After the New Year, when Pei Shangshi saw that Zhenzhen's culinary skills had improved by leaps and bounds, and that she could now replicate imperial dishes with near-perfect accuracy, she asked her how she managed it. Zhenzhen replied, "When I want to learn a particular imperial dish, I still prefer to seek guidance from the kitchen staff who specialize in making it. I observe their personalities and preferences closely. If they value wealth, I offer a generous tuition fee and straightforwardly ask them to teach me. If they care about reputation, I frequently praise their exceptional culinary skills to others, and when word reaches them, they naturally feel pleased. Then, when I ask for their advice, they are more willing to share. If they are indifferent to fame and fortune, I pay attention to what they lack. Some love tea, so I give them the imperial tea bestowed upon me by the Emperor. Some enjoy wine, so I quietly replace the strong liquor they keep in the kitchen with a more fragrant variety and leave behind the sobering-up ice I made. Others may need help with personal matters, such as when they or their family members fall ill—in such cases, I immediately request the imperial physicians to treat them... By treating them this way, they reciprocate with kindness and later take the initiative to teach me whatever I wish to learn... However, there are exceptions. That Li Shishou is unmoved by both soft and hard approaches. No matter what I do, he ignores me."
Upon hearing this, Pei Shangshi smiled faintly and said, "He is the most stubborn person in the imperial kitchen, so it's only natural that he isn't easily swayed. But it doesn't matter. It's best if he is willing to teach, but if not, there's no need to force it. Just handle him carefully, avoid provoking him, and each of you should focus on your own duties."
After tasting Zhenzhen's stir-fried shredded pork, the Emperor also became quite interested in her folk-style dishes. The Emperor's casual snacking outside of regular meals was referred to as "casual snacking." Since Zhenzhen's arrival, the frequency of such snacking gradually increased. He had tried her Plum Blossom Soup Noodles, Mountain and Sea Pouch, chicken broth wonton, and wine-braised jade mushrooms. One day, he even enjoyed a rabbit meat hotpot, known as "Cloud-Skimming Hotpot," during the night, a time when he typically did not eat.
One day, Cheng Yuan came from Cifu Palace to deliver a message from the Empress Dowager. As it happened to be mealtime, the Emperor invited him to dine together in the Jiaming Hall. During the meal, the Emperor praised Zhenzhen's culinary skills with a smile and said to Cheng Yuan, "Zhenzhen is so dedicated. Given time, her future achievements will surely not be inferior to those of the former Liu Shangshi and Official Liu... There's just one drawback: since she began serving me, I've had to loosen my belt by one notch."
Cheng Yuan bowed slightly with a smile and said, "Seeing Your Majesty's radiant complexion and increasingly robust health, I can tell that Attendant Wu is exceptionally clever and possesses outstanding culinary skills."
After the meal, the Emperor left the Jiaming Hall to return to the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility. Cheng Yuan escorted him out of the hall, respectfully seeing him off until he was far away. Just as he was about to return to Cifu Palace, he heard Zhenzhen calling from behind, "Mr. Cheng, please wait."
Cheng Yuan turned around unhurriedly, smiling faintly at her. As she approached, he bowed deeply to her and said, "What instructions does Attendant Wu have for me?"
Zhenzhen returned the courtesy and then said, "Previously, I asked you about my mother's whereabouts. At that time, you said I was merely an insignificant palace attendant and had no right to inquire. Now, do I have the right to ask again?"
"Who doesn't know that you are now the newly favored attendant by the Emperor's side? If you have questions, I naturally dare not refuse to answer," Cheng Yuan replied, neither humble nor arrogant, his tone sounding very polite.
Zhenzhen said, "I only wish to know where my mother is and whether she is safe."
Cheng Yuan bowed slightly and said gently, "If you are willing, I will return to the Southern Inner Palace tomorrow and request the Emperor's permission to take you to Cifu Palace to handle some duties. Along the way, I can arrange for you to meet your mother."Zhenzhen agreed. Cheng Yuan indeed returned to the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility the next day, saying that the chefs of the Northern Inner Palace had heard of Zhenzhen's exceptional skill in stir-frying with an iron wok and greatly admired it. If permitted by The Emperor, they hoped she could go to Cifu Palace to sketch the wok's design, so that the Northern Inner Palace could replicate it.
The Emperor also quickly agreed, allowing Zhenzhen to accompany Cheng Yuan. After a moment's thought, he instructed Zhenzhen, "You might as well stay overnight at Cifu Palace tonight. At the fourth watch, I will have Yin Ti bring two palace attendants from the Imperial City Department to fetch you. On your way back, stop by the Chen Family Noodle Shop in Qinghe Lane, in the middle section of Imperial Street, and bring me a few quail wontons."
Zhenzhen accepted the order and immediately followed Cheng Yuan out of the Southern Inner Palace.
Cheng Yuan had Zhenzhen board a carriage and took her northward, but instead of heading directly to Cifu Palace, they circled around the palace city and stopped at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Cheng Yuan then ordered the attendant driving the carriage to wait there while he led Zhenzhen up the mountain. They followed a winding path through a dense forest, ascending toward the mountainside.
After a short climb, the path gradually widened, and the scenery ahead opened up. Not far in front, a protruding rock faced the palace city below. Behind the rock, the terrain leveled out, and beneath the shade of verdant pines and cypresses stood a solitary tomb built of brick and stone.
Cheng Yuan paused and gestured toward the solitary tomb. Seeing this, Zhenzhen was taken aback and immediately rushed toward it. To her shock, she saw characters carved on the tombstone: Tomb of Palace Attendant Wu.
"This... what is this?" Zhenzhen stood trembling in the cold mountain wind, pointing at the tombstone as she asked Cheng Yuan.
"This is your mother's grave," Cheng Yuan slowly walked up to her and said calmly.
"You're lying. My mother is healthy and couldn't have passed away so soon." Zhenzhen glared angrily at Cheng Yuan and raised her voice, "Don't think you can deceive me by pointing to a random grave!"
"I swear on my life that your birth mother is buried here," Cheng Yuan met Zhenzhen's gaze calmly, his tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority. "I personally chose this burial site for her, and I watched her being laid to rest with my own eyes... The characters on this tombstone were also written by my hand and carved by someone else."
Although spring had arrived, the weather remained bitterly cold, and the snow on the mountain had not yet melted. His hand slowly brushed over the top of the tombstone, causing a layer of lingering snow to fall with a rustle. Zhenzhen stood frozen, her gaze shifting to the tombstone. She noticed that the carving marks on the stone were still fresh, as if it had been erected within the past year."Your mother was originally a palace attendant to the late emperor, who held her in special regard, which is why the Empress Dowager also viewed her with disfavor." Seeing Zhenzhen quiet down, Cheng Yuan began to recount, "Later, she fell in love with someone outside the palace, escaped, and gave birth to you. After her husband passed away, she changed her name, took you to Pujiang, and raised you there. However, before the late emperor passed away, he issued an edict ordering her to be found and buried with him, so all these years, she has been pursued by Cifu Palace. Back when she was in the palace, she and I were close friends, and I have always wanted to help her escape this calamity. When I met her in Pujiang, I decided to bring her back to Lin’an immediately because your carelessness had led Ji Jinglan to discover she was no ordinary person. I had to place her under my protection to prevent Ji Jinglan from investigating further. I planned to return to Lin’an and persuade the Empress Dowager that the past was over, and it would be better to show mercy and spare her life, allowing her to formally apologize to the Empress Dowager and seek her forgiveness. With my current influence, I believed I could achieve this, so she would no longer have to live in fear and could continue to live peacefully with you. But unexpectedly, on her way to Lin’an, out of kindness, she cared for a young girl suffering from typhoid fever at an inn and contracted the illness herself. Shortly after arriving in Lin’an, she passed away."
After speaking, Cheng Yuan took out a letter and handed it to Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen accepted it, opened the envelope, and saw the elegant, orchid-and-bamboo-like small script—it was indeed her mother’s familiar handwriting.
Cheng Yuan said it was a letter her mother had written to her before her death. Zhenzhen quickly read through it and saw that the events described in the letter matched exactly what Cheng Yuan had said. Moreover, her mother advised her in the letter that life and death were fated, and she should not grieve excessively or blame or resent others. Ji Jinglan, Cheng Yuan, and the Empress Dowager were not evil people; they had merely done what they believed was right. Her mother expressed remorse for failing the late emperor’s favor and wished to seek his forgiveness in the afterlife. She hoped Zhenzhen would take good care of herself, treat others with kindness, cherish her blessings, be grateful, find a good partner soon, and live a peaceful and joyful life.
The handwriting was calm and orderly, showing no signs of being written under duress from Cheng Yuan. After reading it, Zhenzhen was already eighty to ninety percent convinced. Overwhelmed with grief, she knelt before the grave, calling out "Mother" again and again, weeping uncontrollably.
Cheng Yuan continued, "Shortly after you entered the palace, you asked me about your mother’s whereabouts. I was afraid that, unfamiliar with palace rules and overwhelmed by concern, you might react unpredictably upon hearing the tragic news, so I didn’t tell you immediately. Now, after a year of experience, you have matured greatly and gained much insight, so I believe you can understand these matters. That’s why I decided to tell you the truth. The deceased cannot be brought back to life, but your life must go on. Fortunately, you are clever, resilient, and have a likable temperament, so surviving in the palace should not be difficult for you. Moreover, you live in an era of clarity, where talent will not be buried in the mundane world. Continue to hone your skills and refine your craft, and your future prospects will not be limited to being a head chef." After a pause, he added, "If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can also tell me, and I will help you."She could no longer focus on his words that followed. Zhenzhen collapsed before her mother’s grave, weeping until she could barely breathe. Cheng Yuan did not attempt to console her, standing silently by her side as her sorrowful cries echoed through the mist-shrouded mountains. Only when twilight began to seep into the peaks did he urge Zhenzhen to leave with him.
Cheng Yuan and Zhenzhen rode together in a carriage toward the Northern Inner Palace. Along the way, Zhenzhen gradually managed to restrain her tears and began to reconsider her mother’s circumstances. After a moment, she asked Cheng Yuan, “Was my mother a palace attendant in the Bureau of Palace Provisions?”
Cheng Yuan replied, “No.”
Zhenzhen pressed further, “Then why did she have Official Liu’s recipe book?”
Cheng Yuan lowered his gaze in thought before answering, “They were close friends. It’s not unusual for Official Liu to have given her the recipes.”
Upon arriving at Cifu Palace, Cheng Yuan did not forget to have Zhenzhen sketch the iron pot design to fulfill her task, but he did not allow her to meet with other palace attendants. Instead, he arranged for her to rest early in her assigned quarters.
At the fourth watch the next day, as soon as the gates of the Northern Inner Palace opened, Yin Ti entered to fetch Zhenzhen. Accompanying him was not a eunuch, but Zhao Ai.
“I had just received the Emperor’s oral decree when Second Great King happened to learn of it. Then he happened to pass by the Imperial City Office, came in to tell me, and as it happened, he had no duties today and thought of riding along the palace walls—so why not come with me?” Yin Ti explained to Zhenzhen with a smile.
Zhao Ai nudged Yin Ti’s chest with his elbow, and as Yin Ti stepped back with a grin, Zhao Ai moved forward to speak to Zhenzhen. But he noticed her eyes were swollen and her expression somber, and immediately asked with concern, “What happened? Who upset you?” Seeing Zhenzhen remain silent, he frowned. “I’ll go ask Cheng Yuan.”
Zhenzhen quickly called him back, her voice subdued. “I’m fine… I just dreamed of my mother last night.”
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