Consort Liu received Zhenzhen in the main hall, accepted Consort Li's gifts, and then ordered the supervising official of her own pavilion to fetch gold coins, rhinoceros horn and jade coins, gold-foil decorated silk flowers, along with various foods and fruits as return gifts. She spoke amiably with Zhenzhen for a while, asking her name, age, and hometown. Before long, they seemed quite familiar, and she began affectionately calling her "Zhenzhen." She then instructed a maid to fetch her own pearl floral hairpin as a meeting gift for Zhenzhen, and also bestowed rewards upon the junior eunuchs from Phoenix Arrival Pavilion who had delivered the gifts. Zhenzhen had initially thought that such a favored consort would inevitably carry some arrogance, but now she appeared quite amiable and very adept at handling people.
Shortly after leaving Furong Pavilion, Zhenzhen heard someone calling "sister" from behind, asking her to wait. Turning around, she saw Xiangli'er running toward her, holding up her skirt.
Xiangli'er ran up to Zhenzhen and, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, told her, "The Emperor has granted a courtyard residence for Aunt and me to live in—it used to be Madam Ju's former residence in the palace. It's much larger than my previous quarters. Sister, you must come visit me when you have time."
Zhenzhen congratulated her with a smile and asked how it happened that she had acquired Madam Ju's courtyard. Xiangli'er explained, "That courtyard was locked up by the late emperor after Madam Ju left the palace, and no one has lived there for nearly twenty years. The other day, when The Emperor and Consort Liu came to the Immortal Music Academy to listen to my aunt play the pipa, they passed by that courtyard. Seeing it was quite spacious but overgrown with weeds and completely abandoned, and hearing that my aunt's living quarters were humble, The Emperor ordered the lock opened, had the courtyard cleaned up, and granted it to my aunt and me."
Excited by the topic, Xiangli'er immediately invited Zhenzhen to visit. Zhenzhen explained that she needed to return to Phoenix Arrival Pavilion to report back but promised to visit in the future. Only then did Xiangli'er release her hand and bid her a friendly farewell.
After returning to Phoenix Arrival Pavilion to report, Zhenzhen went to the kitchen as usual to assist Chief Steward Hu. Shortly after, the junior eunuch from Furong Pavilion arrived with Consort Liu's return gifts, bringing the food and fruits into the kitchen. Zhenzhen checked and stored the items, noting that the dried foods and nuts were contained in lacquerware or metal vessels, while the fruits were placed in bamboo-woven food hampers. As she handled these bamboo hampers, Zhenzhen recalled Wang Muze's story about Consort Li exchanging a child using a food hamper. Her movements paused, and she bent down to carefully examine the hampers.
These bamboo-woven food hampers were each about two feet long, one and a half feet wide, and slightly over a foot tall, with two or three movable or removable partitions inside. The lid was arched, with a standing handle. Woven from bamboo strips, they featured intricate patterns with slight gaps between each design, allowing ventilation for the stored fruits.
Such a container could indeed hold a newborn baby. The gaps in the bamboo weave would likely prevent the child from suffocating. Zhenzhen thought to herself that if Consort Li and her family had wanted to swap a child, this food hamper would indeed be an ideal tool.
Chief Steward Hu, noticing Zhenzhen's intense focus on the hampers, assumed she was fascinated by these imperial utensils and struck up a conversation: "These bamboo-woven food hampers are quite practical, though not as exquisite as lacquerware. In the past, when the palace or imperial relatives gave gifts for births, fruits were also presented in lacquerware, which was much more beautiful. However, the late emperor later discovered that lacquerware was too airtight and caused fruits to spoil easily, so he ordered the Inner Treasury to switch to bamboo-woven hampers."
Zhenzhen's mind stirred, and she immediately asked, "Which year did the late emperor order the switch to bamboo-woven hampers?"
Chief Steward Hu thought for a moment and said, "It must have been about seventeen or eighteen years ago."
"Seventeen or eighteen years?" Zhenzhen pressed further."I can't remember that clearly, you'd have to ask the people from the Inner Treasury," said Hu Dianshan, then instructed Zhenzhen, "After taking out the fruits and food, find two junior eunuchs to return these utensils to the Inner Treasury."
Zhenzhen asked, "Can't we keep them for the next time we send gifts from the pavilion?"
Hu Dianshan replied, "The designs of the utensils change; they are replaced every year or two. There's no need to keep the old ones. For gift-giving, we must fetch the latest ones from the Inner Treasury each time."
On the day the utensils were returned to the Inner Treasury, Zhenzhen led the junior eunuchs there. She lavished praise on the eunuch who received them and offered many pastries and fruits. Seeing the eunuch's pleased expression, Zhenzhen began inquiring about the year the fruit containers were changed from lacquerware to bamboo-woven food hampers. The eunuch asked her to wait a moment while he went inside to check. Upon returning, he told Zhenzhen, "They were stored in the treasury in the sixth month of the eighteenth year of Shaoxing and put into use in the eighth month."
Zhenzhen quickly relayed this information to Zhao Ai, adding, "Feng Jing's birthday was in the third month of the eighteenth year of Shaoxing. At that time, when gifts were sent for births among the imperial clan and relatives, lacquerware was still used for fruits. This means it was impossible for Consort Li and the Feng family to have swapped the child using a bamboo-woven food hamper, as Wang Muze claimed."
Zhao Ai's eyes lit up with joy. "If this is a lie, then the rest of his words are also untrustworthy. These past few days, I've been investigating thoroughly and might find some witnesses or evidence."
The next day, Hu Dianshan told Zhenzhen that the green salt used for Consort Li's dishes was running low and instructed her to fetch some from the Imperial Academy of Medicine from Imperial Physician Zhou. Zhenzhen immediately recalled the Imperial Physician Zhou who treated Consort Li on the day she gave birth and wondered if it was the same person. She asked, "Which Imperial Physician Zhou? What is his full name?"
Hu Dianshan replied, "There's only one Imperial Physician Zhou at the Imperial Academy of Medicine—Imperial Physician Zhou Zhiqi, the He'an Grand Master."
Zhenzhen asked further, "Don't we always get our salt from the Inner Treasury? Why do we need to fetch it from Imperial Physician Zhou?"
Hu Dianshan answered, "Imperial Physician Zhou has been Consort Li's primary physician for over a decade. He often reminds me to pay attention to the details of the consort's diet and avoid any food taboos—he is very meticulous. He also inspects the condiments the consort uses, testing them himself to ensure they are safe before allowing us to use them. So, every time we fetch seasonings from the Inner Treasury, we first send them to him for inspection. Only after he confirms they are safe do we retrieve them."
Zhenzhen accepted the task and headed to the Imperial Academy of Medicine. That day, the academy was unusually quiet and sparsely populated. After some difficulty, Zhenzhen found a young medical assistant and inquired. The assistant said, "Today, the Empress Dowager is unwell, so most of the imperial physicians have gone to Cifu Palace for a consultation. Imperial Physician Zhou is among them."
Worried that Hu Dianshan urgently needed the green salt, Zhenzhen couldn't hide her disappointment. The medical assistant asked her why she was looking for Imperial Physician Zhou, and after Zhenzhen explained, he smiled and said, "That's no problem. Recently, Imperial Physician Zhou has often asked me to blend green salt for him, likely for Phoenix Arrival Pavilion. I have some here now; you can take it for now."
He led Zhenzhen to his medicine preparation area and retrieved the green salt for her. Zhenzhen noticed that the green salt looked normal, but recalling his mention of "blending," she grew suspicious. She took a small amount and tasted it, gradually detecting an extremely faint medicinal flavor amidst the saltiness. The medicinal taste was subtle and could easily be overlooked by someone with a less sensitive palate. However, Zhenzhen, having often practiced blind taste tests under Yin Qi's guidance and having carefully distinguished various types of salt, quickly realized this green salt was unusual.
"Why does this green salt have a medicinal taste?" Zhenzhen asked the medical assistant.The medical craftsman smiled candidly and said, "This is for palace attendants to clean their teeth and rinse their mouths with, so of course some medicinal juices are blended in. Medical Officer Zhou said the attendants dislike the taste of medicine, so he instructed me to control the dosage. The proportion of medicine is very small, which is why the scent is already quite faint."
Zhenzhen vaguely sensed something amiss. The green salt Consort Li used for cleaning her teeth had always been prepared by the attendants in the Wardrobe Bureau who blended fragrances, not provided by Medical Officer Zhou.
Lowering her gaze in brief contemplation, she calmly asked the medical craftsman, "This salt looks quite similar to what we use in the kitchen. What would happen if someone accidentally used it for cooking and ingested it?"
The craftsman replied, "Occasionally ingesting a little should be fine, as long as it’s not consumed year after year."
When Zhenzhen pressed further about the consequences of long-term consumption, he answered, "It would cause lethargy, affect the stomach and intestines, disrupt qi and blood, and lead to symptoms like bloating and edema."
The doubts in her mind gradually found answers. Zhenzhen thanked the craftsman and asked for his name and position. The craftsman smiled and replied, "My name is Han Suwen. I’m eighteen years old. I was originally a medical student and have just passed the examinations on medical texts, pulse theory, and general principles to enter the Imperial Academy of Medicine. My current medical position is that of a Hanlin Medical Scholar."
Zhenzhen praised, "Impressive, impressive! To enter the Imperial Academy of Medicine at just eighteen—you’re practically a medical prodigy! With more training and experience, you’ll surely become a great imperial physician of our dynasty."
Imperial medical officers were generally referred to as imperial physicians or court physicians, but only those qualified to diagnose the emperor’s pulse could be called "imperial physicians"—a title reserved for the most distinguished among renowned doctors. Thus, Han Suwen was delighted to hear her say this and laughed heartily as he thanked her.
As they were chatting happily, Han Suwen invited Zhenzhen into a hall adorned with portraits of famous physicians throughout history. He clasped his hands in salute toward one of the portraits and said, "To be honest, my aspiration is to become a great imperial physician like him."
Zhenzhen looked up and saw a portrait of a Hanlin medical officer dressed in a blue-green official robe. He had regular features, an air of integrity between his brows, and a thin mustache. He appeared to be no older than thirty, standing with his hands behind his back, holding a scroll of the Suwen as he faced the wind at the edge of a cliff. His gaze was sharp as he turned his head slightly toward the viewer, exuding an aura of looking down upon the world.
"Who is this?" Zhenzhen asked.
"Zhang Yunqiao, Imperial Physician Zhang," Han Suwen replied. "He was appointed as the He’an Lang by the late emperor when he was only in his twenties. He cured many patients, including the late emperor, the current emperor, and even my father. That’s why I regard him as a deity. Before every examination or medical visit, I pay my respects to him, asking for his blessings to ensure everything goes smoothly."
"So... is he no longer alive?"
"That’s hard to say," Han Suwen scratched his head. "In his lifetime, he probably only failed to save one patient—Grand Tutor Qi. After Grand Tutor Qi’s death, he left the Imperial Academy of Medicine and vanished without a trace. Since the current emperor ascended the throne, he has sent people to search for him multiple times, but he has never been found. It’s unknown whether he is still alive."
Han Suwen gestured toward the portrait again and said, "This portrait was commissioned by His Majesty for the purpose of searching for him. Later, it was bestowed upon the Imperial Academy of Medicine for people to admire."Zhenzhen returned to the Phoenix Arrival Pavilion with the green salt. First, she examined the remaining green salt in the kitchen and confirmed that its taste matched the one Han Suwen had prepared for Zhou Zhiqi. She immediately asked the Hu Dian-shan to temporarily refrain from using the green salt, then headed to the Qinghua Pavilion to meet with Zhao Ai. She informed him about Medical Officer Zhou providing the imperial consort with green salt laced with medicine. Zhao Ai first ordered Fengxian to retrieve the green salt from the pavilion and had Zhenzhen and Fengxian compare it again with Zhou Zhiqi’s sample. Fengxian also discerned that Zhou Zhiqi’s salt contained added medicine, while the Qinghua Pavilion’s was normal. Zhao Ai then remarked, “It seems this matter is solely targeting the imperial consort… Zhou Zhiqi has been scheming for years to harm the imperial consort, though it’s unclear whether he acted alone or under Wang Muze’s orders.”
Although Fengxian was unaware of the hidden circumstances between Zhao Xi and Feng Jing, she understood from the conversation between Zhao Ai and Zhenzhen that Zhou Zhiqi might be colluding with Wang Muze for some ulterior motive. After a moment of thought, she said, “Harming the imperial consort is no trivial matter. To determine whether Wang Muze is involved, perhaps we could test him…”
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