Some time had passed since the sixty palace attendants selected from the common people for the Bureau of Palace Provisions entered the palace, yet the Emperor still had not permitted them to serve the esteemed eunuchs within the inner court. After several gentle urgings from the Empress Dowager, the Emperor finally made it clear that the inner court did not require so many new Palace Food Attendants. He proposed keeping only half and sending the other thirty to Cifu Palace for the Empress Dowager's use.
The Emperor also requested that the Empress Dowager first send someone to choose from among the sixty attendants those who would serve in Cifu Palace. The Empress Dowager did not decline and soon ordered Cheng Yuan to go to the Bureau of Palace Provisions to select the candidates.
Pei Shangshi inquired of Cheng Yuan whether the attendants should each demonstrate their skills for the selection. Cheng Yuan, however, said it was unnecessary. He only needed the attendants to line up in the courtyard of the Bureau of Palace Provisions, where he would make his choices in person.
The selection proceeded as he requested. Cheng Yuan paced among the attendants, his scrutinizing gaze sweeping over each one from head to toe. He rarely asked them anything, and when he did, his questions were merely about their hometowns or ages—not a single inquiry touched upon culinary skills or food preparation.
Before long, he had selected twenty-nine attendants. These young women stepped out and stood to one side. A comparison between the two groups easily revealed that those he had chosen were all slightly less attractive in appearance, while the remaining thirty-one were each exceptionally beautiful and possessed remarkable grace. Fengxian, Yingge, and Zhenzhen were all among them.
There was still one last spot remaining for Cifu Palace. Seeing that Cheng Yuan was now observing two other attendants, Zhenzhen secretly worried about missing this final opportunity. She stepped forward on her own, bowed deeply to Cheng Yuan, and said, "This attendant, Wu Zhenzhen, wishes to enter Cifu Palace to serve Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. I hope Master Cheng will grant my request."
Hearing her voice, Cheng Yuan turned to look at her. His eyes remained as calm as the water of an ancient well, without a single ripple of emotion stirred.
After staring at her intently for a moment, Cheng Yuan finally asked, "Why do you wish to enter Cifu Palace?"
Zhenzhen replied, "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager's virtuous character and noble demeanor have always been praised by officials and commoners alike. Even when I lived among the common people, I had heard many stories of the Empress Dowager's wisdom and virtue and greatly admired her. Since entering the palace, I have had no opportunity to serve Her Majesty and have often felt regret. Now that such a chance has arisen, I naturally do not wish to miss it. I hope Master Cheng will understand my admiration for the Empress Dowager and allow me to enter Cifu Palace."
In truth, she was only troubled by the lack of opportunity to approach Cheng Yuan and inquire about her mother's whereabouts, which was why she wished to enter Cifu Palace. Her professed admiration for the Empress Dowager was merely an excuse she had fabricated on the spot. In fact, she knew very little about the Empress Dowager's deeds. If Cheng Yuan had asked her to recount two or three examples at that moment, she likely would have been exposed. Fortunately, Cheng Yuan did not press further. After a brief moment of contemplation, he granted her request, designating her as the final Palace Food Attendant to serve in Cifu Palace.
Fengxian believed Zhenzhen's action was too risky. "Your mother was taken away by Cheng Yuan, and her fate remains unknown. Cheng Yuan holds great authority in Cifu Palace; disposing of a palace attendant would be as easy as turning over his hand for him. If he is a wicked person, your going there would be like walking straight into a trap. It would be better to remain in the inner court. If you are fortunate enough to serve someone in a high position in the future, investigating matters related to Cifu Palace would not be difficult."
Zhenzhen shook her head. "Since we entered the palace, we have heard quite a bit about the affairs of the imperial family. The Emperor is the adopted son of the late emperor, not the biological child of the Empress Dowager. Since ascending the throne, he has been fearful of others accusing him of unfilial piety, so he treats the Empress Dowager with great respect and exceptional filial devotion, usually refraining from interfering in the internal affairs of Cifu Palace. If even the Emperor is like this, which noble person can I expect to help me delve into Cifu Palace to inquire about my mother's whereabouts? Entering Cifu Palace now may indeed carry risks, but going there offers hope of learning the truth. If I do not go, uncovering the truth will remain a distant and uncertain prospect."Zhenzhen quickly packed her belongings and moved to Cifu Palace along with twenty-nine other palace attendants. Cifu Palace was located in the northern part of the palace complex, and people in the capital also referred to it as the "Northern Inner Palace." Its layout and scale of pavilions were similar to those of the inner palace, though its gardens and architecture appeared even more exquisite. The number of eunuchs and palace attendants in this Northern Inner Palace was also comparable to that of the inner palace, with no fewer than a hundred people serving the Empress Dowager’s meals alone. As newcomers, Zhenzhen and her group naturally had no chance to serve the Empress Dowager directly upon arrival. They were handed over to Official Sun for training.
These young cooks had been carefully selected from various regions, each possessing exceptional skills. However, the Empress Dowager seemed uninterested in sampling their culinary talents and never ordered them to prepare dishes. Official Sun appeared amiable, talkative, and approachable, unlike Pei Shangshi and Qin Sishan, who often treated others with cold indifference. Yet, she seemed to have no serious plan to instruct the new palace attendants, assigning them only menial tasks such as washing and chopping vegetables.
Upon arriving at Cifu Palace, Zhenzhen tried every means to inquire about Qiu Niang from the palace staff there, but still found no information. It seemed the only person who could answer this question was Cheng Yuan. Since entering Cifu Palace, Zhenzhen had not seen Cheng Yuan again. Cheng Yuan held a position of considerable authority here, while Zhenzhen was merely a low-ranking palace attendant without any official rank, making it naturally difficult for her to meet him. After enduring days of anxious waiting, Zhenzhen finally seized an opportunity to speak with him.
That afternoon, the Empress Dowager was taking a nap in her bedchamber, with Official Sun attending outside. It was midsummer, and the weather was sweltering. Wang Zhangshan, a female official under Official Sun, prepared some chilled desserts to relieve the heat and had several palace attendants each carry a bowl to the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber. After they departed, Wang Zhangshan took out another bowl of chilled crystal saponaria seeds and ordered Zhenzhen to deliver it to Official Sun.
Carrying the crystal saponaria seeds, Zhenzhen entered the gardens of Cifu Palace. By then, the palace attendants who had left earlier were already far ahead. Unfamiliar with the location of the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber, Zhenzhen had to ask the palace staff she encountered along the way, searching as she went. However, the palace gardens were built in the style of southern Chinese landscaping, with winding paths leading to secluded spots, intertwined flowers and trees, and numerous rock formations resembling a thousand peaks and valleys. Before long, Zhenzhen lost her way. After circling several artificial hills, she suddenly came upon a vast grove of crabapple trees. A stream flowed gently through the woods, and in the center of the garden stood a pavilion about several zhang high, resembling a viewing platform for admiring flowers. A plaque hung beneath the eaves of the pavilion, inscribed with the characters "Huanxi."
A slender man in a long robe and a futou cap was wielding a brush inside the pavilion’s railing, seemingly writing or painting.
Zhenzhen looked closely and recognized the man as Cheng Yuan. This unexpected encounter instantly sparked an idea in her mind. Holding the crystal saponaria seeds, she immediately approached the junior eunuch standing guard below the pavilion and said, "Official Sun instructed me to deliver crystal saponaria seeds to Master Cheng to relieve the summer heat. Could you kindly announce me?"
The junior eunuch glanced at her suspiciously and replied, "Master Cheng never eats crystal saponaria seeds."
Crystal saponaria seeds are made by soaking and boiling saponaria seeds. Saponaria seeds are the kernels of the Chinese honey locust fruit. After soaking, they expand and become translucent and gelatinous, also known as snow lotus seeds. Women in the capital often soak them in sugar water as a dessert, believed to nourish the heart, improve circulation, and beautify the skin. However, Cheng Yuan had always disliked this dish.Zhenzhen was taken aback for a moment, then quickly found her response: "Official Sun says that there is no fixed taste in food—what suits the palate is precious. Perhaps Mr. Cheng disliked the crystal soapberries before because the preparation didn’t suit his taste. This bowl today is seasoned differently from before and might please him."
The junior eunuch had no choice but to reach out to take the tray, saying, "Give it to me. I’ll deliver it to Mr. Cheng."
Zhenzhen immediately stepped back slightly, avoiding the junior eunuch, and said, "Official Sun instructed me to personally present the crystal soapberries to Mr. Cheng so I can hear his opinion."
The junior eunuch then asked Zhenzhen to wait while he went upstairs to seek Cheng Yuan’s permission. He returned shortly and gestured for her to go up.
Cheng Yuan was in the midst of writing cursive calligraphy. Hearing Zhenzhen enter, he didn’t look up but continued writing as he said with a smile, "These crystal soapberries weren’t prepared by Official Sun, were they?"
Cheng Yuan didn’t eat snow lotus seeds, something Official Sun naturally knew, so it was unlikely she would offer such a thing to him. Moreover, upon hearing the phrase "there is no fixed taste in food—what suits the palate is precious," Cheng Yuan had already guessed it was Zhenzhen who had come to see him and was well aware of her purpose.
Zhenzhen didn’t waste words either. After setting down the crystal soapberries and hastily bowing to Cheng Yuan, she went straight to the point: "When you went to Pujiang, Mr. Cheng, you took my mother with you. I dare to ask, where is my mother now? Is she safe?"
Cheng Yuan didn’t answer but pointed to the characters he had just written, smiling as he gestured for her to look. "Palace attendant, take a look. How is my calligraphy?"
Zhenzhen approached the desk and examined Cheng Yuan’s writing briefly. It was a seven-character quatrain: "Who burns night incense downstairs, / Jade flutes lament in the early chill. / A guest chants of autumn fans in the wind, / No one sees the evening makeup under the moon."
Zhenzhen didn’t fully understand the poem’s meaning but found the calligraphy beautiful, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. Unable to think of elegant words to praise it, when Cheng Yuan asked for her opinion again, she could only offer a vague compliment: "Your writing is so lively and spirited—truly excellent."
In truth, Cheng Yuan’s writing was in semi-cursive script, free and elegant, but executed with calm restraint, far from "lively and spirited." Unfazed by Zhenzhen’s off-the-mark praise, he instead asked her, "Have you heard of this poem, palace attendant?"
Zhenzhen shook her head blankly.
Cheng Yuan explained, "It was written by Dongpo Jushi."
"Oh, it’s Dongpo Jushi—I know of him…" Zhenzhen suddenly understood, feeling as though she had encountered a familiar name, then sighed. "But I know more about his dishes than his poetry."
Cheng Yuan couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
Once his laughter subsided, Zhenzhen pressed on: "Where is my mother? I hope you can tell me clearly."
Cheng Yuan still didn’t answer, instead bringing up another matter: "The day before yesterday, Lady of Chen came to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and mentioned that the cook making pastries in her residence wasn’t quite satisfactory. The Empress Dowager then decided to select one of the Palace Food Attendants from Cifu Palace to give to her. I’ve heard your pastries are quite good. How about sending you to the residence of the Prince of Yanping?"
Zhenzhen was stunned. "I haven’t seen my mother yet. I can’t leave Cifu Palace now."
Cheng Yuan chuckled. "I’m not asking for your opinion."
Zhenzhen fell silent, then after a moment asked, "So, you won’t tell me where my mother is?""You have no right to question me." Cheng Yuan looked at her with an apparent kindness, yet his words carried no warmth. "You are but an insignificant little palace attendant, while I oversee Cifu Palace. In this palace, aside from the Empress Dowager, everyone must heed my will. Usually, it is only I who ask questions; others dare not inquire beyond pleasantries, and if they do, I do not answer. There is no need for you to try further—I will not answer any of your questions. All you can do now is obediently pack your belongings and go to the residence of the Prince of Yanping to serve as a cook. If you refuse or speak out of turn, I will have no choice but to discipline you according to palace regulations."
Zhenzhen sensed the coldness and finality in his gaze, realizing that further words were futile and the matter was beyond redemption. She made no further attempt to plead her case, yet she posed one final question to Cheng Yuan: "If one day I return to the palace, no longer an insignificant little palace attendant, will you then tell me where my mother has gone?"
Cheng Yuan’s gaze softened, a faint smile touching the corners of his lips as he replied with an almost amiable tone, "You may try and see."
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