Chapter 1: Phoenix Immortal
When Zhenzhen returned to Pujiang, she could see from afar that the signboard of Shizhen Lou had already been taken down and replaced with that of Yibei Lou. The interior and exterior of the restaurant had been redecorated, with a style consistent with the main branch of Yibei Lou. That day, there seemed to be an important banquet in the restaurant, with carriages flowing like water and horses like dragons on the street outside. The Yang father and son personally stood at the entrance welcoming guests, proud and beaming with joy.
Zhenzhen had always blamed herself for causing the restaurant to change ownership due to her mistake, and did not wish to meet Yang Shenglin. She turned her horse around and took a detour through the back street, heading toward the small courtyard that Qiuniang had given to Uncle Pu.
Previously, Zhenzhen, her mother, and the female disciples had lived in rooms in the back courtyard of the restaurant. When the restaurant was handed over to the Yang family, although Yang Shenglin said that Zhenzhen and the others could continue living there, Zhenzhen considered that they were all women, and it would ultimately be improper for them to continue living there after the restaurant changed ownership. So she moved with Xiang Ye to live in Uncle Pu’s courtyard. Fortunately, that house was spacious, with five or six habitable rooms, so it didn’t seem crowded.
Before reaching the gate of the small courtyard, Zhenzhen’s gaze crossed over the bamboo fence and courtyard wall, and she immediately saw a woman under the apricot tree inside, with her back to her, hanging freshly washed clothes. Zhenzhen rode her horse closer, dismounted, and opened the small wooden gate herself. She hurried toward the woman, joyfully calling out “Xiang Ye.” The woman turned around upon hearing her voice, but it was Feng Xian.
Zhenzhen was first startled, then broke into a smile. She grasped Feng Xian’s hand and said, “Sister Feng Xian, it’s you! How did you come back?”
Feng Xian was also very surprised and delighted to see her. Without immediately answering her question, she inquired about her well-being, then cupped Zhenzhen’s face and said she had grown thin. Then she called into the house for Uncle Pu and Xiang Ye while leading Zhenzhen by the hand into the hall.
Uncle Pu and Xiang Ye came out from the inner room, and both were overjoyed to see Zhenzhen. After exchanging greetings, they busied themselves preparing tea and setting out fruits, vegetables, and pastries, asking what she wanted for dinner. They all felt that Zhenzhen had become darker and thinner and had suffered hardships, wishing they could compensate her for all the care she had missed during these months.
Naturally, they were very concerned about Zhenzhen’s experiences over the past few months, asking about her studies with Master Wen Qiao. Zhenzhen told them about some of what she had learned, but did not mention the private interactions between them. Xiang Ye seemed more interested in Master Wen Qiao himself, repeatedly asking about his age, whether he had a family, what he looked like, and how he treated Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen glanced at Uncle Pu and saw that although he hadn’t spoken, his bright eyes were fixed on her, also waiting for her answer. She immediately felt quite uncomfortable, so she concealed Lin Hong’s true situation, only saying that he was an elderly gentleman who liked to practice meditation, had no wives or concubines, treated her very kindly and lovingly, and that she had always called him teacher. Uncle Pu felt very relieved after hearing this, nodding repeatedly in approval, while Xiang Ye looked somewhat disappointed, probably because Zhenzhen’s answer didn’t match her speculation.
That evening, Zhenzhen shared a room with Feng Xian, who quietly asked her, “Is that Master Wen Qiao actually a young man?”
Zhenzhen was surprised and blurted out, “Sister, how do you know?”
Feng Xian said, “When Xiang Ye asked you, you were obviously hesitant. If his situation was consistent with what you said, why would you need to deliberate? You would have answered quickly.”
Feng Xian was the first female disciple Qiuniang had taken in, and she had grown up with Zhenzhen since childhood, inseparable, so they were closer than others. After a moment of silence, Zhenzhen still told Feng Xian everything about Lin Hong – his age and appearance, the details of their meeting, the skills he possessed, and the principles he had taught her. Once her heart opened, she spoke endlessly, describing in detail and with great enthusiasm many of Lin Hong’s expressions, postures, movements, and words he had spoken. However, in the end, out of shyness, she still omitted the events of that night before her departure.
Feng Xian listened patiently, and only after Zhenzhen had stopped speaking did she say, “You must really like him, don’t you?”
Zhenzhen was stunned, turning her flushed face toward the shadows, and replied, “I deeply respect and love Teacher Lin.”
“It’s not just respect and love,” Feng Xian hit the mark, “when you speak of him, there’s light in your eyes, such joy. You must like him very much.”
Zhenzhen was speechless, silently pulling the blanket over her face.
Feng Xian lowered her voice and asked very seriously, “You and he, have you…?”
Zhenzhen hid under the blanket without answering. But Feng Xian wouldn’t let her off, pulling away the blanket covering her face and continuing to ask, “You and he, have you had physical intimacy?”
Zhenzhen thought of that night’s events, her face turning even redder like rosy clouds, but seeing that Feng Xian obviously wouldn’t give up, she had to answer, “No.”
“Really not?” Feng Xian looked at the color of her cheeks, somewhat doubtful.
Zhenzhen shook her head, firmly denying it.
Only then did Feng Xian withdraw her gaze and say, “This Master Wen Qiao is young, yet he can restrain himself and maintain propriety. Facing such a young and beautiful girl as you, he still treated you with courtesy. This shows he’s a gentleman.”
Zhenzhen nodded eagerly, taking the opportunity to praise Lin Hong’s character once more.
Feng Xian said, “I asked this not to pry into your privacy. The people from the palace have already arrived in Pujiang today. The county magistrate held a banquet at Yibei Lou to welcome them. In two days, they will begin selecting young kitchen maids to enter the Royal Kitchen. The first step of this selection is body inspection. Although they publicly say they’re selecting women with proper appearance and healthy bodies, since the announcement states that participating women must be under twenty years old and have beautiful faces, I’m afraid the requirement of virginity is indispensable. If you had improper conduct with that Master Wen Qiao, wouldn’t all previous efforts be wasted?”
Zhenzhen recalled the past events, feeling both moved and somewhat frightened. That night when Lin Hong finally released her, although she felt relieved, she also felt a hidden sense of loss. Now thinking about it, his action actually fulfilled her aspirations.
After a long silence, she thanked Feng Xian: “Thank you, sister, for thinking of me and inquiring about the Royal Kitchen selection news. This time you returned, it was also to help me, wasn’t it?”
This remark made Feng Xian slightly embarrassed. After some consideration, she said frankly, “I came back this time, like you, to participate in the Royal Kitchen selection.”
Zhenzhen was greatly surprised. She had originally thought that after Feng Xian was found by her parents, she would stay away from the kitchen and live the pampered life of a young lady. Although Royal Kitchen personnel served in the palace, they were essentially still maids who served others with culinary skills. She didn’t know why Feng Xian would be willing to abandon her frail mother and insist on participating in the selection.
She deliberately observed Feng Xian closely, seeing that her sister’s eyes were cold and composed, with a calm expression, obviously having made this decision after careful consideration. The current Feng Xian seemed quite different from before, and Zhenzhen couldn’t quite say what was different. She only felt that during this brief yet long separation, they both seemed to have left their original paths and were growing in different directions.
Feng Xian had arrived in Jingnan Prefecture in the depths of winter. Her mother, Madam Yuan, although Ling Tao’s legitimate wife, had been out of favor for many years. At this moment, she lived alone in a cold and desolate courtyard where few people came and went, where even the dust seemed lonely. In the harsh cold weather, Madam Yuan’s room had only a small basin of charcoal fire that emitted thick smoke, flickering weakly like her gaze on the sickbed, barely alive.
Hearing Feng Xian’s call, Madam Yuan looked at her blankly for a long time, seeming to recognize her, but years of pent-up emotions and words she wanted to pour out to her daughter were buried by sadness, guilt, and helplessness. Then she could only cry.
Feng Xian grasped her skeletal hand, feeling as if she was touching a piece of dead wood.
Beside Madam Yuan was only Aunt Xu, a maid who had served her for many years. When Aunt Xu spoke with Feng Xian about the past, those fragmentary memories like torn scroll pieces in Feng Xian’s mind were finally pieced together:
Years ago, when Madam Yuan was pregnant with Feng Xian, she followed her husband on campaign and lived in the military camp. On the day Feng Xian was born, a flock of black birds flew to the front of the camp and lingered. Later, Ling Tao suffered defeat in battle against the Jin people, and he blamed it on Feng Xian, believing that her birth had attracted the black birds as an ominous sign. This daughter was naturally also an ominous person, so he disliked her very much.
Ling Tao was lustful and had many wives and concubines at home. At that time, his greatest favorite was Lady Zhuwu. Lady Zhuwu was from Lin’an, had stunning beauty, and excellent culinary skills. She firmly grasped Ling Tao’s heart with both food and beauty. Under the persecution led by Lady Zhuwu and other concubines, Madam Yuan and her daughter lived very difficult lives.
When Feng Xian was six years old, the emperor summoned Ling Tao back to court and was about to promote him to a higher rank. Ling Tao then brought all his family members along. But for some reason, when they reached the vicinity of Pujiang, he received another imperial edict. The emperor had changed his mind and still ordered Ling Tao to guard the frontier. When they set out, Feng Xian had caught a cold and fallen ill, running a fever and experiencing pain all over her body throughout the journey. The other concubines suspected she had malaria and were very worried that their own children would be infected. Unfortunately, at that time, Third Miss, born to Lady Zhuwu, also began to run a fever. Lady Zhuwu was terrified and tearfully complained to Ling Tao. Ling Tao was already irritated about losing his promotion, and hearing that Feng Xian had passed the disease to her sister, he became even more furious. He said that today’s predicament was all due to Feng Xian’s bad luck, and despite Madam Yuan’s desperate pleas, he snatched Feng Xian from her mother’s arms and abandoned her in the rainy night outside Pujiang city.
“So, mother now living in this small courtyard far from the main residence is also due to Lady Zhuwu’s instigation?” Feng Xian asked Aunt Xu.
Aunt Xu said, “Not exactly. Now the general’s greatest favorite is Lady Xuejiu. Lady Zhuwu is far less prominent than before and has become much quieter. Madam originally lived in the main residence, but because she had been ill for years, her room was always filled with the smell of medicinal herbs. Recently, Lady Xuejiu gave birth to a son and complained to the general that she would get dizzy and nauseous whenever she smelled the medicinal odor from Madam’s room. The general then had Madam move here.”
Feng Xian asked again, “Then when father sent people to find and bring me back, was it because he saw mother’s serious illness and felt compassion, wanting me to return to care for mother?”
Aunt Xu hesitated, then said, “After losing you, Madam cried day and night, begging the general many times, but he never agreed to search for you. Gradually, Madam also gave up hope and stopped begging, but she would cry whenever she thought of you. This time, it was Lady Zhuwu who requested the general to bring you back.”
Feng Xian asked in surprise, “Why?”
Aunt Xu said, “Two months ago, Third Miss went to Lady Zhuwu’s maternal home to visit her grandmother. On the way back, she actually disappeared. Some people said she eloped with her cousin, but the Zhu family denied it, saying Third Miss was kidnapped by bandits. The general sent people to search for a long time, but there was no news. Since then, Lady Zhuwu often came to Madam’s place to pour out her pain of losing a daughter, saying that putting herself in Madam’s shoes, she finally understood Madam’s suffering. Therefore, she was willing to do her utmost to persuade the general to bring Second Miss back.”