Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Yan Langqing had been feeling uneasy recently. The root cause of all her worries came from Lin Dan, a person who had long been forgotten by her but suddenly entered into the picture again. Yan Langqing had gotten people to pack Lin Dan's four signature dishes into the palace, and she found that they were all really delicious.
She tried to remake those dishes but found that even with the same ingredients and condiments, she was unable to recreate the same taste as Lin Dan. Yan Langqing was sure that Lin Dan had developed unique cooking techniques that were difficult to follow or master without Lin Dan's guidance. It would be useless even if she had gotten hold of the recipe.
It was an extraordinary skill that only the old chefs who had been in the industry for decades or even a lifetime possessed. As for Lin Dan, she was merely two years younger than Yan Langqing and was only twenty-two years old, but she had already far surpassed her. She had to admit that she felt uneasy, but as an imperial chef, she would never concede defeat to an ordinary chef.
She was definitely going to have a competition with Lin Dan, but she had to wait till her day off. However, troubles came even before she could wait. Several guards rushed into the imperial kitchen with big swords and asked aggressively, "Who was the one who made this Eight-Treasure Tofu today? Come forward!"
"It's me." Yan Langqing stepped forward calmly. In the palace, she was protected by the Emperor and naturally was not afraid of anything.
"Apart from you, who else has handled that dish?" the guard asked again.
Several maids and eunuchs stepped forward one after another, and they were all Yan Langqing's close aides. Among them was the young man who often left the palace to help her find delicacies outside the palace.
"Tie them up and send them to the Department of Justice!" Several guards tied them up without making any explanations and dragged them away for interrogation.
Yan Langqing started to panic when she heard that her aides were going to be put into the dark and hellish jail. She asked urgently while struggling, "Sirs, what have we done wrong?"
"Don't you know what you're guilty of?" The guards gagged their mouths and dragged them away rudely.
What actually happened was nothing serious yet not to be taken lightly at the same time. The Emperor had hosted a few princes from Mongolia in the palace and was discussing purchasing war horses from them. One of the princes had already informed a servant from the imperial kitchen that he was allergic to peanuts, but the Eight-Treasure Tofu was served instead which contained peanut sauce. The prince had an allergic reaction as soon as he ate it and developed a red rash all over his body with an unbearable itch. As a result, the banquet was ruined, and discussion on the purchase of the warhorses was unsuccessful. Everything had to hold until the prince had recovered.
In order to give the prince an explanation, the Emperor ordered the guards to thoroughly investigate the matter and found Yan Langqing responsible for it. Although Yan Langqing was not told about the prince's allergy, she was the chef who made the dish after all. She had to be interrogated to appease the guests even if the Emperor was reluctant to do so.
After discovering that the incident was merely a mistake and did not involve any spies or conspiracies from the other countries, the Department of Justice had released them. But Prince Gong, who was the head of the Department, suddenly arrived. Without a word, he threw two bamboo sticks and punished Yan Langqing and her apprentice, which was the young eunuch, each with fifty heavy sticks.
As Yan Langqing had won the favor of the Emperor, the executioner held back and did not dare to beat her hard. However, her apprentice did not enjoy such privileges. At the end of the interrogation, his clothes were torn and bloody and he was completely in ruins. After being taken out of the jail, Yan Langqing's legs were jelly, and tears started to roll uncontrollably. People had said that the palace was a place full of schemes, but she had never felt it under the Emperor's protection until today. She realized that the dark cell was indeed like a big mouth, waiting to tear people apart and devour lives.
When she was pressed on the bloody floor for interrogation, she vaguely heard Prince Gong said, "My brother asked me to punish her harshly… offended his beloved lady… Sigh, it's not his concubine, but a cook with excellent culinary skills…"[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Yan Langqing was smart and quickly understood that she was punished because she had offended someone she should not have in the first place. She wondered who it was, and the first group of people she could think of was the chefs in the imperial kitchen. They might have wanted to take her down so that the head chef position could be taken over by them.
Everyone seemed like a bad person to her right now and she only wanted to go home immediately without returning to the imperial kitchen. As she had expected, an order came and she was stripped away of the position as the imperial chef before being sent home. She was dumbfounded at what had happened. She felt humiliated and was unwilling to accept the reality.
She did not know what exactly happened and no one told her that the prince was allergic to peanuts. She was certain that she was framed, but she had no evidence and could not defend herself. She was being carried into a carriage before she could even change out of her bloody clothes before being sent out of the palace.
The young eunuch who often left the palace to find delicacies for her suffered from serious injuries and was thrown into the side quarters. It was unknown if he would be able to survive the predicament, but even if he did he would not be able to return to the imperial kitchen anymore. He could only serve the concubines who were living in the cold palace and had turned mad, or clean the toilets at the Laundry Bureau. The worst was yet to come.
—
Lady Zhou was shell-shocked to see her son covered in blood after being beaten up by the officials and kept asking what they should do in the future. Since the restaurant was wrecked, the signboard was smashed into pieces, and the nobles even said that they were not allowed to open the business, she wondered if it meant that they had to go and beg Lin Dan, that wretched girl, to return. Lady Zhou did not want to concede defeat, but she knew that the situation of the family would not improve if Lin Dan did not return. They had already lost most of their savings by paying that one hundred thousand tael of silver. This had a great impact on the family's finances and she thought it would be impossible to recover in the next eight to ten years.
Yan Shouye gritted his teeth and said, "Beg? If she has a backer, so do we, and our backer is the Emperor. When Langqing returns, I will ask her to speak to the Emperor and everything will be fine. Our Langqing is bound to be the Emperor's concubine in the future."
"Didn't you say that she was going to be the wife of a marquis?" Lady Zhou finally felt a sense of relief.
"Being the wife of a marquis is nothing compared to being a concubine of the Emperor. I have stopped Langqing from getting married all these years and you thought I was delaying her? Look what's happening now. If I hadn't held her back, do you think she could enjoy such good fortune? This hardship will be over once Langqing is back, and I will ask her to make the Emperor punish Marquis Weiyuan and the others to avenge me!" Yan Shouye got more excited and straightened his torso before yelling, "Servants! Go to the door and see if the missy is back!"
Immediately, a maid rushed in and screamed in a hoarse voice, "Bad news, bad news! M-Missy came back covered in blood and was removed as the imperial chef!"
The palace guard who sent Yan Langqing back received an order from Prince Gong to embarrass the Yan family by proclaiming the mistake she had committed in the palace and the removal of her position clearly at the entrance. As the passersby were all neighbors who lived nearby and were often bullied by Lady Zhou and Yan Shouye, they could not help but gloat over their misfortune. They thought it was the family's bad karma for ill-treating others merely because their daughter was an imperial chef.
Yan Langqing was so embarrassed that she covered her head with a thin blanket before getting the servants to lift herself out of the carriage and returned home. She was shocked when she saw her father who was also lying on the bed.
Yan Shouye was completely in panic and started to tell her about what he did to Lin Dan and her mother, as well as how he set her hometown kitchen on fire. He exclaimed, "I didn't know she had connections with so many respectable people when she had only returned to the capital for only two or three months, and they were all willing to stand up for her! If only I knew that, I wouldn't…" He wouldn't have provoked her, he thought.
But Yan Shouye did not bring himself to finish that sentence. He thought for a moment and groaned, "Looks like we can't rely on the Emperor anymore. Langqing, send a letter to Tang Peng and ask for his help. You may not know this, but Lin Dan utterly embarrassed Tang Peng the last time he brought a few Mongolian princes to Lin Dan's hometown kitchen and he hated Lin Dan. When I told him that I wanted to set the restaurant on fire, he agreed to help me bribe the South District office immediately. Or maybe, he has been treating me well because of you. I suppose he won't reject your request if you have spoken to him instead. How can we survive if we keep this restaurant closed? But we need a backer if we want to reopen the restaurant, isn't it? He is the Deputy Minister of War and the son of Marquis Yongding. I'm sure Prince Cheng will not come and smash our signboard again if he backs us up."
Yan Shouya rattled on, but Yan Langqing had only heard the word "Mongolia" and she immediately asked, "The princes of Mongolia have dined at Lin Dan's restaurant? Does she have connections with the princes of this country?"
"She wouldn't have any connections with them if not for the young marquis who took those people there. In the past few years, he has worked with Mongolia to fight against the Xiongnu. They were allies on the battlefield and had good relations." Yan Shouye had intended to buy a title and naturally understood the affairs of the court.
"The young marquis? So, it was him!" Yan Langqing was completely stunned, and tears started rolling at once. She thought it was the people from the imperial kitchen who framed her, but it was actually the young marquis' doings. Besides him, there was no one else who was able to get the Mongolian prince's help to create trouble for her in the palace.
Prince Cheng and Prince Gong had also stepped forward to seek justice for Lin Dan. She wondered what was the reason that all the hard work she had put in to survive in the palace and to uphold the reputation of her family was destroyed overnight.
Yan Langqing suddenly felt extremely miserable and yelled, "Father, didn't I tell you to live in peace and don't cause any trouble?! Why didn't you take my words seriously? Back then, it was all because of you that I was being driven out by the marquis and was hated by the young marquis. Now you are making trouble again, and I was driven out of the palace by the Emperor and my reputation is smeared. Are you satisfied now? How many times do you have to drag me down?"
Looking at the daughter who was half lying on the chair mourning and crying, Yan Shouye was ashamed and regretful, but there was nothing he could do. He murmured, "I didn't expect Lin Dan to be such a prickly hedgehog that cannot be provoked. Why don't you send a letter to Tang Peng? He might be able to help you."[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Lin Dan returned after only staying in the suburbs of the capital for two nights. Since the store had been sold to Qin Er'niang, she wanted to move her things out to make room for her.
"Can you not sell this store and continue the hometown kitchen business?" Qin Er'niang felt that she might be the stupidest woman in the world, as she was yearning to return the shop she had bought over. But she knew that life would be tougher without having to enjoy Manager Lin's dishes.
"I'm not continuing the business. I'm almost done with the matters of the capital and am thinking of traveling to other places." Lin Dan was used to traveling around and would not stay in the same place for too long.
While they were talking, there were people knocking on the door from time to time and shouting, "Is Manager Lin back yet? When will she open for business? Manager Lin, Manager Lin…" They shouted for a long time before walking away with a sigh as they received no response.
This happened frequently during days while Lin Dan was away. There were diners who would knock on the door and ask questions at every other moment. Since the hometown kitchen was closed, people in the South District could only enjoy authentic hometown food in their dreams. These days, most of the people who left their hometown to make money in the capital were strong men who did not know how to cook. Even if they could, they would not be able to recreate the flavor Lin Dan made, and could only eat plain buns.
Nobody would want to live a hard life if they could make their lives better. They would not want to eat buns if there were cheap and delicious food. They felt life had become tougher without Manager Lin around.
Lin Dan did not seem to pay any attention to the noise outside and continued packing. But Qin Er'niang tsked and sneered, "Yeah, just keep the door closed and let them die of anxiety! They enjoyed so much good food here but when trouble came, nobody actually offered any help! They're just a bunch of ungrateful bastards!"
Lin Dan smiled and said nothing. She thought it was an overstatement to call them bastards. They acted this way because the world was hard and cold. Nevertheless, she was still thankful for Qin Er'niang. If she had not brought her girls over to chase Lady Zhou away, Lady Zhou may still come and create more trouble for her. She believed that it was out of kindness that others were willing to help, but it was also understandable if they did not want to. No one should be blamed.
That was why she sold the store to Qin Er'niang at a low price of ten taels of silver, and also gave her a recipe for making wine and a few recipes for making snacks. The brothel was not a place to sell food, but food and drinks were important aspects of her business. She believed it should be enough to repay her kindness.
They talked as they packed, but suddenly they heard loud screaming outside the door, and there were vague sounds of someone begging for mercy and giving kowtows. The noise outside was annoying people around.
"Who is fighting outside? You stay here while I go and take a look." Qin Er'niang put down the broom and walked out.
Lin Dan could not let her take the risk and pulled her behind, before walking out with a kitchen knife. She peeked out from the door and saw Tang Jiu standing upright in front of the steps. The guards were stepping on several punks under their feet and were breaking the bones of their hands one by one with the back of the sword.
The screams were made by the gangsters, and there was a young man who was kneeling next to them. It was Tang Peng. His back was tied up with thorns and he yelled angrily, "Brother Jiu, you actually humiliated me for an outsider! I'm going to report this to uncle!"
"Do you think you're in the right for misusing your power for personal gains and oppressing the people?" Tang Jiu said indifferently.
"Aren't you misusing your power right now as well?" Tang Peng was still struggling, but Zhao Liu pressed his shoulders hard and made him kneel on the ground.
Tang Jiu ignored him and turned around as he heard some sounds. His eyes lit up immediately and said, "Lin Dan, you are back."
"What are you doing?" Lin Dan wanted to raise her hand and point at Tang Peng and the few gangsters, but she soon realized that she was holding a knife and put her hand down.
Tang Jiu cupped his hands and said, "The government received Tang Peng's instructions to disregard the arson, and I have brought him here to face his wrongdoings. These rogues are the arsonists." He obviously has received news that Lin Dan was back and was sure that he would not come in vain.
Lin Dan showed a look of sudden realization and glanced at Tang Peng who was still yelling and cursing. She replied gratefully, "Thank you, young marquis, for standing up for me. I accept his apology." She wanted to close the door after saying these words.
Tang Jiu hurriedly put his hand in between the doors and asked, "Can you please stay, then?" He failed to keep Lin Dan ten years ago, and he hoped that things could change ten years later. No one knew how many times Lin Dan's figure and her stubbornness had appeared in his dreams. She always went farther and farther, and then gradually disappeared into the dense fog, making him awake with lingering fear and guilt.
Back then, if he had not believed in the rumors and forced Lin Dan to have a competition with Yan Langqing, Uncle Lin would not have to suffer such injustice even after his death. He grew up eating dishes made by Uncle Lin, and he should know Uncle Lin's character. But at that time, he felt as if he had been bewitched and believed in everything Yan Langqing said. In the end, the competition had tarnished Uncle Lin's reputation, while Lin Dan and Lady Qi clan had to leave their hometown and travel from place to place for many years.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
He believed that he had never done anything wrong in his life, except the fact that he was sorry for the deceased Uncle Lin, as well as Lin Dan and Lady Qi. Seeing that Lin Dan had finally returned to the capital and tried to re-establish Lin's family's recipes, he was happier than anyone else. He knew how talented Lin Dan was, and as long as she was given enough time, she could definitely surpass Uncle Lin's achievements.
However, there were people who wanted to make her suffer. They used one trick after another on her, which forced her to leave again. But Tang Jiu's disgust for Yan's family was already bone-deep, or he would not use his own means to strip Yan Langqing's position as an imperial chef.
He said in a more serious tone and repeated, "Can't you stay this time around? I promise that no one will dare to humiliate you in the future."
Lin Dan smiled but shook her head firmly.
Tang Jiu was utterly disappointed and wanted to say something more. But a man squeezed through the crowd and said in a trembling voice, "I am the servant of the Yan family, I came here to deliver a letter for my missy."
"You may hand it to me." Lin Dan stretched out her hand to receive the letter before letting out a heavy sigh. The person she was waiting for had finally come…
Tang Jiu glanced at the letter and saw a line written in beautiful handwriting that said: "June 6th, Fragrant Garden." The Fragrant Garden was an imperial residence and was usually out of bounds for the ordinary people, as that was one of the Emperor's favorite gardens and should be guarded all year round. Tang Jiu wondered how Yan Langqing could use that place with her current identity and suspected she had gotten the Emperor's permission.
Tang Jiu suddenly remembered the message sent to him by his sister, saying that the Emperor had been very generous to Yan Langqing in recent years, and asked Tang Jiu to find a way to stop her as the Emperor seemed to have the intention of making her a concubine. It was also because of this message that there were rumors that the imperial concubine wanted Yan Langqing to marry Tang Jiu and become part of the marquis' family.
If it was true that Lang Yanqing had the backing of the Emperor, he worried that the competition would not be a fair one. He whispered to Lin Dan, "The Fragrant Garden is an imperial garden, and no one could use it without a decree from the Emperor. The last person who ate at the Fragrant Garden was the Royal Princess."
Lin Dan frowned slightly and nodded after a moment. "I see. Thank you for telling me." She spoke calmly and sounded relaxed.
Tang Jiu could not tell what she was thinking and continued: "I can think of a way to cancel this competition." He thought there was no point in participating in an unfair competition and that they should make Yan Langqing lose the Emperor's favor before having the competition. There was already little justice in the world, but he wanted to seek justice for Lin Dan, a justice that was ten years late.
"It's fine, I have my own way to deal with it." Lin Dan smiled and shook her head. She had waited for ten years for this moment and did not want to wait any longer.
"Please reconsider it carefully. Yan Langqing has the Emperor's backing, and the judges who will be invited would not dare to make her the loser." Since he could not persuade her, Tang Jiu decided to make things clearer.
Lin Dan waved her hand and said the same thing, "I can deal with it, not to worry."
Tang Jiu looked at her and gritted his teeth, feeling helpless yet moved at the same time. Lin Dan was still the same stubborn girl, but it was precisely because of this stubbornness that she had achieved what she had today.
"Whatever, I'll come up with something for you anyway!" After saying this, Tang Jiu took Tang Peng and strode away.
Qin Er'niang tiptoed and looked at the content of the letter. She sighed, "Fragrant Garden, that's the Emperor's favorite place and it's out of bounds for most people. Manager Lin, it's better that you do not ignore what Young Marquis Tang said. Sometimes, giving in doesn't mean that you've lost. We know how good you are, so why bother fighting a losing battle?"
Lin Dan shook her head with a determined look on her face.
—
June 6th soon arrived, and Lin Dan was invited to the location. She passed through numerous checkpoints and inspections before she was allowed to enter the Fragrant Garden. In the garden, there was one guard post for every five steps and one booth every ten and the place was heavily guarded by solemn-looking imperial guards.
Most ordinary people would be terrified of such a scene and would not dare to appear for the competition. It was obvious that Yan Langqing tried to instill fear in Lin Dan even before meeting her. Lin Dan did not know who she was, but she knew that she would be facing something peculiar or even spectacular. It was because she did not panic at all at the sight of this scene, and her heart was as calm and quiet as still water, without any ripples at all.
She walked into the inner courtyard with composure and entered the main hall. She immediately knelt down when she saw a handsome man sitting on the main seat. The man was wearing a pair of bright yellow boots and was undoubtedly the Emperor.
"You may rise. I heard that you are going to have a cooking competition with Langqing, so I specially left the palace to be a witness to her." The Emperor gave a seemingly kind smile, "This time around, you will only have to display your true capabilities without worrying anything. You may ask for any food ingredients, and the servants will prepare them for you."
Yan Langqing lowered her head and covered her mouth, seemingly bashful. The Emperor glanced at her and smiled tenderly. He may seem fair on the surface, but with just a few words, he had clearly spelled out his close relationship with Yan Langqing. "Who would dare to disobey him?" She thought.
The people who came to be the judge looked at each other and each had their own thoughts. These judges included old imperial chefs who have left the palace, well-known food connoisseurs, and head chefs of large restaurants. All of them were knowledgeable in cooking.
Lin Dan took a quick glance at the judges and immediately understood what was happening. Most of these judges were also there in the previous competition, it felt as though time had gone back and the same thing was happening again. In addition, old acquaintances such as Young Marquis Tang, Prince Cheng, Prince Gong, Marquis Weiyuan, and the son of Lord Dianqian were also present in the audience. Yan Shouye, who had been badly beaten up and was supposed to remain bedridden, was there too. He looked at her with a bitter but proud face.
Lin Dan bowed down and asked, "Your Majesty, would you ensure the fairness of this competition?" The Emperor claimed to be a benevolent ruler. When he first took over the throne, he welcomed all suggestions and feedback and recruited talented officials. On the royal court, he was exceptionally forgiving toward officials who gave direct and honest opinions. Since Lin Dan tried to make things clear, he had to nod if he did not want to.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Lin Dan's bold speech had surprised the Emperor. He originally looked down on this plain-looking woman, but there was already a hint of interest in his eyes. He replied, "Of course, I must ensure the fairness of this competition. I will only watch and not comment. Your cooking skills will be judged by these old food connoisseurs and chefs. They will have the final say."
Lin Dan faced the judges and gave them a bow one by one. She said, "Even so, this competition is still unfair to me. Imperial Chef Yan is very much favored by you, Your Majesty. You have provided her with the Fragrant Garden to hold the competition and even came here personally. It is obvious that you're showing favoritism towards her. Being the ruler of the country, I'm sure your people would also not dare to defy your will. Today, as soon as I stepped into the Fragrant Garden, I know I've lost. If this was plain to me, I'm sure the wise and all-knowing Emperor would understand this too."
Everyone was horrified to hear this, as they had never expected Lin Dan to be so candid with her opinions.
But the Emperor gave a hearty laugh, his eyes filled with interest. "In that case, what do you think I should do? Do you want to continue this competition?"
Yan Langqing showed a mixed expression. If possible, she would naturally want to compete with Lin Dan fair and square, but she was unable to refuse the Emperor's kindness. But Yan Shouye felt that there was no need to continue the competition at all and thought Lin Dan had come to be humiliated. "Once my daughter becomes a concubine, I will kill her!" He thought.
However, Lin Dan nodded without hesitation and said, "I will continue, of course. But to ensure fairness, would you allow me to set the rules, Your Majesty? Back then, when I competed with Imperial Chef Yan for the first time, Imperial Chef Yan was also the one who set the rules as I was the head chef of the marquis residence and was favored by the marquis. She had decided the content, rules, and judges of the competition. Now that the situation is reversed, I'm making the same request. I reckon this is not too much to ask for?"
The Emperor glanced at Yan Langqing and nodded, "Indeed, it sounds fair to me. Tell me, how would you like to hold the competition?"
Lin Dan may seem to have the upper hand, but the Emperor still had the final say. Even if she made the most delicious dish, a word from the judges could easily push her down into the abyss. The so-called fairness had never existed in the face of power. Lin Dan was bold, but not brilliant. The Emperor shook his head thinking of this and had lost all interest in her.
Lin Dan steadily replied, "In this competition, we will use the same ingredients to make the same dish, and just one dish."
Yan Langqing asked, "What do you want to make?"
"Since the Dragon Boat Festival is coming, shall we make rice dumplings?" Lin Dan tilted her head and smiled at her.
Yan Langqing was stunned. She took a while to snap out of her thoughts and nodded slowly. From Lin Dan's four signature dishes, Yan Langqing had some understanding of her current level and thought she would want to compete on an extremely difficult dish. Little did she expect that Lin Dan would propose to compete making rice dumplings. However, Yan Langqing was not taken aback at all. The concubines in the palace loved dumplings too and the various kinds of dumplings she made were well received. This was why she was not afraid of competing on this dish. The concubines were extremely picky when it came to food, and she was sure that the judges would be satisfied with her cooking if she was able to even satisfy the concubines.
"Let's make fifty catties of rice dumplings, and only meat dumplings, is that alright?" Lin Dan continued.
"Fifty catties?" Yan Langqing finally showed a surprised expression.
"Are you up for it?" Lin Dan looked straight at her.
"Yes."
"Great, in that case, may I request for one hundred catties of glutinous rice and fifty catties of pork belly. The glutinous rice and pork belly do not need to be separated and can be placed in one bucket, and we will distribute it among ourselves in the kitchen later on. If there are any other condiments that we need, we will make a request to the servants individually so that we will not disrupt one another. Is this arrangement okay?" Lin Dan cupped her hands and displayed a humble yet unwavering attitude.
The Emperor nodded and said, "Permission granted. Let's make the preparations."
"Is Lin Dan trying to stuff everyone with the hundred catties of meat dumplings?" The Emperor thought to himself.
Not only the Emperor was surprised, but the other guests were also puzzled too. However, Lin Dan and Yan Langqing had already gone to the kitchen and there was no time to ask for the reason. Besides, Lin Dan probably would not give an answer even if she was asked, so they thought it was better to wait until the meat dumplings were completed. The Emperor thought that it would be a competition where the outcome had been decided even before it even started, but he did not expect Lin Dan to create suspense in the competition. Lin Dan was interesting indeed, he thought.
Regardless of the audience's speculations, Lin Dan, who entered the kitchen, was extremely composed. One hundred catties of glutinous rice were packed in a huge wooden barrel and was carried in by the servants who were out of breath, followed by a bucket with fifty catties of pork belly.
Lin Dan pressed the glutinous rice with her hands and nodded in satisfaction.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Yan Langqing said warmly, "Your worries are redundant. I will not stoop so low to make them prepare the good ingredients for me and the inferior ingredients for you. You can take your share of glutinous rice and pork first, and I will use the rest."
Lin Dan turned her head and looked at her with a smile on her face. "Thank you then, Imperial Chef Yan."
Yan Langqing slowly rolled up her sleeves and said, "Then, shall we begin?"
"Okay, but before that, I have to specify the shape and size of the dumplings. I'm sure you won't have any objections?" Lin Dan took out three dumpling leaves and rolled them into a cone. She then added some glutinous rice and tied them with rope before motioning it to her, "Can you make dumplings with the same shape and the same size as this?"
This was a really strange rule, but Yan Langqing did not think much about it. She nodded and said, "Yes." She immediately wrapped a triangular rice dumpling exactly the same and handed it to Lin Dan for inspection.
Lin Dan untied the two rice dumplings, put the glutinous rice back in the bucket, and said with a smile: "Then, we can begin."
The two chefs each occupied a stove and got busy. Yan Langqing first soaked the glutinous rice, sliced the pork belly into thin slices, and marinated them with soy sauce, fine salt, sugar, peanut oil, and other seasonings. When she lifted her head, she realized that Lin Dan was setting fire in the stove and had not touched the glutinous rice and pork belly.
"Why is she trying to set up fire when the dumplings are not even done yet?" She thought. She felt that Lin Dan's steps were strange and could not help but take another glance. She soon realized that Lin Dan was not burning firewood, but sesame candy sticks she had specially requested from the palace servants. The sesame sticks contained many ripe sesame seeds and made popping sounds when it was burned on the stone. A unique burnt fragrance was slowly given out and it smelled extremely rich.
Yan Langqing involuntarily took a deep breath and felt even more curious.
But Lin Dan did not even look at her. She only set aside the sesame sticks that were burned into ashes and wrapped them in a thin silk cloth. She then put them in cool water and rubbed them until the crystal-clear water had turned muddy. After sieving it several times with a fine silk cloth, she made sure that there was no residue left before soaking the glutinous rice.
After the white glutinous rice was added into the water and was stained with the muddy color, Yan Langqing instantly thought she was ruining the food! She thought these rice dumplings would be too dirty for the judges to consume. She was full of questions, but she thought it was inappropriate to ask her and neither was she interested to know anyway. This competition could affect her reputation and she naturally would not stop Lin Dan from jeopardizing her own victory.
Lin Dan soaked the glutinous rice and began to process the pork belly. The seasoning she chose was similar to Yan Langqing, with only a slight difference in amount. After everything was ready, she started making the dumplings. It was obvious that her method of wrapping the dumplings was very sophisticated. She rolled up the leaf with a twist of her wrist and added some glutinous rice underneath before stuffing a piece of meat in the middle. After covering it with more glutinous rice and pressing it with hands, she wrapped the dumpling and tied it with a rope. Finally, she tied a small knot at the end of the rope.
Yan Langqing also started to wrap the rice dumplings into the exact same size and shape as Lin Dan's dumplings. After wrapping one dumpling, she threw it into the pot and waited for it to be cooked.
From morning to afternoon, the two of them finally wrapped fifty catties of rice dumplings and placed them into two buckets of the same size and shape. The dumplings were already cooked and steaming hot. Before it was served to the judges, Lin Dan counted the total of rice dumplings, before walking to Yan Langqing's wooden barrel. Then, she slowly said, "Let's swap positions."
Although Yan Langqing was full of doubts, she did not feel there was anything wrong and stood behind Lin Dan's wooden barrel. She thought that she could easily recognize her own barrel and Lin Dan should not have the guts to steal her food.
Lin Dan then invited all the guests and said, "May I ask the guests to take two guards into the kitchen and exchange the positions of the two barrels placed on the left and right. You may exchange as many times as you like, or you may leave it untouched. After one guest has finished the exchange, another guest will enter and follow suit. After five rounds, no one is allowed to reveal how many exchanges he has made."
"What exactly are you trying to do?" The Emperor could not tell what Lin Dan was planning. Logically speaking, since the dumplings were done, the judges could try them and decide the winner immediately. But now, Lin Dan seemed to be playing a game, and seemingly wanting to fool with everyone else. Such audacity, he thought.
"Your Majesty, you have already agreed to let me decide how the competition would be conducted. Is your permission still valid?" Lin Dan asked instead of answering his question.
The Emperor frowned and waved his hand, "Get five of them out and exchange the positions of the two barrels."
Five people, including Tang Jiu, son of Lord Dianqian, Prince Cheng, Prince Gong, and Marquis Weiyuan immediately stood up.
Yan Langqing hesitated for a moment but did not raise any objections. Although these people were loyal fans of Lin Dan, they were not the judges and would have no say to the outcome of the competition. Yan Langqing thought Lin Dan merely wanted to exchange the two buckets of dumplings so that the judges would not be able to tell who made the dumplings. She agreed that this was a brilliant tactic, but perhaps Lin Dan had forgotten that old imperial chefs who had left the palace were very familiar with Yan Langqing's craftsmanship. Several of them were even specially invited by the Emperor to teach her cooking and could be considered to be her master.
She was certain that they would be able to tell the two kinds of dumplings apart. Besides, Lin Dan had used that "dirty method" to treat the glutinous rice, and Yan Langqing wondered if the dumplings could even be eaten. She was very skeptical about her cooking method, and already believed that she could win. Lin Dan was not as good as her ten years ago, and it will be the same ten years later.
The Emperor could also tell Lin Dan's intention and could not help but shook his head. This Manager Lin had been playing clever tricks but turned out that her tricks were not good enough.
After Tang Jiu and the rest had exchanged the wooden barrels, they walked out with a gloomy expression. To them, Lin Dan was fighting a losing battle and everything she did was merely a desperate struggle. She had already lost the competition the moment she accepted the challenge. Justice was absent in the face of power and she should understand this.
Yet, Lin Dan looked very relaxed and said, "Since the competition is over, I will now set the rules for judging the winner. Everyone in this room is biased and it is inevitable that this will be an unfair competition. In my opinion, the judges who are present here are not the best candidates to ensure a fair competition. Therefore, I'd like to take these two buckets of dumplings to the city gate. We will peel the dumplings apart and cut them into pieces, before letting the people who enter the city taste them and take the dumpling they prefer away. The one who has all the dumplings taken away by the people first wins. Wouldn't it be fair this way? Don't worry, I've marked the dumplings to tell two buckets apart. I've also counted dumplings in advance. The two buckets each contain 400 dumplings, and extras were set aside in order to ensure that the outcome can easily be judged."[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
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As soon as Lin Dan finished speaking, everyone present was dumbfounded, and even the Emperor who was confident that Lin Dan would lose had shown a surprised expression.
According to Lin Dan, the people would definitely choose the dumpling that suited their taste buds if they were to be the judge. They wouldn't know who made the two barrels of dumplings, let alone knowing that it would decide the outcome of a competition. Conducting the competition in this manner would indeed result in the fairest outcome.
No one could refute what Lin Dan said, not even the Emperor because he had promised Lin Dan that this would be a fair competition and that she could decide the rules. The Emperor's words were considered to be of weighty significance that no one could deny it.
The Emperor soon realized Lin Dan's true intention. The decision of this competition was no longer in the hands of the Emperor or the judges anymore, but in the hands of the people. In order to prevent him from interfering with his ruling power, she even stated that only those who entered the city would be given the dumplings and not those who are leaving the city. The Emperor could arrange for people to leave the city and pick up the dumplings, but he could not control those who were entering the city. Only God knows who would be entering the capital and when.
Since the order of the two buckets of dumplings had been disrupted, even if the Emperor was resourceful enough to get people disguised as ordinary people and enter the city, they wouldn't be able to tell which bucket of dumplings was made by Yan Langqing. In the end, it still depended on their preference. Besides, the Emperor would not stoop so low to find out who was the one that made the bucket of rice dumpling respectively.
"Is this fair?" The Emperor shook his head and laughed loudly, "It's fair, perfectly fair! Guards, move these two buckets of rice dumplings to the west city gate, and the guards will distribute them to those who enter the city. Everyone who enters the city is allowed to pick the one they prefer after tasting and should never take more than one." In that way, they would only take the one they liked the most.
The Emperor had originally intended to support Yan Langqing. After all, this was the woman he was fond of, who had just been wronged, and he thought it would not hurt to show some favoritism. But now, he thought Lin Dan was an interesting woman, and she had also made this competition interesting. This was why he did not mind making the competition a fair one to spice things up even more. He would do nothing next, nor allow others to break the rules, and left the outcome of the competition to the people.
Seeing the Emperor's cheerful expression, Tang Jiu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked at Lin Dan, who seemed relaxed, with a pair of passionate eyes before breaking into a smile. He knew that he got all worried again for nothing, since Lin Dan could always face any difficulty calmly, and relied on her persistence and cleverness to figure a way out.
Marquis Weiyuan's lazy and casual expression finally faded and he stared directly at Lin Dan. Prince Cheng and Prince Gong were whispering and giggling together, looking to be in good spirits. The son of Lord Dianqian only rubbed the teacup in his hand, occasionally raised his eyes to look at Lin Dan with a pair of deep eyes.
The only one who was carrying a solemn expression was Yan Langqing. She never thought that Lin Dan would propose to judge the competition in this manner, but after analyzing carefully, she had to admit that Lin Dan's intelligence was admirable. The Emperor especially liked women with quick thinking and even more so for things that were interesting. He probably admired Lin Dan very much now and would not take sides anymore.
Yan Langqing felt a little uneasy but not flustered because she believed in her own skills.
The group came to the west gate and picked a high platform on the gates to watch how things unfold. Two buckets of dumplings were placed side by side by the guards, and one of them was peeled and broken for those who entered the city to have a taste. As the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, many rich people would typically give out dumplings to the poor as a way to earn good karma. Therefore, the passers-by were not at all surprised to have a dumpling. Since the guards were also around, they did not dare to snatch the dumplings. The people followed the instructions given by the guards and only had those who entered the city take one dumpling and nothing more.
The people had a taste of the samples on both sides, and those who were entering the city soon took their preferred rice dumplings and left. The Emperor stood on the platform and looked down. His boredom had long been replaced by excitement and anticipation. He enjoyed conducting the competition in such a manner and believed that it was more fun when things were unpredictable.
Since it took time to process glutinous rice and pork belly, it was already afternoon when the dumplings were ready. It was only an hour before the gate was closed, excluding the delay that was caused on the way, which was why there were still dumplings left in the two buckets. But this would not affect the outcome – whoever had fewer rice dumplings left will win. There was no doubt about this.
Everyone moved to a nearby restaurant and booked the most luxurious room. As soon as the Emperor entered the door, he hurriedly shouted: "Guards, count the number of dumplings left in the bucket."
Immediately two guards stepped forward and counted the rice dumplings in the two buckets. After the results were out, they wrote them on the paper and asked two other guards to count them again. They repeated this three times and stopped when they obtained the same number. One of the guards stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, there are 288 rice dumplings remaining in the bucket on the left, and 63 rice dumplings in the bucket on the right. The right side wins."[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
"The gap between the two is really big!" The Emperor thought. He looked at Lin Dan, raised his eyebrows, and said, "Can you recognize which bucket is yours?"
Lin Dan walked to the right and said confidently: "I can recognize it, of course."
Yan Langqing stared at the two buckets and her face turned pale.
"How do you know this bucket belongs to you?" The Emperor looked at Lin Dan with a smile.
"I tied a knot at the end of each rope when wrapping rice dumplings. You may check it if you don't believe me." Lin Dan took out a dumpling and showed the rope to everyone. There was indeed a small knot at the end, and it was unnoticeable without having someone holding it in their hand.
In order to ensure fairness, several guards immediately took out all the rice dumplings and checked them one by one. They nodded and said, "Your Majesty, all the rice dumplings on the right are knotted, but none are knotted on the left."
Lin Dan said, "Besides the knots, you can also open up the dumplings. I'm sure Imperial Chef Yan would be able to recognize her own work, right?" She picked up two dumplings and unhurriedly removed the leaves and opened them up.
Without opening the dumplings, the two dumplings may look exactly the same in terms of size and shape, as if they were made by the same person. But when the dumpling was completely disassembled, the difference within was night and day. As everyone was standing on a high platform overlooking the city gate, it was natural that they were unable to see what happened exactly, but now that the two rice dumplings were lying on a jade white plate, everything seemed apparent.
The dumpling on the right was golden in color, with a clear surface, and looked very delicate and small. On the other hand, the two ends of the dumpling on the left were slightly yellowish, and the middle section was sauce-colored as if it had been dipped in a large dyeing vat and looked very messy. One could judge whether the food was good from three aspects – color, aroma, and taste. When the difference between the two dumplings became noticeable, everyone has to admit that Lin Dan has already emerged top based on the food appearance.
All the meat dumplings that Yan Langqing wrapped appeared to have a mixture of colors. As the glutinous rice was white and the marinated pork belly was braised, when the two ingredients were steamed together, the colors would naturally stain and become unsightly. She had never expected that the glutinous rice that was soaked in the muddy water by Lin Dan would turn out into a brilliant golden color, looking very tender and lovely. She wondered what the reason was.
She was shocked and complained, "Something is wrong! Lin Dan's glutinous rice has been soaked in the muddy water and it should have been dirty. How can it look better than mine?"
Before everyone showed their surprised expressions, Lin Dan slowly explained, "You judged based on what you saw, but you do not know what the reason behind that was. Do you not know that the ashes formed by burning wood are cleaner than spring water? Due to the burning flame, the dirt has all been incinerated. The ash water also contains a magical medium, which can be used to clean your hands and can also be used to make dry goods. If you soak the hard and dry goods in the ash water, it can soften the ingredients several times faster than the clear water. My dumplings were soaked in this ash water and is called the ash water dumpling, which is a specialty of Baiyue region. After being soaked in the ash water, the glutinous rice was not only clean but also stained with a golden yellow color. It is unique, soft, and smooth, more delicious than ordinary white rice dumplings."
She stretched out her hand and gestured, "Now that we have finished judging the appearance, it's time for everyone to judge the aroma and taste of the two dumplings."
The Emperor picked up the plate and sniffed the two rice dumplings carefully. He raised his eyebrows, before handing the plate to the old imperial chef standing beside him. The old imperial chef's eyes lit up after smelling it before handing it to the next judge. Everyone took turns to smell it and finally handed it to Yan Langqing.
Yan Langqing was unconvinced at first, but she fell into despair after smelling it. This ash water dumpling was indeed like what Lin Dan said, it had a faint fragrance of plants and trees, a fresh astringency smell and aroma of the braised sauce. She thought Lin Dan's dumpling smelled unique, while her white dumplings only had the aroma of rice and meat. Her dumplings smelled good but were not rich in layers. Compared with Lin Dan's rice dumplings, her dumplings seemed ordinary.
"Everyone, please have a taste." Lin Dan took up her chopsticks calmly and broke the two dumplings apart.
Everyone tasted the two kinds of rice dumplings, and the amazement on their faces became even more apparent. There was no doubt that this ash water dumpling did not only have a bright color and unique scent but also very soft and tender in terms of its taste. Although it was no longer warm, the taste was still there, and it was slightly chewy on the first bite. It was first the slight sweetness of the glutinous rice and there was some astringency before tasting the thick and meaty flavor in the end. The rich and aromatic meat juice filled the mouth and brought about an endless aftertaste.
After tasting Lin Dan's dumpling, Yan Langqing's dumpling seemed to be obviously inferior in texture and taste by several levels. The white glutinous rice dumplings were put in the cold and were not as soft as they were just taken out of the pot. They were slightly sticky at the first bite and were not easy to chew and swallow. The meat filling was even lumpy and looking very dry.
Seeing everyone's frowning brows, Lin Dan slowly said, "Greywater rice dumplings taste better after being eaten cold. The soft glutinous rice dumpling has a little elasticity and is very easy to swallow. Not to mention the meat filling, it is also very delicious even if it is only eaten with sugar only. Meanwhile, the ordinary white glutinous rice dumplings will turn dry and hard after losing its warmth, it has to be heated up again so that it can be swallowed easily. This is the difference between the two. In case you think this is unfair, feel free to reheat the two dumplings and have a taste test again."
Yan Langqing's hand that was holding the chopsticks trembled slightly. She said nothing but looked at the Emperor hopefully.
The Emperor smiled and waved his hand, "Servants, heat up the rice dumplings!"
Two palace servants took the rice dumplings to the kitchen immediately, and after a short while, they returned with a food box. True enough, the heated white rice dumpling was soft and tender, and the taste was much better than before. But Lin Dan's ash water rice dumpling was still golden, with delicate and rich oil flowing out of the gaps in the glutinous rice, giving it a luster and shiny appearance. It looked many times better than Yan Langqing's white rice dumplings.
The Emperor immediately saw the ash water dumplings. He picked it up with his chopsticks and took a bite, before sighing with satisfaction. The glutinous rice soaked in ash water was sweeter, softer, and smoother. It was completely saturated with the juice secreted by the meat. Every bite was rich and delicious, making people want to smack their lips. After tasting the ash water dumplings made by Lin Dan's secret technique, one word two words came to the Emperor's mind after tasting Yan Langqing's white rice dumplings – ordinary and plain.
After the two kinds of rice dumplings were disassembled, it was apparent that the ash water rice dumplings were beautiful and delicious, but the white rice dumplings were stiff and hard to swallow. It was no wonder that Lin Dan's bucket was almost empty, while Yan Langqing's bucket was half full. This time around, her defeat was fair and square.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
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As the Emperor had special feelings for Yan Langqing, she naturally looked more pleasing to his eye than the others. But even so, there was no way he could bring himself to say that the dumplings made by Yan Langqing were better than those made by Lin Dan. The result of the competition was decided, and he knew that there was nothing he could do but to honor his taste buds.
Thinking of this, he put down his chopsticks and said slowly, "Lin Dan, you won."
As soon as the Emperor announced, a crisp sound rang in the private room. It was Yan Langqing who threw her chopsticks on the ground. Everyone looked at her and saw that her eyes were red, her face was pale and her limbs were shaking as if she had suffered a great shock. Her father, Yan Shouye, glared at Lin Dan. He was unable to accept the outcome and was filled with resentment.
Lin Dan bowed and remained humble. She said, "In that case, I ask that Imperial Chef Yan fulfill the agreement of this competition and return the golden knife and the recipes."
Yan Langqing seemed to have difficulty opening her mouth to speak, but Yan Shouye exclaimed angrily, "No, those things belong to my father and the Yan family. Who gives you the right to own it?"
"Your father gave it to my father before he passed on, and those things belong to my father now. Back then, you got it from me with your own culinary skills, what's wrong with getting it back with my own skills now?"
Yan Shouye still wanted to keep arguing, but the Emperor frowned and showed his displeasure. Yan Langqing immediately pressed her father's shoulders and said in a hoarse voice, "I've brought everything and will be giving them to you." Initially, she brought it just to show her generosity but did not expect to lose to Lin Dan. Since the people entering the city had already decided her loss and the Emperor had also announced it officially, she reckoned that there was nothing she could do even if she did not want to concede defeat.
Lin Dan put the golden knife aside and raised her eyebrows when she flipped through the Yan family's recipes. The recipe book was split into two parts by Yan Langqing, the second half of the book that was written by Lin Baotian was returned to Lin Dan. The first part should only have 60 pages, but it seemed to be thicker than before. It was apparent that Yan Langqing had been putting lots of effort over the years and had developed many new dishes, adding new vitality to Yan's recipes.
However, Lin Dan started to frown as she took a closer look at the recipe book before sneering at what she discovered. She tore off one of the pages and handed it to a chef who came to watch the competition and said, " I remember this braised deer tendon was developed by you, Chef Liu. Here, I'm returning this to you. This stewed soft-shelled turtle is yours, Chef Fang, I'm giving it back to you…" She tore off one after another, recipes and returned them to the original creators one by one.
These chefs looked at Yan Langqing and at the Emperor, unsure whether it was appropriate for them to accept the recipes.
The Emperor was puzzled and wondered what tricks Lin Dan was trying to pull, but Prince Cheng sneered, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid there's something you don't know. Your imperial chef is pretty obnoxious, she knew that she was unable to create dishes to please you and took away recipes of other chefs. She did not allow people to sell those dishes again, as she claimed that it would be a sign of disrespect to share the same food as the Emperor. If that's the case, I'd suggest that you make a list of foods for all the subjects to avoid, so that we wouldn't be committing a grave mistake!"
Prince Gong spread his hands and pretended to panic, "If so, wouldn't we starve to death? We can't eat meat if the Emperor does, can we not even drink water if the Emperor does, too?"
Prince Cheng hurriedly consoled him and said, "Don't worry, you can always eat at the Yan's restaurant. Although food that is enjoyed by his majesty is not allowed to be sold elsewhere, it's available in their restaurant. People respect the power of the Emperor, but I'm afraid the Emperor has no power over this family since they all have the support of Imperial Chef Yan!"
The two princes echoed one another and exposed all the methods used by the Yan family to strike at their competitions, and even made them seem to be disrespectful of the Emperor. Yan Shouye started trembling and his face was as white as a sheet. Yan Langqing looked at her father in disbelief, and shouted sternly, "Father, what is going on?" She kneeled down immediately and apologized to the Emperor, "Your majesty, I have never said anything like this and I'm also not aware of what happened. Please, I seek your forgiveness!"[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
The Emperor looked down at her with a pair of cold eyes that were once warm and tender. Yan Langqing looked at him and her heart was racing. She stayed in the palace for a long time and did not return home very often. But she had never expected that her family would be so obnoxious in her absence. She merely wanted to learn more dishes, and sincerely wanted to support the chefs that were working outside the palace, but it seemed like it had done more harm than good instead. It was no wonder the chefs who came today looked at her with a stiff expression. They seemed as though they were afraid to speak but were also showing looks of disdain.
But at this moment, she could not care how the others see her anymore, she was only worried that the Emperor would be unhappy with her. Young Marquis Tang started to hate her ten years ago. Now, she had lost the golden knife, the recipes, the reputation, and the hearts of the people, and she could no longer afford to lose the Emperor's favor. Without the Emperor, Yan Langqing would be nobody after what had happened.
Yan Shouye was so scared that he did not dare to utter another word. He could only kowtow like his daughter did. He had never thought the day would come when he showed off his daughter's achievements and oppressed his competitors.
Lin Dan removed all the dishes that were taken away by the Yan family and placed them aside so that they could be returned to the original owner.
The Emperor glanced at her and said with a frown, "Rise, all of you. Let's not pursue this matter anymore since their restaurant has already been closed anyway. Owners of these recipes may claim them and may do anything they want with them in the future. I am the Emperor and the ruler of my people; anyone can enjoy the food I eat."
The Emperor actually let the Yan family off and made a speech that made the doings of the Yan family seem insignificant. Prince Cheng and Prince Gong were dissatisfied, but they did not continue speaking.
Lin Dan was still tearing out the recipes when her calm expression changed after looking at one of the recipes. She said, "If I remember correctly, this Fortune Meat is Imperial Chef Yan's signature dish? It's because of this dish that his majesty fancied your cooking skills and summoned you into the palace, isn't it?"
Yan Langqing who had just displayed a relieved expression suddenly began to tense up again.
Lin Dan glanced at her and said with a hint of mockery, "But did you know that this is not the authentic way to make the Fortune Meat? Imperial Chef Yan, you once said that you would never use my father's recipes, but why did you use my father's recipe to secure your future? You're really two-faced and deceitful…"
Yan Langqing's lips had been trembling all this while. She seemed as though she wanted to refute, but could not utter any word because she was too nervous. Yan Shouye shouted confidently, "Lin Dan, that's nonsense! This dish was obviously created by my daughter, Langqing, and I was the one who witnessed the process with my own eyes!"
Lin Dan closed the recipe book and said steadily, "Is that so? Did you develop it yourself, or did you hear it from my father's apprentice? If I remember correctly, my father's two apprentices are now working as chefs in the Yan's restaurant."
"Y-You have no proof and you're wronging the innocent!" Yan Shouye was so angry that he was about to vomit blood, but the person in question, Yan Langqing, remained silent with a pale face.
Lin Dan opened the door and said, "You shall decide whether I've wronged the innocent after I've made the real Fortune Meat." She walked straight to the kitchen.
The Emperor took a long hard look at Yan Langqing before following up unhurriedly. The others would not want to miss the fun and joined in as well. The competition was full of twists and turns that it was exciting for everyone. No one had thought that Manager Lin, who was bound to lose, would win even when the Emperor was biased. No one had also expected that the seemingly kind and gentle Imperial Chef Yan was actually a scheming woman who would resort to extreme measures to achieve what she wanted.
As Lin Dan was a distinguished guest that the Emperor had invited, the restaurant did not dare to disobey when she wanted to use the kitchen. They immediately vacated the most spacious stove and prepared ingredients for her. She took a piece of tofu, cut it into two-inch cubes, and carved the beautiful word of "Fortune" on one side of the tofu. Then, she put it in the fragrant and milky broth and simmered it before taking it out about half an hour later. She took a wok, added some marinade, and constantly added seasonings to make the marinade thicker before forming a thin layer of sauce. She continued to cook the tofu after adding it into the sauce, but the sauce was only absorbed into the top layer of the skin.
Prince Cheng reminded her, "I think your sauce is not enough and the tofu cubes have not been completely marinated in the sauce. It wouldn't be tasty enough."
Lin Dan replied with a smile, "This is the taste I'm going for, your highness." Thirty minutes later, she picked out the tofu pieces one by one and placed them neatly in a bowl. Everyone took a closer look and saw that the tofu cubes had absorbed some sauce but were mostly in a milky white color. It had a very strange appearance.
Lin Dan added the tofu cubes in a hot oil pan again and fried the side that was absorbed with the sauce. The fragrance filled the air as a fried layer formed on one side of the tofu, while the other side was still white and tender as it was kept away from the oil. After finishing this process, Lin Dan put the tofu cubes into the bone broth and simmered it, before simmering it again in the braised soup broth. Finally, it was placed in the steamer before making a thick sauce by frying some minced fish, chicken, and pork. She poured the sauce on the steamed tofu cubes before sprinkling it with some ginger and chives to enhance the flavor.
The tofu cubes that had been repeatedly boiled in the pork broth and braised soup broth had fully absorbed the essence of various soups, turning it into a dish that contained a rich flavor. As the surface layer was soaked in sauce before being deep-fried, it had the appearance of the pigskin. Without taking a closer look, one would have thought it was a braised pork instead of tofu.
The Emperor was the one who took the first piece and tasted it. His eyes lit up immediately. The tofu did not only have the appearance of braised pork but also tasted like one. It did not taste oily at all and had the richness, softness, and mellowness of the meat.
Lin Dan explained slowly, "My mother loves to eat meat, but she is afraid of putting on weight. This was why my father came up with a dish for her so that she could enjoy the taste of meat without worrying about her weight. This was how the Fortune Meat came about. It has absorbed the strengths and removed the weaknesses of meat dishes. It is neither fat nor greasy, but soft and glutinous, and melts in the mouth. My father taught me and two of his apprentices how to make this dish, but it was never recorded in the Yan family's recipes. Besides, it was not named as 'Fortune Meat' back then but 'Word of Fortune', as it was complicated to create the wording. But only when the word 'Fortune' is created can the tofu be made into a delicious dish. Imperial Chef Yan, I suppose you got the recipe from my father's two apprentices, but as you are unable to produce the meat flavor, you have been using pork instead, am I right? This is merely an ordinary vegetarian dish that is made in a meaty flavor, yet you've claimed that the 'Fortune Meat' that was specially made for the Emperor to celebrate his birthday? Imperial Chef Yan, you're pretty ingenious when it comes to winning the Emperor's favor, you wouldn't have lost to me today if you had used it in your culinary skills instead."
"Without a rich experience and assiduous research, ordinary people would find it difficult to recreate the dish even if they have the recipe. But for you, you did not even seem to know how to handle food ingredients properly, how to control the heat, how to adjust the right amount of condiments. If the food ingredients are not well-prepared and the heat is not controlled well, it would completely change the taste of this dish." Lin Dan added.
It was just as Lin Dan said, Yan Langqing was unable to recreate the meaty flavor in the tofu when she got the recipe, which was why she used meat to make the dish instead. It was not that she did not want to invent her own dishes, but she was at the most helpless moment in her life when she was driven out by the Marquis that year. She took the easier way out as she yearned to make her name and gain a foothold in the capital, and she was hungry to gain that recognition.
Seeing the Emperor's scrutinizing and questioning eyes, Yan Langqing could barely hold her head up high anymore. She knew that she had a complete defeat and had lost all her reputation.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
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It was precisely because Yan Langqing served the "Fortune Meat" that she stood out at the Longevity Banquet and was hired by the Emperor to be an imperial chef. However, it turned out that this so-called signature dish of hers was actually stolen from someone else. Although Lin Dan had no proof, she could recreate the appearance and fragrance of the dish with only a few pieces of tofu. She could make it even better than Yan Langqing's dish, which was enough to prove the authenticity of her words.
Besides, both of her father's apprentices were working as chefs at Yan's restaurant, and they earned a hefty sum each month. It would not be difficult to find out the truth if they were brought in for an interrogation.
However, the Emperor did not care less about the situation. He was the ruler of the nation and nobody could lay a finger on the person he wanted to protect. Hence, Yan Langqing was taken away without even questioning about the lies she told him and the competition was ended in an unceremonious manner. Fortunately, Lin Dan did not mind these things and left the Fragrant Garden after wrapping the golden knife and the recipe book in a piece of red silk.
Tang Jiu whispered behind her, "No wonder you told me not to worry about it. Have you already thought of a strategy when you came?"
Before Lin Dan could answer, Marquis Weiyuan strode over and jokingly said, "Manager Lin, I am thirty-nine this year and had a wife who has passed away. I have no children nor concubines, but I have status and power. If you don't mind, how about tying the knot with me?"
Lin Dan looked at him in surprise, unable to respond for a long time.
Tang Jiu frowned and yelled, "Marquis, please do not pull a joke on Manager Lin like this and tarnish her chastity!"
"Did I say it's a joke? I'm serious! If I can marry such an intelligent and virtuous woman like Manager Lin, it'd be a great blessing of mine. Young marquis, you seem pretty anxious. Don't tell me you're also interested in Manager Lin?"
"What nonsense!" Tang Jiu hurriedly turned around and looked at Lin Dan, but she was already been pulled away by Prince Cheng and Prince Gong to have a conversation. Not before long, she boarded the carriage and left without any intention of staying. For ordinary people, marrying into a family of status seemed to be a stroke of luck, but for her, it spelled trouble.
Besides cooking, she seemed to have little interest in the things of the world. Her contradicting character of being desireless yet extremely serious in all she does had attracted people towards her. Tang Jiu started at the carriage that was moving away and had a defeated look on his face. Meanwhile, Marquis Weiyuan fiddled the ring on his finger and had a pair of determined eyes.
At the same time, Yan Langqing was kneeling down beside the Emperor in fear, while he slowly opened an Ash Water Dumpling and relished it satisfyingly.
"I didn't expect that the rice dumplings soaked in ash water would be so delicious. Get the chefs in the imperial kitchen to study how to recreate this and make them as they are." Yan Langqing was by his side, but he never mentioned that she would be the one to take up the job. It was obvious that he had a worse impression of Yan Langqing after that competition and the disputes that were uncovered earlier.
Yan Langqing's face turned pale immediately.
When the carriage passed through Qingyun Lane, the Emperor said, "Stop. Send a few people to seal the Yan's restaurant."
Yan Langqing suddenly lifted her head in horror.
The Emperor glanced at her and smiled casually, "Why? You issued an imperial decree on my behalf and monopolized the market. Do you think I would let this off so easily?" As he spoke, the desperate and anxious Yan Shouye shouted from a carriage behind. He repeatedly asked the guards what gave them the right to close his restaurant. The guard pointed to the carriage in front, saying that it was the Emperor's instruction. He kept silent immediately, as though his tongue had been cut away.
The Emperor snorted coldly, and Yan Langqing trembled with fright. She thought that he had completely lost the Emperor's favor, but she did not expect the Emperor to take her hand. He said, "You have been in the palace for seven or eight years. I've given you the freedom to make all the delicacies of the world and gave you the power to command all the famous chefs from all over the world to impart their skills to you. Logically speaking, your skills should have been as good as Lin Dan's, who was born in the countryside. But look, you still lost to her today. Even your signature dishes were stolen or copied from others, you don't have a style of your own and you seem to lack a knack for cooking."[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Yan Langqing's pale face started flushing. She was too embarrassed and ashamed to lift her head after hearing what the Emperor had said.
The Emperor turned around and said, "Since you're not talented enough to be a chef, you will enter the palace and be my concubine. I won't treat you badly."
Yan Langqing suddenly raised her head and looked at the Emperor in surprise. She struggled for a long time, before finally nodding to his proposal. She had nothing left. She made enemies in the culinary world and even her restaurant was now sealed. She wondered if she would be able to survive after leaving the palace. However, things would be different when she had become a concubine. She was a servant, but she would instead be served, she thought there was nothing bad in accepting the proposal.
The Emperor caressed the delicate skin on her face and appeared to be gentle, but what he said next was filled with coldness, "Since you will be entering the palace, you better make sure that your family behaves well. If you cause me any trouble, I will not be merciful anymore."
Yan Langqing was shaken by what he said and quickly nodded in fear. She did not seem to realize that the Emperor, who had fulfilled all her requests and cared for her in the past, had completely changed. He thought Yan Langqing was a simple and kind girl, and that her pureness and innocence was a rarity in the imperial palace that was full of schemes and deceit. However, he realized that she was no different from the others. She was also capable of scheming, oppressing others, and bullying the weak, and her family was crude, ignorant, and obnoxious, which made him detest her even more.
The Emperor had never believed anyone could "be unsullied even when born in the mud." He believed that those who lived in a depraved world would turn even more unscrupulous because they would have to do all means to survive, just as he did. This was why, in an instant, he no longer had any longing and favor for Yan Langqing, and treated her like just any other woman in his harem. He would give her the carrots and sticks and tame her like an animal. Once he got tired of her, she would not be any different from those concubines who had lost his favor.
But Yan Langqing did not know what the Emperor was thinking. She thought that she was still the special one in his heart and requested after mustering her courage, "Your Majesty, could I stay home for a while more? My father is still not recovered from his injuries and I hope to return to the palace after he gets better."
The Emperor took a long hard look at her and nodded casually after a long while.
—
Meanwhile, Lin Dan had already returned to the Three-Fork Alley. When she got off the carriage, he saw a few young and middle-aged men happily greeting her, "Manager Lin, you are finally back! When are you going to open the shop?"
"I'll be leaving the capital and not going to open the shop anymore." Lin Dan waved her hand.
The men were devastated to hear that and wanted to persuade her to stay, but they saw a eunuch leading a group of guards approaching her. He shouted, "Is this Chef Lin Dan? Since you won the competition today, the Emperor has bestowed a plaque on you. Please accept it."
Lin Dan noticed that the two guards standing behind him were carrying a square plaque wrapped in silk and satin. After opening the silk and satin, she saw several beautiful words written in gold lacquer – "Successor of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef", as well as the Emperor seal.
These words had no longer meant anything for Lin Dan, but she accepted the plaque and sent away the eunuchs and guards with a red packet. Then, she closed the shop door and quietly packed up. The men standing outside the door were completely dumbfounded before they snapped out of their thoughts and said, "Oh my! Manager Lin is actually the successor of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef! Amazing! We will be eating imperial meals every day!"
"Stop dreaming! Didn't you hear her? Manager Lin is not planning to open the shop here anymore! She is the successor of the Golden Knife Imperial Chef and will be opening a restaurant in the West District if she wants to. What makes you think that she would rather sell us a bowl of noodles that only earns her a few copper coins?" Some other men were full of regret. If they had known that Manager Lin was the successor of the imperial chef, they would have cherished her cooking so much more. Now that they thought about it, Manager Lin's culinary skills and character were excellent. It was the blessing of the people in the South District that she had opened a store here, but it was a pity that they did not cherish her time here.
Lin Dan packed her luggage and left the capital immediately. But before she arrived home, she saw Lady Qi standing at the junction and looking out with a worried look. Lady Qi had never thought that her daughter would win and only hoped that Lin Dan would return safely. But when Lin Dan pulled away the silk cloth and showed her the recipe book and the golden knife, Lady Qi's eyes were wide open. She was dumbfounded, and could not react for a long time.
"W-What is this?" She asked incredulously.
Lin Dan handed the two things over and said with a chuckle, "Mother, I won the things that belonged to father. Here, please keep them well."
"Y-You won? Did you really win?" Lady Qi kept stroking the golden knife and the recipe book. She eventually laughed, before starting to weep again. Over the years, Lady Qi had always felt heartbroken for her daughter as she had been traveling from place to place and suffered a lot.
Lin Dan hugged Lady Qi and patted her gently. She said calmly, "Mother, let's travel somewhere since this matter has concluded. The world is vast, and there is lots of food waiting for us."
Lady Qi nodded as she sobbed, her eyes filled with joy.
—
However, it was not easy to prepare for a trip. There were many materials to prepare, there were routes to plan and there was also a need to arrange for guides. It was not something that could be done immediately. Lin Dan stayed in the outskirts of the capital for more than a month, but bad news came when everything was prepared, and she was ready to go. The residence of Marquis Yongding was confiscated for colluding with foreign enemies. Concubine Tang was also banished into the Cold Palace and the entire family was facing a possible annihilation.
Lin Dan stayed in the capital although the situation had changed drastically and may implicate her if she did not leave in time. She had only sent Lady Qi away, before sending a servant to the city to gather more information about the news. The situation developed very rapidly, and within three days, the charges had been passed. The female family members of the Marquis Yongding would be exiled to somewhere three thousand miles away, while all men would be beheaded.
Things got worse in a few days' time. All sixty-eight female members of Marquis Yongding did not want to be humiliated and had all hung themselves to death, including Concubine Tang in the Cold Palace. The Emperor was furious to hear this and ordered to execute Tang Jiu and a few others before autumn as if it had become a very urgent matter. On the day of beheading, Lin Dan hurried to the execution ground to see Tang Jiu once more with a huge food box.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Tang Jiu lost a lot of weight after many days of interrogation and torture. His eyes that were originally as bright as the stars had become dull and lifeless. His neck and hands were in shackles and he was unable to move an inch. He remained silent all the time, but Tang Peng, who was kneeling behind him, yelled, "We are wrong, everything is my fault! Kill me if you want but not my family! Jiu, my brother, it's all my fault! I'm sorry for not listening to you when you asked me not to get myself involved with Yan Langqing, all of these are caused by me! I didn't expect Yan Langqing to borrow the token from me to release the King of Xiongnu! I really didn't expect it at all!"
The execution officer heard him spouting nonsense about a concubine in the palace, and quickly asked another guard to stop him from talking.
Lin Dan stood in the crowd and listened for a moment. She seemed to have understood what had happened. No wonder the entire capital was under the martial law several times last month. It was to hunt for the King of Xiongnu who made an escape with the token of the Marquis Yongding's family. "So what if Yan Langqing is involved?" Lin Dan thought. The Emperor was not interested to find the truth, but an excuse to bring the family of Marquis Yongding down. He transferred Tang Jiu, who was known as the god of war, back to the capital, he kept the son of Lord Dianqian under house arrest and wanted to marry the princess of Dianqian. He also called back Marquis Weiyuan and made him stay in the capital using his health as an excuse. The Emperor made all these measures to consolidate his power and eliminate all rebels.
He probably had the idea of destroying these people a long time ago but did not find a chance to take action. Since Yan Langqing created an opportunity for him, he was more than happy to take it.
Lin Dan roughly understood what was going on after thinking it through briefly, but she did not have any ability to save Tang Jiu and others. Seeing that the execution officer was preparing to issue a signature, she hurried to the platform and shouted, "Please give me some time, sir. I'm here to see them off." She said, raising the food container in her hand.
Prisoners would typically be given a chance to enjoy a full meal before execution so that they would not turn into hungry ghosts after death. The execution officer was especially superstitious in such things as he took many lives on the execution ground and granted the request. He immediately waved his hand and said, "Time is almost up, just do it quickly."
Lin Dan nodded and quickly laid out the food from the box. As the prisoners were all in shackles and unable to eat the food themselves, she instructed Xiaozhu, Shaoyao, and Dujuan to feed them one by one, while she knelt in front of Tang Jiu with a bowl in her hands.
Tang Jiu had remained composed even when people were hurling nasty words at him or when Tang Peng was yelling to seek justice. He had been keeping his eyes half-closed and kneeling on the same spot without displaying any joy or sorrow on his face. But the moment when Lin Dan appeared, he lifted his head suddenly. He could not believe she came and looked at her with passionate eyes. His dark pupils glistened in an instant.
"Others are busy cutting ties with me, but you're the only one who came." He muttered, "You shouldn't have come."
"I wouldn't be able to convince myself not to come." Lin Dan tore the chicken thigh into strips and added some rice and pickles, before feeding it to Tang Jiu mouth by mouth. She slowly said, "Is it delicious? I raised this chicken myself and killed it when it's only two months old. My mother felt so bad that she yelled at me."
Tang Jiu chuckled even on the verge of his death. He asked, "Do you still remember what I said?"
"Yes, you said that you would never get tired of eating young chickens and can even eat it every day." Lin Dan wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and whispered, "I killed all my young chickens so that you can eat to your heart's content today."
Tang Jiu fixed his gaze at her and started chomping down a big mouthful after a long time. His eyes started to water. Time flew and the sun was already above their heads. It was almost noon. Tang Jiu swallowed the last bite of his meal and said in a low voice, "If you can't get out of the capital later, wait at your hometown kitchen. I have bought the store and you can settle down there temporarily. Someone will come and pick you out of the capital later. Lin Dan, please take care in the future."
Lin Dan was shocked, but she did not show it on her face. She put away the food box and bowed to the other people from the Marquis Yongding residence. She then left and disappeared into the crowd. Tang Peng's shout came intermittently behind her, "Manager Lin, I'm sorry, please forgive me!" It's a pity that he understood it too late because he had already ruined himself and the whole family just because of his greed.
After leaving the execution ground, Lin Dan thought about what Tang Jiu said as she felt that he had hinted at something. "What did he mean when he said if I can't get out of the capital? Why can't I get out of here? Unless the whole city is under martial law again to search for the important criminals of the court, just like when the King of Xiongnu… Wait, does this mean that someone would be coming to stop the execution and save them?"[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
"That's right, all the female members of Marquis Yongding's residence have committed suicide, including Concubine Tang. Without them as hostages, Marquis Yongding would have no other concerns and would definitely send someone to rescue his only son. But he would only rebel against the Emperor if he had been driven into a corner." Lin Dan thought.
"But will Marquis Yongding rebel?" Lin Dan knew that she had gotten the answer from what Tang Jiu had said earlier, so she immediately made a turn and went to the Three-Fork Alley. She was afraid that it would already be too late to leave through the city gates. There would be people appearing to save the Young Marquis before the execution, and things must be chaotic over there at this point.
Lin Dan hit the nail on the head. As soon as she left, Tang Jiu broke the shackles, rescued his family, and rushed towards the city gates after meeting with several men in black who came to help. They kept charging forward and were unstoppable. Soon, they managed to escape from the capital. In just another half a day, people discovered that the son of Lord Dianqian and his sister were gone, and the capital was soon in a mess.
The eight city gates were all closed, and the streets were full of guards searching back and forth, creating a terrifying atmosphere within the capital. Since Lin Dan and Tang Jiu were old acquaintances, she would be taken away for interrogation to find out the whereabouts of Tang Jiu if she had stayed in the capital. She was about to dismiss her servants and bear the consequences alone when someone knocked on the door of the store. A strong man took out a letter and asked Lin Dan to leave the capital with him.
The letter was written by Tang Jiu, who also wrote about the interesting childhood stories that both of them shared. Lin Dan confirmed the authenticity of the letter and left with the man. They boarded a luxury carriage and left the capital without being inspected. Just when they were leaving, Lin Dan realized that the man who was escorting her was actually the prince of Mongolia. He was entrusted by Tang Jiu to escort her.
"Before he was about to go to jail, he told me that things would likely take a turn for the worse. If you were to come and see him for the last time at the execution ground, he asked me to protect you and take you away. Otherwise, he wanted me to give you this box." The man took out a heavy box before cupping his hands and left on his horse.
Lin Dan was moved when she opened the lid of the box and found that it was covered with gold and jewelry. Ten years ago, it was also at the Ten Mile Pavilion outside the capital that Tang Jiu sent a servant to give her a small box full of money, but she refused to accept it. Ten years later, facing the same circumstances, she actually wanted to accept it this time around. It made her feel that she did not come and leave this world alone after all, since there would always be someone who would remember her.
After this day, Lin Dan left the capital and went from place to place. The once prosperous and thriving Kingdom of Chu was in war. First, the Lord of Dianqian started a movement to remove subjects that were close to the Emperor. Then, the King of the Xiongnu led an army to invade the Kingdom of Chu. Since the military supplies and wages of the Marquis Yongding were all cut off by the government, the Kingdom of Chu stood no chance against the Xiongnu and was forced to start a rebellion.
The war lasted for several months. The Lord of Dianqian was suddenly found dead in his tent and his son took over his place. He joined forces with Young Marquis Yongding to fight against the Xiongnu's. Now, the Kingdom of Chu which was in a precarious position finally had a chance to take a breather. Unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, the Emperor issued an imperial decree, ordering Marquis Weiyuan to lead an army to carry out a pincer attack on the two forces from the back and eliminate the rebels.
This order was an undoubtedly ridiculous one. Once these two forces were defeated, the Xiongnu army would be able to march straight ahead and threaten the hinterland of the Central Plains. The Great Chu had successively lost its northwest and southwest army, and the remaining army could no longer fight against the Xiongnu's cavalry. Once the situation got out of control, the Great Chu would cease to exist.
However, the Emperor seemed confident and sent three imperial decrees to order Marquis Weiyuan to begin the attack. The great war could happen at any moment which could bring unimaginable consequences.
At this moment, Lin Dan, who was hiding in the mountains, had a dream. She dreamed that the young Lin Dan felt so ashamed and angry to have lost the competition that she threw the golden knife, recipe book, and the grandmaster's tablet into the fire. Tang Jiu and Yan Langqing who came in a hurry saw what happened and were disgusted with her actions. Although Marquis Yongding tried to protect her and kept her in his residence, nobody acknowledged her presence and even walked away once they saw her. The more Tang Jiu hated her, the more she clung on to him, and she even thought of all sorts of vicious tactics to frame Yan Langqing. Originally, the Yan family slandered her father, but because of Lin Dan's recklessness, Lin Baotian was eventually convicted of deceiving his master and brought shame to his ancestors, and his reputation was absolutely tarnished.
Gradually, Lin Dan became more extreme. She pushed Tang Jiu farther away from her, and Marquis Weiyuan eventually did not want to protect her any further. On the contrary, Yan Langqing gradually gained recognition from the old marquis and developed a deep affection with Tang Jiu in times of adversity before finally getting married to each other. The happier they were, the more pain Lin Dan felt.
As time went by, Yan Langqing gradually became a qualified wife of the marquis and was often praised by the others. Even the Emperor had developed a special affection for her, and often summoned her into the palace under the pretext of accompanying Concubine Tang. As she often entered the palace, Yan Langqing was soon being made used to frame Concubine Tang, who had a miscarriage after drinking a poisoned soup.
The Emperor investigated the matter and found Yan Langqing responsible for it. However, he did not bear to punish her and decided to let Lin Dan, who always competed with her, become the scapegoat, and ordered to beat her to death in public. Lin Dan's short life ended in this manner, but Yan Langqing's story continued.
As the Emperor's desire for Yan Langqing grew, he transferred Tang Jiu to the battlefield and assassinated him before disposing of Concubine Tang with the help of the other concubines. He summoned Yan Langqing into the palace where she became his favorite lady. A few years later, the King of Xiongnu, who was unintentionally rescued by Yan Langqing, launched an attack at Great Chu and repeatedly threatened to take Yan Langqing away to be his queen. The two countries had fought for many years and both had suffered from significant losses, but Tang Jiu miraculously came back at this moment and joined the war. The Lord of Dianqian took advantage of the chaos and started a rebellion before seizing the throne and proclaimed himself to be the Emperor. The Great Chu enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity but had become a hell on earth. As for the son and daughter of Lord Dianqian, they took poison during the escape in their earlier years and committed suicide after being found by Tang Jiu.
The fate of everyone seemed absurd yet miserable at the same time, but all of these happened just for one woman.
After waking up, Lin Dan was amused at her dream. She believed that if she had not come to this world, that was probably the fate of the original owner of this body and the destiny of this world. Just for one woman, families, countries, and the lives of the people were all ruined. If this was God's will, it would be absolutely ridiculous, Lin Dan thought.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Translator:NovelMultiverseEditor:NovelMultiverse
Reminiscing the peaceful and prosperous times while watching the flames set ablaze on the ruined mountains and rivers, Lin Dan found that she could no longer keep herself out of the matter. She dug out a wine jar buried in the cave and made a few trips before she arrived at the front lines, hoping to meet Marquis Weiyuan.
"Who did you say is here to see me?" Marquis Weiyuan thought he had heard it wrong.
"Sir, it's Manager Lin Dan who came to see you. She has been waiting for you for more than 20 days outside the barracks. If I hadn't seen her today when I was out of the camp, I won't even know how long more she will have to wait." The chief guard of Marquis Weiyuan used to follow his master to dine at the Hometown Kitchen every day, and it was no surprise that he could recognize Manager Lin. He remembered that the marquis' health deteriorated badly and got very thin, but that it was all thanks to Manager Lin's superb culinary skills that had helped the marquis to recover.
"She's a vulnerable lady, why is she even here alone and not staying at home?!" Marquis Weiyuan frowned, seemingly displeased, but still hurriedly stood up and went to see her in person.
"Sir, it's been a long time since. How have you been?" Lin Dan smiled and bowed.
"Let's not stand here and talk. Come with me into the tent." Marquis Weiyuan muttered as they walked, "Why are you here? Were you in danger on your way here? This is not a pretty place to visit. Soon, there will be rivers of blood and this place will be strewn with dead bodies. You better leave soon, I will send someone to escort you."
"Sir, I'm here to present you with a gift." Lin Dan placed a jar on the table.
"What wine is this?" Marquis Weiyuan finally showed his first smile in recent days. Since he got used to eating at the Hometown Kitchen, he had seldom drunk anymore because Manager Lin did not allow him to. He did not know why he was being so obedient, but he was right to listen to Manager Lin. His deteriorating and weakening body actually got better under Lin Dan's meticulous care in his diet. Otherwise, he would have died long ago.
"This is the Thousand-Days Wine you have always wanted." Lin Dan poured the clear wine into the empty bowl.
"But we have not seen each other only for less than three years? Good one, Lin Dan. Didn't you say that it takes at least three years to brew the Thousand-Days Wine? Where did you get this jar of wine? Have you been lying?" Marquis Weiyuan stared at her.
"This is the wine that I stored elsewhere. It has already been kept for five years." Lin Dan said with a smile, "But I came today, not to deliver this jar of wine but the contents of the wine. Look, Sir."
When Marquis Weiyuan looked at it closely, he saw a slender worm with pink flesh wiggling out of the clear drink. As soon as the worm crawled out, the mellow and aromatic liquor actually exuded a more overpowering smell, which filled the air of the entire camp. Not to mention how much he was salivating when smelling it, even the soldiers guarding outside the tent could not help but take a whiff. Their heads shook and felt as if they were already drunk.
"Is this the wine worm?" Marquis Weiyuan could not believe his eyes.
"That's right. This worm can only be born from the best wine. If you put this worm in clear water, it can even turn the water into a bowl of fine wine after a while." Lin Dan took the wine worm out and put it into a bowl of water. After a short while, the surface of the bowl started to exude a strong smell of alcohol.
Marquis Weiyuan took a deep breath and suddenly laughed, "Lin Dan, I like your gift!"
Lin Dan narrowed her eyebrows and slowly said, "But sir, do you know that the wine worm can live in fine wine or in clear water, but it will die immediately if put into a turbid liquid?" As she spoke, she put the wine worm into an empty bowl and poured some brown tea. The worm started squirming and instantly became stiff before slowly turning into a stream of blood.
Marquis Weiyuan could feel his happiness dissipated instantly and glared at Lin Dan with his pair of eagle eyes. He seemed angry, but he could not bring himself to reprimand her. No matter how precious the wine worm was, she was still an extremely important figure in his life.
Lin Dan looked back at him fearlessly and continued, "Sir, let me just say this with confidence – there is magic in my pair of hands. No matter how unusual the ingredients are, I can always create delicious food with it. But there's just one thing that can't be made into a dish no matter how hard I try. Do you know what it is?"
"What is it?" Marquis Weiyuan asked patiently.
"It's the Guanyin soil. When I was on my way here, I saw rivers of blood and people dying of starvation, losing their homes, and eating anything they see. They were so hungry that they grabbed a lot of Guanyin soil and stuffed it in their mouths. Those people soon died after their guts ruptured. Have you had a taste of the Guanyin soil? Do you know how it feels to be homeless and being unable to control your fate? The people of the Great Chu are like this wine worm struggling in the turbid liquid and will sooner or later turn into a stream of blood. Sir, just what exactly are you fighting for at the front lines?"[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
Marquis Weiyuan wanted to answer but Lin Dan interrupted him, "You are fighting for the imperial power, the Emperor, and his absolute dominance over the Great Chu. You pride yourself on being a loyal subject, but you fail to see how people are struggling under the ruling power of the Emperor. If you really launch a pincer attack against the coalition of Tang Jiu and the county lord from the back, Xiongnu's cavalry will march straight into the Central Plains and crush our mountains and rivers. When that time comes, the Emperor will be able to keep his throne by letting go of a few cities. But did he even consider the people who are struggling to survive in these cities? I'm sure you know how the Xiongnus are, they are known for being violent and have no sense of governance. They will definitely take the lives of the people in the city and destroy everything. They will burn down the houses, and not even the chickens and dogs can be left unscathed. They will become more powerful after occupying these cities, but the Great Chu would be torn apart after losing the cities and weaken. In just five years, another war will break out between the two countries. When that happens, can anyone save the people and the nation? Can you?"
Lin Dan looked directly at Marquis Weiyuan and pressed, "Are you doing everything you can to defend the Great Chu and save the people, or are you playing a part in abusing the people and making the people suffer? Our nation has enjoyed peace in the past few years, but what is happening now?"
She poured the turbid water out of the bowl, and spoke in a calm tone again, "People who live in a troubled world are just like ants who can never escape the fate of being crushed to death. But if people live in a prosperous world where there are good wine and food, even if a wine worm is dead, we can still create thousands of new wine worms. Sir, you are someone of high status, even if the country is in ruins and the people are struggling to survive, I'm sure there is still a way for you to enjoy good food and fine wine. But do you know that when you enjoy the wine and the food, there are people eating soil or even their own kind? Please, sir, retreat and let the world enjoy some peace. Without this wine worm, I can raise more wine worms for you in the future, isn't it?"
Marquis Weiyuan was looking gloomy but he was now in deep thoughts. After a long time, when Lin Dan was about to give up persuading him, he fiddled the ring in his finger and slowly said, "Lin Dan, it's a promise. Do not forget about what you said, alright? You can't stop how much I want to drink from now on."
Lin Dan smiled and nodded, "Yes, it's a promise."
—
On the same night, Tang Jiu sat by the bonfire and was having a drink with the son of Lord Dianqian, or rather, the current Lord Dianqian. Since the Xiongnu will be launching an attack against them, he was sure that Marquis Weiyuan would take advantage of the chaos and perform a pincer attack. If they were flanked on both sides, there was a high chance they would lose in the war. However, retreat was not an option. If they were to take one step back, the Xiongnus would take one step forward, and the people of the Great Chu may lose their heads.
"It would be nice to persuade Marquis Weiyuan that old man." Lord Dianqian said in a deep voice.
"I can't, he won't see anyone before the war." Tang Jiu shook his head.
Lord Dianqian sneered, gritted his teeth, and said, "Then, let's fight to our deaths."
Just at this moment, Zhao Liu ran over in a hurry and handed a letter. He whispered, "General, this is sent by Marquis Weiyuan, please take a look."
Tang Jiu opened the letter and skimmed through with a look of surprise on his face which had been solemn for the past few days. Lord Dianqian leaned over and took a look, and he, too, had a surprised look. In the letter, Marquis Weiyuan had not only promised to withdraw but was also willing to work with them by putting up an act to lure the King of Xiongnu into a trap and assassinate him.
"Do you think this is a trap?" Lord Dianqian got suspicious immediately.
"Find out whether Marquis Weiyuan has seen anyone recently. It's impossible for him to take a drastic turn in his attitude for no reason. Regardless of whether it is a trap or not, this is probably our only hope." Tang Jiu calmly analyzed.
The scout soon found out the news and said that a graceful and beautiful woman met Marquis Weiyuan with a jar of wine in her hands. The wine was so amazing that the aroma of the wine-filled the entire camp once the jar was opened. Both of them talked privately for a while, and Marquis Weiyuan had changed his mind after the woman left.
"It's probably Manager Lin?" King Dianqian laughed, "Only Manager Lin can make that kind of wine. I'm sure she has managed to convince that old fart. Back when she told him not to drink, he didn't even dare to touch the wine cup. When she instructed him to have breakfast, he would appear at her Hometown Kitchen before dawn and wait. I didn't expect Manager Lin to be so understanding and righteous to go to the front lines alone and persuade the old man to withdraw his troops. We owed her our lives…"
Tang Jiu's eyes glistened, seeming filled with joy and sadness at the same time. It took him a long time before he could respond and said, "It's not just our lives but everyone's. We all owe her a word of thanks. If that's the case, I will meet Marquis Weiyuan in person tonight. Zhao Liu, send someone to escort Lin Dan back. It's too dangerous here at the borders and I'm worried for her safety."
However, Lin Dan disappeared after that night. The war ended with Xiongnu's defeat. Although the king's right arm was being cut away, he had made another narrow escape but was fearful of the Central Plains since. The secret correspondence between the Emperor and the Xiongnus to sell the cities was found by Tang Jiu which had forced him to abdicate as the Emperor. Tang Peng was the first general to invade the capital. He charged into the imperial harem and strangled Yan Langqing, who had lost the Emperor's favor, alive. Her body was hung from the beams of the Cold Palace. He waited for her body to decay and reduced to bones before granting permission to let her down. She was hung on the same spot where Concubine Tang hanged herself.
The Yan's Restaurant, which once flourished, had long since been turned into ruins. The second and third uncle of Lin Dan had nowhere to make a living and lived a pathetic life. One day, when they passed by the Three-Fork Alley, they saw that the Hometown Kitchen was still open, and business was very good. Tang Jiu, who had ascended the throne, was sitting in the shop in his casual attire, carefully looking through a stack of books. His face was filled with happiness and longing.
He was reading the travel journal written by Lin Dan, which was being sent to Chef Qiu in the capital as a learning material. This Hometown Kitchen was run by Chef Qiu. She recorded the wine and food she encountered by writing stories and her language was very vivid. While reading her writings, Tang Jiu could imagine how free and unrestrained she was. She would send a jar of fine wine to Marquis Weiyuan every once in a while, but Tang Jiu could always manage to intercept the delivery. He also tried to find her, but he was always one step too late. She was like a wisp of wind – just when he thought he could hold her, she would slip away through his fingers.
Someone once asked Tang Jiu what was the most delicious meal he had ever eaten. Tang Jiu closed his eyes and thought for a while before smiling and said, "Believe it or not, the most delicious meal I have ever eaten was on the execution ground…"[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
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Lin Dan was awakened by a burst of immense chest pains. As soon as she opened her eyes, she realized that she was standing in a very dark place. Ten steps away were two iron doors where a man and a woman were each locked behind the doors. The woman was dressed in red and had a beautiful face. She was staring at Lin Dan with rage and wariness.
The man looked even more elegant than the woman. He was wearing a thin white robe that spread out like a flower in the dark and his long ebony hair scattered all over the ground. When the wind blew, she could even smell a faint fragrance coming from him. His refined and beautiful face shone like white jade as he sat quietly behind the iron door with his narrow eyes half-closed. His thin lips were pursed and he seemed neither happy nor sad. If it were not for his moving chest, Lin Dan would really think he was just a life-sized Buddha statue with holy light radiating from all over his body.
However, Lin Dan did not have the time to care about them. She glanced at them before looking at the surrounding environment and left without saying a word. It was obvious that she was in a heavily guarded dungeon and it would not be a good place to sort out her memories.
Once Lin Dan left, the woman in red relaxed and said angrily, "Master, she wanted to kill me!"
The man replied without opening his eyes, "You don't need to care about a dying woman."
The woman in red went closer to the cell door and whispered, "Master, how do you know she is dying?"
The heart and soul of the man became one. He gradually stopped breathing and had entered the state of meditation. The woman knew her master would not be able to hear whatever she said at this moment and stopped speaking to him. Through the prison door, she marveled at her master's gorgeous face, and her eyes flashed with feelings of love, struggle, and awe…
—
Lin Dan lost her memories again. Besides her name, she had no recollection of anything else. Yes, again. She seemed to be very familiar with this situation and was extremely good at adapting to it. She was able to adjust herself almost immediately without others noticing it, before finding a secluded place to sort out her memories.
The original owner of this body was also called Lin Dan, who was the left guardian of the Eastern Holy Sect. This was the main altar of the sect which was located in the hinterland of Hidden Dragon Mountain. The Eastern Holy Sect was not a follower of the orthodox traditions and expanded rapidly. It was even denounced by the orthodox sects as a heretic sect in recent years and many wanted to eliminate the sect as soon as possible. As the guardian of the sect, Lin Dan was naturally regarded as a demonic woman.
From the past memories of this body, she saw that she did a lot of bad things. Yet, nobody would have known that she was forced. The original owner of this body was an orphan who was adopted by the old leader of the Eastern Holy Sect who had taught her martial arts when she was young. In order to repay the old leader for his kindness, she vowed to protect the young leader, He Chongling, who was his son. When she was twelve or thirteen years old and achieved some success in martial arts, the old master asked if she wanted to become even better. She said yes without any hesitation. Therefore, the old leader made her consume a type of poison which allowed the young leader to have control over her life before imparting one of the top martial techniques to her.
The original owner was loyal to the old leader and had developed a deep affection for the young leader. This was why she was willing to risk her life for both of them. A few years later, the old leader died, and the young leader succeeded the position. The original owner gradually grew up and started taking things into her own hands. She realized that what she had consumed back then was not a type of poison, but a kind of spell worm. When consumed, the worm would live in the host's heart and cannot be eliminated. If she was disloyal to He Chongling, she would suffer from the pain of being slashed by a thousand knives. If she had any intention of killing He Chongling, her heart would rupture instantly even before she could act on it.
When Lin Dan arrived, the original owner was already dying from pain, but fortunately, Lin Dan was able to calm the violent effects of spell worm in time, or there would be nothing she could do to stay alive. Lin Dan's heart was still in pain, she thought her ventricles were probably badly bitten by the spell worms, and she would not have many days left to live.
However, Lin Dan did not have any strong recollections of the past except for her strong desire to stay alive. Since it was not easy for her to enter this body, she knew she did not come to this world just to die. As she desperately searched for any useful clues in her mind, she started smiling wryly.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
There was only one word to describe the life of the original owner of this body – miserable. When she was young, she was being trained like a beast by the old leader. She never had a good life and even fell in love with a heartless man. He Chongling took advantage of her feelings and the spell worm within her to exert complete control over her and did not treat her like a human being. There had been countless times when she was slashed over and over again by the enemies to protect He Chongling and was even on the verge of death many times, but He Chongling tossed her away like a piece of trash, without even giving her a second look.
For He Chongling, she was like a sword. He did not feel bad for discarding a sword that had turned rusty and blunt.
Fortunately, her desire to stay alive was so strong that she had always managed to regain consciousness in time just before she died. She would get up and push away all the bodies laying on her, wipe off the blood on her face before staggering back to the Eastern Holy Sect by herself. She was being abandoned like a pair of dirty shoes time and again, but she had always returned to He Chongling. She did not feel helpless or weary, just a tinge of sorrow in the middle of the silent night.
She passed by the Qingjiang River one day and met a man with a gorgeous face and unworldly presence drifting down the river on a bamboo raft. He inadvertently exchanged glances with her lifeless eyes and gave her a faint smile. This subtle yet ordinary expression had planted a seed called "happiness" in her heart since and had bloomed into a beautiful flower.
She could not control her urge and followed the man all the way to the south while protecting him. She silently watched him as he played the zither, drank wine, and enjoyed the view of the flowers. If he smiled, she would smile with him, and if he frowned, she would feel an ache in her heart. It was only then did she realize that her feelings for He Chongling was not love, but obedience and awe. If this man had not shown up, she would be trapped in the illusion that He Chongling had created for the rest of her life to the point of her death.
The moment she figured it out, she abducted the man without any hesitation and brought him back to the Eastern Holy Sect. She instructed the people in the sect to take good care of him. She did not dare to defile the man and only watched him from afar. But gradually, she found that the man and her maid were getting closer and closer. They would often get together for a chit-chat with cheerful smiles on their faces as if there were endless topics to talk about. Apart from that, He Chongling, who had always been a heartless and ruthless man, was also treating the maid differently. He even promoted her as a saintess, and her status immediately overshadowed the original owner of the body.
The original owner had been holding back the jealousy and resentment within her because she knew that once He Chongling fell for the maid, he would definitely get her by all means. This meant that the man would be separated from the maid without having her to do anything. And she was right, He Chongling quickly forced the maid to marry him and quickly prepared for the wedding. The maid resisted violently by going on a hunger strike, she even tried to kill herself by hitting her head on the pillar. As the saying goes, "Spare the rats to save the dishes." He Chongling was worried that the maid would injure herself and decided to imprison her while threatening to kill the man. It turned out that he also discovered the special relationship between them and exploited it so that the maid would give in to his demands.
The two most important people in her life were taken away by the maid one after another. The original owner finally could not hold back anymore and ran to the dungeon to kill the maid. However, she did not expect He Chongling to restrict her through the spell worm and made the worm attack her if she had any intention to kill the maid. He Chongling had already regarded the maid as part of himself and protected her well.
The original owner risked her lifetime and again for He Chongling, but he did not even care about her. Yet, the maid could get everything she wanted effortlessly. Before her death, the original owner who was suffering from immense pain in her heart had only one desire in her heart – if she could, she wanted to get herself out of this life, be a good person, and never be trampled by anyone.
"Be a good person and not be trampled on? Easier said than done." Lin Dan shook her head and smiled bitterly. "You can't even stay alive and you want to be a good person?" She muttered. However, in a flash, she noticed a vague clue in her memories. She hurriedly went to find the book of top martial technique that was given by the old master and looked through it carefully.
It was called the "Asura Sword Technique." The first sentence of the book was, "Those who are heartless and ruthless can become the Asura. Life or death, it can never be broken or destroyed." Then, it was the profound incantations and sword movements. The original owner practiced according to the incantation and sword movements in the book and could not make any more progress after becoming a first-class master. Over the years, she had been trying to achieve a breakthrough, but she was unable to do so and eventually gave up.
But Lin Dan believed that the most important part of this technique was hidden in the first sentence of the book. "What does 'Those who are heartless and ruthless can become Asura' mean? What does 'Life or death, it can never be broken or destroyed' mean?" Lin Dan thought that the original owner had laid in a pool of blood and was on the verge of death countless times, but she had miraculously survived each predicament – the original owner was a monster for having such a strong tenacity.
Lin Dan did not believe anyone was unkillable, but the original owner seems to be one. She wondered if this was related to her physical constitution or the techniques she practiced. Lin Dan flipped through the book quickly and was determined to practice the Asura Sword Technique to perfection. She knew that the answer would naturally be clear once she had succeeded.
"Life or death, it can never be broken or destroyed" – this was the only chance Lin Dan had. As for being heartless and ruthless, it may be impossible for others to achieve this, but it was an easy task for Lin Dan. She seemed to be born with a lack of emotions and desires, and now that she was completely isolated from the original owner's emotions, her soul was already on an entirely different level. At this moment, a sharpqisuddenly emerged from her core energy. It traveled through her meridians to the limbs and destroyed her blood vessels, bones, flesh, and blood one by one. The overwhelming pain swept her like a tsunami wave.
Lin Dan spat blood in that instance but maintained the meditation stance and did not dare to move an inch. The pain she was enduring at this moment was many times stronger than the immense chest pains she had experienced. Thisqiwas moving in her body like a steel knife, wanting to mince her into a ball of flesh and blood. In addition to that, she could also feel her core energy producing a vigorousqithat was quickly repairing her battered body. Her bones became stronger, her flesh and blood became tougher, and her meridians became wider…
She seemed to have died a thousand times, but she had also become more indestructible after overcoming it. Having experienced the torment that ordinary people cannot imagine, she had never lost her consciousness. She realized that only by discarding the unnecessary emotions can she be truly powerful, and only the truly powerful would never be trampled on. "Just what kind of pain and difficult choice one had to go through to achieve this kind of enlightenment?" She marveled.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
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Theqithat moved violently within her had also brought immense pain. Lin Dan felt as though she had been lying on the execution platform, suffering from the pain of being slashed by a knife for a thousand times at every moment. Her skin and flesh were open, blood was flowing, her ebony hair fell, but quickly, new flesh, blood, and hair grew, as if she had undergone a rebirth.
But Lin Dan knew this was not a rebirth. She was experiencing death. Her body had become a battlefield between the lifeqiand the deathqi. These twoqiscirculated in her body and went back and forth. As long as she was alive, the immense pain that felt as though she was being slashed would always be there.
Lin Dan clenched the book of martial technique tightly and sneered. She understood why the old leader was willing to give the top martial technique of the Eastern Holy Sect to an orphan, and why He Chongling allowed a lowly puppet to develop feelings for him. This "Asura Sword Technique" was simply a self-harming technique. If she was unable to stop herself from loving someone, there was no way the original owner could make a breakthrough. Not forgetting that she was tenacious, which made the old master and He Chongling take full advantage of her. Even if she could endure the pain of being slashed for a thousand times, she would be leading a life that was worse than death.
It hurt to walk, to sleep, and even breathe… She wondered if anyone could survive this endless pain. Even if there was, they would probably kill themselves within the next two or three years. She understood why no one in the sect was practicing this technique, even though it seemed so powerful that the original owner could become a first-rate master by practicing it for only five years. The old leader and He Chongling were probably just experimenting on her like a puppet. Regardless of whether she could succeed in learning this technique or not, the original owner would always be under their control and unable to escape.
"What a good tactic!" Lin Dan's eyes narrowed before putting the book in the sandalwood box and storing it properly. Her almost broken veins were being protected by a steady stream of lifeqi, but she could not remove the spell worm yet. If it were hidden elsewhere, it would have been destroyed by theqi, but it happened to be hidden in her heart, which was well protected by the lifeqiand giving it a chance to survive.
In other words, Lin Dan was still He Chongling's puppet. She would live if he let her, but she must die if he wanted her dead. However, this level of control could no longer threaten Lin Dan. If she could not crush the spell worm in her heart, she could crush the parent worm that resides in He Chongling's heart. Once the parent worm was killed, the spell worm in her heart would naturally die too.
As she became ruthless and heartless, she felt nothing when she thought about killing He Chongling, let alone having any killing intent. This was why the spell worm had no reaction. Besides, He Chongling's parent worm had almost never sensed her spell worm actively, and he would not find out what she was thinking. It was apparent that He Chongling did not treat the original owner as a human being and would not let the spell worm within her to affect him. It would not matter to him if the original owner had died. For him, her death was as good as getting rid of a pest.
Lin Dan avoided the guards and arrived at the spring at the back of the mountain to clean up her bloodied body. She was suffering from the immense pain in her body, but her expression remained calm as if nothing was happening. Although she had lost her memory, she had endured pain for thousands of years and this pain she was suffering felt nothing in comparison.
—
The next day was the wedding day of the sect leader and the saintess, and the sect was filled with lights and a festive atmosphere. In order to prevent someone from harming the handsome man after she left, the saintess asked to have the man appear at the wedding hall, and He Chongling actually granted her request. He did it so that the handsome man could witness him and the saintess tie the knot with his own eyes and stop having any desire to want to be with her. He Chongling thought it would not be late to find a chance to kill him after he had slept with the saintess.
A maid walked into a remote courtyard and said cautiously, "Left guardian, it's about time that you head to the wedding hall."
Lin Dan ended her meditation and slowly said, "Find me a black dress."
"Today is a happy occasion for the leader. It's better that you wear red instead." The maid lowered her head and dared not look at her.
"Black dresses won't get dirty easily." Lin Dan said indifferently. She was going there to take lies, not congratulate them.
The maid did not dare to defy her and found a black dress to put it on for her. She said comfortingly, "Left guardian, please do not blame Mister Bai, He Yufei was the one who implicated him. It's best that you bring him back after you have attended the wedding banquet, lest the leader lashes out at him." Mister Bai, whose full name was Bai Yan, was the man that was brought back by the original owner, and He Yufei was the new saintess. She originally had no name, but a serial number. She was given this name after winning the favor of He Chongling. In the Eastern Holy Sect, having the surname "He" was an extremely sacred thing, and it was proof that the person had gained the recognition of the leader.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
The original owner risked her life for He Chongling for many years but could not even receive that surname from him. Yet, He Yufei gained everyone's favor just by smiling at them or saying a few witty comments. He Yufei was shining like a bright sun, while the original owner was living like a pest in the dark. Both of them led completely different lives.
But from this day, everything would be different. Lin Dan would break through the shackles for the original owner, cut off the all entanglement, and reach the peak of martial arts. She knew that only the strongest would not be trampled on.
When Lin Dan arrived, all the sect members were there. They looked at the black dress she was wearing and displayed expressions of contempt, understanding, or sympathy. Everyone knew that she had a deep affection for the sect leader. Even if she later found a new boy toy, Bai Yan, people only thought she did it purposely to make the leader jealous. They felt that Lin Dan did not know her place, she did not have an attractive appearance and was unapproachable and quiet. They could understand why the sect leader had no interest in her, and even the boy toy she brought back was taken away by a maid.
"Left guardian, please head back and change another dress. I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the leader's punishment. Today is a happy occasion for him after all, and you're dressing as though you're attending a funeral. Aren't you trying to jinx him?" The right guardian whispered.
Lin Dan glanced at him and sat down before drinking some liquor. She was extremely pale, but her lips were as red as blood and her black eyes were covered with frost. She looked horrifying. The right guardian glanced at her and started shuddering for some reason. He did not dare to utter another word.
Lin Dan put down the wine glass and waited. Bai Yan was sitting right across from her. If it were the usual, she would have looked straight at him, but today she did not even give him a second look and treated him like a total stranger. Bai Yan only glanced at her and looked at the door, looking peaceful and at ease.
Since he was being taken into captivity in the Eastern Holy Sect, he had never stopped playing the zither, viewing the flowers, doing ink painting, and practicing calligraphy – he did not seem to be flustered at all. To him, being kidnapped was merely a change of living environment and it was no big deal. He held a small wine cup in his hand, but he did not drink it. He only twisted his wrist casually and tapped the cup with his slender fingertips, looking all relaxed and casual.
He had always seemed to be calm and unhurried, which made him more mysterious and charming. People in the hall, men and women, could not take their eyes off him. It seemed as though people would be willing to risk their lives for him if he had displayed that light and gentle smile to them.
There were people who could not hold back anymore and walked towards him. They wanted to pour him a glass of wine, but they retreated after receiving a faint glance from him and were afraid to behave inappropriately. Even though he did not learn martial arts and his body was weak, his natural air of elegance was not something ordinary people could taint.
In between the chatter and laughter, the sound of drums rang, and came the bride and groom. Those who lived in the martial world were not elaborate people, and the newlywed naturally did not tie the red string, the bride did not arrive on a carriage and was not covered in a veil. Instead, they walked straight into the wedding hall side by side. As soon as He Yufei entered the door, she looked at Bai Yan and heaved a sigh of relief to see that he was present.
But He Chongling looked directly at Lin Dan with a pair of infuriated eyes. The wedding hall was decorated with festive lights and decorations, and everyone came dressing for a happy occasion. Lin Dan was the only exception who came in a black dress and expressionless face. "Why is she doing this? Is she trying to ruin this wedding?" He thought.
He Yufei also noticed Lin Dan and her eyes instantly flashed with joy. She planned to take her master away if Lin Dan were to wreak havoc later.
As the festive atmosphere was gradually ruined by Lin Dan, a sect member rushed in at this moment and reported loudly, "Bad news, leader! Qingcheng Clan, Heavenly Sword Sect, Nine Mountains and Yinyang Faction, and other sects have gathered! They are coming up the mountain, saying that they are going to annihilate us!"
"These sects had been showing no signs of action lately. Why are they coming here out of a sudden?" He Chongling spoke firmly and calmly as if he was not at all bothered by these sects.
"I have no idea too, leader!" The believer bowed his hands in shame.
"Hmph, they can come for all they want. I'm not afraid at all." He Chongling took off his wedding robe and strode towards the mountain gate. Another panicking sect member came rushing in and said, "This is bad, leader! There are thousands of people who have surrounded us this time around, the half-step grandmaster from Lianyun City and hundreds of first-class masters are here too. I'm afraid we can't hold them back!"
The sect members, who were confident and ready to fight, stiffened as soon as they heard what the member said, and fear grew in their hearts. These so-called "orthodox sects" had often sent people to fight them from time to time and they have never been afraid, but this enormous number of people was unprecedented.
There are five martial arts levels: third-rate, first-rate, superior-rate, half-step grandmaster, and grandmaster. For each advancement in level, the combat power of the martial artist would increase a thousand-fold. A first-rate martial artist could kill tens of thousands of third-rate martial artists, and a half-step grandmaster could resist the attack of a hundred superior-rates. As for the grandmaster, it was a legendary level that was said to be a killing weapon that could crush the mountains and shatter the earth.
There had been only five grandmasters in the Eastern Tang Continent, and the strongest of them all was the Lord of Lianyun City. He was the last martial artist to enter the grandmaster level, but he was able to defeat all the other four grandmasters and became the top martial artist in the world. Therefore, he was named King Yun, and the city under his jurisdiction was named the Lianyun City.
The strongest martial artist of the Eastern Holy Sect was He Chongling, but he was merely a superior-rate, a far cry from a half-step grandmaster. He would be able to resist them if it was only an attack by a few major sects without Lianyun City's intervention, but now that a half-step grandmaster was sent, with the support of a behemoth like the Lianyun City, there was no way the Eastern Holy Sect had a chance of winning the fight.
If everyone tried to fight back, the sect members would probably not be able to escape death![Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]