Starson looked at me intently, his eyes sparkling with a light I had never seen before—pure curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

"Can you really distinguish the Drunken Immortal Flower by its taste?" he asked again, his voice filled with incredulous surprise, "Even the pharmacists at our Taishi Bureau find it difficult to do so."


I nodded slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed: "Since I was a child, my nose and tongue have been quite sensitive. My master said it's a talent..."

"A talent?" Starson laughed, his smile as warm as a spring breeze, "This is more than just a talent, it's a divine gift! Do you know that the pollen of the Drunken Immortal Flower and ordinary osmanthus pollen look almost identical? Even under a microscope, it takes us a long time to spot the subtle differences, yet you can accurately identify it just by taste!"

Microscope? What is that? But it sounds quite impressive...


"But speaking of which..." Starson suddenly became serious, a glimmer of excitement flashing in his eyes, "It's quite an intriguing riddle that a kitchen maid, reeking of spices, could recognize a flower even the royal pharmacists are unfamiliar with—the Drunken Immortal Flower."

Huh? He said I was full of spice... I instinctively sniffed my sleeves, and indeed, there was a faint aroma of pepper and star anise. After working in the imperial kitchen for so long, it's unavoidable to carry the scent of various seasonings.


"Lord Starson, what riddle do you mean...?" I asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Haha, no need to be so formal, just call me Starson," he waved his hand, his eyes sparkling, "I'm someone who loves solving riddles! Whether it's celestial changes, calendar calculations, or all sorts of strange cases, as long as it's a puzzle, I'm interested! And this Drunken Immortal Flower incident... is simply fascinating!"

Seeing his excited appearance, I suddenly felt something was off. Could it be that this Starson gentleman...treats matters of life and death as a game?

Sensing the doubts in my eyes, Starson quickly explained, "Ah, don’t misunderstand! I’m not treating human lives as a joke, it’s just...solving puzzles to save innocent people, isn’t that a meaningful thing to do?"

Hearing this, some of the doubts in my heart dissipated. Indeed, if we could uncover the truth through solving puzzles, Consort Grace would be cleared of false accusations.

"So Starson...are you really willing to help me investigate this matter?" I cautiously asked.

"Of course!" Starson nodded without hesitation, "But before that, we need more information. Come with me, I’ll show you the internal records of the Imperial Historian’s Bureau."

He led me deep into the shelves and expertly retrieved a thick volume from a hidden corner.

"This is 'The Record of Palace Plants,' documenting detailed information about all the rare plants in the palace." Starson opened the booklet and pointed to one page, saying, "Look, here is the record of the Drunken Immortal Flower."

I leaned in closer and saw neat, small calligraphy filling the page with dense text.

"Drunken Immortal Flower, blooms for seven days around the beginning of autumn each year, with an extremely short flowering period. Its pollen has hallucinogenic and soporific effects but is non-toxic. Location in the palace: Deep within the bamboo grove in the northeast corner of the Imperial Garden, three plants in total. Managed by: The Plant Division of the Bureau of Astronomy. Precautions: Access must be strictly controlled during the flowering period to prevent pollen dispersal..."

"Deep within the bamboo grove..." I murmured to myself, "No wonder it's inaccessible to most people."

"Yes, and look here," Starson pointed to a line of small text below. "Harvesting the Drunken Immortal Flower requires specialized tools and protective measures. The annual pollen collection is meticulously recorded and never allowed to leak out easily."

This is strange. If the management of Zui Xian Hua is so strict, how did the pollen get mixed into Consort Grace's pastries?

"And," Starson continued flipping through the pages, "I also have a record of the physical conditions of the royal princes and princesses... Ah, found it!"

He pointed to an entry in the book: "Prince Mike, birth details... Physical condition: Weak from a young age, allergic to various pollens, especially osmanthus and jasmine. Extra care is required during spring and autumn each year..."

As I looked at this record, a flash of insight suddenly struck my mind!

"Wait... Allergic to pollen?" I looked up in surprise. "If Prince Mike is allergic to pollen, then after eating pastries containing Zui Xian Hua pollen..."

"Exactly!" Starson nodded excitedly. "Zui Xian Hua pollen naturally has a sleep-inducing effect, and coupled with an allergic reaction, the symptoms would become even more severe! This perfectly explains why Prince Mike fell into a coma!"

My heartbeat started to accelerate as a terrifying truth gradually took shape in my mind.

"Starson, this wasn't an accident..." I said, my voice trembling. "Someone intentionally mixed drunken fairy pollen into the pastries to exacerbate the Second Prince's allergic reaction and frame Consort Grace!"

"Exactly!" Starson's eyes sparkled with the excitement of solving the mystery. "This was a very precise plan. The culprit knew about the Second Prince's allergies and that Consort Grace often made pastries to distribute to the palace halls. They chose this perfect method to frame her!"

I couldn't help but shiver. The struggles within the palace were indeed terrifying—to frame an innocent person, they were willing to gamble with the life of a prince...

"But now the question is," Starson pondered, "who had access to drunken fairy pollen and could have mixed it into Consort Grace's pastries?"

Indeed, this is a crucial issue. The Celestial Drunkard flower is cultivated in secluded areas under strict supervision, making it virtually inaccessible to ordinary people. Moreover, one would need the opportunity to come into contact with the pastries made by Consort Grace...

"Who was present when Consort Grace was making the pastries?" I asked.

"Well..." Starson furrowed his brow. "We need to investigate the personnel within Consort Grace's palace. However, since she has been placed under house arrest, it won't be easy to approach her residence."

As I was worrying over this dilemma, I suddenly heard a faint sound from outside, as if something had fallen to the ground.

Starson didn't seem to notice and continued pondering the details of the case. But my hearing has always been sharp, and although the sound was very faint, it felt strangely familiar to me.

"Starson, did you hear anything?" I whispered.

"A sound? No, I didn't." Starson looked at me with confusion. "What's the matter?"

I listened attentively for a while, and the outside became quiet again. Perhaps I was overthinking it...

"It's nothing, let's continue trying to investigate," I forced a smile.

Starson nodded and went back to flipping through the materials: "The personnel list of Noble Consort Lewis's palace... it's recorded here. Apart from the basic palace maids and eunuchs, there are also maids specifically in charge of incense, female officials in charge of meals, personal maids responsible for daily routines..."

"The maids in charge of incense?" My eyes lit up. "Do they often come into contact with various spices and pollen?"

"That's right!" Starson also realized something. "The maids responsible for incense do indeed handle various spices, which might include pollen-based materials! They have more opportunities than others to come into contact with Drunken Immortal pollen!"

We looked at each other and saw the excitement in each other's eyes. The clues are becoming clearer and clearer!

"What is the name of the incense maid by Noble Consort Lewis's side?" I eagerly asked.

Starson carefully examined the list: "Her name is... Emerald. She's seventeen this year and has served in Noble Consort Lewis's palace for three years."

Emerald... I feel like I've heard this name somewhere before...

"That's right!" I suddenly remembered, "A few days ago, when I passed near Noble Consort Lewis's palace, I heard someone calling this name! At the time, they seemed to be discussing something about spices!"

"That makes it even more suspicious!" Starson said excitedly, "But we need proof. If we can find Drunken Fairy pollen in Emerald's spices, we can prove she is the real culprit!"

"But how can we obtain a sample of her spices?" I said worriedly, "We can't just barge into Noble Consort Lewis's palace and ask for it, can we?"

Starson also fell into deep thought. Indeed, this was a very realistic issue. Noble Consort Lewis was emotionally unstable due to her son's poisoning, and the palace was heavily guarded, leaving us no chance to get close.

Just then, another sound came from outside, slightly louder this time, as if something had been knocked over.

"Did you hear that this time?" I looked at Starson.

Starson nodded: "There was indeed a sound... It seems to have come from the storage room next door? But there shouldn’t be anyone there..."

He stood up, walked to the door, and looked outside, then shook his head: "Nothing unusual. Maybe the wind knocked something over."

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

"Let’s forget it for now and focus on figuring out how to obtain evidence," Starson sat back down. "Emerald should still be in Noble Consort Lewis' palace. If we can find a way to get her out..."

"Get her out?" I asked in confusion.

"For example, if her incense burner needs to be refilled, she must go to the spice storeroom to get it," Starson explained. "That's when we'll have a chance to approach her."

This idea sounds good, but...

"The question is, how do we know when she’ll go to get the spices?" I asked. "And even if she does, we can’t just directly ask her for a sample of the spices, right?"

"Well..." Starson scratched his head, clearly troubled by this problem as well.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside, accompanied by a woman’s exclamation: "Oh no! The incense burner has tipped over?! This is trouble—the spices inside have spilled everywhere!"

Starson and I exchanged glances. Was this just a coincidence?

"I need to hurry to the spice storeroom to get new spices!" the woman’s voice continued. "Otherwise, there won’t be any incense for Her Highness!"

The footsteps gradually faded away, and both Starson and I stood there in stunned silence.

"What... what is going on?" Starson muttered, "Just now, we were discussing how to have Emerald fetch the incense, and now..."

"Maybe it's just a coincidence?" I said uncertainly, but deep down, I felt things weren't that simple.

Those strange noises earlier, and now someone's incense burner being knocked over... it all seemed too coincidental.

"Either way, this is a good opportunity!" Starson stood up, "Let's hurry to the incense storeroom!"

The incense storeroom was located in the northwest corner of the palace, a place specifically for storing various precious spices. When we hurried there, we happened to see a young girl in light green palace attire requesting incense from the manager.

She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen, with a slender figure and delicate features, but there was an indescribable gloominess in her eyes.

"Is this Emerald?" I whispered.

Starson nodded, "It must be her."

We hid not far away and observed as Emerald received a few packages of spices from the administrator, then turned and left.

"What do we do now?" I asked anxiously, "She’s about to leave!"

"Don’t worry," Starson pondered for a moment, "I have an idea. Did you notice those spice packages she just took? One of them seemed particularly bulky. If she accidentally drops some on her way back..."

I understood his plan, but the question was how to make her drop the spices.

Just then, a figure suddenly emerged from behind a pillar—no, more accurately, 'bumped' out. The person seemed unsteady on their feet and directly collided with Emerald, who was walking.

"Ah!" Emerald cried out, and the spice packages in her hands scattered all over the ground.

The one who bumped into her was a young man dressed in black, appearing to be a palace guard. He hurriedly helped gather the scattered spices while continuously apologizing, "Sorry, so sorry! I didn’t see where I was going!"

"It's okay..." Emerald said, suppressing her anger despite being somewhat annoyed, "Just be more careful."

The man quickly gathered most of the spices and returned them to Emerald before hurrying away. However, I noticed that some scattered powder on the ground had not been cleaned up.

Emerald inspected her spice pouch, confirmed that there wasn't much loss, and then left.

When the area was clear, Starson and I immediately rushed forward, carefully collecting the powder scattered on the ground.

"These should be from Emerald's spice pouch," Starson said excitedly. "If it really contains Drunk Immortal pollen..."

I placed the collected powder in my palm and gently sniffed it.

Amid the familiar aroma of spices, there was indeed a special floral scent mixed in...

"We've got it!" I clenched my fist in excitement. "There really is the scent of Drunk Immortal here!"

Starson was so excited that he almost jumped up: "Great! This is the evidence! There is indeed Drunken Immortal pollen mixed in Emerald's spice!"

"But..." I suddenly thought of a question, "That person who bumped into Emerald just now... Do you really think it was an accident?"

Starson was startled: "What do you mean...?"

"Too much of a coincidence," I said with a frown. "We were just wondering how to get a sample of Emerald's spice, and someone happened to bump into her, scattering so much powder..."

Starson also realized the key point: "You're right... It is indeed too much of a coincidence. Could it be..."

We looked at each other, both thinking of the same possibility.

"Those noises in the Astrology Bureau just now..." I said slowly, "And the incense burner being knocked over... Could it all be someone secretly helping us?"

"If that's really the case," Starson said thoughtfully, "Then this person not only knows we are investigating the case but also understands that the key to the truth lies with Emerald..."

"Moreover, he has the ability to act covertly, creating these seemingly coincidental opportunities..." I continued.

This discovery left us both excited and puzzled. It was certainly good to have a mysterious person helping us, but who was he? Why was he helping us? And what were his intentions?

"In any case," Starson said as he carefully tucked away the pouch containing the powder, "we now have solid evidence. Emerald's spice indeed contains Dreamweed pollen, proving that she is the real culprit!"

"Should we go to the Ministry of Justice now?" I asked eagerly.

"Not so fast," Starson shook his head, "we still need to figure out Emerald's motive. Why did she frame Consort Grace? Was there someone else behind this?"

Indeed, merely finding the culprit was not enough. We had to uncover the whole story behind the incident to ensure that the true mastermind would also face justice.

"Moreover," Starson continued, "we must be cautious. Since Emerald dared to do such a thing, it means the forces behind her must be formidable. If we act rashly, we might alert them."

I nodded, but a wave of unease suddenly washed over me. If there truly was a powerful force supporting Emerald, could I, a mere female official in the imperial kitchen, really stand against them?

However, when I thought of Consort Grace, who is still under house arrest, bearing the accusation of harming the prince, I couldn't retreat. No matter how strong the opponent is, I must seek justice for the innocent!

"Starson, thank you for your help," I said earnestly to him. "Without you, I would never have been able to uncover the truth."

"What are you saying?" Starson smiled gently. "I'm also happy to have solved this intriguing mystery. And..."

He paused, a complex glint flashing in his eyes: "It is also my honor to assist someone with such a unique ability."

Unique ability... I instinctively touched my nose. Indeed, without this keen sense of smell, I would never have been able to recognize the scent of the Drunkard's Flower, nor uncover the truth.

Perhaps Master was right—this truly is a gift bestowed upon me by heaven, an ability meant to help others.

"So, what should we do next?" I asked.

Starson pondered for a moment: "We need more evidence, especially regarding Emerald's motives. Let's stop here for today and continue the investigation tomorrow."

I nodded, feeling a sudden surge of hope. Though the court's struggles are terrifying, at least now I am not fighting alone. With a learned companion like Starson and that mysterious helper in the shadows, I believe we can surely uncover the truth and clear Consort Grace's name!