"After Official Liu entered the palace, could the eldest young master still see her often? He seemed quite familiar with her." Zhenzhen recalled Yin Qi's attachment to her that night after mistaking her for someone else, and thus asked Madam Luo this question.
Madam Luo replied, "She entered the palace when the eldest young master was only two years old, so in principle, his memories of her shouldn't be deep. However, as a noble relative, the eldest young master often entered the palace to play with the princes, and thus frequently encountered Official Liu. Official Liu was very fond of the eldest young master, always giving him various pastries she had made. Sometimes, the eldest young master would even follow her to the kitchen to watch her work, especially loving the scent of pastries that clung to her clothes."
In an instant, Zhenzhen understood why Yin Qi had suddenly grabbed her sleeve to smell it that night—this was likely his way of confirming Official Liu's identity in his dazed state.
Madam Luo sighed with a smile, "The eldest young master was never much of a talker since childhood, but Official Liu was lively and particularly good at amusing children. When they were together, they often chatted and laughed. The mistress often lamented back then that the eldest young master was closer to Official Liu than to her."
"Official Liu seems like someone who got along well with others," Zhenzhen remarked. "Loyal in serving her master, friendly in treating others, and very fond of children—she must have been well-liked in the palace... But where did she go later? Why is she rarely talked about in the palace now?"
"Well... um, she later eloped with someone and fled the palace," Madam Luo hesitated and answered briefly.
Zhenzhen was greatly surprised. "The late emperor valued her so much, yet she still eloped. The person she fell in love with must have been extraordinary, right?"
"Let's not talk about this anymore. Such messy matters aren't good for young girls like you to hear," Madam Luo said, rising to her feet. "The eldest young master should take his afternoon nap. I'll go check on him."
After walking a few steps, Madam Luo turned back to Zhenzhen and added with some hesitation, emphasizing her words, "By the way, there's something I must remind you: do not mention the word 'wonton' in front of the eldest young master, and do not make them either. This is a major taboo in the prince's residence."
This was something Zhenzhen had realized since Yin Qi's episode, but no one had ever explained the reason to her. And now, Madam Luo showed no intention of explaining either. After speaking, she hurried off to Yin Qi's quarters, leaving Zhenzhen no opportunity to ask questions.
Zhenzhen served Yin Qi his meals, never expecting that in discerning the subtle flavors of food, he could actually be her teacher.
One evening during dinner, among the dishes presented by the kitchen was a serving of roasted lamb. After tasting it, Zhenzhen placed a small portion on a silver plate and presented it to Yin Qi. Remembering how Yin Qi had ordered someone to replace Wu Salt with orange zest, she placed a bit of Wu Salt on his table for seasoning.
Seeing this, Yin Qi gently instructed her to remove the Wu Salt and replace it with Western Xia green salt.
Zhenzhen was somewhat surprised and immediately explained, "I thought the young master preferred Wu Salt."
Yin Qi said, "Wu Salt is white and mild in flavor, suitable for pairing with fruits. Green salt, on the other hand, is rich and sweet, better able to enhance the flavor of meat."
Zhenzhen observed carefully and noticed that the Wu Salt was fine and white, with very small grains, while the green salt had larger crystals and a bluish tint. Curious, she sprinkled a little on the lamb and tasted it. The green salt did not dissolve immediately; when her teeth touched it, she could clearly feel the crispness of the crystals. As the salt grains cracked in her mouth, the resulting salty flavor instantly blended with the faint meat aroma hidden beneath the fat. A rich and almost enchanting taste began to dance on her tongue, tempting her to eagerly anticipate the next bite.Since childhood, Wu Salt had been commonly used at home. Although Qiu Niang also used salt from other regions such as Xiechi salt and Sichuan-Shaanxi salt, Zhenzhen had hardly ever paid attention to the different uses of salt from various places, nor had she been aware of the subtle differences in flavor that might exist.
In the evening, Yin Qi instructed a maid to bring out a set of glass bottles, each containing salt crystals of varying colors and coarseness.
"Salt can be categorized by its source: sea salt, lake salt, well salt, cliff salt, or rock salt; by its shape: pearl, glass, coral, crystal, snowflake, stalactite, pagoda, and so on; by its color: red, purple, green, black, white; and by its origin—there are even more distinctions..." Yin Qi suggested to Zhenzhen with a smile, "Why don't we play a game? We'll both blindfold ourselves and taste the salt selected by the maid, then see who can correctly identify its type."
Zhenzhen hastily waved her hand. "I've never paid close attention to these distinctions. I wouldn't dare compete with you."
Yin Qi didn't press her and said good-naturedly, "Then you blindfold me and see if I can identify them correctly."
Zhenzhen did as instructed, covering Yin Qi's eyes with a silk scarf. Then, using a silver spoon, she took a small amount of reddish, translucent salt crystals from one of the glass bottles and handed it to Yin Qi to taste.
Yin Qi quickly reached a conclusion. "Not very salty, with coarse grains. Upon careful tasting, there's a faint metallic flavor. This is lake salt from Xi'an Prefecture." After a pause, he added, "It's red, isn't it?"
Zhenzhen confirmed it and took another sample of pure white, crystalline salt with pagoda-shaped grains for him to taste again. Moments later, Yin Qi commented, "This is sea salt, with a clear and mild taste, carrying a hint of floral fragrance. It's a type of salt from the Byzantine Empire, brought by Arab merchants."
The maid who had brought out the salt bottles was already smiling in admiration.
Zhenzhen tasted some herself. Although she could sense slight differences in saltiness, she couldn't detect any metallic flavor or floral fragrance. She expressed deep admiration for Yin Qi's keen sense of taste. Yin Qi removed the blindfold and said with a gentle smile, "I rarely go out and have plenty of free time every day, so I have the leisure to repeatedly engage in these seemingly trivial activities... If you taste more in the future, you'll also be able to discern the differences."
Then he suggested Zhenzhen blindfold herself. "When your eyes are covered, your tongue becomes more sensitive, making it easier to detect subtle differences in food."
Zhenzhen tried it and indeed found that when tasting the salt crystals again, she could perceive richer flavors.
"This method is wonderful," Zhenzhen said with a laugh. "How did you come up with it, Eldest Young Master?"
Yin Qi's smile gradually faded. After a moment, he lowered his gaze and said sadly, "It was Aunt Liu who taught me."
He seemed unwilling to say more about Aunt Liu and didn't continue the conversation with Zhenzhen. However, he often played this blindfolded tasting game with her afterward, not only with salt but also with various sauces, pastes, sugars, and teas. Whoever guessed incorrectly would face a small penalty from the winner, and the two often played with great delight.
One day, when Lady of Chen came to visit Yin Qi, she heard continuous laughter from his room as soon as she entered the courtyard. Without waiting for the maid to announce her, she hurried inside and happened to see Yin Qi turning his head with a smile. On his fair, moon-like face, two ink-drawn mustaches were strikingly visible, while Zhenzhen stood opposite him, waving a brush and laughing, "This stroke didn't turn out well. Let's do it again!"
Lady of Chen's face darkened. "What kind of behavior is this!"
Yin Qi and Zhenzhen quickly composed themselves, stepped forward, and bowed in greeting.Yin Qi bowed deeply to the Lady of Chen, not forgetting to defend Zhenzhen: "It was I who wanted to play the tea-guessing game with Attendant Wu. I drink little tea and lost to her. This punishment was also my idea. I accept the consequences of the wager—it is not her fault."
The Lady of Chen looked Zhenzhen up and down but said nothing more. After a moment, she took her son's hand, lovingly wiped away the thin layer of sweat on his forehead, and said softly, "As long as you found it amusing. But you must wash off this ink stain promptly, so it doesn’t leave a mark on your face."
Madam Luo, worried that the Lady of Chen might be displeased, later went to explain to her, saying that although such games disregarded social hierarchy and were somewhat inappropriate, the eldest son had been in high spirits lately, and his complexion had improved compared to before.
The Lady of Chen pondered this, then said to Madam Luo, "Although this Wu Zhenzhen lacks proper etiquette, the eldest son seems to get along quite well with her. I think her appearance is also decent. Why not let the eldest son take her into his household?"
Madam Luo smiled and replied, "Your Ladyship is thoughtful. It’s rare to find a maid the eldest son takes a liking to. Taking her into the household early would also allow him to start a family sooner, so Your Ladyship can hold a grandchild."
The Lady of Chen smiled faintly. Thinking of Yin Qi’s marriage prospects—too high to settle for less, yet too low to find a suitable match—she couldn’t help but frown and sigh quietly to herself.
Following the Lady of Chen’s instructions, Madam Luo conveyed this intention to Zhenzhen and Yin Qi. Zhenzhen was startled and immediately declined politely. Madam Luo tried to persuade her: "Among the noble relatives, who can compare to the prince in terms of closeness to the imperial family and status? Marrying into the prince’s household is a blessing you’ve earned from a past life. Moreover, the eldest son’s character and appearance are first-rate—you won’t be wronged, young lady."
Zhenzhen claimed that her humble origins made her unworthy of the eldest son. Madam Luo added, "To be honest, with your background, you cannot become the eldest son’s principal wife. But as a palace attendant who came from the palace, you are more than qualified to be his concubine. Since the eldest son is not yet married, it’s not appropriate to give you a high status for now. But the Lady of Chen has said that once the eldest son takes a wife, she will report to The Emperor, and it won’t be difficult to request a title of county lady or commandery lady for you."
Zhenzhen had no choice but to make an excuse, saying that when she left the palace, Official Sun had told her she was being sent out for experience and that she might be recalled if Cifu Palace needed her again. Madam Luo sneered, "Young lady, you actually take those words seriously? I’ve never heard of palace attendants given to court officials being recalled. Once granted, the original intention was for them to serve as concubines to the officials. How could there be any reason to recall these concubines back to the palace?"
Zhenzhen was taken aback, realizing that once she left the palace, she would likely be seen as having lost her purity, making it difficult to return. This was probably Cheng Yuan’s original intention in sending her to the prince’s household. Her heart grew heavier, and she stopped arguing. No matter how much Madam Luo tried to persuade her, she remained silent and never agreed.
After Madam Luo left, Yin Qi dismissed the others and gently asked Zhenzhen, "You’re unwilling—do you dislike me?"
Zhenzhen shook her head and said gloomily, "The eldest son is very good. It’s just that I have my own difficulties and cannot marry at this time."
Yin Qi asked what difficulties she had. Zhenzhen hesitated and said, "I still need to find my mother."She briefly told Yin Qi about her mother's disappearance. Yin Qi said, "I haven't heard of your mother's name either, but I can help you inquire about it." After a moment's thought, he added with a slight smile, "But that shouldn't stop you from getting married. If you marry me, I can ask my father and mother to help you search together. Wouldn't that make it easier?"
Zhenzhen fell silent. After a long pause, she sighed and told Yin Qi, "Someone once told me that if I could leave the palace, he hoped I would find him during the Mid-Autumn Festival to admire the moon together."
Yin Qi was taken aback. "Did you agree?"
"I didn't answer immediately, but in my heart... in my heart, I..."
Yin Qi gazed at her quietly. As if recalling something, his breathing gradually grew rapid, and his eyes began to lose focus.
Sensing something was wrong, Zhenzhen called out, "Young Master." Yin Qi did not respond. His drifting gaze wandered over Zhenzhen's face, but she couldn't be sure if he was truly looking at her.
"Why... why do you all want to leave the palace, why do you all want to leave me?" Yin Qi murmured.
Fearing he might have another episode, Zhenzhen cautiously reached out to take his hand, hoping to offer some comfort.
Yin Qi abruptly shook off her hand, suddenly stood up, his chest heaving as anger surged within him. His eyes, fixed on Zhenzhen, burned with fury but also glistened with tears. "Why do you want to leave? Don't you know how dangerous it is outside? There are so many people who want to harm you, who want to hurt you..."
Trembling and gasping for breath, a tear slid from his eyes.
Zhenzhen took out her handkerchief and moved closer, intending to wipe his tears. But as soon as the cotton handkerchief touched his face, he let out a sharp cry and pushed her away forcefully. His eyes then turned to the handkerchief, his pupils involuntarily contracting, filled with terror.
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