“Oh, so that’s Li Fengshi, the general who suffered a crushing defeat at the front, losing all three thousand elite Shandong spearmen to the pirates!”
“Sigh, what incompetence! At least he has some shame, coming to beg forgiveness from the Governor-General with thorns on his back.”
“He lost an entire army at the front—shouldn’t he be executed? Is begging forgiveness with thorns enough?”
“You can’t just execute someone for a single defeat. If that were the case, who’d dare fight at the front? The battlefield is unpredictable, with swords and spears unforgiving and accidents frequent. No one can guarantee victory every time.”
“…”
The onlookers buzzed with discussion, pointing and gossiping about Li Fengshi, who knelt on one knee, bearing thorns in atonement. Normally, common folk wouldn’t dare speak so boldly, but Li Fengshi’s catastrophic failure—losing an entire army—gave them the courage to criticise.
Despite the crowd’s chatter, Li Fengshi remained unmoved, maintaining his kneeling posture, steadfast in his plea for forgiveness.
Soon, news of Li Fengshi’s arrival to beg forgiveness with thorns spread throughout the Governor-General’s mansion. It wasn’t long before the kitchen received the update.
“Master Chef, Master Chef! That man who caused the master to skip three meals is at the mansion, begging forgiveness with thorns!” The maid, returning from the storeroom with ginseng slices, had heard the news on her way and rushed to share the tidings.
“This incompetent general’s come to atone—surely the master’s anger will subside now. Once his anger fades, he’ll eat, won’t he?” the maid said excitedly.
“Let’s hope so,” the head chef replied, lacking confidence. He took the ginseng slices from the maid, combining them with goji berries, red dates, and premium tribute tea. He boiled water and started brewing, and soon the ginseng tea was ready.
“Take a cup of ginseng tea to the master first. I’ll keep the rest simmering on low heat. The longer ginseng tea brews, the better it tastes and the richer its flavour,” the head chef said, pouring a cup and urging the maid to deliver it to Zhang Jing.
“Got it, Master Chef. I reckon you should start preparing ingredients. With that Li fellow here to atone, the master’s anger will surely ease, and he’ll definitely eat,” the maid said confidently, holding the tea.
“I know,” the head chef nodded.
“Wait!” he called out as the maid was about to leave with the tea.
“What’s wrong, Master Chef? Did I forget some ingredient for the ginseng tea?” the maid turned back, puzzled.
“Nonsense! I’ve been brewing ginseng tea for decades—when have I ever made a mistake? I’m warning you: when you deliver the tea, be sharp. If the master looks upset, don’t mention eating. We don’t know if Li’s atonement will calm the master or add fuel to the fire. Just be careful not to get caught in the crossfire,” the head chef scolded, unable to resist giving the kitchen staff a word of caution to stay alert and avoid trouble.
“Don’t worry, Master Chef, I’m not new to this,” the maid said confidently, puffing out her chest.
“Just be careful,” the head chef waved her off.
“Relax, I’ll be fine. I’m off to deliver the tea,” the maid replied, heading out with the ginseng tea.
“I hope I’m overthinking this,” the head chef muttered, watching her go. He then called the kitchen maids to start preparing vegetables and ingredients, getting ready just in case.
“Wahhh…”
Barely a moment later—less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—a sobbing sound approached. The maid returned, crying her eyes out.
“What happened?” the head chef and others rushed forward, alarmed.
“I went to deliver the ginseng tea…” the maid sniffled, recounting what happened.
When she arrived with the tea, General Li Fengshi, bearing thorns, had already been summoned to Zhang Jing’s study. The maid walked in as Zhang Jing was furiously berating Li. In his anger, the ginseng tea she carried became a target for his frustration. Zhang Jing grabbed the cup and smashed it at Li Fengshi’s feet, shattering it on the floor.
“The whole cup of ginseng tea, smashed… wahhh… and the master told me to get out…” the maid sobbed.
“It’s alright, just a scolding. When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. It’s that Li who angered the master—you just happened to be there, caught in the fallout. Don’t worry, a scolding’s nothing,” the head chef comforted her.
“Mhm, Master Chef’s right. When I entered, I overheard the master cursing that Li, calling him audacious for defying military orders, asking if he knew who the Governor-General was, and whether he’d already picked out his grave…” the maid sniffled, mimicking what she’d heard.
“Enough. Those words stay here. Don’t repeat them outside. All of you, remember: trouble comes from the mouth. The master’s furious right now—don’t bring trouble on yourselves!” the head chef seized the chance to warn everyone.
“Understood,” the maid and the kitchen maids nodded in agreement.
“I thought Li’s atonement would calm the master, but it’s made him even angrier. This is bad. Now that he’s even more upset, I don’t know if he’ll eat lunch,” the maid said, wiping her tears, her voice full of regret.
“Prepare anyway… sigh…” The head chef let out another long sigh, feeling utterly helpless.
News from outside kept pouring into the kitchen. One moment, they heard the master was furious and wanted to drag Li Fengshi out for execution. The next, they heard he’d ordered shackles to chain Li up for trial. Then, it was said Li Fengshi offered to donate all his wealth to support the families of the fallen Shandong spearmen, only for the master to berate him even more…
The entire Governor-General’s mansion was hushed, everyone from top to bottom treading lightly, aware that Zhang Jing was in a towering rage. They moved cautiously, fearing they’d ignite his wrath.
At noon, as expected, the meal sent from the kitchen went untouched by Zhang Jing and was returned exactly as it was.
“Sigh, no one can withstand this, not even a man of iron. What are we going to do? How will we explain this to the mistress…?” The kitchen was shrouded in gloom.
“Report! Urgent military news from Zhejiang! Urgent military news!” A clatter of hooves sounded outside the mansion as a messenger, shouting about urgent military matters, rushed into the Governor-General’s grounds.
Just like yesterday.
“What?! Another urgent military report?” The head chef and others in the kitchen tensed, standing up in alarm.
The evening before last, an urgent report had caused the master to skip four meals. Now another had arrived.
Heavens above, are you trying to starve our master?! If he wastes away, the mistress won’t spare us! The kitchen staff were so worried they were nearly in tears.
