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

Lin Zhiruo folded her arms, her eyes deep as she stared at the place where Concubine Dexin pointed.

She was full of doubts about the layout of the building.

Why is the utility room located in front of the bathhouse?

Recalling the splendor of the Liuli Palace and the splendour of the Zixiao Palace, the bathing hall always exists independently, with a carefully designed rest area next to it for people to enjoy tranquility after bathing.

Although the bathhouse of Zixiao Palace is not independent of the palace, according to common sense, it should not be a storage room, but a quiet space for people to rest.

Lin Zhiruo wanted to sneak a peek at Quan Wushuang's reaction, but hesitated and finally turned her gaze to Gao Zhongcheng.

Gao Zhongcheng looked troubled and his eyes flickered, as if he was waiting for Quan Wushuang's instructions.

Quan Wushuang waved his hand gently, as if to say, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

So, Lin Zhiruo slowly asked, "Was this originally a storage room?"

She was full of doubts and decided to start with this question.

"No, this was not originally a storage room." Quan Wushuang answered calmly and clearly.

"Then how did it become a storage room?" Lin Zhiruo asked, her tone revealing a strong curiosity.

"This..." Sang Ren stood up awkwardly and walked into the utility room in front of the bathhouse.

She pointed to the piles of items and cluttered shelves, illustrating the chaos.

Lin Zhiruo walked closer and carefully observed every detail.

"Oh, I see." The wall was covered with mottled black spots. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be mold.

The mold has taken root and spread to such an extent that no amount of cleaning will be able to restore it to its original state.

Perhaps because the bathhouse is adjacent, moisture accumulated there, causing damage to the wall.

However, such a scene has never been seen in the Liuli Palace or the Zixiao Palace.

If they were the maids of the Glass Palace, they would definitely find out the cause and try to eradicate the mold.

But here, it would be extremely difficult to expect the maids to do this.

In fact, it is unusual to have maids diligently taking care of a palace like the Liuli Palace.

It seems that they adopted the strategy of "out of sight, out of mind", turning the unsightly areas into storage rooms to cover up their flaws.

"This palace shouldn't have taken long to build, right?" Lin Zhiruo asked softly, with a hint of speculation in her tone.

"That's right. It was built when Empress De Xin entered the palace." Quan Wushuang replied.

In just a few years, has the wall become so fragile?

Lin Zhiruo couldn't help but frown.

Then her eyes fell on a window next to the rotten part, which was where Concubine Dexin had mentioned the swaying curtains.

Lin Zhiruo stroked her chin and walked slowly towards the bathhouse.

She walked across the dressing room and looked towards the cypress bathtub, a flash of understanding in her eyes.

"...Found it." She muttered to herself.

There was a small round hole at the bottom of the bathtub, with a plug lying quietly next to it.

This small hole is undoubtedly connected to the waterway.

The harem is good at utilizing ancient waterways, which is indeed extremely convenient and clever in this regard.

Lin Zhiruo sketched out the layout of the bathroom and utility room in her mind, then spread her wings of imagination and incorporated the flow of the waterway into it.

She glanced at the concubines and slowly said, "Empress Dexin, did you accidentally pull the plug of the bathtub that day?"

Hearing Lin Zhiruo's words, Concubine Dexin blinked in surprise.

"How did you know?" she asked curiously.

As expected, Lin Zhiruo thought to herself.

Then she strode towards the moldy wall, wanting to check the rotten floorboards.

She tried to push the shelf next to her away, but it was too difficult to move it alone.

Seeing this, Gao Zhongcheng immediately stepped forward to help.

The floor where the shelf was originally placed had softened to the point that it seemed to collapse at the touch of a button, and there was a noticeable gap between it and the wall.

"Could someone please bring us a floor plan to confirm whether there is a waterway passing underneath?" Lin Zhiruo asked Gao Zhongcheng.

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhongcheng immediately responded to her request.

He ordered another eunuch to get the blueprint, and soon the floor plan of the Zixiao Palace appeared before everyone.

As expected, there was a waterway running under the floor.

“If hot water flows directly below, steam will escape from this point, and the wall here will naturally be prone to rot.

"Also, if steam escapes from this gap, there will be a breeze even if the window is not open." Lin Zhiruo explained slowly.

This is the real reason why the curtains are swaying.

Imperial Concubine Dexin opened her mouth in surprise, but then seemed to have thought of something, and said with wide eyes, "Then... then, what's with that round face?"

Lin Zhiruo fell into deep thought after hearing this.

She carefully checked the position of the curtains and where the face might appear, then turned from that position and looked around.

With my back to the wall and facing diagonally forward, I saw a shelf standing quietly.

Lin Zhiruo walked closer and found something covered with cloth on the shelf.

She gently lifted the curtain and found a bronze mirror.

Although placed in the storage room, the mirror was still wiped clean and sparkled.

"That's..." Imperial Concubine Dexin lowered her head, a hint of shyness and reluctance in her voice, "That's my treasure, can you be more careful when you take it?"

Lin Zhiruo had no intention of damaging it.

She stopped touching the mirror and just watched it quietly.

The mirror is about the size of a human face, as if it can reflect a person's deepest emotions and thoughts.

"When was this mirror placed here?" Lin Zhiruo asked curiously.

"I used to use this mirror often, but since the envoy sent a new mirror, I put it here." Concubine Dexin explained.

The dressing mirror brought by the envoy can not only reflect the whole body, but also has a clarity far exceeding that of a bronze mirror, making it extremely practical.

No wonder she put away her old bronze mirror.

However, Lin Zhiruo felt that Concubine Dexin had a deeper affection for this bronze mirror.

Lin Zhiruo wrapped the mirror in a cloth and gently picked it up and handed it to Concubine Dexin.

She smiled and said, "Looking at yourself in a bright place may reveal a clearer picture of yourself."

After Lin Zhiruo finished speaking, she gently opened the curtains, letting the warm sunlight fill the room.

The brightly polished mirror reflected a dazzling light, as if it had been reborn.