Chapter 12: Suzhou-style Marinated Goose

In the late spring, grass grows and orioles fly. Just before the imperial examination, the city of Kaifeng was crowded with people:

Some were preparing to watch the newly-minted scholars parade on horseback through the streets; others were busy attending literary gatherings; and some were eager to snatch a future son-in-law upon the announcement of the results. The reasons were numerous.

Because of these events, the city’s population suddenly multiplied several times. Not only did all the shops and businesses profit handsomely, but the Kaifeng government office also became extremely busy: registering incoming visitors, resolving conflicts, and handling reports of lost property.

Moreover, due to several days without rain, the weather was dry and scorching, and there were even some fires. The government urgently tallied the damage to houses and the casualties among people and livestock. The entire office was in a whirlwind of activity, and everyone was visibly exhausted.

Originally, these matters had nothing to do with Ma Bing, but since she now worked at the Kaifeng government office, she had to join Wang Heng from the same office in preparing herbal soups to clear heat and reduce internal fire. For several consecutive days, she did not stop, and even her bedding carried a faint bitter aroma.

After all, food therapy is better than medicinal treatment. At present, everyone was simply overworked, so using medicine abruptly would not be ideal.

However, it wasn’t entirely without benefits:

The princess and her consort were also aware of Xie Yu’s recent busy schedule, so they did not press his family to return quickly. Instead, they sent people daily to deliver food and drinks.

Xie Yu couldn’t possibly consume everything himself, so he shared much of it with his colleagues. Ma Bing benefited from this and received many delicious dishes she had never tasted before.

Among them, the most memorable were the Suzhou marinated goose and a box of imperial court pastries, which were truly unforgettable.

As for the pastries, it goes without saying that the palace chefs’ skills were unmatched, and the ingredients were all tributes from across the country. Even an ordinary red bean pastry was fragrant, delicate, and smooth, far superior to anything sold outside.

As for the marinated goose, it was made from Taihu geese weighing over five jin, and prepared by chefs from Suzhou. The meat was tender yet firm, and the marinated flavor was rich and lingering.

If one could pair it with a pot of wine while eating, it would truly be perfect!

Ma Bing was born in the northern border regions and had never been to Suzhou. However, during her travels over the years, she had tasted southern cuisine a few times at restaurants.

At that time, she thought these southern delicacies were quite flavorful and had planned that, one day when her affairs were settled and she emerged unscathed, she would definitely travel south.

Unexpectedly, even before visiting Suzhou, she had already tasted its famous dishes, which was a pleasant surprise.

Thus, in a hurried manner, four or five days passed, and in two more days would be the imperial examination. The influx of people into the city had finally begun to slow down.

Ma Bing finally had some free time and immediately went out to stroll around the streets. As expected, it was much less crowded than before, and even the river was dotted with many exquisite pleasure boats.

Her hearing was exceptionally keen, so she did not need to push into the crowds. Instead, she chose a relatively quiet corner in the hall of a tavern, where she ate and drank while attentively listening to the conversations and laughter around her.

Nowadays, almost every well-known tavern hosted literary gatherings daily. Some were organized by the students themselves, while others were arranged by the powerful and wealthy, attracting many candidates to showcase their talents, and perhaps expand their social connections—or even find a lifelong partner.

In a society where all other pursuits were considered inferior to scholarly pursuits, most scholars carried a certain sense of pride. They often felt that ordinary women could hardly match them unless they were as beautiful as Xi Shi.

Of course, it would be even better if the woman came from a family that could serve as a patron.

Therefore, many scholars treated marriage like waiting for the best price, not rushing to get married back home, but waiting until they passed the imperial examination, when a destined marriage would surely come their way.

Didn’t the previous example of Princess Ningde and her consort Xie Xian prove this?

If he could achieve it, why couldn’t they?

If there wasn’t a suitable princess, a daughter from a noble family would also be acceptable.

Unbeknownst to them, they were daydreaming without comparing themselves to Xie Xian. The difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth.

Xie Xian came from a scholarly family, was talented from a young age, and was also exceptionally handsome. He was determined to marry a woman who was both beautiful and talented.

When he was young, he and his senior classmates traveled to the capital to study. Coincidentally, they returned just as the royal hunting party was coming back. A grand procession was advancing majestically, forcing Xie Xian and his companions to temporarily take refuge in a roadside tavern.

It was a match made in heaven. Just a casual glance downward, and he saw a young girl dressed in fiery red, wearing a long bow on her back and holding a horsewhip in her hand. She was like a spark that suddenly crashed into Xie Xian’s eyes.

He had never seen such a radiant woman before. At that moment, he was stunned, feeling as if his entire heart and mind could hold nothing else. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. By the time he regained his senses, the girl had already turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

“Who is she?” he asked his senior classmates.

Upon learning she was Princess Ningde, Xie Xian silently resolved: study hard, take the imperial exams, and marry the princess…

Although this year’s imperial examination had not yet reached the final round, the preliminary exams were already completed. The 305 new candidates had been selected, and the final exam would merely determine their rankings.

After taking so many exams, most candidates had a clear idea of their own abilities. Only a few could expect significant changes in their positions.

Moreover, people usually only paid attention to the top scorers. If one couldn’t make it into the top three, the fluctuations in the second and third tiers mattered little. Who would care whether someone was seventh or eighth? They were all just new jinshi anyway.

Therefore, except for a few who believed they might have a chance to enter the first tier, most were relaxed, enjoying themselves and having fun.

Some who were still single were also willing to experience the dual joys of passing the exam and getting married at the same time.

What if they were older?

What was there to fear?

The dynasty encouraged remarriage, and even in the royal court and noble families, there were many women who married twice or even three times. Even two of the emperor’s consorts had been married before!

Li Qinghe was one such case.

He was thirty-two years old and had been married once before. Unfortunately, his wife passed away during his years of studying away from home, and he had not remarried since.

Today, he came out to attend a literary gathering. Before he even entered the door, he was stopped by two burly men.

“Master, please hold on.”

“What is it?” In the bright daylight and under the emperor’s rule, Li Qinghe was not afraid they would harm him.

“Master, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” a fat man in a black brocade robe stood up, wiping sweat from his brow while smiling apologetically. “May we ask, Master, how old are you, and do you have a wife?”

He had been lurking around nearby taverns for many days, looking at many candidates but none had suited him. Either they were too old or too dull. How could they match his beloved daughter?

This man, however, looked younger, around thirty, and more importantly, had thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and an extraordinary bearing.

Li Qinghe immediately understood their intention and did not hesitate. “I am thirty-two. I was married before back in my hometown.”

The fat man’s face immediately fell. As expected!

But before he could express his disappointment, the other man continued, “Unfortunately, my wife was a beauty who passed away shortly after our marriage. I have been devoted to my studies and have not remarried since.”

Hmm?!

The fat man’s face instantly brightened with joy. His face turned red with excitement as he said, “Excellent, excellent! Ah, no, I should express my condolences. My name is Huang Youtian, a silk merchant from Jiangnan. I wouldn’t dare to claim wealth rivaling Shi Chong, but I do have modest assets… I have a daughter at home. I wouldn’t say she is as beautiful as a flower, but she is a refined and talented young lady, skilled in mathematics and an excellent housekeeper. Unfortunately, her husband passed away three years ago, and she is now seeking to remarry!”

Hearing this, Li Qinghe was very interested. However, seeing the man’s fat face, big ears, and garlic-like nose, he couldn’t help but worry that the daughter might resemble her father…

Huang Youtian, being an experienced businessman, was adept at reading people’s expressions. Seeing that Li Qinghe did not immediately agree, he quickly added, “If the gentleman is interested, why not arrange a meeting at a convenient time?”

In the Da Lu dynasty, there was no strict taboo on interactions between men and women, especially for those who had already married. It was not unusual for a couple to meet before marriage.

Seeing that Li Qinghe understood his meaning, Huang Youtian felt pleased and immediately seized the opportunity, “That would be great, but it would be a bit of a bother for the young lady.”

Huang Youtian repeatedly said it was no trouble at all, thinking to himself that his entire family had come all the way from Jiangnan, and now that they had a slight chance, it was worth the effort.

After finalizing the arrangements and agreeing to meet here again the next day, both parties parted ways, satisfied with the outcome.

Of course, the best match would be from a noble family, but Li Qinghe knew his own limitations. He was merely a mid-level scholar in the second tier and could not hope to marry into the most prestigious families. Moreover, these elite families often intermarried among themselves, sometimes even arranging marriages before the children were born. How could he possibly compete?

On the other hand, ordinary families could not provide him with sufficient support. After careful consideration, a wealthy merchant family like Huang’s, with both financial resources and natural respect for scholars like himself, seemed to be the best option.

Just as Li Qinghe was bidding farewell to Huang Youtian, a familiar student upstairs began laughing heartily and raised his hands in congratulations, “Congratulations! This is truly a great joy in life!”

“I will definitely come to drink your wedding wine.”

Li Qinghe smiled and returned the greetings, “Thank you, thank you.”

Everyone laughed and exchanged jokes, both serious and playful, before settling down at their seats.

Soon, tea and pastries were ordered, and a courtesan with a pipa came over to entertain them. They pooled together three silver coins, asked for a couple of songs, and then discussed local customs, current events, and even composed a few poems, creating a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

“Oh, by the way,” one of Li Qinghe’s fellow townspeople suddenly said, “Do you know someone named Guan Qing, also known as Bo Ming?”

Li Qinghe was momentarily stunned, then thought for a moment, “You mean the Guan family from our Taizhou Prefecture? I’ve heard of them and met them a few times, but we aren’t close.”

The person said, “Actually, I’m not sure if it’s the same Guan family, but just now I saw an excellent quatrain on the wall, which I greatly admired. When I looked at the signature, it was Guan Qing. I thought, if he’s from our hometown, maybe we could get to know each other better.”

They were now scholars and would soon be officials. In official circles, being from the same region or the same examination cohort naturally formed an alliance, so such opportunities could not be missed.

Li Qinghe laughed and shook his head, “If that’s the case, you must be mistaken. It’s definitely not him.”

As soon as he said this, everyone at the table started asking questions, “Why do you say that?”

Li Qinghe drank the wine in his cup in one go, “Although I’m not close to him, I’ve heard many stories about Guan Bo Ming. His family is wealthy, but he’s not much of a scholar. Despite many years of effort, he only managed to pass the county-level examination. I’ve even read his essays, and they were truly lacking in insight!”

The remaining part was, of course, completely incomprehensible!

Everyone understood and burst into laughter.

If that’s the case, then it’s likely that the person was indeed mistaken.

Just imagine, someone who struggled so much to pass even the county-level examination, how could he compose such brilliant poetry?

After all, the world is vast, and it’s not uncommon to have people with the same name and surname!

(Regarding remarriage, people in ancient times were indeed more open-minded than modern times. Take the Tang Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty as examples; there were many instances where the in-laws would help a widowed daughter-in-law remarry! Sometimes, if you didn’t act quickly, people would even gossip behind your back! Virginity or lack thereof was considered trivial and hardly a concern!)

(P.S., regarding the term “Master” used for Li Qinghe, in ancient times, anyone who had passed the provincial examination was respectfully addressed as “Master,” even if they were only in their teens.)