensation washing over her.

This is none other than the globe our geography teacher used in middle school! However, even if I knew, I wouldn’t show it. Right now, I can’t even write properly, let alone study such things. Wouldn’t that be a joke?

She imagined herself being burned at the stake as a demon.

Ugh... She broke out in a cold sweat despite the scorching heat. Better not think about it anymore.

However, Zhao Junyao was very interested.

The Southern Ocean man continued to explain, ”Our earth is spherical, and... it’s not... as you would say... ’The sky is round, the earth is square’!”

”If you walk continuously in one... direction, you will... return to... the original point!”

”Here... this place here, is your Great Chu Dynasty!”

As he spoke, the Southern Ocean person pointed to a small, palm-sized section on the globe for Zhao Junyao to see.

Zhao Junyao knitted his brows and took a closer look.

Indeed! It matched the territories of his Great Chu Dynasty perfectly! Even the positions of neighboring countries and the coastline aligned.

But... a globe... the Earth? Is the land beneath my feet truly spherical?

Zhao Junqi said with a smile, ”Imperial Brother, they are just spouting nonsense, suitable for hoodwinking children!”

”Since ancient times, ’The sky is round, the earth is square’—this is the ironclad rule passed down by our ancestors. Could it be false?”

The Southern Ocean people, though they had some knowledge of the Chu Dynasty’s language, found Zhao Junqi’s rapid speech bewildering. They struggled to comprehend. After much thought, they still didn’t grasp his meaning, so they couldn’t retort.

However, Zhao Junyao seemed a bit hesitant. He played with the globe for a good while before finally handing it to Li Shengan.

”How much silver? I’ll take it!”

The Southern Ocean merchants understood the word ”buy” and replied joyfully, ”Thank you! It’s ten silver taels in total!”

”Ten taels!” Xia Ruqing exclaimed in shock.

The few people present immediately turned to look at her, and Xia Ruqing realized her outburst. Embarrassed, she looked down, her face flushing, and said no more.

You’re really ripping people off, you fake foreign devil! Ten silver taels for a battered globe! An ordinary peasant family in ancient times couldn’t earn that much in a year. That’s as hard to earn as tens of thousands of yuan today! she cursed inwardly. Thinking like that, I’ve figured it out! These fake foreign devils, why did they travel so far across the sea to do business in the Great Chu Dynasty? To make money, of course! The profits are astronomical! Typically, they don’t make a sale for half a year, but one sale sustains them for the next half year! What a rip-off! A colossal rip-off!

As she pondered, her gaze was suddenly drawn to something.

”What is this...” she murmured, picking up a cylindrical object.

The foreign peddler cheerfully pocketed the silver while awkwardly introducing, ”This is... a telescope!”

”With it, you can see... very far... very distant places!” As he spoke, he demonstrated it himself.

Xia Ruqing took it with some skepticism.

This thing? It doesn’t look much like a modern telescope!

Still, she gave it a try. ”Wow!” Her face lit up with surprise.

I can’t believe there’s such an effective telescope in ancient times!

”Sir, would you like to take a look?” Xia Ruqing offered the telescope with both hands, as if presenting a treasure.

Zhao Junyao took it and, imitating the foreign peddler’s manner, put it to his eye, squinting the other.

Suddenly, his lips curved into a smile. ”Not bad! This thing is quite good!”

If... during military campaigns, we could see the enemy’s every move, wouldn’t that be... he mused.

Zhao Junyao lowered the telescope and handed it directly to Li Shengan. ”I’ll buy this!”

The foreign peddler said happily, ”This... sells for twenty taels!”

Xia Ruqing’s heart clenched. I really want to beat up that fake foreign devil! Twenty taels! You must be here to rip us off!

And yet... Zhao Junyao seemed quite pleased and simply had Li Shengan pay. Nearby, Zhao Junqi also didn’t seem to find anything amiss.

Xia Ruqing looked around and could only sigh inwardly. They’re all imperial nobles, after all. Silver is just a number to them! Short of money? Impossible! The entire empire belongs to their family; how could they ever lack money!

Alas! Thinking this, Xia Ruqing lamented her own poverty once more. Why was I so poor in my past life? But thankfully, in this life, the heavens have given me a cheat! Yes, I must live well, cling to the Emperor like he’s a mighty tree, and never let go, not even in death!

Zhao Junyao, having paid the silver, was about to leave. When he saw Xia Ruqing standing still, he turned back. The girl was staring straight at him, a trickle of drool at the corner of her mouth, her eyes filled with an indescribable fervor!

Zhao Junyao: ”...”

As a fully functioning—no, an exceptionally functioning—man, Zhao Junyao certainly understood the meaning behind that expression. However, he masterfully concealed his thoughts. With an expressionless face, he continued to stroll through the streets.

At noon, the group found a place to thoroughly enjoy the local delicacies.

During the meal, Zhao Junyao and Zhao Junqi talked and laughed merrily.

Seeing Xia Ruqing somewhat distracted, Zhao Junqi courteously asked, ”Lady Xia, does the food not suit your taste? Why aren’t you eating?”

Xia Ruqing came back to her senses and hurriedly smiled politely. ”Thank you, Princely Heir, there’s nothing wrong with the taste!”

She then lowered her head and began to eat.

The Great Chu Dynasty had an open culture, especially in the southern coastal regions. Foreigners frequently arrived by ship, and the cities teemed with people from all walks of life.