After Zhenzhen went to the Eastern Palace, Food Service Director Pei selected Feng Jing to replace Zhenzhen as her assistant in charge of imperial food tasting. The Eastern Palace meals were still managed by Food Service Director Qin, who set the Crown Prince’s menu and tasted all food presented to him whenever she was present. But now, as the acknowledged candidate for the next Food Service Director by His Majesty and Food Service Director Pei, she frequently needed to return to the Royal Kitchen to assist with departmental affairs. Therefore, she placed great importance on training Zhenzhen, having her oversee the Crown Prince’s food tasting when she wasn’t at the Eastern Palace. She gave Zhenzhen a thick booklet of dietary restrictions, instructing her that the Crown Prince had a weak stomach and would suffer vomiting, diarrhea, and indigestion at the slightest dietary misstep, requiring extreme caution in everything.

Zhenzhen found the booklet extremely detailed—for example, seafood couldn’t be eaten with fruits like pomegranates, grapes, or persimmons; rabbit meat couldn’t be eaten with celery; goose meat couldn’t be eaten with pears; quail couldn’t be eaten with mushrooms or wood ear fungi; persimmons couldn’t be eaten before or after drinking alcohol; carp couldn’t be cooked with beans… Beyond this, it noted that serving the Crown Prince raw, cold, or greasy foods required extra caution, and barbecued or smoke-cured meats with charred surfaces were absolutely forbidden.

Observing the meals Food Service Director Qin arranged for the Crown Prince, Zhenzhen saw they were mostly steamed, boiled, or stewed dishes, with very few stir-fried or pan-fried items. The seasoning was light and the preparation methods flawlessly healthy—just like food for a three-year-old child. Zhenzhen secretly wondered whether the Crown Prince, eating such food every day—bland and unstimulating—might find it utterly boring.

One day, after hunting, Zhao Ai came to the Eastern Palace wanting to give his brother a roe deer, saying: “Roe deer meat is tender and delicate right now, tastier than mutton, and perfect for roasting.”

The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up with obvious interest in trying it, but Food Service Director Qin immediately stopped him: “Your Highness cannot eat roasted foods, especially wild game—it harms the stomach and spleen. Please take this roe deer back with you, Second Prince.”

Zhao Ai laughed: “Since I’ve already brought it, how can I take it back? Since big brother can’t eat it, I’ll give it to Food Management Wu.”

Without waiting for objections, he handed the roe deer to Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen accepted it in surprise, looking questioningly at Food Service Director Qin, who probably felt she couldn’t repeatedly refuse the Second Prince’s goodwill and said nothing more in opposition. Zhenzhen glanced at the Crown Prince, saw him nod with a smile, and accepted it.

After Zhao Ai left, Food Service Director Qin also departed for the Royal Kitchen to discuss matters with Food Service Director Pei. Taking advantage of being alone, Zhenzhen quietly said to the Crown Prince: “Does Your Highness want to try the roe deer? Food Service Director Qin won’t be back for a while—shall I roast it now and bring it to you?”

“That would be good, but if you roast it in the Eastern Palace kitchen, there are many people there who would certainly tell Food Service Director Qin.” The Crown Prince thought for a moment and suggested: “Why don’t you take it back to your residence and roast it in your courtyard tonight? I’ll come find you later and we can taste it together?”

Zhenzhen felt the Crown Prince’s words made sense—the Eastern Palace kitchen indeed had many gossipy people, and if she roasted it there for the Crown Prince, Food Service Director Qin would inevitably find out. So she nodded and accepted the Crown Prince’s suggestion.

The Crown Prince immediately lifted the teacup before him, dissolving his emerging smile into the motion of drinking tea.

That night, Zhenzhen first marinated the cut roe deer meat with salt, wine, and spices, then wrapped the meat in mutton fat and skewered it piece by piece on iron spits, setting up a brazier in the courtyard to roast it. Soon she heard someone lightly knocking at the courtyard gate. Zhenzhen quickly went to open it and saw it was indeed the Crown Prince. He entered with light steps, carrying a pot of imperial wine called Rose Dew, with no attendants following behind him.

The two maids serving Zhenzhen were startled, then immediately bowed to the Crown Prince. After exchanging glances, they tactfully withdrew to a corner, not daring to disturb them.

Zhenzhen invited the Crown Prince to sit at the table in the flower hall, then ran out to enthusiastically roast the roe deer meat. After a short while, when it was cooked, she served it on a plate to the Crown Prince’s table, brought cups to pour wine, and used chopsticks to peel away the charred mutton fat, handing the clean roe deer meat to the Crown Prince.

The roe deer meat had been wrapped in mutton fat, so it showed no charred traces and was extremely tender. The melted mutton fat had penetrated the meat’s texture, adding several degrees of rich fragrance. When a piece entered the mouth and was chewed, the slightly smoky meat flavor burst forth magnificently like a storm, instantly dominating the taste buds. Upon careful tasting, the breath of bergamot and caraway gradually rose in wisps, lingering in the mouth, suppressing the gamey odor while perfectly dancing with the meat’s fragrance, enriching the flavor of this large morsel.

The Crown Prince praised Zhenzhen’s skill and pulled her to sit beside him, wanting her to eat with him. So the two of them, accompanied by Rose Dew, each ate two skewers, occasionally chatting and laughing. Both felt the atmosphere was very different from when the Crown Prince sat formally before Food Service Director Qin during meals—it was extremely relaxed and pleasant.

“This way of roasting meat is very fragrant and doesn’t char—who taught you this?” the Crown Prince suddenly asked Zhenzhen.

Zhenzhen was startled but still answered: “Lord Xuanyi. I once learned cooking from him in Wuyi Mountain. He doesn’t like smoky, fire-seared foods himself, but after I ate too much bland food, I would secretly barbecue behind his back. When he discovered this, he taught me this method, saying this way the meat wouldn’t char and would be better for the body.”

After listening, the Crown Prince said “Oh” indifferently, then remained silent for a long time and stopped eating the roe deer meat.

Zhenzhen felt somewhat uneasy and tentatively asked: “Your Highness, did I say something wrong?”

The Crown Prince gently brushed her loose hair behind her ear, gazing at her tenderly, and smiled: “Silly girl, though I asked, you needn’t have answered so honestly… I’m not happy to hear you mention him.”

So he was… jealous? Zhenzhen was startled by this thought, lowered her eyes not daring to meet his gaze, and after a moment said softly: “Your Highness has always been tolerant and magnanimous—you would be unhappy about this?”

“Yes, I’m unhappy.” The Crown Prince answered candidly. “I was already unhappy when I saw him have someone pour you Meisi Dahua wine without asking you first.”

Zhenzhen was extremely surprised and blurted out: “If that’s the case, why did you let me be alone with him that day? If it were Second Prince, he would have definitely stayed in the tea room or dragged him out together.”

“Only children do that.” The Crown Prince pushed away the cup before him, lowered his body to rest his head on his arm, and looked at her sideways. His tranquil smile seemed to carry some sadness: “I only want you to remember my goodness.”

Zhenzhen remembered his appearance at the Wenxi banquet, sitting upright in the great hall with dignified bearing and elegant composure, like a celestial being. But the person before her now was like a gentle fawn lying before her, his upward-slanting peach blossom eyes looking at her with dreamy melancholy and hidden smiles, clear as water yet bright as stars.

Zhenzhen suddenly felt his danger. Lin Hong was like a cup of clear tea, emanating the fragrance of grass and trees from inside out. But the Crown Prince was like the plum wine her mother brewed that she used to secretly drink as a child—sweet and fragrant, every drop expressing gentleness and harmlessness, coaxing her to drink sip by sip. Only when she unknowingly drank too much did she realize this wasn’t fruit juice, but wine that would make her face flush and heart race, leaving her dizzy as if standing on a floating bridge in the clouds.

The Crown Prince was still pillowing his arm and gazing at her innocently. Zhenzhen sighed and couldn’t help but touch his jade-carved face, saying: “But Your Highness, are you now deliberately showing childishness to evoke pity?”

“Not really…” The Crown Prince touched his chest and frowned: “Zhenzhen, my stomach hurts.”

Zhenzhen was alarmed and quickly searched her mind for Food Service Director Qin’s booklet of dietary restrictions, wondering if roe deer meat couldn’t be eaten with alcohol. Seeing the Crown Prince appeared to be in great pain, she felt she couldn’t delay, stood up abruptly, and said: “I’ll go get the imperial physician.”

“Never mind.” The Crown Prince grabbed her hand and had her sit down, then stood up and said with a smile: “I’m fine—I’ll feel better after going back to rest. Have those two maids not tell anyone I was here.”

He took his leave, leaving behind a laughing sigh as he departed: “Really such a silly girl…”

Though Zhenzhen had given countless warnings and reminders, those two maids probably still leaked the information.

Recently, the Crown Princess, seeing that the Crown Prince was studying governmental affairs too diligently and overworking himself, found several singers and dancers from the Imperial Music Bureau to come to the Eastern Palace. They performed songs and dances daily during the Crown Prince’s meals for entertainment, probably also with the intention of selecting concubines for the Crown Prince. Xiangli’er was among them. The Crown Prince watched the songs and dances absent-mindedly and didn’t converse with the performers. Xiangli’er was happy to be idle, and when she had nothing to do in the afternoons, she would come chat with Zhenzhen, immediately asking upon opening her mouth: “I heard the Crown Prince went to your place the other night?”

Zhenzhen secretly sighed at how quickly news spread, but seeing that Xiangli’er was her very close friend, she told her the truth, clarifying that the Crown Prince had only come to eat roe deer meat and hadn’t spent the night.

After listening, Xiangli’er said in surprise: “When he said his stomach hurt, you said you’d go get the imperial physician?”

“Yes,” Zhenzhen asked in return, “was there something wrong with that?”

Xiangli’er touched her forehead: “Sister, you’re nineteen years old—you should understand these things… The correct way to handle this situation is like this: When the Crown Prince says his stomach hurts, you ask: ‘Where does it hurt? Let me rub it for Your Highness.’ After rubbing a few times, the Crown Prince would probably say the pain had lessened but wasn’t completely gone, and might add: ‘Perhaps the night is too cold, or the wine too chilled.’ If he doesn’t add this, you should say it. Then you suggest the Crown Prince go lie down and rest in your warm room… What follows would be natural.”

Zhenzhen’s face reddened as she listened: “The Crown Prince is an upright gentleman—he wouldn’t go to my place with such intentions.”

Xiangli’er shook her head and leaned in to whisper: “Let me tell you, when a man goes to a woman’s residence at night, regardless of their status or whatever reason he gives, his ultimate goal is to spend the night.”

“Get away!” Zhenzhen scolded bashfully. “You’re young, two years younger than me—where did you learn all these crooked theories?”

Xiangli’er laughed: “I’m in the Imperial Music Bureau—I hear people talking about men and women every day. Even if I haven’t eaten pork, haven’t I seen pigs run?”

After the banquet at Jujing Garden, Lin Hong had wanted to resign and return to Wuyi Mountain, but the Crown Prince timely dissuaded him, reminding him that he had previously promised to oversee the project of bringing spring water into the Eastern Palace. Lin Hong also felt that since he had made a commitment, it would be improper to break his word, so he agreed to stay and complete this task.

One day Lin Hong came to the Eastern Palace to survey the terrain. The Crown Prince personally came out to greet him, immediately offering a deep bow upon meeting, fully displaying his gracious treatment of worthy men. Lin Hong also immediately returned the courtesy, and the two men exchanged elegant bows with great politeness.

After the business was completed, the Crown Prince invited him to drink tea in Zhanlü Hall, having Zhenzhen bring out a newly tributed small dragon ball tea from Fujian and suggesting that Lin Hong compete with him in tea preparation. Seeing his high spirits, Lin Hong had no choice but to accept the invitation. Zhenzhen brought two Jian bowls, presented the tea implements, and ground the tea powder for them. The Crown Prince and Lin Hong each held tea whisks and began adding water and whisking.

Though more than half a month had passed since the incident at Jujing Garden, seeing Lin Hong again still made Zhenzhen’s heart feel pierced by needles. After a quick glance, she only noticed he looked much more haggard, not daring to think further. During their tea competition, she stood with lowered eyes behind the Crown Prince, deliberately not looking at Lin Hong. Lin Hong also kept his eyes slightly lowered, watching the tea liquid and avoiding eye contact with Zhenzhen.

After whisking, both men’s bowls had frothy milk-white foam surging and clinging to the bowl’s edge, white as snow. They set down their whisks and sat quietly waiting. After a moment, the foam in Lin Hong’s bowl dissipated slightly faster, revealing water marks. Lin Hong then bowed to the Crown Prince and conceded: “Your Highness’s skill is superior—this minister is completely convinced.”

“Sir’s skill is in no way inferior to mine,” the Crown Prince smiled. “It’s just that today you’re not as calm as I am.”

The Crown Prince then invited Lin Hong to drink tea and lifted his own teacup to taste it, but suddenly Zhenzhen came over and snatched the teacup from his hands.

“Food Service Director Qin has said that concentrated tea is too cooling and unsuitable for Your Highness to drink,” Zhenzhen said. “It’s fine to prepare it for fun, but there’s no need to drink it.”

The Crown Prince turned slightly toward her and smiled as he negotiated: “I’ll only drink half a cup.”

Zhenzhen shook her head: “Not even half a cup.”

“Then I’ll just have one sip to taste it.” The Crown Prince continued pleading with gentle words.

“No.” Zhenzhen firmly refused. “Last time Your Highness said the same thing, but then you drank it all.”

Then, without listening to his protests, she carried the teacup and left the room, even forgetting to bow and take proper leave.

The Crown Prince smiled and shook his head, withdrew his gaze that had been following Zhenzhen, and apologized to the silently observing Lin Hong: “Poor household management—I hope sir won’t laugh at me.”