Chapter 1

Author: Yan Dazhuang

My father is the Minister of Justice. Whenever a prisoner refuses to talk, he calls on my special talents.

His Majesty happened to taste one of my cakes. Moved to tears, he promptly sent me to the Prince Regent's residence.

The prince had been ill for years, he said. I was to prepare all three of his meals myself. Every single day.

On my three-meals-a-day regimen, the prince—who had been barely clinging to life—somehow held on from spring until autumn.

Everyone thought his health had improved wonderfully.

Only the prince himself raised his head weakly toward the heavens and sighed.

"The main thing is... I don't dare die."

"I'm afraid my life will flash before my eyes, and I'll have to eat my wife's cooking all over again."

My father was the Minister of Justice.

Whenever he encountered a particularly tight-lipped prisoner, he had me bring some of my home cooking to the ministry's prison.

One meal was enough to reduce the prisoner to tears and heartfelt repentance.

Father said it was because my cooking tasted just like their mothers'.

I tried a bite. Nothing unusual.

Then, by chance, His Majesty tasted one of my cakes.

According to Father, the emperor burst into tears on the spot. After sitting in a daze for a considerable time, he issued an edict arranging my marriage to the Prince Regent.

The prince had managed affairs of state for him for years, His Majesty said. What he needed now was a wife like me, someone who could cook.

His Majesty had only one requirement: I must personally prepare every one of the prince's three daily meals and take very good care of him.

Father was so worried his hair was turning gray.

The trouble was that His Majesty had been only twelve when the late emperor died. To protect his young heir, the late emperor had appointed Pei Yuan Prince Regent.

Now that His Majesty was growing up, the regent's position had become rather delicate.

Worse, Pei Yuan had fallen gravely ill at the start of the year. Rumor had it he had been poisoned; ginseng broth was all that kept him alive.

I told Father not to worry. A fortune-teller had said I was exceptionally hard to kill.

"Your daughter will survive anywhere."

By imperial decree, I married into the prince's household with full ceremony.

On our wedding night, however, Pei Yuan coughed and explained that he had a cold. Afraid of passing it to me, he would sleep in his study.

I knew it was an excuse.

Perhaps he thought I was a spy His Majesty had sent.

"Then shall we have breakfast together tomorrow?" I asked sweetly.

He agreed.

The next morning, I rose early and headed straight for the kitchens with Li Qing.

For the entire time I worked, a pair of eyes watched me from the roof.

And so, at breakfast, Pei Yuan picked up his bowl of pork congee without having anyone test it for poison.

He had just said, "It looks quite good," when he swallowed a mouthful and his expression grew complicated.

"Too hot?" I ventured.

He nodded, then exchanged his bowl for mine.

He didn't even mind that I had eaten from it. Only after carefully savoring it for some time did he pronounce his verdict.

"Not bad."

"I have affairs of state to attend to. Don't wait for me at lunch."

I looked at his barely touched congee. After an entire morning's discussion with Li Qing, I arrived at a conclusion.

The poison had damaged his health and ruined his appetite.

At lunchtime, I hurried over with a soup of young pigeon, mushrooms, and ginseng.

I tried some. It seemed fine. Li Qing said it was fine too.

Once Bai Zhu, Pei Yuan's attendant, had tested it for poison, I solicitously ladled out a full bowl.

"Try it, Your Highness."

Half a bowl later, his forehead was covered in sweat.

Delighted, I announced we would have it again that evening.

"It makes you sweat. That will do your health good."

Perhaps my gaze was too enthusiastic. Pei Yuan promptly gave me half his bowl.

After drinking it, I felt warm inside.

The warmth didn't last.

When Pei Yuan returned from court, he brought a young woman with him.

"This is Lin Yue. She'll be staying for a month."

As I went to arrange her rooms, Li Qing muttered furiously in my ear.

"Cousins, indeed! You've only been married two days, and he's already brought another woman home."

"He's deliberately humiliating you."

I clapped a hand over her mouth and whispered, "There's no way we're alone in this courtyard."

Lin Yue herself was easy to please. She eagerly asked when dinner would be ready.

Li Qing stamped her foot.

"She expects to dine with you and His Highness?"

His Majesty had dismissed every cook in the household by imperial decree. How else was she supposed to eat?

Yet at dinner, Lin Yue held her chopsticks for ages and managed to pick up only a few grapes.

Pei Yuan surveyed the table.

"Eating healthily today? Is that black rice?"

"Steamed rice with chicken," I explained helpfully. "The chicken was specially marinated in soy sauce."

He said it looked rather... haunted.

"Hang a geomancer's compass in the kitchen. I'm afraid the chicken may come back from the dead tonight."

I had assumed he had brought Lin Yue to keep watch on me. To my surprise, she scarcely appeared except at mealtimes.

I found that odd, but Pei Yuan told me not to concern myself.

"She'll come out when she wants to."

Since he had spoken, I could only leave her to emerge punctually for every meal.

Then Imperial Physician Li came to check Pei Yuan's pulse. I noticed Lin Yue eavesdropping outside, her ears bright red.

I was still wondering whether she was an imperial spy or an old flame of the physician's when he sighed.

"Your Highness, how have you lost so much weight? Has your old illness returned?"

Lin Yue flushed even redder and stumbled into the room.

The physician immediately raised his voice.

"And why have you lost so much weight?"

"Is there really poison in this household's food?"

I hastily waved my hands.

"There's no poison! I made it all myself! I eat it too!"

After Pei Yuan confirmed that the food wasn't poisoned, Physician Li repeatedly lamented the residence's terrible feng shui.

In my anxiety, I redoubled my efforts to feed them.

Unfortunately, both of them only grew thinner.

I was dejectedly studying recipes when Lin Yue arrived with a mountain of luggage to say goodbye.

"Thank you for looking after me, Cousin. I'll definitely fit into the wedding gown I've finished embroidering now."

"You and my cousin must come to the wedding."

She left as abruptly as she had arrived.

After staring blankly for a long time, I turned to Li Qing.

"Did she come here... to lose weight?"

Li Qing nodded, equally bewildered.

"I suppose so."

Silently cursing Pei Yuan for not explaining, I tried something new at dinner.

Li Qing read out a lengthy list of dishes. At last, Pei Yuan singled one out.

"Two-colored hibiscus cakes?"

Thinking he suspected poison, I picked one up and ate as I explained.

"The filling is jujube paste. The green dough outside is colored with chive juice."

"They're quite good."

Pei Yuan cautiously took a bite.

"The texture is certainly decent. But do you honestly find nothing wrong with the flavor?"

I shook my head.

"What's wrong with it?"

"I have no sense of taste. I can't tell."

He looked profoundly shaken.

"What do you mean, you can't tell?"

I answered honestly.

"When we were little, Li Qing and I ate something we shouldn't have. We lost our sense of taste afterward. That's why I try to preserve the natural flavors of my ingredients."

"Why else would Father use my cooking to make prisoners talk?"