Just when I thought I'd secured my place in the imperial kitchen, a sudden storm shattered my newfound peace.

That morning, as I prepared to start my duties, a commotion erupted from within the palace. Moments later, Eunuch De burst into the kitchen, panic written across his face.


"Disaster has struck!" His face was ghostly white. "Noble Consort Liu's second prince has been poisoned!"

What?! Every chef in the kitchen froze in horror.

Master Scarlet stepped forward immediately. "Eunuch De, what exactly happened?"


"The Second Prince collapsed this morning after eating osmanthus cake sent by Consort Grace. The imperial physician confirms poison!" Eunuch De was sweating profusely. "His Majesty is furious and demands a full investigation!"

My heart plummeted. Poison in the palace... This was life or death!


I'd heard of Consort Grace—known for her gentle nature and good relations with other concubines. She often prepared treats to share with others. How could she possibly poison anyone?

"All food preparation areas must be investigated!" Eunuch De continued. "The imperial kitchen included! His Majesty demands inspection of all ingredients and utensils!"

Master Scarlet's expression turned grave. "We will cooperate fully with the investigation."

Soon, Ministry of Justice officials arrived. A stern middle-aged man led the group, followed by several bailiffs, one carrying a lacquered food box.

"This is the poisoned cake found in the Second Prince's quarters," the official opened the box to reveal a barely-touched osmanthus cake. "Palace maids confirm Consort Grace made this herself."

I leaned closer to examine the pastry. A subtle sweetness mingled with an unusual scent. Wait—this smell seemed familiar.

"We require your staff to help identify possible poison sources," the official stated coldly. "Including all ingredients in this pastry."

Master Scarlet nodded. "We'll provide full cooperation. Feng Lin, your senses are the keenest. You'll examine these ingredients."

Me?! Anxiety shot through me. Getting involved in a poisoning case... If anything went wrong, the consequences would be dire!

But seeing Master Scarlet's trust in me, I nodded reluctantly. "I understand."

The officials handed over the pastry and related ingredients. I began examining each component meticulously.

Flour, sugar, eggs, osmanthus flowers... Everything seemed normal. I sniffed carefully but found nothing overtly suspicious.

However, when I leaned closer to the bitten portion, that strange scent wafted into my nostrils again.

What was this aroma? Floral, yes, but something else too...

I glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then broke off a tiny fragment and placed it on my tongue.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" A bailiff spotted me and shouted in alarm.

"I—I'm checking the ingredients!" I explained hastily. "Only by tasting can I make an accurate assessment!"

The officer began to protest, but Master Scarlet intervened. "Let her taste it. Feng Lin's palate is exceptional."

I closed my eyes and focused entirely on the tiny morsel, analyzing every nuance of flavor.

The sweetness of flour, the floral notes of osmanthus, the richness of eggs... and something else—something distinctive!

The flavor made me slightly lightheaded, yet strangely, I detected no actual toxicity. My palate never lied—if deadly poison were present, I would have tasted it instantly.

So what was this dizzying element?

I ransacked my memory, and suddenly it hit me.

Drunken Immortal Flower!

Yes, pollen from the Drunken Immortal Flower! Master once told me about this rare plant that blooms only during specific seasons. Its pollen causes drowsiness and mild hallucinations—but it isn't poisonous!

Could it be that the Second Prince wasn't poisoned at all, but simply fell unconscious from accidentally ingesting this pollen?

The more I considered it, the more plausible it seemed. Drunken Immortal Flower pollen closely resembles osmanthus pollen—without careful inspection, anyone could confuse them.

But wait... the Drunken Immortal Flower is incredibly rare. Ordinary people would never encounter it. How could Consort Grace have obtained such pollen?

"Well? Have you found anything?" Master Scarlet's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I hesitated. Would anyone believe my theory? It sounded rather far-fetched.

"Master Scarlet, I believe... this may not be poison at all," I said carefully.

"What?!" The Justice official's eyes bulged. "Nonsense! The Second Prince collapsed immediately after eating this cake!"

"I know it sounds strange, but I detect no poison," I maintained my composure. "What caused the unconsciousness is likely pollen from a plant called the Drunken Immortal Flower."

"Drunken Immortal Flower?" Master Scarlet frowned. "What is that?"

I took a deep breath and explained everything I knew about the rare plant.

After hearing my explanation, the officials exchanged skeptical glances.

"Even if it is this Drunken Immortal Flower, it proves Consort Grace added a dangerous substance to the cake!" the Justice official declared coldly. "That's still attempted murder!"

"But the pollens look nearly identical!" I protested. "Consort Grace could have mistaken one for the other!"

"Mistaken identity?" The official snorted. "Who would believe such a convenient excuse?"

Just then, Master Scarlet interjected: "Wait, Feng Lin—you said this flower only blooms during specific seasons?"

"Yes, and it's extremely rare. Generally, it's only found in—" I suddenly realized something. "Only the imperial garden and the Astronomical Bureau would have it!"

That's it! A few days ago, passing the imperial garden, I'd caught a distinctive floral scent. I'd wondered about it then, but now realized it must have been the Drunken Immortal Flower!

"Master Scarlet, I smelled this exact fragrance near the imperial garden recently!" I exclaimed. "If it was indeed the Drunken Immortal Flower, it could prove Consort Grace's innocence!"

Master Scarlet considered this, then addressed the Justice official: "If Feng Lin is correct, this information is vital to your investigation."

The official scoffed: "How credible is the word of a kitchen girl?"

"Please, my lord, believe me!" I pleaded earnestly. "My palate has never failed me! If we locate the source of this flower, we can prove this was merely an accident!"

Master Scarlet studied me intently. After a long moment, she spoke: "I believe you, Feng Lin. But this is a serious matter. You'll need concrete evidence."

"What are you suggesting?" I asked, hardly daring to hope.

"I'll give you three days to investigate quietly," Master Scarlet said softly. "But be extremely careful. No one can know what you're doing."

I nodded eagerly. "Yes! I'll find the truth!"

The Justice official seemed ready to object, but Master Scarlet's authority prevailed, and he reluctantly held his tongue.

Over the next days, I maintained my normal duties while planning my investigation.

If the Drunken Immortal Flower truly grew within the palace, the most likely locations were the imperial garden and the Astronomical Bureau. I might manage to access the garden, but the Bureau—dedicated to celestial observations and calendar calculations—was strictly off-limits to someone like me.

However, I'd heard the Astronomical Bureau not only studied the heavens but also documented and cultivated rare plants within the palace. If the Drunken Immortal Flower grew there, records would exist.

After careful consideration, I decided to risk visiting the Astronomical Bureau.

The following afternoon during my break, I slipped away from the kitchen and made my way toward the Astronomical Bureau.

The Bureau stood in the northeast corner of the palace—an imposing cluster of buildings dominated by tall observation towers that pierced the sky, radiating scholarly mystique.

After circling the perimeter several times, I found a quiet side entrance. The guard appeared to be dozing, so I slipped past silently.

Inside, the Bureau was even vaster than I'd imagined—filled with libraries and research chambers. I crept down corridors, searching for botanical records.

"This looks promising," I whispered, pushing open an ornate door that appeared to lead to a library.

The room smelled of parchment and ink. Floor-to-ceiling shelves housed countless ancient texts. I entered eagerly and began searching for information about the Drunken Immortal Flower.

"Compendium of Materia Medica... Flora Records... Encyclopedia of Flowers..." I examined each tome carefully. "Ah! This 'Rare Plants Catalog' looks promising!"

I carefully removed the volume from its shelf and was about to open it when a soft voice spoke behind me:

"What texts is the young lady seeking today?"

I nearly dropped the book in shock, whirling to find a young man in pale blue scholarly robes standing in the doorway.

He appeared about eighteen or nineteen—tall but somewhat frail, with a scholarly pallor suggesting much time spent indoors. His most striking feature was his eyes—clear as mountain springs and reflecting wisdom beyond his years.

"I—I—" I stammered, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to trespass!"

The young man smiled gently, seeming to sense my panic. "Don't worry, I won't report you. I'm merely curious what brings a kitchen maid to the Astronomical Bureau's archives to research botanical texts."

The kitchen? How did he know I worked there?

I glanced down and realized I was still wearing my distinctive kitchen uniform.

"And you are...?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm Starson, a junior astronomer," he replied gently. "Don't worry. I'm simply curious about your research interests."

Starson... Even his name sounded scholarly.

He didn't seem threatening. After a moment's hesitation, I decided on honesty. "I'm researching a plant called the Drunken Immortal Flower. I need to know if it grows within the palace."

"The Drunken Immortal Flower?" Starson's eyes brightened with interest. "Why this particular plant?"

I studied him briefly, decided he seemed trustworthy, and explained the situation with the poisoned cake.

After hearing my explanation, Starson nodded thoughtfully. "I see. You believe the Second Prince's symptoms were caused by Drunken Immortal Flower pollen rather than poison."

"You're familiar with the Drunken Immortal Flower?" I asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Of course," Starson moved to a nearby shelf and expertly retrieved a thick volume. "The Drunken Immortal Flower is indeed rare. Its pollen causes hallucinations and drowsiness, but it isn't toxic."

He opened the book to a specific page. "See here? It blooms for only seven days around the Start of Autumn. The pollen disperses easily and closely resembles osmanthus pollen."

I nearly jumped with excitement. "Perfect! This could prove Consort Grace's innocence!"

"However..." Starson frowned suddenly, "while the palace does cultivate these flowers, they're kept in restricted areas. If Consort Grace truly used this pollen accidentally, how did she access it?"

A valid point. If these flowers grew only in restricted areas, how could Consort Grace have encountered the pollen?

"Still, these questions don't invalidate your theory," Starson closed the book. "We've confirmed the flower exists and its properties match the symptoms. Now we must discover how the pollen reached Consort Grace's kitchen."

I looked at him gratefully. "Thank you for your help, Starson!"

"It's my honor to use knowledge in service of justice," he smiled gently. "But be careful. Palace intrigues are rarely as straightforward as they seem."

Indeed, nothing in the palace was ever simple...

But at least now I had direction. If I could trace the source of the Drunken Immortal Flower, I might clear Consort Grace's name!