His wife had to be protected by him. Even his son couldn't be counted on.
Baozi tilted his head and looked at his mother, his face full of questions.
"It's okay, it's okay. If Baozi wants to eat, I'll make the dumplings myself," Yi Qing replied immediately.
Previously, Yi Qing and Baozi were hardly ever separated. But since she got together with Xiao Jinghan, she always left Baozi for long periods of time. She was becoming a less and less competent mother.
Seeing that Yi Qing had already agreed, Xiao Jinghan didn't say anything more.
The cooks in the kitchen had prepared all the ingredients. They were trembling with nervousness seeing their master cooking in person.
"Knead the dough, not scrub clothes," Yi Qing said with a smile as she watched Xiao Jinghan kneading the dough. "Like this, like this..." She demonstrated while speaking.
Finally, after kneading the dough well, they let it rest aside and began to prepare the filling.
"We're not making meatballs when preparing the dumpling filling," Yi Qing said when she saw that Xiao Jinghan had minced the meat into a paste.
"Didn't you say the finer the better?"
Yi Qing helplessly rubbed her forehead. "I said minced meat, minced meat, minced!"
"I'll do it again. See how I chop it," Xiao Jinghan said without getting angry. He remembered the time when he was going to go home and eat the noodle soup made by Yun Ying, but found no one in the courtyard.
He wouldn't let such a thing happen again. So even for the daily trivia, he would accompany Yi Qing.
"Do you cook like this at home?" Lord Ghost found his way to the kitchen and peeked in through the door.
Baozi turned his head and glanced at Lord Ghost. His pupils shrank slightly, and he was on high alert.
"Yo, this kid is so cute," Lord Ghost said as he walked in.
"Stop!" Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing said in unison.
Lord Ghost stood there awkwardly.
"Fang Huai, I never said I'm a person who always keeps my promises. If you dare to get close to Xiao Duo, I'll return your silver. You can find someone else to detoxify you," Yi Qing threatened.
Lord Ghost thought for a while and then stepped back to the kitchen door. "Hurry up and cook. I'm starving." After saying that, he left.
Although they were traveling together for now, it didn't mean they were friends. Baozi was Yi Qing's weakness. She would never let Lord Ghost get close to Baozi.
"Who is he?" Baozi let out a slight breath.
"Fang Huai. He's very dangerous. Don't talk to him," Yi Qing told Baozi.
Baozi nodded. He also felt that this person was dangerous.
It was already late at night when the dumplings were finally made. The family of three sat around the table to eat the dumplings. Yi Qing also made a soup. No matter how they looked, the three of them were very happy while eating.
After cleaning up, they went back to their room. Yi Qing talked to Xiao Jinghan about Fang Huai.
"If we want to detoxify him, we'll definitely have to go to the Southern Border. We can also go and see Zisu. I wonder how she is now," Yi Qing said. She really missed Zisu.
Xiao Jinghan turned to look at Yi Qing. "Even if we go to the Southern Border, it will be at the earliest after the New Year."
"Even if?" Yi Qing was confused. "Can't we go?"
"Now I'm supposed to be reflecting at home. And if I go to the Southern Border with my identity, it will definitely cause unnecessary trouble."
Yi Qing thought it made sense. "Anyway, there's still some time. We'll think of a way slowly."
Xiao Jinghan should have returned in glory this time. But the emperor's imperial edict offset his merits and demerits, and no one knew why he was ordered to reflect at home. So few people came to visit the General's Mansion.
"Dad, this is..." Yuan Hecong looked at the gifts his father had prepared.
"Your sister's health is almost fully recovered. Now that General Xiao is back, you and your sister should take some gifts to thank him," Yuan Wenqu instructed.
Yuan Hecong was surprised. "Dad, didn't you used to be against having contacts with the General's Mansion?"
"Just go if I tell you to," Yuan Wenqu didn't explain.
Yuan Hecong didn't ask any more questions. He packed up and went to the General's Mansion.
Yi Qing woke up naturally. She saw Xiao Jinghan sitting in the room reading a book. When he saw her wake up, he asked someone to bring in the washing things.
"Sleeping until I wake up naturally. All I need now is to count so much money that my hands cramp," Yi Qing said after washing up. She sat opposite Xiao Jinghan. "Where's Baozi?"
"He went to the academy. There will be a test in a few days."
Yi Qing thought that Baozi came back yesterday probably just to take a short break from his busy schedule.
Just as the two of them had finished breakfast, they heard that Lord Deng had come.
After not seeing him for a while, Deng Xiao looked even more cold. Yi Qing was really worried that he would suddenly drop dead one day if he worked like this.
"Was everything smooth in Li City?" Deng Xiao asked Yi Qing directly.
Xiao Jinghan knew that Deng Xiao did it on purpose, and his face still looked very unpleasant.
"With my general around, it must have been smooth," Yi Qing quickly defused the situation. She thought, could Deng Xiao please stop causing trouble for her? "I have something to ask you. I've already given you the signature. Don't tell me you haven't found out anything."
Deng Xiao came today just for this matter. "The matter has been investigated clearly. The Princess Royal is indeed the biggest mastermind behind the scenes in the capital area. This matter is also related to the deposed emperor."
Xiao Jinghan and Yi Qing looked at each other.
"Did the deposed emperor use this thing to control people back then?" Yi Qing looked at Deng Xiao.
Deng Xiao nodded. "The emperor already knows about this. But because it involves too much, the emperor hasn't made a decision yet."
"This matter is related to the deposed emperor. The deposed emperor used the Ruyi Cake to control people, and the Princess Royal was involved. That means the Princess Royal has been using this thing to control people until now, and some of these people are in the court," Xiao Jinghan knew that this was why the emperor was hesitant.
Deng Xiao nodded. "Actually, even if we imprison the Princess Royal, as long as the source of the Ruyi Cake isn't cut off, there will still be others doing this."
"The source isn't cut off? Do you know where the Ruyi Cake comes from?"
"It comes from the Southern Border, and it may even be related to the royal family of the Southern Border," Deng Xiao guessed.
"What?" Yi Qing was surprised.
"Madam, Young Master Yuan and Miss Yuan are here to see you," Sang Sang bowed.
"Ask them to wait for a while," Deng Xiao said directly.
Yi Qing gave Deng Xiao an unhappy look, but still motioned for Sang Sang to do as Deng Xiao said, thinking that Deng Xiao must have something urgent to say.
Sang Sang bowed and retreated.
"I advise you not to get involved in the matters between the Yuan and Xie families," Deng Xiao said earnestly.
"What's going on between the Yuan and Xie families?" Yi Qing felt like she had missed a whole era of stories.
"The Xie family's withdrawal from the engagement was very disgraceful back then. Now that Miss Yuan has recovered from her illness, she has severely humiliated the Xie family. This matter has even alerted the queen and the empress dowager. The two families are now in a fierce fight," Deng Xiao reminded.
Actually, Xiao Jinghan had already reminded Yi Qing when she was treating Yuan Lingfei, but she still helped Yuan Lingfei.
"What does that have to do with us?" Yi Qing thought it was nothing. "You'd better solve the matter of the Ruyi Cake completely."
Deng Xiao said that it couldn't be completely solved.
Yuan Lingfei used to be well - known in the capital. Now, although she had passed the marriageable age, her appearance was still flawless. Yi Qing didn't expect that the "alien" she saw back then had now become a celestial being descending to earth.
"Madam Xiao," Yuan Hecong and Yuan Lingfei stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, Madam Xiao, for saving my life," Yuan Lingfei curtsied deeply. "I've prepared a small gift. Please accept it with a smile."