Chapter 862: The Secrets of the Menu, a Message from the Son

If he hadn’t personally visited Renshou Palace, Zhang Yue could never have imagined that Empress Dowager Zhang’s illness was so severe and life-threatening. Not only in these times but even hundreds of years later, heart disease remains one of the most difficult to treat. In such a hurry, it was impossible to find someone skilled enough in imitating Empress Dowager Zhang’s voice, and even if such a person existed, the royal family would surely silence them. Empress Dowager Zhang wouldn’t have forced herself to shout like that either. Thus, the three princes were sent away, while the three imperial physicians were extremely busy.

After all, Zhang Yue was an external official. After reading out the contents of the emperor’s secret letter, he quietly left the Eastern Warm Pavilion, not even noticing the “pitying” gaze cast at him by the eunuch in charge of the imperial pharmacy, Suo Lianzhou. Since the Court Protocol Bureau couldn’t be left unattended, Fan Hong and Jin Ying also followed him out. As they descended the steps of the main hall, Jin Ying saw Cao Jixiang waiting far away at Renshou Gate. He chuckled and turned to Zhang Yue and Fan Hong, saying, “Eunuch Fan, shall I see off Lord Zhang, or shall I?”

Like Wang Jin, Fan Hong and Jin Ying were also trusted individuals. After serving Emperor Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi, it was now Zhu Zhanji’s turn to rule, and he trusted them greatly. Although their ranks were the same, there was still a sequence of precedence. Fan Hong being more steady naturally took the lead. Hearing Jin Ying’s question, he nodded and said, “I’ll see Lord Zhang off. You go back to the Court Protocol Bureau first to keep an eye on things in case anything unexpected happens.”

Hearing this, Jin Ying lifted the hem of his robe and quickly descended the steps. Though he moved fast, he did so with great stability, clearly having gained experience over many years in the palace. After he left, Fan Hong gestured for Zhang Yue to go first. Although Zhang Yue declined politely, Fan Hong still fell slightly behind him. As he descended the steps, Fan Hong whispered, “Today, it was thanks to Lord Zhang’s quick wits and that kid Jixiang’s cleverness. It shows that Eunuch Wang has better judgment than us and Old Jin.”

“It was also because the Empress Dowager forced herself to shout, otherwise the three princes wouldn’t have given up so easily.” At this point, Zhang Yue paused briefly before asking, “It’s normal for the Princes of Zheng and Yue to act in haste under pressure, but I heard the Prince of Xiang is usually very virtuous. Why did he come to the palace at such a critical moment?”

Fan Hong didn’t think of anything else; he simply believed Zhang Yue was just unusually strange, so he laughed and said, “It’s inevitable that one can’t outmaneuver Prince Zheng and Prince Yue. Although Prince Zheng was born to Concubine Li Xian, there were continuous wars shortly after the emperor was born, and it wasn’t until six years later that Prince Zheng appeared. Thus, everyone in the Eastern Palace was overjoyed, and the emperor’s mother raised him at her side. Not long after, Prince Yue was born. Later, Prince Xiang was born and grew up with these two elder brothers. Not to mention them, even the late Crown Prince Yi Zhuang… well, in short, aside from the emperor who was personally raised by Emperor Taizong, all the other imperial descendants grew up together and were very close at first.”

Only then did Zhang Yue learn of these hidden circumstances. He thought about them briefly and stopped asking further. After all, if it weren’t for Fan Hong having saved him earlier, he wouldn’t have mentioned these palace secrets. After stepping down the last step, he still couldn’t shake concerns about Empress Dowager Zhang. As he walked, he recalled the lectures he had heard before and vaguely remembered the cause of her sudden heart illness. Apart from sudden emotional fluctuations, it was likely due to diet and living habits. Finally, he asked casually, “Eunuch Fan, I have a casual question. During the banquets held by the Guanglu Temple in the past, I remember the dishes served included five kinds of wine, five kinds of fruits, five kinds of tea snacks, five kinds of roasted foods, three kinds of soups, double-layered steamed buns, horse meat rice, and five cups of wine. As for the vegetables, they were never served. Why is that?”

Fan Hong was momentarily stunned. After pondering for a while, he laughed and said, “It’s said that Lord Zhang can lead troops on horseback and govern the people on foot—truly a man of both literary and military talents. It’s not surprising he doesn’t know such trivial matters. There’s nothing special to explain. Ever since Emperor Taizu, the Guanglu Temple has reported that vegetables are hard to preserve, causing inconvenience. Moreover, Emperor Taizu felt pity for the poverty of his officials, so he eliminated vegetables and served more meat. Emperor Taizong, having grown up in the northern regions, preferred meat, so he never changed this practice. Even in the imperial kitchen, there are few vegetables; most dishes are made with meat, while fruits are served according to the season.”

At this moment, Zhang Yue was truly shocked. So not only were the banquets held by the Guanglu Temple like this, but even the imperial cuisine was the same? It seemed that these emperors didn’t realize that eating too much meat not only caused obesity but also increased the risk of cardiovascular diseases. No wonder many emperors of the Ming Dynasty died young, passing away at the slightest illness. Only the enigmatic Emperor Jiajing lived longer. With these thoughts, he continued walking while pondering, and when he reached Donghua Gate, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Though it’s a long-standing ancestral tradition, there are some things I must say. Eunuch Fan also knows that my sister-in-law has studied medicine and has considerable expertise in medicinal cuisine and the like. Eating too much meat may strengthen the body at first, but over time it can easily lead to various serious illnesses such as heart diseases and arthralgia. Even though drinking tea is a common practice in the palace, it certainly cannot replace eating vegetables.”

If someone else had said this at another time, Fan Hong would have dismissed it with scorn. But what time and what person were we talking about now? The Empress Dowager had suddenly fallen ill, and it was uncertain whether she would survive. If the Emperor returned, he, as a eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat, would surely face reprimand. And the one speaking was Zhang Yue—his sister-in-law indeed often visited the residences of various noble families in the capital, and the recipes for medicinal cuisine were even used in the small kitchen of Renshou Palace. So, he first agreed to Zhang Yue’s request vaguely, and as soon as Zhang Yue left Donghua Gate, he hurried back.

After passing through Dongshangzhong Gate and Dongshangbei Gate, Fan Hong did not head north but turned east into a small alley. Seeing this, a young eunuch following behind immediately grew curious and rushed after him, “Eunuch sir, aren’t you going back to the Imperial Secretariat?”

Without even looking at him, Fan Hong said impatiently, “Go to the Bureau of Imperial Cuisine!”

The Bureau of Imperial Cuisine was located behind the Guanglu Temple. The former was in charge of purchasing various materials needed for the palace’s meals, as well as handling imperial banquets and seasonal feasts. The Bureau of Imperial Cuisine, on the other hand, was responsible for the meals of all high-ranking officials in the palace, with the imperial kitchen in Qianqing Palace being the most important. Yet, the office of the eunuch in charge of this bureau was actually behind the Guanglu Temple, to facilitate account management.

With the Emperor absent, the work at the Bureau of Imperial Cuisine was relatively light. So, when they heard Fan Hong suddenly arriving, everyone there was shocked. Eunuch Han, who held the same rank as Fan Hong, bowed low and fawned over him. Before sitting down, he hurriedly placed a bear pelt cushion he usually kept unused on the fir wood chair, then quickly ordered someone to bring a foot warmer, before finally handing Fan Hong a heating stove with both hands.

“Show me the meal lists from Renshou Palace over the past few months.”

Hearing this, Eunuch Han was terrified. Everyone in and out of the palace now knew the Crown Prince was ill, and with rumors spreading from the six eastern and western palaces, anything could be said. He had previously just watched from the sidelines, but now, with Fan Hong sitting in front of him and asking questions, he felt overwhelmed. He quickly tried to joke his way out, “Eunuch Fan, the Crown Prince is still young and doesn’t often eat the meals prepared by the kitchen…”

“Stop talking nonsense. I’m not here to hold you accountable!”

Fan Hong was usually kind, but now his face hardened with anger. How could Eunuch Han dare to say more? He hurriedly left and soon returned with a menu, presenting it with great fear. Fan Hong took it, flipped through a few pages, and his brows gradually furrowed as he tapped the armrest gently with his left ring finger in thought.

The October menu listed mostly sesame oil baked cakes and sand-filled steamed buns—two of the favorite snacks of Emperor Taizong. Thus, the Empress Dowager had continued to serve them for years out of habit. The main dishes included braised mutton, steamed chicken, pepper-vinegar goose, roasted pork, goose meat dishes, salted mustard sheep stomach dishes, and garlic-vinegar white blood soup, plus tea—eight dishes in total. Since the Empress Dowager disliked cow’s milk, it was clear that expenses were kept low. Yet all these dishes were greasy, which explained why so much tea was consumed in the Renshou Palace.

He flipped through a few more pages and checked out the items prepared for the Crown Prince before closing the menu and setting it aside. He then asked, “As I recall, in the past, the Guanglu Temple would also provide seasonal folk dishes such as bitter herb roots, bitter herb leaves, dandelions, reed roots, and cattail shoots. Why are none of these listed now?”

Fan Hong was an eunuch of the Imperial Secretariat, not the Imperial Kitchen Department. Although he usually audited the expenses of the twenty-four government agencies, he never delved into detailed accounts. Caught off guard by this sudden question, Eunuch Han stammered after a while, “The Guanglu Temple mentioned that these ingredients are hard to find nowadays. Besides, even if added to the imperial meals, they are rarely consumed. So I previously brought this up with Lady Lu in front of the Empress Dowager, and she passed on the Empress Dowager’s order to stop serving them for most of the year. All the palaces do the same…”

Emperor Taizu loved meat; Emperor Taizong loved meat even more and preferred pasta; Emperor Renzong was the same—nothing satisfied him without chicken, duck, fish, or meat. So it was true that Emperor Taizu had established a tradition of serving seasonal folk dishes according to the seasons. But as for how they were served and removed, few nobles actually touched them. Even the current Empress Dowager Zhang only ate simple snacks like wheat porridge and sorghum porridge, occasionally trying some wild vegetables. So temporarily removing these dishes didn’t seem like a problem.

Yet who was Fan Hong? He had been in the palace for over twenty years, always around nobles, and had long been accustomed to examining changes with a cautious eye. Even if the Empress Dowager herself approved of stopping these dishes, he feared someone must have instigated it. But Zhang Yue was merely providing an excuse; to find out for sure, he needed to consult the three imperial physicians at the Imperial Pharmacy first.

So he looked at Eunuch Han and said, “Who from the Guanglu Temple came up with this idea?”
By now, Eunuch Han was extremely cautious. “It was a clerk surnamed Liu.”
Upon hearing this, Fan Hong gave a subtle signal to a middle-aged eunuch among his attendants. Seeing the man withdraw silently, he said calmly, “Later, I’ll go and check with the kitchens of Lu Shanggong and Renshou Palace. Even if it’s out of good intentions, the ancestral rules cannot be changed arbitrarily. Just because the Empress Dowager shows leniency doesn’t mean you can treat it as a precedent! If there are any further changes to the food records, send them directly to the Simili Jian!”
This was undoubtedly putting shackles on everyone in the Shangshan Jian, but seeing Fan Hong’s unyielding attitude, the middle-aged eunuch dared not question further and could only nod in agreement before respectfully seeing Fan Hong off. It wasn’t until Fan Hong was far away that he stepped back a few paces, rolled up his sleeve to wipe his sweat, and cursed inwardly.
“Those Annan barbarians, acting so arrogant!”
Zhang Yue wasn’t an all-knowing god, so of course he still didn’t know that because of a question that popped into his mind, Fan Hong had made a special trip to the Shangshan Jian, only to make a significant discovery. Back at the Ministry of War, he was bogged down by endless tasks and didn’t finish everything until evening. Just as he smelled the scent of beans again, thinking he’d have to eat Laba porridge again that night, a voice from outside came through.
“Sir, someone from your household has come to deliver food!”
Since he often had to sleep at the office and couldn’t rely on the household kitchen, Zhang Yue had gotten used to taking care of Yang Ji and Wan Shijie’s joint business. To avoid drawing attention, deliveries from home had gradually decreased. So, upon hearing that someone from home had come to deliver food on Laba Day, Zhang Yue was initially stunned but then very pleased. Before he could say anything, the eunuch’s hesitant voice came again.
“Sir, it’s your eldest son and the eldest son of the Duke of Yingguo who came together.”
At this moment, Zhang Yue was truly shocked and quickly stood up. He hurriedly put on his coat and went outside. Without asking many questions, he learned that the uncle and nephew had come on horseback with their attendants. Jing Guan even claimed it was to deliver food to him—God only knew if they said the same thing during all the checkpoints along the way. If that were the case, by tomorrow, officials from the six ministries and five departments would all know that Zhang Yue had an extremely filial son.

Upon reaching the gate, he saw Jingguan and Tianci standing together under the bare tree. Both were wearing identical silk coats, headscarves, and shoes; if not looked at closely, one might think they were brothers. Seeing Jingguan rush ahead to pay respects, he quickly pulled him back and helped Tianci up as well, then glared at Jingguan.
“Just bring the food—why did you bring Uncle Zhong along too?”
“Uncle Zhong was about to head home after his class. It happened to be on the way, right? Besides, with so many soldiers ahead, having Uncle Zhong around means there won’t be as many questions.”
Seeing his son look at him innocently, and with so many officials leaving the office nearby, Zhang Yue almost wanted to hit him hard on the head. The route from the gate alley to British Park went through Jiangmi Lane, but that was a long detour. Instead of taking the main road north of the imperial walls, they took this way—how dare the kid claim it was on the way?
Sure enough, upon seeing Zhang Yue’s stern expression, Jingguan immediately lowered his head and said honestly, “Mother told me to come here with Uncle Zhong. First, there’s the homework that was submitted late. Second, Mother asked me to deliver a message to you.”
As he spoke, the kid glanced around before lowering his voice further. “Mother said that the second-ranked person from the place where the maid died often goes there. Also, a troublemaker visited Lord Yang’s house, and the eldest son hasn’t returned yet. He seems unaware that he’s been deceived. You’d better warn him.”