In the early morning, as sunlight began to shimmer over the eastern edge of the marketplace, the little cart had already been pushed to its usual spot at the intersection. Nie Yunzhu and Hutao packed up a few things, then picked up a basket, preparing to make a delivery. She still wore the same plain cloth clothing, her hair wrapped in a headscarf, looking much like any ordinary village woman — yet even judging by her figure alone, there was no concealing the exceptional bearing she’d once carried, and anyone who spoke with her face to face couldn’t help but notice her refined, elegant features.
Yesterday she had made her first delivery of preserved eggs to the Chunyi Restaurant, marking something of a beginning, and today she was headed there again. Following Ning Yi’s plan, she packed several different condiments into attractive little porcelain bottles and prepared small porcelain dishes. Upon delivery, she would take one preserved egg, cut it into quarters, arrange four small plates, and pour a little sauce onto each — a different style for each, as a kind of display. A sliced preserved egg already looked appealing on its own, and paired with red, black, and white sauces, the visual impact was more than sufficient. Even though the restaurant hadn’t given the eggs the most prominent placement, they’d still managed to sell over a dozen yesterday, all told.
This kind of progress had caught Nie Yunzhu somewhat off guard, but if a second restaurant came on board, the daily target of thirty eggs would essentially be met.
Under that same morning light, just as she was carrying her basket across the street toward the Chunyi Restaurant, Li Pin was stepping out of an alley, pausing briefly. He then made his way to the Sihai Restaurant at the other end of the street, where a friend was already waiting for him. “Brother Xie, you’re here early… where’s Zishan?”
“Zishan didn’t come with me today — he said he ran into a good friend last night and would be arriving together with him shortly.”
“Excellent.”
Everything was proceeding as planned. Li Pin’s ability to rally people remained as reliable as ever. Over the past three or four days, he had gathered a few friends who regularly dined at various nearby restaurants and asked them to help by calling for the waiter to bring a preserved egg whenever things got busy — a small favor, nothing more. Since Ning Yi had mentioned that a few people would suffice, he hadn’t bothered informing too many others; these particular friends were reasonably discreet as well, and the casual little performance had gone off without a hitch. He’d already heard yesterday that the Chunyi Restaurant had put the preserved eggs on display, which counted as an initial success.
Li Pin was genuinely curious about Ning Yi’s talents, though the preserved eggs themselves weren’t something he took especially seriously. Now, meeting up with his good friend Xie Jiang, the two exchanged a few words before heading upstairs. After waiting a while, the other friend they’d arranged to meet arrived as well — a man named Shen Miao, styled Zishan, another fairly well-known talented scholar in Jiangning. He’d brought along another man — upright in bearing, dignified in appearance, in his twenties, carrying a rather composed and steady air about him. Upon entering, he cupped his hands in greeting to Li Pin and Xie Jiang.
“Dexin, Xishen — it’s been a long time.”
“Yanzhen!”
Li Pin stood up in delighted surprise — this man was, in fact, an old acquaintance of theirs. He had once held roughly the same standing in Jiangning as Li Pin and Cao Guan. Gu Hong, styled Yanzhen, had gone to the capital three years ago, reportedly passing the imperial examinations with high honors, and had since apparently been active in Bianliang, working various connections to secure an actual official post. No one had expected him to have returned already.
The whole group was overjoyed.
“When exactly did you arrive? Not contacting us right away — we’ll be holding this against you.”
“I’ll host a banquet at the Jinfeng Pavilion today, to properly welcome you all back.”
“A round of penalty drinks first!”
“Three years away in the Eastern Capital — you must have plenty to tell. Don’t leave anything out.”
The four of them sat down together at the table with smiles, and Gu Yanzhen began recounting various small matters from the capital.
“These days, in the Eastern Capital and elsewhere, what people discuss most is the recent hostility between the Liao and Jin states. Ever since His Majesty appointed Chancellor Li, military affairs have been thoroughly reorganized and discipline tightened — the entire court, high and low, is filled with renewed vigor. If my guess is right, within three to five months at the least, or a year to eighteen months at the most, the court will surely seize the opportunity to form an alliance with the Jin state. It would shake off the despondency that has weighed on the whole nation since the Chanyuan era — reclaiming Youyun may finally be within reach!”
Ever since the second half of last year, when the Jin state under Wanyan Aguda had erupted into large-scale conflict with the Liao, the prospect of raising an army to reclaim Youyun and restore the nation’s fortunes had become the most common topic of discussion among the Wu Dynasty’s scholars. Sixty years since the Chanyuan Accord, six years since the Black Water Accord — a century of humiliation — and now, at last, an opportunity had arrived. Ever since the reigning emperor had appointed Li Gang as chancellor and pushed hard to reorganize military affairs, the situation had grown unmistakably clear, as though everything now hung upon a single taut string. The future seemed separated from the present by nothing more than a thin sheet of paper — one puncture, and they would see the great army marching out through Yanmen Pass, striking straight for Youyun, restoring the old glory of the empire as it had stood in the Tang dynasty. As the four of them spoke of this, their blood ran hot with excitement once more, and eventually Gu Yanzhen turned to speaking of his own accomplishments during his time away.
“…This time in the Eastern Capital, I finally caught the favor of Lord Qinsou, and was granted an actual seventh-rank post — ha, magistrate of Leping County in Raozhou. I’ll take up the position in the seventh month, so there’s still some time before then — which is why I came back to Jiangning first, to catch up with all of you…”
The “Lord Qinsou” he mentioned was Tang Ke, styled Qinsou — a figure of considerable renown among these scholars as well, prompting another round of eager questions. His securing of an actual post naturally brought out a mixture of envy and admiration, along with plenty of good-natured teasing, before the conversation eventually drifted toward more romantic matters. Gu Yanzhen had once been something of a celebrated figure in Jiangning, well favored by various beauties, and having spent three years in the Eastern Capital, it was only natural he’d have a few romantic tales of his own to share, which he now recounted with a smile.
“Honestly, in terms of reputation and talent, things aren’t all that different from here in Jiangning. Women in the Eastern Capital tend to be rather proud, and with scholars from across the realm gathering there, winning them over is no easy task. In my three years there, among the most celebrated ladies recently, I only ever had the chance to meet Li Shishi once, in passing…”
Time passed amid their conversation, and the restaurant had already reached its busiest, most bustling hour. Li Pin was just wondering whether it was time to call for the preserved eggs when Gu Yanzhen suddenly stopped, tapped the table, and called out to the waiter: “Bring us four preserved eggs.”
The restaurant naturally didn’t stock them under that name, and Gu Yanzhen proceeded to give directions with practiced ease, clearly no stranger to the errand. Li Pin looked at him in astonishment, and Gu Yanzhen finally laughed, lowering his voice. “Yesterday, catching up with Brother Mufang at the Cuiping Pavilion, I suddenly noticed him calling for these preserved eggs with such solemn seriousness. When I asked about it, I learned it was something Dexin had asked him to do, so naturally I made sure to remember it myself, ha… did I get it right just now? Though I still don’t quite understand what connection you have to these preserved eggs, Dexin.”
Li Pin laughed as well. “No real connection at all, actually — a friend asked me for a small favor, purely as a bit of fun. Just that we can’t openly promote it using our own names.”
“Understood.” Wagers and jokes of this sort were common enough among friends, and hearing Li Pin call it a bit of fun, Gu Yanzhen thought nothing more of it, turning the conversation back to life in the Eastern Capital. Once they’d eaten and drunk their fill, and Li Pin found a moment alone with Gu Yanzhen, he finally teased him. “When you spoke of those women in the Eastern Capital earlier, Yanzhen, you seemed a touch hesitant — could it be you came up short there, and just don’t want to say so now?”
Gu Yanzhen smiled, then shook his head helplessly. “It’s nothing… well, there is something, though it doesn’t have much to do with the Eastern Capital… or, I suppose it does, in a way… Dexin, have you been to the Jinfeng Pavilion at all these past few years?”
Li Pin shook his head. “Rarely. Now that I think of it, you were quite the regular there back in the day. Ha, these days that Yuan Jin’er at the Jinfeng Pavilion has grown rather close with Cao Guan — and you know Cao Guan and I are sworn rivals, so if I went, I’d probably be turned away at the door… but what’s this really about?”
“Three years ago, before I left for the Eastern Capital, there was a woman there I considered a kindred spirit. I went to find her the very night I arrived back in the city, but… after three years, it turns out she’s no longer at the Jinfeng Pavilion at all.” Gu Yanzhen tapped his fingers against the table, his expression tinged with a certain wistfulness. “I won’t hide it from you, Dexin — in my younger days I met plenty of women, but none of them ever made me feel as understood, as at peace, as she did. Her talent and bearing were nothing like what you’d expect from someone in that profession. I remember when I took my leave of her three years ago, she said: ‘I wish the young master success in the examinations, and a triumphant return home in glory…’ Well, this time I really have succeeded, and returned in glory — but unfortunately… if only I’d known, I should have redeemed her from that life three years ago, even if she’d turned me down at the time…”
Li Pin thought for a moment. “In that case… Yuan Jin’er was previously known as Pan Shi, wasn’t she? I did hear she was redeemed and married off…”
“How could it be Pan Shi.” Gu Yanzhen raised an eyebrow disdainfully. “That woman is nothing but an ordinary, vulgar thing — hardly worth my devotion. I’m speaking of Miss Yunzhu. She always kept a low profile — if she hadn’t refused to compete for status, how would someone like Pan Shi ever have risen to prominence at the Jinfeng Pavilion at all… This, I suppose, was simply a case of fate bringing us together without allowing anything to come of it…”
“Yunzhu… that name does sound familiar, now that you mention it…”
“If you’d truly met her back then, Dexin, you’d understand her worth immediately. Her poetry, her singing — every art she practiced was of the finest quality, and what occupied her thoughts was entirely different from those women chasing status as the leading courtesan of the house. I never knew much of her past, but surely only some hardship could have driven her into that life. I’d always thought I might be able to help her somehow, but knowing her temperament, I never dared to bring up the matter of buying her freedom. Alas, now I understand the wisdom of plucking the flower while it still blooms, rather than waiting until there’s nothing left to pluck — but it’s too late now…”
“Have you tried to find out where she is now?”
Gu Yanzhen shook his head. “I asked, but they wouldn’t give me an answer… ha, if they won’t say, she must have married. If she’d simply left the Jinfeng Pavilion and were still in Jiangning, surely word of her would have reached me. Given how things stood between us, she wouldn’t have refused to see me.”
Of all things, nothing was more melancholy than a missed connection like this. Li Pin considered it. “Won’t you ask further? At least find out where she is now.”
Gu Yanzhen shook his head. “What good would it do, in the end. I am curious who she finally chose… but… perhaps it’s better not to know.” He glanced at Li Pin and smiled. “Perhaps not seeing her… has its own kind of mercy.”
Li Pin nodded, patting his shoulder. “Well then, leave it be — you’ll forget about it in time.”
While the group was upstairs at the Sihai Restaurant discussing all this, the busiest hours of the day had passed, and the crowd of customers had begun to thin. The waiter who had gone out to buy the preserved eggs consulted with a few others who’d been sent on the same errand over the past two days, and reported the matter to the manager. The manager, glancing over at the four distinguished-looking gentlemen with their scholarly airs, gave a wave of approval, and the waiter went out, crossed the street to the intersection, and relayed a request to Nie Yunzhu to deliver preserved eggs there the next day. Before him, a waiter from the Cuiping Pavilion had already come by with the same request.
The next morning, before dawn, Nie Yunzhu waited on the steps in front of the small building. When Ning Yi arrived, she happily told him that their sales had now expanded to three establishments, all the while watching his expression with a hint of uncertainty. In truth, this expanding market puzzled her — people kept coming from various restaurants asking the waiters to buy preserved eggs, and yet their reputation hadn’t really spread that far. Perhaps this was something he was arranging behind the scenes.
If that were true, she would be genuinely impressed. But though she was normally quite skilled at reading people, she found nothing in Ning Yi’s expression now beyond simple happiness. In truth, she was also pleased with her own ability to support herself, and discussed with him how their earlier batch hadn’t been prepared in large enough quantities, along with contingency plans in case they ran short.
Early morning, the intersection, the little cart, the Sihai Restaurant — as Nie Yunzhu carried her basket over to explain the various sauce pairings to the waiter, she decided to quietly probe into the matter a little. She suspected the whole thing was likely tied to Ning Yi somehow.
“…Waiter, those people who came to buy preserved eggs these past few days — who exactly were they? I’d like to understand a bit better who actually enjoys this sort of thing.”
“Oh, all scholarly types, quite learned. Some call them jade eggs or treasure eggs. Yesterday I happened to overhear that one of them had just returned from the Eastern Capital — passed the examinations with honors, apparently… that someone of his standing would know of preserved eggs at all — Miss Nie, could this be some novel delicacy you picked up from the Eastern Capital? No wonder no one else sells it… oh, that reminds me — Miss, look, the ones who asked for it yesterday are that very scholar and his companion.”
Nie Yunzhu smiled and turned to look. Two scholars were walking in. Shen Miao was the first to notice the preserved eggs being taken out of the basket at the counter, thinking to himself that Brother Li’s little scheme had evidently worked, and gave Gu Yanzhen a playful nudge. Gu Yanzhen looked over just as a village woman in a headscarf was setting out the preserved eggs for sale, and, finding it rather amusing, exchanged a quiet laugh with Shen Miao — but a second or two later, mid-sentence, his gaze suddenly froze in place…