Wei, the seventh year of Huangchu.
Just three days after succeeding as the new emperor of the Great Wei, Cao Rui, who became the second emperor of Wei, was sitting in his seat waiting for his meal.
Several pages entered slowly, and they served the table with nine dishes in succession, filling up the table. The central gold plate held a big fish, and its aroma mingled with the steam.
Cao Rui picked a piece of fish from the belly and put it in his mouth; the fish meat was exquisite and delicious beyond measure.
"Imperial Chef, what kind of dish is this?"
The Wei state continued the system of the Han dynasty. The imperial administration body in charge of handling palace affairs in the Han dynasty was called Shaofu, and within Shaoifu, the department responsible for the emperor's diet was known as Taigu.
And the Director of the Great Kitchen is essentially the head chef to the emperor.
The Director of the Great Kitchen, standing at the foot of the stairs, did not dare to be careless and quickly replied.
"I have the honor to report to Your Majesty that this dish is called 'Gold Platter Sliced Carp'.”
"There are many places in the world where carp are produced, but the carp from the Luo River are considered the best."
"Carp from the Luo River are extremely fresh. After being caught, they are quickly delivered to the palace on horseback. They are accompanied by Zaozhuang plum, white salt from Hanzhong, and Dongyang soy sauce, and then cooked by the Royal Kitchen."
"This carp, from the moment it comes out of the Luo River to being placed on Your Majesty's dining table, took no more than one hour."
Cao Rui nodded, continuing to savor the carp in the dish. The cooking method of this dish was somewhat similar to braised pork, but with superior ingredients, the taste was vastly different.
Three days ago, Cao Rui returned to the Three Kingdoms after the death of his predecessor, Cao Pi. He ate vegetarian food for three days and succeeded to the throne during this time.
The position of the emperor is delightful, and being the supreme ruler is also very pleasant. However, eating three days of vegetables and coarse grains with little cooking attention was quite harsh on Cao Rui.
Fortunately, I got to eat meat today. The carp from the Luo River, meat from a half-year-old fawn, and grilled lamb...
"This is the emperor's menu? It really is quite good."
While Cao Rui was enjoying his meal, the official in charge of the imperial bodyguards, Bi Jin, walked over to the emperor's side and reported quietly.
"Your Majesty, Minister Liu Ye has arrived and is waiting outside the palace hall."
"Liu Ye Liu Ziyang? Let him come in."
With his head down and taking small steps, Bi Jin walked to the doorway, standing still after reaching his position, and then gave a high-pitched shout: "Announce the visitation of Liu Zhongshu."
Liu Ye walked through the long corridor, his heart pounding as he made his way towards the palace gate.
It's not surprising that Liu Ye is nervous, as he has rarely had one-on-one communication with Cao Rui. The first time he saw Cao Rui was during the coronation ceremony.
That may sound strange. Cao Pi, as the emperor of Wei, did not introduce his heir to the ministers for a full six years.
For Liu Ye, this was the first time Cao Rui had summoned him alone, making him feel cautious.
Liu Ye performed the standard obeisance, kneeling and bowing: "I, Liu Ye, kneel before Your Majesty."
"Minister, please rise."
Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye with interest and asked, "Are you from Yangzhou?"
After standing up, Liu Ye replied with a bow, "I am from Chengding in Huainan. In the fourth year of Jian'an, I joined the ranks of Emperor Taizong."
Cao Rui said, "Since you are from Yangzhou, have you ever eaten Songjiang perch?"
Liu Ye looked up at Cao Rui, and his eyes seemed to be somewhat surprised.
Liu Ye, also known as Liu Ziyang, was a remarkable figure. At the age of thirteen, he dared to commit murder; at twenty, he alone pacified thousands of rebellious troops and made many strategic contributions to Cao Cao and Cao Pi.
Liu Ye, a man of both courage and wisdom, had thought that Emperor Cao Rui would summon him to ask about military campaigns, political governance, and other state affairs. He had prepared his thoughts in advance before coming.
Who could have imagined that when Cao Rui summoned him, the first thing he would ask about was food?
Liu Ye controlled his expression, replying in a respectful manner, "The Songjiang perch is found at the mouth of the river, and it is precious and difficult to catch. I have only tasted it twice."
"The first time was in Lufeng when I served as the assistant to the Prefect Liu Xun of Lufeng. I ate it at a banquet in the governor's mansion."
"The second time was in Yecheng, where I served as the assistant to the Grand Secretariat of Emperor Xuande. When the emperor entertained the officials of the Grand Secretariat, an alchemist named Zuozhi caught a Songjiang perch during the banquet, and I also had a taste of it."
Cao Rui became interested. He found everything about this era fascinating, especially the myriad strange occurrences.
Even though he was the emperor, figures like Zuozhi, who were legendary, still intrigued Cao Rui greatly.
Cao Rui raised his eyebrows and said, "So you were also present at that banquet, really caught it in the banquet hall?"
Liu Ye nodded and replied, "I witnessed it with my own eyes at the banquet hosted by Emperor Wu. Both Emperor Taizong and Prince Yongqiu were also present."
Cao Rui asked, "Emperor Taizong was wise and intelligent. Did he mention whether this story was true or not?"
Liu Ye said, "Emperor Taizong believed that the story of Songjiang perch was uncertain in truth, perhaps it was just an optical illusion."
"But Emperor Taizong once mentioned Zuozhi's magical skills, saying that Zuozhi did have some real talent."
Cao Rui was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "Zuozhi has many strange tales associated with him. When I was in the Eastern Palace, I had also heard some of his stories."
"Left Zuozhi performed the magic of changing fish at Emperor Xuande's banquet, and then ran out of the hall to buy ginger in Shu. He also changed dry meat outside the capital to feed hundreds of people in Yan'an."
"I have heard all these stories as well, but what Emperor Taizong referred to as Left Zuozhi's true talent was exactly what?"
Cao Rui asked Liu Ye with a great deal of curiosity.
Liu Ye was a wise man of his time. Since Cao Pi usurped the Han dynasty and ascended the throne, Liu Ye, as the Palace Chancellor, had been constantly by Cao Pi's side, offering advice and consulting state affairs, thus taking on the role of a full-time strategist and also being referred to as a close confidant to the emperor.
The benefits of being a close confidant to the emperor are, of course, that you are closer to the center of power, hold a more esteemed position, and can have daily interactions with the emperor.
However, the drawback is that if the emperor does not consult you on state affairs, but instead asks you to accompany him for leisure, you may become perceived as an adept and favored courtier. In the case of Emperor Wu of the Han, Dong Fuxi was a learned man with great talent, but his talents were rarely put to use.
Liu Ye did not want to become Dong Fuxi, but he could not avoid answering the emperor's question in all honesty. Even if there was the slightest chance to increase the emperor's favor, Liu Ye did not want to miss it.
"Your Majesty, Emperor Taizong once mentioned Left Zuozhi's skill in chamber lore."
"In the past, when Emperor Xuande was in Yecheng, he summoned outstanding people from all over the country to come to Yecheng."
"Among them were alchemists including Left Zuozhi from Lufeng, Ganguan Ganshi from Gangling, and Xique Jian from Yangcheng."
"Ganguan Ganshi had the skill of Qigong Dao Yin, which the emperor believed could strengthen the body, but his words were exaggerated and untrustworthy."
"Xique Jian was good at fasting, only needing Lingzhi and water without any other food intake. The price of Lingzhi in Yan'an skyrocketed to several times its original price due to Xique Jian."
Cao Rui listened with some boredom, stretching his foot behind the table. These two men's skills were really boring.
Liu Ye paused for a moment, hesitated for two seconds before continuing.
"Left Zuozhi... Left Zuozhi claimed to be able to command ghosts and spirits, but his real talent was actually in chamber lore, which Emperor Taizong also recognized."
Cao Rui became interested, standing up from behind the table and giving a shake to his robe sleeve. After this journey through time, becoming an emperor, although essential for unifying the seas and creating a flourishing era, he had also made up his mind to enjoy all the pleasures of human life.
It's truly amazing that there are skills like chamber lore.
"Liu Zhongshu, what exactly is this chamber lore skill? Speak clearly."
Looking at Cao Rui's slightly interested expression, Liu Ye felt a bit disappointed. Emperor Cao Pi was both literary and martial, but Emperor Cao Rui, having just ascended the throne, was already inquiring about chamber lore from his ministers.
Liu Ye thought in his heart, "Children are not like their fathers."
Liu Ye's face gradually became serious. He bowed deeply to Cao Rui and said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, Liu Ye believes that since Your Majesty has just ascended the throne and taken control of the realm, there are external enemies in Western Shu and Jiangdong, as well as internal problems such as the depleted populace and urgent need for restoration."
"As for the matter of chamber lore, not only have I heard about it, but it was also practiced by many ministers under Emperor Xuande. However, I truly do not wish to discuss this at this time, and I implore Your Majesty to prioritize state affairs."
"Is it because state affairs are of the utmost importance?" Cao Rui thought in his heart. "This is true, but the importance of state affairs is not limited to what we discuss. Just answer my questions."
The enthusiasm of the ministers should still be protected.
Cao Rui said, "Minister Liu, do not worry. I will handle state affairs with judgment. We will discuss it with the ministers at tomorrow's morning assembly."
"I am just curious about what chamber lore is actually like."
Liu Ye sighed inwardly. His duty as an advisor was already at its limit. At heart, Liu Ye did not care about what others thought. He preferred practicality over abstraction and deemed it most important to gain the emperor's trust.
Liu Ye bowed and said, "Your Majesty, what is known as chamber lore is mistakenly thought to be about matters of the flesh, but its principles are far deeper than mere matters of the flesh."
"In short, chamber lore originated from the Daoist school of Huang Lao, with its core principles being to cherish qi and yin, and to practice self-restraint. It can help with health and longevity, but the idea of becoming immortal through it is a fantasy."
"But in practice, it is still somewhat related to the more mundane matters of the flesh."
"……"
The sun slowly set to the west as Liu Ye concluded his first audience with Emperor Cao Rui, taking his time to slowly exit the palace gates of the Beipu Palace.
By the palace gate, a young assistant official had been waiting for some time.
The assistant official bowed and said, "Lord Liu, Lord Sima and Lord Chen have invited you to visit the Office of the Secretary."
Liu Ye stopped in his tracks. It was clear that Sima Yi and Chen Qun had heard about his audience with the emperor, so they likely wanted to probe his thoughts.
Liu Ye glanced at the assistant official, said nothing, and did not pause. He walked off on his own to the direction of the Office of the Secretaries.
