Behind him, Qin Yin was also full of curiosity and asked the housekeeper in a low voice.
"What dumplings? Are they the same as the shabu-shabu last time?"
The butler shook his head.
"It's very different. This morning, the whole kitchen was busy. According to the second lady's instructions, they chopped a large pot of mutton stuffing, chopped a large pot of vegetable stuffing, and mixed a big pot of noodles."
"However, when you and the prince did not return home, I went over to learn."
"Those little dumplings are like-"
He looked at Qin Yin's ears.
"It's about the same size as your ears, crystal clear, and really beautiful."
Qin Yin stupidly reached out and touched his ears.
I was thinking, what does boiling ears feel like?
As soon as the three masters and servants arrived at the entrance of the second courtyard, they saw seven or eight bamboo curtains placed on the stone tables and benches in the snowy courtyard. On the bamboo curtains were kneaded and kneaded weird dumplings one by one.
Some are crooked, some look like crescents, some look like ears, some look like gold ingots, and some have willow leaf-shaped corners.
All of them had big bellies, frozen by the cold wind and white snow.
And the smell of stew wafted from the direction of the kitchen.
"Hey, are these dumplings?"
"I have packed so much, and it looks like I am about to finish it. It's really beautiful."
This was the first time Qin Yin saw such a small and exquisite piece of food.
Xiao Mingxuan raised his lips and smiled, without saying anything, and walked into the front hall.
In the front hall, the pastry chef was rolling out dumpling wrappers with his sleeves rolled up.
Nan Xing, Nan Zhu and several maids from the mansion were helping. The old ladies in the kitchen and the chefs were able to become apprentices under the guidance of Luo Jiuli.
"Your Majesty."
Zheng Huan, the pastry chef who was rolling out the dumpling wrappers, looked up and saw the prince walking in. He was so frightened that he rolled the dumplings directly on his fingers.
When everyone heard the sound, they also looked up.
They saw the noble and aloof Ninth Prince standing at the door, looking at them with an unpredictable expression.
Immediately, the old ladies and maids in the kitchen turned pale with fright and hurriedly saluted:
"Slave to see the prince."
"Everyone, get up."
Xiao Mingxuan walked straight towards Luo Jiuli.
The servant who immediately noticed him quickly gave up the seat next to Luo Jiuli.
Xiao Mingxuan looked at Luo Jiuli and saw that she was wearing a lotus-colored cotton dress. The skirt was very simple and had almost no embellishments.
Despite this, she still stood out among a group of people.
The face with no face is more beautiful and attractive than that of a woman with rouge and gouache.
"came back?"
Like a daughter-in-law welcoming her husband home, she took the initiative to walk to him.
"It's snowing outside, isn't it cold?"
Xiao Mingxuan shook his head and looked at her hands stained with flour.
"I heard from the housekeeper, do you teach them how to make dumplings?"
"Um."
Luo Jiuli smiled and nodded, then patted the flour on his hands.
"This room is full of ingenious people. As a master, I can become an apprentice."
Her unpretentious and relaxed tone made everyone in the room feel more relaxed.
"Nanzhu."
As she spoke, she turned to look at Nan Zhu.
"master."
Nan Zhu was holding the edge of the dumpling. Although he was a martial arts practitioner and his hands and feet were rough, he was a talented player in making dumplings.
"Don't forget what I just told you."
"I will never forget what my master told me."
Nan Zhu answered quickly.
Luo Jiuli then took Xiao Mingxuan's arm with confidence.
"Let's go back to the backyard."
Xiao Mingxuan looked at the noodle counter and saw that there was still a large ball of dough.
"Don't you need my help?"
Luo Jiuli smiled.
"If you help here, they will be at a loss. Why don't you accompany me back to the house to talk and wait for the ready-made food.
"Yes, yes! The second lady is absolutely right. The prince has been working hard outside for a day, so he should have a good rest. How dare he do anything to the prince?"
An old woman hurriedly answered.
When Xiao Mingxuan saw that the smiles on those faces were stiff, he knew that his appearance had indeed made these servants feel uncomfortable.
"Okay, let's go."
In fact, he was a little uncomfortable listening to a group of people chattering together.
As soon as the two left the front hall, everyone in the room exhaled.
After returning to the backyard, the two entered the house.
Xiao Mingxuan took off the white fox fur for her.
"What did you just tell Nan Zhu to do?"
Luo Jiuli watched him put the white fox fur on the hanger.
"I asked her to send the frozen dumplings to the Duke's Mansion, and taught her how to cook dumplings. I also let my father, mother and second brother try them."
Xiao Mingxuan nodded, and as he spoke, he wanted to ask about the origin of this dumpling, but he didn't know what came to mind, and he didn't ask.
"Your Majesty."
Luo Jiuli fiddled with the charcoal fire in the brazier a few times, and the charcoal fire became more intense.
"Is there any message from my elder brother? When can I return to Beijing?"
Xiao Mingxuan walked over and sat down next to her.
"According to the distance, it only lasts three or four days, but with such a heavy snowfall today, I'm afraid the date of return to Beijing will be extended."
Luo Jiuli was silent.
Xiao Mingxuan thought she was worried about her eldest brother and comforted him:
"Don't worry, your eldest brother has guards with him, nothing will happen to him."
Luo Jiuli shook his head.
"I'm not worried about my eldest brother, I'm worried about my future sister-in-law."
"Shen Miaoqing?"
"Um."
Luo Jiuli nodded.
"The emperor's imperial edict has been sent to the Shen Mansion, but now that my eldest brother is not in the capital, there are all the jackals, tigers and leopards in the Shen Mansion. Maybe they are jealous? Maybe someone will plot against my sister-in-law."
"I heard from my second brother that it was my sister-in-law who stopped my brother from killing Shen Miaoqian on the day he entered the palace. I just let the tiger go back to the mountain like this. I always feel uneasy."
"What's more, what about Princess Wenya? Has she really given up on my eldest brother?"
"The daughter of the royal family has been well-dressed and well-fed since she was a child. She has never gotten what she wants. Will she be willing to have her beard cut off by an editor's daughter?"
Luo Jiuli expressed all his worries and finally made a decision.
"Your Majesty, I want to meet Shen Miaoqing tomorrow."
Xiao Mingxuan had been listening to her and knew that her worries were justified, but when he heard her talk about going to see Shen Miaoqing.
"I'm going to the army tomorrow. Either wait until I come back, or the day after tomorrow--"
"Your Majesty, you don't have to accompany me."
Luo Jiuli knew that Sang Nanguo would be in Beijing at the same time, and he would definitely be busy. How could he be allowed to accompany her as leisurely as before?
"I asked Nan Zhu and Nan Xing to follow me. With them protecting me, the prince can rest assured."
Xiao Mingxuan thought for a moment, nodded and said:
"Okay, if anything happens, send someone to the army to find me immediately."
Luo Jiuli smiled and held his hand.
"What could possibly happen? The sky is clear and the sun is shining brightly, at the foot of the imperial city. What's more, the prince and I are already engaged, and she is his serious fiancée. Who dares to get into trouble without looking at the face of a monk or the face of a Buddha?"
Xiao Mingxuan liked her best when she claimed to be his fiancée, and her stern eyebrows gradually turned to warmth.