AUBTN -Chapter 105 Preparing Medicinal Cuisine

A deeper smile tugged at the corner of Shen Jue’s lips.

“The plan is good, but who will deliver it?” Lu Yan asked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the two young women present.

“Right now, the Empress Dowager listens to everything Zhao Shuo says. If it’s someone unfamiliar, they probably won’t even get through the gates of Cining Palace.”

“Then this task is clearly mine!” Yu Qing patted her chest and stood up, a look of “who else but me?” written all over her face. “When it comes to persuasion—ah, no, I mean language arts and performance—I’m second to none in the capital. No one dares claim first place!”

She turned to look at Su Hewan, and the two exchanged a knowing glance.

“At yesterday’s flower-viewing banquet, I flattered the Empress Dowager so much that she was practically over the moon. And I still have a backup plan.”

Yu Qing leaned in closer, lowering her voice mysteriously. “That Lin Wan’er who got splashed with tea—the daughter of Minister Lin. Last night, as she was leaving the palace, I made a point to comfort her a little and subtly hinted that I have a secret beauty and skincare recipe. That girl is straightforward; after suffering such an injustice yesterday, she’s worried she won’t get a chance to show her face before the Empress Dowager and redeem herself. With just a little guidance, if I get her to bring me into the palace to present the ‘treasure,’ won’t it naturally fall into place?”

Lu Yan looked at the woman in front of him, her eyebrows flying, her mind full of schemes, and felt a trace of helplessness.

She was supposed to be a timid, scared little girl—how did she end up with such a scheming mind?

But his voice remained cold. “Minister Lin is rigid; Lin Wan’er may not act as you wish.”

“No need to worry about that, Commander,” Yu Qing said, playfully winking at him.

“Sometimes, a woman’s friendship can form in an instant—like when you both have scolded the same… bi-chi.”

Lu Yan: “What is a bi-chi…?”

Seeing Lu Yan furrow his brow, Yu Qing and Su Hewan exchanged a glance and laughed softly.

It seemed that “bi-chi” wasn’t a compliment, so Lu Yan didn’t press further.

Shen Jue shook his head in exasperation and stood up, making the final call. “Very well, then it’s settled.”

He walked to the window and looked at the gradually brightening sky, his voice low and cold as ice. “March 3rd, the grand Heaven Worship ceremony. That is the day Zhao Shuo plans to fully control the new emperor and seize power in the court. It is also our best chance to close the net.”

He turned, his gaze piercing. “Miss Su, you are responsible for preparing the medicinal cuisine. Make sure it is visually appealing, aromatic, and flavorful, and that Zhao Shuo does not detect any abnormalities. Miss Yu, you are responsible for smoothing the way and delivering the dishes into Cining Palace. The strategists and Commander Lu will monitor Zhao Shuo over the next few days, and in the meantime… eliminate some of his informants in the palace.”

“Understood.”

Su Hewan and Yu Qing replied in unison.

Yu Qing clenched her small fists, her eyes blazing with determination. “Don’t worry! Flattering the Empress Dowager is my specialty! I guarantee that after she drinks our soup, she’ll remember us fondly!”

At the same time, in a secluded Taoist temple in the northern corner of the palace…

This was Zhao Shuo’s usual residence, as well as his secret base for refining elixirs.

In the dimly lit chamber, Zhao Shuo sat cross-legged on a mat in front of a bronze furnace emitting blue smoke.

A dark-clad secret guard knelt silently behind him.

“National Preceptor.”

“Speak,” Zhao Shuo said, eyes closed, his voice cold as if coming from the depths of hell.

“Regarding last night’s theft at Cining Palace, we searched everywhere but found no suspicious individuals. However…” The guard paused, as if weighing his words.

“However what?” Zhao Shuo snapped, eyes snapping open.

“However, at midnight, someone saw the study in Yuyuan brightly lit, all the way until dawn. Moreover… it seems someone saw Commander Lu Yan of the Jinyiwei entering Yuyuan in the dead of night.”

“Lu Yan? Went to Shen Jue’s Yuyuan?”

Zhao Shuo let out a cold, sharp laugh. “I heard these two normally bite at each other whenever they meet, and now they secretly meet in the middle of the night? Could the rumors be wrong?”

He slowly stood up and walked to the bronze stove, taking a deep breath.

He recalled the scene from yesterday’s banquet.

“Those two palace maids—have you found out what their intentions are?”

The undercover guard hesitated. “We’ve investigated. The maid named Yu Qing seems to be quite close to the young lady from Minister Lin’s family. Early this morning, the Lin family sent a notice saying they wanted to enter the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. As for their motive… it looks like they’re just trying to climb the social ladder!”

“The Lin family?” Zhao Shuo narrowed his eyes.

“A bunch of fools, thinking they can make waves?”

“Keep an eye on them. No matter what they’re up to…”

The small kitchen in Yuyuan had now become the most forbidden area in the entire residence.

In recent days, strange smells constantly wafted from inside—sometimes burnt odors, sometimes an indescribable sourness, and occasionally… a faintly sweet, unusual fragrance.

“Commander, this is the 2.0 version of my newly developed ‘Tenfold Replenishing Beauty Soup.’ Won’t you honor me by trying a sip?”

Yu Qing held a small white porcelain bowl, smiling with exaggerated flattery.

Her peach-blossom eyes curved like crescents, yet no matter how you looked at her, she seemed like a little fox wagging its tail.

Lu Yan sat expressionless at the table, staring at the blackish liquid in the bowl, which even seemed to emit faint, strange bubbles. The corners of his resolute mouth twitched violently.

This wasn’t soup.

It was clearly more terrifying than crane’s crown poison!

“I’m not drinking it.” Lu Yan refused decisively, even instinctively leaning back.

“Oh, come on!” Yu Qing slammed the bowl on the table, hands on her hips, posing like a little teapot.

“To create a medicinal dish that could mask the taste of the antidote, do you know how much I’ve sacrificed? I almost boiled my hair off! You practice martial arts and have a strong body—if you won’t test it, who will?”

Lu Yan’s brow furrowed as he prepared to scold her, when suddenly a clear, sharp inner voice cut through:

【Big brother, give me some face, will you? I adapted this using the surviving scrolls of Manchu-Han Imperial Feast combined with modern molecular cuisine concepts! Sure, the appearance isn’t perfect, but that’s to hide the medicinal taste! If you don’t try it, how will I know whether the flavor can fool that old sly Empress Dowager? Drink it! Once you do, I can finish and go sleep—I’m dead tired!】

Lu Yan stared at her face, which seemed to scream “I’ve been wronged,” and snorted coldly in his heart.

Molecular cuisine? What on earth is that?

But this woman had indeed been tirelessly busy in the kitchen for days, all for the greater plan; even the skin under her eyes had darkened from fatigue.

He took a deep breath, as if marching to the execution ground, lifted the white porcelain bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

It wasn’t bitter as he had expected.

Instead, a refreshing herbal sweetness lingered, sliding down his throat, easing some of the tension in his nerves.

“How is it? How is it?” Yu Qing leaned in, her bright little face suddenly magnified before his eyes, eyelashes nearly brushing his nose.

Lu Yan awkwardly turned his head away, set down the bowl, and said coldly, “Acceptable.”

“Yay! I knew I was a genius!”

Yu Qing jumped up excitedly, turning to fetch the clay pot boiling on the stove.

“Since the flavor’s fine, I have to quickly scoop this pot out while it’s at the perfect temperature—ah!”

A shriek. The lid of the clay pot was too hot; Yu Qing’s hand shook, and her fingertips instantly turned red.

“Idiot!”

Lu Yan scolded softly, yet his body reacted faster than his mind.