As Zhao Ai had declared, he did not frequently seek out Zhenzhen thereafter. On the rare occasion when he passed by, it was to inspect the ponds and fields with his subordinates. When he encountered Zhenzhen, he did not engage in private conversation, and Zhenzhen, like any ordinary commoner, treated him with due respect and propriety.
Grandma Song began teaching Zhenzhen the culinary skills she had accumulated over many years, along with some business management knowledge. In her presence, Zhenzhen was like a curious student, listening attentively, practicing diligently, and even attempting innovations on her own. For example, when Grandma Song taught her to make fish soup using perch, ham, shredded bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken broth, Zhenzhen would ask after learning the recipe, "Can we replace the perch with Mandarin Fish? Or with Huai white fish? What if we use a different type of mushroom instead of shiitake, or replace the chicken broth with something else? What would it taste like?" Grandma Song would sigh helplessly and say, "Try it yourself and see." And indeed, Zhenzhen would experiment repeatedly, seeking out potentially more delightful flavors through practice.
Grandma Song remarked with emotion, "You are determined to surpass me!"
Zhenzhen replied, "Didn’t you teach me everything you know in the hope that someone would carry on your culinary legacy and elevate it further? The best way to repay my teacher is to keep experimenting, strive for perfection, even surpass my teacher, and ensure that more people remember these dishes."
Grandma Song nodded. "Yes, I want to teach you everything I know because I fear that after I pass away, these recipes will vanish with me, unknown to anyone. I hope that when you grow older, you will also take on a few good-natured disciples to pass on your culinary skills."
Zhenzhen thought for a moment and said, "Finding disciples with good character and compatible temperaments depends on fate. However, when I have the time, I will write down the recipes I know so that more people can see them and they can be passed down more easily to future generations."
Zhanle Pavilion’s business was thriving, and its income was substantial, but the various taxes levied on it kept increasing. Zhenzhen noticed that besides the taxes mandated by the imperial court, many were newly imposed by the prefecture, with a variety of creative names, such as "festival material fees," "geographical fees," "vinegar interest fees," and "wine interest fees." Having frequently interacted with Zhou Yun, the tax official responsible for the town’s taxes, Zhenzhen often invited him for meals and tea, and they developed something of a friendship. When Zhou Yun mentioned that the Chief Secretary intended to impose a new "river view fee" on the riverside restaurants, Zhenzhen spoke candidly, "This tax is unreasonable! The river has always been here—it wasn’t provided by the prefecture. Why should we pay a river view tax?"
Zhou Yun replied, "Although the river wasn’t provided by the prefecture, what if the Chief Secretary, in a fit of displeasure, orders a high wall built in front of your door to block the river view? Then you’ll see how many customers you lose."
Zhenzhen scoffed, "If we pay the river view fee this time, will there be a mountain view fee next? The scenery in front of my door changes with the seasons. If he really imposes this tax, what if he later decides to charge separate fees for spring, summer, autumn, and winter views? Would I have to comply again?"
"Great idea!" Zhou Yun exclaimed, slapping the table in admiration. "Why hasn’t the Chief Secretary thought of that yet? Whatever you do, don’t remind him, or he might actually impose seasonal view fees."
Zhenzhen could only respond with a resigned smile.Zhou Yun then said seriously, "I see you are a law-abiding citizen, and we are quite familiar now, so I don't mind telling you: every year, besides the regular taxes, each prefecture and county strives to present 'surplus contributions' to the court—that is, extra revenue beyond the taxes mandated by the court. Local officials use this to demonstrate their effective governance and the prosperity of their jurisdictions, hoping to receive commendation from The Emperor and secure promotions. Where does this surplus come from? It's simply collected by imposing additional taxes on the people! I also find it unreasonable, but I am merely following orders. I can only do as instructed by my superiors. I truly apologize."
"Tax Officer Zhou, you are too kind. I understand these matters well," Zhenzhen replied. "I will pay the taxes as instructed by the Chief Administrator, but my memory is not the best. When taxes are paid frequently, I sometimes lose track of which payments have been made and which have not. Could you specify the purpose of each tax payment on the receipt you give me, rather than simply writing the total amount received?"
"Receipts for the additional taxes imposed by the prefecture usually do not specify the details..." Zhou Yun hesitated, but after repeated requests from Zhenzhen, he relented. "Then I will make separate notes for you, solely for your accounting purposes. Please do not mention this to others in your trade."
Zhenzhen naturally agreed wholeheartedly. From then on, she gradually accumulated a stack of tax receipts with various specified purposes.
The following spring, the Ningguo Prefecture announced that it would sell two thousand mu of barren government-owned land through a "sealed bidding" process, allowing wealthy households interested in cultivation and management to compete for purchase. The sealed bidding system was similar to an auction. The prefectural officials ordered the construction of a locked wooden box with an opening, allowing bidders to submit written bids stating their offer and the time of submission. After the deadline, the wooden box containing all the bids would be delivered to the prefectural office, where it would be opened publicly. The relevant officials would read the bids aloud and award the land to the highest bidder. If two or more bidders offered the same price, the land would go to the one who submitted the bid first.
During a casual conversation with Zhenzhen, Zhou Yun mentioned this matter. Curious, Zhenzhen asked how much money would be needed to purchase such a large tract of land. Zhou Yun replied, "The land is quite barren and is only worth about two guan per mu. However, the Chief Administrator wants to sell it at a high price, so he instructed someone to overestimate its value, setting the appraisal at fifteen guan per mu."
"Fifteen guan!" Zhenzhen exclaimed in surprise. "That's several times the original value. Will anyone actually buy it?"
Zhou Yun explained, "This is the appraisal the Chief Administrator had publicized. The reserve price set before the bidding is ten guan per mu. As for the final bid amount, it will depend on how high the bidders are willing to go... However, it must be said that this land is not without its advantages. There is a river running through the middle of the land, and many downstream farmers rely on this water source to irrigate their fields. The Chief Administrator has stated that whoever purchases this land will have the right to use the river as they see fit—whether to charge downstream farmers for water usage or to fill the river and convert it into farmland. He is quite confident about pricing it this way."
"If used in such a manner, wouldn't that be encroaching on the people's water source?" Zhenzhen frowned. "I heard that The Emperor has explicitly prohibited the encroachment of water sources. Would he allow prefectural officials to make such promises?"
"Would The Emperor personally concern himself with a mere two thousand mu of land?" Zhou Yun chuckled. "There have been many cases in the past where such methods were employed. Prefectural officials even include the right to use rivers in the contracts. After all, these contracts are unlikely to be brought before The Emperor by the buyers."Zhenzhen pondered for several days and finally decided to go to the prefectural office to submit her bid for the land. The official who received her was quite astonished, saying, "I thought only Wei Qingxun of the Luming Pavilion could afford such a grand purchase of such a large and expensive plot of land. I never expected that Madam Song also possesses such capability. It seems you truly excel in business and have earned a considerable fortune."
Zhenzhen smiled and replied, "Not at all. I have exhausted all my resources and borrowed from everywhere just to barely scrape together enough money to buy this land."
The official praised her, saying, "Excellent foresight! Though this land may seem desolate now, if you acquire it, as long as there is a river nearby, even the income from selling water alone could gradually bring you substantial profits."
After leaving the prefectural office, Zhenzhen hired an oxcart to take her home. As the cart passed by the Luming Pavilion, she recalled the official's words and asked the driver to stop, wanting to take a closer look at the city's largest restaurant. However, the sudden halt of the oxcart caused it to collide with a handcart loaded with sacks of grain being pushed toward the restaurant. The carriage shook violently, and some of the rice sacks on the handcart fell to the ground, spilling a fair amount of rice grains.
The burly man pushing the handcart was furious and began cursing loudly. He turned to Zhenzhen, who had just stepped out of the carriage, and said, "This is premium Shigu Geng rice that my employer specially ordered from Huzhou. It costs several times more than ordinary rice. Look at how much you've spilled—you must compensate for every single grain!"
Zhenzhen bent down, picked up a few grains of rice, and examined them carefully. Then she calmly told him, "This is Shili Xiang, not Shigu Geng."
The man angrily retorted, "How could my employer be mistaken about what he bought? Don't try to weasel your way out of this! Don't think you can compensate for Shigu Geng with the price of inferior rice!"
Having spent considerable time in the Bureau of Palace Provisions and being responsible for tasting imperial meals beforehand, Zhenzhen was well-versed in the varieties of rice from across the land. She calmly addressed the man, "Shigu Geng is plump and glutinous, with an excellent texture, making it a premium rice. However, the grains scattered on the ground here are thinner and longer than Shigu Geng. Judging by their color, they should be Shili Xiang. Although Shili Xiang is not as expensive as Shigu Geng, it possesses a unique fragrance. When cooking rice, if you mix one dou of Shigu Geng with one sheng of Shili Xiang, you can combine the strengths of both—the texture remains excellent, and the rice gains a subtle, pleasant aroma."
The man was about to argue further when a calm yet authoritative voice came from the upper floors of the Luming Pavilion: "No need to argue. This young lady is correct. What was spilled is indeed Shili Xiang."
Zhenzhen looked up at the sound and saw a young person standing on the third-floor terrace, dressed in a round-collared, narrow-sleeved brocade robe and wearing a soft-footed futou. In their early twenties, they were tall and slender, with a straight nose, clear and bright eyes, and handsome features—truly an elegant and graceful figure. However, their voice sounded distinctly feminine, and the faint, relaxed smile on their thin lips carried an unintentional hint of charm.
The burly man clasped his hands in salute toward the figure, and Zhenzhen realized this person was Wei Qingxun, the owner of the Luming Pavilion.
Ignoring the man, Wei Qingxun bowed to Zhenzhen with a smile and said, "I am Wei Qingxun. Today, I am fortunate to hear your insightful words and have learned much. If you have the time, I would be delighted if you could come upstairs for a chat. I hope you will honor me by allowing me to invite you to dinner at my humble establishment. I also have some questions about ingredients that I would like to ask you."
Zhenzhen returned the courtesy and replied, "I am grateful for your kind invitation, Proprietor Wei. However, my grandmother is waiting for me at home, and I promised her I would return on time. I cannot stay long, so I must ask for your understanding. If fate allows us to meet again in the future, I would be happy to seek your guidance then.""So you are Song Taosheng," Wei Qingxun said with a smile. "I have long heard of your name."
Wei Qingxun continued to urge her to stay, but Zhenzhen firmly declined. Wei Qingxun did not press further, remaining on the upper floor with hands clasped behind her back, watching Zhenzhen depart.
"You were right not to go upstairs, miss," the carriage driver who was taking Zhenzhen home could not help but remark on the way. "That Wei Qingxun is neither man nor woman—she wears men's clothing every day, is over twenty and still unmarried. Relying on her family's wealth, she spends all her time with beautiful maidservants and has an extremely poor reputation in the city. Today, she must have taken a liking to you, which is why she was so eager to strike up a conversation. If you had stayed, I fear it would have been dangerous."
Zhenzhen replied, "But I heard her business is large. Besides the restaurant, she also runs a silk shop and an incense and medicine store. She is the wealthiest person in Ningguo Prefecture."
"She is indeed skilled in business," the driver said. "She is from Lin'an, so her family must have been wealthy to begin with. The restaurant in Ningguo Prefecture was originally opened by her elder brother, who returned to the capital a few years ago and left the restaurant to her. After she arrived, she hired many beautiful cooks, maidservants, and Musicians, and indeed managed the restaurant quite successfully. It is always bustling with lights, wine, and song, earning a great deal of money, and she has expanded her other businesses as well... But what good is it? I suspect her parents will eventually force her to return home and marry, and most of the business here will likely revert to her brother."
Upon learning that Zhenzhen had submitted a bid to participate in the land auction, Zhao Ai hurriedly rode to see her. He bluntly pointed out the flaws of that piece of land and urged her to withdraw her bid, saying, "If you give up, I will have someone secretly open the box and retrieve your bid document."
"Was the valuation of these official lands also arranged by Your Highness?" Zhenzhen asked.
"Of course not," Zhao Ai immediately denied. "All financial and grain matters in Ningguo Prefecture are controlled by Chief Administrator Li Tang. Using the excuse that imperial clansmen only hold nominal titles, he has never allowed me to intervene. He bypasses me in all matters, reporting directly to the court, and often without even informing me. I only learned about the valuation of the official lands for sale by inquiring with one of his minor officials."
Zhenzhen then asked him, "Is Your Highness content to remain under his control, allowing him to overstep his authority and exploit the people?"
Zhao Ai shook his head and said, "I am gathering evidence of his and the Sima's crimes, hoping to persuade The Emperor to grant me authority so that I can do some practical good for Ningguo Prefecture."
Zhenzhen went inside and retrieved the tax payment receipts she had saved over the past few months, handing them to Zhao Ai. "Li Tang has been imposing various new taxes under different names, attempting to use the tax revenue as surplus to submit to the court and secure a better career for himself. These receipts are the evidence I have kept. I participated in the bid for the official land to gather evidence of his overvaluation of the land, secret sale of water sources, and exploitation of the people. If the bid is successful, I will obtain a detailed contract that includes not only the land price but also the terms for river usage. All of this will be evidence Your Highness can use to impeach him in the future."
"But do you have that much money?" Zhao Ai asked doubtfully.
"No," Zhenzhen answered truthfully, then explained, "The day after a successful bid, I only need to pay ten percent of the total amount, with the remainder due within a month. So, for now, I only need to gather that ten percent... Although I don't even have that ten percent, I assume Your Highness will lend it to me. And one month should be enough time for Your Highness to present the evidence to The Emperor. If so, the transaction will surely be canceled, and then the remaining ninety percent will not need to be paid, and the money already paid will be refunded to me.""While this approach is feasible, but..." Zhao Ai hesitated, "aren't you afraid of being discovered by the Emperor?"
"I am now Song Taosheng, Second Brother," Zhenzhen revealed a faint smile. "I am Song Taosheng, who has existed in the Ningguo Manor household register for over twenty years, not Wu Zhenzhen."
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