The eunuch driving the ox cart brought Zhenzhen to the foot of a mountain, then followed the mountain path upward. Finally, he helped her out of the cart and let her lean against the gate of a small courtyard near the mountain peak, then departed alone. Zhenzhen remained unconscious. At dawn, someone opened the door and discovered her. After reporting inside, a man came out to check, then instructed a maid to help Zhenzhen into a room and let her lie down to rest.

Near noon, Zhenzhen gradually awakened. There was no one else in the room. The doors and windows were closed, dark as ebony wood, with green stone bricks on the floor. The room’s furnishings were elegant and simple, with furniture in natural wood tones and refined craftsmanship. Sandalwood burned in an incense burner on the table, and the faint sound of Buddhist chanting drifted from outside.

On the crane-legged table beside the bed were porridge and water. Zhenzhen took the water and drank it, rested a while, then drank the porridge. She felt somewhat better than last night. Touching her face and forehead, the fever seemed to have subsided considerably.

At this moment, footsteps sounded outside. From the shadows on the window, it appeared two people were approaching.

“Junior sister, why did you only come today?” a man asked in a refined and elegant voice that sounded quite familiar to Zhenzhen.

A woman sighed softly: “Senior brother, I visited the Scripture Academy too frequently last month, and my family became suspicious, so they wouldn’t let me come this month. Later, because father wanted to hold a memorial service for an old friend and requested monks from the Scripture Academy to chant sutras for the deceased, I asked to come pay respects, and father finally agreed.”

This woman’s voice also seemed familiar to Zhenzhen, though she couldn’t immediately recall who it was. Hearing them address each other as “senior brother” and “junior sister” like cultivators made her even more puzzled.

The man continued: “This can’t go on forever. Why don’t I inform my parents and ask a matchmaker to visit your father to formally propose marriage?”

The woman was silent for a moment, presumably happy in her heart, yet full of concerns. She said softly: “I’m afraid my father is stubborn and won’t want to form marriage ties with imperial relatives…”

The man also seemed to hesitate, and only after a while said: “Your father holds high rank and great power – he would consider such things. Moreover, my reputation is not good…”

“I know what kind of person you are better than anyone, and I don’t mind.” The woman comforted him gently, but couldn’t help sighing: “But rumors can destroy gold, and I’ve suffered from them too. I don’t know what father will think this time…”

Zhenzhen felt anxious listening to them, so she got up and walked to the door. Speaking through the door, she said: “Since you have feelings for each other, you should strive to be together. If you want to propose marriage, then go propose. How will you know if your father-in-law agrees without asking? Propose first, and if he refuses, then think of another way. That’s better than sighing here and retreating on your own.”

The two immediately fell silent, not daring to respond.

Zhenzhen opened the door from inside. A man and woman standing in the courtyard both looked at her, and Zhenzhen immediately widened her eyes, recognizing them as Yinqi and Shen Rou’ran, daughter of Shen Han.

After a while, the three sat together talking, and Zhenzhen learned that after Yinqi caused a great disturbance at the Eastern Palace banquet that year, he was confined for a long time. The following year, Lady Chen had this courtyard built near Tianzhu Scripture Academy for Yinqi to live in. He often went to the Scripture Academy or the nearby Lingyin Temple to hear eminent monks expound the dharma, spending his days copying sutras and calming his mind.

Yinqi gradually became accustomed to this peaceful life and found his own joy in it. Meanwhile, Shen Rou’ran had initially helped Yun Yingge expose Fu Junyi’s crimes at the wedding, which was indeed a righteous act, but also attracted some gossip. After the broken engagement, fewer people came to propose marriage to her. Being in an awkward position of being too good for some matches but not good enough for others, she had remained unmarried until now.

Later, when Shen Rou’ran came to Tianzhu Scripture Academy to borrow scriptures, the wind blew over a page of hand-copied text. She saw the small regular script, with characters that were graceful and well-proportioned, combining firmness and softness, emanating tranquility and embodying a lofty, ethereal artistic conception. In admiration, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of refined and transcendent person could write such characters with such composure. Upon inquiry, she learned it was written by Yinqi, so she sought out the small courtyard. Yinqi happened to be practicing calligraphy in the yard, and seeing her watching, he graciously invited her in to observe. Shen Rou’ran immediately discovered that Yinqi was also skilled in regular and running-cursive scripts. Two pieces of cursive script were completed in moments, flowing and elegant, handsome and charming.

Shen Rou’ran also loved calligraphy and made comments that could directly hit the key points. Yinqi couldn’t help but look at her with new eyes and respect. At first, both only felt the other looked familiar. After talking, they remembered that years ago during the Dragon Boat Festival arrangements, they had met once in a boat in the palace’s rear garden, listening together to Wu Zhenzhen tell the story of the Silver Character. Yinqi laughingly said this meeting on the same boat was probably fate from a previous life, so Shen Rou’ran playfully called him “senior brother,” and Yinqi agreed, also jokingly calling her “junior sister.”

From then on, Shen Rou’ran often found excuses to come to Tianzhu Scripture Academy to discuss calligraphy with Yinqi. The two often practiced writing side by side, critiquing each other’s work and viewing each other as kindred spirits. Naturally, they both developed feelings and hoped to stay together for life. However, according to court custom, scholar-officials serving in government usually only married among colleagues. Moreover, Yinqi’s illness was known to all, so Shen Rou’ran was very worried her father couldn’t accept it. Therefore, she could only secretly associate with Yinqi until now.

At this point, the Buddhist chanting from Tianzhu Scripture Academy paused. Shen Rou’ran suddenly realized with alarm and stood up: “I snuck out and must go back. Father and mother are still at the Scripture Academy – I’m afraid they’ll look for me.”

Yinqi and Zhenzhen rose to see her off. Yinqi casually asked: “Who are they chanting sutras for today? Both your father and mother came.”

Shen Rou’ran looked at Zhenzhen, hesitated, then still answered: “Food Service Director Pei.”

Zhenzhen was thunderstruck, frowning in disbelief as she looked at Shen Rou’ran.

After the Crown Prince’s greater shrouding ceremony, censoring officials quickly demanded a thorough investigation of the Crown Prince’s dietary issues, pointing their accusations at Food Service Director Pei. They said she had previously promoted Wu Zhenzhen and had been derelict in her duties that day, failing to prevent Wu Zhenzhen from serving Songjiang bass sashimi to the Crown Prince. She should be handed over to the Censorate for severe punishment according to law.

The Empress pitied Food Service Director Pei’s years of hard work and persuaded the Emperor to let the Palace Supervisor investigate first rather than immediately handing her over to the Censorate. Because the matter was so serious, on the day Palace Supervisor Wei questioned Food Service Director Pei, not only did the Emperor, Empress, concubines, and high-ranking female officials of the Six Departments attend, but even the Empress Dowager rushed over from Cifu Palace to observe.

Palace Supervisor Wei questioned Food Service Director Pei about every detail of that day. When he heard that after Zhenzhen prepared the bass sashimi and presented it to Food Service Director Pei to taste first, he pressed her about whether she had indeed tasted it. Food Service Director Pei was momentarily at a loss for words, but finally answered truthfully: “No.”

Palace Supervisor Wei continued asking her reason for not tasting it. Food Service Director Pei remained silent for a long time. Palace Supervisor Wei then said: “Ingredients presented to the Crown Prince were taken from the imperial kitchen and should first be inspected and tasted by the Food Service Director before being sent to the Eastern Palace. Yet Food Service Director Pei skipped this step. Could it be that holding high position for so long has made her so arrogant that she disdains to fulfill this most basic duty?”

Food Service Director Pei bowed her head and said “I dare not,” but still didn’t explain the reason.

Palace Supervisor Wei produced a letter, saying: “Yesterday someone anonymously reported to me that Food Service Director Pei has likely lost her sense of taste but still wanted to occupy the Food Service Director position, so she originally worked hard to cultivate Wu Zhenzhen to take charge of imperial meals and taste first. Food Service Director Pei didn’t taste the Songjiang bass sashimi also because of taste problems – she couldn’t taste good from bad, so she didn’t taste it. Is this true?”

Food Service Director Pei kowtowed tearfully but remained silent.

Palace Supervisor Wei ordered servants to bring three cups of water already prepared, saying to Food Service Director Pei: “These three cups of water – one salty, one sweet, one tasteless. Please taste each one in front of everyone, then tell me which cup has what taste.”

“No need.” At this point, Food Service Director Pei raised her tear-streaked face, her lips trembling as she said: “Yes, I lost my sense of taste long ago. Whether salty or sweet, everything tastes the same to me.”

Palace Supervisor Wei fixed his gaze and asked again: “When did you lose it?”

Food Service Director Pei said: “It began declining five or six years ago, getting weaker and weaker. About three years ago, I could hardly distinguish any taste.”

“How outrageous!” The observing Empress Dowager couldn’t help but scold: “A person in charge of tasting imperial meals first has lost her sense of taste, yet still occupied the Food Service Director position without yielding to someone worthy, holding an empty position and drawing salary for so many years – this is the crime of deceiving the sovereign!”

Food Service Director Pei kowtowed: “I’m willing to bear all responsibility and die to atone for my sins.”

At this point, the Emperor asked her: “Why did you always conceal this matter? Is a Food Service Director position worth your such greedy attachment? I promised you many times that if you wanted to leave the palace to retire, I would naturally grant you generous salary and a grand mansion for your peaceful old age.”

“I don’t want generous salary or grand mansion,” Food Service Director Pei couldn’t suppress her grief and suddenly wept: “I didn’t want to resign because I have no home to return to. My home is only the Royal Kitchen!”

She broke down crying, her waist bending deeply, her head touching the ground, her whole body trembling. Her cries were mournful, showing complete despair.

“Hand her over to the Censorate,” the Empress Dowager said coldly to the Emperor.

“Forget it,” the Emperor sighed. “After all, she’s been serving my meals since I was young… Moreover, I wasn’t completely unaware. I sensed years ago that her taste discrimination was inaccurate, so…”

“So Your Majesty preferred to eat meals made by Liu Jieyu,” the Empress Dowager said with a cold smile. “Your Majesty is benevolent and doesn’t want to severely punish Food Service Director Pei, but she concealed her taste loss first and was derelict in her duties, harming the Eastern Palace later. She cannot be lightly forgiven under any circumstances. Expel her from the palace and send her to become a Daoist nun.”

The Emperor remained silent, thinking with his head lowered. The Empress saw this and gently suggested: “Expelling her from the palace is appropriate, but Food Service Director Pei is advanced in years – making her a Daoist nun seems unnecessary. Why not give her a humble dwelling and let her eat vegetarian food year-round to repent?”

The Emperor found this feasible, and the matter was thus decided. The next day, Food Service Director Pei, alone and wearing plain clothes, carrying a small bundle, walked step by step slowly through the gray shadows of the palace gate, exiting through Lizheng Gate and merging into the crowded Imperial Street outside the gate tunnel, never looking back at the imperial city that had buried decades of her life.

The Empress had Shi Huai’en purchase a residence for Food Service Director Pei. To avoid censoring officials’ criticism, the residence was small and hidden in a small street.

When Shen Han heard about Food Service Director Pei’s situation, he sighed endlessly. After much consideration, he told his wife about his past history with Food Service Director Pei. Lady Shen was understanding and said to Shen Han: “You two missed your destined marriage through misunderstanding back then. Now she’s old with no one to depend on, her twilight years bleak. You must also feel uneasy about it. Why don’t we bring her to our home? I’ll call her sister, and in the future, let our children see her to her final rest.”

Shen Han was very grateful and repeatedly thanked his wife, then told Shen Rou’ran about this matter, asking his daughter to visit Food Service Director Pei’s residence to invite her to the Shen household.

Shen Rou’ran visited Food Service Director Pei and conveyed her parents’ intentions. Food Service Director Pei smiled sadly and said to Shen Rou’ran: “If I enter the Shen household now, would I be a concubine? Or a servant?”

Shen Rou’ran said: “My mother said she hopes to address the Food Service Director as sister. You and father can get along like friends. Our whole family will treat the Food Service Director as an honored guest.”

Food Service Director Pei politely declined, but Shen Rou’ran didn’t give up and repeatedly invited her. Food Service Director Pei finally relented, saying she needed to pack up and asking her to come tomorrow to fetch her.

Shen Rou’ran said happily: “Then it’s settled. Tomorrow I’ll ask father to come with me to welcome the Food Service Director.”

After she left, Food Service Director Pei bathed and changed clothes. In the evening, she poured herself a cup of wine, took out a small medicine bottle, and poured the white powder inside into it. Slowly shaking the wine cup, she murmured: “Minchu, back then I stopped you from tasting this, but I couldn’t stop being curious about what it actually tasted like… Now, I finally have the courage to try it…”

Seeing the powder had mostly dissolved, Food Service Director Pei stood up and opened the bundle she’d brought from the palace, taking out a crown adorned with pearls and kingfisher feathers. It was a bridal crown, with exquisite filigree and kingfisher feather inlays, extremely beautiful, though after years of storage, its brilliance had faded and wasn’t as dazzling as before.

Food Service Director Pei solemnly put on the crown and slowly drank the entire cup of wine. Then she sat upright beside the bed with hanging curtains, like a bride quietly waiting for the groom to enter the bridal chamber.

The small street where this residence was located had a chaotic environment, with wine shops and teahouses nearby. At this moment, some singing girl from who knows which establishment was singing to flute accompaniment. The lyrics sounded quite familiar:

“Gazing sadly at life’s swift passage, the forlorn zither’s lingering sound. The Chu traveler, most sentimental, especially grieves at parting, climbing blue mountains and distant waters. Eyes following the endless withered grass, late at night, several places hear the sparse pounding stones.

Yellow leaves fall without wind, autumn clouds bring no rain but constant gloom. If heaven had feelings, heaven too would grow old, swaying deep regrets hard to suppress. Melancholy old joy like a dream, upon waking, nowhere to be found.”

When the song ended, Food Service Director Pei sat upright and motionless, gazing ahead with a faint smile.

At the same time, a stream of dark red blood overflowed from her mouth, falling from her upturned lips.