Wu Zhenzhen did not forget His Majesty’s instructions and had Zhao Ai and Yin Rui first take her to Chen’s Noodle Shop at Qinghe District to buy quail pastries.
The current dynasty did not enforce a curfew and had also broken down the restrictions between markets and residential areas. As Yin Rui drove the carriage for Wu Zhenzhen and Zhao Ai rode his horse beside the ox cart, they saw along the way that lights were bright everywhere. At the fourth watch, the night market had not yet ended while the morning market had already begun. Many shops kept their doors open to welcome customers. On both sides of Imperial Street, there were also many stalls set up along the roadside selling various foods with great enthusiasm: mutton fat chive pancakes, fermented sheep’s feet, sheep blood soup, ginger shrimp, jellyfish, fried white sausage, fried duck, fried shad, spicy vegetarian noodle soup, clear snail soup…
When they reached Qinghe District, they saw several noodle shops on both sides, each with halls, courtyards, and east-west corridors. At their entrances, wooden frames formed mountain-like structures with half pigs and sheep hanging from them to attract customers. Today all the shops were very busy, mostly eighty to ninety percent full.
Wu Zhenzhen and the others searched until they found Chen’s Noodle Shop. As soon as they entered, someone greeted them with a smiling face and led them to seats. Food boards hung on both walls, listing the shop’s offerings: pork and lamb fresh noodles, silk chicken noodles, fish skin noodles, bamboo shoot and pork noodles, roe and shrimp noodles, as well as stone marrow soup, mixed color soup, various fish soups, three-fresh large bone soup, and meat dishes like soft sheep kidneys, turtle-steamed lamb, mock chicken, frozen meat, and fish cocoons. Wontons and the pastries His Majesty wanted were also among them.
Wu Zhenzhen ordered the pastries and while waiting, seeing that it was still early, Zhao Ai suggested they have breakfast there. Zhao Ai and Yin Rui ordered two bowls of three-fresh noodles, and Wu Zhenzhen ordered vegetarian seven-treasure five-flavor porridge. Just as the three were about to eat, they suddenly heard someone at a neighboring table call out in pleasant surprise, “Wu Zhenzhen!”
Wu Zhenzhen turned to look and greeted warmly, “Han Suwen.”
Han Suwen picked up his bowl of large-slice mutton noodles and naturally moved to their table, asking, “Wu Zhenzhen, how are you here?”
Before Wu Zhenzhen could answer, Zhao Ai coughed lightly. When Han Suwen turned to look at him, Zhao Ai glanced at Wu Zhenzhen and said flatly, “This is Food Preparation Wu.”
“I know, we’re acquainted,” Han Suwen quickly replied, looking at Zhao Ai with frank smile, seemingly indicating that his introduction was unnecessary.
Zhao Ai was speechless. He reached for his chopsticks, picked up a few noodles, but didn’t eat immediately. Yin Rui found this amusing but dared not laugh, so he could only smile and say to Wu Zhenzhen, “Food Preparation Wu, let’s eat quickly and return to the palace early.”
He emphasized the words “Food Preparation Wu,” and Han Suwen suddenly understood somewhat. He smiled at Zhao Ai, “Although I’m quite familiar with Food Preparation Wu, you needn’t worry—if I were to write her a letter, I would definitely use a prescription form.”
Wu Zhenzhen was annoyed, remembering what he had said before—that if a medical officer wrote to a young lady using a prescription form, it meant the lady was ill, not that he liked her. Han Suwen was still enthusiastically trying to explain to the confused-looking Zhao Ai: “There’s an allusion to this…”
Wu Zhenzhen immediately picked up a clean wooden chopstick and tapped his black silk cap: “Shut up, you!”
With this tap, Wu Zhenzhen suddenly noticed that Han Suwen was wearing the formal court dress required for grand court assemblies, and remembered that today was the first day of the second lunar month, when there was a grand court assembly in the palace.
“You little medical officer also have to attend court assembly?” Wu Zhenzhen asked Han Suwen.
“Yes, today is the grand court assembly. All officials in the capital must attend, including artisan officials and medical officers,” Han Suwen said, then indicated the table where he had been sitting. “They’re my friends—one works at the academy, one at the painting academy. Today they all have to attend the grand court assembly.”
Wu Zhenzhen looked in the direction he pointed and saw those two young officials were also wearing blue-green court dress. When they noticed her looking, they both set down their chopsticks and bowed to her.
After returning the courtesy, Wu Zhenzhen looked around and noticed that most of the people around were wearing official court dress, though most had cloaks or dark outer robes to ward off the cold, so she hadn’t noticed before.
“You officials, why don’t you all eat breakfast at home instead of coming to shops?” Wu Zhenzhen asked Han Suwen again.
Han Suwen replied, “Young officials from humble backgrounds who have no significant connections in the capital find housing itself very difficult. With limited salaries, after renting a small courtyard, buying a horse, and hiring a gatekeeper, there’s very little left. We can’t afford to hire cooks or buy servant girls. If we’re unmarried, or married to wives who love sleeping in, who’s going to make us breakfast? We all have to come out to eat.”
After they finished eating, the shop also prepared the quail pastries they had ordered earlier. The pastries were dumpling-like filled foods that looked like flower buds but more beautiful. They were fried in oil, and three were now strung on a bamboo skewer with a thin layer of salt sprinkled on the surface.
Zhao Ai smiled as soon as he saw them: “This is the snack Father loved to buy when he was young… Both he and Grandfather had the habit of occasionally sending people out to buy folk food.”
Wu Zhenzhen had the shop pack the pastries in the food box she had brought, then left with the others to return to the palace.
During court assemblies, the north Hening Gate of the imperial city was opened, and outside the gate was the Waiting Hall where early-arriving officials could rest. As Wu Zhenzhen and the others proceeded, they saw court officials in formal dress everywhere on Imperial Street, all riding horses. Since it was nearly the fifth watch, the officials were all hurrying, and many apparently hadn’t had time for breakfast. When passing stalls selling easily portable foods like steamed cakes, buns, and pastries, they would rein in their horses, buy some breakfast, and quickly continue. Many were even eating on horseback while controlling their mounts.
One official rode beside Wu Zhenzhen’s carriage. Under his dark outer robe, a crimson silk robe and black leather shoes were visible—he appeared to be a fourth-rank official. Wu Zhenzhen lifted the curtain from inside the carriage and found his figure somewhat familiar. Looking carefully at his profile, she recognized him as Ji Jinglan. At this moment, he rode among the surrounding green-robed officials, controlling his horse with one hand, sitting upright with raised head, letting the breeze blow his beautiful beard, looking quite dashing.
However, when he reached a pancake stall, he suddenly called “Whoa” and reined in his horse, maintaining his elegant posture as he turned gracefully to the vendor and said, “Two mutton fat chive pancakes.”
Originally, Wu Zhenzhen’s family troubles had started because of him. Although he was just doing his official duty and Aunt Qiu had said she shouldn’t blame him, Wu Zhenzhen still couldn’t help harboring resentment. At first sight, she hadn’t wanted to acknowledge him, but this scene both surprised and amused her. She couldn’t help calling out “Sir Ji.” When he turned around, Wu Zhenzhen asked directly, “Are you personally buying breakfast too, sir?”
“Seventh Young Master!” Ji Jinglan also recognized Wu Zhenzhen and immediately felt somewhat embarrassed. He explained quietly, “My family had prepared noodles for me, but I overslept today and saw I would be late for court assembly, so I left in haste and can only buy something here hastily.”
The mutton fat chive pancakes were wrapped up, and he quickly paid. Too embarrassed to continue chatting, he hurriedly said goodbye to Wu Zhenzhen and rode off toward the palace gate with his pancakes.
At the end of March this year, Liu Jieyu went into labor. That day, by evening she still hadn’t given birth. At Consort Li’s urging, the Emperor returned to Jieming Palace for dinner, but worried about the consort, he found everything tasteless and ate very little.
That day was sunny and rather hot. Li Dahong personally added a dish of iced cream-topped cherries to the imperial meal, presenting it last.
This dessert was served in a golden bowl with a glass cover, first brought to Wu Zhenzhen’s table by a palace woman. When the woman lifted the glass cover, Wu Zhenzhen saw that the golden bowl was filled with crushed ice, with cherries piled in the center like a small hill, topped with sugar syrup and cream.
When the palace ladies ate this dessert, they would have someone first cut open the cherries to remove the pits, but His Majesty disliked this as he felt pre-cutting would alter the cherry flavor, so he ordered the imperial kitchen to keep them whole. Now the cherries were piled bright red on the ice and snow in the golden bowl, colored like pearls, very beautiful.
Wu Zhenzhen took two cherries with a silver spoon and placed them in the silver cup before her. Just as she was about to taste them, she suddenly saw something and froze, not immediately putting them in her mouth.
The Emperor happened to look at her and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Wu Zhenzhen smiled in response: “Nothing, I just thought these cherries looked as beautiful as jewels, so I took an extra look.”
She then ate those two cherries with no change in expression, then smiled at the Emperor: “These cherries are very fresh, with excellent flavor.”
The palace woman was preparing to bring the golden bowl to the Emperor when Wu Zhenzhen suddenly stood up, bowed to the Emperor, and said, “This servant has a presumptuous request and hopes Your Majesty will grant it.”
The Emperor allowed her to speak, so Wu Zhenzhen said, “This servant has never eaten cream-topped cherries before. After tasting them, I find the milk fragrance and fruit fragrance blend wonderfully. I regret only getting to taste two, so, Your Majesty, could you…”
Hearing this, the Emperor laughed: “You want to eat more. No problem, this whole bowl is yours.”
Wu Zhenzhen joyfully thanked him but didn’t eat immediately. Instead, she instructed the palace woman beside her to take the bowl of cherries to her room in the Royal Kitchen.
Pei Shangshi was somewhat surprised at this and asked if His Majesty wanted Chef Li to present another bowl to the palace, but before the Emperor could answer, someone from Hibiscus Pavilion came with news: Liu Jieyu had given birth to a little princess.
The Emperor was overjoyed and immediately got up to go to Hibiscus Pavilion to see Liu Jieyu and their daughter, completely forgetting about the cherries.
When news of Wu Zhenzhen requesting the cherries as a gift reached Li Dahong’s ears, he was immediately furious. He went straight to the Royal Kitchen to find Wu Zhenzhen, loudly berating her for being audacious and shameless in daring to take His Majesty’s imperial food.
Wu Zhenzhen didn’t argue but silently pushed the bowl of cherries before Li Dahong’s eyes.
Li Dahong lifted the cover and stared wide-eyed: most of the crushed ice had melted into ice water, and white worms were floating on the surface. Some were also attached to the cherries, with a few still wriggling.
“Rain-soaked cherries easily breed worms. The imperial kitchen obviously bought cherries that had been rained on this time. You can’t see it when washing them, but after soaking in ice water, the worms come out,” Wu Zhenzhen finally said.
Li Dahong naturally understood this. These were fruit fly larvae, easily hidden in fruits like cherries and bayberries. Though non-toxic and not particularly harmful to the body if consumed, they absolutely could not be seen by nobles, let alone His Majesty. There had been precedents of kitchen workers being beaten with rods and expelled from the imperial kitchen for serving the Empress Dowager bayberries containing worms.
Li Dahong stood stunned for a long while, then suddenly clasped his hands toward Wu Zhenzhen: “Thank you, Food Preparation Wu, for saving me this time. I, Li Dahong, am clear about gratitude and grudges, and will definitely repay this favor… Tell me, what dish do you want to learn?”
Wu Zhenzhen didn’t answer immediately. After pondering for a moment, she smiled and asked Li Dahong, “Chef Li, there are now over four hundred kitchen workers and apprentices in the imperial kitchen, right?”
Li Dahong confirmed this was correct. Wu Zhenzhen continued, “His Majesty doesn’t eat much for breakfast, so you don’t need nearly this many people. Most of these four hundred have nothing to do before the fifth watch, right?”
Li Dahong watched her warily: “What do you want us to do?”