Two days later, Zhao Ai handed Zhenzhen a detailed price list of ingredients from various markets in the capital. After reviewing it, Zhenzhen remarked, "As expected, most ingredients are priced at more than double the market rate, with quite a few even three or four times higher."
Zhao Ai asked, "What do you plan to do? Present it directly to The Emperor?"
Zhenzhen pondered for a moment without answering.
Zhao Ai then candidly shared his opinion: "If you directly advise The Emperor, he might consider this matter beyond your duties and vent his anger on you before addressing the issue. Moreover, since this matter involves many parties, The Emperor is likely to suppress it temporarily to avoid stirring up a major controversy before the Empress's investiture ceremony."
"I do have an idea..." Zhenzhen said. "I heard that Ji Jinglan has recently been promoted to Censor-in-Chief. The Censorate's duty is to investigate and rectify misconduct among officials, strictly punish corrupt officials, and uphold laws and regulations. Besides, this Mr. Ji must have been a cat in his past life that loved catching mice—it seems his years of investigating lawbreakers weren't just for promotion but out of a genuine passion for catching pests. This matter is most suitable for him to handle. However, as a palace attendant, it is a major taboo for me to discuss such matters with court officials. And you, as a prince, should also avoid private dealings with scholar-officials..."
"No need to worry," Zhao Ai said, watching Zhenzhen's expression gradually brighten into a smile. "During today's grand court assembly, I had a eunuch discreetly drop this price list and the budget for the investiture banquet prepared by the Imperial Kitchen at Ji Jinglan's feet. We truly are of one mind."
Since discovering the budget issue, Zhenzhen had often been frowning in thought. Now that a solution was in sight, she felt refreshed and restored to her energetic, cheerful self, smiling at everyone she met. Noticing this, Pei Shangshi privately asked her that evening, "Did you leak the Imperial Kitchen's budget to an outside official?"
Zhenzhen was taken aback and instinctively denied it: "No." Then, feeling guilty, she thought to herself that she had leaked it to Zhao Ai, who, strictly speaking, was not an "outside official."
Pei Shangshi did not press further but instead posed another question: "Do you think I ignored this matter because I was colluding with them, or even because I accepted their money?"
Zhenzhen hurriedly replied, "This servant never thought that."
Pei Shangshi sighed. "Over the years, it's not that no one has offered me money. But I'm old, my family line has ended, and I have no descendants. Unlike those powerful eunuchs, I have no interest in buying estates outside the palace to hide beauties. Tell me, what use is money to me?... For the past two years, whenever the Imperial Kitchen's procurement officer needed funds, the expenses listed were staggering. I raised objections a few times, but he ignored them. Gradually, I realized this wasn't just his doing. A banquet involves not only the Imperial Kitchen but also the Hanlin Office, which manages tea, imperial wine, and fruits; the Yiluan Office, which handles furnishings, utensils, and curtains; and above them, the Palace Eunuch Service and the Xuanhui Court, responsible for inspections. Budget approvals also involve the Three Departments in charge of finances... If all parties hadn't coordinated—or if someone of high authority hadn't given the order—how would a mere Imperial Kitchen procurement officer dare to openly produce such accounts?"
Zhenzhen cautiously asked, "Then, has the Director ever considered letting The Emperor know?"Pei Shangshi said, "I have thought about it, but then I feel, what good would uncovering the truth do? It might not be something The Emperor wishes to see... I am old, I don’t have your sharpness, nor dare I take risks... My greatest wish now is to grow old peacefully and die within the palace."
These words stirred a pang of sorrow in Zhenzhen’s heart. Recalling Pei Shangshi’s background, she suddenly realized she had not considered the situation thoroughly enough earlier, failing to account for Pei Shangshi’s position if the matter were exposed. If Ji Jinglan were to investigate this closely, Pei Shangshi, as the one who had reviewed the accounts each time, would likely be charged with dereliction of duty even if not implicated as an accomplice. Her wish to live out her days in the palace would probably be shattered.
After careful deliberation, Zhenzhen decided to seek out Xia Chengyi, the imperial kitchen official and Inner Court Attendant who had prepared this budget.
As Zhenzhen served in The Emperor’s presence, Xia Chengyi dared not slight her. He greeted her with a smile as soon as she arrived. Zhenzhen wasted no time on pleasantries; after exchanging a few courtesies, she handed him the recorded market prices of the ingredients. Xia Chengyi’s face darkened as he skimmed through it. He quickly dismissed the surrounding Junior Eunuchs and looked coldly at Zhenzhen. "What is the meaning of this, Manager Wu?"
Zhenzhen pointed to the price list. "In the capital’s market today, a rabbit at most costs four thousand wen, yet your budget lists eight thousand. A quail, with a market price of no more than three hundred, is budgeted at eight hundred. And a six-liang lake crab, priced around seven hundred wen in the market, becomes two thousand in your budget. Nowadays, eighteen thousand wen can buy a horse. According to your listed prices, eating nine crabs would be equivalent to consuming a horse."
Xia Chengyi evaded, "Manager Wu, you may not be aware. The ingredients for state banquets are not comparable to ordinary market goods. They are carefully selected from specific origins, meticulously cultivated or raised by suppliers, so their costs are inherently higher. It’s not unusual for them to be two or three times more expensive."
"The market prices I mentioned are from the market outside Hening Gate, under the red stakes—the most expensive market in the capital. I inquired earlier, and most of the suppliers there are the same ones who provide ingredients for state banquets," Zhenzhen replied calmly. "You may not know this either, but my family runs a restaurant. Since childhood, I’ve known that bulk purchases of ingredients are always cheaper than retail. How could they be two or three times more expensive? A single state banquet consumes thousands upon thousands of ingredients. With such inflated reporting, how much of the treasury’s funds would be lost?"
Xia Chengyi’s composure faltered. He retorted angrily, "Whether the ingredients purchased by the imperial kitchen are expensive or cheap, Pei Shangshi has never raised any objections. I don’t know where Manager Wu gets the audacity to interrogate me as if she holds authority over the imperial kitchen."
Zhenzhen chuckled lightly. "You’re not wrong. I am merely someone who serves tea and water to The Emperor, and I shouldn’t be meddling in this matter. But I have a natural inclination to meddle in others’ affairs. When I see a horse galloping toward a cliff, I can’t help but want to pull it back. As for this budget, it would be best for you to recalculate it carefully. If there are any numbers mistakenly recorded, I hope you’ll take care to correct them. If it’s submitted to the State Finance Office for review as it is, I’m afraid someone will inevitably come to hold you accountable in the future."
Though furious, after Zhenzhen left, Xia Chengyi pondered her words carefully and grew uneasy. He thought, since she spoke so bluntly, she must know something. If she intended to report him, she wouldn’t have come specifically to flaunt her power. Judging by her tone, it seemed she mainly wanted to remind him to correct the budget... Recalling that Zhenzhen was close to The Emperor, he suddenly shuddered: Could it be that The Emperor had instructed her to deliver this message?
Xia Chengyi was instantly drenched in cold sweat. He quickly picked up his brush and began revising the budget line by line himself.After the budgets for the Empress's investiture banquet from the Imperial Kitchen, the Hanlin Office, and the Yiluan Office were submitted to the State Treasury Office, Ji Jinglan suddenly petitioned the Emperor in court to allow him to review the Imperial Kitchen's budget. Upon receiving the Emperor's approval, Ji Jinglan immediately ordered the Censorate and the State Treasury Office to conduct an overnight investigation of all expenses. The conclusion was that the budget for ingredients was slightly high but still reasonable.
However, Ji Jinglan, the head of the Censorate, was not one to rest on his laurels. He extrapolated from the findings and continued to scrutinize the accounts of the Hanlin Office and the Yiluan Office. He soon discovered that both offices had significantly inflated their budgets and immediately submitted a memorial impeaching the officials of the two offices. As a result, the administrators of both offices were dismissed and charged with crimes.
Upon hearing this news, Xia Chengyi was filled with fear and regret. He scrambled to find Zhenzhen and, in a secluded spot, bowed deeply to her, thanking her for saving his life.
Zhenzhen said, "Administrator Xia, there is no need for this. I merely offered a small reminder; it was you who reined yourself in at the brink of disaster. After this incident, you must understand that if you walk by the river often, your shoes are bound to get wet. Some mistakes, once made, will inevitably be discovered and punished. I hope you will be more careful in the future and avoid repeating such errors."
Xia Chengyi sighed and said, "To be honest with you, Supervisor, as a low-ranking eunuch living in the palace, my monthly salary is sufficient for my needs. I never had much greed for more. Matters like these are often beyond my control—those around you drag you into the mire. If you refuse, you risk being ostracized at best, or worse... your life could be in danger."
When Zhenzhen asked who had pressured him, he grew cautious and refused to reveal anything. Instead, he advised her, "Supervisor Wu, please don't ask further... Your hatred for evil and your righteous actions are admirable, but people's hearts are treacherous, especially in the palace. If you insist on taking the lead in every matter, you may put yourself in danger... In short, from now on, please remember to protect yourself."
Ji Jinglan then proposed a thorough investigation of the past accounts of the Imperial Kitchen, the Hanlin Office, and the Yiluan Office, but this time the Emperor refused. That afternoon, the Emperor summoned Zhenzhen to the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility to prepare tea for him. After a while, he dismissed everyone else and asked Zhenzhen, "Was it you who hinted to Ji Jinglan to investigate the budgets for the Empress's investiture?"
Zhenzhen was secretly startled but immediately knelt and said, "This servant has had no private dealings with Head Censor Ji."
"Direct dealings may not be necessary; it wouldn't be difficult to have someone relay a message or an object," the Emperor said with a faint smile. "Ji Jinglan suddenly proposing to investigate the Imperial Kitchen's budget must mean someone tipped him off about issues with the budget. However, upon investigation, the problems were found in the Hanlin Office and the Yiluan Office, while the Imperial Kitchen was clean. The informant achieved their goal of exposing corruption related to the investiture banquet across the offices, while the Imperial Kitchen and its personnel emerged unscathed. I suspect that if the informant wasn't within the Imperial Kitchen, they must have close ties to it. The Imperial Kitchen staff and cooks would never do such a thing, nor would Pei Shangshi. If she wanted to report it, she wouldn't have waited until now. So, the only person who could access the Imperial Kitchen's budget and think to contact Ji Jinglan is you."
Zhenzhen saw no point in hiding the truth and prostrated herself before the Emperor. "Your Majesty is wise. This servant is willing to accept punishment. Please punish me severely."
The Emperor shook his head. "Although you employed some cunning, your intentions were good. I understand you wanted to protect Pei Shangshi, so I will not punish you this time. However, if similar situations arise in the future, you may speak to me directly. Do not attempt to contact court officials again—this is a major taboo that palace attendants must never cross."Zhenzhen bowed her head to receive the instruction. The Emperor continued, "I also understand that this matter involves far more than just the Imperial Kitchen, the Hanlin Office, and the Yiluan Office. Ji Jinglan wanted to investigate further, but I stopped him because I didn’t want to stir up trouble before the Empress’s investiture ceremony. We’ll leave the old accounts untouched for now, and I only hope that this example will serve as a warning to those involved, so they won’t make such mistakes again."
Hearing this, Zhenzhen quietly looked up and asked softly, "So, has Your Majesty thought about how to prevent such incidents from happening in the future?"
"Should we have the State Treasury Office and the Censorate strengthen their audits?" The Emperor noticed Zhenzhen’s eyes sparkling as she stole a glance at him and couldn’t help but smile. "It seems you have some ideas of your own?"
"I have a rather immature, small idea..." Zhenzhen said. "In the future, when the Imperial Kitchen, the Hanlin Office, and the Yiluan Office prepare their budgets, have them review each other’s submissions before sending them to the State Treasury Office. If they find no issues with the other two offices’ budgets, but the State Treasury Office or the Censorate later discovers false reporting, the officials who approved the budgets will have to pay the falsely reported amount out of their own pockets."
The Emperor couldn’t help but laugh. "I’m afraid even if they were executed, they couldn’t afford to pay."
"Exactly," Zhenzhen said seriously. "Because they can’t afford it, they’ll carefully review each other’s budgets. If they find problems and the other party refuses to correct them, they’ll surely report it to the State Treasury Office first to avoid implicating themselves."
The Emperor thought for a moment and said, "Though immature, it’s not without merit. I’ll discuss it with Ji Jinglan later... How did you come up with this idea?"
Zhenzhen replied, "I simply thought that their previous brazen corruption was mainly because the environment allowed it—everyone tacitly understood and covered for each other. Having them review each other’s budgets is meant to break up their collusion, turning mutual cover-ups into mutual supervision and restraint."
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