A General's Jealousy, the Wonder of the Ghost Hand, a Painting That Captured the Soul

Li Xian returned to Nurtured Blossoms Residence and rested peacefully that night. Early the next morning, he took out yesterday's vegetables, dried fruit, and pork, cooked three small dishes, and made a pot of rice porridge. He went to the master bedroom to call Zhao Yingqiong. She had slept lightly and was already awake. At the table, she found three dishes of meat and vegetables, steaming porridge, two jars of wine, and some buns bought from a street stall. After a quick wash, she sat down to eat. Two bites in, her eyes lit up. It tasted excellent.

The boy really can cook, she thought. He can investigate cases, practice medicine, and cook. Where did he learn it all? A little impressed, she picked up several pieces of pork and teased, "Why so diligent? Don't tell me you poisoned the food to kill me first thing in the morning."

"If we're going to play our parts, we have to look the part," Li Xian said. "If I never light the stove or cook a meal, anyone who steps into the kitchen will spot the flaw at once." Zhao Yingqiong smiled. "You've thought it through. This general will reluctantly help you eat it." She had the dishes with porridge and wine until she was about eighty percent full. Li Xian ate too, then borrowed a hundred taels of silver from her. Generous as ever, she gave him the whole sum. He went out to buy herbs at a pharmacy.

Flower-Crossing Ward lay where the city's northern and western districts met. Black-Armored Guards and Wood-Seeking Guards could often be seen patrolling, yet there were plenty of corners they struggled to control. Li Xian bought over a hundred kinds of herbs for several dozen taels. When he left the pharmacy, two down-and-outs had