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

Last night, Quan Wushuang unfolded a secret letter. Although the handwriting was dignified and orderly, it could not hide the writer's anxiety, as if it was visible through the paper.

This letter was written by the chief steward of the imperial kitchen, and was written in a hurry, showing the urgency of the situation.

The steward has always been known for his ability, which is often mentioned by Quan Wushuang's wet nurse Henghua, which shows that he is no ordinary person.

Back then, Quan Wushuang personally welcomed Lin Zhiruo into the palace and asked Henghua to take charge of the imperial kitchen, which was a very glorious time.

The letter mentioned that Lin Zhiruo always had the habit of visiting the imperial kitchen at night, and usually returned early the next morning. However, this time, she did not return all night, which made everyone uneasy.

Quan Wushuang had long been accustomed to Lin Zhiruo leaving quietly when night fell, but this time she did not return for a long time, which was particularly abnormal.

When Quan Wushuang stepped into the imperial kitchen, the palace cooks all greeted him with worried looks. Although they were all doing their jobs, their minds were no longer on the chopping boards.

The new cooks still worked diligently, sharing the workload with everyone else.

In the tasting room, Concubine Yuyao sat on the sandalwood chair often used by General Zhimou, waiting for Quan Wushuang to arrive with a calm expression.

Princess Ai Ling seemed to be playing somewhere else, carefree.

The chief steward Caiwei's face was stiff, while the imperial concubine Yuyao covered her face with a round fan, remaining calm and composed.

"Your Highness, how are you?" Quan Wushuang said with a salute.

"How can you be safe?" Imperial Concubine Yuyao shook her head slightly and went straight to the point without any greetings. It was obvious that she was very worried about the current situation.

"I thought you were taking her to look for some delicacies again, but now it seems that is not the case." Concubine Yuyao said bluntly.

"When have I ever done this?" Quan Wushuang felt uneasy.

"Is she involved in some trouble again?" he asked worriedly.

"Your Majesty, do you know where she went last?" Quan Wushuang asked anxiously.

"Where did she go? I only know that she was still there at noon the day before yesterday." Caiwei interrupted.

It turned out that Lin Zhiruo had gone to the imperial kitchen to prepare snacks for Ai Ling.

At that time, Lin Xiang was compiling a book on palace cuisine, and Lin Zhiruo was happy to help.

"Maybe he went to the Imperial Kitchen School?" Lin Xiang guessed.

Sure enough, the teacher at the school confirmed that she had indeed been there.

But after that, there was no news.

She got the ingredients, went to school, and then where did she go?

"I'm afraid we're in trouble." Although Caiwei tried to remain calm, the worry and protection for Lin Zhiruo in her tone were hard to conceal.

"We searched all the suspicious places but found nothing." After all, she was Concubine Yuyao's personal cook, and it was not convenient to publicize this matter, so she had to ask Quan Wushuang for help.

Quan Wushuang folded his arms in thought.

Judging from the current situation, it is extremely unlikely that Lin Zhiruo is hiding on her own.

Although she sometimes acts impulsively, she always knows when to stop.

Moreover, even if she occasionally underestimated her own importance, she should understand the consequences of leaving her master's side without permission.

Perhaps, she wanted to go back but couldn't, or perhaps, she couldn't come back at all.

Quan Wushuang couldn't help but think of the worst possible scenario.

"Did she do something hateful?" Concubine Yuyao asked with her head tilted.

There are many cooks and palace maids in the harem, so it is inevitable that there will be conflicts with one or two of them.

But there is precedent for things escalating into physical fights.

"Hate? I'm afraid there's a lot." Caiwei sighed.

Everyone was silent.

The scariest thing is that no one can deny this.

Especially the cooks in the imperial kitchen, there must be many who are jealous of Lin Zhiruo.

"No matter how good Lin Zhiruo is at cooking, she will find it difficult to resist violence." Although Lin Zhiruo is proficient in cooking, she is petite and lacks strength.

"If we get beaten up by a group of people, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape." Gao Zhongcheng frowned.

"I don't believe she would fall so easily, without any ability to fight back, and not be buried with her."

Looking at everyone's reactions, Quan Wushuang knew exactly how they evaluated Lin Zhiruo.

Even if she is besieged, she will not allow herself to be bullied.

She will definitely use her wisdom and strategy to die together with the other party.

however--

"If you continue to disappear without reason, you will be punished according to the law." Quan Wushuang said helplessly.

Although he took good care of Lin Zhiruo, he kept public and private affairs separate, which made him feel uncomfortable.

"But the most urgent task is to find her whereabouts." After saying that, Quan Wushuang decided to investigate Lin Zhiruo's whereabouts again.

The group arrived at the imperial kitchen, only to see the storekeeper with a messy beard serving tea in a listless manner.

Lin Xiang was recording calmly, and when he saw Quan Wushuang and others arriving, he limped out to greet them.

"But are you here for Lin Zhiruo's matter?" Lin Xiang reacted quickly and spoke clearly. It was obvious that he understood the situation better than the timid treasury official.

"I want to listen to it again." Quan Wushuang said.

"Yes, sir." Lin Xiang briefly described the situation at that time, but the information he provided was no more than that of the imperial kitchen.

"Is that all?" Quan Wushuang asked.

"Yes, that's all." Lin Xiang replied.

After hearing this, Quan Wushuang became more and more irritated. It was not until Gao Zhongcheng touched his arm that he realized that he was stamping his feet unconsciously.

He knew he shouldn't act so out of control, so he looked around.

"...Didn't Wumuqi come today?" he asked suddenly.

"It seems he went for a walk." Gao Zhongcheng said regretfully.

For some reason, there was a hint of regret in his tone.

Quan Wushuang knew that this kid would bring dried fish every time he came to the harem recently.

I wanted to touch the furry little creature to calm my mind, but it wasn't there at the moment.