PDLP Chapter 2217 Found clues
Chapter 2217 Found clues
Yan Ruyu held the bowl of ham and chicken soup, which she had only taken two sips of, her fingertips gently stroking the warm white porcelain rim, her brows slightly furrowed.
The aroma of the chicken soup was still rich, and a few bits of ham still floated in the clear broth, making it look no different from ordinary nourishing chicken soup.
The space did not issue any warnings, and repeated checks confirmed that it was non-toxic, but her doubts did not diminish at all—both the First Madam and Madam Cao had drunk the chicken soup, which could not possibly be a coincidence.
"Could it be that there's something wrong with the cooking method?" Huo Changhe stood to the side, his gaze fixed on the chicken soup, his tone slow and deliberate.
Yan Ruyu shook her head: "It shouldn't be."
Huo Changxu paced back and forth in the courtyard: "But this chicken soup is definitely not poisonous, so we can't be overthinking it, can we?"
As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, and the abbot strode in.
He had a worried look on his face and was carrying a plain-colored food box in his hand.
"Abbot Master." Huo Changhe stepped forward first to pay his respects, his tone respectful.
The abbot nodded slightly, his gaze falling on Yan Ruyu: "How is Madam? Is she alright?"
"Mother's breathing has stabilized a bit, but she is still asleep." Yan Ruyu stepped aside to make way, leading the abbot a few steps into the house, and then couldn't help but voice her doubts.
"I suspect that my mother's illness is related to a bowl of chicken soup, but repeated tests have shown that the chicken soup is non-toxic."
Before Lady Cao fell ill, she also drank chicken soup, and the connection between the two is truly puzzling.
The abbot walked to the doorway but did not enter the house to disturb the madam's rest; he simply stood there and listened.
He glanced down at the chicken soup in Yan Ruyu's hand, his nose twitched slightly as he smelled the rich aroma, and he sighed softly, "That's really strange."
This chicken soup smells delicious and rich, and the ingredients look high-quality. It's unlike the mushrooms in our southern province, which can kill you if you eat them by mistake..."
Yan Ruyu's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and a faint light appeared in her eyes.
She took half a step forward, her voice low and urgent: "Say it again."
The abbot was taken aback by her sudden reaction.
“I’ll quote a local saying from our southern province. There are many kinds of mushrooms in the mountains. Some of them look bright and beautiful, but they are actually highly poisonous. If you accidentally cook them in chicken soup, you may faint or even die. Locals jokingly say, ‘Eating mushrooms will make you lie flat on the floor.’”
Before she finished speaking, Yan Ruyu turned and walked towards the crowd in the courtyard.
She approached Granny Zhang and asked, "Granny Zhang, think carefully. In the chicken soup you made for the Madam today, besides ham and chicken, were there any other ingredients?"
Zhang Mama was stunned for a moment, then quickly thought carefully and nodded, saying, "Your Highness, yes."
The cook did add some ingredients when she made the chicken soup, saying it would enhance the flavor. However, after it was cooked, she picked out everything except the ham and chicken, leaving only those two in the soup for the lady to drink.
"They were picked out?" Yan Ruyu pressed. "Then do you know what kind of things were picked out?"
Granny Zhang shook her head, a look of bewilderment on her face: "This old servant doesn't know exactly what it is. The cook took care of it all. After it was stewed, it was brought directly to the madam."
Upon seeing this, Huo Changhe immediately instructed Song Ping beside him, "Go and call the cook who made chicken soup for Mother today, and bring the kitchen manager with you."
"Yes, Your Highness," Song Ping replied, and quickly walked towards the kitchen.
Before long, Song Ping led the two of them over. The cook in front of them was about forty years old, dressed in a gray cloth dress, with her hands clasped in front of her, looking slightly nervous.
The kitchen manager following behind dared not utter a sound.
"Your Highness, Your Highness." The cook approached the two, curtsied, and her voice trembled slightly.
Huo Changhe looked at her calmly and said, "Did you make the chicken soup for the First Madam today? Tell me clearly what ingredients you added, and don't hide anything."
The cook took a deep breath, composed herself, and said clearly, "Your Highness, the chicken soup today was prepared by this servant."
The ingredients used are old hens that are over three years old, and high-quality ham.
In addition, three kinds of mushrooms were added—bamboo fungus, porcini mushrooms, and another one recommended by the restaurant, which they said was called 'jade face mushroom'. Stewing these three kinds of mushrooms together will make the soup exceptionally delicious.
After the stew was cooked, as was customary, the maidservant removed all the mushrooms, leaving only the chicken and ham in the soup.
Yan Ruyu's heart skipped a beat, and she pressed for details, "Where did you buy these three kinds of mushrooms?"
“They were all bought from the ‘fresh produce shop’ in the west of the city,” the cook quickly replied. “The Prince’s mansion has always sourced its fresh produce from there. The mushrooms are delivered fresh daily by the shopkeeper. I carefully checked them when I was selecting them, and none of them were rotten or spoiled.”
Yan Ruyu turned to Song Ping, her tone urgent: "Song Ping, go to the governor's mansion immediately and ask the cook who made chicken soup for Madam Cao today to come over. Tell her I have something important to ask you, and you must hurry."
"Yes, Your Highness." Song Ping didn't dare to delay and turned to leave quickly.
Huo Changhe walked to Yan Ruyu's side and whispered, "You suspect there's something wrong with these mushrooms?"
"Eating them alone might be fine, but what if several types of mushrooms are mixed together, or paired with certain ingredients? Could this produce other reactions?"
Yan Ruyu frowned slightly: "Moreover, what the abbot just said reminded me that some fungi are not poisonous on their own, but if they are eaten together, they may cause poisoning symptoms. However, these symptoms are not easy to detect and cannot be detected by conventional toxins."
The abbot nodded in agreement, "What the princess says makes sense."
Back in the southern province, I had heard of similar cases. Some mushrooms are safe to eat alone, but when two or more are mixed, they can become toxic. However, this is extremely rare, and most people are unaware of it.
About half an hour later, Song Ping arrived in a hurry with the cook from the governor's mansion.
The cook looked somewhat uneasy as she followed behind Song Ping.
"Your Highness, the cook from the governor's mansion has arrived," Song Ping reported.
Yan Ruyu nodded, looked at the cook, and said gently, "I'd like to ask what ingredients were added to the chicken soup that Madam Cao drank before she fell ill today?"
The cook from the governor's mansion hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, the chicken soup contains chicken, ham, and several kinds of mushrooms, namely white jade mushrooms, fresh shiitake mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, and jade mushrooms, all of which were purchased from a fresh produce shop in the west of the city."
“Boletus and lichen!” Huo Changhe’s voice carried a hint of understanding. “There are two types of mushrooms that overlap with those in the Prince’s Chicken Soup.”
A look of certainty flashed in Yan Ruyu's eyes, and she immediately instructed Song Ping: "Go to the Prince's kitchen right now and find all the bamboo fungus, porcini mushrooms, and jade mushrooms used to make today's chicken soup. Bring them all, whether they are leftover ingredients or discarded scraps!"