The next day, Lady Zhu Wu paid a special visit to Madam Yuan and her daughter.
At first glance, Lady Zhu Wu remained a radiant beauty, her voice soft and delicate like a young girl's. Fengxian estimated from her appearance that she should be no more than thirty-five, yet the fine lines that trailed from the corners of her eyes when she spoke or smiled indicated that her prime years were gradually fading. Her meticulously flawless makeup revealed how unwilling she was to accept this.
She sincerely expressed her welcome for Fengxian's return, not shying away from her past exclusion of Madam Yuan and her daughter. She said she despised her younger, impulsive self and deeply regretted her past actions, expressing a desire to make amends.
She brought several pieces of jewelry and fabrics and, despite Fengxian's polite refusal, ordered them to be placed in the hall. In addition, she presented a peculiarly shaped chicken, saying it could nourish Madam Yuan's health.
This chicken was slightly smaller than an ordinary domestic fowl, with a head and cheeks resembling a pheasant. Most of its feathers were black, dotted with white spots. "This chicken comes from Kuixia and is extremely rare. It was brought to me from Sichuan by my relative, traveling thousands of miles. The spots on its body resemble pearl markings, so people in Shu call it the Pearl Chicken. Because it feeds its mother in return when grown, showing great filial piety, it is also known as the Filial Pheasant," Lady Zhu Wu explained. "This Filial Pheasant also has a magical trait: every year around the transition from spring to summer, when the weather is warm and pleasant, a ribbon over a foot long, interwoven with red and green hues, appears under its chin, vibrant and striking. At the same time, a pair of emerald-green horns stand upright on its head. After displaying them for a while, it retracts the ribbon under its crop, covering it again with feathers, and both the ribbon and horns disappear. Unfortunately, the weather is cold now, so this spectacle cannot be seen."
Fengxian carefully examined the Filial Pheasant's neck but found no trace of the ribbon. She asked, "Could the ribbon have retracted into its neck?"
Lady Zhu Wu laughed. "I used to think the same, but after slaughtering one and examining its neck and chest closely, I found no ribbon. So this Filial Pheasant carries an air of the mystical. My relative said that frying it in oil before stewing it makes the most nourishing soup. I originally intended to stew it and bring it to Madam Yuan, but I feared she might dislike my cooking. I heard that you, young lady, learned excellent culinary skills in Pujiang, so stewing a chicken would naturally be no trouble for you. Moreover, you and your mother share a deep bond, so the food you prepare would surely suit her palate better than that made by an outsider. Therefore, I took the liberty of bringing a live Filial Pheasant."
Madam Yuan declined, saying the Filial Pheasant was too precious for her to accept, and asked Lady Zhu Wu to take it back. However, Lady Zhu Wu insisted on giving it, saying that Madam Yuan, weakened by prolonged illness, would benefit greatly from such nourishment. Fengxian watched coldly as they exchanged polite refusals for a long time before finally speaking up to persuade her mother, "Lady Zhu Wu has shown such sincerity, Mother, you should accept it."
Since her daughter had spoken, Madam Yuan no longer refused. Delighted that they accepted the gift, Lady Zhu Wu happily provided Fengxian with detailed instructions on how to prepare the dish before taking her leave.
Fengxian had never encountered the Filial Pheasant as an ingredient before and was quite curious, which was one reason she decided to keep Lady Zhu Wu's gift. After seeing off the guest, Fengxian slaughtered the Filial Pheasant, scalded and plucked its feathers, and examined it carefully. Indeed, she found no ribbon between its neck and chest, and its internal structure largely resembled that of a domestic chicken.
Following Lady Zhu Wu's instructions, Fengxian first fried the pheasant, added a few spices, and placed it in a copper pot to simmer over low heat. Before long, the aroma of the meat wafted out, growing richer and more intense as it cooked, filling the entire courtyard with its thick, enticing fragrance.The stewed soup had a clear, golden hue, much like chicken broth. Aunt Xu, already marveling at the aroma, was about to ladle a bowl to send to Madam Yuan when Fengxian stopped her.
Fengxian said, "This Filial Pheasant was delivered alive. Lady Zhu Wu likely wanted to avoid any suspicion by not preparing it herself, leaving it for me to handle as a sign of its harmlessness. However, I’ve never seen this type of pheasant before and can’t be certain it’s entirely non-toxic. It’s better to be cautious."
Aunt Xu also felt Fengxian’s consideration was thorough but remarked, "If Lady Zhu Wu intended to harm Madam Yuan, she wouldn’t use such a direct method. This pheasant is likely safe. If you’re still concerned, I can try it first."
Seeing Fengxian’s silent consent, Aunt Xu ladled a bowl of the soup and drank it slowly. After waiting a moment with no adverse effects, she smiled and praised, "Your skill is truly excellent. This soup is more fragrant than any chicken broth I’ve ever tasted."
Fengxian also took a bowl and drank it. In the biting cold of winter, the warmth flowed from her throat down, gradually spreading through her limbs. The rich, mellow flavor seemed to carry a breath of vitality, gently enveloping her parched and chilled body. The comfort of this bowl of soup strangely brought Fengxian a long-lost sense of peace in the present world, reminding her of her younger self drinking chicken broth in her mother’s embrace.
It couldn’t be poisonous, she concluded inwardly.
Fengxian brought the Filial Pheasant soup to Madam Yuan’s sickbed, but Madam Yuan declined to drink it—not out of concern for toxicity, but to advise Fengxian: "Since this pheasant is called Filial Pheasant, it’s well-suited to be offered to one’s parents. I’ve been bedridden for so long and fear my weakened constitution cannot bear such nourishment, wasting this fine ingredient. Why not take it to your father? Since you made it yourself, it would also express your filial devotion."
Fengxian had no desire to see her father. Since returning home, Ling Tao hadn’t even summoned her, and she felt no inclination to show filial piety toward him. However, Madam Yuan insisted repeatedly, and Fengxian, unwilling to go against her mother’s wishes, had no choice but to take the Filial Pheasant soup to the main residence and present it to her father.
Ling Tao was nearly fifty, tall and sturdy with sharp features, though not entirely a coarse military man. His high nose and slightly sunken eyes still hinted at the handsome appearance of his youth. Fengxian stole glances at him, faintly sensing that she bore some resemblance to him. His lineage, combined with her mother’s delicate beauty, manifested in Fengxian as a tall, slender figure and bright, striking looks, giving her an air of elegance that had always stood out among the beauties of Jiangnan since childhood.
Ling Tao remained cold toward Fengxian. In response to her polite greeting, he merely nodded, not bothering with even a word of small talk. He showed no interest in learning about Fengxian’s experiences over the years and had no desire to reminisce with his daughter. However, when Fengxian presented the Filial Pheasant soup, he was drawn in by its rich aroma. After squinting at it for a moment, he gladly accepted Fengxian’s suggestion to taste it.
After enjoying a bowl of the soup along with the pheasant meat, he finally showed Fengxian a slightly warmer expression, praising her cooking skills and casually inquiring about Madam Yuan’s recent condition.
Fengxian felt somewhat encouraged. Though she held no affection for her father, she could see that her mother still harbored feelings for him. If her mother knew her father showed some concern, she would surely be pleased. Thus, Fengxian detailed her mother’s condition, secretly hoping her father would show more compassion.
Ling Tao, however, listened distractedly, his gaze frequently drifting to the Filial Pheasant soup. When Fengxian finished speaking, his first words had nothing to do with Madam Yuan or her daughter. Instead, he instructed the servant beside him, "Take this soup to Lady Jiu."This Lady Jiu must be the Lady Xue Jiu mentioned by Aunt Xu. Noticing Fengxian’s unusual expression and silence, Ling Tao offered a brief explanation: “Lady Jiu has just given birth and is not yet a month into her postpartum recovery. This pheasant soup tastes excellent—why not send it to her for nourishment?”
Fengxian forced a smile and replied, “Yes. I leave it to Father’s discretion.”
It was said that Lady Xue Jiu also greatly enjoyed the taste of the Filial Pheasant and consumed a fair amount. However, that night, she suddenly felt abdominal pain and experienced continuous bleeding, showing signs of postpartum hemorrhage. Lady Xue Jiu’s maid, Amei, brought the remaining Filial Pheasant soup to Ling Tao, claiming it was caused by consuming the pheasant. Enraged, Ling Tao ordered Fengxian to be seized and personally interrogated her.
Fengxian was astonished and argued that postpartum lochia is common after childbirth, and even if there was bleeding, it might not necessarily be due to diet. Amei retorted, “Lady Jiu gave birth over twenty days ago, and the lochia is no longer bloody. She had been perfectly fine until today, when she started bleeding after eating the Filial Pheasant.”
Fengxian listed for Ling Tao all the spices used in the dish besides the Filial Pheasant, all of which were common and non-toxic. She added, “After the Filial Pheasant was stewed, both Aunt Xu and I tasted it. Only after confirming there was no issue did we present it to you, Father. You yourself drank the soup and ate the meat. If it were poisonous, why would the three of us remain unharmed? Even if Lady Jiu’s bleeding was caused by her diet, the fault does not lie with the Filial Pheasant.”
Amei countered, “Lady Jiu had a poor appetite today. Before the Filial Pheasant, she only had a sweet soup stewed with walnuts, sesame seeds, and donkey-hide gelatin, along with some lightly boiled mushrooms—all foods she regularly eats without harm. Yet she started bleeding after eating the Filial Pheasant. Isn’t that proof it was the cause?”
Ling Tao pondered, “Could it be that the Filial Pheasant is safe for ordinary people but not for postpartum women?”
Just then, a loud voice was heard from outside the door: “Postpartum women can eat it.”
Everyone turned to look and saw Lady Zhu Wu hurrying over.
Lady Zhu Wu quickly approached Ling Tao and bowed before saying, “This Filial Pheasant was originally brought by my nephew from Kuixia. The first time I ate it was after giving birth to Third Miss, when relatives from Sichuan specifically sent it to nourish me. The Filial Pheasant is more nourishing than ordinary chicken soup and is very suitable for postpartum women. Later, when I gave birth to Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss, I ate it every time during my postpartum recovery without any bleeding. This shows that Lady Jiu’s symptoms are unrelated to the Filial Pheasant.”
Hearing this, Ling Tao nodded slightly, likely recalling Lady Zhu Wu’s consumption of the Filial Pheasant during her postpartum recovery.
Amei frowned and remained silent for a moment, not refuting Lady Zhu Wu. Then, glancing at Fengxian, she added, “Even if the Filial Pheasant itself is harmless, perhaps someone knew the soup was intended for Lady Jiu and took the opportunity to add something to it.”
Before Fengxian could respond, Lady Zhu Wu turned to Amei and said sternly, “The Filial Pheasant soup was presented to Father by Second Miss. How could she have known her father would pass it on to Lady Jiu? Moreover, I trust Second Miss’s character. She is kind-hearted and would never harm anyone.”
Without waiting for a reply, Lady Zhu Wu strode to the soup pot brought back by Amei. Without using chopsticks, she directly ladled the soup with a spoon, drank several mouthfuls, and took a few pieces of meat, quickly chewing and swallowing them. Then, facing everyone, she declared, “I have now eaten the Filial Pheasant prepared by Second Miss. Let’s see if I fall ill because of it. If I do, I willingly accept punishment alongside Second Miss. If not…” Her gaze turned cold as it swept over Amei, though she addressed Ling Tao, “I hope the General will severely punish those who sow discord and frame others, to restore Second Miss’s innocence.”
(To be continued)
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