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

When people talk about Concubine Shuwan, the first thing that comes to mind is her dazzlingly gorgeous clothes.

However, what is even more amazing is that she was like a pure and flawless white lotus, maintaining her innocence amidst the turmoil in the palace and never being tainted by any rumors.

In comparison, even those concubines who acted more low-key, such as Concubine Dexin, could not avoid having a few anecdotes circulating in the palace.

Lin Zhiruo had heard that when Concubine Dexin was reading an ancient book, she suddenly had a nosebleed and fainted on the ground.

As for what secrets were recorded in the ancient book, Lin Zhiruo became alert when she heard about it and was unwilling to delve into it for fear of being dragged into the palace disputes.

"Lin Zhiruo." Caiwei's voice was as soft as the spring breeze, gently brushing through her thoughts.

"What instructions does the head maid have?" Lin Zhiruo asked in a respectful tone.

Caiwei smiled slightly and said, "You don't need to be responsible for tasting the tea and snacks today. I will take on that responsibility myself."

There was an imperceptible depth of meaning in her words, as if she was hinting at something.

"You should understand the current situation."

"Yes." Lin Zhiruo already understood in her heart that they had to prove their trust in "the non-toxicity of the food hosted by the Queen Mother" through actions.

Bringing a tasting maid might be seen as disrespectful, but if an accident really happens, who will be held responsible becomes a tricky issue.

Therefore, they adopted a compromise and allowed the head maid to taste the same tea and snacks as the concubines to ensure the smooth progress of the banquet.

The red tape in this palace is truly amazing.

"As for you," Caiwei frowned slightly, examining Lin Zhiruo with a sharp gaze, "the Empress Dowager intends to lend her your talents and wisdom to help her."

Lin Zhiruo was startled when she heard this. She hesitated for a moment and finally chose to remain silent.

Caiwei seemed to see through her thoughts, smiled faintly, and said: "It's okay, I guess you don't want to say too much."

After she finished speaking, she flashed in front of Lin Zhiruo, put her hands on the wall, and blocked her way. Her tone was filled with unquestionable majesty: "You must not betray Empress Yuyao."

"...I certainly don't dare to be an enemy of the chief maid Caiwei." Lin Zhiruo responded in a low voice.

Caiwei nodded with satisfaction when she heard this, distanced herself from Lin Zhiruo, and a rare gentle smile appeared on her face.

"After all, I also hope to maintain a good relationship with you." Her smile was like the spring sun, warm and bright.

"That's true." Lin Zhiruo secretly admired in her heart that Concubine Yuyao's personal maid was indeed extraordinary.

As long as this maid is there, there is no need to worry too much even if the other three girls are ignorant.

Lin Zhiruo followed Caiwei's guidance and walked through the winding corridors. Suddenly, the view in front of her opened up and six towering palaces came into view.

There are several buildings scattered around. It is not difficult to see from the design of the windows and pillars that each one contains the hard work and wisdom of the craftsmen.

"Before the harem over there was built, this place was the harem." The maid seemed to have already seen through Lin Zhiruo's doubts and explained.

Lin Zhiruo suddenly realized that these six palaces should be the residences of concubines, and the buildings behind them were the residences of palace maids.

They passed through the passage between the palaces and came to the building at the back.

The house was empty, but spotlessly clean.

Lin Zhiruo involuntarily stretched out her fingers and gently stroked the window frame, without a speck of dust on her fingertips.

The building faces the atrium, and the fine sand and gravel in the dry landscape are painted with exquisite and beautiful patterns, like a flowing scroll.

However, the maid glanced at the courtyard with dissatisfaction, as if she still had deep resentment about the past here.

"It's here." She slowly pushed open a door and walked in with Lin Zhiruo.

The room was filled with a unique and mysterious smell, and Lin Zhiruo couldn't help but frown.

She looked inside and saw a strange atmosphere in the tidy room.

The quilt on the bed was half-open and hung casually on the side of the bed; there were a few brushes scattered on the table, and a few on the floor; for some reason, there were some strange stains on the floor.

Lin Zhiruo glanced at the wall casually and found that it was slightly yellowed, as if covered with an old wallpaper.

The maid stood at the door and did not step into the room.

Perhaps it is because once you step in, dust will be raised, destroying the tranquility here and the traces of the past.

The corridor is so clean, but the house is full of dust. Is it because no one sets foot inside because they don't want to destroy the traces left by the people who once lived here?

Lin Zhiruo's heart was filled with doubts and confusion.

"Where is this place?" she couldn't help but ask.

The maid maintained a cold gaze and calmly told her, "This was the residence of a noblewoman who rose from a maid to a concubine during the reign of the Supreme Emperor. This was once the residence of a noblewoman known as the Empress. It was the cradle of the late Emperor's upbringing and also the place where he returned after his death."

Lin Zhiruo was shocked when she heard this, and finally understood why there was hatred and sadness in her tone.

The maid later changed places and told Lin Zhiruo the whole story in detail.

This was a room that no one visited, and the window overlooked the tea party being held by the Empress Dowager and her concubines.

If something happens, they can arrive immediately.

She said that in their later years, the late emperor and the empress often locked themselves in that room.

Perhaps due to his declining physical strength, the late emperor always wandered in that building, as if immersed in memories of the past.

After the empress passed away, the late emperor also passed away soon after.

It was in that room that the Empress, though seemingly healthy, was actually in her twilight years; the late Emperor, though not yet at that age, was already considered to have lived a very long life compared to others.

For the common people, especially the farmers, living beyond the age of sixty is considered highly respected. How can this be considered a curse?

Lin Zhiruo's heart was full of questions and confusion.

"I once told the Queen Mother that this is not a curse." The maid said solemnly.

But she said the Queen Mother shook her head in denial, insisting that she had cast the curse.

She said that for many years, she had been looking forward to the late emperor's departure every night.

Lin Zhiruo was even more confused after hearing this: "What evidence can prove that a curse has been cast?"

The maid's face instantly turned gloomy, and she seemed to know what was going on.

"After the emperor's death, his remains will be placed in the mausoleum for one year."

Sometimes the dead would be resurrected for some reason. Lin Zhiruo remembered the palace maid who deceived her with poisonous mushrooms.

While this is also a factor, the original problem was probably that the mausoleum was not completed before the emperor's death.

As long as you delay like this, there is no need to rush the work.

"The following year, when the Emperor and Empress Dowager An went to receive the late Emperor's remains for burial, they discovered—" the maid's voice trembled with a barely perceptible tremor, "the Emperor's remains had not been eaten by insects or ants, nor had they shrunk. They were practically unchanged from the moment he died."

Lin Zhiruo's eyebrows trembled slightly when she heard this, and an inexplicable chill surged in her heart.

"In other words, there has been no corruption?"

"That's right." The maid's voice was deep and powerful. "Although the mausoleum is still cool and pleasant even in summer, it's not so…"