c8 (1/2)
This chapter KILLS me, the first of many such chapters where I just start twisting in a knot. For the first time in nine years, Liu Fu Ling and Yun Ge are so close, yet so far away. She’s cooking for him, the entire meal she’s been preparing to cook for Ling gege this entire time. But she does so because she’s given up on the man she thinks is her Ling gege, so she might as well cook it for who she thinks is a random person, since the guy she intended to eat it can’t eat it. Except……. he IS eating it. Grawrrrrrr. When he eats it, he knows each dish, knows what it means, knows what the chef intended. And the even bigger irony is that Meng Jue is eating too, but he can’t taste Yun Ge’s cooking. He has never been able to. So what does say about their messed up and criss-crossed fates? I dunno, only that every time Ling gege hurts, I die a little inside.
Chapter 8: A Pair of Persons
“Who is Zhu Gong Zhi?”
“I am” Yun Ge replied.
The Princess nodded “Ding Wai Ren told me you are a woman, then why are you dressed like a man, and call yourself Gong Zhi (gentleman)?” Before Yun Ge could answer, Ding Wai Ren replied “It has to be this way, the officials are always dismissive of women. The Elegant Chef likely has no choice but to conceal her true gender so people can’t nitpick at her.”
His words. .h.i.t a sore spot for the Princess, who looked at Yun Ge with new appreciation “You all get up! Boy or a girl are all born from parents, but men make the rules. They can have many wives but women…..ay! You are so young and already you’ve made a name for yourself in Chang An. The first time I sampled your cuisine, it was as good as the Palace chefs. Plus it was a lot of fun. Today’s meal please put a lot of thought into it. If it’s good I will reward you greatly.”
Yun Ge and Xu Ping Jun backed out of the room. She whispered to Yun Ge “So the Princess is just like us!” Yun Ge teased back “Did you think she had an extra nose or eye?” Xu Ping Jun huffed “Not that! It’s what she said, it was like what I think but can’t figure out. Because men make the rules, we women are forced to be restricted.”
Yun Ge said “Stop mulling over what she said and help me plan the meal. Today is a bit odd. It’s not the first time the Princess or Ding Wai Ren ate my food, but it was the first time she summoned me and specifically reminded me to make the meal good.”
Xu Ping Jun worried “The Princess said she’ll reward you if you do well, that means she’ll likely punish you if you don’t. We can’t make a single mistake today.”
Yun Ge sighed “If I cook a few more times for these n.o.bles, I’ll likely stop enjoying cooking. I don’t like this feeling. Cooking should be about feeling happy and carefree. Eating should be the same way. Whether it’s for friends or family, after a hard day’s work, eating together is the happiest time of the day. It shouldn’t be like this right now.”
Xu Ping Jun hugged Yun Ge’s shoulder “Tonight you cook for Bing Yi and me, whatever you feel like and we’ll happily eat it. Then we can forget everything about today.” Yun Ge nodded.
Xu Ping Jun suggested “Why don’t you forget that the person eating today is a n.o.ble and just think of the person as a good friend. Cook for someone you are thinking about but cannot see. Imagine him eating your food and it will make him happy. He will feel how much you care about him and it will warm him up inside.”
Yun Ge laughed “Xu jiejie, you complimented the Princess, but I think you have an even more clever tongue than the Princess.”
“Yun Ge, you are also good at cheering people up. Okay, stop jabbering and let’s get to work!”
Liu Fu Ling’s personality was cold and hard to get close to. But he was close to this elder Princess since they were kids and she was able to understand his likes and dislikes the way others might not.
When Liu Fu Ling was young, he loved reading stories about adventure and heroic yarns. He liked to talk with the various amba.s.sadors and travelers to the Han court. Even though these interests have long ago been sealed in his memory, but at the Princess’s Estate, he can temporarily forget everything and quietly enjoy the things he can no longer touch in the Palace.
A Xi Yu girl is playing a tune while the Princess explained “Your majesty, this is a new tune that the Chang An dancing houses are playing. The musician is playing an instrument called the pipa, which supposedly the Gui Su Empress enjoys very much. It’s so popular in Gui Su that the commoners all know how to play it.”
She saw the cup of wine before Liu Fu Ling “That wine is called “Zhu Ye Qing” and is the most beloved wine in Chang An. Only one barrel is sold a day, so the price is even higher than Palace wine! The drinkers of the wine love to say “Zhu Ye Qing, the gentlemen…..”
Liu Fu Ling’s eyes lightly pa.s.sed over Meng Jue and then landed back on the girl playing the pipa. The normally talkative Ding Wai Ren just sat behind the Princess and said not a word. He’s clearly very fearful of Liu Fu Ling and is too scared to even pander to him.
Liu Fu Ling also doesn’t like to talk, so in the entire room only the voice of the Princess could be heard along the music from the pipa.
Meng Jue gave a slight smile. Interesting! Liu Fu ling is genuinely listening to the song. In Chang An, this is the first time he’s seen anyone at a banquet actually listen to the music.
“Princess, the food is ready. Shall the meal commence?” a maid asked. The Princess looked at Liu Fu Ling, who nodded.
The dishes were brought out but no one approached the Emperor, only handing each dish to Yu An who checked it out before placing it in front of Li Fu Ling. When the wishes were all arranged, the maid took out the handkerchief Yun Ge gave her and proceeded to follow the instructions on it.
“Traveling to traveling, a parting with a gentleman. Please choose the first dish.”
Liu Fu Ling startled and turned to the Princess “Royal sister, does this meal require guessing riddles?”
“That……today’s chef is not from the estate. I summoned the Elegant Chef by the name of Zhu Gong Zhi to come cook. To not make the chef nervous, I did not tell the chef the meal would be for the Emperor. Who knew the chef was so particular about the food. If my royal brother doesn’t like it, then I can send it all away.”
Yu An spoke up from behind Liu Fu Ling “Your majesty, your servant I have also heard the same, that this Elegant Chef uses painting, calligraphy, song and poetry in the dishes name and presentation. There is also a bamboo plaque where the notable literary talents can leave their writing and earn a free meal. Some of the scholars your majesty has met with have left their writing there.”
Ding Wai Ren saw Meng Jue staring at him and he made a gesture indicating that it wasn’t him, it was solely the Princess’s idea to summon Yun Ge here and there was nothing he could do.
Liu Fu Ling shook his head at the Princess “Food is but sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy. The order in which it is consumed will of course taste different. This chef really put a lot of thought into it. I don’t want to waste his efforts. I will accept his challenge and guess his riddle.”
“Traveling to traveling, a parting with a gentleman.” Liu Fu Ling thought about it and looked at all the dishes before him. One plate was shaped like a willow leaf and on it there were many crystal meal b.a.l.l.s each the size of pearls. It looked like a person’s tears. Liu Fu Ling took one pearl meat ball.
When he ate it, it slid down his throat, first sweet and then with a bitter aftertaste. Liu Fu Ling read a poem “Loathe to cut a branch, hate to part each year.” This dish used the idiom about breaking a branch to send someone off. The crystal meat b.a.l.l.s represent the tears of someone parting.
The maid look at her list and smiled “Your majesty is correct. Zhu Gong Zhi’s first dish is that one. The name is called “Farewell”.
Even if the Emperor had guessed wrong the maid was ready to say he was right anyways, but he was indeed right which made it even better.
“The parting is thousands of miles, each at a corner of this world. Please use the second dish.” He saw a noodle soup dish with little pumpkin like things floating on top shaped like stars. But when he ate it, it didn’t taste sweet like pumpkin, but was a dryness that mixed with the bitter of earlier and left a bitter dryness.
Liu Fu Ling’s mouth was bitter and dry and he recited the poem “Life like Can Shang, East and West cannot meet.” Because he was feeling genuine emotion, when he recited these two lines it was especially touching.
The Can star is on the West, the Shang star is on the East, but it never s.h.i.+nes on each other. They are like two people separated from each other across the world who can never meet. “Congratulations to Your majesty. This dish is indeed called “Can Shang.”
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“The days parted is growing longer, the clothing grows shorter. Please use the 5th dish.”
Li Fu Ling seemed out of it and before even looking at the dishes he recited “What is a lifetime’s longing? Only seeking a green woven skirt.” When Liu Fu Ling recited the poem he didn’t select a dish but only sitting there in his own world. No one said anything until finally Yu An dared to say “Your majesty.”
Liu Fu Ling’s eyes were shaded as he scanned the dishes. He picked up a dish made with lotus and lotus root. The lotus stem was so bitter it was like the sadness of someone departing, The lotus root had so many threads that means when people are separated their longing for each other cannot be severed.
“This dish is called “Longing” Liu Fu Ling said. The maid quickly answered “Yes.”
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“The floating clouds cover the sky, a traveler does not return. Please use the 6th dish.”
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“Missing you spurs on aging, time waits for no one. Please use the 7th dish.”
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A previous dish’s taste is used to draw out the taste of a subsequent dish. From bitter to dry, from sour to clear, from clear to refres.h.i.+ng, from refres.h.i.+ng to sweet. In the end it, was the simple taste of oil and salt. After tasting so many flavors, when it got to the basic taste of oil and salt, it tasted like the most ordinary warmth.
“Tossing shall not be repeated, endeavoring to add more food. Please use the final dish.”
Liu Fu Ling picked up the final dish which was a simple rice porridge. He silently ate it and said nothing.
The Princess started to fret. Why didn’t the Emperor say the name of the dish? Was he angry? He could be. Why did the Elegant Chef send such a common rice porridge dish out. She wanted to step in but saw the look of joy on the maid’s face.
The maid bowed to the Emperor and handed the menu to the Princess before backing away. The other maids surrounded the maid who served the Emperor and wanted to know all about him and whether he noticed her. She laughed “You guys have heard too much as the former Emperor’s pa.s.sionate ways. Don’t you know what this Emperor is like? Stop daydreaming and get back to work.”
The other maids could see she was in a cold sweat. She explained “Riddling a meal is fine, but it should at least be happy riddles. But every one of them was sad! And the final dish was a rice porridge no less, and it’s name was called “Speechless.” So what could I say?” At the very end, she was so worried the Emperor would guess wrong. But if the Elegant Chef was odd in her cooking, who knew the Emperor was just as odd in understanding it during his tasting. Thank G.o.d he guessed correctly since he was rumored to be matchless in intelligence.
The Princess opened the menu and read that the final dish was called “Speechless.” No wonder the Emperor didn’t say a single word. She stopped fretting and turned to the Emperor with a smile. Slowly, Liu Fu Ling smiled.
If one is a soulmate, then no words are necessary. This meal having progressed to this point, those who understand need not say anything, and those who don’t can talk all they want and it means nothing.
In a million different hopes and wishes, all one wants for a loved one is to be warm, to be full, and to take care of oneself. The meal started off with dishes of very strong flavors, but the most delicious and nouris.h.i.+ng dish was the last one with its simple oil and salt flavor. Just like life has its bitter, sweet, sour, and spicy, with many ups and downs, but the final wish is to have a life time of happiness in the most calm and ordinary of ways.
Yu An’s eyes widened…..the Emperor smiled! Liu Fu Ling smiled at the Princess “The chef is good, the meal was good, thank you royal sister.”
Meng Jue inexplicably started to feel uneasy. The Princess looked at the Emperor with an ache and she suddenly said “As long as my royal brother likes it. Do you want to meet Zhu Gong Zhi? Actually Zhu Gong Zhi is…….”
Meng Jue accidentally spilled his wine with a loud bang and it prevented the Princess from finis.h.i.+ng her sentence. Meng Jue quickly kneeled to beg forgiveness. Liu Fu Ling told him to get up and Meng Jue bowed three more times before getting up. During which Ding Wai Ren kept tugging at the Princess’s sleeve.
The Princess finally reacted. The Emperor has not yet consummated his marriage to Empress Shang Guan. If she offered a woman to the Emperor, she would upset Shang Guan Jie and Huo Guang. Forget Huo Guang, she was very close to Shang Guan Jie. She needn’t drop a rock on her foot for this. The Princess smiled and told the musicians to strike up another tune and summoned a dancer to keep avoiding the earlier topic.
Liu Fu Ling finished his porridge and said to the Princess “Greatly reward the Elegant Chef.” Yu An softly said “If Your majesty likes the cooking, why not summon the chef into the Palace so the chef can cook for Your majesty every day?”
Liu Fu Ling said nothing. Meng Jue, the Princess, Ding Wai Ren were all tense, with Ding Wai Ren eager to kill that Yu An for ruining his glorious future. After a few moments, Liu Fu Ling lowered his eyes and said “What this person wants, I cannot give. Let the chef be free to do what he wants to do the most is the best way to appreciate his cooking.”
Meng Jue’s heart thundered and he couldn’t identify what he was feeling. This Emperor has given him so many unexpected surprises.
Liu Fu Ling ascended the throne at a young age, having the t.i.tle but no real power. Emperor Wu of Han also left him a mess to clean up. Faced with the ambitious and calculating Huo Guang, the vicious and greedy Shang Guan Jie, the power-hungry and toady Xang Hong Yang, plus the other royals like the Infante of Yen who are eyeing the throne, Liu Fu Ling managed to creatively maintain a balance and very carefully push forward his reforms.
Meng Jue long suspected Liu Fu Ling was not ordinary, but meeting him in person it was nevertheless a surprise. How many Sons of the Heavens don’t believe that he owns everything on this earth?
Yun Ge was still shocked long after she received a great reward. Someone understood her dishes? She thought about it and then lost her surprise. The n.o.bles in Chang An are long used to eating delicacies and the maid likely said yes to every guess even if it was incorrect.
She cooked those dishes today because of what Xu Ping Jun said. She was tired of cooking dishes she didn’t like, so she decided to be impudent and cook what she wanted today. After cooking it, she let off some of her frustration. Since the person she wanted to eat it would never be able to, then it didn’t matter who ate it.
If it was that easy to find another kindred spirit, then there wouldn’t just be one song “Mountains and Streams” pa.s.sed on for a thousand years. Buo Ya wouldn’t have been so inconsolable with the death of Zi Qi that he tore the strings on his zither, never to play again.
When Yun Ge left the Princess’s Estate, she saw a row of people kneeled in the front. Xu Ping Jun craned her neck wanting to see who was that important. The curtains on the carriage was just being lowered and all Yun Ge could see was the sleeve of a black and gold robe.
Xu Ping Jun wondered who it was, and Yun Ge said “Should be the Emperor. I heard the books say that black and gold are the royal colors of the Han dynasty. The black robe with the gold embroidering must be the dragon robe.”
Xu Ping Jun yelped “Oh my old mother!” and then kneeled to bow her head. Yun Ge giggled “You are clearly raised right under the Emperor’s thumb. He’s long gone and you still are a loyal citizen bowing.” She picked Xu Ping Jun up and they left.
When Yun Ge saw Meng Jue standing to the side of the road, her laughter got stuck in her throat. Under the Winter sun, he was wearing a long robe and standing casually, but he exuded a powerful and das.h.i.+ng aura.