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

Dusk enveloped the Forbidden City, and amidst the gloomy clouds, Imperial Concubine Yuyao looked at the palace attendants in front of the hall with sorrowful eyes and sighed softly:

"The world is so unpredictable and so sad." Although her beautiful face is still charming, it is hard to hide the sadness in her heart.

(The news of the unexpected death of an important court official has spread throughout the palace.)

Lin Zhiruo stood quietly by the side, expressionless.

As a female food taster in the imperial kitchen, she did not have much feelings towards this adult whom she had never met.

It is said that this man was over fifty years old and died due to excessive drinking, which was his own fault.

We should have just left it at that and everything should have returned to peace.

However, Lin Zhiruo was unable to leave after completing her routine meal tasting.

Because Quan Wushuang sent Caiwei to handle other important matters, she had to stay and take his place.

According to palace rules, palace maids are not allowed to be alone with concubines without the accompaniment of a female official.

What is interesting is that Quan Wushuang specifically asked for Caiwei, the female official in charge, rather than an ordinary female official like Lin Zhiruo.

(Is there something else hidden behind this?)

Lin Zhiruo's keen intuition detected something.

"Do you think that glass of wine was the real killer?"

The beautiful palace attendant looked past Concubine Yuyao and set her eyes on Lin Zhiruo.

Fine wine can be deadly in many ways.

Even Lin Zhiruo, who was well-versed in fine wine, knew the dangers of excessive drinking. If fine wine was mixed with other substances, it could become a deadly poison.

Long-term excessive drinking can cause damage to various parts of the body, while drinking large amounts of alcohol at one time can cause death on the spot.

This time it was the latter case. It was said that the gentleman drank an entire jar of fine wine in one breath at the banquet.

"Drinking so much could be fatal."

Lin Zhiruo spoke calmly as she entered the guardhouse. This was where she had once summoned Liu Wu. Although the room was still simple, it was furnished with snacks and a heater to dispel the chill.

"But he drank less than six points of the usual amount."

Quan Wushuang's words made Lin Zhiruo frown slightly.

Gao Zhongcheng took a celadon wine jug from a palace maid, who bowed respectfully and quietly retreated.

"I still can't believe that Lord Chen would die because of this little bit of alcohol."

The deceased Chen Haoran was a general who could drink a bucket of liquor without changing his expression. Judging from the expressions of Quan Wushuang and Concubine Yuyao, he must have been an upright and selfless person.

Gao Zhongcheng placed the celadon wine pot on the sandalwood table and slowly poured out the amber liquid inside.

“What kind of wine is this?”

"The Yuyechun tea from the same batch as the one served at the banquet was taken from a different jar. The one that Lord Chen drank from has been broken."

"If someone had tampered with the wine, there's no way to verify it now."

If it wasn't the alcohol, then there was only one other possibility.

“That’s exactly what’s going on.”

Quan Wushuang obviously understood the seriousness of the situation, but he was still determined to get to the bottom of it. He must have had an unusual connection with the general.

(Why is he no longer as high-spirited as before?)

Quan Wushuang's recent demeanor seemed more youthful than before. However, for Lin Zhiruo, she would rather see him as arrogant as before than see him so lonely.

Lin Zhiruo took a sip of wine and savored it carefully.

(Huh?)

The taste of this wine is quite unique, sweet with a hint of salt. It's as if a hint of salt has been added to the already sweet wine.

(Like cooking wine used for seasoning in the kitchen.)

“The taste of this wine is very unique.”

Lin Zhiruo said as she looked at Quan Wushuang who was looking at her.

"Indeed, this is Lord Chen's unique hobby. He has always liked sweet things, and whether it's fine wine or delicious food, he always adds some honey to flavor it."

Quan Wushuang recalled the past and continued, "Even when the imperial chef carefully prepared delicious savory dishes, he never asked about them."

"I heard that he loved strong-flavored dishes in his early years, but one day his taste suddenly changed and he even added sugar to ordinary meals."

A nostalgic smile appeared on Quan Wushuang's face.

"This kind of eating habit may harm your body."

Lin Zhiruo spoke frankly.

"Why bother saying such a depressing thing?"

Quan Wushuang said with a slightly disappointed look.

(There must be a reason for switching from a heavy salty diet to a sweet one.)

Lin Zhiruo drank several cups in a row, savoring Yuyechun cup after cup.

Quan Wushuang and Gao Zhongcheng had been silently observing her actions, but Lin Zhiruo didn't care.

When only half of the wine in the jug was left, Lin Zhiruo asked:

"Are there any savory dishes for the banquet?"

"Of course we have. We have pickled plums, salted fish, and bacon. Do you want me to get them for you?"

"No, I've almost finished this fine wine."

This wine would be even more delicious if it had some salty snacks to go with it.

"Ah, this..."

Quan Wushuang looked confused.

Lin Zhiruo poured herself another glass.

Others cast inquiring glances at her, but she ignored them.

It's a rare opportunity to taste such fine wine, so naturally I have to drink a few more glasses.

Lin Zhiruo drank the Yuyechun in the wine pot until the last drop.

Although she wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, she still suppressed the impulse in front of the noble man.

"Can the jar of wine that Master Chen drank be found?"

"The jar of wine has been broken."

"No problem, please help me check something."

The next day, Lin Zhiruo was summoned to Zizhuxuan again.

In the past, they all met in the hall of the Imperial Kitchen Manager, but recently, as the New Year is approaching, everyone is very busy.

(As expected.)

The matters that Lin Zhiruo asked Quan Wushuang to investigate were all recorded in a secret letter.

She carefully examined the fragments of the wine jar wrapped in a brocade handkerchief that came with the letter, with some white crystals attached to them.

She picked up the shard and took a dainty taste.

"Is it okay to taste it this way?"

Quan Wushuang reached out to stop her, but Lin Zhiruo shook her head.

“It’s not a big deal.”

There was a deeper meaning in her words, and Quan Wushuang and Gao Zhongcheng both looked puzzled.

Lin Zhiruo walked to the copper furnace, threw the secret letter into the fire, and placed the fragments on the flames.

Suddenly, the flames changed into strange colors.

“Is this salt?”

Quan Wushuang moved closer to observe, as if he remembered the flame color-changing technique that Lin Zhiruo had once demonstrated.

"Indeed, there is a lot of salt in this wine."

Lin Zhiruo explained, "When the wine evaporates, these white crystals are the remaining salt."

The Yuyechun she had tasted also contained salt, which was not the taste of the original wine itself, but was deliberately added by someone.

"If the guests at the banquet prefer strong flavors, they will naturally not like this sweet wine."

When drinking, people usually put a little salt on the rim of the glass.

But if you pour salt directly into the wine, it means you are either drunk and have lost your mind, or you have ulterior motives.

Although a little salt is not a big deal, the salt content in the jar of wine that Lord Chen drank was far higher than usual.

“Although the human body needs salt, excessive intake can be life-threatening.”

Just like fine wine, drinking too much at once can be fatal.

"How is this possible? How could you drink such a salty and bitter drink without even noticing it?"

"Master Chen indeed failed to notice anything unusual."

Lin Zhiruo unfolded the secret letter in her hand, which recorded Mr. Chen's living habits in detail.

"Steward Quan once said that one day, Master Chen suddenly switched from liking salty foods to liking sweet foods."

"Indeed... Could it be..."

Quan Wushuang seemed to understand something and his expression suddenly changed.

"I speculate that Mr. Chen may suffer from a taste disorder and is particularly insensitive to salty tastes."

Mr. Chen was a highly respected official in the court during his lifetime, which can be seen from this simple record.

Ever since his family members died of the epidemic, he has devoted all his energy to state affairs.

Only fine wine and desserts can ease his loneliness.

"There is a disease that can cause loss of taste."

Lin Zhiruo explained softly, "This is often due to malnutrition or excessive mental strain."

The more responsible a person is, the more likely he is to bury his emotions deep in his heart.

This kind of depression will eventually damage your body if it accumulates over time.

"So who puts salt in the wine?"

Lin Zhiruo shook her head slightly.

“It’s not for me to decide this matter.”

Since Quan Wushuang already knew that the other wine jars also contained salt, and knew that Lord Chen was an upright person, he must have had some plans in mind.

There are always people in the world who are dissatisfied with upright people.

Perhaps someone took advantage of the alcohol to play a prank, and seeing that the other person had no reaction, he or she would continue to do more.

As the old saying goes, "Truth comes out when drunk." I wonder what the person involved feels at this moment.

(It is really wrong to shirk responsibility like this.)

Lin Zhiruo knew it very well, and she didn't want to directly lead to others being convicted.

But giving such an obvious clue is almost like naming names.

Quan Wushuang and Gao Zhongcheng whispered a few words to each other, and then Gao Zhongcheng left Zizhuxuan.

Quan Wushuang looked at the plum blossoms falling outside the window in a trance.

Lin Zhiruo noticed that the jade pendant around his waist was tied with an ink-black silk ribbon, dotted with tiny green jade beads.

(Is this mourning in secret?)

Is it intentional or is it because they don’t want to show it off?

"Thank you for your help this time."

Quan Wushuang turned around and revealed a faint and elegant smile.

“No thanks.”

Lin Zhiruo wanted to ask about his relationship with Lord Chen, but swallowed her words back.

(If I find out something I shouldn't know, wouldn't that just bring trouble upon myself?)

Love in this world is inherently complicated.

She then asked, "Your Excellency seems to be quite close to Master Chen?"

"Yes, he took care of me when I was little."

After Quan Wushuang finished speaking, he said no more and just narrowed his eyes slightly.

At this moment, he actually looked like an ordinary young man.

It is difficult to see such genuine emotions on that overly handsome face.

(It turns out he is also a mortal.)

In terms of appearance, he looks more like a banished immortal walking out of a painting.

Just as Lin Zhiruo was lost in thought, Quan Wushuang took out an object from the table.

"Jade pot?"

It was a crystal clear white jade wine jug.

“It’s not the fine wine we just tasted.”

Quan Wushuang handed it to Lin Zhiruo, saying it was a little token of his appreciation.

Lin Zhiruo opened the lid of the pot, and a wisp of rich fragrance hit her face.

(This is!)

“Be careful when drinking it so that others don’t see you.”

"Thank you, sir."

Lin Zhiruo bowed respectfully, which was rare for her.

(That's quite thoughtful.)

Just as she was thinking this, a handsome face suddenly came closer.

Lin Zhiruo instinctively took a step back.

As expected, he is still the Quan Wushuang who loves to tease people.

"You don't look like you're thanking me."

"Really? Please focus on government affairs, sir."

Quan Wushuang delayed his official duties due to personal matters, which made Lin Zhiruo a little unhappy.

(Even though there is nothing to do, I shouldn't be so lazy.)

"If you have some free time, why not finish your government affairs earlier?"

Although she was not a diligent person, Lin Zhiruo still couldn't help but remind him.

Quan Wushuang showed a hint of dissatisfaction at first, and then a cunning look flashed in his eyes.

"I have always performed my duties conscientiously."

“Where did you get this from?”

Quan Wushuang held his chin, as if thinking.

"Recently, there was a memorial proposing restrictions on young people's drinking."

"oh?"

Lin Zhiruo had a vague ominous premonition in her heart.

“Anyone under the specified age is not allowed to drink alcohol.”

The cunning steward had a mischievous smile on his face and looked straight at Lin Zhiruo.

"Please, Your Excellency, please stop this proposal."

"I'm afraid this matter is beyond my power to decide."

A gentle smile appeared on Quan Wushuang's face, and he obviously enjoyed Lin Zhiruo's embarrassment at the moment.

Lin Zhiruo curled her lips and gave him a reproachful look.

"Don't make fun of me, sir."

"How dare I?"

Quan Wushuang chuckled and shook his head, then said seriously, "Speaking of which, do you know why Lord Chen loves sweets?"

Lin Zhiruo was slightly startled.

“It has to do with his taste quirks.”

"Exactly."

Quan Wushuang sighed softly: "He is honest by nature and is unwilling to compromise."

"With this kind of personality, it would be difficult for him to survive in the imperial court."

“That’s why someone would do it in secret.”

Lin Zhiruo was silent.

Some truths are better left unsaid.