The Royal Kitchen female officials and palace women assigned to various halls and pavilions gathered together every five days to listen to Director Pei’s teachings, exchange recent experiences and insights, and discuss work matters. After these discussions, they would often enter a period of casual chatting about fresh palace gossip and anecdotes. This day was no exception. After Director Pei finished her lecture and her figure disappeared beyond the door, Zhuang Lingzi spoke animatedly to the other women: “Have you heard? The Hanlin Medical Academy recently held examinations to select and promote young medical officers. Originally, Han Suwen scored first, but after the examiners deliberated, they actually changed the rules, forcibly adding a ‘medical officer evaluation’ section, having the senior imperial physicians write assessments for the candidates. As a result, Han Suwen didn’t perform as well as the second-place candidate in this section, and just like that, he lost his chance to be promoted to Junior Seventh Rank Hanlin Medical Officer.”
Wu Zhenzhen had heard about Han Suwen’s failure before, but didn’t know the reason. His current title was “Hanlin Medical Scholar,” of the Ninth Rank. Though he was usually respectfully called a medical officer, he was actually classified as a medical worker. This examination was to promote one medical worker to Junior Seventh Rank “Hanlin Medical Officer,” which would make him a true imperial physician. So Han Suwen had prepared seriously for this position for a long time, frequently making house calls during the day and studying by candlelight at night. He was determined to get this position, never expecting that he would lose on the medical officer evaluation section.
All the palace women sighed with regret, saying that Han Suwen usually treated people well and had many friends – who would have thought he was so disliked by his superiors.
Disliked by his superiors.
Wu Zhenzhen quickly grasped the key point. She had been pondering how to become unlikeable so that she would be included on the list when His Majesty next released palace women, but had never found a feasible plan. Suddenly hearing about Han Suwen’s situation, she immediately had an epiphany: so Han Suwen was exactly the kind of person who displeased his superiors without committing crimes! She must find him quickly and ask him to share some experiences she could learn from.
Wu Zhenzhen soon found an excuse about needing a medical officer to inspect food ingredients and hurried to the Hanlin Medical Academy. When she arrived, Han Suwen wasn’t there. Other medical workers said he had gone on a house call with Imperial Physician Deng, but should return soon, asking Wu Zhenzhen to wait a moment.
Wu Zhenzhen waited for a long time but still didn’t see him return, so she left the medical academy gate, preparing to leave. Just then, she happened to see Han Suwen and Imperial Physician Deng each carrying a wooden medical case, returning from outside.
Wu Zhenzhen hurried to meet them. Han Suwen was very happy to see her and was about to greet her when suddenly there was a “crack” sound. Looking to the side, he saw that one end of the mortise and tenon joint on Imperial Physician Deng’s medical case handle had come loose, and the medical case was about to fall.
Han Suwen immediately reached out to support it, and Imperial Physician Deng quickly took it over. Not bothering with the handle, he held the entire case in his arms.
Imperial Physician Deng was over fifty and small in stature, looking quite strained carrying the medical case. Han Suwen suggested: “Imperial Physician Deng, my case was issued last month and is very new. Why don’t you use mine instead, and I’ll use yours?”
Imperial Physician Deng shook his head like a rattle drum: “Improper, improper! My case has been used for many years and is quite deteriorated. How could I exchange it for your new one?”
“It’s fine,” Han Suwen smiled. “Old cases are made of good materials. I’ll take it back and repair it, paint it, and it’ll be like new.”
As he spoke, he enthusiastically reached out to take Imperial Physician Deng’s case: “You’ll have to make another house call to the Northern Palace later, so this case must be replaced promptly…”
Imperial Physician Deng swiftly turned away with the case to where Han Suwen couldn’t reach it, firmly declining: “My case has too many things in it – your case couldn’t fit them all.”
“It will.” Han Suwen lifted his own case to show him. “My case is the same length and width as yours, and it’s even a bit taller. No matter how many things there are, it can fit them all.”
As he spoke, his hand reached for Imperial Physician Deng’s case again. Imperial Physician Deng kept saying “no need” while tightly protecting his own case from Han Suwen’s touch. Han Suwen thought he was just being polite and was determined to do this good deed, so he insisted on taking the old case. After several rounds of back-and-forth tugging, Imperial Physician Deng’s hand slipped, and the case suddenly fell. The case lid separated, and the medicines, instruments, brushes, ink stones, and prescription slips scattered on the ground.
Two round silver ingots gleamed as they leaped out, sparkling with snow-white light in the sunlight, rolling merrily along until they stopped at Wu Zhenzhen’s feet.
Han Suwen immediately fell silent, staring at the two silver ingots for a long time, gradually understanding why Imperial Physician Deng wouldn’t let him touch his medical case.
These were most likely extra gratuities given by the family they had just visited, a considerable amount that Hanlin Medical Officers shouldn’t accept according to regulations.
After realizing this, he immediately ran to Wu Zhenzhen, took the silver ingots from her hands as she had just picked them up, then ran back to Imperial Physician Deng’s side and respectfully returned them to him.
Imperial Physician Deng snorted, gave a heavy flick of his sleeve, left both the silver ingots and the medical case behind, and departed in anger.
Han Suwen watched him go, then looked at Wu Zhenzhen who had followed over, showing an embarrassed smile.
What a talent, what a talent! This was exactly the kind of person worth seeking high and low for, the person she desperately needed to learn from!
Wu Zhenzhen confirmed this conclusion once again.
“You do this kind of thing often, don’t you?” Wu Zhenzhen asked Han Suwen.
“Sigh…” Han Suwen sighed in bewilderment. “I don’t know why, but something like this happens every few days. I’m clearly trying to do good deeds…”
Wu Zhenzhen asked about the medical officer examination: “What exactly did you do to make the examiners temporarily change the rules for you and unite the senior imperial physicians to eliminate you?”
Han Suwen said: “I’ve thought about this question too. After my colleague pointed it out, I think it’s related to my declining the Third Prince’s reward last time… Last time the Third Prince caught a slight cold, and Imperial Physician Wang brought me to treat him. After Imperial Physician Wang’s diagnosis, he had me perform gua sha on the Third Prince. After I finished, the Third Prince was very satisfied and rewarded both Imperial Physician Wang and me with a lot of money. I declined to accept it, saying that we work at the Hanlin Medical Academy, where our monthly salary is already much more generous than civilian doctors’ fees, and every year our clothing and supplies are provided without us having to spend our own money. How could we feel at ease accepting so much reward money from nobles? The Third Prince still insisted on giving rewards, and in my urgency, I said: ‘I came to practice medicine, not to seek rewards.’ The Third Prince had to give up and repeatedly praised my noble character… Then Imperial Physician Wang also said he couldn’t accept reward money and tearfully returned the silver in his hands…”
“What nonsense truth-telling,” Wu Zhenzhen couldn’t help laughing. “You so righteously declined reward money in front of Imperial Physician Wang – how could he have the face to accept it alone? He returned the silver with tears, but who knows how he cursed you in his heart. When he went back and told the other imperial physicians, many of them would definitely think you were deliberately showing off in front of the Third Prince, mocking them.”
“Exactly…” Han Suwen said gloomily. “At the time, I didn’t think of this at all. I just focused on honestly expressing my inner thoughts, never imagining it would offend so many people.”
Honestly expressing inner thoughts… Wu Zhenzhen quickly extracted this golden rule for offending people.
Seeing her deep in thought, Han Suwen kindly advised: “You must remember this lesson of mine. When speaking in front of superiors or nobles, you must be tactful and think three times before acting. This time I only failed to become a medical officer, but you work directly for His Majesty. If you make the slightest mistake, at best you’ll be given the cold shoulder, at worst you’ll be expelled from the palace – that would be terrible.”
When Wu Zhenzhen told Feng Xian about Han Suwen’s situation, Feng Xian couldn’t help but laugh heartily. Wu Zhenzhen then carefully asked her: “In sister’s opinion, if I were to tell the truth to everyone like Han Suwen does, would I quickly become disliked?”
“Yes.” Feng Xian restrained her laughter and said seriously, “Truth is what many people are unwilling to face. If a person frequently speaks bluntly about others’ shortcomings and flaws, or suggests that others do things they should do but don’t want to do, they will be disliked. Everyone understands the principle that honest advice is hard to accept, but the vast majority of people find it difficult to accept honest advice. Truth and truth-tellers are like small stones in boots, hangnails at the edge of fingernails – they won’t cause much harm to people, but they’re just uncomfortable, and people must get rid of them quickly.”
Wu Zhenzhen felt relieved and smiled: “Then I’ve decided to tell the truth from now on, hoping to be quickly driven out of the palace by everyone.”
Feng Xian pondered, then said after a moment: “I think it will work. Just making people uncomfortable isn’t a crime, so there’s still great hope of escaping unharmed this way… But you’re clever and intelligent, so it will be difficult for you to offend people effortlessly like Han Suwen does without realizing it.”
“I know that being naturally oblivious to human nature and social etiquette like Han Suwen requires talent,” Wu Zhenzhen said. “I certainly can’t match that, but I will learn.”
Soon after, Wu Zhenzhen found an opportunity to practice.
That day, the Emperor heard good news from the frontier and was greatly pleased, ordering the Imperial Kitchen to add two more dishes to the noon meal.
The “two dishes” the Emperor mentioned would certainly not be understood by the imperial chefs as merely two dishes. They immediately prepared according to national banquet standards, serving a total of thirty dishes, not including pastries, fruits, and sweet drinks. A procession of kitchen staff carried these dishes to Jiaming Hall, where they were passed through layers of servants and placed one by one before the Emperor.
The Emperor picked up his chopsticks to eat. Having worked late into the night on state affairs for several consecutive days, the cold had penetrated his bones, and he couldn’t help sneezing while picking up food.
Hearing this, Wu Zhenzhen’s spirits lifted, and she immediately realized this was a good opportunity. There was a big truth she had been contemplating for a long time and had wanted to tell the Emperor, but propriety had always held her back. Every time the words came to her lips, she swallowed them again. Now that she had decided to tell the truth everywhere, why not start with this?
“Your Majesty,” she bowed to the Emperor and spoke directly, “In future meals, might you allow this servant to prepare an extra pair of silver chopsticks for Your Majesty’s exclusive use in picking up food?”
The Emperor was clearly somewhat surprised and didn’t answer immediately.
Wu Zhenzhen continued to explain: “Every time Your Majesty dines, there are at least a dozen dishes, sometimes dozens. Your Majesty never finishes them all. The remaining food, according to Your Majesty’s instructions, we distribute to the eunuchs and palace women in Your Majesty’s hall. This stems from Your Majesty’s benevolent heart, allowing ordinary palace servants to taste imperial cuisine – all beneficiaries are deeply grateful. However, Your Majesty uses only one pair of chopsticks for both picking up food and putting it in your mouth. Thus, giving the leftover food to palace servants is somewhat… unclean.”
The Director of Palace Attendants standing nearby was dumbfounded and immediately scolded: “Food Preparation Wu, watch your words!”
Wu Zhenzhen was also quite anxious, feeling her scalp tingling, but she gritted her teeth and continued: “For example, today Your Majesty has caught a cold. Saliva from the chopsticks you use contaminates the food, and when given to palace servants to eat, those servants are very likely to fall ill from this. Wouldn’t this go against Your Majesty’s original intention of granting imperial cuisine?”
After she finished speaking, the hall fell silent, and Wu Zhenzhen secretly breathed a long sigh of relief. She had finally spoken the words long buried in her heart, immediately feeling refreshed. Moreover, she stole a glance at the Emperor and felt that her objective had been achieved – she could call this first battle a victory.
The Emperor’s face was dark as he coldly regarded the imperial cuisine before him, not speaking for a long time.