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

He seemed to be hiding a secret in his heart that he had never revealed to Quan Wushuang. Could it be that he and the emperor had a telepathic connection and both hoped that Quan Wushuang could get married as soon as possible and continue the royal family's offspring?

Quan Wushuang had a calm expression on his face as he calmly adjusted his sitting posture, appearing exceptionally composed.

"I only hope that you can let me enjoy the happiness of having children and grandchildren as soon as possible."

His words revealed a deep weariness with the duties of service and a profound longing for deliverance.

"I will definitely do my best."

Gao Zhongcheng took the warm tea handed to him by Henghua, took a sip, and a warm current instantly spread throughout his body.

Quan Wushuang completely ignored the resentful looks from his followers and drank the boiled water in his hand.

This routine visit to the Fourth Lady once again ended successfully.

Concubine Shuwan, who had recently entered the palace, did not seem to feel too uncomfortable with life in the harem.

She entered the palace out of helplessness. Quan Wushuang was initially worried that it would cause an uproar. However, both Concubine Yuyao and Concubine Pinglan were not good people. Although they had disagreements in the past, it was just a brief accident and they have been living in harmony since then.

Concubine Dexin has a gentle temperament and probably would not initiate an argument with others.

However, if there are maids in the palace who are secretly sowing discord, then we must be extra vigilant.

The new concubine moved into the former residence of Concubine Si Lan, which added a sense of desolation.

The bedroom that was once simple, bright and without any unnecessary items is now surrounded by luxurious furniture and turned into a magnificent palace.

The father of Imperial Concubine Shuwan was the late emperor—more precisely, the favorite of the previous empress dowager. He was also the official who expanded the number of palace maids in the harem to three thousand.

The one most favored by the emperor now is Concubine Yuyao, followed by Concubine Pinglan.

However, being an emperor does not require just favoring a few concubines.

In the harem, one can both reconcile the balance of power within the palace and disrupt it.

The emperor was reluctant to neglect Concubine Shuwan, so he would visit her every ten days.

As a result, the other concubines naturally felt uneasy.

Although the emperor still visited her the most times, pregnancy was ultimately beyond human control.

Between men and women, what matters is compatibility. The emperor doesn't seem to have much interest in Concubine Shuwan, and Quan Wushuang can also notice this.

The reason is not difficult to understand. Quan Wushuang looked at Concubine Shuwan and felt something in his heart.

When the girls from the food garden were teaching the harem, Concubine Shuwan wore strange costumes and gorgeous ornaments of southern birds. Sometimes she wore southern costumes, sometimes she wore clothes of northern frontier ethnic groups, sometimes she wore Hu clothing like a teenager, and sometimes she wore tight-waisted Western clothes. Her hairstyle and makeup also changed with each passing day.

This outfit not only shows her mastery of dressing, but also reveals a sense of impetuousness.

There are rumors that because her appearance, although dignified, lacks characteristics, she overcorrected and developed this habit.

The emperor once said that every time he visited Concubine Shuwan, he felt confused and didn't know who she was, so he lacked interest.

Speaking of lack of interest, Concubine Dexin also felt the same way, but the reasons were very different.

The Emperor was extremely disgusted with the late Emperor's likes and dislikes, so he seemed to have no interest in Concubine De Xin, who still looked like a young girl.

There was a long scar on the Empress Dowager's abdomen, left by her petite body when she gave birth to the current emperor.

The birth canal was narrow, so a caesarean section was performed.

It was originally thought that both mother and child would be in danger, but fortunately, the medical officer who returned from a foreign country had superb medical skills and not only saved the life of the empress dowager, but also preserved her uterus.

More than ten years later, the Empress Dowager gave birth to another son.

The late emperor had only these two sons from beginning to end.

Perhaps because of the Empress Dowager's previous childbirth experience, the medical officer stayed by her side the entire time.

However, the Eastern Palace Concubine, who was about to give birth at the same time, was neglected and ended up with regrets.

If the Emperor's first son were still alive now—

Quan Wushuang couldn't help but think about it, then he shook his head and warned himself not to think too much.

Then, he secretly hoped that it would be great if he could give birth to the next crown prince as soon as possible.

Quan Wushuang and Gao Zhongcheng both have this wish.

Since the concubine's education, the emperor's visits have increased significantly, and perhaps he will soon reap some rewards.

Concubine Yuyao's maid, Chang Caiwei, had a sad face and confided her worries to Quan Wushuang.

It is said that the emperor visited the Liuli Palace as usual yesterday, but Concubine Yuyao looked lazy and weak.

Caiwei took care of her with great worry, and even her smooth black hair looked a little messy.

This always worried head maid seems to have a similar fate to Gao Zhongcheng, and she even has some feelings for him.

However, Gao Zhongcheng has always been henpecked, and Caiwei's feelings are likely to be in vain.

Seeing this, Quan Wushuang thought to himself that this might be an opportunity, so he made a suggestion.

Upon hearing this, Imperial Concubine Yuyao's eyes lit up instantly and she nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Although Caiwei looked helpless, she seemed to agree with it. She turned around and told the three maids who were eavesdropping outside the room.

It seems that this decision was not wrong.

"The harem?" Quan Wushuang asked softly.

"Exactly. That's the job you're most passionate about."

Lin Zhiruo was carefully wiping the silver utensils until they were as shiny as a mirror.

After confirming that everything was correct, she put the tableware back on the shelf.

Because her foot injury had not healed, although she mostly worked in a chair, Henghua would still ask her to do some chores.

This maid is truly a model among models, causing people both headaches and helplessness.

Quan Wushuang tasted the orange leisurely. He could have peeled it himself, but he insisted on asking Henghua to carefully peel the thin skin one by one and arrange them neatly on the plate, like a spoiled young man.

The maid, who seemed to be aging, seemed to be quite doting on him. Sometimes she was worried that he would be cold so she asked him to put on more clothes, and sometimes she was worried that he would get burned so she was busy warming up the tea.

It's really shameful that he still looks like this at such an age.

"I heard that Imperial Concubine Yuyao's menstruation has stopped." Quan Wushuang said softly. Menstruation refers to the period.

(Could she be pregnant?)

When she was pregnant with Princess Ai Ling, the concubine was poisoned twice, and the murderer has not been caught yet. I believe her heart must be full of fear and worry.

"When did it start?" Quan Wushuang asked.

"Can we set off today?" Lin Zhiruo asked expectantly.

"Of course I'd love to have that."

Men are not allowed to enter the harem, so Lin Zhiruo will no longer have to see the man whose name she doesn't even want to mention.

This might be a thoughtful arrangement by Quan Wushuang, or it might be for his own convenience.

But no matter what, Lin Zhiruo didn't care much.

She thought she could remain calm while doing things, but...

"Hey, did something good happen?" Henghua looked at Lin Zhiruo with a smile in his eyes, obviously seeing her excitement.

"No, that's not the case." Lin Zhiruo quickly denied it.

"Haha, what a shame. Finally a good girl who can stand up to the test has come."