“She carried the fragrance of the late emperor’s clothes, and the late emperor spoke of good news coming soon – what more could I say? She showed no sign of resistance. Should I have openly opposed it and ruined her prospects?” Shen Han sighed deeply. “After returning home, I was depressed and took sick leave for some time. During this period, my mentor came to see me and mentioned he had a daughter of marriageable age, with intentions of betrothing her to me… Soon after, that young lady became my current wife.”
Zhenzhen sighed with regret and asked him: “Didn’t you later discover that Pei Shangshi never became an imperial consort?”
Shen Han replied: “The late emperor said he would wait some days before making the announcement… Later he never mentioned it again. I thought imperial favor was unpredictable, or perhaps some circumstances had changed… But I was already married and could not alter the situation.”
“And about that joyous occasion,” Zhenzhen asked again, “the late emperor was referring to the eldest princess’s wedding. Didn’t you later receive those celebration cakes that included the round happiness cakes?”
Shen Han looked up at her in surprise, and after a long while, deeply lowered his head. “Ah, the eldest princess’s wedding was after I took my wife to serve in an outer prefecture. I never received those celebration cakes.”
By strange coincidence, this destroyed a marriage bond for Pei Shangshi and half a lifetime of happiness.
After hearing Shen Han’s explanation, Zhenzhen understood that logically it was difficult to blame him harshly. However, thinking of how his momentary confusion had left Pei Shangshi to live out her days in solitude, she felt his receiving Pei Shangshi’s previous resentment wasn’t entirely undeserved. It was improper to reproach him, yet she couldn’t bring herself to offer comfort either. After sitting in silence with him for a moment, Zhenzhen bowed to take her leave and withdrew to the outer room.
Left alone in the hall, Shen Han recalled the past with emotion, using his sleeve to wipe the corners of his eyes, quite moved. Remembering Sun Shu’s “River Full of Flowers,” he too, like Zeng Jie had done before, tapped the table with his finger and quietly sang the second stanza alone: “Yellow leaves fall without wind, autumn clouds hang without rain. If Heaven had feelings, Heaven too would grow old, swaying melancholy difficult to restrain. Sorrowful that old joy is like a dream, upon waking nowhere to be found.”
Zhenzhen had looked up this poem after hearing Zeng Jie sing it. Now, knowing the past between Shen Han and Pei Shangshi, hearing this second stanza moved her even more deeply. In the following days, Zhenzhen often pondered this poem privately, and once unconsciously hummed it softly, only to be overheard by Pei Shangshi, who frowned and asked: “You young girl, why are you singing such verses?”
Zhenzhen was startled, then thought this might be an opportunity to explain Shen Han’s past feelings to Pei Shangshi and help untie the knot in her heart. After all, regarding mistakes, misunderstandings caused by momentary confusion were more forgivable than deliberate abandonment. So she smiled and said: “I heard Participant Shen sing this poem at the Waiting for Dawn Court. I thought it sounded nice, so I learned to sing it.”
Pei Shangshi said in surprise: “That old blockhead actually sang this poem in public?”
“Not in public. When the various ministers hadn’t yet entered the Waiting for Dawn Court, he was sitting alone, thinking of something, and began singing this tune. I was attending outside and saw him singing while wiping away tears, so I went in to comfort him. In his emotional state, he told me about some past events.”
Pei Shangshi couldn’t help but grow more curious and immediately asked: “What did he tell you?”
Zhenzhen smiled: “Don’t look at how stubborn Participant Shen is now – he was actually quite sentimental when young. He said he once truly loved a young lady, but unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, he missed out on a good marriage…”
When Shen Han had spoken of the past with Zhenzhen, his account was actually not detailed, omitting much of his inner thoughts. But Zhenzhen displayed a storyteller’s natural talent, using imagination to add flourishes and filling back in the details Shen Han had deliberately omitted. She vividly related everything about that night to Pei Shangshi, including the cypress wood fragrance and the happiness cakes, only not explicitly naming Pei Shangshi’s identity, merely saying it was a palace lady whom Participant Shen had admired.
After hearing this, Pei Shangshi remained silent for a long time, her face calm as always, showing no emotional fluctuation. But when Zhenzhen lowered her eyes, she noticed the sleeves hanging at Pei Shangshi’s sides were trembling.
“That old fool is truly stubborn as a mule…” Pei Shangshi finally sighed. “Didn’t he know to simply ask?”
“He was convinced that young lady and the late emperor were already an accomplished fact. He probably didn’t want to say more to avoid embarrassing her,” Zhenzhen explained softly.
Pei Shangshi slowly blinked, wiping away a glimmer of light in her eyes, and said no more, stepping silently past Zhenzhen.
The next time Zhenzhen went to the Waiting for Dawn Court, Pei Shangshi proposed to accompany her.
When they encountered Shen Han, their eyes met, and he felt somewhat embarrassed, bashfully lowering his head. Pei Shangshi remained composed as always, still asking coldly: “Did you taste the imperial gift of Snow Flower Crisps, Participant?”
Shen Han bowed toward the palace city: “I thank His Majesty for his generous grace in bestowing food upon me. Worthy of imperial cuisine, it was extremely sweet and delicious.”
Seeing Pei Shangshi show some pride at these words, Shen Han couldn’t help but add in a low voice: “Only… could you use less sugar next time, Shangshi… It was too sweet…”
“Too sweet?” Pei Shangshi raised her eyebrows and looked at him sideways, retorting: “The recipe for these Snow Flower Crisps was developed through years of careful research. The sugar content is controlled with extreme precision – not a bit more or less. Even His Majesty says the sweetness is just right. Participant Shen must have eaten too much common street food, affecting your tongue’s ability to distinguish flavors.”
Seeing her speak so rudely, Shen Han also showed some anger on his face, seeming about to retort. But just as the words “You’re the one who—” began to leave his mouth, meeting Pei Shangshi’s gaze, he immediately swallowed the rest, dejectedly lowering his raised hand and muttering: “Right, I’m originally a crude country person who can’t appreciate the subtleties of imperial cuisine. In the future, please don’t have His Majesty bestow food upon me anymore, especially what you make, lest people say it’s like a cow chewing peonies.”
This verbal sparring seemed to end in Pei Shangshi’s victory, as she left with her chin slightly raised while Shen Han watched her go. However, as soon as she turned where Shen Han couldn’t see her, she quietly instructed Zhenzhen: “It seems Participant Shen prefers light flavors. In the future, we can use less oil, salt, and sugar in his food.” After thinking for a moment, she added: “He’s getting plumper these days. His diet should indeed be lighter.”
Zhenzhen smiled and accepted all her instructions, sensing that although these two still appeared to be at daggers drawn when they met, their feelings for each other had quietly changed, and even their quarrels now carried some warmth.
Zhenzhen privately switched back the seasoning jars that the young eunuch had misplaced, and repeatedly warned him to clearly see the original positions of all items before cleaning and never to mix them up again. The young eunuch promised obediently. But thinking of Pei Shangshi’s loss of taste, Zhenzhen still felt worried – she would certainly try her best to conceal it, but with Shangshi in such an important position, constantly dealing with food, she feared someone would eventually notice.
One day, Han Suwen was ordered to return seasonings that had been sent to the Imperial Medical Academy for inspection. Meeting Zhenzhen by chance behind Jiaming Hall, Zhenzhen asked him to wait a moment, quickly returned to the Royal Kitchen to get two packages of Snow Flower Crisps, round happiness cakes, and other pastries she had recently made, and gave them to Han Suwen to take back and taste.
Han Suwen joyfully accepted them, immediately opening the package and popping a piece of Snow Flower Crisp into his mouth. He closed his eyes with a satisfied expression, then repeatedly praised the delicious taste.
Zhenzhen smiled: “If you like them, I’ll get you some more.”
Han Suwen quickly waved his hands: “Enough, enough! If I accept too many of your pastries, people will say I’m accepting bribes and embezzling imperial food.”
Zhenzhen said: “It’s not that serious. These pastries are ones I just learned to make recently. I’ve been worried the taste isn’t good enough, so I’ve been repeatedly adjusting and making many batches, hoping to have more friends taste them and give opinions. The ingredients were all bought with my own monthly salary.”
Han Suwen laughed: “You’re already doing very well. You should trust your own skills and tongue.”
Hearing him mention tongues, Zhenzhen thought of Pei Shangshi’s taste issue and said to him: “There’s something I wanted to ask you about: if someone’s sense of taste was originally very sensitive but gradually deteriorated, and now they can’t even distinguish between salt and sugar, what might cause this?”
Han Suwen asked strangely: “Your sense of taste has deteriorated?”
“Bah!” Zhenzhen immediately denied it. “Don’t talk nonsense… It’s about a neighbor from my old home, an elderly lady.”
“Oh, an elderly lady – that’s not surprising.” Han Suwen explained to her: “As people age, their bodily organs gradually age too, not working as well as in young people. Some people’s eyes become so poor they can’t see close objects clearly; some become hard of hearing, requiring others to shout for them to hear clearly – these are all problems that appear with age. Elderly people’s tongues also easily age, leading to taste deterioration, but the degree varies for each person. Many elderly people just show heavier tastes, preferring more salt and sugar in their food. A few have severely deteriorated taste, even losing it entirely. The first taste they usually can’t detect is saltiness.”
“Can it be cured?” Zhenzhen asked further.
Han Suwen answered: “If it’s caused by other illnesses, there’s still possibility of recovery. But if it’s due to natural aging, it’s very difficult to restore.”
Seeing Zhenzhen lower her eyes silently, Han Suwen wrapped up the pastries and smiled again: “You’re still young, no need to worry too much. Come find me for any headaches or fevers, and when you’re old I’ll teach you health preservation to guarantee your taste won’t be lost… I must go now. I have to make house calls later, helping treat a friend’s cousin’s uncle from the Imperial City Division.”
Zhenzhen stared in amazement: “Your social circle really is quite broad. Last time it was friends from the academy and painting institute, now you have a friend from the Imperial City Division.”
Han Suwen again showed his sunshine-bright smile: “It’s normal for physicians to have many friends. Everyone likes to befriend physicians because they’ll need them sooner or later – if not themselves, then their families. Usually when they first approach me, they all have obvious motives.”
Zhenzhen was surprised by his perceptiveness and asked: “Can you still make good friends that way?”
“Of course,” Han Suwen laughed heartily. “Isn’t that how you became my friend?”
Zhenzhen froze, realizing that indeed, when she first interacted with him, it was mainly to ask him to investigate various matters. Her face reddened with embarrassment.
“It’s fine, don’t overthink it.” Han Suwen patted her shoulder and said with a smile: “Even so, I believe that as long as I treat people sincerely, you’ll eventually be won over and forget your impure initial intentions. Besides seeking medical help, when you have good things, you’ll also think of sharing them with me… just like now.”
Zhenzhen raised her head and smiled back at him.
In the distance, Pei Shangshi, standing under the corridor of Jiaming Hall, silently turned back into the hall, no longer continuing to observe them.
She hadn’t heard what the two were saying, but observing their expressions, she found them quite intimate. Remembering another incident from years past, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat worried.
“Have you known that young physician surnamed Han from the Hanlin Medical Academy for long?” That evening, alone with Zhenzhen in the small kitchen, Pei Shangshi asked her directly.
Zhenzhen answered honestly: “Not very long. We’ve known each other less than a year.”
“I saw you talking with him today, seeming quite familiar.”
Zhenzhen couldn’t help but smile: “He’s the type who seems familiar with everyone. Even on first meeting, he can be as warm as an old friend of many years.”
Pei Shangshi was silent for a moment, then decided to speak frankly: “You are a young palace lady serving before His Majesty. You must be cautious in your contact with men from outside. If your words and actions are inappropriate, first it will cause gossip, and second… if you yourself cannot control your emotions, it will easily bring great disaster.”
Thinking of Han Suwen’s appearance, Zhenzhen felt it would be quite difficult for her to “lose emotional control” over him. She was about to explain with a smile when she heard Pei Shangshi suddenly mention someone: “Have you heard people speak of Food Service Liu’s story?”
All the words she had been about to say instantly vanished. Zhenzhen quickly shook her head, staring intently at Pei Shangshi, afraid she wouldn’t continue the topic she had just raised, and stammered: “When I was at Prince Yin’s residence, I heard people mention her, praising her exceptional culinary skills. Beyond that, I know nothing…”
“The Empress Dowager has always forbidden palace people from discussing her affairs these years, so you wouldn’t know.” Pei Shangshi said. “She grew up in Grand Tutor Qi’s residence and received Lady Liu’s complete teachings, so naturally her culinary skills were exceptional. Unfortunately, she had private relations with a physician without the late emperor’s permission, and the result was… very tragic.”
“Could you tell me about her, Shangshi?” Zhenzhen asked carefully. “So I can learn from her example…”
Pei Shangshi closed her eyes in contemplation, then slowly began to speak: “She was a cook raised in Grand Tutor Qi’s household. She only entered the palace as a Royal Kitchen palace lady when she grew up. Her culinary skills were naturally exceptional, but the late emperor was wary of Grand Tutor Qi and initially didn’t dare use her extensively. He only made her an assistant to Lady Liu and me, not letting her handle imperial meals. One year, officials from Wu region presented several live pufferfish to the late emperor. The late emperor ordered Lady Liu to prepare them according to ancient methods and taste them first. But Lady Liu hesitated. She was from Kaifeng and had never eaten pufferfish before. Though she followed the ancient texts for removing the toxins, she wasn’t certain whether all poison had been eliminated. Seeing her difficulty, that Lady Liu immediately stepped forward and requested the late emperor’s permission to taste the pufferfish in Lady Liu’s place. Upon tasting, everyone was delighted – the pufferfish was no longer poisonous and tasted delicious. The late emperor was very pleased after eating it and became much more kindly disposed toward Lady Liu. Lady Liu was diligent and earnest, usually not fond of entertainment, devoting herself entirely to culinary research. The palace ladies all tasted her cooking and praised it unanimously. Once, the Empress Dowager of that time recommended Lady Liu’s pastries to the late emperor. Looking at the powdered sugar on the pastries, the late emperor said to Lady Liu with a half-smile: ‘I’ve heard that arsenic resembles powdered sugar – both are sweet. Do you know the difference in taste between them?’ This question stumped Lady Liu. Then she did something unbelievable…”
Zhenzhen guessed: “She went to taste arsenic.”
Pei Shangshi sighed: “Then she nearly died. Many imperial physicians were helpless, and finally it was a physician surnamed Zhang who pulled her back from death’s door.”
“Zhang Yunqiao?” Zhenzhen blurted out.
Pei Shangshi glanced at her in surprise, then looked away, saying lightly: “Yes, him. His medical skills were superb, and he remains a model that physicians admire to this day.”
Zhenzhen began to understand: “Because of his life-saving grace, Lady Liu fell in love with him.”
“It wasn’t that quick,” Pei Shangshi said. “Though Imperial Physician Zhang was also young then, he had an aloof temperament. Many palace ladies secretly admired him, but he ignored them all. He didn’t treat Lady Liu any differently either, simply treating her as a normal patient. Lady Liu was devoted to perfecting her culinary skills to serve the emperor, different from those lovesick young girls. Initially, the two maintained polite relations, beyond reproach. After that recovery, Lady Liu actually personally wrote over a thousand words and presented them to the late emperor, detailing the similarities and differences between arsenic and powdered sugar. From then on, the late emperor viewed her with new respect. Soon after, Lady Liu died, I was promoted to Royal Kitchen Official, and the late emperor also promoted her to Food Service, putting her in charge of pre-tasting imperial meals. Having gained the late emperor’s regard, Food Service Liu was grateful and, to train her poison-detection abilities, secretly tasted one poison after another in private. She fell ill repeatedly, and Imperial Physician Zhang saved her many times. Their feelings probably deepened through these repeated treatments… Later, the late emperor apparently became aware of something and arranged for other physicians, not allowing Imperial Physician Zhang to continue treating Food Service Liu or even to meet her. But one day, Food Service Liu tasted a poisonous mushroom and became as seriously ill as when she had tasted arsenic – vomiting blood and barely clinging to life. Seeing the critical situation, the late emperor summoned Imperial Physician Zhang to treat her again. This time, the late emperor specifically instructed me to stay and observe how they interacted, then report back to him…”
Speaking here, Pei Shangshi’s voice grew softer, her thoughts drifting to that deeply memorable day from years past.
That day, she had guided Zhang Yunqiao to Food Service Liu’s room and stood to the side observing Zhang Yunqiao examine Food Service Liu through observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. The two maintained the proper doctor-patient relationship throughout, and everything seemed normal. Then Zhang Yunqiao prepared to write a prescription, but paper and ink couldn’t be found in the room. Pei Shangshi said she would return to her room to fetch them and withdrew from the room. However, after taking several steps, remembering the late emperor’s instructions, she felt uneasy and beckoned a young palace lady over, instructing her to fetch the writing materials while she herself slowly returned.
Just as she reached the doorway, she heard an unusual conversation between the two inside.
“Do you think you’re the Divine Farmer, able to bravely taste a hundred herbs thousands of times? Even the Divine Farmer couldn’t escape unscathed, let alone you, a weak woman.” Zhang Yunqiao’s voice contained undisguised anger. “You’ve tested poisons for His Majesty a hundred times, haven’t you? This is not how one shows loyalty to the emperor!”
“It has been a hundred times,” Food Service Liu on the sickbed replied very calmly. “Ninety-nine times were for His Majesty. The last time was for you… I wanted to see you.”
Zhang Yunqiao fell silent instantly, gazing at her without words for a long while.
A desolate smile appeared on Food Service Liu’s bluish lips: “Too few? Then I’ll do it once more.”
She struggled to sit up and lifted a bowl of mushroom soup from the side table, taking a sip – it was the poison sample she had prepared for Zhang Yunqiao to study at his request.
Zhang Yunqiao suddenly snatched the cup from her hand and hurled it to the ground, then tightly grasped her wrist, staring intently at her as if trying to see into her heart.
“Come then, let’s die together!” he said to her, then pulled her into his arms with one hand while supporting her hair ornament-loosened, about to fall apart chignon with the other, and kissed her lips with passionate resentment, seeking that pool of deadly poison.