Three days later, I stood at the foot of the white marble steps of the Golden Luan Hall, feeling the gazes from all directions, and my legs were trembling.

Oh my, a minor female official from the imperial kitchen like me had to testify before His Majesty the Emperor... I didn't even dare to think about such a thing!


"Announcing Consort Grace of the Xiao family to the hall!"

The eunuch's sharp voice echoed through the hall as Consort Grace slowly walked in. She was dressed in plain palace attire, her face haggard, but her eyes remained firm. Seeing her like this, my heart felt as if it had been tightly squeezed by something.

"Announcing Noble Consort Lewis to the hall!"


Noble Consort Lewis followed closely, wearing a luxurious purple palace dress, the pearls and jade on her head sparkling in the sunlight. She held her head high, a faint sneer on her face, not at all like a mother whose son had just been poisoned.

His Majesty the Emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his awe-inspiring presence making the entire hall feel oppressive. I secretly glanced at him and immediately lowered my head again. No, no, the Emperor is far too imposing—someone as insignificant as me can't handle it!


"Minister of Justice, report the case in detail," the Emperor's voice was deep and commanding.

The Minister of Justice stepped forward and recounted the entire incident from start to finish. When he mentioned the discovery of Drunken Immortal pollen in Emerald's incense, Noble Consort Lewis's expression visibly changed for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of Justice concluded, "this humble official believes the key evidence in this case is conclusive. Emerald did indeed conceal Drunken Immortal pollen in the incense, and there are witnesses who confirm she had contact with the pastries made by Consort Grace."

"Silence!" Noble Consort Lewis suddenly interrupted loudly, "Your Majesty, it is clear that someone is trying to frame me! That Emerald is just a lowly maid. How would she have the courage to do such a thing? Clearly, someone instigated her and then deliberately arranged for the evidence to be discovered, aiming to shift the blame onto me!"

"Noble Consort Lewis, are you suggesting that someone is framing you?" The Emperor narrowed his eyes.

"Exactly!" Noble Consort Lewis said with a pitiful expression, "Your Majesty, think about it—if it were truly me who instructed Emerald, why would I let her leave evidence in her own incense? Isn’t this obviously setting oneself up to be caught?"

My heart sank as I listened. Her reasoning was indeed sound... If she were truly behind it, how could she have been so careless?

"Moreover," Noble Consort Lewis continued, "Emerald is just a maid responsible for incense. How could she have access to the pastries made by Consort Grace’s sister? There must be others involved in this!"

Consort Grace's face turned pale, yet she couldn't refute. Indeed, without solid evidence proving Noble Consort Lewis's direct involvement, it was difficult to convict her based solely on Emerald's actions.

The Minister of Justice also furrowed his brow, clearly aware of the complexity of the case.

At that moment, Grand Eunuch Ashen suddenly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, this old servant has another witness to summon."

"Who?"

"Miss Feng Lin from the imperial kitchen. She played a crucial role in this case, and..." Grand Eunuch Ashen glanced at me, "she possesses a unique ability beyond ordinary people, which might provide more concrete evidence for this case."

What?! My eyes widened. Grand Eunuch Ashen wanted me to testify before the emperor?!

"Summon Feng Lin to the court!"

This is it, my legs trembled even more. Under the gaze of everyone, I braced myself and walked to the center of the grand hall, kneeling down: "This humble commoner, Feng Lin, pays respects to Your Majesty!"

"Rise and speak." The Emperor's voice sounded quite gentle, "We have heard that you can identify Zui Xian pollen solely through taste?"

"Y-yes, Your Majesty." I replied, my voice trembling, "Since childhood, my sense of taste has been particularly acute, allowing me to discern flavors that others cannot."

"Interesting." The Emperor leaned slightly forward, "Would you be willing to demonstrate your ability before the entire court?"

My heart nearly leaped out of my throat! But thinking of Consort Grace's current predicament, I clenched my teeth: "I am willing, Your Majesty!"

"Very well. Ashen, have the imperial kitchen prepare the ingredients according to the recipe Consort Grace used that day to make the pastries."

Shortly after, eunuchs brought in various ingredients for making pastries, along with a small stove. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

Alright, Feng Lin, now is the time to prove yourself!

"Your Majesty, this humble woman requests to make two identical pastries, one with Zui Xian flower powder and one without. If I can accurately identify them, it will prove that the pastries from that day were indeed tampered with."

The emperor nodded: "Granted."

I began making the pastries, and my hands gradually grew more skilled. Strangely, as soon as I entered the state of preparing food, my previous nervousness miraculously vanished. This must be what my master called the "spirit of a craftsman"—when focused on what one is good at, all distractions are forgotten.

"I will now add the Zui Xian flower powder," I raised a small packet of powder, "Your Excellencies, please observe. This powder is almost indistinguishable from ordinary osmanthus powder in appearance, making it truly difficult for most people to tell apart."

I added the powder to the batter of one pastry and then placed both pastries into the oven to bake simultaneously.

During the baking process, the entire hall was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the furnace fire crackling. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, but now, I was no longer nervous.

Food is what I know best. No matter the occasion, I have confidence!

"It's ready!" I took out two pieces of pastries that looked completely identical and placed them on a tray to present to the emperor. "Your Majesty, these two pastries appear identical, but one of them contains Drunken Immortal Flower pollen."

I picked up one piece, took a small bite, and carefully savored it. Amid the sweet pastry flavor, there was indeed an extremely faint note of charred bitterness...

"It's this one!" I pointed to the pastry on the left. "The one with Drunken Immortal Flower pollen is this one!"

A wave of whispers rippled through the hall.

"How can you be certain?" the emperor asked.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, although the Zui Xian flower pollen itself is colorless and odorless, it produces an extremely subtle burnt bitter taste when exposed to high temperatures. This taste is very faint and generally undetectable by ordinary people, but my palate is quite sensitive, so I am able to discern it."

Noble Consort Lewis sneered, "This might just be a coincidence, no? How do we know if you already knew beforehand which piece was added with the pollen?"

My heart skipped a beat. Indeed, if someone were to question whether I had conspired in advance, it would be difficult to prove...

"Her Highness the Noble Consort speaks wisely," I took a deep breath, "then I shall once again demonstrate my abilities to His Majesty to prove that this is no coincidence."

I glanced at the tea table beside the emperor: "Your Majesty, have you just enjoyed some tea?"

The emperor nodded slightly: "Indeed, I took a few sips earlier."

"This humble woman dares to ask for a taste of Your Majesty's tea, to see if I can discern its origin."

As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar erupted in the grand hall. This request was truly audacious! But the emperor seemed quite intrigued and waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to hand me the teacup.

I took the teacup and gently sipped a small amount.

As the tea entered my mouth, the first sensation was a light sweetness, followed by a faint floral aroma... Wait, this taste...

"This is Mingqian tea from Yunwu Mountain," I said slowly. "It was picked around mid-March, and... it's this year's new tea! The tea trees grow on a slope at an altitude of about 800 meters, with slightly acidic soil, which gives the tea its unique fragrance. The tea master must be an experienced veteran, as the heat was controlled perfectly, preserving the tea's freshness while maintaining a rich and mellow flavor."

The grand hall fell into complete silence.

A glimmer of surprise flashed in the emperor's eyes: "Ashen, investigate the origin of this tea."

Ashen hurriedly stepped back and returned shortly after: "Your Majesty, this is indeed the Mingqian tea tribute from Yunwu Mountain. It was picked on the fifteenth of March, and it is indeed this year's new tea! The tea master is called Thorne, and he is quite renowned in the local area!"

A burst of exclamations erupted in the grand hall. Even the emperor showed a look of admiration: "Excellent! Truly a divine gift!"

Noble Consort Lewis's expression turned extremely unpleasant, but she was still making a final struggle: "Even if her sense of taste is indeed sharp, what does that prove? This still doesn’t prove that I am the mastermind behind this!"

"Noble Consort Lewis is right," the emperor nodded, "Based on this alone, it is indeed insufficient to convict. However..."

He turned to me: "Fenglin, are you willing to conduct another experiment?"

"Your Majesty, please give your command!"

"I want you to prepare two more portions of pastries—one made normally, and the other with a small amount of Drunken Immortal Flower pollen, of course, in a dose that won’t cause an allergic reaction. Then, have Consort Grace and the Second Prince taste them to see if they can tell the difference."

I understood the emperor's intention. If Consort Grace were truly innocent, she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, as she lacks my unique sense of taste. But if she could easily distinguish it, that would mean she was very familiar with Drunken Immortal Flower pollen...

"This humble girl obeys the command!"

I prepared two more portions of pastries, this time using a very small amount of Drunken Immortal Flower pollen to ensure it wouldn’t harm the Second Prince, but it could still be detected by my taste buds.

"Consort Grace, you go first," the emperor said.

Consort Grace stepped forward, tasted both pastries, and then shook her head in confusion. "Your Majesty, I truly cannot taste any difference..."

"Second Prince, it’s your turn."

Prince Mike also tasted two pieces of pastry and similarly shook his head: "Father, I cannot tell the difference either..."

Very good! This proves that Consort Grace and Prince Mike are both unfamiliar with the pollen of the Drunken Immortal. They are indeed innocent!

At this moment, Ashen, the palace steward, stepped forward again: "Your Majesty, this old servant has interrogated Emerald, and she has confessed everything!"

"Speak!"

"Emerald admitted that it was indeed she who added the pollen of the Drunken Immortal to the pastries made by Consort Grace. However, she insists that this was her own doing, with no one instructing her. But..." Ashen paused, "this old servant has discovered a suspicious point."

"What suspicious point?"

"Emerald said she had accidentally found the Drunken Immortal Flower in the imperial garden and picked some because she found the fragrance pleasant. However, according to the garden's management, the Drunken Immortal Flower is grown in a highly concealed location and is guarded by specialized personnel, making it impossible for an ordinary maid to access it."

"Moreover," continued Ashen Eunuch, "Emerald displayed an unusually detailed understanding of the Drunken Immortal Flower's properties, even knowing it could exacerbate the Second Prince's allergic condition. Such medical knowledge is not something a regular incense maid should possess."

Noble Consort Lewis's expression grew increasingly grim.

"Most importantly," Ashen Eunuch produced a piece of paper, "I found this in Emerald's room."

The Emperor took the paper and glanced at it, his face instantly darkening: "Noble Consort Lewis, the handwriting on this... it looks quite familiar to me."

When Noble Consort Lewis saw the paper, her face turned as pale as a sheet.

"This is the note that instructed Emerald to act," Ashen the eunuch said, "It details the properties of the Drunken Immortal Flower and how to exploit the second prince's allergies to worsen his condition. The handwriting has been verified by the Imperial Archives—it is indeed Noble Consort Lewis's!"

The hall erupted in uproar!

Noble Consort Lewis collapsed to the floor, her face ashen. She knew there was no room for defense now.

"Noble Consort Lewis," the emperor's voice was as cold as ice, "To frame Consort Grace, you were willing to gamble with your own son's life. You are truly heartless!"

"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!" Noble Consort Lewis kowtowed repeatedly, "Your servant admits her wrongs! Your servant was... was merely confused for a moment!"

But it was already too late.

"Ashen, escort Noble Consort Lewis to the Cold Palace, where she shall remain for life. Emerald shall receive fifty lashes and be exiled to the borderlands."

"As for Consort Grace," the Emperor turned to Consort Grace, his tone softening, "this case has been clarified, and your innocence has been proven. I wronged you."

"This humble consort dares not!" Consort Grace replied with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your keen insight!"

The Emperor then looked at me: "Fenglin, you have made a great contribution to solving this case. I shall reward you heavily!"

"Your Majesty, this commoner dares not ask for any reward," I quickly said. "Being able to clear Consort Grace's name is satisfaction enough for me."

The Emperor nodded with satisfaction: "Good! Having loyal and upright subjects like you is a blessing for me! Ashen, convey my decree: Fenglin is promoted to Deputy Supervisor of the Imperial Kitchen, with her monthly salary doubled!"

"Thank you for Your Majesty's great favor!" I knelt down, overwhelmed with gratitude.

With the Emperor's announcement of the court's adjournment, this thrilling confrontation finally came to an end.

As I walked out of the grand hall, my legs were still trembling. Oh my, I was so nervous just now! But seeing the smile reappear on Consort Grace's face made it all worthwhile.

"Lady Fenglin," Consort Grace came over and took my hand, "Thank you for clearing my name. I will never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!"

"Your Highness, you’re too kind," I quickly replied, "This was what I should do. It’s just..."

I glanced in the direction where Noble Consort Lewis had been taken away, feeling a mix of complicated emotions. The power struggles in the palace are truly terrifying; they would even use their own child for the sake of influence...

However, at least this time, justice prevailed over evil. And I, too, finally used my abilities to protect someone important.

"Fenglin," Starson appeared beside me at some point, "Your performance today was truly brilliant! That tea tasting was simply divine!"

I smiled sheepishly, "It was just luck..."

"This is not a matter of luck," Starson said earnestly, "You possess a truly incredible talent. Cherish this ability and use it to help more people in need."

I nodded vigorously. Yes, I certainly will!

However... I still feel that this case is not completely over. Noble Consort Lewis has fallen, but how will the other factions in the palace react?

Moreover, who is that mysterious person who has been secretly helping us all along?

No matter what, at least Consort Grace is safe now, and the Second Prince is gradually recovering. As a small female official in the imperial kitchen, I am already quite satisfied with what I have achieved.

Still, promotions and salary increases... hehe, that’s always exciting! Tonight, I must cook a delicious meal to celebrate!