Thinking about the once peaceful and prosperous era and comparing it to the current scenes of endless warfare and a shattered landscape, Lin Dan realized she could no longer remain a bystander. She dug up a jar of wine buried in a cave and, after much hardship, finally reached the frontline, hoping to meet with Marquis Weiyuan.

“Who did you say wants to see me?” Marquis Weiyuan almost thought he had misheard.

“Reporting to the Marquis, it’s Lin Dan, Shopkeeper Lin. She wishes to meet with you. She has waited outside the military camp for over twenty days. If I hadn’t seen her when I left the camp today, who knows how much longer she would have waited.” The leader of Marquis Weiyuan’s guards had once followed his master daily to eat at Hometown Dishes Restaurant, so he could not fail to recognize Shopkeeper Lin. Back when the Marquis’s illness had worsened and he had become emaciated, it was Shopkeeper Lin’s culinary skills that had helped restore his health.

“She’s just a lone woman, why didn’t she stay home? What’s she doing running to the border?” Marquis Weiyuan frowned deeply, seemingly displeased, yet he still hurriedly stood up to personally go to the entrance to receive her.

“Marquis, long time no see. I hope you’ve been well?” Lin Dan saluted with a smile.

“Don’t stand here, come with me into the tent.” Marquis Weiyuan muttered as he walked, “Why did you come all this way? Did you encounter any danger on the road? This is not a safe place. Before long, this area might be drenched in blood with corpses strewn everywhere. You should leave quickly. I’ll have someone escort you.”

“Marquis, I’ve come to bring you a gift.” Lin Dan placed the jar she had been holding onto the table.

“What kind of wine is this?” Marquis Weiyuan finally revealed his first smile in days. Ever since he had become accustomed to dining at Hometown Dishes Restaurant, he had rarely consumed wine because Shopkeeper Lin wouldn’t let him. He didn’t even know why he had been so obedient, but in the end, it turned out that he couldn’t afford to ignore her advice. His once incurable and worsening condition had gradually improved under Shopkeeper Lin’s careful nourishment. Otherwise, Marquis Weiyuan would have been gone from this world long ago.

“This is the Thousand-Day Wine that you’ve been longing for.” Lin Dan poured the clear liquor into an empty bowl.

“We’ve been apart for less than three years, haven’t we? Good, Lin Dan, didn’t you say it takes at least three years to brew Thousand-Day Wine? Where did this jar come from? Are you trying to trick me?” Marquis Weiyuan glared at her in mock anger.

“This is a wine I stored elsewhere. It’s been buried for five years.” Lin Dan smiled faintly. “But today, I haven’t come to give you this wine, but rather something inside it. Marquis, take a look.”

Marquis Weiyuan looked closely and saw a slender, pinkish worm floating in the clear wine. As soon as it appeared, the already rich and aromatic wine began to emit an even more overpowering fragrance, filling the entire camp. Not to mention how tempting it was to him, even the guards outside the tent couldn’t help but sniff the air, their heads starting to spin as if they were drunk.

“Is this a wine bug?” Marquis Weiyuan could hardly believe his eyes.

“Indeed. Only the finest wine can nurture a wine bug. If you put it in clear water, in a while, that water will turn into a bowl of fine wine.” Lin Dan fished out the worm and placed it into a bowl of water. Shortly after, a strong wine fragrance began to waft from the bowl.

Marquis Weiyuan took a deep breath and then burst out laughing, “Lin Dan, I like your gift!”

Lin Dan, however, lowered her eyes and slowly said, “But do you know, Marquis? A wine bug can live in fine wine and it can also live in clear water, however, if you put it in murky liquid, it will die immediately.” As she spoke, she moved the wine bug into an empty bowl and poured some brown tea over it. The worm began to thrash violently, stiffening within moments before slowly dissolving into a stream of blood.

Marquis Weiyuan’s joy turned to despair in an instant. His hawk-like eyes glared at Lin Dan as if he was furious, yet he couldn’t bring himself to reprimand her. No matter how precious the wine bug was, it could never compare to the person in front of him.

Lin Dan met his gaze unflinchingly and continued, “Marquis, I say this with no arrogance. These hands of mine can transform the most unusual ingredients into delicious dishes. But there is one thing that no matter how hard I try, I cannot turn into a dish. Do you know what it is?”

“What is it?” Marquis Weiyuan asked with strained patience.

“White clay. On my journey here, I’ve seen rivers of blood, fields littered with corpses, and people displaced and living in desperation, eating whatever they can find out of hunger. They grab handfuls of white clay and stuff it into their mouths, only to die with ruptured stomachs. Have you ever tasted white clay? Do you know what it feels like to be homeless, on the brink of death? The people of the Great Chu Dynasty are like that worm struggling in murky liquid— they will all eventually turn into blood. Marquis, when you came to the border to fight, what exactly were you protecting?”

Marquis Weiyuan was about to respond when Lin Dan interrupted him, “You are protecting the imperial power, the emperor, and his absolute rule over the Great Chu Dynasty. You pride yourself on your loyalty, but beyond that, you cannot see the common people struggling under the imperial power. If you truly launch a rear assault on the combined forces of Young Master Tang and the King of Dianqian, the Xiongnu cavalry will sweep into the land, destroying the country. The emperor might be able to save his throne by ceding a few cities, but who will care about the people struggling to survive in those cities? The Xiongnu are notorious for their brutality. They know how to invade but not how to govern. They will massacre the citizens and burn all the houses, leaving no living thing behind. By taking these cities, they will grow stronger, while the fragmented and weakened Great Chu Dynasty will only deteriorate further. Within five years, another war will break out between the two countries. Who can save the people then? Who can save the world? You?”

Lin Dan fixed her gaze on Marquis Weiyuan, pressing him, “Everything you’re doing now, is it really to protect Great Chu and save the people, or are you aiding tyranny, pushing the people into disaster? This battle might bring a few years of peace to Great Chu, but what about later?”

She poured out the murky water from the bowl, her voice calm once more, “In troubled times, people are like ants and no one can escape being crushed. In times of peace, there will be fine wine and good food, and if one wine bug dies, thousands more can be raised. Marquis, you have a noble status. Even if the country collapses and the people starve, you will still find a way to brew fine wine. But do you know that while you enjoy your wine and food, the people are eating dirt, and even resorting to cannibalism? Marquis, withdraw your troops and bring peace to the land. Without this wine bug, I can raise countless more for you in the future. What do you say?”

Marquis Weiyuan’s eyes, once clouded with anger, were now filled with deep thought. It was a long time— so long that Lin Dan almost gave up— before he slowly twisted the ring on his finger and said, “Lin Dan, we have an agreement. You can’t go back on your word. In the future, no matter how much wine I want to drink, you can’t stop me.”

Lin Dan smiled and nodded. “It’s a deal. I won’t go back on my word.”

———pr


That night, Tang Cheng and the Prince of Dianqian— no, he should now be called the King of Dianqian— were sitting by the campfire, drinking. Tomorrow, the Xiongnu Chief would launch a full-scale attack against them and Marquis Weiyuan would likely take advantage of the chaos to strike. Being attacked on two fronts, the chances of losing this war were nine out of ten. But they couldn’t retreat, because if they did, the Xiongnu would advance, and the people of Great Chu would face catastrophic disaster.

“If only we could persuade that old coarse man, Marquis Weiyuan.” The King of Dianqian said grimly.

“There’s no persuading him. He won’t see anyone before the battle starts.” Tang Cheng shook his head.

The King of Dianqian sneered, then said while gritting his teeth, “Then we’ll fight to the death.”

Just then, Zhao Liu hurried over, handing a letter to Tang Cheng and lowering his voice, “General, this was sent by Marquis Weiyuan’s men. Please take a look.”

Tang Cheng tore open the envelope and quickly scanned through the letter. His tense face, which had remained stern for days, revealed a rare expression of astonishment. The King of Dianqian leaned in for a closer look and was equally shocked. In the letter, Marquis Weiyuan not only agreed to withdraw his troops but also expressed his willingness to cooperate with them in staging a ruse to lure the Xiongnu Chief into a trap and annihilate him.

“Could this be a trick?” The King of Dianqian blurted out without a second thought.

“Check if Marquis Weiyuan has met with anyone recently. His sudden change in attitude cannot be without reason. Whether it’s a trick or not, this is at least a glimmer of hope.” Tang Cheng calmly analyzed.

The scouts soon returned with news, reporting that a pretty and graceful woman had visited Marquis Weiyuan, carrying a jar of wine, which was extraordinary. As soon as the jar was opened, its rich aroma permeated the entire camp. The two of them had a private conversation in the tent for a brief moment, and after the woman left, Marquis Weiyuan changed his mind.

“It must have been Shopkeeper Lin.” The King of Dianqian chuckled softly. “Only Shopkeeper Lin could brew such fine wine. That old coarse man listens to her the most. If she tells him not to drink, he won’t even touch a cup, and if she insists he has breakfast, he’ll be at Hometown Dishes Restaurant before dawn. I never imagined that Shopkeeper Lin would be so deeply principled, coming all the way to the border at a time of crisis to persuade that old coarse man to withdraw his troops. We all owe her our lives.”

Tang Cheng’s eyes flickered with a mix of joy and sorrow, and after a long silence, he said hoarsely, “It’s not just us, the whole world owes her a debt of gratitude. Since that’s the case, I’ll go see Marquis Weiyuan myself tonight. Zhao Liu, send someone to bring Lin Dan back. The border is too dangerous, I’m worried about her.”

However, after that night, Lin Dan had disappeared. The war ended with a crushing defeat for the Xiongnu. The Xiongnu Chief had his right arm severed and barely escaped with his life, thereafter fearing the people of the central plains as one fears a ferocious tiger. Tang Cheng found the secret letter in which the Emperor had conspired with the Xiongnu by selling out some cities and used it to force the Emperor to abdicate. Tang Peng was the first general to storm the capital, making his way to the harem, where he strangled Yan Langqing, who had already fallen out of favor, to death with his bare hands. He left her corpse hanging from the rafters of the cold palace until it rotted into white bones before allowing the palace maids to take her down. It was the very same place where Noble Consort Tang had hanged herself.

The once-flourishing Yan Family’s Restaurant had long since become a ruin. Second Brother Lin and Third Brother Lin, having no means of livelihood, lived in utter misery. One day, as they passed Sanchakou Alley, they were surprised to see Hometown Dishes Restaurant still open and thriving. Tang Cheng, now the reigning emperor, sat inside wearing plain clothes, attentively reading through a stack of books with a look of joy mixed with longing on his face.

Those were travel notes written by Lin Dan, sent back to the capital, and given to Cook Qiu as teaching materials. The Hometown Dishes Restaurant had also been reopened by Cook Qiu. Lin Dan had recorded the fine wines and delicious foods she encountered in the form of stories, her words vivid and lively. As Tang Cheng read these passages, he could vividly imagine how carefree and unrestrained she must have been. Every so often, she would send a jar of fine wine to Marquis Weiyuan, but alas, it was always intercepted by Tang Cheng. He had also tried to find Lin Dan, but he was always one step behind. She was like a wisp of wind. Just when he thought he could grasp her in his hand, she would slip away through his fingers.

Once, someone asked Tang Cheng about the most delicious meal he had ever had in his life. Closing his eyes to reminisce, Tang Cheng smiled and replied, “You might not believe it, but the most delicious meal I ever had was at the execution ground……”