Chapter 12 Imperial Kitchen, Part 5
Such a demand is clearly humiliating.
Since the uniform includes a sash and an inner garment, if you take off these two pieces, you will only be left with a thin inner garment, and it is even possible that the innermost suspender bib will be visible.
Masakuni had no idea when he had offended this admiral eunuch.
Not only the supervising eunuch, but also most of the other people watching the commotion in the imperial kitchen cast malicious glances at him. He even saw that Xiao Jingzi, who had failed to steal the food, was winking at him with obvious schadenfreude on his face.
Even before entering the palace, Shinju felt far more malice than goodwill.
If he had known that the people of this world discriminated against eunuchs so deeply, and that anyone could kick a eunuch, he would have been better off not using the shrinking technique to pretend to be a eunuch, and simply having the knife craftsman cut it off for him. After all, this thing was useless in the palace, and it could grow back at any time after his spiritual power recovered.
Shinjuku was so angry that his mind was not very clear, and he was thinking such nonsense.
The supervising eunuch was still spitting as he spoke, "Yesterday's appointment was only temporary. It was just that Song Chuanshan was unwell, so the position was vacant. We didn't go through any formal paperwork for you. However, you will be rewarded when your salary is paid. You won't be shortchanged."
The other party's condescending tone, almost like bestowing a handout, was unbearable for anyone. Shinju's dwindling temper was almost gone, and even the scene before him was slightly distorted by the burning resentment. He couldn't help but ponder whether to snap the neck of this clueless character in the book, or to endure it a little longer and continue the pretense.
"Hurry up and take it off! It's against the rules for you to hold these clothes and headdress, and they're not yours to cling to. Stop being so indecisive, I have a whole bunch of things to take care of!"
The eunuch became increasingly aggressive, while Masakuni clenched his fists tighter and tighter.
Ha, I finally got the job of serving food, and all the poisons that were so readily available are about to disappear.
In Shinjuku's heart hung a scale, one side being weighed down by one weight after another, threatening to tip it over.
Suddenly, an announcement came from outside, and a senior eunuch led two rows of palace maids into the imperial kitchen. The supervising eunuch, his ears covered by his loud voice, didn't notice until a servant reminded him. He turned around and saw the senior eunuch and his entourage behind him. He immediately trembled and bowed to greet them.
"Eunuch Mo, I am so sorry for not greeting you properly. Please punish me. My servants are too careless and don't know how to be clever. I will send them to the torture chamber to be punished later!"
The head eunuch didn't even glance at the admiral who was grinning like a dog. His beady eyes locked onto someone, and he smiled slightly. Then he unfurled the scroll and read in a shrill voice, "His Majesty has issued an edict. Qing Zhensu, come forward to receive the decree."
Upon hearing this name, all the servants present stared at Shinjuku in disbelief, then, trembling with fear, knelt down in unison.
Only Shinju was a step behind; his murderous intent, which was on the verge of being overthrown, was averted. He relaxed his brows, straightened his back, and knelt down to receive the imperial decree.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Qing Chuanshan has handled matters appropriately and acted with propriety. Therefore, I hereby bestow upon you a pair of silver earrings inlaid with gold and pearls from the South Seas. So be it." After reading this, a palace maid held up a black lacquered box inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which was cushioned with a brocade handkerchief, while another palace maid opened it from the side to show it off.
After receiving the decree, Shinju looked up and saw a pair of earrings inside the lacquer box. The silver was only for the flower base, while the main body was a golden pearl that resembled the setting sun. It was grand yet bright, and the color alone indicated that it was of the highest quality.
Shinjuku was very familiar with this color. Although he didn't look in the mirror often, it didn't stop him from having a clear impression of his eye color. So at this moment, he was surprised and his feelings were quite complicated.
Is it a coincidence? Has the Emperor ever seen him...? He clearly didn't make contact with the person behind the curtain yesterday.
At this moment, someone had a more complicated feeling than Masakatsu: the eunuch who had just made things difficult for Masakatsu. He stole a few glances and was completely dumbfounded.
These are extremely rare and exquisite gold beads! And how could His Majesty bestow jewelry upon a mere servant serving meals?! Let alone bestowing such a gift upon a eunuch, even upon a palace maid, it would be an absurd act that would invite criticism from the censors.
The eunuch was terrified. He kept blinking, trying to wipe the sweat from his forehead, and his hands, which were supporting him on his knees, trembled uncontrollably.
The others dared not raise their heads, but they all heard the imperial edict. Many wished they could go back and slap their faces just a moment ago. Why did they have to give him such a bad look and act so smug? Now they had completely offended the Emperor's "appointed" new cuisine!
They were both surprised and envious, especially Keiko, whose eyes almost popped out of their sockets. She then trembled uncontrollably, her face contorted with grief, and looked longingly at Shinjuku.
While they were still in a state of panic, Shinju took the lacquer box. He thought, regardless of any other implications, the Emperor's action had at least resolved his current predicament. Shinju ran his fingertips along the edge of the lacquer box, a slight smile playing on his lips, his golden eyes gleaming with a pure, gentle light that seemed even more dazzling than his earrings.
The eunuch delivering the imperial decree was closest to Zhen Su and almost lost his senses. After regaining his senses, he helped Zhen Su up and whispered in his ear, "Starting today, Your Majesty will be going to Yun Guang Taoist Temple to accompany the Empress Dowager to the Dharma assembly. You don't need to follow him for meals. You can resume that routine when Your Majesty returns."
"I understand, thank you for your guidance, sir. Please take care." Shinju blinked and bowed in reply.
The imperial eunuch glanced at Shinju, winked, covered his mouth and laughed. Then he turned his head, squinted his beady eyes and glared at the admiral with a warning look in his eyes, before leading the palace maids away.
"Admiral, is there anything else you need?" Shinju asked, turning slightly to the side, his tone calm and even.
The admiral wanted to investigate his disrespectful behavior, but he was also a little paranoid and afraid that his superiors would find out. So he hesitated for a few moments and finally let the man go.
.
Since the Emperor was not in the palace, there was no need to follow him to serve meals, so the monks were free.
He had originally planned to continue tasting the food in order to ingest more toxins and improve his cultivation, but now he could not. After thinking for a moment, he remembered Uncle Wu, who had not yet returned, and a trace of worry appeared between his brows.
So he went back to the servants' quarters to put away the lacquer box, and then set off for the West Horse Ranch.
This time, Shinjuku didn't bring any food, but the waiters at Nishibaba were still very enthusiastic. They probably saw Shinjuku's attire, which suggested he had been promoted, so they naturally didn't dare to neglect him.
Therefore, when Shinjuku suggested that he wanted to look around casually, they had no objections and even took the initiative to lead him closer.
Upon reaching each cage, Shinju secretly unleashed his six senses. Whatever he saw appeared to have been repainted; the listless lynxes had transformed into yellowish-green blobs, within which several dark purple threads writhed. While not terrifying, the mere thought of what these blobs had originally been made Shinju uneasy. Examining the other wild animals, those that were thinner and less energetic were no different, all covered in dark, poisonous spots that seemed to devour their flesh.
This completely confirmed his suspicions: the animals at the West Horse Farm were indeed weak and emaciated because they had been poisoned.
Next, Shinju returned to the Imperial Kitchen and circled the livestock area, continuing to use his six senses to detect poison. However, to his surprise, the situation was completely different from his previous assumptions; not a single animal or poultry showed any signs of poisoning…
"...How could this be?" Shinjuku was bewildered.
Even their food and feed contained not a trace of ink.
The keepers and managers of the breeding area were temporarily detained by the Ministry of Justice because of the Liancui Palace case. Could it really be that they did it? That's why the breeding area is so clean now that they're gone? But yesterday, poisoned imperial food was still delivered to the emperor. He saw it with his own eyes. It can't be fake. There can't be any other source of poison.
But something just doesn't make sense. Besides, the animals at the West Horse Ranch aren't going to end up on the dinner table, so why was poison detected there? What would be the point of poisoning them at the West Horse Ranch?
As Shinjuku walked and pondered, he brushed past someone. Shinjuku glanced at the person but didn't pay attention. He took several more steps forward, only to find that he couldn't remember what the person he had just seen looked like. He only remembered that the person's steps were unsteady.
Has prolonged use of the six senses affected one's mental state...?
Looking back, the person had vanished without a trace. Shinju shook his head, pressed his temples, and decided to go back and rest for the time being, and then come back to investigate again in the afternoon to see if there were any changes.
However, in the afternoon, Masakatsu was unable to go because an unexpected person came to his door.
Shinju changed back into his robes and hat, and took the opportunity to do some work in the food preparation area. After all, the official documents had not yet been issued, so he didn't want to cause any trouble. However, just as he was drying his hands and preparing to leave, he was stopped by someone near the side door.
"Aqing."
Shinju turned his head and saw Zhao, the imperial physician, dressed in a striking peach-colored outfit, walking towards him from the other side of the moon gate, his long, flowing robes trailing behind him.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that not only were the diamond patterns on the man's robe, turban, and boots all peach-colored, but even the two braids at his temples were now adorned with pink ribbons, making his face appear as beautiful as a peach blossom. Shinjuku had never seen a man so perfectly suited to such delicate pink colors; he didn't appear coquettish, but rather exuded a sense of gentle breeze and boundless tranquility.
"Lord Zhao, what are you doing here?" Zhen Su raised his voice at the end, as soft and gentle as floating clouds, while adjusting his hat and taking half a step towards Zhao Kelin in front of him.
A mixture of earthy smells from vegetables and roots and the woody smell of a winnowing basket wafted into Zhao Kelin's nose, but he showed no disgust. The image of the two of them washing their hands and cooking together flashed through his mind, and his willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows curved downwards, and a smile appeared in his clear tea-colored eyes.
He said, "As we said before, I'm here to keep our promise."
Before long, the two strolled in a quiet and secluded little garden. This place was connected to the Imperial Garden, but it was not within the Imperial Garden's territory, so it was unlikely that they would bump into the nobles of the Three Palaces and Six Courtyards.
Zhao Kelin chose this place because the pear blossoms were in full bloom. There were many pear trees planted here, but it was quiet and sparsely populated. It was a pity that he had to be on duty at night. Otherwise, fine wine, beautiful scenery, and a lovely lady would have been wonderful.
But it's good enough for now.
They chose a pavilion surrounded by pear blossoms. A white silk handkerchief, as white as a pear blossom, was placed on one of Shinju's fair wrists. Zhao Kelin swallowed silently before raising his hand to cover it, gently pressing his fingers on Shinju's wrist.
That powerful yet chaotic throbbing once again pulled Zhao Kelin's tender thoughts back to reality.
Compared to the first time he took Aqing's pulse, it was no longer the astonishingly slow beat that took a full ten breaths to register, which made him listen again and again, taking the pulse for a long time without believing it. At that time, he said he would go back to check the book, which was not a humble excuse, but because he was really confused. It was the first time he had ever felt the pulse of a dying person on a living person.
This time, although he looks like a living person, he's not exactly normal.
Shinju didn't realize that Zhao Kelin was seriously taking his pulse. He only felt that the hand that was moving around his wrist had been lingering for too long. However, in order to build good relationships, he didn't interrupt. Instead, he was thinking about what methods he could use to get to know the other party as quickly as possible.
Just then, a pear blossom falling outside the pavilion was pushed by the gentle breeze, and one of them happened to drift onto Shinjuku's head.
Zhao Kelin was ultimately defeated by the pulse diagnosis of Shinshu, but he only believed one thing: that learning has no end, not that Shinshu was abnormal.
Once he regained his composure, he noticed the white flower petal in Shinjuku's hair. He plucked it off with a flick of his finger, and as he did so, he gently slid his pinky finger across Shinjuku's delicate earlobe.
Shinju's eyes flickered as he looked at Zhao Kelin sitting beside him, tilting his head slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Zhao Kelin unconsciously held his breath, as if afraid of disturbing the precious scene before him. After a long while, he stammered, "A flower fell on your head, and I picked it off without thinking. I apologize for my intrusion."
He opened his palm, and the flower petals in his hand were crushed to powder.
Zhao Kelin was taken aback and immediately withdrew his hand, but this seemed like an attempt to cover something up. He hesitated, yet also seemed relieved, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't, making it difficult for Zhen Su to interrupt. After a moment of silence, Zhao Kelin seemed to have made up his mind and suddenly asked Zhen Su, "Aqing, I wonder... would you be willing to become my sworn brother?"
How abrupt! He doesn't seem to have done anything yet.
But this suited him perfectly. A hint of smugness and pleasure immediately appeared in Shinju's eyes as he replied, "That's wonderful!"
"Then... you can call me Kelin."
"Ah Lin." Shinju immediately seized the opportunity, addressing him more affectionately, before changing the subject and saying, "I have something I'd like to ask you."
A note from the author:
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Note: gao he zhi jiao = good friends
It's not some inappropriate relationship.
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