Chapter 13 Imperial Kitchen Lu
"Aqing wants to know which foods have the opposite effect?" Zhao Kelin asked in surprise.
Shinjuku nodded.
Zhao Kelin didn't ask him why he wanted to learn these things. After thinking for a moment, he said gently, "I don't have any brush, ink, paper, or inkstone on hand. Why don't I write them down on paper when I get back, and then I'll get them for you next time?"
Masakatsu waved his hand, "No need, just tell me, I'll remember."
Zhao Kelin pursed his lips and then began to explain, “There are quite a few incompatible foods. Some common ones include turtle meat and amaranth, mutton and raw fish, bayberry and raw scallions, millet and sunflower... If you just pick one item, there are quite a few corresponding incompatible foods. For example, bamboo shoots should not be eaten with lamb liver, tofu, partridge, turtle meat, or sugar.”
Zhao Kelin paused, as if to confirm whether Masakatsu had followed, but seeing that Masakatsu was still staring at him intently, he licked his dry lips and continued, "Depending on one's constitution, people with a cold constitution should not eat too many cold foods. For example, eggplant and crab are both cold foods, so they should not be eaten together, as it may cause diarrhea and abdominal pain."
"Are there any cases of food poisoning after being eaten together?" Shinju suddenly interjected.
"On the contrary, it's just that the properties of the substances clash, and most of them won't reach the point of being toxic." Zhao Kelin thought about it for a while. "But if you don't eat too much, if the food isn't spoiled, or if the food isn't cooked thoroughly, then you could get poisoned."
Upon hearing this, Mayu frowned and lowered his voice, "I see..."
After Zhao Kelin finished speaking, he realized something and suddenly looked at Masaki. He found that Masaki looked calm and his gaze was straight, as if he had just asked a casual question.
However, Shinjuku realized at this point that his question was somewhat presumptuous in this strictly rule-bound place.
Then Shinjuku explained, "Speaking of which, I haven't told you about my role as the one who will serve the meal yet, have I? It was only decided this morning."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kelin's light tea-colored eyes lit up with a smile. However, before the smile could reach his lips, he suddenly remembered the case he had been assisting with the investigation in the past few days, and recalled the gruesome death of the last person who served the meal. His pupils trembled, and he grabbed Masaki's hand from under the table and held it tightly.
"Is it... has it been decided yet?" he asked.
But then he saw Shinju pull his hand out of his palm, then grasp both of his hands in return, his face displaying a calming and resolute air.
"I'll be fine."
After saying that, Shinju felt his palms burning, and then he saw that Physician Zhao's face turned even redder than the hair ribbons at his temples.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming almost romantic, a sharp scream came from not far away.
The two of them suddenly looked at each other, then got up at the same time and followed the sound.
As they walked, they realized that this was the path to the Imperial Garden, but because the woman's voice was screaming so shrilly, they did not stop and went in anyway.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the Imperial Garden, a scene of chaos and disarray was unfolding.
A woman in a scarlet skirt and green shawl, adorned with jade ornaments, was slumped on a silk mat. Two maids supported her on either side, but dared not move her.
The woman's face was pale, her teeth biting her lower lip tightly. Her lips were pale and white, with a hint of purple when viewed up close. She turned her head away, her hand raised far away, trembling, but she wouldn't lower it.
"What are you two standing there for? Help me suck out the snake venom! If anything happens to me, you'll both end up dead too! ... Hurry up and help me!" Although the woman looked like she might faint at any moment, her scolding voice was full of energy.
"Don't worry, Master! Dan'er, quickly help Master suck it! Hurry up!" One of the maids didn't hesitate and forcefully pressed down the other maid's head, ordering her.
The maid called Dan'er knelt tremblingly before the eldest princess, the pressure on her head growing heavier and heavier. The eldest princess's threats were incessant. Dan'er had no choice but to close her eyes, grit her teeth, and move closer to the eldest princess's hand...
Just then, the Third Prince suddenly appeared before them with his eunuchs.
"Royal sister, royal sister, what's wrong!" The Third Prince lifted Dan'er's arm, then knelt before the eldest princess, holding her delicate hand that was dangling in the air. "What happened? Did you get bitten by a snake?"
The eldest princess, upon discovering that the visitor was none other than the third prince, angrily exclaimed, "What are you doing here! Get out of my way! Let those two little hussies suck the snake venom from my wounds! What are you doing blocking my way? Do you want me dead?!"
Without saying a word, the Third Prince squeezed the skin around the two tooth holes on his hand, opened his wet, thick lips, and was about to kiss them.
His eunuch suddenly knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, you mustn't! Your health is of utmost importance!"
The Third Prince raised his head high, flicked the wings of his golden crown, and said in a tender voice, "Don't stop me! I have to save my elder sister. She is the most important person in my life! If you stop me again, I will kill you first!"
At this moment, Zhao Kelin and Zhen Su also arrived and witnessed the confrontation between the Third Prince and the eunuch.
Shinjuku's first thought was, how venomous is this snake? Can we let him come?
But since human life was at stake, even if he craved that snake venom, he couldn't possibly bypass the imperial physician to do it; it would be against the rules and easily expose him. So, Shinju prepared to go with Zhao Kelin, but found that Zhao Kelin was half a step behind him, showing no sign of moving forward. Confused, he turned back to look at him.
He didn't know why Zhao Kelin hesitated. He only saw Zhao Kelin looking at the eldest princess from afar, and a crack appeared in his usually gentle and refined expression, and his eyes dimmed.
"Ah Lin, what's wrong?"
This question was like a thunderclap, jolting Zhao Kelin out of his quagmire of thoughts.
Zhao Kelin shook his head slightly, without even looking at Zhen Su, and said, "You stay here, don't go, I'll go."
Then he walked away alone.
Unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, the person behind him obviously caught up. He was about to speak, but was stopped by the triumphant smile on Shinju's face.
Shinju walked up to him and said, "I can help."
Before long, the maid spotted Zhao Kelin and immediately cried with joy, "The imperial physician is here! It's Physician Zhao! The princess is saved!!"
The shout startled the Third Prince. He turned around and saw that it was indeed Zhao Kelin. He immediately grabbed the eldest princess's delicate hand even tighter, pouting as if he were about to kiss her again.
Unexpectedly, a long, slender, and fair hand with distinct knuckles reached out and blocked his way.
Then a cool and clear voice, like a gentle breeze and swirling snow, came from behind: "This is not a snake bite."
Everyone was taken aback and looked at the speaker in unison. They saw a handsome young man dressed as a servant standing calmly beside the Third Prince and the First Princess, with his hand raised.
The Third Prince seemed not to hear, staring at the boy's snow-white hands so close to him, and as if possessed, he moved his lips forward, wanting to suck on the boy's hands.
However, Shinjuku quickly withdrew his hand.
Zhao Kelin was initially taken aback by what Zhen Su said, but upon seeing the Third Prince's frivolous behavior, he quickly stepped forward, separated the Third Prince from Zhen Su, and began to examine the wound on the First Princess's hand.
"...It does indeed look like a bite from a non-venomous snake. There are no bruises or swelling. Princess, are you still feeling any pain?"
The eldest princess, who had been staring blankly at Masaki's face, only realized that the person standing in front of her was Zhao Kelin after hearing his voice. Her heart fluttered instantly, and she playfully placed her hand on Zhao Kelin's chest, scolding him, "It hurt so much when I was bitten! But now... it doesn't seem to hurt as much. Am I alright? I knew you would come to save me, Zhao Lang. You're so good to me."
Zhao Kelin's temple throbbed as he endured the eldest princess's harassment and began to treat her. "It should be nothing serious. Just give it a quick clean, and I'll go back to the Imperial Hospital to get some medicine powder and then bandage it up."
The maids wept with joy, for it was all a false alarm!
Zhao Kelin dodged the eldest princess's persistent hand, stood up and retreated. He intended to leave with Zhen Su, but saw that the third prince had already circled around to Zhen Su and asked him to state his name.
Masakatsu remained calm, his eyes serene. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Excellency, I am a cook from the Imperial Kitchen, my surname is Kei."
The Third Prince's eyes widened, and he was about to say something when Zhen Su continued, "Although this snake is not poisonous, it is still not safe to have snakes in the Imperial Garden. Why don't I escort Lord Zhao back to the Imperial Hospital to fetch realgar to drive away the snake? It is not advisable for nobles to stay here for long; it would be best to return to the palace as soon as possible."
Shinju's words reminded them. The eldest princess shuddered at the thought of the snake, but her gaze couldn't help but linger on Shinju and Zhao Kelin. Her face was grim, but the maids kept trying to persuade her. Considering the snake that might suddenly appear, she ultimately didn't lash out. She snorted coldly, tossed her handkerchief aside, and walked leisurely toward the palanquin parked outside the Imperial Garden.
As for the Third Prince, he seemed somewhat guilty for some reason, and without even saying hello to the First Princess, he hurriedly led his eunuch in another direction.
Once the surroundings finally quieted down, Zhao Kelin breathed a sigh of relief, met Zhen Su's gaze, and his eyes softened as he said, "Let's go."
Shinju nodded slightly, and the two left together.
Back at the Imperial Hospital, Zhao Kelin instructed the other imperial physicians to provide follow-up treatment for the eldest princess. He then had someone report to the Imperial Guards, instructing them to send people to the Imperial Garden to drive away the snakes.
Masakatsu, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask him, "Doesn't the Imperial Hospital have realgar?"
Zhao Kelin explained to him that although the Imperial Hospital had realgar powder for repelling snakes, they did not handle matters such as snake repelling.
Shinjuku was somewhat disappointed. He had brought it up not only to escape from the Imperial Garden, but also because he secretly wanted to obtain the poisonous realgar.
Just as Shinju was pondering the feasibility of secretly picking up the realgar powder that the guards had scattered on the ground at night, Zhao Kelin handed him a large bag of realgar, which he estimated to weigh more than two pounds.
"This...is it for me?" Masakatsu was taken aback.
Zhao Kelin was too embarrassed to mention that he had inquired about him with Steward Shan and knew that he was afraid of snakes and insects. He only said, "Do not put them in your mouth, do not burn them. Just sprinkle them in a line in corners, doorways and window frames. There is nothing to be afraid of."
Shinjuku's golden eyes lit up immediately, and he stuffed the paper package into his sleeve.
Zhao Kelin gestured for him to go back first, so Zhen Su didn't ask any more questions and quietly left the Imperial Hospital.
.
For the next few days, the emperor continued to stay at the Taoist temple outside the palace. With nothing to do during the day, Zhen Su continued to stake out the West Horse Farm and the breeding area.
After observing secretly for several days, they found nothing.
The poison could still be detected at the West Marathon track, but there was no trace of poison in the breeding area.
Even if you come at different times, it's still the same.
After pondering for a long time, Shinjuku suddenly realized a problem.
The poison in the imperial cuisine... Imperial cuisine, imperial cuisine, it's obviously aimed at the Emperor. If the poison in the food truly came from the livestock area, then since the target of the poisoning isn't in the palace, it's normal that no poison could be detected in the livestock area, isn't it?
If the emperor doesn't return to the palace, there's probably no point in him investigating here.
So Shinjuku emerged from his secluded corner, preparing to return to his servants' quarters.
Unexpectedly, as he passed through the alley near the lynx cage, he brushed past someone. The person's footsteps were steady, and Shinjuku instinctively felt he had never seen this person before, so he deliberately paid attention to the person's appearance.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the alley, he had no recollection of the other person's face at all.
Something's not right.
Yes, he remembered. The exact same thing had happened in the breeding area a few days ago!
This person is strange!
With a quick turn of his toes and a display of his lightness skill, Shinju followed silently.
A note from the author:
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Food poisoning doesn't necessarily mean food will cause poisoning, but it can certainly lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. Food poisoning is more often caused by unclean, undercooked, or stale food, which can lead to the accumulation of heavy metals and chemical reactions with acids. Anything consumed in excess carries a risk; there's no need to panic excessively. If you experience any discomfort, seek medical attention promptly.
The food-related content mentioned in the article is for creative purposes only and should not be taken as actual reference. It's unprofessional.
Wishing all my friends good health.
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