Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

To be frank, the late emperor's reputation has never had any positive response. It is like a ghost in the night, always accompanied by various dishonorable titles such as stupid and puppet.

In the deep and dark harem, the most talked about thing is the late emperor's abnormal preference for young girls. This seems to be an indelible stain in his life.

Whenever people mention the fact that the Empress Dowager is almost the same age as the current Emperor, it is like a heavy stone pressing on their hearts, leaving them speechless and unable to defend themselves.

There are indeed examples in the world of marrying young girls to form alliances. Some are for political marriages, and some are due to debts. However, in the harem where there are so many beautiful women, the late emperor chose to have a special liking for a few young girls. The badness of his behavior is obvious.

He was undoubtedly a monarch who enjoyed playing with young girls, and Lin Zhiruo's understanding of the late emperor only went so far.

The Empress Dowager once mentioned that a curse might have been cast, but in Lin Zhiruo's opinion, even if this was really the intention, there must be some unspeakable hardship.

The striking scar on the Empress Dowager's abdomen was the result of a caesarean section when she gave birth to the current emperor.

At that time, she was in her youth, her body had not yet fully developed, and her birth canal was narrow, so a caesarean section became her only option.

Lin Zhiruo's unfortunate cheap father, due to the urgent situation, was forced to deliver babies and provide meals after delivery, and he paid the heavy price of being castrated for this.

Perhaps it was because of this that the current emperor was able to thrive; the same was true for the empress dowager. Although she left an indelible mark, she later gave birth to the emperor's younger brother.

However, Lin Zhiruo often couldn't help but have a thought in her mind. This thought was extremely disrespectful. If she said it out loud, she would probably be killed immediately.

That is - is the emperor's younger brother the biological son of the late emperor?

Lin Zhiruo vaguely remembered that the emperor's younger brother was more than a year older than her.

According to her calculations, the Empress Dowager was nearly thirty years old at that time and had long lost the youthfulness of a girl and the innocence of a young woman.

Lin Zhiruo had no intention of delving into this sensitive topic, because she knew very well that even if she knew the truth, it would only put herself in a more embarrassing situation.

The Queen Mother then suggested, "If possible, I'd like to talk in a more secluded place."

So, Lin Zhiruo was now standing outside the threshold of the harem, but was still in the inner court, which was the noble residence of the emperor, princes and queen.

Of course, it was impossible for Lin Zhiruo to set foot in this forbidden area alone.

They seemed to have planned it in advance and arranged a tea party for the four senior concubines, gathering together under the pretext of drinking tea and appreciating flowers.

It was such a luxurious and elegant party.

Just now, Lin Zhiruo met Concubine Dexin, one of the senior concubines. She was so nervous that her whole body was stiff, like a puppet without a soul, which made people feel pity.

Lin Zhiruo clasped her hands together and silently prayed for this timid concubine.

"I really don't know what the Queen Mother's move means." Su Su sighed softly. She was wearing a more exquisite yet gentle dress than usual, like a blooming peony.

Like her, Lin Zhiruo was Concubine Yuyao's personal maid, and came to the party with Caiwei and three other girls.

The palace was strictly guarded by several trustworthy guards and eunuchs, and no mistakes were allowed.

"Indeed..." The senior concubines were each led to their designated rooms.

Although not far away, tea parties are, after all, occasions where women compete with each other and compete secretly.

Concubine Yuyao brought a lot of personal belongings on this trip, and the three eunuchs who helped her were carrying heavy bags in their hands, as if they were carrying treasures.

Lin Zhiruo originally thought that this was enough. However, when she saw that Concubine Pinglan brought five eunuchs with her and Concubine Shuwan brought eight eunuchs with her, she couldn't help but feel awe.

By the way, Concubine Dexin's maid was also directing four eunuchs to carry the luggage. The four eunuchs all had extremely reluctant expressions on their faces, as if they were telling of endless suffering.

The room they were assigned was well-ventilated and cool, and juice, fruit and other delicacies had already been prepared in the room.

Lin Zhiruo took the first sip, and after confirming that it was correct, everyone else began to enjoy it with confidence.

Lin Zhiruo knew very well that the Queen Mother would not poison someone in such an occasion; she was just doing her duty.

She felt that it would be rude not to eat the food prepared by others, so she took a bite and found that the dishes were indeed delicious.

The juicy grapes seemed to be carefully chilled with groundwater. They melted in your mouth, refreshing and invigorating, leaving you with an endless aftertaste, as if you were in a summer orchard.

Before the tea party officially started, Imperial Concubine Yuyao asked everyone to relax and wait patiently.

The Empress herself was also a little sleepy. Pregnant women usually only feel sleepy in the early stages of pregnancy, but Concubine Yuyao's symptoms have persisted to this day.

In order to avoid messing up her carefully styled hairstyle, she sat down with her eyes closed. A rolled-up quilt was placed on the chair to make her sit more comfortably, and a cloth bag stuffed with cotton wool was wrapped around her neck for support.

Caiwei had already thoughtfully prepared refreshing water and makeup touch-up tools in case of emergency.

Fortunately, the princess also fell asleep.

Su Su whispered, "It seems a little inappropriate to invite the concubine to the tea party even though you know she is pregnant."

Lin Zhiruo understood what she meant and nodded slightly.

"The Queen Mother should have considered this, but it still makes people feel a little..."

Although Concubine Yuyao's pregnancy was an open secret in the harem, it was still possible to inadvertently touch upon some sensitive topics while sitting together drinking tea.

(Pinglan Royal Concubine is unlikely, and Dexin Royal Concubine can also be ruled out.)

Concubine Pinglan and Concubine Yuyao have always kept their distance from each other to avoid unnecessary disputes.

Although Concubine Pinglan is arrogant, she does not often speak rudely. It is obviously not a wise move for Concubine Yuyao to argue with Concubine Pinglan, who has a higher bloodline than herself.

Furthermore, Lin Zhiruo vaguely realized that Concubine Pinglan was also pregnant.

Imperial Concubine Pinglan naturally knew that if she mentioned such a sensitive topic to Imperial Concubine Yuyao, she would not be able to stay out of it.

As for Imperial Concubine Dexin, she was even afraid of Imperial Concubine Yuyao, let alone taking the initiative to provoke trouble.

If there is a hidden danger, the maids may take over the job, but concubines are usually only accompanied by the head maid.

Lin Zhiruo believed that the head maid who had been in charge of the food tasting would not meddle in other people's business and interrupt in such an occasion.

The only remaining problems were the unpredictable Concubine Shuwan and the offensive Empress Dowager.