The red pouch was opened, revealing a piece of folded red paper. Inside was a single tael of broken silver.
Yun Shu blinked.
"...This is it?"
Was this foolish child missing a few screws?
He had just been fined tens of thousands of taels by Imperial Father over something as ridiculous as which foot he stepped with first. And now, receiving a mere one tael as a New Year's token, he was acting like he had conquered the world?
Her thoughts must have been too obvious, because Yun Chuhuan immediately started hopping in place.
"Just admit it already! Mine's a thousand times better than yours, isn't it!"
"Ah yes, absolutely."
Yun Shu nodded gravely.
"Everything you said is correct."
Yun Chuhuan squinted.
Why did it sound like she was mocking him?
Fifth Sister was bullying him again!
While chaos reigned in Longxian Palace, the Eldest Prince, Third Prince, and Fourth Prince—who resided outside the palace—finally arrived.
Having reached the age where they had established their own households, they no longer received New Year tokens. After offering their greetings to Emperor Xuanwu, they were to visit their respective mothers' residences.
Yun Shu wasn't familiar with them and hadn't planned on making conversation.
Unexpectedly, after offering his formal greetings to Emperor Xuanwu, the Third Prince didn't leave right away. Instead, he turned and walked toward Yun Shu's group.
"Fifth Sister, may the new year bring you peace and safety."
He presented her with a charm wrapped in red paper. Despite the playful smile on his face, there was a hint of unease beneath the surface. He was nothing like the scheming youth she'd met during the autumn hunt.
Yun Shu immediately recalled what Cen Yiyi had mentioned in her recent letters.
But she only smiled as if she knew nothing and gracefully accepted the charm.
"Thank you, Third Brother. I wish you good health."
The Third Prince paused.
Was it just his imagination, or did Fifth Sister's words carry another layer of meaning?
But... what deeper meaning could "good health" possibly have?
Lost in thought, he forgot to give Yun Chuhuan his own New Year token and turned away.
Yun Chuhuan, who had been eagerly waiting: "???"
What was the meaning of this?
He was standing right there, fully visible, and yet completely ignored!
Frustrated, Yun Chuhuan kicked the air.
In the next moment, a silver note worth one hundred taels appeared in his hand.
"!!"
The dejected expression vanished as Yun Chuhuan whipped his head around, eyes shining as he looked at Yun Shu.
But she sat lazily with her back half-turned to him, acting as though the silver note had nothing to do with her.
"When you become wealthy again in the future, remember to..."
"Fifth Sister, you really are the one who loves me the most in this entire family!"
Yun Chuhuan launched himself at her in a dramatic tackle, nearly knocking her off her chair.
Yun Shu: "!!!"
Emperor Xuanwu: "..."
These two unruly brats!
The New Year's Eve banquet of the Tian Sheng court took place in the morning, beneath the rising eastern sun—a symbol of good fortune for the year to come.
Yun Shu and Yun Chuhuan arrived at the Linde Hall alongside Emperor Xuanwu. The ministers and palace consorts had already gathered.
Even the Crown Prince, still under house arrest, had been granted a special pardon to attend the banquet.
Yet his and the Bei Xiang Eldest Prince's dark expressions stood in stark contrast to the festive atmosphere around them.
No one paid them much mind.
After all, the feast was far too enticing to be overshadowed by their gloom.
Even Yun Chuhuan, who was accustomed to Yun Shu's refined cooking, found himself unable to stop eating.
It wasn't until Emperor Xuanwu began to speak that he reluctantly set down his chopsticks and leaned toward Yun Shu to whisper a complaint.
"Fifth Sister, you clearly had all these delicious things. Why were you hiding them from me before?"
"I wasn't hiding anything."
Yun Shu lowered her voice.
"These dishes for today's banquet? I came up with them after the autumn hunt, when I was racking my brain to complete a hundred unique dishes for Tian Waitian Restaurant."
"Really?"
"Really."
The ingredients available in the Tian Sheng court were severely limited. No tomatoes, no potatoes, not even the corn and chili peppers so common in modern cuisine.
She had to meticulously go through her recipes to eliminate any dish that required ingredients unavailable in this era.
Of course it had taken all her wits!
She gestured casually toward one of the dishes in front of Yun Chuhuan.
"Do you even know what that is?"
At the same time, Emperor Xuanwu, having completed the formal toasts, addressed the gathered officials with a smile.
"Gentlemen, are the dishes at today's banquet to your liking?"
"They are most delightful! The colors, flavors, and aromas are extraordinary. Each bite lingers, and the aftertaste is simply unforgettable!"
General Wei Yuan, bold by nature and ever passionate about fine food, was the first to respond, his praise hearty and unrestrained.
"It seems the palace is truly a place where dragons hide and tigers crouch. Even a lowly imperial chef turns out to be so talented!"
"Ah, but that's where you are mistaken, General."
Emperor Xuanwu, clearly pleased by the response, chuckled as he corrected him.
"These dishes are not from the palace kitchens. They are creations of Tian Waitian Restaurant!"
Tian Waitian?
No wonder he hadn't tasted them before.
It was his wife's fault for refusing to give him a thousand taels to get a silver membership. With only five hundred copper coins, he could barely afford a basic meal on the first floor.
Clearly, these dishes had to be from the second floor—those that cost ten taels a meal!
He wondered if the useless cooks at his estate could replicate even a fraction of the taste.
As he mulled it over, Emperor Xuanwu continued cheerfully.
"Now, dear General, can you guess what ingredients were used to make these dishes?"
"Your Majesty, this humble servant is a mere soldier—I know nothing of such refined matters."
Just as he had been fretting over how to acquire the recipes, the Emperor dangled the answer tantalizingly before him.
Delighted, General Wei Yuan bowed quickly.
"May Your Majesty enlighten us."
"We would if We could," Emperor Xuanwu laughed, waving his hand.
"But alas, We are not entirely sure ourselves! Still, We can assure you, once you learn the ingredients, you will be truly astonished."
"Your Majesty, are you teasing this humble servant?"
The mood had been built up so high, only to be dropped at the last moment with the revelation that even the Emperor didn't know the answer.
Who could endure such suspense?
Unconsciously, General Wei Yuan began glancing toward Yun Shu's direction. He believed himself subtle, though his hands made overly conspicuous gestures to disguise it.
"What could be so shocking about the ingredients? You wouldn't say the meat dishes were made from vegetables and the vegetable dishes from meat, would you?"