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

"It is better to use the art of counter-espionage to fight evil with evil."

Gao Zhongcheng's voice was calm and profound, like the water in a deep pool, deep and without waves.

The wise general, a unique figure in the palace, neither formed cliques nor created enemies.

With his extraordinary wit and tact, he is adept at the game of power.

Many years ago, he cleverly seized the leadership of the family from his father and half-brother, became the helmsman of the family, and quickly rose to prominence in the court, like the brightest star in the night sky.

He has become a thorn in the eyes of many people, and countless eyes are staring at him, trying to pull him down from his high position.

However, the wise general always stood firm, faced the storm with a smile, and sat firmly on the throne of victory.

Those who attempt to harm him often not only fail, but suffer even more tragic consequences, and some even lose their families.

The influence and means of a wise general are extremely powerful and awe-inspiring, no matter how prominent the opponent's status or how noble his bloodline is.

Quan Wushuang's thoughts about the wise general were unfathomable, like a path in the fog, winding and difficult to discern.

A wise general always seems to be able to see through details that others have not noticed, and based on this, he can weave an unpredictable strategy, gradually leading his opponent into a desperate situation.

Therefore, an unspoken rule was quietly formed in the palace: never get involved with a wise general easily.

As long as you don't take the initiative to provoke others, you can avoid endless disputes and troubles.

"Don't approach" also means "don't bring it into your camp."

Quan Wushuang recalled the scene where General Zhimou casually placed the greasy pastries on the table. The greasy stains seemed to silently express an unspoken arrogance and indifference.

"Just be patient for now."

Gao Zhongcheng's brows were tightly furrowed, and the traces of time seemed to have increased a bit. The wrinkles on his face were like ravines, recording the ups and downs of the past.

Although Quan Wushuang was unwilling to do so, for the sake of his future plans, he decided to reveal all the truth to Lin Zhiruo.

He longed to make her understand why he was in his current situation and why he had to hide his true identity.

Quan Wushuang longs for Lin Zhiruo to understand the truth, but at the same time he is worried about how she will react.

He sighed deeply, as if to expel the worries and sorrows in his heart, and then decided to continue dealing with the pile of official business.

These matters are all trivial matters in the harem, mainly various requests and demands made by concubines through letters.

Quan Wushuang took the letter out of the box. His complicated expression was like the colors on a palette, a mixture of helplessness and irritability.

"There seem to be an unusually large number of letters today." He sighed softly, his tone filled with fatigue and helplessness.

"Maybe it's still those clichés, or maybe it's related to recent events." Gao Zhongcheng responded in a calm and steady voice.

The letter had been opened, and it was obvious that Gao Zhongcheng or other officials had already read it.

Quan Wushuang opened the letters one by one, glanced at them quickly, and then picked up the next one, repeating this process over and over again. Before he knew it, he was leaning back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling, rubbing his tired eyes gently with his fingers.

Most of the content in the letters was related to Concubine Shuwan, one of the four ladies. They were nothing more than gossip about the excessive number of palace maids and overly gorgeous clothing affecting the image of the harem. They were all malicious slanders out of jealousy.

Besides that, there are some letters...

It tells of the favor the palace maids showed to the new eunuch.

"This is expected." Quan Wushuang said lightly, with a hint of contempt in his tone.

"That's true." Gao Zhongcheng agreed.

New eunuchs were sent to the rear to do menial work, such as boiling water, washing clothes, and other physical labor.

As the number of eunuchs decreased year by year, they were all given priority to be sent to departments that were in urgent need of labor.

Quan Wushuang was considering adjusting their positions in the future based on their adaptability, but they were originally slaves of the frontier ethnic groups and had to act with caution.

Quan Wushuang believed that the palace maids' enthusiasm would eventually fade like the tide, but as part of his duty, he still needed to pay some attention.

"It's such a headache." Quan Wushuang complained, with a hint of helplessness and irritability in his tone.

"Just accept your fate." Gao Zhongcheng chuckled, with a hint of teasing in his tone.

Quan Wushuang was talking with Gao Zhongcheng while dealing with the letters.

This is what happened, so the next day, Quan Wushuang came to the harem to check on the new eunuch.

Whether washing clothes or boiling water, the servants used well water.

Quan Wushuang asked the diligent steward about the new eunuch and looked around at the same time.

There are five eunuchs here who look like new arrivals. Because their departments have not yet been determined, they are wearing white belts.

Perhaps because they were born into slavery, their faces are full of vicissitudes of life despite their youth.

Their slender figures may be due to the slavery of ethnic groups in the frontier.

There was a hint of timidity and uneasiness in their behavior, which was the mark of having lost freedom for a long time.

Quan Wushuang looked at these new eunuchs and suddenly felt touched.

One of the new eunuchs had regular features. Although he had the common neutral face of eunuchs, his thin cheeks added a bit of heroic spirit to him.

It's just that he seemed to deliberately cover his left hand when he worked.

"Why is that person like this?" Quan Wushuang asked curiously.

"He seems to have been subjected to severe punishment, resulting in paralysis on the left side of his body," the steward replied.

Besides that, he seemed to have some miserable scars on his body, so he was unwilling to show his skin.

"I see." Quan Wushuang nodded thoughtfully.

If that were the case, the job of fetching water for the bathhouse would not be suitable for him.

This person is weak in strength, works slower than other eunuchs, and has a striking appearance, making him unsuitable for working on the crowded south side.

"Having said that, he is indeed an eye-catching guy." Quan Wushuang chuckled.

"Indeed, he seems to be very good at understanding the thoughts of the palace maids. He is quite smart." Gao Zhongcheng responded.

Quan Wushuang noticed several palace maids standing in the distance whispering.

Gao Zhongcheng stared at Quan Wushuang.

"What's the matter?" Quan Wushuang noticed Gao Zhongcheng's abnormality and asked.

"How dare you talk about others?" Gao Zhongcheng's tone was filled with ridicule and dissatisfaction.

Quan Wushuang only realized at this moment that a group of palace maids had surrounded him without him noticing.

They stared at Quan Wushuang solemnly. After Quan Wushuang nodded slightly to them, he walked towards the eunuch, showing that he was busy.

When Quan Wushuang walked to the side of the new eunuchs, they were touched lightly by the senior eunuchs before they hurriedly bowed and saluted.

Quan Wushuang noticed the hands stretched out from their sleeves. Each of them was covered with rough marks and several red and swollen marks that looked like they were left by whipping.

No wonder they don't want to show their skin.

Although Quan Wushuang noticed these, he was not in a position to react at the moment.

He only gave the eunuchs some polite words like if they worked hard they would have the hope of promotion, and then prepared to leave.

However, at this moment... a loud bang was heard.

Quan Wushuang was shocked and quickly turned to look at the source of the voice.

There was a pale palace maid standing there motionless, and next to her was a red-faced eunuch glaring at her.

There was an overturned cart on the side, and the ice blocks carefully wrapped in rice straw and cloth were scattered all over the ground, directly touching the ground.

The ice must be sent to the concubines.

It is extremely hot now, and there is very little ice left in the ice cellar, making this precious item even rarer.

Quan Wushuang felt that the frightened palace maid seemed somewhat familiar.

While he was lost in thought, another palace maid came running over...