As soon as Lin Dan finished speaking, everyone present was stunned, even the usually composed emperor showed a look of surprise.

According to Lin Dan’s suggestion, the zongzis should be given to the public for tasting, allowing them to choose for themselves. The one they ultimately selected would naturally be the flavor they liked the most. The people had no idea who made these two batches of zongzis, nor did they know that this decision would determine the outcome of a competition. Thus, the result would be the fairest.

No one could refute Lin Dan’s reasoning, not even the emperor. After all, he had already promised to give Lin Dan a fair and just competition, and everything could be decided by her. The emperor’s word was as valuable as gold and as heavy as Mount Tai, and there was no room for reneging.

It was only then that the emperor realized Lin Dan’s true intention. The power to decide the outcome of this competition was no longer in his hands, nor in the hands of the judges, but in the hands of the people. To prevent him from using his imperial power to interfere, she had even stipulated that the zongzis would be given only to those entering the city, not to those leaving. The emperor could arrange for people to leave the city to collect one, but he couldn’t control those entering the city. Who would come to the capital today and when? Only the heavens knew.

Moreover, the two batches of zongzishad already been switched several times. Even if the emperor had vast powers and immediately sent word for someone to disguise themselves as commoners to enter the city, they wouldn’t be able to distinguish which batch of zongzi belonged to Yan Langqing. In the end, it would still come down to personal preference. Besides, he couldn’t bring himself to inquire which batch belonged to whom.

Is this fair? The emperor shook his head, then suddenly burst into laughter. “Fair! Nothing could be fairer! Someone, take these two baskets of zongzi to the west city gate and have the guards distribute them to those entering the city. Each person may only choose one zongzi after tasting, no more.”

This way, they could only take the one they liked the most.

The emperor had originally planned to support Yan Langqing. After all, she was the woman he had set his eye on and she had just suffered a grievance. It wouldn’t hurt to show her some extra care. But now, he found Lin Dan incredibly interesting, and this competition even more so. So why not be impartial and make it even more interesting? From this point on, he wouldn’t do anything, nor would he allow anyone to break the rules. He would leave the result to the people to decide.

Seeing the emperor’s expression filled with interest, Tang Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking again at the relaxed Lin Dan, his gaze grew warm, and then he smiled slightly. He had once again worried for nothing. Lin Dan always managed to face any dire situation with composure, and with her persistence and intelligence, she found a way out.

The lazy, indifferent expression on Marquis Weiyuan’s face finally faded. He turned his head and stared intently at Lin Dan. Prince Cheng and Prince Gong huddled together, whispering and laughing softly, clearly in a good mood. The Prince of Dianqian simply rubbed the teacup in his hand, occasionally glancing up at Lin Dan with a deep gaze.

The most rigid expression belonged to Yan Langqing. No matter how much she thought about it, she never expected Lin Dan to propose such a method of judgment. However, after careful consideration, she couldn’t help but admire Lin Dan’s cleverness. The emperor especially liked women with sharp minds and enjoyed interesting matters even more. He was probably very impressed with Lin Dan now and would no longer favor any particular side.

Yan Langqing felt a bit uneasy, but not overly flustered, as she believed in her own skills.

The group arrived at the west gate and chose a high platform to look down from. The two baskets of zongzis were placed side by side by the guards, with one zongzi from each peeled and broken into pieces for the people entering the city to taste. The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching and many wealthy people would distribute zongzis to the poor as an act of charity, so the passersby didn’t find it strange. Moreover, with the guards overseeing, they didn’t dare to scramble for them. Since it was stated that only those entering the city could take them, only those entering the city would take them, and since it was stated that each person could only take one, no one dared to take more.

After tasting the samples from both sides, the people quickly chose the zongzi they preferred and left. The emperor stood on the high platform looking down, his previously bored mood replaced by excitement and anticipation. He liked this type of competition, the unpredictability making it all the more interesting.

Preparing the glutinous rice and pork belly took time, so by the time both women had finished wrapping their zongzis, it was already afternoon, with only a short time left before the city gates closed. The delay on the road meant that neither basket of zongzis could be fully distributed. However, this didn’t affect the judgment, as whichever basket had fewer zongzis left was the winner, without a doubt.

The group then moved to a nearby restaurant, booking the most luxurious private room. As soon as the emperor entered, he eagerly called out, “Someone come, count the zongzis in the baskets.”

Immediately, two guards stepped forward, counting the zongzis in each basket. After obtaining the results, they wrote them down on paper, then had two more guards count again. This was repeated three times, with the same result each time. Only then did they stop. One of the guards stepped forward, cupped his hands, and reported, “Your Majesty, there are two hundred and eighty-eight zongzis left in the basket on the left and sixty-three zongzis left in the basket on the right. The right side wins.”

The difference between the two was quite large! The emperor looked at Lin Dan and raised an eyebrow. “Can you tell which basket is yours?”

Lin Dan walked over to the right basket and confidently said, “Of course I can.”

Yan Langqing hesitated, her gaze shifting uneasily between the two baskets as her face turned slightly pale.

“How do you know that basket is yours?” The emperor asked with a smile, his eyes fixed on Lin Dan.

“I tied a knot at the end of every string when I was wrapping mine. If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourselves.” Lin Dan took out a zongzi and showed the string to everyone. Sure enough, there was a small knot at the end, so tiny that it was impossible to notice unless examined closely.

To ensure fairness, several guards immediately took out all the zongzis and inspected them one by one. They nodded and reported, “Your Majesty, the zongzis on the right side all have knotted strings, while those on the left do not.”

Only then did Lin Dan speak, “Even if we don’t check the knots, we can simply unwrap the zongzis. Cook Yan, surely you can recognize your own craftsmanship, right?” With that, Lin Dan picked up one from each basket and began to unwrap them slowly and methodically.

Without unwrapping the leaves, the two zongzis appeared identical in size and shape, as if made by the same person. However, once the leaves were fully removed, the differences inside became starkly apparent. Earlier, everyone had been standing on a high platform overlooking the city gate, making it impossible to see the details clearly. But now, with the zongzis lying in the white jade plate, the differences were laid bare for all to see.

Theone on the right was entirely golden, its surface smooth and glossy, appearing delicate and refined. In contrast, the one on the left had tips that were slightly yellowish-white, with the middle section a dark brown, as though it had been soaked in a vat of dye, making it look quite mottled. The quality of a dish is judged by its color, aroma, and taste. Seeing the stark difference between the two, everyone had to admit that, based on appearance alone, Lin Dan had already taken the lead.

All of Yan Langqing’s meat-filled zongzi had this mottled coloration because the glutinous rice was white and the marinated pork belly was brown, and when steamed together, they naturally colored each other, resulting in a less appealing appearance. But she had never expected that the glutinous rice soaked in ash water by Lin Dan would turn a brilliant golden color, looking vibrant and lovely. What was the reason behind this?

In her shock, Yan Langqing accused, “This isn’t right! Lin Dan’s glutinous rice was soaked in ash water, it should be dirty. How could it look better than mine?”

Before the others could show their surprise, Lin Dan calmly began, “You know one thing but not the other. Do you know that the ash formed from burning wood is cleaner than spring water? The impurities within it have been burned away by the flames. Ash water also contains a miraculous substance that can be used to cleanse hands and rehydrate dried goods. When you soak hard, dried goods in ash water, they soften several times faster than in plain water. The zongzis I made were soaked in this ash water, and they are called ‘Ash Water Zongzi’, a specialty of the Baiyue region. Glutinous rice soaked in ash water is not only clean but also takes on a golden hue, with a rich and distinctive fragrance, and a soft, chewy texture that makes it more delicious than ordinary white zongzi.”

She gestured with her hand. “We’ve compared appearances. Now, let’s evaluate the aroma and taste.”

The emperor picked up the plate and carefully smelled both zongzis, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Then he handed the plate to the old imperial cook beside him. The old imperial cook’s eyes lit up after sniffing the zongzis, and he passed it to the next judge. The plate was passed around, and finally, it reached Yan Langqing.

Yan Langqing, still skeptical, sniffed the ash water zongzi, and her face immediately turned ashen. The ash water zongzi indeed had a subtle aroma of herbs and wood, mingled with a faint bitterness and a hint of savory soy, making it truly unique. Her white zongzi, though fragrant with rice and meat, lacked the complexity of Lin Dan’s, making it seem ordinary in comparison.

“Let’s taste them.” Lin Dan said, her expression calm as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and split both zongzis.

Everyone tasted the two zongzis, their expressions of astonishment growing. The ash water zongzi not only had a bright color and unique aroma but also an exceptionally soft and chewy texture. Even after cooling, the flavor remained rich and intense. Each bite offered a slight springiness, first revealing the sweetness of the glutinous rice, followed by a hint of bitterness, and finally an overwhelming burst of savory soy and meat flavour. The rich juices filled the mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

After tasting Lin Dan’s zongzi, the contrast with Yan Langqing’s zongzi was stark. The white glutinous rice zongzi had cooled, losing the softness it had fresh from the steamer. It was slightly sticky and hard to chew, with the filling clumping together, making it difficult to swallow, and the meat had become dry and unappetizing.

Seeing the slight frowns on everyone’s faces, Lin Dan spoke slowly, “Ash water zongzi taste even better when they’ve cooled completely, as the elasticity in the softness makes them easy to eat. Even without any filling, just dipping them in sugar would be delightful. Ordinary white glutinous rice zongzi, however, becomes dry and hard when cold and needs to be reheated before eating. That is the difference between the two. To prevent any claims of unfairness, why not reheat the zongzis and try tasting them again?”

Yan Langqing’s hand trembled slightly as she held the chopsticks, but she said nothing, looking hopefully at the emperor.

The emperor laughed heartily and waved his hand. “Someone come, reheat the zongzis!”

Immediately, two palace attendants took both to the kitchen, returning shortly with a steaming food box. The reheated white zongzis were indeed much softer and more palatable than before, but Lin Dan’s ash water zongzis now gleamed with a golden sheen, rich oils seeping from the gaps in the glutinous rice, giving it a lustrous finish far superior in appearance to Yan Langqing’s white zongzi.

The emperor’s eyes immediately settled on the ash water zongzi. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite, then sighed in satisfaction. The glutinous rice, soaked in ash water, was sweeter and softer, fully absorbed in the juices from the meat filling. Each bite was so rich and flavorful that it made one want to swallow their tongue. After savoring Lin Dan’s secret ash water zongzi, the emperor could only think of two words when tasting Yan Langqing’s white zongzi— plain and unremarkable.

Once unwrapped, the ash water zongzi was both beautiful and delicious, while the white zongzi was mottled and tough, difficult to eat. It was no wonder that Lin Dan’s basket was nearly empty while Yan Langqing’s was still half-full. This time, Yan Langqin’s loss was without question.