Chapter 51

Ling Huanchen knew Yu Xi was a quick learner, but he hadn't expected that, besides his military and literary skills, he'd also learned to make dumplings faster than anyone else. While Ling Huanchen and the others were still making oddly shaped dumplings, Yu Xi's dumplings were already nearly as good as those made by the imperial kitchen attendants.

Before long, Yu Xi had gone from student to master, Ling Huanchen's personal master. While others learned to make dumplings by following the steps of the imperial kitchen attendants, Ling Huanchen was taught by Yu Xi, step by step, just like teaching a child to write.

The dumplings in front of Ling Huanchen began to look better, but it was not his credit.

Yu Zhao caught a glimpse of the changes and approached secretly, "Brother Wang, my wrapping is not very good either. Can you teach me?"

Yu Xi lowered her eyes and looked at a palace attendant, "You, go and teach the prince."

The palace attendant was terrified and quickly lowered his head and moved to Yu Zhao's side to demonstrate carefully.

"As expected, even my brother, now that he has a wife, can't see his brothers anymore." Yu Zhao sighed pretentiously and turned to Qi Xian, who was playing with flour. "Xiao Xian'er, from now on, Uncle Wang and you will be dependent on each other."

Sadly, little Qi Xian didn't understand his lament and happily played with her flour. Yu Zhao, unwilling to give up, tilted his head and leaned forward. Qi Xian raised her hand and, without a second thought, sprinkled the entire handful of flour onto Yu Zhao's face.

There was a moment of silence in the Yuluan Palace, and then the laughter started from somewhere, but it became uncontrollable.

Yu Zhao wiped his face and glared at everyone, "Just laugh!"

Qi Xian giggled at him, then tilted her body and fell into the flour, turning into a white doll. This scared the nanny, but Qi Xian slowly got up by herself. Instead of crying, she jumped up and down with joy, making flour everywhere.

Yu Zhao was overjoyed. "Niece, do you want to throw yourself in there too?"

While this side was suffering from the flour, Xiao Qi over there couldn't hold back any longer, so he quietly slipped behind Yun He, trying to sprinkle the flour in his hand on Yun He's head. Unexpectedly, when he raised his hand, Yun He suddenly grabbed his wrist, and flipped it in the opposite direction, and he was the one who became the dough instead.

"Master, look at her!" Xiao Qi complained aggrievedly.

Ling Huanchen was concentrating on learning how to make dumplings and was oblivious to other situations. But when he looked up, he was shocked. The huge main hall was covered with flour. The people who were supposed to learn how to make dumplings had all turned into white balls. The scene was extremely tragic.

At this rate, they probably won’t be able to eat dumplings at noon.

“Anyone who can’t make a good dumpling will have no lunch.”

At Ling Huanchen's command, everyone who had been joking around immediately sat up straight and continued to make dumplings seriously with the dough in their hands. Only Qi Xian was still restless in the nanny's arms, constantly reaching for the dough, as if she hadn't had enough fun.

It is said that three cobblers are better than Zhuge Liang. At least they have more people and with their unremitting efforts, they still managed to prepare lunch.

The hot dumplings were served on the table. The palace servants who had been hungry all morning looked at them eagerly, but they could not get close because they still had to serve the king and his highness their meal.

Ling Huanchen glanced at the door and said, "Your Majesty, please allow them to dine together today."

Yu Xi picked up some dumplings and put them on Ling Huanchen's plate. "I'll listen to Huanchen." Then she instructed Fu Changshi to let the palace servants sit at a separate table and not have to serve.

Yu Zhao couldn't help but sigh, "This is what a family dinner is like. This is the first time I've eaten dumplings that I made myself. They're delicious."

Qi Xian looked at them, her saliva already dripping down, blinking her big eyes and making babbling sounds.

"My niece is hungry. Didn't she just feed her?" Yu Zhao followed Qi Xian's gaze and looked down at his bowl. "I see. Xian'er wants to eat dumplings."

Ling Huanchen waved his hand, and the nanny carried little Qi Xian over.

"Can Xian'er eat dumplings?" This was his first time raising a child, so he had to be cautious.

"Your Highness, the little princess has grown teeth and can eat some soft and sticky food."

In order to make it easier for little Qi Xian to chew, Ling Huanchen specially divided the dumplings into two halves and let them cool down before feeding them to her. Seeing that she ate with relish, he gave her two more. Because she had already drunk milk, he was afraid that she would have indigestion, so he only gave her three.

Seeing Ling Huanchen busy taking care of Qi Xian, Yu Xi smiled and joked, "Xian'er is the most fortunate to have Huanchen taking care of her so wholeheartedly."

When Ling Huanchen heard this, he knew that someone was jealous again. He asked the nanny to take the child downstairs to take a nap, and turned around to pick up dumplings for Yu Xi. However, he was stopped halfway and looked up in confusion.

"Huanchen doesn't need to take care of me." He continued to pick up dumplings for Ling Huanchen to eat, "I'll take care of Huanchen."

Left out for a long time, Yu Zhao buried his head in his food, trying to minimize his presence. After finishing his twentieth dumpling on the couch, two more dumplings suddenly appeared in his bowl. He looked up and saw that they were picked up by Yu Xi and Ling Huanchen at the same time. He immediately smiled and said, "Brother Wang, Sister Wang, Happy New Year!"

"Eat less. You have a dinner tonight. Be careful not to overeat now and then you won't be able to eat at night." Ling Huanchen reminded in a low voice.

Yu Zhao nodded, "Sister Wang is so nice!"

Hearing Yu Xi sigh softly, Ling Huanchen put down his chopsticks and asked, "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"

Yu Xi shook his head. "Nothing. I just think it's nice for the whole family to sit together and eat hot dumplings." This was the happiest and most relaxing year he had ever had since his mother passed away. His loved ones were all around him, full of laughter and joy. He felt so lucky.

Ling Huanchen immediately understood and held Yu Xi's hand, his eyes full of emotion. "Let's do this every year. Our family will sit together and make dumplings, okay?"

Yu Xi looked back for a long time, "Okay."

As night fell and the lights began to illuminate, all the civil and military officials gathered in the Yougan Hall. Naturally, there was no shortage of fine wine and delicious food. The officials, cups in hand, all bowed in congratulations to the two seated figures. After the ceremony, singing and dancing broke out, while the audience drank and chatted, and the two men in the hall couldn't help but smile at each other as they watched this magnificent scene.

"I still think the dumplings at noon are delicious." Yu Xi raised his head and drank a glass of wine, then turned around and touched Ling Huanchen's glass.

Ling Huanchen lowered his eyebrows and smiled, "Your Majesty and I share the same sentiment."

"Mrs. Wang, look! There are fireworks outside."

When Ling Huanchen heard Yu Zhao's exclamation, he looked up outside the palace and saw a sea of ​​fireworks.

"Let's go and take a look outside the palace."

The two men walked out of the palace hand in hand, and many ministers also gathered at the palace gate to look up at the night sky.

Ling Huanchen stared at the colorful fireworks scattered in the sky, his thoughts gradually drifting away.

In his previous life, there would be a lively scene in the palace every New Year’s Eve, but he had never participated in it, and had never even stepped out of the door of Ziyi Palace.

"It turns out that fireworks are so beautiful." Ling Huanchen tilted his head and murmured.

Everyone was watching the fireworks, but Yu Xi was the only one staring at the person next to him. The light from the fireworks shone on Ling Huanchen's face, making him unable to look away. He couldn't help but secretly wish in his heart that it would be great if it could go on like this forever.

Ling Huanchen noticed the gaze from the side, turned his head, and met Yu Xi's deep eyes.

"Why doesn't the king watch the fireworks?"

Yu Xi smiled and said, "I think it looks better than fireworks."

Ling Huanchen realized it later, but even though he couldn't stand his king's sudden confession, he didn't look away, "Your Majesty, let's spend every New Year's Eve like this from now on."

Making dumplings and watching fireworks, the family is having a great time.

"Yeah." Yu Xi's eyes could no longer accommodate anything else but only one person.

After the New Year, it was the Beginning of Spring. Ling Huanchen pondered that in this life, a year had already passed since he arrived at the Youcheng Palace. He didn't know whether it was because of the changes brought about by his new life, or because of some preparatory actions, that the events that had been scattered over seven years in the past were squeezed into this one year.

The peach trees have sprouted again, and spring is approaching. Ling Huanchen often orders people to set up a plan in the courtyard of Yuluan Palace. He sits at his desk and writes down this spring scene with a pen.

When painting, Xiaoqi and Yunhe were also there, one was responsible for blocking the wind and the other was responsible for adding clothes.

Ling Huanchen always told them to have a good rest, as he himself would not catch a cold anyway. However, these two people were born to worry, and they had to be by his side to serve him all the time.

"Your Highness, the little princess is crying out that she misses you and must come out."

Ling Huanchen stopped writing and took Qi Xian from the nanny's hand. "Is Xian'er bothering Nanny again? Don't we see her every day?"

Qi Xian buried her head in his arms and said, "I miss you, Daddy."

Ling Huanchen really had no way to deal with this clingy little girl, so he had to put her on the table and place her next to the scroll.

"Xian'er, would you like to watch Daddy paint?"

Qi Xian nodded, and sat obediently beside him, staring at the brush in Ling Huanchen's hand, following his gaze wherever the brush went.

Ling Huanchen painted, but his mind was occupied with other matters. To date, there had been very little news about the Fengming Clan. After Ji Yunlou left the clan, no one knew where the clan members had gone. This lead hadn't made any progress.

"Xiao Qi, go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Ji Yunlou to come and take your pulse."

When Xiao Qi heard this, he hurriedly asked, "Master, are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine, just go and call."

Xiao Qi was relieved and said with a smile, "I'll go right away."

A painting of early spring peach blossoms was completed. When Ling Huanchen put down his brush, Qi Xian was still staring at the painting.

Ling Huanchen found it interesting, "Xian'er likes this painting?"

"like!"

When Ji Yunlou entered the hall, Ling Huanchen was already sitting in the main hall, and the painting had been taken away and hung in Qi Xian's room.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Ji Yunlou saluted and went forward to check the pulse as usual, but then he heard Ling Huanchen say, "I asked Yunlou to come here not to check the pulse, but to ask some questions."

Ji Yunlou stopped and said, "Your Highness, please speak."

"Does Yunlou know of any formation that can bewilder the mind and trick a normally calm and alert person into falling into a trap?"

In his previous life, during the few days he was fleeing among the people, he heard some rumors that the reason why King Youcheng was lured into a trap was not just because he was threatened, but there was another hidden secret. What's more, there were rumors that King Youcheng was willing to fall into the trap.

Ji Yunlou pondered for a moment, "There is a magic array within the Fengming Clan that can confuse people's minds, but I still need to study the details. Please give me some time."

Ling Huanchen nodded and continued, "Can Yunlou tell fortunes?"

Ji Yunlou remained calm, his expression unfazed even when faced with a mountain of collapse. "I know a thing or two, but I wonder what Your Highness wishes to divine?"

The other palace servants were waiting outside the hall. There were only the two of them in the hall. Ling Huanchen lowered his voice and said, "Divination for the future fortune of Youcheng."

Ji Yunlou was a little surprised. The fortune of Youcheng should have been predicted by the high priest, but Ling Huanchen came to him privately.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Ling Huanchen said again, "I believe in Yunlou's ability."

Ji Yunlou was silent for a moment, then opened the medicine box. It had two layers. He took out a Bagua plate from the middle layer and said, "I'll give it a try."

The author has something to say:

Is there a little peace before the storm? No, I mean the next chapter will enter a new plot.

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Thank you "Xianyu Suyu" and "Lanlin" for the nutrient solution encouragement~