Chapter 1: Liu Sishan

This sudden embrace left Zhenzhen completely at a loss. She immediately suspected it was the presumptuous behavior of a libertine, and in her shame and anger was about to push him away when she suddenly felt a warm droplet fall on her neck.

Turning her head in surprise, Zhenzhen discovered it was a tear that had fallen from Yinqi’s eyes. Crystal tear tracks still lingered beneath his lowered lashes. He was still smiling faintly, but this gentle smile appeared infinitely desolate under the reflection of crystalline tears. With the fear of losing again what had been found, his arms holding Zhenzhen were quite forceful.

A hint of doubt quietly sprouted: had he mistaken her for someone else?

Recalling his dazed expression and that call of “Auntie,” this guess seemed increasingly reasonable. Zhenzhen then gently broke free from his grasp, stepped back two paces, and deliberately reminded him: “Young Master, I am Wu Zhenzhen.”

Yinqi looked at her and called with a smile: “Auntie.”

Zhenzhen continued explaining: “I am the palace lady Wu Zhenzhen. On Dragon Boat Festival, we met once in the boat in the back garden.”

“Mm.” Yinqi nodded obediently, his eyes full of childlike innocence embracing her warmly in place of his hands.

Zhenzhen wasn’t sure if he truly understood, and said again: “So I’m not your auntie. I’m Wu Zhenzhen. Do you understand now?”

“I understand.” Yinqi still looked at her ardently. “Auntie.”

Zhenzhen was helpless, sighed, and invited him to sit at the table, serving him some crispy seal pastries: “Since you’re already here, Young Master, please try some pastries before you go.”

Yinqi cheerfully picked up a piece.

Zhenzhen glanced at the bowl of wontons on the stove, thinking this food wouldn’t be good if left too long. Better to give it to Yinqi and cook another bowl for Sister-in-law Yu later. So she went over and placed the wontons in front of Yinqi.

Who would have expected that the moment Yinqi saw the wontons clearly, the crispy seal pastry instantly slipped from his hand. He jumped up as if scalded, rapidly backing away while clutching his head and letting out ear-splitting shrieks.

Zhenzhen was also startled and hurriedly asked what was wrong. Yinqi didn’t answer but continued retreating until he touched the stove. He looked back in panic, then swept his arm across, knocking all the kitchen utensils and dishes to the ground.

The sharp clashing sounds of pots, bowls, ladles, and basins intertwined with his “Ah! Ah!” screams, suddenly tearing through the quiet night of the prince’s residence.

Shortly after, footsteps like a tide came from far to near. Kitchen maids, night-duty servants, and Yinqi’s maidservants all came running. The last to appear at the door was Lady Chen Guo, who had already removed all her makeup. She must have received word before retiring and rushed over in great anxiety.

When Lady Chen Guo entered, the kitchen was already in complete chaos. Servants had already bound Zhenzhen and forced her to kneel on the ground awaiting punishment. As for Yinqi, everyone wanted to restrain him but didn’t dare use force. They could only follow his movements, trying to block and snatch things when he smashed objects to prevent him from hurting himself.

Lady Chen Guo rushed to Yinqi, took his hands, and gently comforted him. After coaxing him for a long while, Yinqi gradually calmed down.

Lady Chen Guo ordered people to escort Yinqi back to his room, then had time to look around. She immediately saw the wontons on the table. Her willow eyebrows stood on end as she pointed at the wontons and angrily shouted: “Who made this?”

A servant immediately slapped Zhenzhen’s back: “This girl did.”

Lady Chen Guo looked at Zhenzhen with brief bewilderment, probably recalling their encounter in the palace.

“Throw her in the stables first. We’ll decide what to do tomorrow,” Lady Chen Guo ordered, then glanced at the bowl of wontons and scolded again: “Are you all blind? Why haven’t you thrown this away yet?”

The kitchen maids responded submissively, competing to grab the wontons and dispose of them.

The stables were a bit better than Zhenzhen had expected. She was given an empty stall rather than being placed among the horses, avoiding the fate of being trampled. However, the place was damp and messy with a heavy unpleasant odor. Since she was tied up, she couldn’t avoid it and leaned against the wall corner, feeling something slimy on the wall beside her without knowing what it was. She wanted to stand but couldn’t. The stables were open on three sides, quite cold at night. Zhenzhen suffered through most of the night in extreme misery before finally falling asleep from exhaustion.

The next day someone untied her and urged her to get up. As soon as Zhenzhen stood, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, her head foggy and throat swollen and painful, barely able to speak. After just two steps, her vision went black and she collapsed unconscious.

She didn’t know how much time had passed. In her dazed state, she vaguely felt someone washing her body, changing her clothes, laying her on a warm, soft couch, and giving her medicine. When she finally had the strength to open her eyes, the first thing she saw was Yinqi’s silhouette.

He stood before her couch, and seeing her open her eyes, sat down beside the couch and asked with a smile: “Are you feeling better?”

He was impeccably dressed with a gentle expression, clearly a refined and elegant young gentleman. There was no trace of last night’s madness about him.

Zhenzhen stared at him in a daze for a long time, then suddenly looked down at the new clothes someone had put on her. Her face instantly changed. She pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and glared at Yinqi with furrowed brows: “You…”

Yinqi seemed to understand her thoughts and looked at the middle-aged woman behind him. The woman immediately stepped forward and said to Zhenzhen: “I am Lady Luo, the Young Master’s wet nurse. This morning the Young Master asked me to fetch the young lady, but she had caught a chill and remained unconscious. I had the maidservants wash and change her clothes, and I fed her the medicine. The Young Master was worried and came to check on her. The young lady happened to wake up just then.”

Zhenzhen thanked Lady Luo, then looked at Yinqi again, still feeling uneasy and unconsciously shrinking back.

Yinqi smiled and bowed: “I’m truly sorry. I heard I lost control last night and frightened you.”

His tone was gentle and his manner refined. The courtesy and respect he showed Zhenzhen was flawless. Looking back at the person she had seen that night, Zhenzhen felt as if she was seeing two souls who had chosen to inhabit the same body.

Yinqi let Zhenzhen stay in this elegantly furnished side room in his courtyard to recover from her illness. He visited her from time to time, bringing her many pastries and fruits. His care for her was very thoughtful. Once he brought this year’s new oranges, had a maidservant peel them, then presented some fine salt to be applied to the oranges to reduce their tartness and bring out their sweetness. When the maidservant offered the salt, he tasted it slightly and asked: “This isn’t Wu salt, is it?”

The maidservant was startled and admitted that the courtyard had run out of Wu salt. Since they hadn’t yet gone to the kitchen to get more, they had used salt from elsewhere.

Yinqi gently asked her to fetch some. Turning back to see Zhenzhen staring at him wide-eyed, he smiled: “Wu salt is pure white as snow with a mild flavor, most suitable for pairing with fruit. It gently draws out the fruit’s acidity.”

Zhenzhen remained silent. He laughed self-deprecatingly: “Speaking of such things before a Royal Kitchen palace lady – I’m showing off my meager skills before a master.”

Zhenzhen then asked him: “Do you know who I am now?”

He nodded: “I know, Palace Lady Wu.”

Zhenzhen’s cold recovered after a few days, but Yinqi seemed to have no intention of making her move out. From wet nurse Lady Luo on down, everyone treated her courteously. This actually made Zhenzhen uncomfortable, knowing that given her status, she really shouldn’t receive such generous treatment. She expressed to Yinqi her desire to return to the dumpling kitchen, but Yinqi told her: “During the days you were ill, someone has already filled your position.”

So Zhenzhen had to stay, taking initiative to help the maidservants in the courtyard with their work. She was very diligent with washing and cleaning, which made Lady Luo laugh: “With you doing so much, what are those girls supposed to do?”

Zhenzhen complained to her about the distress of having nothing to do. Lady Luo then suggested: “I have a task – tasting the Young Master’s food and drink before he dines. I haven’t been feeling well in my stomach lately and find everything tasteless, so I’m afraid I can’t taste properly. Would you try doing it for me?”

Zhenzhen immediately agreed, laughing: “This is something we palace ladies in the Royal Kitchen all must learn – tasting meals first to prevent poisoned food from harming nobles.”

Lady Luo said: “Our prince’s residence isn’t like the palace. There’s almost no chance of poisoning, but it’s essential to test the saltiness, blandness, and temperature of dishes for nobles first. The Young Master has very sensitive taste and smell, so this preliminary tasting is especially important – there can’t be the slightest carelessness. I’ll have to rely on you to be extra careful from now on.”

Zhenzhen had always been grateful for Yinqi’s kindness to her. Having accepted this task, she completed it very conscientiously. After tasting each dish and finding no problems, she would present it to Yinqi. If Yinqi found anything unsatisfactory, she would carefully remember it and judge the saltiness and temperature according to Yinqi’s preferences next time.

Yinqi had another distinctive trait: he took medicine long-term. It was said he had been weak and sickly since childhood. When he was young, Lady Chen Guo often took him to pray to gods and Buddha, so she gave him the childhood name “Jialaner” (Temple Boy). Later, when his hysteria began manifesting, the lady didn’t dare let him go out. She constantly hired famous doctors to come treat him at home. Yinqi’s courtyard perpetually smelled of medicine, and he had to drink medicinal soup several times almost every day.

What Yinqi detested most was drinking medicinal soup. He often found various excuses not to drink it. Sometimes when Lady Luo and others urged him too much, he would lose his temper and smash the medicine bowl – this was the strongest emotion he showed when not having an episode.

To make him take his medicine smoothly, Zhenzhen painstakingly studied the ingredients and brewing time of each prescription, tasting them over and over to gauge the concentration and temperature, seeking the most palatable taste. Sometimes after a day of research, drinking so much medicine made her dizzy and even nauseous. Yet when it was time for Yinqi to take his medicine, she would rally her spirits and confidently place the medicine before Yinqi, saying: “Young Master, today’s medicinal soup is different from yesterday’s – it tastes better! If you can tell me what’s different after drinking it, I’ll give you another piece of fresh-cut honey.”

One day, after she had served Yinqi his medicine and was leaving his room, she hadn’t yet reached her quarters when she felt a wave of nausea. She hurried to the flower garden and vomited pure medicinal juice onto the flower soil.

Lady Luo saw this from nearby and quickly came over to help rub her back and soothe her, then led her to her own room and gave her water to rinse her mouth. Seeing Zhenzhen’s color return to normal, she sighed with relief and remarked: “You’re a good child. No wonder the Young Master mistook you for his Auntie Liu that day. Your dedication to serving your master really resembles…”

Zhenzhen immediately remembered Yinqi calling her “Auntie,” and her curiosity greatly aroused, she pulled at Lady Luo and repeatedly asked who Auntie Liu was.

Lady Luo hesitated for a long while before finally telling her: “That Miss Liu was originally the daughter of a kitchen maid in the household of Grand Tutor Qi from the previous dynasty. She learned culinary arts from her mother from childhood and was quite gifted. Later, when Lady Chen Guo married Prince Yanping, she came to the prince’s residence as part of the dowry retinue. The Young Master’s infant diet was all managed by her. Once, when the late emperor visited the prince’s residence, he tasted dishes made by Miss Liu and found them excellent, praising them lavishly. Prince Yanping understood the hint and immediately sent Miss Liu to the palace, where she entered the Royal Kitchen.”

Zhenzhen suddenly understood: “This Miss Liu is Liu Sishan, isn’t she?”

Lady Luo was also surprised: “You know her?”

Zhenzhen quickly waved her hands, covering up: “I just heard an old palace lady mention once that there was once a Food Service Director surnamed Liu. I know nothing else about her.”

Lady Luo nodded and continued: “She initially started as a palace lady too, but the late emperor had her formally acknowledge his most trusted Royal Kitchen Director Liu as her adoptive mother and learn skills from Director Liu.”

That Royal Kitchen Director Liu was indeed a famous figure in the palace. It was said she was an old hand from the Kaifeng palace with divine culinary skills. The late emperor had always relied on her heavily. She served as Royal Kitchen Director for many years but later contracted a serious illness and died before the current emperor’s accession.

Recalling this, Zhenzhen said to Lady Luo: “That Royal Kitchen Director Liu spent her whole life in the palace and certainly had no biological children. She must have treasured this adopted daughter greatly and taught her all her culinary skills without reservation.”

“Indeed so,” Lady Luo said. “Miss Liu’s culinary skills became increasingly refined. Soon after, the late emperor had her constantly attend him to taste his food. Miss Liu understood what this task meant. She not only carefully distinguished the taste of every food but also proactively tasted the flavors of poisons like arsenic and heartbreak grass…”

“Ah…” Zhenzhen couldn’t help but exclaim, “Tasting these could be fatal with one careless mistake.”

“Exactly,” Lady Luo sighed. “This girl was stubborn, feeling she needed to know the taste of toxins first before she could distinguish them. So she tasted them again and again. Though she would spit them out immediately upon tasting, inevitably some toxins remained… Several times she was poisoned to the point of death. Fortunately, the late emperor summoned the best imperial physicians to treat her, pulling her back from death’s door.”

Zhenzhen repeatedly praised: “Admirable! Such dedication is beyond my reach.”

Lady Luo agreed: “Few people in the world could do as she did. Therefore, the late emperor especially valued her, making her Food Service Director at a young age. This Food Service Director Liu and Lady Ju of the Celestial Music Department were the two palace ladies who, though not among the imperial consorts, enjoyed imperial favor no less than the various noble ladies. They were truly a pair of pearls of their time.”

Zhenzhen, imagining the elegance of Lady Ju that Xiang Li’er had mentioned, couldn’t help asking Lady Luo: “Was Food Service Director Liu beautiful?”

“Not as beautiful as Lady Ju, but she was pretty too… She loved to laugh. When she smiled, her eyes curved like crescent moons, very sweet.” Lady Luo answered, then suddenly examined Zhenzhen carefully and added, “When you smile, you resemble her somewhat. This is probably another reason why the Young Master mistook you for Food Service Director Liu that night.”