Wanhua Tower.

Gu Yunxi was startled by Fu Danqing's words. Embarrassed, she lowered her eyes with a hint of concern and confusion and looked at the table, where a full bag of gold ingots was placed. Then she raised her head and fixed her gaze on the graceful woman on the other side.

"Ten Pounds Fu" must charge ten pounds of gold for each painting.

Now Yunxi offered one hundred pounds for only three paintings. Fu was not losing money from this deal!

"Lady Fu, forgive me for being too abrupt. Do you find the reward... not enough?"

Gu Yunxi raised her eyebrows and spoke out straight for she didn't have much time to prevaricate with this peculiar courtesan.

Fu Danqing turned her charming eyes to impatient Gu Yunxi as a faint yet bright smile flickered across her gracefully curved lips.

"Lord Yun, you misunderstood. As the saying goes: if you drink with a bosom friend, a thousand cups are too few; if you argue with a despicable foe, half sentence is too much. When I talked with you just now, I found you quite eloquent. Especially when it came to your own enthusiasm, you were even more confident and radiant. I also have my passion, so I empathize with what you said."

"Now I'd like to take the liberty to make a deal with you. And what's better than exchanging the fruits of our passions. Please cook for me a dish which is unseen in the market, being it soups, cuisines, or desserts. Bring it back to the Wanhua Tower in three days and in return, I will certainly present you with three paintings."

"This... this won't work!"

Anxious, Gu Yunxi immediately blushed in panic. Without even noticing it, she jumped up from her seat by the table.

She felt fooled but could not lose her temper because she needed her help.

Refraining from flaring up, Yunxi briskly paced the room and then begged stiffly,

"Lady, I really have an urgent need for it. Time is running out. Please help me!"

"The conditions have already been stated. As long as you fulfill my wish, I will draw at your service."

Fu Danqing nodded and smiled gently like a spring breeze. No matter how anxious and annoyed people were, they would calm down at her smile.

"Lady Danqing..."

Gu Yunxi composed herself. Before she could speak again, the voice of the brothel's landlady sounded outside.

"Danqing, it's almost time!"

Hearing this, Fu Danqing got up from the silk futon embroidered with golden chrysanthemums and curtsied deeply to Gu Yunxi. Obediently, she apologized,

"Lord Yun, it's time for me to practice music, and I cannot accompany you longer. Please pardon the inconvenience."

Gu Yunxi was speechless, knowing that she had been requested to leave. Sighing softly, she said sadly,

"Well, I'll take my leave and research at your request. Once I've made a superb dish, I'll visit you again."

Then she bowed to Fu Danqing and strode out of her chamber.

Not long after Gu Yunxi's departure, a man in white elegantly walked in. With a folding fan in his hands and his black hair streaming loose, he stood tall in great radiance.

The woman inside hurriedly fell on her knees when she saw him and greeted,

"Your Highness."

"Um-hum."

Lu Qiange folded the fan of white jade and scanned every furnishing in the room with his amethyst-like shining eyes.

Yunxi had not left long, and there was still a trace of her scent flowing slowly in the air, sweet and wonderful.

The complex expression of mixed longing and intoxication lingered shortly on Lu Qiange's young and handsome face.

His purple eyes reflected the sunlight beamed from the window, shining dazzlingly. His thick eyelashes inclined naturally, fluttering gently under the warm sunshine.

A mellow voice flew from his lips.

"Have you told her?"

"Yes. As Your Highness's wishes, I have made the request clear. I believe she will visit the Wanhua Tower again in three days."

"Good! When you draw the portraits for her, you must remember the people’s appearance, duplicate the paintings, and send our people to search the territories outside Dayi for them as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

...

Gu Yunxi walked out of the Wanhua Tower gloomily.

Cheng Wanli and Qinger had been awaiting her in the street for a long time. When they saw Yunxi walking the horse full of melancholy, they soon approached her.

"How was it going? Didn't you see 'Ten Pounds Fu'?"

Seeing her expression, Cheng Wanli shot the question urgently. His pupils enlarged, flickering with anxiety and thrill.

Gu Yunxi shook her head and sighed.

"Forget it. Let's ride and talk!"

The three mounted their horses and trotted slowly on the way back. Gu Yunxi talked about what happened after she met the courtesan.

Listening to Gu Yunxi's story, Qinger was filled with righteous indignation on horseback. She grasped the reins tightly with both hands, complaining,

"Lady, you should have revealed that you're from the Eastern Depot then! A brothel woman like her would not dare to behave like that and fool you around!"

Gu Yunxi frowned, and her eyes darkened. She explained,

"It would be nice if it could be so simple and straightforward. I talked to Fu Danqing, and she seemed lofty and would never be moved by fame and wealth."

"If I push her with my identity, I'm afraid that she will defy me and refuse to help. It was my fault to show off cooking skills in front of her. Now she knows how to challenge me."

Cheng Wanli thought for a while and was perplexed. He frowned and asked,

"The courtesan's heart is hard to guess! There are lots of guests. Why did she treat you differently? Yun Guaner, do you think she knows who you are from the beginning?"

His doubt stirred a tense feeling in Gu Yunxi's chest. Looking slightly surprised, she touched her forehead with her cool fingers at a loss.

"Under the circumstances now, I can only fulfill her wish first. What is the dish that's not available in the market?"

"That can only be the royal cuisine."

Cheng Wanli replied. Amused, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"The top courtesan must be tired of the normal fine food. Now she becomes pickier and wants to taste the royal cuisine? I'll send someone to fetch a royal food recipe from the Palace. Yun Guaner, you can use it for cooking."

Gu Yunxi still shook her head morosely.

"Too late! The royal food ingredients are rare and hard to find. She only gives me three days. Even if there is no shortage of materials, it's unlikely that I can cook a decent dish for the first time..."

While speaking, an idea occurred to Gu Yunxi. She remembered a place where there was a book with many rare foods and infrequent ingredients recorded!

Suddenly, Gu Yunxi was enlightened, and her face lit up.

"Uncle Cheng, Qinger, let's hurry back! I'll take care of it!"

Whipping the horse, she urged her mount to sprint first.

After arrival, Gu Yunxi reported her meeting with the top courtesan Fu Danqing to the Master.

She didn't mention that she was having trouble and only told him that she would retrieve the painting at the Wanhua Tower three days later.

In the evening, Imperial Doctor Jiang came to change the dressing for the Master's wound and wiped his body with Cheng Wanli.

Gu Yunxi was free for once and sneaked into the Master's study before anyone could notice.

She came to find the manuscript that Yanwan showed her last time, The Exquisite Collection of Delicacies.

Although she only had a rough idea, judging from the ingredients and instructions, the fancy-named dishes recorded in the book were indeed rare delicacies.

With such precious recipes within arm's reach, why would she not borrow them for a peek? It was unnecessary to wait for the Chiliarch to find one in the Palace.

Gu Yunxi looked on the four-drawer cabinet next to the desk but didn't find the blue manuscript.

Immediately, a trace of doubt arose in her mind.

Gu Yunxi recalled Yanwan's words that day. She said the book was placed in the cabinet and asked Yanwan to put it back intact. Why was it gone now?

Could it be...

Suddenly, Gu Yunxi's mind was clouded by suspicion, which quickly disappeared.

Her attention was focused on searching for the book. So without further digging, she started to search the shelves.

She found Yanwan's handkerchief in the top drawer. Pursing her lips, she hid it in her sleeve.

Then she found the target in the lowest drawer. She grabbed the manuscript and opened it.

On the first page, Gu Yunxi's gaze stumbled again on the graceful handwriting.

"The mountain has trees, and the trees have branches."

Fraught with frustration again, her face darkened as if it was clouded by shallow yet persisting mist.

Her cold fingers trembled. Gu Yunxi was a little hesitant before turning to the second page.

This collection of all kinds of rare delicacies was a gift from the Master's love from before. Without his permission, it was improper for her to read it and cook the food for an outsider.

But then she convinced herself that there was no other way. She was only borrowing it for an urgent matter. Once the trouble was resolved, she would explain to the Master and he would definitely forgive her.

Yunxi's eyes shone brightly as they fell at the end of the page.

Pei Rushi...

Gu Yunxi recited the three-character signature in her heart. Narrowing her eyes, she said softly in melancholy,

"Miss Pei, I'm reading your gift to the Master without his consent. But I have to do so to solve his problem and lift the Eastern Depot's siege. I do not mean to offend you. I hope you and the Master will forgive me."

After saying that, Yunxi's heart was much lighter.

Then Gu Yunxi turned the second page impatiently and earnestly read the gourmet recipes in the book...

Time flew by as the water dripped from the clepsydra. Before she noticed, the dusk had faded, and the nightfall arrived with darkness.

Gu Yunxi had read the book from beginning to end. When she looked up again, she felt dizzy, and her vision blurred due to sore eyes.

Rubbing her stiff neck, Gu Yunxi fell dejected and puzzled again.

This book had 28 pages with a delicacy on each one. Although the number was small, the contents covered various types and styles of soups, cuisines, and desserts.

The cooking process required was cumbersome. And many of the ingredients recoded were unheard-of to Gu Yunxi.

In only three days, she had to select one of the 28 recipes of The Exquisite Collection of Delicacies and cook a perfect dish for Fu Danqing. How could she win her favor?

Pondering for a moment, Gu Yunxi turned the page back and examined it again.

Finally, she found a rare dessert called "Jiaozhu Pear Curd". Its ingredients and cooking techniques were the most common and simple of these 28 dishes. Thus, Gu Yunxi chose it as the gift to Fu Danqing in exchange for the damsels' portraits!

Gu Yunxi took pen, ink, and paper and copied down all the contents of the booklet about "Jiaozhu Pear Curd" without any omission. Afterward, she returned the book to the original position and left the Master's study quietly.

For the remaining day, Gu Yunxi tried to make "Jiaozhu Pear Curd".

According to Pei Rushi's record, the ingredients used to make this dessert were similar to those used in the pastry made by Gu Yunxi.

The only missing part was that Gu Yunxi did not have the ingredient named "Liyu".

Liyu, as the name suggested, was the rain during the pear blossoms season. Impurities were filtered from the water, and what remained was called Liyu. This was common knowledge known by every chef and diner.

Without Liyu, she planned to use well water instead.

Gu Yunxi collected all the ingredients and started to cook.

The glutinous rice was soaked for half an hour and then mashed with 200 grams of well water and 4 grams of rock sugar. The mixture was then boiled on a slow fire. After the material became gooey and whitish, it was sifted to remove rice residue.

Removed the yolk from a fresh chicken egg for egg white. Beat it with 40 grams of goat milk.

Then she mixed the liquid with the glutinous rice paste. The mixture was later simmered and stirred until it became a buttery paste and set in a pear-blossom-shaped plate to rest in the ice cellar for half an hour.

The curd cooled at low temperature and looked tender, fair, and smooth as if it was translucent white tofu. Sitting in the flower-shaped mold, the curd looked as clear as elegant pear blossoms blooming in the branches around the Tomb-Sweeping Day, moisturized by spring rain.

Before serving, she decorated a spoonful of Cornel and Baiguo Syrup on top of it. And hence the rare delicacy called "Jiaozhu Pear Curd" was made.

Gu Yunxi quietly asked Qinger to try the result of her first attempt.

When Qinger saw the graceful pastry in the five-petal pink plate, her face lit up, and her eyes shone in surprise.

Gazing at the fine food, Qinger was so happy that she forgot to blink but kept asking,

"Lady, can I really eat it? Can I really?"

Gu Yunxi confirmed with an affirmative nod.

"Of course, taste it now! And give me your feedback. Let me know if there's anything I can improve."

"Yes!"

Qinger agreed happily with a limpid voice. She carefully held the plate in one hand and a small spoon in the other. Before she scooped it, her raised arm froze in the air.

Gu Yunxi looked at her nervously and urged with a stiff face,

"What's the matter? Taste it!"

Qinger squinted embarrassedly and sighed to the plate,

"Lady, the dessert was so delicate that I... I can't bear to ruin it..."

"Dear! Just eat it. I will make more later!"

Qinger raised her thin eyebrows, took a deep breath, and stuck the spoon into the curd.

With a clink, one part of the curd was missing.

Qinger scooped a spoonful of translucent curd, stared at it in the shallow oval, and shook it. Then she finally took it in her mouth. With the coolness on the tip of her tongue, the fruity and milky scent mixed the creamy egg whites melted in her mouth and occupied the whole cavity.

"How was it?"

Next to Qinger, Gu Yunxi was too nervous to breathe. She held her breath and gazed at Qinger's closed mouth.

Qinger kept wiggling her lips and tongue, savoring the peculiar taste of the curd, and nodded. Raising her head, she swallowed the curd that had melted into the cream, frowned slightly, and said,

"Lady, the curd you made was good. But when I swallowed it at last, there was a smell of raw goat milk. Maybe you can try cow milk the next time?"

Gu Yunxi nodded but then disagreed.

"Cow milk is not necessary. Goat milk is higher in fat and its curd is easier to coagulate. Maybe I didn't use the right material to eliminate the raw taste of milk and eggs..."

Then she also picked up the spoon and took a scoop.

As Qinger said, the curd tasted refreshing and sweet at the beginning. It felt like a piece of weightless cloud on her tongue.

Nonetheless, as the curd melted into the cream, the raw taste of goat milk mixed with egg liquid was revealed. And with the sweetness of the rock sugar, it became thicker and stronger.

Gu Yunxi disliked the taste of raw milk the most. She forced down her urge to vomit and swallowed the half-melted curd with a ghastly expression.

"No, I need to redo it!"

Gu Yunxi put down the rest of the curd and started over.

Upon seeing this, Qinger held her and consoled,

"Lady, don't worry and take your time. Actually, the taste and presentation of the curd are excellent. The raw smell is negligible. You won't note it if you don't taste it carefully."

Gu Yunxi looked solemn and shook her head.

"Anyway, I made a mistake in the material. And my techniques were still improvable. According to the recipe, Jiaozhu Pear Curd should first taste salty and tart, and then sweet and cool. My curd was nothing but saccharine! Something must be wrong!"

In the cooking world, the increase and change in the taste of a dish were regarded as rare. Even if the materials were simple and the presentation was plain, it was gourmet food as long as it had two or more flavors in the mouth.

To create multiple flavors in a dish, you must select the ingredients carefully. The cook must withstand tests such as the rationalization of the process and the mastery of the techniques.

Qinger blinked confusedly at Gu Yunxi's earnest face.

"Lady, the "Jiaozhu Pear Curd" you just mentioned, who gave you its recipe?"

"..."

Gu Yunxi's eyes dimmed, and she could not utter a word. Clearing her throat unnaturally, she explained,

"My sisters from the Garden taught me a long time ago! Oh, right. You can't tell anyone about this dessert, including Chiliarch Cheng!"

"Why?"

Qinger's eyes shone with perplexity as she shouted her doubt before Gu Yunxi covered her mouth.

"I want to surprise him!"

Removing her hand, Gu Yunxi lied.

She knew that Cheng Wanli had been following the Master the longest. The captains of the Eastern Depot knew about the Master's old love. It was reasonable if the Chiliarch had more knowledge about her. Perhaps, he was aware of The Exquisite Collection of Delicacies.

Gu Yunxi figured Chiliarch Cheng might inform the Master if he knew she had secretly borrowed the book for cooking. She would surely be scolded harshly by the Master.

She patted Qinger on the shoulder and solemnly assured her,

"When I master the way to make the curd and cook a flawless dish, we'll present it to him. Before that, we shall remain silent and keep the secret between us."

Qinger understood her plan and nodded with an innocent countenance.

"As you say, my Lady! If you don't want me to talk, I absolutely won't!"

Apart from tending the Master’s meals, Gu Yunxi spent the rest of her time hiding in the kitchen, studying and practicing the recipe. Yet, she still failed to make the curd to her satisfaction.

She pondered it must be for the missing ingredient "Liyu".

Around the Tomb-Sweeping Day, the pear blossoms would flourish in the spring rain because that was the time for creatures to release their essence accumulated during the winter. Thus, many poets had written about the spring rain during the pear blossom season, praising that it was as nutritious as butter.

Liyu was slightly bitter and thus a gem to confine the rawness of goat milk. However, what could she use to replace Liyu?

At night, exhausted and dizzy, Gu Yunxi was pulled out of the kitchen by Qinger and relaxed in a hot bath.

After changing on the clean clothes, the young eunuch Kang Hai summoned her again.

Had the Master got addicted to sharing her bed?

Gu Yunxi knew that when she went to his room, he would ask her to serve him. But she was worn out today, so she asked Qinger to send Kang Hai away.

Before long, Kang Hai returned aggrievedly under the porch. Helpless, Gu Yunxi had to go with a lantern.

As soon as she was in bed, Leng Qingtang clung over and sniffed. Amused, he whispered with restless eyes.

"Girl, how much papaya milk soup have you drunk today? You smell milky!"

Gu Yunxi lowered her head to sniff her arms, and a frown fell on her brows.

She did not stay long in the bath, and the smell of goat milk and egg still lingered. Now she did smell the inexplicable scent in the Master's room.

Leaning sideways on her thighs, Leng Qingtang smiled slyly and gazed at her blushed face. He teased her,

"It seems... to have a sweet smell as well. Did you change your soap?"

"No…"

Gu Yunxi avoided the Master's scrutinizing gaze and equivocated in a flustered manner,

"I... I didn't..."

Before she could finish, Leng Qingtang's big hands had invaded under her bedclothes and accurately captured her soft bosoms. As he caressed them, he squinted and smirked,

"Good. Much bigger..."

"Master!"

Gu Yunxi blushed in shyness and happiness. Holding his wrist, she raised her eyebrows and panted in protest.

The Master had recovered well lately. As his wound hurt no more, his energy was boosted, and his strokes were fervent.

Her protest was to no avail!

She ended up pushed down by him. Lost in crazy love, she kissed the man on top of her.

The room was filled with sensual pleasure that was inexpressible in words...