Lin Dan’s bold words had caught the Emperor completely off guard. He had initially dismissed this plain-looking woman, but now a hint of interest flickered in his eyes. “Naturally, I can guarantee the fairness of this competition. I will only observe and refrain from making any comments. The outcome of your culinary skills will be determined by these seasoned gourmets and veteran cooks.”

Facing the judges, Lin Dan bowed deeply to each of them before continuing, “Though Your Majesty says so, this competition is still unfair to me. Cook Yan enjoys your favor, and now you have lent her Xiangyuan for the competition and have personally come to watch. Your actions reveal your bias towards her. As the ruler of the land, how could your subjects dare to go against your wishes? The moment I stepped into Xiangyuan, I had already lost. I understand this, and Your Majesty, being wise and mighty, must understand it as well.”

The more everyone listened, the more astonished they became. None had expected Lin Dan to speak so bluntly.

The Emperor, however, burst into laughter, his interest growing. “In that case, what do you propose? Do you still wish to continue with the competition?”

Yan Langqing’s expression grew complicated. If she could, she would naturally want to have a fair competition with Lin Dan, but since the Emperor had shown her such favor, she could not disregard his kindness. Yan Shouye, on the other hand, believed that there was no need to continue the competition at all. Lin Dan was there today merely to humiliate herself. Once his daughter became an imperial consort, he would make sure to crush Lin Dan!

To everyone’s surprise, Lin Dan nodded without hesitation. “Of course, we must compete. But to ensure fairness, I will set the rules. May I ask if that is acceptable to Your Majesty? When Cook Yan and I first competed, I was the head cook of the Marquis’s residence, and my father was highly regarded by Marquis Yongding. To ensure fairness, Cook Yan set the rules for that competition— from what to cook, how to cook it, and who would judge. Now that our situations have reversed, I propose the same arrangement. This is not unreasonable, is it?”

The Emperor glanced at Yan Langqing before nodding. “Indeed, it is not unreasonable. Go ahead, tell me how you wish to compete.”

Although it seemed that Lin Dan had taken control, the Emperor’s authority still loomed over the situation. Even if she prepared the most delicious dish, one word from the judges could still plunge her into defeat. True fairness had never existed in the face of such power. Lin Dan was bold, but not necessarily wise. The Emperor shook his head slightly, feeling a loss of interest.

Lin Dan spoke slowly and calmly, “For this competition, we will use the same ingredients to make the same dish. Just one dish will suffice.”

Yan Langqing asked, “What dish do you wish to make?”

“With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, how about we make zongzi^[1]a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves. Can be sweet or savory?” Lin Dan turned her head to look at Yan Langqing and smiled slightly.

Yan Langqing was stunned. It took her a while to regain her composure before she slowly nodded. From the four signature dishes she had seen, Yan Langqing had gained some understanding of Lin Dan’s skills. She had expected Lin Dan to choose a dish that was extremely difficult to prepare, but she hadn’t anticipated that Lin Dan would suggest making zongzi. However, Yan Langqing wasn’t worried at all. The palace concubines loved zongzi and she had made all kinds of zongzi for them, earning high praise. Naturally, she wasn’t afraid. The concubines in the palace were all extremely particular, and if she could satisfy them, she could certainly satisfy the judges.

“Shall we each make fifty jin^[2]catty or jin, a traditional unit of weight, equal to 0.5 kilograms of zongzi, and only meat zongzi, no other kinds?” Lin Dan continued.

“Fifty jin?” Yan Langqing finally showed a hint of surprise.

“Is that acceptable?” Lin Dan stared at her directly.

“It is.”

“Very well, then I ask Your Majesty to provide us with one hundred jin of glutinous rice and fifty jin of pork belly. The rice and pork belly should be mixed in one container. We will divide them in the kitchen ourselves. If we need any additional seasonings, we may request them separately from the palace servants without interfering with each other. Is that acceptable?” Lin Dan bowed respectfully, her attitude neither humble nor overbearing.

The Emperor nodded. “I grant your request. Go and prepare.” Fifty jin of meat zongzi each— who would eat that much? Was Lin Dan trying to stuff everyone there to death?

Not only did the Emperor find it strange, but the other guests also looked puzzled. However, Lin Dan and Yan Langqing had already headed to the kitchen, leaving no time to ask for clarification. Even if they did ask, Lin Dan probably wouldn’t give an answer. They would just have to wait and see once the zongzis were made. What had seemed like a competition with an already determined outcome had now been turned into a suspenseful event by Lin Dan’s arrangement. This Shopkeeper Lin was indeed quite interesting.

But no matter how the nobles speculated, Lin Dan had already found peace in her heart as she entered the kitchen. A hundred jin of glutinous rice were loaded into a large wooden barrel, which was carried in by breathless palace servants. Following them was another barrel containing fifty jin of pork belly.

Lin Dan pinched a handful of glutinous rice between her fingers and nodded in satisfaction.

Yan Langqing spoke gently, “Your concerns are unnecessary. I wouldn’t stoop so low as to have them prepare inferior ingredients for you while reserving the good ones for me. You may choose your rice and pork first, I’ll use whatever is left.”

Lin Dan turned to look at the other party, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Then I must thank you, Cook Yan.”

Yan Langqing slowly rolled up her sleeves. “Shall we begin?”

“Sure, but before we start, I need to set the specifications for the shape and size of the zongzi. You don’t mind, do you?” Lin Dan took out three pieces of bamboo leaves, rolled them into a cone, filled them with some glutinous rice, and tied them with string. “Same shape, same size. Can you make them like this?”

This request was indeed a bit unusual, but Yan Langqing didn’t think much of it and nodded. “I can.” She immediately wrapped an identical triangular zongzi and handed it to Lin Dan to check.

Lin Dan untied both zongzi, returned the rice to the barrel, and smiled lightly. “Then we can begin.”

The two of them each occupied a stove and got busy. Yan Langqing first soaked the glutinous rice, then thinly sliced the pork belly, before seasoning it with soy sauce, fine salt, sugar, and peanut oil. When she looked up, she saw Lin Dan tending the stove, but neither the rice nor the pork belly had been touched.

The zongzis hadn’t been wrapped yet, so why was she lighting the stove now? Curious, Yan Langqing watched more closely and noticed that Lin Dan wasn’t using firewood but sesame stalks she had specifically requested from the palace servants. The sesame stalks still held plenty of mature sesame seeds, which crackled as the flames licked them, releasing an intense, unique aroma.

Involuntarily, Yan Langqing took a deep breath, her curiosity growing.

Lin Dan, however, paid Yan Langqing no mind. She gathered the ashes of the burned sesame stalks into a pile, wrapped them in a fine silk cloth, and soaked them in cooled boiled water. She proceeded to knead the cloth until the clear water turned cloudy, then filtered it several times with the silk cloth to ensure there were no impurities before soaking the glutinous rice in it.

As soon as the pure white glutinous rice hit the water, it turned a dirty color. One sentence flashed through Yan Langqing’s mind— a reckless waste of grain! These zongzis were meant to be served to the judges, and she couldn’t help but think this method made them unappetizing. Though filled with confusion, she didn’t ask questions, nor did she want to interfere. This competition was about her reputation so she wouldn’t stop Lin Dan from ruining herself.

Once the glutinous rice was soaked, Lin Dan began preparing the pork belly. She used similar seasonings as Yan Langqing, with slight variations in quantities. When everything was ready, she started wrapping the zongzis. It was clear that she was highly skilled. With a quick flip of the wrist, the bamboo leaves were rolled. She placed a layer of rice at the bottom, a piece of pork in the middle, another layer of rice on top, then the leaves were folded and tied with string with a small knot securing the end.

Yan Langqing also began wrapping her zongzis, each identical in size and shape to Lin Dan’s. She tossed them into a nearby basin, waiting to cook them.

The two worked from morning until afternoon, each eventually producing fifty jin ofzongzi, which were placed in two identical baskets, now cooked and steaming. Before the judges arrived, Lin Dan counted the zongzis, then walked over to Yan Langqing’s barrel and said slowly, “Let’s switch places.”

Though puzzled, Yan Langqing saw no harm in it and moved to Lin Dan’s spot. Even after switching, she could still recognize her own basket, so what did Lin Dan hope to gain?

Only then did Lin Dan invite the guests in. She cupped her hands and asked, “May I request that each of you, accompanied by two guards, enter the kitchen and swap the positions of the two baskets? You may swap as many times as you like, or not at all. After one person has finished, the next may enter and continue. Once five rounds are complete, no one should reveal how many times they swapped.”

“What exactly are you up to?” The emperor couldn’t discern Lin Dan’s intentions. Normally, once the zongzis were prepared, the judges would taste them and a winner would be decided. But now, it seemed Lin Dan was playing a game or perhaps even toying with everyone. Where did she get the courage?

“Your Majesty has already agreed that I would set the rules for this competition. Does that still hold?” Lin Dan responded with a question instead of an answer.

The emperor frowned and waved his hand. “Five people, go in and swap the barrels.”

Tang Cheng, the Prince of Dianqian, Prince Cheng, Prince Gong, and Marquis Weiyuan immediately stepped forward.

Yan Langqing hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not object. These individuals were loyal supporters of Lin Dan, but they weren’t judges and had no authority to evaluate the zongzis. They posed no threat to the outcome. Was Lin Dan trying to confuse the judges so they couldn’t tell whose zongzis were whose? It was a clever idea, but Lin Dan had forgotten that several senior cooks from the imperial kitchen were present. They were well-acquainted with Yan Langqing’s cooking, with some even having been invited by the emperor to teach her, making them like half-teachers to her.

They wouldn’t fail to recognize whose zongzis were whose. Besides, could the zongzis made from rice treated in such a filthy manner even be edible? Yan Langqing doubted it and was already convinced she would win. Lin Dan hadn’t been her match ten years ago, and she wouldn’t be now.

The emperor had also guessed Lin Dan’s intentions and shook his head. This Shopkeeper Lin loved to play little tricks, but they never seemed to hit the mark.

After Tang Cheng and the others finished swapping the baskets, they emerged with somber expressions. To them, everything Lin Dan did was a futile struggle. This competition was lost the moment she accepted the challenge. There was no justice under power, something she should have understood.

But Lin Dan seemed utterly at ease. She cupped her hands again and said, “The competition is over. Now I will set the rules for judging. Everyone here has their biases, making them unsuitable as impartial judges. I propose we take these two baskets of zongzis to the city gate, unwrap and cut some up, and let those entering the city taste them. Then, based on their preferences, they can each take a whole zongzi. Whoever’s zongzis are taken first wins. Is this fair? Don’t worry, I’ve marked the zongzis, so I can tell which is which. I’ve also counted them in advance. There are four hundred in each barrel. Any extras will be set aside to avoid confusion.”