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

Lin Zhiruo was wearing soft silk instead of the rough linen she used to wear.

She recalled the days when she worked as a servant in the harem. At that time, linen was her only clothing, but the treatment she received now was so different.

"No, since you have been expelled, you cannot be easily allowed to return. From now on, you will serve here."

Quan Wushuang's personal bodyguard Gao Zhongcheng led Lin Zhiruo through the palaces, telling her the name of each building and the department it belonged to along the way.

The palace is so vast and the buildings are so numerous that it would be difficult to count them all even if you use your hands and feet.

He learned that his future assignment would not be in the harem, but in the outer court, which was a workplace full of officials and was completely different from the royal residence in the harem, which belonged to the inner court.

"There are many military officers east of this place, so please try to avoid getting involved."

Lin Zhiruo nodded and measured the distribution of food in the garden with her eyes.

(Sure enough, the ingredients at Houxi are more abundant.)

I guess it was when my father Wang Li was in the harem that he transplanted some usable ingredients.

Despite the limited space, a wide variety of ingredients are grown.

As Gao Zhongcheng introduced them one by one, Lin Zhiruo felt a sharp pain in her neck.

She glanced sideways and saw a group of women working in the outer court staring at them, or more precisely, staring at Lin Zhiruo.

There are some things that only women can understand, just like the unique tacit understanding between men.

Compared to men who are more likely to take direct action, women are better at scheming.

He was probably examining the new woman.

(This is really unpleasant——)

Lin Zhiruo stuck out her tongue and chased Gao Zhongcheng who was heading to the next department.

Lin Zhiruo's duties were no different from those of the maids in the harem, except that she cleaned the room and occasionally did some chores as ordered.

Quan Wushuang originally intended to let her take on more important responsibilities, but he was unable to do so because Lin Zhiruo failed the exam.

“Why didn’t you pass?”

(How could you think I could pass this so easily?)

Quan Wushuang and Gao Zhongcheng were both shocked. They seemed to think that it would be easy for Lin Zhiruo to pass the exam.

Although Lin Zhiruo grew up in a brothel, she could read and write, knew some poetry and musical instruments, and received the most basic education.

Although the exam was not as difficult as the imperial examination, the two men seemed to think that they could pass it with a little effort.

(Sorry, I failed.)

Lin Zhiruo wiped the window frame until it creaked.

This is the corridor of Quan Wushuang's study. Although its structure is not as gorgeous as that of the harem, it is built quite tall.

The bright red lacquer walls were eye-catching, and it was obvious that they were repainted every year.

To be honest, Lin Zhiruo doesn't like reading.

Her memory for things that don't interest her is far worse than that of ordinary people.

Ingredients and related knowledge are understandable, but what is the use of those classics, history, and collections?

Laws and regulations are revised frequently, so even if you remember them, they will not last long.

Unfortunately, Lin Zhiruo was born unable to pay attention to such matters, so it was understandable that she failed the exam.

Even so, she still opened the picture album given to her in advance and tried to read it, but she always woke up at dawn without realizing it, and it never failed.

Therefore, she could only continue to work hard.

(It was unexpectedly messy.)

If you think about it, such a huge mansion is bound to have some omissions.

But at the same time, Lin Zhiruo couldn't help but suspect that perhaps someone was being lazy.

Female officials must be qualified to be able to reach this position, which is completely different from the palace maids in the harem who are put together here and there.

The female official came from a prominent family, received a good education, and also had corresponding self-esteem.

They may disdain to do the work of maids, and will not clean up even if the dust piles up like a mountain.

(Never mind, it’s not part of my job description after all.)

Female officials were more like clerks; cleaning was not part of their duties, nor was they obligated to do so.

However, this does not mean that they can turn a deaf ear.

Official slaves - that is, the slavery system - had been abolished during the previous emperor's time, so all miscellaneous tasks were handled by maids and servants hired by individuals.

Now Lin Zhiruo has become Quan Wushuang's personal maid.

As for how others called her, Lin Zhiruo didn't know, but she called the women working in the harem palace maids and the women working in the outer court female officials.

Perhaps this is not an accurate division, but according to what Lin Zhiruo heard, Quan Wushuang and others seemed to make this distinction.

(Okay, next is...)

Lin Zhiruo went to Quan Wushuang's study.

This room is spacious yet elegant, with a simple structure.

The owner of the house seemed to be a very busy man. Once he went out, he would not come back for a long time. This made Lin Zhiruo's cleaning work much easier, but there was also a problem.

"Who are you?"

When Lin Zhiruo came to her senses, she found herself surrounded by a group of unfamiliar female officials.

Each of these female officials was taller than Lin Zhiruo, and some were even a head taller than her.

(The food is good, and he looks strong...)

In addition to looking at the other person's height, Lin Zhiruo's eyes unconsciously shifted to their chests.

The troublemaker was tall and well-developed.

"Hey, are you listening?"

Lin Zhiruo's distraction further angered these female officials.

In short, the reason these female officials were angry was because they didn't understand how Lin Zhiruo could work directly under Quan Wushuang.

It was futile to ask, as Lin Zhiruo was a hired worker and had no way to answer.

If Lin Zhiruo possessed the exotic charm of the Hu princess like Concubine Yuyao, the plump figure of Concubine Pinglan, or the seductive charm of Princess Ai Ling, no one would have any objections, and even if they did, they would not dare to speak out easily.

However, Lin Zhiruo was a thin, short, plain-looking woman with a face full of freckles.

This seemed to displease them greatly.

They were extremely dissatisfied with Lin Zhiruo being able to stay with the handsome eunuch, and they wished they could replace him.

(Hmm—what should I do?)

Lin Zhiruo was not an eloquent person, and she often just thought in her heart without saying a word.

But remaining silent will probably only add fuel to the fire.

"Could it be that you are jealous of me?"

Lin Zhiruo's blunt words were enough to anger them.

Only after being slapped did she realize that she had indeed said the wrong thing.

There were five female officials around her, and Lin Zhiruo wanted to avoid being lynched.

However, they pushed Lin Zhiruo step by step to the deep end of the corridor where she could not be easily noticed.

In desperation, Lin Zhiruo could only find an excuse temporarily - she thought.

"Do you think the steward has some special regard for me?"

The ladies-in-waiting's expressions became increasingly distorted.

Before Lin Zhiruo received another slap, she continued:

"That's absolutely impossible. How could that angel-like gentleman pay any attention to an ugly girl like me?"

Lin Zhiruo lowered her head, and her words made the angry female official's cheeks twitch slightly.

It seems to be working, Lin Zhiruo continued:

"Would the noble man in your heart be so hungry and indiscriminate? With abalone and wild boar right before his eyes, why would he think of eating chicken bones with the meat removed? Oh, if that's the case, then this habit is truly extraordinary."

Perhaps it was because Lin Zhiruo particularly emphasized the four words "special hobbies", these four words made the female officials tremble again.

"I don't know, but could a man with a smile as beautiful as a flower and a beauty as beautiful as an angel have such a special hobby? I see, a special hobby..."

"Of course... there will be no such thing!"

"Yes, how could it be so."

The ladies-in-waiting began to chatter.

Lin Zhiruo thought she had succeeded, but one of them still looked at her with suspicion.

"But if not, why would the Lord employ you?"

A female officer who was calmer than the others asked.

This female official was the tallest and had delicate features.

Only then did Lin Zhiruo realize that this female official was the only one who remained calm throughout.

She kept half a step away from the crowd. At first glance, it seemed that she was joining in the fun, but it seemed more like she was observing the situation.

They are probably the kind of people who find it troublesome but still want to join a group.

(Well, if that doesn't get you by...)

"That's why."