With furrowed brows, the Emperor fell into deep self-reproach.
This matter could be significant or trivial – why had he never thought of it? The imperial cuisine he had used, no matter how sumptuous the ingredients, was still leftover food, stirred about by silver chopsticks contaminated with saliva – indeed unclean. Palace servants were not his livestock, unaware and unfeeling when faced with leftovers; nor were they his wives and concubines, who wouldn’t mind because of affection. Why had he always taken such pleasure in considering the granting of leftovers to them as a favor, never realizing they might think of saliva and feel uncomfortable? Moreover, as Wu Zhenzhen said, using the same chopsticks for picking up food and eating made it easy to transmit diseases to palace servants who ate his leftovers. Who knew how many palace servants had fallen ill because of this over the years? Ministers often praised him for loving his people like his own children – sigh, to be so thoughtless about such a simple matter was truly shameful.
The Emperor looked around again and saw that everyone in the hall, from the Director of Palace Attendants to Director Pei and below, was silent as cicadas in winter. Wu Zhenzhen was timidly observing his expression, and when their eyes met, she immediately lowered her gaze, not daring to look again.
This young lady was truly remarkable. The Emperor silently sighed: couldn’t others have thought of this? Naturally they had, but some probably considered it perfectly normal for the Emperor, high above all others, to view the palace servants below as livestock, not finding this matter worth mentioning. Others, even if they had opinions, wouldn’t dare say anything that might spoil the mood when facing the Son of Heaven. What great courage Wu Zhenzhen had used, what great risk she had taken, to speak so directly and offer counsel! Look at her, head lowered, secretly sighing – her heart must be beating so fast it’s about to leap out! Though when he first heard her words in front of everyone, he felt quite embarrassed with the awkwardness of “a dignified emperor being scorned by a mere palace woman,” compared to the enormous pressure she faced in making this decision, this bit of embarrassment was nothing and should be laughed off.
Thinking this, he smiled and said gently to Wu Zhenzhen: “What Food Preparation Wu says is very true. It is I who was inconsiderate – I am deeply ashamed. From this day forward, whenever imperial cuisine is served, please prepare an extra pair of silver chopsticks specifically for picking up food, separate from the eating chopsticks.”
Wu Zhenzhen was stunned. She had already prepared herself to kneel when he became angry and had thought of many words of apology, but she never expected him to adopt her suggestion so peacefully. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond, while Director Pei was already bowing loudly nearby: “His Majesty shows compassion for palace servants, cares for the common people, and accepts advice like flowing water. How fortunate we are to serve such a wise ruler.”
Director of Palace Attendants Zhang Zhibei also led the eunuchs in prostration: “Long live Your Majesty, long live, ten thousand years!”
Only then did Wu Zhenzhen come to her senses and join the others in thanking the Emperor for his grace.
Wu Zhenzhen still couldn’t believe that her disrespectful truth could gain the Emperor’s understanding. She pondered privately, thinking that the Emperor simply couldn’t get angry in public. Though forced by her to adopt the suggestion, he wouldn’t be entirely without resentment and would secretly remember this, possibly dealing with her later. But the Emperor soon granted her much money and silk, saying he was thanking her for speaking directly and offering counsel. Wu Zhenzhen firmly declined, so the Emperor ordered a very large palace chamber to be allocated for her residence and had Shi Huai’en bring two eunuchs to help her move.
Since her promotion to Food Preparation, Wu Zhenzhen had obtained a room to live in alone, but that room was quite small. The Emperor’s new grant was spacious and bright, four or five times larger than her previous one. Wu Zhenzhen was amazed and told Shi Huai’en she dared not accept rewards without merit. Shi Huai’en laughed: “Food Preparation Wu can live here with peace of mind. His Majesty said the days are long, and he must ensure Food Preparation Wu lives comfortably without worries. In the future, there will surely be many matters he hasn’t yet considered, and he hopes Food Preparation Wu will remind him promptly. This room is also closer to Funing Hall, making it convenient for His Majesty to summon you if needed.”
Wu Zhenzhen’s mind buzzed, and for a moment only one phrase echoed repeatedly: “The days are long, long…”
In mid-October, at the Empress Dowager’s strong urging, the Emperor decided to formally establish Consort Li as Empress.
Since autumn began, the Empress Dowager’s health had not been well, and she often felt tinnitus and dizziness. Consort Li visited the Northern Palace daily, inquiring about her health, serving tea and water, very attentively. The Empress Dowager saw that after Liu Jieyu gave birth, imperial favor hadn’t diminished – the Emperor visited Furong Pavilion even more frequently. Worried that Liu Jieyu coveted the Empress position, she suggested the Emperor establish Consort Li as Empress.
The Emperor also felt that Consort Li had managed the six palaces for many years without error. He had always felt guilty toward her and wanted to make amends. Besides, the Crown Prince wouldn’t oppose it now, so he announced this matter, ordered the relevant officials to prepare the enthronement ceremony, and planned to establish Imperial Consort’s Cuisine. The Emperor also indicated to the Empress Dowager that he was considering promoting Liu Jieyu to Zhaoyi. The Empress Dowager said indifferently: “No rush. Liu Jieyu only gave birth to a daughter this time. Let’s discuss promotion after she bears a prince.”
The Empress’s meals were called “Imperial Consort’s Cuisine,” corresponding to the Emperor’s “Imperial Cuisine.” Since the Empress Dowager moved to Cifu Palace, the Southern Palace had been without Imperial Consort’s Cuisine for many years. Establishing Imperial Consort’s Cuisine meant setting up the Imperial Consort’s Cuisine Department, building Imperial Consort’s kitchens, and supplementing dedicated officials, cooks, eunuchs, and palace women. The Emperor ordered the Inner Palace Eunuch Bureau, Palace Maintenance Department, Imperial Kitchen, and Royal Kitchen to discuss related matters, construct and build related buildings, and allocate or recruit corresponding personnel.
Director Pei told Wu Zhenzhen about establishing Imperial Consort’s Cuisine. Wu Zhenzhen said: “Consort Li has always lived simply, usually employing only a few Royal Kitchen palace women. Establishing Imperial Consort’s Cuisine seems like a major undertaking, but the Consort won’t actually use much of it – doesn’t seem necessary?”
Director Pei frowned and seriously warned: “You must not say this to outsiders, especially not let it reach Consort Li’s ears. Imperial Consort’s Cuisine isn’t about how much can be used, but symbolizes the Empress’s status and position. Consort Li has endured hardship for so many years and finally enters the central palace – this proper ceremony cannot be lacking.”
Due to insufficient available palace women, the Royal Kitchen would have to recruit civilian women to enter the palace. Wu Zhenzhen saw this matter causing chaos throughout the palace departments. After much thought, she felt there was another truth she had to speak. Since she wasn’t afraid of punishment now, she might as well speak directly – if this got her expelled from the palace, it would kill two birds with one stone.
So she requested an audience with Consort Li. After conversation, she offered counsel: “The current Imperial Cuisine employs nearly six hundred people including officials large and small, cooks, eunuchs, and palace women. Only one or two-tenths are actually needed to serve His Majesty’s daily meals. Fortunately, His Majesty also orders Imperial Cuisine to handle some banquets and Dailou Academy dining, so this arrangement isn’t too wasteful. Now establishing Imperial Consort’s Cuisine, even without comparing to Imperial Cuisine, three or four hundred people would be necessary. The Palace Maintenance Department is preparing major construction to build the Imperial Consort’s Cuisine Department and kitchens. The Imperial Kitchen and Royal Kitchen are about to send people to various prefectures to recruit cooks and palace women. Forgive my directness – having served you, I know your daily food and drink are especially frugal. Even your clothing is repeatedly washed and worn for years, rarely replaced with new items. Without His Majesty’s visits, your pavilion has only a few dishes daily. Now His Majesty has decreed establishing Imperial Consort’s Cuisine for you – this is certainly the propriety and honor you deserve. But judging by your habits, most of these hundreds of people will likely be idle in the future. If Imperial Consort’s Cuisine cannot make full use of resources, it will both waste money and grain and support idle people. Moreover, the Royal Kitchen will recruit civilian women to enter the palace again. The nine-layered palace is unlike ordinary wealthy households – once inside, they’re separated from family, making reunion truly difficult. Adding so many new palace women who leave their parents and homeland because of Imperial Consort’s Cuisine may not be what you wish…”
As she spoke, she felt the atmosphere in the pavilion rapidly cooling. All palace servants and eunuchs held their breath, making no sound, causing her voice to echo throughout the pavilion, sounding very harsh. Consort Li watched her quietly, listening patiently. The calmer her expression, the more Wu Zhenzhen felt her request was excessive and might hurt her feelings. So her voice gradually diminished until she finally fell silent, prostrating before the Consort, burying her head deeply, quietly awaiting her or other palace servants to drive her from the pavilion.
But Consort Li rose and walked to her, gently helping her up, smiling: “Good child, you’ve spoken to my heart. I was just thinking of submitting a memorial declining Imperial Consort’s Cuisine, but everyone around me opposed it. Fortunately, you came and mentioned some things I hadn’t considered before. Stay a while longer – let’s discuss this and list more reasons to include in the memorial.”
Wu Zhenzhen was happy that Consort Li could accept her counsel, but she also sadly discovered that her wish for nobles to dislike her had failed again.
Consort Li successfully declined Imperial Consort’s Cuisine, and the Emperor announced the matter was suspended – the Empress’s meal scale would be decided by herself. Consort Li didn’t forget to give generous gifts thanking Wu Zhenzhen for her counsel, sending boxes of clothing to Wu Zhenzhen’s room. Opening them, Wu Zhenzhen found clothing in various colors from spring to winter – official robes, casual wear, and ceremonial dress, several sets of each, with matching headwear, palace flowers, shoes, and belts – everything was included.
Wu Zhenzhen stared in amazement: “Why grant so many? Enough for me to wear for three to five years.”
The eunuch delivering the clothing smiled: “The Empress said she was afraid Food Preparation Wu wouldn’t accept money directly, so she’d rather grant more clothing to let the Food Preparation focus wholeheartedly on work without worrying about clothes during season changes or festivals. She originally wanted to grant ten years’ worth but guessed the young lady might be promoted in a couple of years and the clothing styles would change. Food Preparation Wu can wear these for now – whenever you need new ones, just tell her anytime.”
Ten years’ worth… Wu Zhenzhen’s heart sank. After a while, she forced a slight smile and said to the eunuch: “The Empress is generous, granting me ten years of palace attire… I’m deeply grateful.”
After the eunuch left, Wu Zhenzhen stood alone in this spacious palace chamber, looking at the mountain of palace attire, thinking of the long-term palace wealth and status they had silently granted her. With tears in her eyes, she sighed with complex emotions – the Emperor and Empress she had encountered were truly a pair of virtuous spouses.
Though the Imperial Consort’s Cuisine matter was dropped, the Empress’s enthronement ceremony was inevitable. There would be a grand state banquet on the ceremony day. The Imperial Kitchen had prepared the planned dishes for that day and listed the required ingredient types, quantities, and cost budget for Director Pei to review.
Director Pei’s vision was deteriorating and she couldn’t see the small script clearly, so she had Wu Zhenzhen read it to her. Reading the ingredient prices and budget, Wu Zhenzhen gradually discovered many ingredient prices were inflated, far from the reasonable prices in her memory. The price for river crabs alone exceeded market prices near Dailou Academy by more than double. After reading the crab prices, Wu Zhenzhen paused slightly and softly called “Director,” wanting to draw her attention.
But Director Pei maintained her posture of resting with closed eyes, saying expressionlessly: “Continue.”
Wu Zhenzhen considered repeatedly, feeling she couldn’t turn a blind eye to this matter. When Zhao Ai came to see her on some pretext, she quietly handed him the state banquet ingredient procurement list she had copied down, saying: “Please have someone go to several major markets in the capital to inquire about prices for these ingredients and record them for me.”
Zhao Ai unfolded it and looked, already guessing most of it: “You suspect the Imperial Kitchen is falsely reporting ingredient prices?”
Wu Zhenzhen nodded. Zhao Ai said: “Inflating by ten or twenty percent isn’t a big deal – His Majesty understands this in his heart. Working in the palace, it’s better to turn a blind eye to some things. Insisting on investigating everything clearly will make enemies for yourself.”
Wu Zhenzhen said: “It’s not a matter of ten or twenty percent. I found some ingredient prices are two or three times higher than the market prices I know. Calculated this way, the amount of money mysteriously lost in one state banquet is enormous. If this continues, more corruption will appear in the future. His Majesty has always advocated frugality, and Consort Li declined Imperial Consort’s Cuisine to set an example. How can you and I sit idly by and ignore such corrupt behavior that they cannot see?”
Zhao Ai smiled: “If you’re determined to investigate, I can certainly help you complete it. But such matters often involve many people and won’t be done by one person alone. You may face various accusations, slander, and even framing from the other side. Have you thought this through?”
Wu Zhenzhen thought to herself that His Majesty was wise – even if the other side slandered and framed her, he would mostly be able to distinguish right from wrong. Besides, if things finally became serious enough to expel her from the palace, wouldn’t that fulfill her wishes? With superiors so tolerant they had no temper, being disliked for telling the truth would have to be achieved through other people.
Once she had no worries, making decisions became especially clean and decisive. Wu Zhenzhen showed Zhao Ai a bright smile and answered: “I’ve thought it through – let’s do it!”
Just then, someone came from Funing Hall saying His Majesty summoned her. Wu Zhenzhen agreed, thanked Zhao Ai, and walked toward Funing Hall with a smile and light steps.
Zhao Ai held the ingredient list, standing with hands behind his back, watching her go, thinking this was truly a rare woman whose aspirations matched his own – clear about right and wrong, unafraid of treachery, with the spirit of “though thousands oppose me, I will go forward.” Whatever the developments, he would do his utmost to protect her. The tragic fate of being slandered, framed, and expelled from the palace must never befall her.