Ji Cheng watched with fascination from within the tent. It was her first time witnessing such a grand dragonboat race. Although the event hadn’t started yet, the majestic, colorful dragon boats were already lined up on the water. Some boat prows featured inverted golden hooks, others had flag climbers, and some even had performers doing acrobatics in the water. Each boat had its unique flair to attract attention and encourage cheers from the crowd.
Ji Cheng focused intently on a pole about ten meters high, erected in the water. Three men supported it from below, while a seven or eight-year-old boy, wearing only red undergarments and sporting a topknot, scampered up the pole like a monkey. At the top, he performed various acrobatic feats, making the audience’s hearts race with fear that he might fall. The boy teased the crowd, repeatedly pretending to slip, eliciting both shouts and laughter from the spectators.
Just as she was engrossed in the spectacle, Ji Lan called her over to talk. “Consort Shu and Consort Zhao wish to meet the young ladies of our family. You’re fortunate to have the chance to pay respects to these palace nobles. Be sharp and don’t embarrass our household.”
Ji Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. No wonder Ji Lan had specially commissioned new clothes for Shen Cui and her at this Dragon Boat Festival, using the finest materials. She had even instructed Shen Cui to lend Ji Cheng a set of gold filigree head ornaments.
In truth, Ji Cheng had sensed something was afoot, but she hadn’t dwelled on it, thinking Ji Lan couldn’t possibly have connections to the palace. Moreover, how could palace nobles decide to summon someone like her? Yet, it was happening.
Fortunately, Ji Cheng preferred simplicity. She hadn’t intended to show off on such an occasion. She wore only a pair of gold filigree jade-inlaid auspicious hairpins and a pair of gold filigree openwork double-gourd earrings. Even so, she looked far more radiant and beautiful than usual.
However, with the palace full of beauties and Emperor Jianping currently favoring Consort Zhao Huang, he was unlikely to take notice of a merchant’s daughter. Ji Cheng composed herself and followed Madam Huang, Ji Lan, and the other young ladies as they were led by a eunuch to the royal viewing platform.
As they were from the Shen family and relatives of Princess Anhe, Emperor Jianping accepted their greetings. Throughout this, Ji Cheng kept her head lowered, only joining the others in calling out “Long live the Emperor.”
Ji Cheng stole a glance at Emperor Jianping. He had a square face and an imposing presence. Despite the dark circles under his eyes, his imperial aura was still intimidating. Yet, age was catching up with him, as silver threads were visible at his temples.
Consort Wang Shu and Consort Zhao Huang were both first-class beauties. Consort Shu was slender, while Consort Zhao was voluptuous – a perfect pair of beauties. With such allure at his disposal, Emperor Jianping, though fond of bedroom pleasures, wasn’t an insatiable lecher. He barely glanced at the Shen sisters or Su Yun and Ji Cheng, seeing them as mere buds not worth his attention.
Consort Wang Shu smiled and said, “I’ve heard that all the spiritual energy of our capital has found its way into the Shen family’s daughters. Each one is more lovely than the last. I always encourage Si’er and the others to be close to you. I hope you won’t find them too uncouth.”
Emperor Jianping laughed, “I see you’re brimming with spiritual energy yourself. And how could your two sisters be uncouth? They’re all graceful and refined. When they marry, I’ll personally bestow their dowries.”
Consort Wang Shu’s eyes sparkled with allure, seemingly glued to Emperor Jianping. She swayed her hips as she approached him, “Then this humble consort shall thank Your Majesty on behalf of Si’er and Yue’er for your great kindness.”
The women of the palace were skilled at such subtle exchanges. In this brief interaction, Consort Shu demonstrated her influence in the palace, elevated the Wang sisters, and somewhat avenged the earlier Peony Banquet incident for the Wang family.
Shen Yuan and the others listened respectfully, while Ji Cheng kept her head lowered. She was a minor figure, and Consort Wang Shu didn’t even know her name, so she wouldn’t trouble her.
However, an elderly Imperial Consort sitting nearby smiled as she gazed at Su Yun and Ji Cheng, “These two young ladies are truly beautiful, so fresh and lovely.”
This elderly Imperial Consort had been a consort of the late emperor. During his reign, she had always aligned herself with the future Empress Dowager. As a result, when the late emperor passed, she neither followed him in death nor became a nun. Instead, she remained comfortably in the palace, now revered as an elder.
Emperor Jianping, while not particularly respectful towards her, still accorded her all due honors.
Such a figure never spoke without purpose; otherwise, she likely wouldn’t have survived this long.
Consort Wang Shu cast a sidelong glance at the elderly Imperial Consort. Earlier, it had been she who suggested meeting Princess Anhe’s daughter, Shen Qian. Naturally, all the Shen sisters had to be received, and in the end, even these three unremarkable relatives were brought along. Did she think others couldn’t see through her intentions? What was she after? With one foot already in the grave, was she still trying to secure some advantage for her family?
The usually silent Consort Zhao Huang also looked at the elderly Imperial Consort. Having recently entered the palace, she enjoyed the emperor’s favor and quickly rose to the rank of Zhao Yi. She was only waiting for the child in her belly to be born to be elevated to consort status. She was unable to serve the emperor due to her pregnancy, and she was wary of new beauties entering the palace and stealing the emperor’s affections.
Seeing Su Yun and Ji Cheng, both of exceptional beauty, fresh and charming like the most vibrant spring blossoms, how could she be pleased? Consort Zhao Huang suddenly cried out that her stomach hurt, diverting Emperor Jianping’s attention from Ji Cheng and Su Yun.
The elderly Imperial Consort, though she had received favors from Ji Lan through the Hu family, couldn’t forcefully direct Emperor Jianping’s gaze towards the young ladies in this situation. It was unfortunate for the two girls; their timing was poor, coinciding with the favor of these two consorts. Even if they entered the palace, they would be mere decorations. The elderly Imperial Consort said no more.
Ji Lan, standing to the side, silently cursed. All that silver was spent for nothing – what a waste. She could only hope for another opportunity.
Back at the Qi Guo Gong’s Shen family tent, Ji Lan watched Ji Cheng chatting and smiling with Shen Yuan and Shen Cui. Ji Cheng was naturally graceful; even with her tall stature, she appeared ethereal, like a light cloud veiling the moon or a thin mist over a lake. Ji Cheng wasn’t the frail, pitiable type of beauty, but her appearance made people worry for her, fearing that like a flower in the mist, she might dissolve into smoke and vanish into the sky under the harsh sun.
A lively beauty was far rarer than a stunning one. Take Su Yun, for instance – at first glance, she was a national beauty, but over time, one grew accustomed to her looks. Ji Cheng, on the other hand, always seemed different, perhaps not as immediately striking as Su Yun, but her vivacity drew people to look again and again.
Yet, such beauty had failed to catch Emperor Jianping’s eye. Ji Lan felt some resentment towards Ji Cheng – what a waste of a pretty face. If only she could learn some of the allure of Consort Shu or Consort Zhao, she might have already captured the emperor’s heart.
In truth, Ji Lan misjudged the situation. How could Emperor Jianping not have noticed the exceptional beauty of Ji Cheng and Su Yun? But with Consorts Wang and Huang in high favor and accustomed to indulgence, how could he openly stare at other women in their presence? Moreover, he was now a man whose spirit was willing but the flesh was weak. After years of diligent “cultivation” in the harem, he had finally produced a few “melons,” but at great cost to his health. For the past month, Emperor Jianping had been recuperating under the guidance of the imperial physicians. No matter how beautiful a woman might be, his life was more important.
As the dragon boat race progressed, ladies from nearby tents came over to chat. Seeing Su Yun and Ji Cheng, they couldn’t help but ask whose daughters they were. Their bearing and demeanor were extraordinary, and with such beauty, they naturally attracted attention.
However, upon learning Ji Cheng’s background, they inevitably cooled towards her, focusing their conversation on Su Yun instead. Ji Cheng was used to this and remained unperturbed. She sat to the side, neither haughty nor humble, responding when elders addressed her, and chatting quietly with her cousins when not engaged. She always wore a slight smile, her voice soft and sweet. Even the ladies who looked down on her background couldn’t help but admire her manners and conduct.
At noon, everyone dined in the tent. Eating outdoors was inconvenient, but being a ducal household, they had brought along kitchen staff who prepared a special hotpot with side dishes that could be heated and eaten at any time. Though it was hot, vendors selling cool drinks and iced desserts were just outside, ready to be called over.
Shen Qian, however, remained unsatisfied. She grumbled, “It’s the Dragon Boat Festival today, and vendors from all over have gathered by Golden Rainbow Pool. There are so many snacks we’ve only heard of but never tried in the South. Since we’re out, we should go and sample them.”
Shen Yuan replied, “Be careful not to eat carelessly and upset your stomach. There’s still the polo match this afternoon. Do you still want to watch it?”
Shen Qian could only pout and say no more.
After the meal, everyone felt a bit drowsy, except for Shen Qian. She was neither patient enough to accompany her princess mother in attending to the palace nobles nor willing to listen to the ladies’ chatter. She stood up, saying she wanted to go for a walk to aid digestion.
Ji Cheng also stood up and said, “I ate a bit too much as well. I’ll go for a walk with Qian.”
Shen Qian was naturally delighted.
Outside the tent, Ji Cheng discreetly asked Willow to bring two veiled hats without alerting others. Shen Qian grinned mischievously, “Sister Cheng, did you not eat enough either?”
“Yes, the hotpot was too hot. I’m not used to it,” Ji Cheng replied. In truth, this was just an excuse. She had noticed that Shen Qian had barely touched her food and guessed her intentions.
Shen Yuan was the eldest sister and naturally had a motherly air about her, but Ji Cheng positioned herself as a “cunning courtier.” She had to help Shen Qian cause some mischief to strengthen their relationship.
Shen Qian put on the veiled hat and smiled at Ji Cheng, “Then let’s go find something to eat over there. I’m not full either.” She pointed towards the bustling southern bank of Golden Rainbow Pool.
The southern bank of Golden Rainbow Pool was incredibly lively. Acrobats and performers shouted at the top of their lungs, gongs and drums thundered, and there were even people on stilts selling strings of zongzi.
Not to mention the enticing aromas wafting from the street stalls, tempting everyone’s appetite.
Shen Qian had already eagerly run up to a small woman, pointing at the steamer in front of her, “I want this, and this too.”
The maid who had followed quickly stepped forward to pay. Shen Qian handed Ji Cheng a bamboo leaf-wrapped steamed beef. Ji Cheng took a bite – it was spicy, savory, and aromatic. There were a few pieces of pumpkin under the beef, soaked in the beef juices, sweet and fragrant, melting in the mouth.
“This tastes like Shu cuisine,” Ji Cheng remarked.
“The young lady is correct. This humble woman came from Shu a few years ago with my husband when he came to the capital for the imperial examinations,” the woman smiled, “Here, try some ‘leaf rake.’ Would the young ladies like to taste it?”
The skin of the ‘leaf rake’ was made of glutinous rice, sticky and chewy. The meat filling inside was exceptionally fragrant. Ji Cheng tasted it and asked Willow to buy several dozen, wrapped separately in bamboo leaves. “Let’s take some back for Third Sister and the others to try.”
After the Shu woman’s stall, Ji Cheng and Shen Qian sampled many other delicacies, but they stuck to hot foods, fearing that cold dishes might upset their stomachs and cause embarrassment in the afternoon.
Shen Qian wanted to eat a bowl of iced dessert with red bean sauce, but Ji Cheng stopped her, “Eating hot and cold foods together easily upsets the stomach.”
Shen Qian knew this principle, of course. She just couldn’t control her appetite. Hearing Ji Cheng stop her, she pouted but didn’t insist on eating it. However, she still felt a little upset inside.
By now, the crowd had grown even larger. Ji Cheng took Shen Qian’s hand and said, “I think I saw someone selling foie gras over there earlier. It looked quite good. Do you want to try it?”
Foie gras? Unheard of. Shen Qian shook her head. The capital was full of famous snacks from all over – tripe, lamb liver, cold noodles, iced rice balls, crab roe soup dumplings, date paste boxes, Wang Mazi’s pot stickers, Yang family’s hanging oven cakes… they had everything, but foie gras was something new.
“I’ve had foie gras at a place in the Jin region. It was very fragrant, melting in the mouth like butter, but without feeling greasy. I wonder how the one I saw earlier compares,” Ji Cheng said.
“If you want to try it, let’s go,” Shen Qian said agreeably.
As they talked, they headed towards the foie gras stall. While other stalls were crowded, this one was deserted. Despite having a stove lit, there was no enticing aroma. No wonder people were reluctant to try it.
A wooden sign leaned against the stall, with crooked characters reading “Fifty wen for a pack of foie gras rice,” enough to scare away many potential customers.
For comparison, the famous Yang family’s hanging oven cakes, even with meat filling, only cost ten wen each.
Ji Cheng bought a pack. The foie gras rice was wrapped in a thin layer of rice paper, then in bamboo leaves, and placed in the palm. It could be eaten without getting one’s hands dirty – quite thoughtful.
Ji Cheng tasted it. It was indeed delicious. The foie gras was smooth, savory, and fragrant, without any greasiness. It had the texture of cream cheese. The white rice was mixed with a special sauce, perfectly balanced between sweet and salty. “It’s delicious, Qian. You really should try this.”
Shen Qian reluctantly took a pack and took a small, skeptical bite. Her eyes immediately lit up. In the end, she ate three packs, more than Ji Cheng.
After finishing, Shen Qian waved her hand and bought out all the remaining foie gras rice to share with her siblings back home.
By now, both Ji Cheng and Shen Qian were full, their bellies round, unable to walk quickly.
Ji Cheng was leisurely looking around at the novelties when suddenly Shen Qian grabbed her hand and started running, nearly making Ji Cheng vomit. “What’s wrong, Qian?”
“I think I saw my Second Brother,” Shen Qian said, out of breath and stopping to catch her air. “How annoying, he’s accompanying those women from outside instead of watching the dragon boats with me.” Shen Qian stamped her foot and was about to start running again.