Chapter 47: Where Gathered Around the Hearth We Joyfully Cook and Cheer

Quite a large retinue had accompanied Fang Jun to the estate, and everyone needed to be settled in. The supplies they brought were even more numerous, leaving the manor in a chaotic bustle of shouting people and neighing horses. It was not until the hour of You, when the lanterns were lit, that tranquility was finally restored.

While the maidservants and footmen were clearing the courtyards and pathways, an unexpected visitor arrived at the door.

Li Siwen, wrapped snugly in a heavy beast-fur cloak that made him look rather roly-poly, strode into the courtyard with a swagger and shouted, "Where is your Second Young Master? Quickly, have him come out to receive guests."

The maidservants blushed, while the footmen were left utterly speechless. Such phrasing made their Second Young Master sound like some courtesan entertaining patrons in a pleasure house! Yet, everyone knew that this second young scion of the Duke of Ying's household enjoyed an exceptionally close friendship with their own master. Furthermore, noticing a delicate and pretty young lady trailing behind Li Siwen—presumably a member of the Li family—they dared not show any discourtesy. A servant stepped forward to guide Li Siwen toward the main hall while another went off to announce them.

Noticing that the reporting servant was not heading toward the inner quarters, but rather toward the kitchen in a secluded corner, Li Siwen asked, "What is your Second Young Master doing?"

The servant's mouth twitched at the question, but he remained silent.

Unaware of the underlying awkwardness, Li Yuqiong behind him looked from the servant to the kitchen and asked with puzzled curiosity, "Could Elder Brother Fang Second be in the kitchen?"

Realizing he could no longer evade the question, the servant lowered his head and muttered, "Yes..." His expression was as utterly mortified as if Fang Jun had disgraced the entire Fang household within those four walls.

Nor was his exaggeration unwarranted. Although they had not yet reached the era of Neo-Confucian orthodoxy, every individual's words and deeds were strictly governed by ancient ritual, and daily conduct served as the primary yardstick for whether a man deserved to be called a gentleman.

"A gentleman keeps far away from the kitchen." In this era, the meaning was straightforward: if one claimed to be a gentleman, one stayed well away from the stove. Was it proper for a grown man to dabble in culinary matters? Naturally, once you entered the kitchen, you ceased to be a gentleman.

Therefore, throughout the entire feudal era, a man stepping into the kitchen to cook was considered a deeply shameful loss of face.

Li Siwen, possessing a carefree and boisterous disposition, thought nothing of it.

Li Yuqiong, however, her eyes sparkling with intense curiosity, asked with an eager bounce, "Can Elder Brother Fang cook?"

The servant wore a bitter expression, at a loss for how to reply.

At that exact moment, a voice drifted out from the kitchen, sounding quite displeased. "With skills like yours, how dare you boast that your ancestors were imperial chefs? You even cooked for Emperor Yang of the former Sui? Be off with you at once, and stay out of the way..."

Immediately following, a peculiar rhythmic sound echoed from within: *chop, chop, chop, chop, chop...*

The cadence, tempo, and force were so flawlessly uniform that it was a delight to the ear.

Her curiosity fully aroused, Li Yuqiong delicately pinched the hem of her padded skirt to avoid tripping and walked briskly to the kitchen doorway. Tilting her head, she peeked inside.

There stood Fang Jun before a wooden chopping board. With one hand holding a knife and the other pressing down on a cut of mutton, his cleaver fluttered up and down with the lightness of a dancing butterfly. As the blade sliced through the meat and struck the board, it produced a crisp *chop-chop-chop* sound, moving with a speed that dazzled the eye.

With every sweep of the cleaver, thin slices of mutton fell away, as delicate as cicada wings and as light as paper.

Li Yuqiong was utterly awestruck. How dashing!

Yet, here was a noble young gentleman attired in brocade, lingering inside a kitchen and wildly wielding a cleaver over a piece of mutton... To the young girl's simple worldview, the juxtaposition was jarringly incongruous.

Li Siwen also ambled over, and upon peering inside, he froze in utter astonishment, stammering, "Fang Second, what... what on earth are you doing?"

Entering the kitchen was something a true man must never do; it was not merely embarrassing, it was a disgrace! That was precisely why the status of cooks was so lowly, looked down upon by everyone!

At the sound, Fang Jun turned his head, and the first thing to catch his eye was Li Yuqiong's lovely face.

The young lady had clearly changed into a new outfit. A willow-green padded skirt tightly embraced her slender, scalloped-bamboo figure, cinched tightly at the waist by a jade belt adorned with two hanging pendants. Her dark hair was coiled into a masculine topknot, and with her red lips, white teeth, and exquisite features, this male disguise transformed her into a dashing and extraordinarily handsome young gentleman!

Truly a feast for the eyes...

Fang Jun's eyes lit up, his heart fluttering so violently that he nearly sliced his own fingers.

Breaking into a broad, cheerful grin, he asked, "Ah, little sister Qiong'er has arrived? Wait just a moment, Elder Brother will whip up something delicious for you."

With a smile as bright as spring blossoms, Li Yuqiong sauntered into the kitchen. Skipping over to Fang Jun's side, she stretched out her neck to inspect the sliced mutton on the board and asked with playful curiosity, "It's just mutton, after all. Who hasn't eaten that before?"

A faint, orchid-and-musk-like fragrance drifted straight into Fang Jun's nostrils, nearly making him swoon. Pulling himself together with a start, he retorted, "You don't believe me? When you eat it later, make sure you don't bite your tongue off!"

Li Yuqiong playfully poked out the tip of her tender red tongue and murmured, "Is it really that good?"

Fang Jun declared proudly, "Absolute perfection!"

Li Yuqiong nodded, consenting, "Very well, I shall wait and see. Still, my second brother is clever—he hadn't even eaten dinner before he rushed over here to cadge a free meal. Tell me, how on earth does his nose manage to be so sharp?"

Standing just outside the doorway and resolutely refusing to cross the threshold into the kitchen, Li Siwen heard this and immediately protested with indignation, "That's quite enough, Fang Second! Using me as a shield? Watch out or I'll thrash you!"

For reasons unknown, watching his younger sister crowd so close to Fang Jun stirred up a persistent wave of agitation deep within Li Siwen's chest.

It was a mixture of jealousy, sour grievance, and a touch of unease...

His sister was already betrothed! Her future husband was the legitimate young master of the Du family! If some scandalous rumor were to spark from this, how could they ever face society?

Yet, the next second, he shook his head, silently dismissing his own worries as groundless overthinking.

If it were anyone else, such concerns might hold some weight, but who was Fang Second? The entire city of Chang'an knew this fellow loved martial might far more than tender beauty; when other men visited pleasure houses to drink and carouse, Fang Jun went there purely to start brawls...

Could such an impulsive blockhead possibly understand the nuances of romantic affection?

Perhaps he merely found little Qiong'er endearing and wished to tease her like a younger sibling.

Just as he was muttering these thoughts to himself, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from the main entrance out front, and someone called out in a loud voice, "His Highness the Prince of Wu, accompanied by Magistrate Cen of Xinfang County, has come to visit the Fang estate."

Hearing this from inside the kitchen, Fang Jun immediately rinsed his hands in a nearby basin, wiped them carelessly on a towel, and walked out.

He was certainly not intimidated by the titles of his visitors; even if Emperor Li Er himself had arrived, what was there to fear?

Rather, his interest had been piqued by the title "Prince of Wu."

Why?

Anyone familiar with the history of the Zhenguan era, or anyone with an interest in the early Tang dynasty, knew that there was one figure whom historians described as "universally mourned as an injustice by the realm"—none other than Emperor Li Er's third son, Li Ke, the Prince of Wu!

Emperor Li Er had fourteen sons. Among them, the most outstanding was neither the brilliant, quick-witted, and decisive eldest son, Li Chengqian, nor the fourth son, Li Tai, renowned for his literary talent and masterful prose, nor the exceptionally fierce eighth son, Li Zhen, nor the incorruptible tenth son, Li Shen, and certainly not the timid and cowardly ninth son, Li Zhi. It was none other than the third son, Li Ke.

Li Ke was not only skilled in horsemanship and archery and deeply versed in literature and history, but his "reputation was consistently lofty, winning the adoration of the populace." To put it plainly, he possessed both civil and military prowess, high renown, and tremendous personal charisma. Faced with such a son, how could Emperor Taizhou not admire and cherish him? On more than one occasion, the Emperor had praised Li Ke in front of his ministers as being "heroic and resolute, just like me."

Yet, an imperial prince of such extraordinary caliber met a tragic and humiliated end, perishing in the internal struggles of the imperial court.

When Li Ke died, the imperial court and the entire realm were shaken. Historical records note: "The realm grieved his injustice," meaning people everywhere wept for the wrong done to him.

Objectively speaking, Li Ke's life was steeped in tragedy. Talented and deeply favored by Emperor Taizhou, he was barred from inheriting the throne simply because his maternal lineage was deemed too noble—a paradox that defied all reason.

Moreover, historical materials indicate that Li Ke was not the ambitious and unscrupulous schemer depicted in certain television dramas. The historical Li Ke bore his father's teachings closely in mind and conducted himself with the utmost caution; yet, even with such care, he could not escape the traps and conspiracies woven against him.

Emperor Li Er, a sovereign wise for a lifetime, made a fatal error in choosing his successor, plunging the Tang Dynasty after his passing into a crisis that nearly led to its complete destruction.

If Emperor Li Er could look back from the netherworld, one wonders what thoughts might cross his mind?