Autumn Harvest

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th of August.

The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the streets and alleys of Chang'an, and the Zichen Palace was especially surrounded by golden osmanthus.

With her nine-month pregnant belly, Wu Zetian personally directed the palace servants to arrange the family banquet for the evening.

This was her last time presiding over a royal banquet before giving birth, and she paid extra attention to every detail.

(Inner monologue: This might be our last Mid-Autumn Festival together as a couple, so it has to be a warm and unforgettable one.)

Li Zhi's illness has not flared up for half a month, and his complexion has improved significantly.

He stood smiling under the eaves, watching his wife's busy figure, his eyes filled with tenderness. "Meiniang, let the Imperial Household Department handle these trivial matters."

"That won't do," she turned back with a sweet smile, "A family dinner should taste like home."

The three princes, dressed in their newly made autumn clothes, were playing the game of pitch-pot in the courtyard.

Ten-year-old Li Hong hit the target every time he threw an arrow, and the pot was already full of arrows.

Six-year-old Li Xian tried to stand closer to his brother, but was sternly stopped.

One-year-old Li Xian, holding a specially made quiver, cheered on his older brothers, babbling away.

"Your Majesty, look," Wu Meiniang said, pointing to the children with a smile, "Xian'er already knows how to cheer for his brothers."

Li Zhi quickly helped her to a cushioned seat: "You, you're almost due and still worrying like this. The imperial physician said that you need to rest most during the last month."

The banquet was specially held under the largest osmanthus tree in the courtyard, where golden osmanthus blossoms would occasionally fall and adorn the exquisite plates.

Following the recipe provided by Wu Zetian, the Imperial Kitchen prepared flaky mooncakes, osmanthus cakes, and several medicinal soups.

She specially prepared fish head stewed with gastrodia elata for Li Zhi, explaining softly, "Your Majesty, this soup is excellent for nourishing the brain and calming the mind, and it's beneficial for those suffering from wind-related ailments."

(Inner monologue: Dietary supplements are also an important part of treatment; I hope they can help him get his body back in shape.)

Li Xian took a bite of the freshly served mooncake and was pleasantly surprised to find a oozing salted egg yolk inside: "Mom! This is delicious! It's much more fragrant than the sweet mooncakes of previous years!"

"This is called 'reunion'," Wu Meiniang said with a smile, placing another one on his plate. "Just like our family, a perfect balance of sweet and savory, harmonious and happy."

Li Hong, however, carefully studied the proportions of the mooncake filling: "If this method were promoted among the people, it might become a new seasonal custom. However, salted egg yolks are quite expensive..."

The most surprising thing was Li Xian, who actually used specially made small chopsticks to pick up the mooncake filling and mumbled, "Sister...sister eat..."

Wu Zetian's eyes welled up with tears. She gently stroked her large, protruding belly and whispered, "Taiping, can you hear me? Your brother is calling you. When you come out, your mother will make you mooncakes just as delicious."

As the moonlight gradually brightened, the family enjoyed the moon in the courtyard.

Wu Meiniang leaned on Li Zhi's shoulder, feeling the lively movements of the fetus in her womb.

Li Zhi gently placed his hand on her belly and suddenly laughed, "This child is sure to be lively, even more active than his three older brothers. He wasn't this restless when you were pregnant with Hong'er."

"How does Your Majesty know it must be the princess?" she asked deliberately.

"I dreamt of her." Li Zhi's eyes shone with tenderness. "It was a little girl in a pale yellow dress, chasing butterflies under the pear trees at Jiucheng Palace. She looked...just like you when you were young."

(Inner monologue: This scene is too beautiful, I must make it a reality! This time, I will make Taiping truly peaceful and joyful.)

As night deepened, Wu Zetian took out a specially made lotus-shaped river lantern. She clutched her back and tried to squat down, but Li Zhi immediately stepped forward to support her: "Let me help you."

"Together." She insisted, holding Li Zhi's hand, and carefully wrote the two characters "Peace" on the lamp wall.

The three princes also gathered around.

Li Hong wrote "Kangtai" neatly, Li Xian drew a canal boat, and Li Xian pressed his handprint with his brother's help.

As the five river lanterns were slowly placed into Taiye Pond and floated downstream, Wu Zetian suddenly said, "Shall we come back to release the lanterns again when the moon is full over Taiping?"

"Okay." Li Zhi squeezed her hand. "From now on, every Mid-Autumn Festival, we'll release lanterns together."

——

[Mini-drama: The Mooncake Scandal]

(Secrets of the Imperial Food Bureau)

The salted egg yolk mooncake invented by the Empress has sparked controversy in the imperial court today.

At the morning court session, Imperial Censor Cui lamented, "Sweet mooncakes are the only authentic ones! Savory mooncakes are a direct violation of ancestral tradition!"

His Majesty asked slowly, "Does Minister Cui know that savory mooncakes are better paired with tea to cut through the richness? Sweet mooncakes can be cloying if you eat too much of them."

(It is said that after court, Imperial Censor Cui secretly had his family cook make savory mooncakes, and when he was discovered, he blushed deeply.)

However, all three princes became part of the Xian faction.

The Second Prince especially liked it, eating three in a row, and even said he would "promote it throughout the army to boost morale".

The most amazing thing is that His Highness the Crown Prince actually added the production standards for savory mooncakes to the revised draft of "Seasonal Food Regulations".

Indeed, the innovations of the Tang Dynasty began most subtly and gradually with its cuisine.