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

Inside the Glazed Palace, the palace maids escorted Lin Zhiruo into a magnificent bedroom.

It was covered with silks and brocades that were tributes from the Western Regions, and the beds were exquisitely decorated with carved beams and painted rafters.

"I just drank a bowl of appetizer soup and I'm fine now." Lin Zhiruo politely declined everyone's help.

That bowl of soup was a secret recipe she developed when she was in the imperial kitchen. It could dispel all kinds of poisons, but this matter could not be made public.

"Miss, don't be so stubborn. That dish is special. Officials who have eaten it have fallen ill." The palace maid Xiao Cui wiped her sweat worriedly.

Lin Zhiruo shook her head silently, worried about the official.

She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift away.

At noon, Lin Zhiruo woke up from her dream.

She stood up, straightened her clothes, and prepared to look for Caiwei.

But before that, she had to do one thing.

She returned to her little attic and took out a box of special powder.

This powder was not the rouge and powder used in ordinary boudoirs, but a powder she specially prepared to cover up blemishes on the face.

Facing the bronze mirror, she lightly dotted the spots on both sides of her cheeks.

It would be inappropriate to restore it to its original state or continue to cover it up. She was thinking about how to explain it.

Feeling extremely hungry, she picked up a candied apricot from the table.

Just as I was about to wash up, it was already late.

She walked quickly towards the main hall.

Caiwei was taking care of the little princess beside Concubine Yuyao.

This young master was lively and active, so Caiwei had to keep an eye on him all the time.

"I am late, please forgive me, Your Majesty." Lin Zhiruo knelt down and saluted.

"You can take a rest, there is no need to worry." Imperial Concubine Yuyao said gently.

"If the Queen has any orders, I will definitely serve you." Lin Zhiruo replied respectfully.

"Your face..." Imperial Concubine Yuyao hesitated to speak.

"I feel more comfortable this way."

"Okay." Imperial Concubine Yuyao unexpectedly agreed.

Lin Zhiruo looked at the imperial concubine in confusion.

"Everyone in the palace is trying to figure out who the maid who discovered the difference in the dish is, and I'm having a hard time dealing with it."

"I am so terrified." Lin Zhiruo thought to herself that not only did she point out the problem with the dish, but she also left the table without permission, which was bound to make people unhappy.

"No one can recognize this face now."

Lin Zhiruo originally thought that she was cautious and thorough, but there were still some omissions.

"By the way, Guard Gao arrived early this morning. I asked him to weed the flower garden."

This difference is really a waste of talent.

But the guard was happy to do it, no wonder he was so popular among the ladies in the palace.

"Can I borrow the Queen's side hall for a while?"

"Okay, I'll send someone to call him right away." Concubine Yuyao took the little princess from Caiwei's arms.

Caiwei went to invite Gao Zhongcheng.

Lin Zhiruo wanted to go in person, but the imperial concubine stopped her.

"Manager Quan ordered me to present this item to the young lady." Gao Zhongcheng placed an exquisitely embroidered brocade bag on the table.

Lin Zhiruo opened the brocade bag and saw a glass cup inlaid with jade and gold, which contained a bowl of clear fish soup.

This was not the dish she had tasted before, but the delicacy that was supposed to be presented to Concubine Yuyao.

Although Quan Wushuang had refused yesterday, he still ordered someone to deliver this item.

Lin Zhiruo understood that he wanted to check it herself, so she happily agreed.

"You must never eat this thing." Gao Zhongcheng warned seriously.

"Of course not." Lin Zhiruo responded softly, thinking to herself that it would be a shame if this exquisite glassware were to be contaminated by unclean things.

Gao Zhongcheng didn't understand what she meant and continued to watch her warily.

Lin Zhiruo carefully picked up the glass cup and observed it carefully.

What she cared about was not the soup itself, but the exquisite dish.

"Have you found anything?" Gao Zhongcheng asked as he got closer.

"Has anyone ever touched this glass cup?"

"There is no such thing. Everyone uses jade chopsticks to pick up food for inspection and never dares to touch it with bare hands." Gao Zhongcheng said that they all wrapped the food in silk handkerchiefs when transporting it.

Hearing this, Lin Zhiruo's lips curled up slightly.

"Please wait."

She first went to the kitchen to get something, then returned to the bedroom.

He apologized softly to the quilt and took out the cotton wool from it.

She brought back a box of fine spice powder and new cotton.

Knead the cotton into a ball, dip it in spice powder, and gently pat it on the surface of the glass cup.

Gao Zhongcheng looked at her in confusion.

"This is..."

A few shallow marks appeared on the glass cup.

"This is the mark left by the finger."

Lin Zhiruo explained that fingertips would leave oil, which was especially noticeable on glassware.

She recalled her childhood in the imperial kitchen, where her master taught her to use spice powder to test whether utensils were clean.

"Precious vessels like these must be wiped clean before use, leaving no marks."

Several fingerprints appeared on the glass cup.

Judging from the size and position of the fingerprints, the movements of the person holding the cup can be inferred.

"The person holding the cup..." Lin Zhiruo suddenly stopped talking.

Gao Zhongcheng noticed that something was wrong with her.

"What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter."

It was futile to hide the secret from this perceptive guard, Lin Zhiruo sighed.

"At least five people have touched this glass lamp."

She pointed at the marks and said, "Whoever wiped them wouldn't have used their hands directly, so the fingerprints were left by the person who served the soup, the person who served the food, the palace maid who tasted the food for Concubine Dexin, and an unidentified person."

Gao Zhongcheng stared at her and asked, "Why would a palace maid who tastes food touch the dishes?"

Lin Zhiruo didn't want to be troublesome.

But seeing that this guard is an upright person, he may be trustworthy.

"I guess the maid who tasted the food deliberately changed the dishes."

The palace maid knew that Concubine Dexin could not eat certain ingredients, but she deliberately swapped the meals. There must be something fishy about it.

Lin Zhiruo put down the glass cup with a serious expression.

“This is a form of oppression.”

"Oppression..."

Gao Zhongcheng is unbelievable.

It is unbelievable that a palace maid would dare to be disrespectful to the imperial concubine in this deep palace.

"Guard Gao seemed to find it hard to believe."

If he didn't want to delve into the matter, Lin Zhiruo wouldn't say anything more.

She has always been careful with her words and actions.

But in order to explain the palace maid touching the utensils, the reason had to be explained.

Lin Zhiruo decided to tell the truth.

“Could you elaborate?”

Gao Zhongcheng stood with his arms folded.

"Let me be clear, this is just speculation."

“I know.”

Lin Zhiruo started by talking about Concubine Dexin’s special identity.

Concubine Dexin entered the palace at a young age, but was soon forced to return to secular life.

Women in the palace were taught from a young age to put their husbands first, especially those of noble birth.

Even if it was arranged by the court, it would be against etiquette for Concubine Dexin to remarry the son of her previous husband.

"Guard Gao, have you ever seen Concubine Dexin's attire at the banquet?"

She was wearing a bright red dress.

Seeing that Gao Zhongcheng remained silent, he must have felt that something was wrong.

“It’s definitely against the rules.”

But the maids of Concubine Dexin were all wearing plain white clothes.

"Normally, a palace maid should advise her mistress to behave properly or be compatible with her. But under the circumstances, Concubine Dexin became a laughing stock."

Palace maids should serve their masters respectfully, this is what Caiwei often said.

From this point of view, there may be other hidden reasons behind the dispute between the palace maids on both sides over Concubine Dexin's clothes.

The maids of Imperial Concubine Shuwan were trying to persuade the maids around Imperial Concubine Dexin who did not know the rules.

The naive and simple Concubine Dexin must have believed the flattery of the palace maids, who said how gorgeous the red dress was, and that's why she put on clothes that were inappropriate for her status.

Completely defenseless.

In this deep palace, all outsiders are enemies, and only the personal maids can be trusted.

But if these maids have ulterior motives and deliberately embarrass their masters...

"Not only did they change the meals, but the palace maids also wanted to harm Imperial Concubine Dexin?" Gao Zhongcheng asked solemnly.

"That's right, but this incident actually saved the imperial concubine's life."

Lin Zhiruo explained that the toxin hidden in the fish sashimi was extremely insidious and it would take some time for symptoms to show up.

If the palace maids had not been replaced, the maids who tasted the food would not have noticed anything unusual, and Concubine Dexin would have eaten it.

“The method is really vicious.”

Lin Zhiruo picked up the glass cup again and pointed at the edge, saying, "This fingerprint must have been left by the person who poisoned the cup. He held the edge of the cup and mixed the poison into it."

According to the palace rules, the edges of tableware cannot be touched. This is what Caiwei taught her, saying that the food used by nobles cannot be contaminated by their fingers.

“That’s roughly my analysis.”

Gao Zhongcheng stroked his chin and stared at the glass cup.

“Can I ask you something?”

"Speaking."

Lin Zhiruo wrapped the glass cup and handed it back to Gao Zhongcheng.

"Why are you trying to excuse that maid?"

Lin Zhiruo looked at him in surprise, and Gao Zhongcheng added, "I'm just confused."

"Compared to the imperial concubine, the lives of palace ladies are insignificant."

What's more, she was just a palace maid who tasted food.

Gao Zhongcheng seemed to understand her implication and nodded slightly.

"I will report this to Chief Minister Quan."

"Thank you, Guard Gao."

After watching Gao Zhongcheng leave, Lin Zhiruo leaned back in her chair and sighed.

“He should be thanked.”

I thought to myself that I should have tasted that dish at that time.

...

“That’s what happened.”

Gao Zhongcheng went to the Liuli Palace to investigate on behalf of the busy Quan Wushuang, and now he came back to report.

Quan Wushuang brushed away the loose hair on his forehead, and had a plan in mind.

The desk is piled with memorials awaiting approval.

There were only the two of them in the huge study.

"Your storytelling skills are getting better and better."

“Not worthy.”

The general responded calmly.

"No matter how you look at it, it must be the work of an insider."

"really."

Gao Zhongcheng frowned.

Quan Wushuang felt his temples throbbing.

I wish I could just give up.

I haven't slept a wink since last night.

There was no time to even change clothes.

I really want to jump up and down and curse.

"The steward is almost unable to hide his true nature."

The usual gentleness on Quan Wushuang's face was gone.

In Gao Zhongcheng's eyes, he must be a willful boy at this moment.

"There's no one else here, so why be so restrained?"

Quan Wushuang looked at this meticulous subordinate.

"And I, your humble servant, am present."

“You’re already half family.”

“You can’t say that.”

Quan Wushuang wanted to make a joke, but it was useless to this old-fashioned man.

Taking care of him since he was a child is really a headache.

"She's still wearing the hairpin."

Gao Zhongcheng pointed at his bun.

"Oh no! That's a mistake."

Normally he would never lose his composure like this.

"It's hidden by the hair, so others can't see it."

Quan Wushuang took off the gold hairpin from her hair, revealing the patterns carved by the skilled craftsman.

It was a mythical beast, the Phoenix, the symbol of good fortune. The person who could wear it was a testament to his noble status.

"Please keep it for me."

Quan Wushuang casually threw the golden hairpin to Gao Zhongcheng.

"Please keep it with care, this item is of great value."

“I understand.”

“You don’t understand.”

After the admonition, the old minister who had served for fifteen years left the study.

Quan Wushuang maintained a childish expression, lying on the table.

The documents piled up like a mountain.

It's time to start processing.