An Sheng has returned to the palace for duty.
Just like when A Mei first arrived, the An household was left with only A Mei and An Gui.
At noon, after finishing the meal with her foster father, A Mei diligently brewed tea for him. While clearing the table, she couldn't help but ask:
"Foster father, what does my husband do in the palace?"
It would be false to say A Mei wasn't curious. When An Sheng was home, since he didn't mention it, she naturally didn't dare ask directly. Now that he's gone, A Mei couldn't resist asking her foster father.
An Gui took a sip of tea and said leisurely, "Alright, I'll tell you. But first, let me ask you, do you know what kind of eunuch can leave the palace to establish a household and property outside?"
A Mei truly didn't know. However, she wasn't entirely foolish. She thought for a moment and replied, "It must be a very powerful eunuch who can leave the palace."
An Gui gave a light, noncommittal hum. "You're partly right. For a eunuch to settle outside the palace, two conditions are needed. First, and most importantly, is the master's favor, granted the grace to leave the palace! Just this first condition makes him one in a thousand."
A Mei widened her eyes. "Then, what's the second condition?"
"The second? That's silver. Do you think it's a simple matter to buy a house in this inch-of-land-costs-an-inch-of-gold capital, and then purchase a batch of maids and servants? Every single thing requires spending silver."
A Mei nodded hesitantly. "Yes, that's true. So, my husband is really that impressive."
Then she heard An Gui continue.
"Sheng'er is naturally impressive. He achieved the position of a managing eunuch at a young age and earned a noble's favor to establish a home outside the palace. The hardships he endured are known only to himself. He's still young now; he must do everything without showing his edge, with caution and prudence, to live a long life."
A Mei didn't know what to say. She suddenly remembered the words her husband had said before.
Back then, her husband asked if she was afraid of death. She said she was. Then her husband said: "Being afraid is useless. Since you've entered the An family, your life is no longer yours to command. I'm in the palace striving for our family's future. If I strive well, we all prosper. If I don't, we might all have to die, and die horribly at that. Don't say I didn't make it clear to you beforehand."...
A Mei suddenly understood something. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she said this:
"Foster father, husband has it so hard. It's not just for himself, but also for us."
This seemingly casual remark from A Mei fell on An Gui's ears with a deafening weight. An Gui sighed inwardly, his cloudy gaze resting on A Mei for a long time before he finally opened his mouth.
"Good child, I truly didn't misjudge you."
As he spoke, An Gui suddenly smiled. "No wonder Sheng'er is good to you. Such a rare childlike heart. Since that's the case, I'll tell you a bit more."
"Sheng'er mentioned to me before leaving whether we should change to a bigger house and buy more servants, saying you're not very capable, but he doesn't like others looking down on his wife, An Sheng's woman. I understand his meaning, but I don't agree. Sheng'er's foundation is still shallow. Being high-profile isn't necessarily good for him. When the time is ripe in the future, then he can naturally do as he pleases. A Mei, what do you think?"
Hearing that her husband told her foster father she wasn't very capable, A Mei was stunned, her face flushed with embarrassment. "A Mei doesn't understand grand principles. A Mei only knows that whatever foster father does must be for husband's good. If husband is well, A Mei is well. So A Mei will listen to whatever foster father and husband decide."
Hearing this, An Gui laughed out loud immediately. "Sheng'er said you were foolish, but to me, you seem quite clever."
Was she being praised? A Mei felt even more embarrassed.
At night, when it was time to sleep, A Mei lay in bed, unable to sleep for some reason.
She couldn't help but wonder what her husband was doing now, if he had rested. Thinking of her foster father's words, A Mei actually felt somewhat distressed. Since she married her husband, he was her support. The thought that her husband might not be living well in the palace, bearing the weight of the entire family's life and death... in short, her husband truly had it too hard. Also, having gotten used to sleeping with two people, suddenly being alone felt indescribably lonely and cold...
While A Mei was tossing and turning, An Sheng in the palace was indeed having a rather rough time.
The Emperor was old, in poor health. The Crown Prince had been deposed, and the Emperor was slow to appoint a new one. The remaining princes were now competing fiercely, especially the faction led by the Fourth Prince, consisting mainly of civil officials, and the faction led by the Second Prince, consisting mainly of military officials. They were at daggers drawn, even to the point of life and death.
An Sheng had been recuperating at home for a full half month. During this time, he naturally had channels to know about any stirs in the court.
As soon as An Sheng returned to the palace, he vaguely felt something was amiss.
He was originally a managing eunuch of the seventh rank, promoted to a sixth-rank attendant eunuch in the imperial presence due to the previous incident. But he had been back in the palace for a full two hours and still hadn't entered the Imperial Study.
This was intriguing. Logically, the palace should have arranged for him to take over his new post at the Imperial Study immediately. However, as soon as he entered the palace, he was found by a guard bearing the Empress Dowager's palace token, saying the Empress Dowager had summoned him.
To be honest, at first An Sheng wasn't suspicious, because he had originally come from the Empress Dowager's palace.
On the way to the inner palace, observing this irregular route, An Sheng unobtrusively took out a handkerchief from his robe, then retrieved a gold ingot. He wrapped the ingot in the handkerchief, then gave the guard an ingratiating smile. "Troubling you, brother guard. This is a small token of my appreciation."
A flash of disdain crossed the guard's eyes, but he took the small bundle, opened it, his eyes lighting up, then tucked it into his robe. "Then I thank you, eunuch."
An Sheng's heart gradually sank, but his mouth remained subservient. "Brother guard, do you know why the Empress Dowager is looking for this servant?"
The guard, however, gave a thin, insincere smile. "If the master seeks you, naturally there's a reason. How would I know?"
An Sheng nodded and bowed with a smile, acknowledging "yes." As he walked, he estimated the time in his mind. After turning a corner, he suddenly pretended to realize belatedly, exclaiming sharply, "Brother guard! This servant sees this isn't the way to the Empress Dowager's palace!"
As soon as the words fell, the two had just turned into this deserted spot. The guard sneered, stopped, turned around, crossed his arms, and looked down at the cowering An Sheng, his disgust unconcealed. "Naturally, it's the road sending you home."
"Hmph, I despise eunuchs the most. Sending me to kill you really dirties my sword!"
An Sheng widened his eyes, putting on the appearance of being unresponsive. When he saw the guard draw his sword and swing it down at him, he let out a shriek and immediately acted as if terrified, collapsing to the ground and rolling once, just narrowly avoiding the fatal blow.
"Ahhh! This servant has no past grudges or recent grievances with you! Why... why do you want to kill this servant!"
The guard snorted with a laugh. "Killing you naturally means someone wants your life!"
An Sheng could only flee in a panic-stricken, utterly disorganized manner, scrambling away while shouting, "Who wants my life? Aah! Help! I have money! I'll give all my wealth to you, guard! Please spare my life!"
"Bah! As if I care! Once I kill you, the gold and jewels will be mine anyway!" This guard's skills were no joke. In no time, he had driven An Sheng into a corner. The guard grinned ferociously, his gaze towards An Sheng like that towards an insect.
But An Sheng refused to give up. Putting on a look of someone scared out of his wits, he finally let out a desperate howl, "Guard, as a final mercy, let me die knowing who wants me dead! Otherwise, I'll haunt you as a ghost!"
"Fine! Every grievance has its cause, every debt its debtor. If you truly become a vengeful spirit, go haunt Su Delong!" As he spoke, the guard swung his sword fiercely towards An Sheng, who had nowhere left to hide.
At this critical moment, An Sheng, who was lying on the ground in a wretched state, gave a slight flick of his right hand concealed within his sleeve. A pebble shot out without warning, instantly piercing the guard's skull.
Blood blossomed from his head. The guard fell with a heavy thud, his eyes wide open in a death stare. Until his last breath, he couldn't comprehend how he was the one who ended up dead.
Only then did An Sheng slowly rise from the ground. His icy gaze, steeped in venom, fixed on the man's face, frozen forever in terror.
"Su Delong."
The shrill voice, laden with overwhelming hatred, echoed in the vicinity.
