Chapter 22 Imperial Kitchen, Chapter 15

Masakatsu almost dropped the bowl and chopsticks in his hands.

Is this someone calling him?

Shinjuku looked up and saw a tall man in front of him wearing a deep robe, a garment reserved for servants. His strong and sturdy physique made the loose robe almost look like a tight-fitting garment. He didn't look like a eunuch at all, but more like a royal guard. Moreover, his skin was not as pale as that of an ordinary eunuch, but a dark wheat color with a sheen, exuding vitality.

Looking at his appearance, the thick but orderly tiger-like eyebrows seemed somewhat familiar, but the eyes that stared straight at him with slightly drooping corners were something that Shinjuku couldn't recall. He figured he had never seen this person before.

Seeing that Shinjuku hadn't responded for a long time, the tall man's eyebrows drooped even more, looking aggrieved, but he was too clumsy to say anything, and could only awkwardly call out "Master" again.

"...Wait a minute, are you calling me?"

Although the person was blocking his way and staring at him as he spoke, the answer was obvious, but that didn't stop Shinju from wanting to confirm it.

Then the tall man's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. His appearance made Shinjuku think that if the other man could grow a tail, it would probably be waving around like a windmill by now.

But noticing that Uncle Wu was still standing there, not coming in, Masatsu didn't want to be the butt of the show, so he refused, saying, "Don't call me that. My surname is Qing. You can call me Qing Chuanshan."

The tall man hesitated for a moment, then changed his words, "Qing Chuanshan... then you, you can call me Xiaodunzi!"

Shinju did not call out his name, but simply nodded, then bypassed the small mound and entered the imperial kitchen with Uncle Wu.

Xiaodunzi stood still, not chasing after him. Even if he was slow to react, he could sense Shinju's indifference and resistance. He couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat, his shoulders slumped as if he had lost all strength, and then he slowly covered his chest.

I never expected our first meeting after entering the palace would turn out like this. He was still too stupid.

The slave trader who wanted to send him to the Phoenix Pavilion had taught him this: to leave a good impression, you have to be sweet-talking and call adults "master," which will please them.

Although he had never tried it before and this was the first time he had shouted it like that, the slave trader was probably not lying to him, because the slave trader had taught others to do the same.

Little Dunzi had no idea what he had done wrong. He stared longingly in the direction of the imperial kitchen, his heart and blood, which had been pounding with anxiety, now calmed down.

Back in the imperial kitchen, Shinjuku realized that the man's imposing physique was truly unique among the eunuchs, and that he had happened to have seen one in the castration room.

Could that person be...?

Shinju glanced at his finger; the wound was long gone. He had bitten his hand and fed a drop of immortal blood to the tall man. The blood of a true immortal was comparable to a top-grade spiritual medicine of purest and most yang nature. Not to mention mortals, even cultivators, if their cultivation was weak, would likely be unable to withstand such potent medicinal properties and explode in death.

At the time, he was desperate and just wanted to see if the person had any affinity with the immortals.

I can't believe he actually made it through. It's just a pity he was born in this small world devoid of spiritual energy.

However, Shinjuku didn't think any further, because the chief eunuch suddenly came to find him, saying that he had something important to tell him, so Shinjuku stopped what he was doing and followed the chief eunuch.

"A new member is to be added to the meal service?" Masakuni asked in surprise.

The chief eunuch nodded. "That's right, the candidate has been chosen. He's been transferred directly from an outer prefecture, and you'll be in charge of him from now on. However, his accommodation hasn't been arranged yet. I remember that you're the only one living in your room for now, so let him stay there as well."

Shinju frowned slightly, somewhat displeased, because this meant he would no longer be able to cultivate at night and would have to avoid people.

Even when tasting dishes, one must consider the new imperial cuisine; in addition to reserving dishes for the emperor, one must also reserve some for him.

"Has he arrived yet?" Shinju looked around but saw no one.

"I don't know where he's gone. We'll send someone to look for him later. Xie Chuanshan is rather simple-minded, so I'm afraid you'll have to give him some pointers, Qing Chuanshan," the chief eunuch said tactfully.

"I understand," Shinjuku replied.

.

Shangyi Bureau, Outer Office.

Lin Wu, who had just come out of the torture chamber, was dressed and looked relatively neat, so he obviously hadn't suffered much there. However, his left eyebrow was raised particularly high, and he looked at everyone with a sinister expression, muttering to himself.

The steward, who had been released before him, wanted to hug him with heartache, but was pushed away violently.

"Haven't you heard enough? Haven't you seen enough?!" Eunuch Lin roared at him in a sharp, hoarse voice, while glaring at the servants escorting him. "If you dare to look around again, I'll turn you all into blind slaves!"

The servants shrank back abruptly.

"Who...who could possibly break your sound barrier..." Lin Wu bit his nails, his eyes turning red, almost obscuring the red mole under his eye.

Upon hearing this, Master Chao's face darkened. He was the one who wanted to know more: who possessed such extraordinary skills? Even their sect leader couldn't achieve such an unheard-of technique. Who would have thought that such a terrifyingly powerful figure would be hidden within the palace?

Lin Wu, seemingly lost in thought, instinctively placed his hands on Master Chao's shoulders and neck, then snapped back to reality and awkwardly withdrew them.

He whispered, "You said the higher-ups wouldn't investigate this blunder, do you really believe it?"

A hint of reluctance flashed in Manager Chao's eyes, but he finally spoke up: "The higher-ups are not going to pursue the matter, but someone else has taken over."

Lin Wu suddenly looked up and grabbed Manager Chao by the collar, "You don't need me anymore?! Which bitch took my place?!"

The moment Master Chao thought of that person, he felt a chill. He was clearly young, had only recently entered the palace, and even seemed unremarkable. But as the saying goes, a dog that doesn't bark is the one that bites most.

He always felt that if he went against that person, no one would come out on top.

He had to persuade Lin Wu not to oppose him.

So, Manager Chao dismissed the rest of the people, and with a perfunctory gesture, led Lin Wu into a side hall.

.

As night fell, since the new steward had not yet reported for his meal, Shinjuku went to the Shōnin-den alone to serve the food.

The Emperor has been busy with talks with the envoys from Feng Kingdom lately, so he did not see the Emperor's face. He only tasted the dishes under the supervision of the head palace maid.

Once again, he returned without any poison. After returning to the royal kitchen and handing the food box to a special servant, he slowly walked towards the servants' quarters, enjoying the evening breeze.

Before even entering, he noticed light shining from inside. As soon as he stepped in, he saw an extra quilt and a pillow on the large communal bed, placed on the side closest to the door, about six or seven body lengths away from his bed. At the same time, a huge, unmistakable figure lay down beside his bed, with its back to him.

"..." Masakatsu walked over.

The person on the bed, tall and burly, was curled up in a ball, close to his usual sleeping spot. His sleeping posture was very restrained, and he hadn't removed his cap. His eyes were closed, and he was fast asleep. However, this person's hand had crossed the line, lying horizontally on his bed.

Shinju knew at a glance that this person was the same Xiaodunzi he had met earlier that day. Considering what the chief eunuch had said earlier that a new cook would be arranged to stay, it could be concluded that Xiaodunzi was the new cook.

What a coincidence!

Shinju knelt on one knee on the edge of the bed and patted Kodun's shoulder. "Hey, wake up."

Xiaodunzi's eyelids twitched, and he quickly woke up.

When he opened his eyes and saw a face exactly like the one in his dream, he couldn't help but smile foolishly.

Shinju thought he was asleep and nudged him gently. Xiaodunzi changed from lying on his side to lying flat, and suddenly felt a chill on his back, finally waking up.

When Xiaodunzi realized that the person in front of him was not in his dream, but real, he immediately jumped up and suddenly distanced himself from the bed. A blush appeared on his cheeks, but because his skin was dark, it was not very noticeable.

“I, I didn’t mean to sleep here…” he tried to explain.

Maju glanced at the brand-new quilt in the distance, clearly not believing it.

Then he said, "I accidentally fell asleep. I was planning to just lie down for a bit and then get up."

"...?" Is the point about sleeping or not sleeping? Shouldn't I not be sleeping here at all?

Shinjuku was defeated by Kodun's overly straightforwardness. He couldn't even get angry, and even couldn't help but laugh. After thinking about it, he finally gave up on pursuing the matter.

When Xiaodunzi saw that Shinjuku was smiling, he couldn't help but feel happy too. In his happiness, he asked, "Kei, Kei, please prepare the meal. May I sleep here?"

Shinju followed the direction of the finger and realized that the little mound was pointing to the spot next to him.

Shinjuku climbed onto the bed, lay down in his spot, put his hands behind his head, and said, "No."

Undeterred by the rejection, Xiaodunzi retreated to her bed near the door, secretly watching Masakatsu's side, and then moved her pillow half an inch further in.

After a long while, Shinjuku suddenly spoke up, "You're going to sleep without taking off your hat?"

Xiao Dunzi then realized that he was still wearing a cap on his head. Sharing a bed was really too nerve-wracking. Even though they were far apart, Xiao Dunzi felt that he couldn't calm down at all. His heart was pounding like a drum.

Xiao Dunzi immediately took off his hat and replied, "I've taken it off."

Then the room fell silent again. After a while, Mayu couldn't help but ask him, "Have you washed up?"

"...No." Little Dunzi was probably afraid that Masakuni would find him dirty, so he quickly said, "I, I have a place to wash up in the outer prefecture, but here, where can I wash up?"

Mayuki sighed, got up, put on his shoes, and got out of bed, resignedly saying, "I'll take you there."

.

The following day at noon, in the west side room of Zhengren Hall.

"The granaries in the three major border camps have all suffered damage in different ways: flooding, theft, and substitution of inferior goods. The fact that these incidents occurred simultaneously is extremely worrying. Judging from the time it took for the news to travel back, it is clear that the spies from Feng Kingdom had already taken action when Wang Yan first arrived in the capital."

As the Prince of Zhen listened to the Privy Councilor's analysis, his hand holding the pen paused, and his dark eyes became serious. "Those petty scoundrels only dare to do petty theft."

“Spies are hard to get rid of. The frontier is already in harsh conditions, with a shortage of food and supplies. They only need to offer a little enticement, and there will always be desperate people willing to become the torch that burns down the granary.”

The King of Zhen was well aware of this fact: he had not yet opened up the four major trade routes between the border regions and the rich areas, and the remnants of the Hunma bandits were still gathering, which could become a considerable opposition force.

"The Feng Kingdom's visit this time shows absolutely no sincerity," King Zhen sneered. "They've provoked us time and again; do they think I wouldn't dare personally lead my troops to advance into the northwest..."

Upon hearing this, the Privy Councilor immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! The front lines are extremely dangerous. Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance, and you must not act rashly! The General will surely be able to handle such disruptive actions and ensure the stability of the border!"

The King of Zhen did not insist, but only gave a light laugh, as if he felt quite regretful, and then asked, "Has lunch arrived?"

The eunuch standing by the door replied, "The meal has just arrived. Would Your Majesty like them to bring it in?"

The King of Poison asked in bewilderment, "Them?"

A note from the author:

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Since it was posted after midnight, I'll add a chapter tomorrow.

Surely no one has read this far and hasn't saved it yet? Don't force me to beg you on my knees!