In the fifth month, the pomegranate blossoms blazed like fire. As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, preparations for the dragon boat races had reached a fever pitch.
Zong Duo was rarely at the residence these days, and even when he was, he spent most of his time in Yunhui Hall discussing matters with his subordinates. Baoying couldn't find any opportunity to curry favor with him.
But she hadn't been idle either.
In previous years, around this time before the Dragon Boat Festival, Zhenniang would always prepare glutinous rice, bamboo leaves, and seasoned fillings, then gather Fang Sao and the others in the courtyard to wrap zongzi.
Zhenniang had nimble hands and could wrap them in ingot shapes, horn shapes, horseshoe shapes, and more—each shape filled with different ingredients: red bean paste, candied dates, salted egg yolks, fresh pork… the variety was endless.
This year, Baoying wouldn't be home for the Dragon Boat Festival, but she was determined to bring the Shi family tradition into the prince's residence.
A day in advance, she had the kitchen prepare the glutinous rice and fillings, and had a large pot of mung bean soup made, chilled with four large ice basins. She then rallied all the maidservants of Zhaoming Hall to the front courtyard to wrap zongzi.
The summer sun blazed, but the courtyard was cool with shade from the trees, and with iced fruits and mung bean soup to enjoy, the maidservants were absolutely delighted.
Bailu and the other three senior maids, however, looked down on the task. "Princess Consort, we're not kitchen maids. There's no need for us to do this kind of work."
With that, she turned to the excited maidservants nearby and snapped, "What are you all gathered here for? Why aren't you off sweeping and watering the flowers? Anyone caught slacking off, I'll skin them alive!"
The junior maidservants were usually managed by Bailu, so upon hearing this, they could only hang their heads and trudge back.
"Hold on," Baoying said. "Today, everyone is wrapping zongzi. The sweeping and watering can be done by those who aren't wrapping zongzi."
Bailu realized—the ones not wrapping zongzi would be just the four of them, wouldn't it?
She sneered, "Princess Consort, we oversee all matters of clothing, food, lodging, and daily needs in Zhaoming Hall. How could we do such coarse work? There are twenty or thirty maidservants in the inner and outer halls—if everyone doesn't stick to their duties, wouldn't everything fall into chaos?"
"Chaos would be just fine!" Baoying was long tired of this kind of talk. "I hate these rules of yours that are everywhere! Everyone could be happily wrapping zongzi together, so why must you always use rules to oppress people!"
Bailu only sneered in response. "If the Princess Consort doesn't like the rules, go tell His Highness, go tell the Emperor! There's no need to take it out on us servants."
Baoying couldn't out-argue her, so she tried a different approach. "Even servants have the right to time off, don't they? Today, I'm making the call—everyone gets the day off. Those who want to wrap zongzi can join me; those who don't can do whatever they please. I won't force anyone."
At this, the maidservants erupted in cheers, instantly drowning out Bailu and her companions' voices.
Bailu could only lead Qingshuang and the other two back to their quarters, fuming. "Let her be arrogant for another two days. Once I go to the palace on the Dragon Boat Festival to report to Her Ladyship, I'll have her set that girl straight!"
In the courtyard, the breeze was gentle and the tree shadows swayed. Baoying was teaching the maidservants how to wrap zongzi in different shapes.
She had a lively disposition and not a trace of airs about her. The maidservants' initial reverence quickly turned to closeness, and they chattered and laughed around Baoying without stop.
Soon, noon passed, and the first batch of zongzi sent to the kitchen had been steamed—the bamboo leaves a vivid green, wafting the fragrance of glutinous rice.
Baoying called Ruyi over. "Go find out if His Highness is at the residence."
Before long, Ruyi returned. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, His Highness is in Yunhui Hall discussing matters with the gentlemen."
Baoying thought to herself: If I only send zongzi to Zong Duo and leave those gentlemen just watching, that would seem rather improper. So she asked, "How many people are in Yunhui Hall?"
Ruyi scratched her head. "Seven or eight, I'd say. The usual crowd—Mr. Mu, Young Master Xu, and the others."
"Who is Mr. Mu?"
"The Princess Consort doesn't know Mr. Mu!" Ruyi's eyes sparkled at the mention of him. "He's the chief advisor of the residence, well-versed in the arts of yin-yang and metaphysics. If anyone in our household loses something, they just ask Mr. Mu to cast a divination, and it's found in no time!"
Baoying heard this and thought to herself: He's that capable? Then could her "Phoenix Destiny" have been calculated by this Mr. Mu as well?
Although she was quite satisfied with her position that paid fifty taels of silver a month, the thought that it had been exchanged for her marriage—and without even asking her opinion—made her grind her teeth in irritation at this Mr. Mu.
Her gaze drifted to the steaming zongzi, and an idea struck her.
To punish Bailu and the others for their disrespect, Baoying had specially "customized" several zongzi for them, packed with enough salt to choke a person, and wrapped them with yellow string to tell them apart.
Now, it seemed only fitting that Mr. Mu should get a taste of her salt-packed zongzi.
A mischievous smile curved at the corners of Baoying's lips. She ordered someone to bring an octagonal food box, personally packed seven or eight zongzi inside, and placed the one wrapped in yellow string on top.
Since Mr. Mu was the chief advisor, surely he would be the first to pick a zongzi.
Baoying's mind always worked fastest when she was plotting mischief.
She then took another zongzi wrapped in red string and handed it to Ruyi. "This one is for His Highness. I specially put two egg yolks in it!"
"Yes." Ruyi took the food box and walked briskly to Yunhui Hall, relaying Baoying's words verbatim to Yuan Yi.
In the study, Zong Duo was discussing the upcoming dragon boat race with his trusted confidants.
The Emperor had made the position of Imperial Salt Inspector the prize for the dragon boat race, and since Zong Duo had already formed an alliance with Muli, the second prince of Northern Yuan, he was in dire need of funds. He was determined to win first place in the race and could not afford the slightest misstep.
Mr. Mu, seated in the first chair below him, said, "Last night, I cast a divination regarding the Imperial Salt Inspector position and received an inauspicious hexagram. However, with the fifth line changing, the ill fortune resolves itself and turns into great fortune. As the saying goes: Though storms may arise, in the end a noble person will uphold what is right and turn danger into safety."
Someone below asked, "Sir, would you be so kind as to speak more plainly—who is this noble person?"
Another chimed in, "Do you even need to ask? Didn't our prince just marry a princess consort destined for the Phoenix Throne last month?"
All who could enter Yunhui Hall were Zong Duo's trusted confidants, and they were fully aware of the reasons behind his marriage to this princess consort.
Miss Shi was born with the Phoenix Destiny, which was precisely why he had chosen to marry her rather than form a marriage alliance with the Xu family.
Everyone present was curious about the princess consort's Phoenix Destiny.
The upcoming dragon boat race would serve as the touchstone—if the princess consort's Phoenix Destiny was truly as miraculous as Mr. Mu claimed, then the Imperial Salt Inspector prize should be well within their grasp.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Yuan Yi entered pushing open the door, carrying a food box. She bowed to the assembled advisors and said with a smile, "Your Highness, esteemed lords, it is now mealtime." The princess consort has sent freshly steamed zongzi for you all to enjoy."
Everyone turned their gaze to the food box in Yuan Yi's hands.
Han Yao, the Left Commander of the Dragon Imperial Guard, laughed and said, "Remarkable! Zongzi steamed by our future empress—let me have a taste at once!"
Everyone in the room laughed, except Zong Duo, whose expression remained cold: "Zizhen, mind your words."
Han Yao chuckled, "There are no outsiders in this room anyway. The seat in the Golden Throne Hall is beyond dispute—sooner or later, it will be yours, Your Highness. Or does Your Highness have someone else in mind for empress?"
As he spoke, he glanced sidelong at Xu Pei.
Xu Pei said nothing, merely looking at Zong Duo, waiting for him to give the Xu family some reassurance.
Zong Duo said flatly, "It is still too early to speak of such matters."
Mr. Mu, seated below Zong Duo, stroked his beard and smiled.
Everyone in this room knew only that the princess consort was born with the Phoenix Destiny, but the true circumstances behind this marriage were known only to him and Zong Duo.
Whether Miss Shi could become empress was one matter, but Miss Xu was certainly out of the running. For originally, Zong Duo had wanted to avoid being constrained by the Xu family in every matter, which was why he had asked Mr. Mu to find another candidate for princess consort among the noble ladies of the capital.
Mr. Mu had found the roster of ladies from the selection two years prior and calculated the birth charts of all daughters of officials of the fifth rank and above. Many were compatible with Zong Duo's chart, but the mere reason of "compatible birth charts" was not enough to convince the Xu family.
It was not until he saw the birth chart of Shi Baoying, daughter of a seventh-rank chief constable, that he was utterly astonished.
This woman bore the Phoenix Destiny. Though her origins were humble, the man she married would inevitably be the sovereign of the realm. Even if Zong Duo did not marry her, she would certainly marry some other member of the imperial clan. Better to bring her under his banner now.
With Mr. Mu's verdict, Zong Duo had legitimate grounds to decline the Xu family's marriage proposal, though it was unavoidable that friction arose with Grand Secretary Xu.
Mr. Mu knew that for the Xu family to fully set aside their resentment, the princess consort's Phoenix Destiny would need to prove its worth at the earliest opportunity.
He was highly confident about the Dragon Boat Festival race. Not to mention the protection of the princess consort's Phoenix Destiny, but considering Zong Duo's exceptional ability to command, this race could not be lost.
Mr. Mu was in excellent spirits and said with a smile, "The princess consort's zongzi have arrived at just the right time. This old man's stomach is growling—how about the rest of you?"
Hearing this, Yuan Yi quickly opened the lid of the food box, first taking out a zongzi tied with red string and presenting it to Zong Duo: "Your Highness, this one was specially prepared for you by the princess consort."
Zong Duo glanced at the plump little zongzi but did not even reach for it: "I don't eat it."
Yuan Yi, accustomed to this, set the zongzi down and carried the food box to Mr. Mu.
Mr. Mu picked up the topmost zongzi, untied the string, and peeled back the leaves, asking with some puzzlement, "The princess consort made these zongzi—why won't Your Highness try one?"
Xiao Jiang, standing nearby, smirked mischievously: "His Highness has already had quite enough."
Just then, Yuan Yi brought the food box before Xiao Jiang, who quickly waved his hand: "Thank you, Eunuch Yuan, but I've been having stomach trouble lately—I shouldn't eat glutinous rice."
"Xiao Jiang, you're a physician—how could you have stomach trouble?" Zong Duo tossed the red-stringed zongzi to Xiao Jiang and said with a cold laugh, "Don't leave a single bite."
He had noticed earlier that among all the zongzi in the box, only his and Mr. Mu's were wrapped with colored string. Needless to say, his scheming princess consort had certainly tampered with them.
Ever since the deer antler and black chicken soup incident, Xiao Jiang had never stopped teasing him. Today was the perfect chance to get back at the fellow.
As for the zongzi in Mr. Mu's hand, Zong Duo had no intention of stopping him either.
After all, that little wretch had been brought in by Mr. Mu in the first place. Only by letting Mr. Mu taste some hardship as well could he soothe his own frustration.
Sure enough, after two bites, Mr. Mu's expression suddenly changed drastically. His old face crumpled like a chrysanthemum, and he trembled his white beard as he frantically searched for a spittoon.
Yuan Yi hurriedly presented the tea cup. Mr. Mu spat out the zongzi from his mouth and, in the sweltering heat of midsummer, downed three cups of hot tea in succession before grimacing, "Why is it so salty! My tongue has gone numb!"
Han Yao said, "How could that be? I think it tastes quite fragrant—the fresh meat inside is rich but not greasy, and the red bean paste is soft and sweet. It's even better than what our family cook makes!"
The others nodded in agreement and teased, "Mr. Mu, could it be that you're getting on in years and your sense of taste has failed you!"
Mr. Mu, who was usually as ethereal as an immortal, was now sweating profusely and drinking hot tea, with no time to argue with the crowd.
Zong Duo watched his comical appearance, and a faint smile involuntarily curled at the corners of his lips.
Only Xiao Jiang nibbled at his zongzi in trepidation, afraid that the Princess Consort had added something to his as well.
It wasn't until he was forced to finish the entire zongzi that he tasted nothing amiss. Savoring the lingering flavor, he took a sip of tea and chimed in repeatedly, "Exactly! This zongzi is delicious—it even has two glistening salted egg yolks inside!"
Zong Duo looked at the smug Xiao Jiang, and for the first time in his life, his expectations had been off the mark. The faint smile at his lips instantly froze.