Usually haughty head eunuchs were currently hunched over, their hands tucked into their sleeves, waiting obediently outside the hall.
"Eunuch Liu, you've arrived," a young eunuch stepped forward to fawn over him.
Eunuch Liu walked past looking straight ahead, not even batting an eyelid.
The other young eunuchs watched Eunuch Liu's retreating back, traces of fear in their eyes.
However, after the heavy vermilion doors of the hall were pulled shut.
"Kneel."
The voice was not loud, but it was filled with absolute authority.
Eunuch Liu did not hesitate for a second, dropping heavily onto the floor tiles with a muffled thud.
"Is this how you handle the matter I asked you to investigate?"
A white jade paperweight flew through the air and struck Eunuch Liu squarely on the forehead. The surrounding eunuchs dropped to their knees in terror.
The Emperor suppressed the anger in his voice. He looked down at Eunuch Liu, his eyes full of disappointment.
Eunuch Liu had not dodged. He remained kneeling on the ground, his high, shrill voice trembling to the extreme.
"This servant is incompetent... This servant has disturbed Your Majesty..."
He kept kowtowing on the floor tiles. Blood flowed endlessly, a glaring red, and he struck his head harder with each bow, his face full of fear.
The Emperor looked down at him from above and said in a deep voice,
"I want to see results within three days."
When the hall doors opened again, the eunuchs outside immediately lowered their heads in fright upon seeing the wound on Eunuch Liu's forehead.
The blood on Eunuch Liu's forehead had already clotted. His gaze was terrifyingly chilling, making him look incredibly ferocious.
He couldn't help but sneer, "That bastard in the Department of Punishment who hasn't confessed yet, let me hear him scream again."
The sky gradually darkened, and the surrounding red walls fell into shadow. A jackdaw landed on the dead old locust tree in the courtyard, letting out a short caw.
Eunuch Liu sat at the table. He lit an oil lamp and faced the mirror to apply medicinal powder, his face twitching in pain.
The door was suddenly pushed open. Bringing in a gust of cold air, Ji Zhaoxi slipped in excitedly.
"Master..."
Her voice came to an abrupt halt when she saw the wound on Eunuch Liu's forehead.
Her eyes instantly reddened. Sniffling, she approached Eunuch Liu. A tear suddenly fell onto the back of his hand, and he withdrew it as if he had been burned.
"What are you crying for? I'm not dead yet. This is a reward from His Majesty, stop weeping here."
Eunuch Liu's tone was stiff.
He was almost scared to death by this foolish girl.
Ji Zhaoxi sniffled and wiped her tears. "You always tell me to behave, did you break the rules too to get beaten by the Emperor?"
Eunuch Liu continued to apply the medicine and snorted coldly, "A little brat like you is lecturing me now? Hurry up and go to sleep."
Ji Zhaoxi looked at him eagerly. "Master, let me apply it for you. It's time for me to show my filial piety."
Eunuch Liu's mouth twitched.
If he let her do it, he would truly die of pain.
Looking at Ji Zhaoxi wiping her tears beside him, Eunuch Liu felt a severe headache coming on. He didn't like children, and he certainly didn't know how to coax them.
"Don't stand in the way here, you're blocking all the light."
Ji Zhaoxi silently shifted her position and continued to stare at him with red eyes.
Eunuch Liu: ...
Kids were really annoying.
The wind was unusually strong tonight. The wind outside squeezed in through the window paper, blowing the bed curtains into a mess, and the door blew open with a bang.
Xiao Yanchen was startled awake by the heavy sound of the door closing. He carefully shut the door and then curled up in his quilt, unable to stop himself from sobbing softly.
As if he suddenly thought of something, he kept fumbling around his pillow until he finally touched a piece of soft fabric.
This was the old eunuch uniform that Ji Zhaoxi had brought over yesterday. Because they had played for too long, he hadn't washed it yet.
Xiao Yanchen hugged the eunuch uniform tightly in his arms. The sound of the wind outside never stopped, and he buried his face in the fabric in fear.
"Xiao Xizi..."
He thought of the scene during the day when he wiped ink off Ji Zhaoxi. Gradually, his breathing steadied. Holding the clothes tightly, he fell into a deep sleep.
Inside Jingren Palace.
The underfloor heating was burning brightly, making the hall very warm, a stark contrast to the outside. The bed curtains draped to the floor, blocking all the cold air.
The Emperor looked at the golden dragon and fine pearl pattern on the roof of the canopy. His embrace was warm and soft, yet he still felt as if he were entirely alone.
The Noble Consort glanced at the Emperor groggily and curled up in his arms like a cat, murmuring coquettishly, "Why hasn't Your Majesty rested yet..."
The Emperor withdrew his gaze. His fingertips gently caressed the Noble Consort's rounded shoulder. His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of a smile, "Did I wake my Noble Consort?"
With that, he turned sideways, kissed her temple, and whispered right by her ear, "Go to sleep."
His movements were extremely gentle, but his eyes were as calm as a pool of dead water.
The Noble Consort buried herself in his embrace, a sweet smile on her face.
In her eyes, the man beside her had given her all his favor, something even the former Empress could not compare to. This was an emperor's love, and she was already so addicted to this love that she could not extricate herself.
Morning in Jingren Palace. Outside the folding screen, a floor full of palace maids knelt, while the maid holding the brocade garments nearby was shivering.
The Noble Consort's temper was getting worse and worse. It was fine when the Emperor was around, but as soon as he left, the maids around her were all terrified.
The Noble Consort sat on the bed, her face incredibly gloomy.
Sooner or later, she was going to replace all these maids. They had no tact at all; no wonder they were people left behind by the Empress.
Just then, Xiao He bypassed those maids and walked in smiling, carrying a bowl of silver ear mushroom soup.
She sat by the couch, handed the soup to a nearby maid, and naturally began massaging the Noble Consort's shoulders.
"Your Ladyship, this servant has been watching over this silver ear mushroom soup the whole time, and I even added rock sugar."
Her pressure was just right, her tone gentle.
"Before His Majesty left, he specifically instructed us servants to let you sleep a little longer, afraid that you might get a headache."
This whole routine made the anger on the Noble Consort's face dissipate by more than half. Drinking the soup fed to her by the maid beside her, she spoke.
"The New Year is approaching, so the palace's New Year banquet will naturally be hosted by me. Xiao He, go tell those sisters of mine, lest they make a scene in front of His Majesty again."
The Noble Consort's tone was somewhat sarcastic.
"Find a few old momos for me as well. I want to learn. It's the perfect time to show those blind fools whether or not I am fit to sit in the highest seat of this inner palace."
The atmosphere in the palace gradually grew a bit tense.
High-grade agarwood began to be distributed in large quantities, and the smell of herbal incense could be smelled everywhere at the palace gates, meant to ward off evil for the end of the year.
"I see everyone else's palaces are doing it this way. Seventh Prince, you should burn some too."
Holding the herbs, Xiao Yanchen looked at the person in front of him and nodded.
The New Year was fast approaching, and the palace eunuchs had also started getting busy. The number of times he met with her became even fewer.
The sky gradually darkened, casting long shadows of the two people at the gate of Ruhui Palace.
Just as Ji Zhaoxi was about to leave, Xiao Yanchen grabbed her hand in a panic. His voice was very quiet.
"Xiao Xizi, are you going to spend the New Year with Eunuch Liu?"
Ji Zhaoxi sighed, "Master has to attend to the Emperor."
Xiao Yanchen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at her with moist eyes.
"Xiao Xizi, then... can just the two of us be together that day?"
"Sure!"
Hearing Ji Zhaoxi's answer, his eyes instantly lit up. He clenched his fists and looked at her excitedly.
"Xiao Xizi, you promised! If you go back on your word, you're a little dog!"
Ji Zhaoxi snorted. "Even if I go back on my word, I'm not a little dog."
Xiao Yanchen's eyes immediately dimmed, and he looked at her with a wronged expression.
"Xiao Xizi..."
"..."
"Xiao Xizi, then even if you go back on your word, you aren't a little dog. I was just talking nonsense just now."
"Alright."
"Then Xiao Xizi, can I still be with you that day..."
"Yes, you can!"
"Mmhmm!"
