Emperor Yuanjing’s face remained expressionless as he watched the retreating figure of the Grand Eunuch, resembling a cold, hard sculpture.
The inner palace contained twenty-four pavilions housing Emperor Yuanjing’s consorts and children. However, his harem was far from lively, with the Chuxiu Palace not having admitted any young beauties for over a decade.
Wei Yuan, familiar with the route, arrived at the palace of the Empress, the mistress of the harem. After being announced, he entered the hall to find the Empress seated on a soft couch.
This Empress, the paragon of motherly virtue for the empire, had noticeably lost weight, her once plump and dignified face now appearing more delicate.
She was an exceptionally beautiful woman. Approaching forty, she still retained her elegance. Though no longer possessing the vibrant charm of her youth, the years had carefully sculpted her inner beauty, resulting in a mature and dignified allure unmatched by ordinary young women.
“What brings Minister Wei here?” the Empress asked with a subtle smile, gazing at the Grand Eunuch’s face. His features were rugged, with a high nose, thin lips, and deep-set eyes that held an indescribable sense of world-weariness. The frost at his temples only enhanced his mature charm.
Wei Yuan bowed first, “I heard the Empress was unwell?”
The Empress smiled, “I’ve already recovered.”
“His Majesty mentioned that the Empress has had a poor appetite lately, so he sent me to check on you.”
The smile faded from the Empress’s face as she calmly looked at him, “Did he send you? Minister Wei, were you unaware of my illness?”
Wei Yuan hesitated briefly before shaking his head, “I’ve been busy with official duties and was unaware of the Empress’s illness.”
The Empress turned her face away, her tone flat, “I’m tired.”
“Empress, you should drink less tea; it’s not good for your digestion…” Seeing the Empress’s impatience, Wei Yuan bowed, “I shall take my leave.”
“Wei Yuan!”
The Empress suddenly called out to him.
Wei Yuan stood with his back turned, not looking back.
“…” The Empress opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but due to various considerations, she ultimately said nothing.
A thousand words remained hidden in her beautiful eyes, but Wei Yuan couldn’t see them.
As Wei Yuan left the Empress’s palace, a cool breeze rustled his blue robes.
He truly hadn’t known about the Empress’s illness because the spies he had placed nearby had been recently removed by Emperor Yuanjing. The Empress was unaware of this.
These matters couldn’t be spoken of publicly, so he could only allow the Empress to misunderstand.
Ahead, Princess Huaiqing, with her tall and graceful figure, was approaching with her palace maids and guards.
She wore a white palace gown embroidered with vibrant plum blossoms, covered by a large cloak for warmth. She looked coldly elegant and ethereally beautiful, quite different from her mother in her youth.
“Minister Wei!” Princess Huaiqing greeted with a curtsy.
“Your Highness,” Wei Yuan returned the greeting with a bow, casually explaining, “His Majesty heard that the Empress has a poor appetite and is unwell, so he sent me to visit on his behalf.”
Princess Huaiqing responded with a simple “Mm.” Her father had long stopped visiting the harem, focusing only on his pursuit of immortality through cultivation. He would only pay attention when a consort fell ill, usually just sending someone to check on them.
“The palace maids say that Mother hasn’t been eating much lately,” Huaiqing said.
“After a long illness, abstaining from food can leave lasting health issues,” Wei Yuan furrowed his brow, but in front of Princess Huaiqing, he skillfully concealed his worry, expressing only the concern expected of a minister.
Princess Huaiqing gave a faint smile, seemingly unconcerned. Her voice was cool and crisp, with a distinctive quality, “I was about to summon Xu Qi An. Since I’ve met Minister Wei here, I won’t need to send my household guards on an extra errand.”
Wei Yuan responded in surprise, “What does Your Highness mean by that?”
Princess Huaiqing explained, “Xu Qi An has a special secret recipe that can enhance the flavor of food a hundredfold, leaving a lasting impression. Since Mother has a poor appetite, it would be good to try this recipe.”
…
Xu Qi An had paid out of his pocket to treat Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao to a performance at a brothel. The two colleagues finished their life-perpetuating activities while enjoying the show.
This was Xu Qi An’s way of making it up to them, especially Song Tingfeng, who had donated a full five taels of silver to the wellness center. For a carefree bachelor like him, living expenses were secondary; not having money for the brothels would lead to a sorrowful predicament.
After leaving the brothel, the satisfied Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng, having indulged in both food and pleasure, hadn’t walked far with Xu Qi An when they were stopped by a mounted constable who complained, “Where have you all been loafing about? I’ve been looking for you for half the day.”
“What’s the matter?” Xu Qi An asked.
“Minister Wei requests your presence,” the constable said.
The request was naturally for Xu Qi An. Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao, knowing their place, bid farewell to their generous colleague and continued their patrol.
Returning to the yamen and entering Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi An found Wei Yuan sitting by his desk, reading.
The Grand Eunuch put down his book and said, “I heard from Huaiqing that you have a secret recipe that can enhance the flavor of dishes.”
Huaiqing is such a gossip? Even spreading such trivial matters… Xu Qi An was stunned for a moment, “It’s just a minor trick, not worth Minister Wei’s attention.”
“The Empress has had a poor appetite lately and is in weak health. I’d like to try your recipe,” Wei Yuan said gently.
The Empress is Huaiqing’s birth mother, and Huaiqing asked Wei Yuan to get the chicken essence from me… Xu Qi An nodded in realization. Seeing that the tea room was empty, he took out a small jade mirror, tapped its back lightly, and a jar the size of a head fell out, which he caught steadily.
All of Chu Caiwei and Song Qing’s labor was in here; he had only left a small bottle of chicken essence for Chu Caiwei.
Wei Yuan opened the jar and sniffed, immediately frowning. He smelled a slightly pungent savory aroma.
“This is called chicken essence,” Xu Qi An explained.
Chicken essence was a mixed product, with MSG and guanylic acid as its core components, which complemented each other when combined.
Incidentally, the term “chicken essence” was quite profound, having three meanings. One of them was the seasoning before them.
Another referred to a chicken that had become a spirit creature called a chicken essence. The third was a product unique to men.
Closing the lid and returning the jar to Xu Qi An, Wei Yuan called for a clerk: “Have the cook prepare a bowl of noodles.”
Xu Qi An understood and followed the clerk out.
A quarter of an hour later, Xu Qi An returned with a bowl of egg and shredded pork noodles, placing it on Wei Yuan’s desk.
Wei Yuan nodded, “Take a bite and help me test for poison.”
“…” With only one pair of chopsticks, Xu Qi An used the other end to take a bite.
After waiting for a moment to confirm that the young constable hadn’t been poisoned by the noodles he had brought, Wei Yuan finally picked up the chopsticks.
Xu Qi An said quietly, “What if the poison was smeared on the chopsticks?”
Wei Yuan paused, then angrily said, “Get out.”
Xu Qi An didn’t leave but grinned. Having spent so much time with Wei-papa, he knew Wei Yuan was not one to truly get angry, possessing incredibly deep composure.
Sure enough, Wei Yuan ignored him and lowered his head to eat the noodles.
Chewing on the springy noodles, he was somewhat surprised by their texture, experiencing the initial impact of chicken essence on his taste buds. When he took a sip of the broth, Wei Yuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“How is it?” Xu Qi An asked expectantly.
“Many great chefs couldn’t create this flavor even if they poured their hearts out,” Wei Yuan nodded with satisfaction. The Empress, accustomed to the palace’s delicacies, had lost her appetite not only due to her lack of appetite but also from tiring of the palace cuisine.
Xu Qi An could sense the approval in Wei-papa’s eyes.
Wei Yuan took out a porcelain bottle from a compartment and handed it to Xu Qi An, who accepted it and poured some from the jar into the porcelain bottle.
Then he handed it back to Wei Yuan.
Wei Yuan shook his head without taking it, looking at the jar: “The bottle is for you to keep, that is mine.”
Xu Qi An’s expression suddenly froze.
…
At dusk.
Palace maids brought in layers of delicious dishes, their rich aromas filling the room. But the Empress looked listless and frowned in displeasure:
“I said, just prepare a bowl of plain congee.”
A palace maid said softly, “Minister Wei just sent over a secret recipe, instructing us to prepare some good dishes for Your Majesty.”
Another palace maid added hopefully, “Your Majesty, please try some.”
They had already tasted it, and the flavor was unique and unforgettable. Having lived in the palace for so many years and tasted all kinds of delicacies for their mistresses, only today’s flavors provided an unprecedented taste experience, making them feel that all previous delicacies paled in comparison.
Hearing it was Wei Yuan’s arrangement, the Empress sighed and reluctantly ladled a bowl of soup, frowning as she tasted it.
The intense umami flavor exploded on her taste buds. Gulp… Her slender neck moved as she swallowed instinctively.
Then, the Empress continued to drink the soup, one mouthful after another, without any resistance or disgust.
“I suddenly feel a bit hungry. Serve me some rice,” the Empress handed her bowl to the palace maid, expectantly eyeing the table full of delicacies.
…
The next day, just after the fifth watch, a eunuch from the Empress’s palace arrived at the Constabulary Office with a batch of gold, silver, and jade items.
Wei Yuan received the eunuch in Haoqi Tower. This eunuch, clearly an old acquaintance of Wei Yuan’s, sat casually by the table, sipping tea prepared by Wei Yuan himself while smiling and saying:
“Where did Minister Wei find such a secret recipe? Her Majesty the Empress ate with great pleasure last night.”
Wei Yuan stared at him, asking somewhat nervously, “She didn’t have any aversion to food? How much did she eat?”
The eunuch smiled, “She ate more than usual, even more than when she was in good health. This morning, Her Majesty the Empress unprecedentedly inquired about the lunch menu.”
Wei Yuan smiled sincerely.
Just after noon, Xu Qi An was summoned to the palace by Princess Huaiqing. In a bright and elegant room, he met the mature Princess with a bosom that could rest on the table.
She was, as always, coldly beautiful, noble, and stunning. If one didn’t focus on her voluptuous figure, one might think Princess Huaiqing was like a white lotus on a snowy mountain, unsullied by worldly dust.
“Today, I had lunch with Mother, and it seems your recipe has been improved?” Princess Huaiqing asked.
“It’s all thanks to Senior Brother Song and Miss Caiwei,” Xu Qi An said.
Princess Huaiqing nodded, “I find myself craving that flavor, but Mother is being stingy with it. Do you have any more?”
“No more,” Xu Qi An immediately shook his head. “I gave a full jar to Minister Wei, who sent it to Her Majesty the Empress.”
He did have some left, a small bottle, but he couldn’t give it to Huaiqing. He had to save it for Biaobiao.
It wasn’t that Princess Lin’an held such a high status in his heart, but rather that Biaobiao was too troublesome. The emperor’s harem wasn’t that large, and news of novel items like chicken essence would eventually reach Lin’an. This wasn’t a problem, since it was sent by Wei Yuan after all.
But Princess Huaiqing knew who the real “culprit” was, and given Huaiqing’s cunning… Biaobiao would then become like a jealous wife who had knocked over a vinegar jar, venting her anger on Xu Qi An.
After all, in Princess Lin’an’s mind, Xu Qi An had long since abandoned darkness for light, becoming her underling.
Princess Huaiqing frowned slightly, “But I heard that what Wei Yuan sent to Mother was… half a jar of chicken essence.”
“Hm?” Xu Qi An was startled and looked at Huaiqing.
Huaiqing also looked at him, and they both fell into silence.