When I was four, I discovered an earth-shattering secret:
Beneath my mother's dignified and virtuous empress facade, she was actually a street vendor who sneaked out of the palace at night to sell stinky tofu!
Even more unbelievable, my father, the most awe-inspiring emperor in the land, seemed to have no idea.
And so began my happy little routine:
By day, I was the palace's darling, sampling every treat from the imperial kitchen.
By night, I was my mother's lookout, crouching beneath her stall and munching stinky tofu while helping her keep her secret.
I thought I could keep the secret forever, until one day, my father followed the smell of stinky tofu right to the stall...
Hiding underneath with half a piece of stinky tofu stuffed in my mouth, I fell into deep thought:
Father, Mother is selling food again! This time, should I sell her out or myself?
Who could have guessed that Father would calmly stand in front of the stall and say, “One serving, extra spicy.”
Only later did I learn that Father had known all along. He had even secretly become the boss behind Mother's stinky tofu stall, and sometimes stepped in to collect the money himself!
From then on, the most absurd sight in the Great Yao Dynasty became a familiar one:
The empress frying stinky tofu, the princess working the register, and the emperor crouched beside the stall doing the books, while court officials lined up to buy tofu and hand their money to His Majesty!
Sweet from start to finish, with no angst: a mischievous little princess, an emperor and empress who dote on each other, and hilarity galore. Watch the least dignified royal family turn the palace into a warm, lively home!
