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

Before the morning dew had evaporated, Lin Zhiruo had already arrived at the pine forest at the east gate.

This pine forest is the source of the most precious food for the harem, and delicious matsutake mushrooms grow there every autumn.

She squatted down and carefully picked the matsutake mushrooms that had just emerged from the soil.

This precious ingredient needs to be eaten at its freshest to enjoy its unique aroma.

The bamboo basket was soon filled with eight perfectly shaped matsutake mushrooms.

"Who should I share these matsutake mushrooms with?" Lin Zhiruo whispered to herself.

It was obviously inappropriate to enjoy it in the Glass Palace, as the maids always asked her about the source of her food.

After much thought, I decided to go find that honest royal chef.

Although the imperial chef with a mustache was not very good at cooking, he was a kind person and never made things difficult for her.

When she passed by the laundry yard, she saw her good friend Xiao Cui hanging out clothes to dry.

Taking care of Concubine Pinglan these days has made her lose a lot of weight.

After returning to the Glass Palace, the senior sisters always prepared snacks for her in different ways.

The exquisite pastries filled her room, leaving her overwhelmed.

When Xiao Cui saw the basket of snacks in her hand, her eyes suddenly lit up.

The two sat on a wooden barrel behind the laundry yard, enjoying snacks and chatting.

Xiao Cui talked about the interesting stories in the palace recently, most of which were weird rumors.

But one piece of news shocked Lin Zhiruo.

"I heard that a palace maid used a special spice to charm a military commander."

Lin Zhiruo couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat when she thought of the spices she had mixed a few days ago.

"I mixed that spice." Lin Zhiruo thought to herself, but it was better not to say such things.

She shook her head and continued walking towards the imperial kitchen.

When he pushed open the kitchen door, besides the familiar imperial chef with a mustache, there was also a strange eunuch with a pale face.

The eunuch kept rubbing his hands, as if he was enduring some pain.

"Xiao Linzi, you've come at the right time." The old imperial chef came up to him with a smile.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"This eunuch has some red rashes on his hands. Can you make him some special sauce?" said the old royal chef.

Lin Zhiruo thought that this kind of thing should be referred to the Imperial Hospital.

But since the old royal chef had spoken, she couldn't refuse.

Putting the bamboo basket aside, she took out a few fresh matsutake mushrooms.

"Does sir have any charcoal?" she asked.

"Yes, yes, yes, these matsutake mushrooms are really plump and delicious. They need to be paired with good bean paste and salt." The old royal chef's eyes lit up.

Seeing that he likes it so much, things will be easy.

The old royal chef happily went to get the seasonings, his steps as light as a child.

Lin Zhiruo looked at the eunuch who was left aside and felt pity.

"If you don't mind, I'll give you one to try later." She said as she prepared the sauce.

The old imperial chef soon returned with seasonings and a charcoal basin.

Lin Zhiruo skillfully mixed various spices to make a special sauce.

She carefully applied it to the eunuch's inflamed hands. Although the smell was not very pleasant, the effect was immediate.

The eunuch's face gradually regained its rosy color.

"This girl has a really good heart." The old royal chef sighed.

Lin Zhiruo knew that many people in the palace looked down on eunuchs.

But she never judged people by their appearance. After all, in the imperial kitchen, the most important thing was a sincere heart.

"She is always so kind-hearted." The eunuch also said with a smile.

Speaking of eunuchs, although some people regard them as symbols of power, most of them are as gentle as the one in front of us.

Lin Zhiruo thought of an unpleasant person and quickly shook her head to put the thought aside.

She began preparing grilled matsutake mushrooms, one of her specialties.

Tear the matsutake into even thin slices and place them on a wire rack and slowly bake.

Paired with fresh citrus, it's bursting with aroma.

She waited until the two elders had finished tasting before she began to enjoy her own portion.

While Lin Zhiruo was tasting the matsutake mushrooms, the old imperial chef started chatting.

"This girl is not only good at cooking delicious food, but she is also an expert at seasoning." The old royal chef said with a smile.

"It's really amazing." The eunuch nodded repeatedly.

Lin Zhiruo felt helpless as she listened to their praise.

The old royal chef loved her like his own daughter, and this friendship made her both moved and troubled.

Suddenly I remembered that I haven’t been home to visit my father for three months. I wonder how his shop business is going.

Is that honest man who always gets credited by customers but can't bear to ask for repayment still worrying about his livelihood?

Just as she was lost in thought, the old royal chef said something he shouldn't have said.

“This girl can cook any kind of delicious food.”

"Anything is fine?" The eunuch's eyes lit up.

"Anything is fine!" said the old royal chef proudly, like a father praising his own child.

Before Lin Zhiruo could stop him, the eunuch's expression suddenly became serious.

"Then... can you make food that can exorcise evil spirits and break curses?" he asked while rubbing his inflamed hands.

The eunuch began to recount his experience of the night before.

It turned out that he was responsible for collecting the garbage from the harem and transporting it to the incineration site on the west side.

Although it was evening that day, the weather was damp and windless, so permission was given to light a fire.

While he was sorting through the garbage, he found an exquisite piece of clothing.

Although the material was not high-quality silk, it was still very valuable.

There were a few wooden slips wrapped in the clothes, and there were traces of burning on the cuffs.

He wanted to check it out of fear of waste, but in the end he threw the wooden slip into the fire.

"Just then, the flames suddenly became strange." The eunuch's face became even uglier when he said this.

When Lin Zhiruo heard this, she had a plan in mind.

She stood up and walked to the food cabinet, taking out some seasonings and spices.

These are all common seasonings in the kitchen, but they will show different colors when burned at different temperatures.

She sprinkled a pinch of the powder into the charcoal fire, and the flames immediately turned a bright red.

Another one was added, and the flame turned dark green.

Finally, I tried it with salt dipped in matsutake mushrooms, and the flame turned bright yellow.

"These are just common seasonings in the kitchen." Lin Zhiruo explained.

(Believe in science! Put an end to feudal superstitions, starting with you!)

She had worked in the imperial kitchen for many years and knew very well that different spices would show different colors when exposed to fire.

I learned this knowledge from a guest who made fireworks.

The man often visited brothels and, when drunk, he would talk incessantly about his craft.

"Then my hand..." The eunuch spread out his inflamed palm.

"If these seasonings come into direct contact with the skin, they will indeed cause allergies." Lin Zhiruo took out a handful of white powder and showed it to him.

"Or maybe it's the lacquer on the wooden slips. It's not a curse."

After hearing this, the eunuch's tense face finally relaxed.

He sat weakly on the ground, a look of relief on his face.

Those wooden slips were probably stained with these kinds of things, which is why they appeared in different colors in the fire.

"The question is, why do these things appear here?" Lin Zhiruo was thinking.

Suddenly, a burst of crisp applause interrupted her thoughts.

She turned around and saw a tall figure standing at the door.

"It's really wonderful." Quan Wushuang said with a disgusting smile.