Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

Chapter 130 The only survivor

Deep within the imperial palace, an ancient temple lies hidden in a quiet place, guarded only by an elderly eunuch.

His explanation of God's will is as illusory and elusive as a mirage.

The old eunuch saluted respectfully, his demeanor revealing an unquestionable dignity.

He was clearly a devoted defender of the temple, willing to do anything to protect it even if the expansion of his harem threatened its very existence.

The emperor always follows the instructions on the temple plaques and chooses the portal. Is there a deeper secret behind this?

The old eunuch gently pushed open the temple door and said, "Then please, Your Majesty and the others, return to the palace."

Everyone left the temple slowly with full of doubts.

Why was the emperor turned away?

Lin Zhiruo counted on her fingers while recalling the rooms she had just passed and the portal she had chosen.

She sat on the ground and used a branch to draw the portal combination she remembered on the ground.

Although she knew it was rude to do so in front of the emperor, her curiosity was like a surging tide and could not be suppressed.

Seeing this, the old eunuch slowly bent down with a deep look in his eyes.

"If Lin Xiang were here, he might be able to see through the secret."

His words seemed to imply that only his father could understand the secret.

This made Lin Zhiruo feel a little unhappy. She felt that the other party was implying that "father knows, but you don't."

Although her father was talented, Lin Zhiruo did not want to be looked down upon.

In other words, Lin Zhiruo was angry.

"If my adoptive father were here, would he understand what father-in-law meant?" Lin Zhiruo asked tentatively.

The old eunuch frowned slightly and began to avoid the topic, which made Lin Zhiruo even more confused.

Will my father know?

Does all this have to do with the father's knowledge?

My father is very knowledgeable, especially about food ingredients.

Could it be that the answer is inextricably linked to the ingredients?

The emperor and Quan Wushuang both stared at Lin Zhiruo, causing her to feel a chill running down her spine.

Even staring at Lin Zhiruo with this look would be of no use. She was not her father and could not easily come up with an answer.

But this only made her more anxious, and her heart felt like it was being pierced by a thorn, causing unbearable pain.

Lin Zhiruo pondered in her heart, besides the three doors and the three colors complementing each other, what else is there?

She suddenly asked, "Do you understand what 'I am not the Queen Mother's son' means?"

Lin Zhiruo recalled the story of the founding of the country, which only mentioned the mother of the founding emperor but not the father.

Generally speaking, countries with such founding origins attach importance to maternal bloodline, but this country adopts patrilineal inheritance, that is, the male lineage system.

Lin Zhiruo once again recalled the words on the last plaque: "You are a prince, but not the son of the Queen Mother."

There may be a profound meaning hidden in it.

It is often assumed that sons inherit their father's masculine traits.

In the case of a matrilineal system, the daughter inherits the feminine traits of her mother.

Since ancient times, the throne has always been inherited by direct male descendants.

Although there have been princesses who have been crowned emperors in history, their bloodlines have never been passed down to later generations.

What methods are there to continue the Queen Mother's bloodline?

Inadvertently, Lin Zhiruo recalled the story of the late emperor.

Although the late emperor was the youngest son, he ascended the throne because all his older brothers died of epidemics.

Because the late emperor was the only survivor and the rest of his brothers had passed away, there were rumors that the empress assassinated them.

Lin Zhiruo looked around and saw the old eunuch, the emperor and Quan Wushuang.

She suddenly stood in front of Quan Wushuang and asked, "General Manager Quan, may I ask if all of the brothers of the retired emperor were born of the same mother?"

Quan Wushuang was a little confused by Lin Zhiruo's sudden question, but he immediately gave an answer: "Not all of them were born from the same mother, but I have heard that the concubines who gave birth to the prince were sisters. It seems that they are the cousins ​​of the Supreme Emperor."

"So, we are closely related by blood."

In the royal family, marrying sisters or marrying close relatives is not uncommon.

Concubine Pinglan and the emperor were relatives, which is a ready-made example.

Lin Zhiruo asked hesitantly, "May I ask you another question?"

Quan Wushuang nodded slightly.

"What's the problem?"

"I'm afraid it might offend."

Depending on the circumstances, one may even face execution on the spot.

"You are allowed to report."

These words did not come from Quan Wushuang, but from the emperor.

Lin Zhiruo took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and said, "Do those who have inherited the throne in past dynasties often suffer from eye diseases?"

The one who reacted most strongly was not the emperor or Quan Wushuang, but the old eunuch.

Lin Zhiruo smiled sweetly and said, "Indeed, I have heard that our ancestors often suffered from eye problems. But the late emperor had excellent eyesight."

After hearing the emperor's words, Lin Zhiruo became more certain of her guess.

Lin Zhiruo looked towards the temple and said, "Could Your Majesty please lead us through it again?"

The old eunuch said solemnly, "Young lady, are you implying that you believe you are qualified?"

He continued, "Although there have been nobles who have brought women into the temple in the past, they were always princesses or concubines. Your Majesty brought you in just now, but seeing you come and go so frequently makes me uneasy. Moreover, you are even trying to interfere in the choice of the door."

The meaning is obvious. A thin woman like Lin Zhiruo, no matter how polite she is, can hardly be considered beautiful. It is inappropriate for her to enter the temple so frequently.

The emperor's face was as gloomy as water, and he said slowly, "Then I will take her as my concubine, how about that? However, if I want to convince General Zhimou, I'm afraid it will take some effort."

Quan Wushuang quickly stood in front of Lin Zhiruo and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, please don't joke around. The other concubines won't let this go."

The emperor laughed heartily and patted Lin Zhiruo on the head a few times.

Normally, the emperor seemed relaxed and at ease when he was in the Glass Palace, but today he was different from the past and seemed a little tired.

Lin Zhiruo knew very well that the emperor had never shown any interest in women whose bust was less than three feet.

Imperial Concubine Yuyao and Imperial Concubine Pinglan both far exceeded this standard.

Quan Wushuang stared at the emperor with a gloomy expression, like a sullen child. He wondered if Lin Zhiruo was worrying too much.