Chapter 1 — One Bowl of Soup, Two Lives of People

The new emperor ascended the throne and ordered the Ngu Thien room to taste the dishes. Didn't try anything else, just made a bowl of white cabbage tofu soup. In the past life, the emperor tasted the soup I cooked, shed tears in front of everyone, and made me a noble concubine. I have been favored for ten years. But within a short time, he was demoted to become a commoner. It turned out that that year Tieu Ngan tried the dishes just to find the little palace maid who used to give him food in the cold palace. That person is not me. But I was able to cook out the flavor in his memories. Tieu Ngan judged me to be lewd and punished me to go to Dich Dinh to wash my clothes and apologize. The queen concubine took advantage of the opportunity to destroy the bamboo shoots, and I was tormented to death. Living another life, I don't want to mistakenly step into heaven again. So this time, before the soup, put it in the pot. I quietly raised my hand and added a large handful of coriander.

01

Cilantro covers the soup, green as if it were about to drip water. I don't dare to make soup that is too difficult to eat, for fear of angering the Emperor. But it is not possible to cook the same flavor as before. Had to think of this way. Sure enough, Tieu Ngan only took one sip and then put down the spoon. I kneel at the end of the main hall. Can't see his expression clearly. Just listen to his cold, unruffled voice.

“Not this flavor, next bowl.”

The hanging heart finally came down. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, only to realize that my whole body had gone limp.

02

The testing continues to go smoothly. Each bowl of hot soup was offered, then the emperor shook his head to deny it, and was continuously brought down. The sky gradually darkens. In this life, Tieu Ngan still cannot get what he wants. He stood up, tiredly looking around. In the hall, the candles were bright and the beauty was like clouds. Forty-seven palace maids of Ngu Thien Room were all present here, not a single one was left out. But no one was the benefactor he searched so hard for. Among them, I bowed my head the lowest, my body constantly trembling, afraid of meeting my eyes with him. Fortunately. That cold gaze only stayed on me for a moment, then calmly moved away.

“Everyone go down.”

The emperor clasped his hands behind his back, looking lonely.

03

When I returned to Ngu Thien Room's duty room, it was already dark. The palace maids lay on the shared bed, quietly discussing today's strange events.

"That's strange, why does the emperor insist on making each of us cook a bowl of white cabbage tofu soup?"

"That's called a simple great way. What do you know! Cong Wei said, whoever can cook the flavor the emperor wants will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver!"

Not just a hundred taels. In the previous life, Tieu Ngan tasted the soup I cooked and immediately made me a noble concubine. A cruel emperor who once came out of a cold palace alley to kill and kill walked out. Yet because of a bowl of ordinary white cabbage tofu soup, my eyes turned red. I don't know the reason, I thought he was amazed by my cooking skills. After being concubine, Tieu Ngan treated me with utmost care. At first, I only had gratitude and respect for him. The years are long and love gradually develops. It's not easy for me to get pregnant, and I take bitter medicine all year round. Almost bleeding, he gave birth to a pair of girls. I thought it was all worth it. Until the little princess's birthday party, Tieu Ngan slowly ran over, his eyes seemed to burst open, and slapped me hard.

"You bad woman! You dare to fake your identity, evil So toxic!”

I was so scared I didn't know what to do, tears were falling. That very night, he stripped me of my title and forced me to kneel. But I knelt until my knees bled, still not knowing what I had done wrong. It wasn't until Dung, who had always been jealous of me, sat on Xuan An's phoenix carriage and proudly walked past me. She held my baby in her arms, her laughter was clear.

“Look, little princess, this is the end of the scammer!”

Poor Princess Doan Hoa was only three years old at that time. She cried until her face turned blue. She called for her mother and rushed towards me. My heart hurt like a knife, I bowed my head and begged Dung to tell me the reason.

“That year, the king tried the dishes because he wanted to find the benefactor who had given meals to people in the palace. Who would have thought that your servant would dare to commit blasphemy!”

"The Emperor suddenly got excited and went back to his notes, only to discover that you had already gone out of the palace to visit your relatives that winter, so you couldn't give him food or soup at all!"

So that's it... Indeed, I have never given him food. But only I can cook out the flavor in his memories! That night the wind was bone-chillingly cold. Doan Hoa's mournful cries followed the carriage gradually into the distance. I knelt for three days and three nights, still not asking for a chance to explain. On the contrary, he was punished to have Dich Dinh wash his clothes to apologize. It's cold in December, clothes are torn and rice is raw. Not long after, under Dung's silent arrangements, I was tortured to death. This one life. It's just that military grace is like flowing water, rushing away without looking back. Before I died, I shed tears looking at the red palace wall that resembled a prison cage. The most heartless is the emperor. If there is an afterlife, Tieu Ngan, I will absolutely never come close to you again.