The Palace Stewardess

Ever since Zhenzhen mentioned that mixing Shigu Geng with Ten-Mile Fragrance could enhance the aroma of rice, Wei Qingxun had been using this method to cook rice at Luming Tower. Recently, with the stock of Shigu Geng running low, she sent someone to Huzhou to purchase more. Upon learning this, Zhenzhen said to her, "The yield of Shigu Geng has been low over the past two years, and its price has been inflated excessively. It might not be worth buying now. In fact, there are many varieties of high-quality, flavorful rice in the Jiangnan and Liangzhe regions. For example, Huizhou produces Peach Blossom Rice, which is white with a reddish hue and becomes exceptionally fragrant and soft when cooked. Suzhou has Red Lotus Rice, with plump grains that are also very aromatic. Kunshan produces a fragrant rice grown by the lakeside, whose aroma surpasses even that of Red Lotus Rice. Additionally, Zhenjiang’s Gray Crane, Reed Flower White, Early Red Awn, and Late Red Awn, as well as Lin’an’s Early Zhancheng and late-ripening Leilipen, are all premium varieties of japonica rice. Why not purchase some of each to try? Perhaps our guests will prefer them."

Wei Qingxun found the idea feasible. Zhenzhen added, "Since we’re going to these regions to buy rice, we might as well purchase some of their finest glutinous rice as well. For instance, Huizhou’s Ox Louse Glutinous, Lin’an’s Golden Hairpin Glutinous, Kunshan’s Black Silk Glutinous, Buddha’s Hand Glutinous, and Maiden Glutinous, as well as Zhenjiang’s Suet, Tiger Stripe, and Cypress Branch... all are excellent for making food and brewing wine."

"You truly are someone who once managed the imperial kitchen and tasted dishes first," Wei Qingxun said with a laugh. "When it comes to rice and grains from across the land, you recount them as if listing treasures. Originally, cooking rice and brewing wine didn’t require so many different varieties, but hearing you list these beautiful names has piqued my interest. I’d like to see what makes each of these rices unique."

Zhenzhen then compiled a list, and Wei Qingxun dispatched several teams to purchase rice from these producing regions. In the end, they brought back dozens of varieties. Zhenzhen recalled that outside the Jiahui Gate in Lin’an, there was a royal ceremonial field where the Emperor personally plowed to encourage agriculture and pray for bountiful harvests. The field was shaped like a Bagua, with a central mound surrounded by eight hills, each divided into four horizontal plots. Different crops were planted in each plot, such as soybeans, adzuki beans, barley, wheat, rice, millet, glutinous rice, broomcorn millet, and foxtail millet. When the crops grew, viewed from above, the varying colors created a delightful sight. Inspired by this, Zhenzhen drew a design of the Bagua field, adapted it into a blueprint for a silver plate, and gave it to a silversmith to craft several large silver plates for serving food. She then filled each horizontal plot with japonica rice or some coarse grains from different regions, varying in shape and color, and used white and black glutinous rice to fill the Taiji section. These were steamed in large steamers. For any banquet reservation of eight or more people at Luming Tower or Zhanle Tower, a plate of this Bagua Rice was offered as a complimentary gift, accompanied by a Bagua diagram that allowed guests to identify the grains in each section.

The unique design of the Bagua Rice immediately caught attention. When guests learned that each section contained grains from different regions with distinct flavors, they became even more intrigued. They would often take small portions from each section to taste and compare, offering their comments. Zhenzhen also had maidservants sell small bags of various rice varieties, labeled with their names, beside the restaurants. As a result, customers who had tasted the Bagua Rice often selected their favorite varieties to purchase and take home.The Bagua Rice, which allowed diners to taste thirty-four different grains in one meal, quickly gained fame throughout Ningguo Prefecture, attracting a large number of customers to the restaurant. Many guests, even when hosting banquets for fewer than eight people, willingly paid to purchase it. Among them were gourmets who loved exploring fine cuisine, as well as landowners seeking high-quality seeds for cultivation. Wei Qingxun set a high price for the small bags of rice sold, yet buyers continued to flock in. Many varieties sold out quickly, forcing Wei Qingxun to promptly send people to restock.

Based on the rice shortages and feedback reported by the restaurant servers, Zhenzhen compiled a list of the most popular varieties and their purchase locations, which she handed to Zhao Ai. She said to him, "The polder project is progressing smoothly, and the distribution of wasteland within the polder is nearly complete. The next step is for landowners and tenant farmers to select seeds for cultivation. These varieties are the ones customers at Luming Tower and Zhanle Tower are willing to pay for—they are of excellent quality and can be recommended for widespread cultivation by farmers. If grown well and the yield is sufficient, they might even be sold to other regions."

A faint smile appeared on Zhao Ai's face. "I am currently handling the seed selection process. Many tenant farmers who have taken on wasteland cultivation lack the funds to purchase rice seeds. I have decided that the government will purchase the seeds and lend them to the farmers for sowing, to be repaid after the harvest. I was just considering where to buy them—it seems we are of one mind. Your list has arrived at the perfect time."

Zhenzhen smiled. "I’m glad it’s useful. I was worried you might have already made a decision and that I was being redundant."

"Your insights on food are always well-founded. Whenever you are willing to share them, I am always ready to listen," Zhao Ai said in a calm yet sincere tone. After a moment, he brought up another topic. "By the way, there is another matter where I need your help. Ningguo Prefecture is located south of the Yangtze River, where rice has been the staple food for households since ancient times. However, after the southern migration, a large number of northerners moved south. The staple food of these northern migrants is wheat-based, but southerners grow little wheat. Not only in Ningguo Prefecture but across the entire Jiangnan and Liangzhe regions, wheat flour is in short supply, causing wheat prices to soar. The Emperor has always advocated that farmers plant rice in May and, after harvesting in October, plow the fields to plant winter wheat. The wheat matures and is harvested in April of the following year, after which the fields can be plowed again for rice cultivation. This way, both rice and wheat can be harvested within a year, significantly increasing wheat production, stabilizing wheat prices, and preventing the land from lying idle for months. However, southerners prioritize rice over wheat, and farmers in Ningguo Prefecture are no exception. Most would rather plant double-cropped rice than winter wheat. Yet, whether early or late rice, neither can survive the winter, and from a land-use perspective, it is less efficient than the rice-wheat double-cropping system. Could you work with the restaurant chefs to create more delicious wheat-based dishes, allowing more people to taste and accept them, so that farmers realize the benefits of growing wheat and start cultivating it voluntarily?"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhenzhen replied to Zhao Ai, "I’ll think about it when I return. It should be worth a try."Zhenzhen decided to approach this matter in a more attention-grabbing way. She persuaded Wei Qingxun to allow her to set up a temporary open-air circular kitchen in the courtyard where the hairpin flower gatherings were held every seven days. There, she would make noodles and pastries, allowing guests and passersby to watch. She also placed a sign at the courtyard gate, openly recruiting those skilled in making noodles and pastries to challenge her. The challenger and Zhenzhen would each prepare a type of noodle or pastry in the courtyard kitchen, open for all to observe. Once finished, both dishes would be sold simultaneously at the entrance of the restaurant. The quantities prepared by both would be the same, with each customer limited to one purchase. The first to sell out would be declared the winner. If the challenger won, Zhenzhen would immediately have someone present them with ten strings of cash as a reward, and then negotiate a price for the challenger to transfer the recipe and method, granting permission for the Luming Tower and Zhanle Tower to cook and sell the dish thereafter.

At the Bureau of Palace Provisions, Zhenzhen had already learned to make various types of noodles and pastries. Now, in addition to staples like Imperial Academy steamed buns and water-smooth noodles, she often chose to make items rarely seen by locals: sugar torreya nuts, sugar crisps, boiled sand balls, snowflake pastries... Each time, she made something different, her techniques dazzling to watch. The pastries were exquisitely shaped, making onlookers crave them at first sight, and they would sell out quickly once displayed. Often, people volunteered to challenge her, but few could surpass Zhenzhen. Gradually, the kitchen challenges in the courtyard became another major event for the Luming Tower after the hairpin flower gatherings. On the appointed days, people would line up early to watch, and throughout Ningguo Prefecture, anyone skilled in making noodles and pastries—whether chefs or ordinary housewives—was eager to try their luck, hoping to claim the substantial prize or defeat Zhenzhen and gain instant fame. Zhenzhen also rented several small storefronts in the city, opening a number of noodle and pastry shops under the Luming Tower brand. After each challenge, the winning dish would be sold in these shops the following day. Thanks to word-of-mouth promotion from passersby who had witnessed the challenges, sales of the pastries were quite strong. Those who watched Zhenzhen make noodles and pastries often wanted to try imitating her. If they succeeded, their interest in noodles and pastries grew, and they bought more and more flour.

On this day, Zhenzhen decided to publicly make a pastry from the capital—Jade Lung Paste. The challenger appeared to be an outsider, a slender scholar in his forties who seemed to be traveling through the area. Originally, he had come just to watch the spectacle, but seeing no one step forward to challenge her and noticing the ingredients prepared in the courtyard included what he needed, he spoke up, saying he could make some oil cakes and "asked for Madam Song’s guidance."

Once both had prepared their ingredients, they began working busily in the temporary kitchen. Zhenzhen’s Jade Lung Paste was made by mixing flour with oil cakes, sesame seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, and fennel, rolling it out, then rolling it into a long cylinder. It was steamed in a steamer and cut into pieces for serving. The dried nuts mixed into the steaming hot dough gave it a sweet and fragrant taste, and it was also beneficial for health, which was why this pastry had always been favored by nobles in the capital. The scholar’s oil cakes, on the other hand, were a type of fried pastry. The dough-making process was nothing special, but the filling he chose was pickled dried potherb mustard and fatty pork belly. He briefly soaked the dried potherb mustard, washed it, minced it, cut the pork belly into small cubes, mixed them together, seasoned them, then wrapped the filling into cakes and fried them in oil. The shape was unremarkable, and no special aroma wafted out when they were finished. However, when he and Zhenzhen followed the usual practice of cutting their pastries into small pieces for the surrounding crowd to taste first, many people showed strong interest in the oil cakes, repeatedly asking if they could have another piece.Zhenzhen also took a piece of fried dough into her mouth to taste. With the first bite, the rich aroma of fat overflowed. The savory flavor of the potherb mustard, saturated with oil, complemented the meat perfectly, creating a seamless harmony. The more she chewed, the more fragrant it became. It was a very homely taste, like the comforting dishes made by a grandmother. As she ate, this simple little pastry, along with the warmth it transmitted to her palm, quickly made her feel the small warmth brought by the ordinary days of winter.

When the two types of pastries were sent outside the restaurant for sale, the fried dough indeed proved slightly more popular, selling out while two portions of the jade-filled pastry remained. Zhenzhen admitted her defeat wholeheartedly and asked the scholar about the fee for allowing the Deer Song Pavilion to make this fried dough. The scholar smiled and said, "This is a common dish in my home. The ingredients and method are nothing special, and I don't rely on cooking for a living. If you want to make it, go ahead—no need to pay me. Since coming to Ningguo Prefecture, I’ve heard some stories about Lady Song. If I’m not mistaken, your main goal isn’t profit but rather to use the public demonstration of making pastries to guide the local residents to value wheat and promote its cultivation. If that’s the case, why not make the ingredients and method of the pastry you demonstrate even simpler, so it’s easier for residents to imitate? That would be more conducive to spreading it, even passing it down to future generations."

Zhao Ai, aware of Zhenzhen’s activities that day, finished his official duties and strolled over to the Deer Song Pavilion to observe. By then, the onlookers had dispersed, but Zhenzhen was still chatting with the scholar in the courtyard. Seeing Zhenzhen glowing and smiling brightly as she talked with the man, Zhao Ai felt somewhat displeased. He coughed lightly and walked slowly toward them. Zhenzhen turned her head and, seeing it was him, smiled and invited him over to greet the scholar. "This is Mr. Zeng Zhijin."

Upon learning Zhao Ai’s identity, Zeng Zhijin immediately bowed deeply. Zhao Ai returned the gesture with a leisurely air, though his expression remained indifferent. Zeng Zhijin soon took his leave, and Zhenzhen escorted him to the door, repeatedly inviting him, "Mr. Zeng, you must come to the banquet at the Deer Song Pavilion tomorrow."

When she returned, Zhao Ai asked why she was so enthusiastic about Zeng Zhijin. Zhenzhen recounted the day’s events and added, "Mr. Zeng comes from a family with a rich scholarly tradition. His grandfather’s brother, Zeng Anzhi, was a presented scholar during the Xining era. Lamenting that scholars of the time only enjoyed writing about flowers and plants while neglecting agriculture, he wrote a treatise on rice titled The Rice Register. Mr. Zeng Zhijin has also devoted himself to studying agriculture and has deep insights into seed selection and cultivation. He is currently writing a treatise on agricultural tools called The Agricultural Tools Register. Wei Qingxun has invited the local gentry who own large tracts of land in Ningguo Prefecture to a midday banquet at the Deer Song Pavilion tomorrow, so I invited Mr. Zeng to come and share some agricultural knowledge with them. You should come too."

Zhao Ai hesitated, "I have a lot of official duties tomorrow. I’m not sure if I can make it..."

"You must come," Zhenzhen told him. "Qingxun told the gentry you would attend, and that’s why they all agreed to come."

At the midday banquet the next day, with the gentry gathered together, Wei Qingxun deliberately asked Zhao Ai about the progress of the embankment construction. After Zhao Ai introduced the project’s progress, Wei Qingxun added, "Recently, I also bought a large tract of land in the Huimin Embankment area. That land originally had its own private embankment, but it has fallen into disrepair over the years and is now full of breaches. I wonder if the public embankment is being built solidly enough. Should we simply wait for the public embankment to be completed, or do we still need to build private embankments for the land within the area?"Zhao Ai said, "Although the public embankment is sturdy, to be safe, it would be best for you to build a private embankment for the private fields within. This way, even if a major flood breaches the public embankment, the private embankment will still protect the fields. This double protection will ensure the fields remain productive regardless of drought or flood."

Wei Qingxun agreed with a smile and immediately expressed her intention to build a private embankment for her fields. Zhao Ai also smiled and said that once it was completed, she would publicly commend her. The local gentry present could no longer remain seated. They chimed in one after another, eagerly expressing their willingness to build private embankments for their own fields. Zhenzhen then asked Wei Qingxun, "I noticed that the land near the plot you purchased was recently reclaimed and cultivated by tenant farmers. They likely cannot afford to build a private embankment. I wonder if you could help them by extending the embankment to cover that area as well."

"What’s so difficult about that?" Wei Qingxun replied with a laugh. She immediately ordered someone to bring the map of the Huimin Embankment and, with a stroke of her brush, circled the reclaimed fields near her land. "Let’s build it along this route."

At this point, the other gentry no longer dared to follow her lead. Although private embankments were not as tall or wide as public ones and cost much less, extending them to cover nearby reclaimed fields would still require a substantial sum. They fell silent, some exchanging glances, others staring at their feet, unwilling to speak up.

Wei Qingxun deliberately pushed the map toward the nearby Squire Wang and pointed, saying, "I originally intended to extend this line a bit further, but then I noticed it was nearing your land. With your resources, surely you don’t need a junior like me to manage the fields near yours? If I were to build the private embankment close to your land, I’d worry people might say I’m young and ignorant, deliberately showing off in front of you."

Squire Wang could only force an awkward smile and say, "Since those reclaimed fields are near my land, it’s only fitting that I take responsibility for building the private embankment there as well."

With that, he also picked up a brush and circled the area he intended to cover.

Seeing this, the other gentry, in Zhao Ai’s presence, could no longer remain silent. One by one, they took turns drawing circles, claiming responsibility for building private embankments for all the reclaimed fields within the public embankment.

Pleased with the outcome, Zhao Ai raised her cup with a smile and thanked everyone. She then introduced Zeng Zhijin to them and, while toasting, guided the group to seek Zeng’s advice on selecting seeds and innovative, practical farming tools. Gradually, everyone relaxed, toasting and drinking heartily until the atmosphere grew warm and lively, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Afterward, Zhao Ai asked Zhenzhen if she had persuaded Wei Qingxun to build the private embankment. Zhenzhen replied, "She first noticed that my public sale of noodles wasn’t solely for profit and asked about my intentions. I told her that once money reaches a certain amount, it no longer affects one’s life—it just becomes numbers increasing in the ledger. As the wealthiest person in Ningguo Prefecture, a little more or less money doesn’t matter much to her. But using some of the surplus to do good deeds and benefit the people is an act of kindness and virtue that brings blessings. Moreover, helping more people live stable and prosperous lives feels more fulfilling than simply accumulating unused wealth, doesn’t it? She agreed, so I took the opportunity to suggest building the private embankment. However, the idea of hosting this banquet to get the gentry to contribute as well was her own."

By April of the following year, the Huimin Embankment project was halfway complete, and much of the reclaimed land within had been cultivated. As the Grain Buds solar term approached, Zhao Ai invited Zhenzhen to visit the Huimin Embankment to see the wheat planted the previous winter, which was now ready for harvest.Each riding a horse, they galloped along the repaired embankment toward the golden wheat field. The gentle breeze was refreshing all the way, with willows swaying gracefully on the dyke. Inside the polder, the heavy wheat ears rippled in the wind, their undulating waves reflecting the sun with a soft glow.

They stopped at the edge of a seemingly endless wheat field. Zhao Ai pointed to the field and said to Zhenzhen, "The owner of this field originally only wanted to grow double-cropping rice, planning to slack off and sleep through the winter. But after tasting the noodles you made and witnessing the spectacle of thousands clamoring to buy flour, he finally changed his mind. At the last moment, he hired people to plow and sow, planting wheat to overwinter."

"He's quite lucky," Zhenzhen said with a smile. "From last year to this year, the weather has been favorable, and auspicious snow fell. The wheat ears have grown well—he’s bound to make a fortune."

Zhao Ai also smiled. "I wonder if there are any two-headed wheat ears among these. If a single stalk bears two heads, it’s considered an auspicious sign—a symbol of peace, prosperity, and harmony."

"Shall we go into the field and look?" Zhenzhen suggested.

Zhao Ai nodded with a smile. So they tied their horses to a willow on the embankment, descended the steps into the wheat field, and began searching for two-headed wheat. After bending down and searching carefully for a long time without success, Zhenzhen straightened up, wiped her sweat, and gazed into the distance with disappointment. Just then, she heard Zhao Ai’s voice behind her exclaiming, "There seems to be one over there!"

Zhenzhen turned to look and indeed saw what appeared to be a wheat stalk with two heads not far in front of Zhao Ai. Immediately beaming with joy, she hurried over. But as she moved, she suddenly felt something soft and slippery underfoot. Looking down, she was instantly terrified—she had stepped on a snake, which had now coiled upward and wrapped itself around her calf.

Hearing Zhenzhen’s startled cry, Zhao Ai rushed over. Without a second thought, he reached out and yanked the snake off Zhenzhen’s calf. He had grabbed the snake by its midsection, and as it struggled, it twisted back, coiling around Zhao Ai’s right hand and biting his arm in an instant.

With his left hand, Zhao Ai pulled the snake off and threw it into the field. Drawing his sword with his right hand, he swung it several times, cutting the snake into pieces. Seeing Zhenzhen’s pale face, he offered a comforting smile and said, "It’s probably just a water snake from the field—nothing to worry about."

Zhenzhen approached to examine the snake closely. Its back was black with white horizontal stripes, unlike a harmless water snake. Anxiety immediately gripped her as she lifted Zhao Ai’s hand to inspect the wound.

Zhao Ai continued to smile, insisting it didn’t hurt. But soon, Zhenzhen noticed that his right hand seemed to have lost mobility, and blood gradually seeped from the wound. Anxiously scanning the deserted surroundings, Zhenzhen felt both worried and distressed, two tears welling up in her eyes.

"It’s fine, it doesn’t hurt at all. My hand is just a bit numb…" Zhao Ai still tried to reassure her.

Realizing they had to rely on themselves in this situation, Zhenzhen acted decisively. She took out a handkerchief and tightly bound his arm above the wound to slow the toxin’s spread through the bloodstream. Then, holding his arm with both hands, she lowered her head, placed her mouth over the wound, and began sucking out the poisoned blood.

Zhao Ai immediately tried to pull his hand back, but Zhenzhen held on firmly, refusing to let him withdraw. She persisted, sucking the blood from the wound until it turned from dark to bright red before releasing him. Turning away, she spat the remaining blood onto the ground.Zhenzhen waited until her breathing steadied, then went to help Zhao Ai up, intending to lead him back to ride the horse to a populated area. However, the snake venom seemed quite potent, and after walking only a few steps, Zhao Ai’s legs grew weak, causing him to collapse into the wheat field. His heart raced as he clutched his chest, gasping for breath, and suddenly began to vomit. After retching until bile came up, he forced a smile and said he felt a little better. Struggling to walk another ten feet or so, he still felt dizzy and lightheaded. His knees buckled, and he fell to the ground once more. This time, he gave up on moving forward and simply lay on his back in the wheat field.

Although Zhenzhen spat out the venomous blood each time she sucked the wound, some residual poison inevitably remained in her mouth. By now, she too felt dizzy and nauseous, her limbs weak and limp, and she collapsed beside Zhao Ai.

“If it weren’t for trying to save me, you wouldn’t have been bitten by the snake,” Zhenzhen said gloomily to Zhao Ai as she gazed up at a wisp of drifting cloud in the sky. “It seems I am an ill-fated person. I brought misfortune to your elder brother, and now I’ve implicated you as well.”

“How can this be blamed on you? I was the one who insisted on bringing you to see the wheat field,” Zhao Ai replied with a faint smile. “Instead of blaming me, you blame yourself—what kind of reasoning is that?”

After a moment of silence, Zhao Ai spoke again, “There’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask you but never dared. Now, I’m afraid if I don’t ask, I might never get the chance…”

Zhenzhen responded, “Ask whatever you wish.”

Zhao Ai asked, “What do you like about my elder brother?”

Zhenzhen thought for a moment and said, “He is like sunlight. Being with him, I always feel warm.”

“And what about Lin Hong?” Zhao Ai pressed further.

"He is moonlight, a clear autumn pond reflecting the moon, untouched by dust. When I looked at him back then, I felt a sense of inner peace," Zhenzhen answered earnestly.

Zhao Ai tried his best to appear indifferent. "Then what about me? What kind of light am I?"

"You... are a flickering light," Zhenzhen replied slowly, weighing her words.

Zhao Ai blinked. "Starlight?"

Zhenzhen smiled. "You are a firefly that glows."

"They are the light of the sun and moon, illuminating the earth, while I am just a firefly?" Zhao Ai couldn't help but feel surprised, then laughed self-deprecatingly. "Well, fine. Being a firefly, staying close to you without ever leaving, with only a faint glow to light up just for you—that's not so bad either. Even if you find yourself in endless darkness, you can still see a flicker of firefly light dancing around."

Zhenzhen tugged at the corner of her lips, wanting to offer him a smile, but her heart ached faintly at that moment. Remembering all he had quietly done for her in the past, she felt nothing but guilt toward him.

"Besides, the sun and moon are too far from you, but I am very close," Zhao Ai added. "So close that you could hold me in your palm with just a reach of your hand... though you don’t want to."

Zhenzhen turned her head away to avoid letting him see the tears in her eyes.

Zhao Ai smiled wistfully and brought up the past again. "When Lin Hong refused to marry you, I wanted to step in and protect you, but I didn’t know how to say it... I hesitated, and my elder brother beat me to it... Why did I overthink it? I should have just stepped forward, pulled you onto my horse, cast a cold, proud glance at Lin Hong, and ridden away... In the beginning, I lost to my brother by just half a move..."

Seeing Zhenzhen remain silent, he sighed, looked at the faint clouds on the horizon and the golden light around them, and savored the good times of having her by his side. Finally, he decided to lay it all out. Trying to control his increasingly numb tongue, he said to Zhenzhen, "Since I probably won’t live to see tomorrow anyway, I might as well speak my mind: on this beautiful day, with such lovely scenery, I just want to be a worldly farmer—knock the sun down with a stick and carry you into the room with both hands."

After saying this, he felt a sense of relief. The initial dizziness gradually faded, and now he began to feel a bit drowsy. He closed his eyes peacefully in the warm sunlight, temporarily putting aside thoughts of what expression Zhenzhen might be wearing at that moment.