Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qing Kingdom’s royal family had always managed the eunuchs strictly. Among the many rules, there was an immovable one that strictly forbade the eunuchs purchasing homes outside the Palace. For one, this was to ensure the privacy and safety of the nobles living inside the Royal Palace and made it more convenient for the imperial guards to control them. For two, it was to prevent the major eunuchs, who had the wealth to purchase homes, from colluding with court officials.
However, the important eunuchs never had a lack of funds at hand. Since they were unable to purchase manors and homes outside, they could only put their efforts into where they lived now. Therefore, around this laundry workshop, which looked like the slums, one could still find a dozen ostentatious mansions.
The powerful eunuchs’ single-doored yards stood proudly and quietly within the ruckus around the laundry workshop.
The night was already late as Hong Zhu settled the matters in the Eastern Palace. He knelt in farewell separately to the empress and the Crown Prince then, leading a few trusted young eunuchs, he headed to the laundry workshop.
Not long after leaving the internal palace, his trusted aides brought out a bamboo sedan chair from somewhere and invited him to sit in it.
Within the inner palace, Hong Zhu didn’t have the boldness to put on airs. But, after leaving the internal palace, he would not reject these kinds of luxuries. However, sitting in the swaying sedan chair tonight, the color of his face was not very good. The eye-piercing red spots shrunk in the icy cold, and his mood was also rather gloomy.
He forcefully hid the fear and unease in his eyes and talked a bit with the eunuchs beside him as well as scolded them a little, asking them to make sure they serve the two in the Eastern Palace well. The fear in his heart subsided slightly because of his scolding, which made him feel slightly more at ease.
Entering his own little courtyard, he muttered something and then entered his room. He sat down on the woven chair beside the fire. This woven chair was of the same style as the one old Eunuch Hong sunbathed on in Hanguang Palace. He had had it specially made.
Every time a eunuch came into this courtyard to handle some business, they would see this woven chair and think of the connection between young Eunuch Hong and old Eunuch Hong and feel fear and respect in their hearts.
Hong Zhu was very proud of this idea of his. He sat in his woven chair with his left hand wrapped around a hot teapot, which he sipped at slowly, while a 13 or 14-year-old eunuch respectfully knelt on the ground and helped him take off his boots and brought him hot water to soak his feet in.
Feeling the small hands rubbing carefully over his feet in the wooden tub, Hong Zhu felt a very strange feeling. It was somewhat content, somewhat proud, and a bit sad. In the past, his family had been a gentry family and produced a number of successful examination candidates. However, they were ruined by that official, which resulted in his later life becoming like what it was now. If it weren’t for that tragedy, given his age, he would probably have passed the spring examinations and began his official career.
Every time he thought of this matter, he couldn’t help feeling gloomy, then anger, and then sincere gratitude toward Sir Fan junior outside of the Palace.
Hong Zhu was not one to be ungrateful to a friend. As they say, a gentleman will die for their friend. He had always thought, although he no longer had that thing between his legs, his heart was still that of a gentleman.
His finger slowly rubbed across the rough surface of his yixing clay teapot, but his mind was not on this amazing texture. He thought of the matter he had taken a risk to tell Sir Fan junior. He didn’t know what disaster this matter would bring him. He had been frightened for many days. It was not until Sir Fan junior had returned to the capital that he felt slightly more confident. He would just hand this terrifying thing to Sir Fan junior to deal with. Perhaps he could obtain some benefits from within it or it could be considered that he had returned some of his debt. Everything would be fine, as long as it didn’t implicate him.
Hong Zhu’s finger suddenly shook. He extended his tongue to wet his lips that were dry because of his nervousness. In a dry voice, he said,
You can go. I’m a bit tired. If there isn’t any trouble, don’t disturb me.
After the 13- or 14-year-old little eunuch with delicate brows took out a dry cloth and helped little Eunuch Hong dry his feet, he chuckled and said,
Sir, do you want me to call Xiu’er to come give you a massage?
Hearing these words, Hong Zhu started slightly. He immediately thought of the serving girl’s soft body and fragrant tongue. A warmth began to flow through his lower abdomen. As it was unable to flow anywhere, his face grew dark. Additionally, he was also afraid that these words would be heard by that person in the room, so he scolded in embarrassment and anger,
Get out! What Xiu’er and Xing’er are you talking about?
The little eunuch didn’t understand why he was angry. With a sorrowful expression, he left the room and carefully closed both the room door and courtyard door then went to his own room to sleep.
…
…
Xing’er…that is Yi Guipin’s personal serving girl, you even dare to think about her?
Fan Xian walked out from inside and laughingly scolded.
Look at the life you’re having. It’s even more comfortable than mine. You are also gradually becoming more daring.
Hong Zhu wore a pained expression and said,
Don’t shame me. I’m really not very brave…
He glanced at Fan Xian probingly and smiled.
Besides, isn’t Xing’er one of yours?
Fan Xian jumped in shock and scolded him in a low voice,
Go die! How are you say such absurd things.
Hong Zhu smiled apologetically and closed his mouth.
This little courtyard was to the southwest of the laundry workshop. The area was relatively peaceful. Earlier, Fan Xian had circulated his zhenqi and listened, so there shouldn’t be anyone around listening in. It should be quite safe and convenient to talk. He was afraid that Hong Zhu might be too frightened of that matter, so the first time he spoke, he opened with a mischievous joke.
He sat at the corner of the fire pit. At this angle, the light in the room wouldn’t be able to cast his shadow to the outside of the room.
Hong Zhu carefully looked around. Pitching his voice low, he said,
Sir, I knew you were staying in the Palace tonight so I guessed you would come. However…it isn’t safe here either. You should leave quickly.
Fan Xian nodded and glanced at him. In a low voice, he asked,
Are you sure?
The color of Hong Zhu’s face changed immediately, and his lips shook for a while. He glanced around fearfully and nodded after a while.
Keep this matter to yourself, and don’t tell anymore.
Although Fan Xian knew that Hong Zhu wouldn’t be so stupid, he still reminded him worriedly. He furrowed his brows and said,
Even if it burns in your heart, don’t say anything. When you’re sleeping, it’s best if there is no one next to you…not even that Xiu’er.
Hong Zhu shivered and thought, Fck, isn’t this too extreme? Who can control what they say in their dreams?
Actually, at this moment, Fan Xian was also a bit annoyed about how to change this hot potato that was burning his hand to a rock that could hit others. There were just too many things to consider in between. His visit to Hong Zhu tonight was mainly to confirm the matter in person. As for the later plans, he could not act rashly immediately.
After being silent for a while, he said, in a low voice,
No matter what we do, you have to remember one thing. You must first remove yourself from this matter. Don’t let anyone notice that you are related to this matter.
This is the first condition.
Fan Xian said seriously.
If there is even a glimmer of possibility that it could implicate you, then we won’t act.
Hong Zhu nodded silently. He had long been aware that having passed this information to Sir Fan junior, he would certainly use this importation and be an important part of the other party’s plan. From the very beginning, he had given his meager life to Fan Xian. To use his life to return to favor of a dozen lives in his tribe, it was worth it. Hearing Fan Xian being considerate of his safety, he felt very moved.
The candlelight in the room swayed, and the shadows blurred.
Fan Xian called Hong Zhu to his side and quietly said something into his ear. The longer Hong Zhu listened, the brighter his eyes grew. However, that brightness still could not hide his fear and terror, except this fear and terror could not overwhelm the beneficial returns in the future.
Just like court officials, the eunuchs in the Palace had to secretly place their bets with a family, particularly eunuchs like Hong Zhu who had already risen to a certain station.
From over a year ago, because of Fan Xian’s actions in secret, Hong Zhu had already, without any other choice, come down on his side, on the side of Shufang Palace.
Right now, the communication between us is not convenient. We have to find another way.
After delegating some matters, he furrowed his brows and said,
We can’t go through a middle person. There are also some details I have to go back and think about carefully. Before I return to Jiangnan, we have to meet up again. Which day can you leave the Palace in the first month?
The 22nd,
Hong Zhu swallowed some saliva and said with his head lowered.
The empress didn’t like the colors supplied from Jiangnan last autumn and has ordered a batch to be ordered from Dongyi. This is a profitable deal, and she has awarded it to me. I can go out that day.
Fan Xian nodded and confirmed the time of their next meet up, but a thought flashed through his head. He realized that the empress truly favored Hong Zhi this eunuch a great deal. He looked at the pimple of Hong Zhu’s forehead and, unconsciously, his eyes glanced down. He immediately laughed soundlessly at himself. In his heavy and oppressive palace, after seeing so many dirty things, one couldn’t help but think the lower-half when any matter arose.
However, this was impossible. The physical inspection for castrated persons was too strict. In Qing Kingdom, it was impossible for a story like Wei Xiaobao’s to happen.
Fan Xian didn’t dare to stay in Hong Zhu’s courtyard. In the end, he carefully gave a few more reminders and then left.
It wasn’t until a long time after he left that Hong Zhu finally came back to himself. He looked at the empty corner of the fire pit and looked at the light in the room, feeling confusion in his heart. Neither the room door nor the courtyard door had opened. How had Sir Fan junior left?
Huh, that’s strange.
Hong Zhu slapped his thigh and secretly sighed in admiration. The giant rock that had weighed down on his heart these days seemed to have suddenly lightened, for some reason, a great deal after Fan Xian’s visit. Perhaps it was because he had shared this great secret with another person and halved his concerns, or perhaps he felt that a god-like figure like Sir Fan junior would certainly be able to deal with this problem properly.
He had great confidence in Fan Xian and felt that he would finally be able to rest well tonight. He blew out the light with a relaxed expression, took off his clothes, and burrowed under the thick blanket. Although there was not the naked body of young and beautiful Xiu’er under the blanket, young Eunuch Hong still felt very happy.
…
…
However, Fan Xian did not have as much confidence in Hong Zhu.
As for controlling Hong Zhu, Fan Xian used three methods. One, he had helped the other person avenge his family. Two, he had given his elder brother in Jiaozhou countless benefits. But, what truly restrained Hong Zhu was still emotion. In this world, everyone was different. Some people could be bribed with money, while others did not have a shred of resistance in front of beautiful women. Fan Xian had confirmed, Hong Zhu was a very special eunuch. He was sincere and chivalrous. Otherwise, he would not willingly have become one of Fan Xian’s agents to repay his gratitude and would not have gained favor from old Eunuch Hong by chance.
A person’s personality always changed with their situation. Fan Xian was no longer a suffering child escaping for his life in the mountains, and he was also not a eunuch to be bullied by everyone in the Palace. He was the leading eunuch of the Eastern Palace, greatly favored by the empress, liked by the Emperor, and fawned on by the other eunuchs and serving girls in the Palace. One’s status and environment can change one’s personality. Vanity could seep into the bones and desire could influence the heart. Who knew whether or not he could resist the allure of bribes in the future and silently tilt toward the other side.
No one knew that Hong Zhu belonged to him, so it would be easy for the other factions to admit him. It if was just for play, of course, Fan Xian would be very happy about this situation. If Hong Zhu truly did something, there was also nothing he could do.
Fortunately, he now had this secret. Fan Xian was grateful for this secret. Regardless of whether or not it would bring him any benefits, at least, with this shared secret, it made it so that it was impossible for Hong Zhu to leave him. At least, before the Eldest Princess and Crown Prince fell from power.
Returning to the residence in the front corner of the Royal Palace, Fan Xian carefully confirmed, in the dark, that the little mechanism he set before he left had not been destroyed. It looked like no one had come to disturb him in this short time. He extended his hand to hook away the strand of black hair. After he entered, he rubbed something on the noses of the soundly sleeping eunuchs.
Then, he sat down on the bed and removed a bottle of alcohol he had swiped along the way. He sprinkled some of it beside the bed. After sitting in a daze for a while, his head fell down to his pillow and he fell asleep.
…
…
Sitting in the carriage, Fan Xian couldn’t resist turning his head back to glance at the thick red palace walls. Unconsciously, he wished to be as far away as possible from this Royal Palace. He had entered the Palace countless times, but every time he went, it was like the first time when he had visited the various concubines in their palaces. He could always feel that sense of chill.
Unrelated to the weather, it was just cold…very cold.
He very much hated this feeling in the Palace, and so he hated staying in the Palace for a long time. He had great sympathy for the Emperor, who was always shut up in the Royal Palace. By the same logic, he did not want to become the Emperor. This was not being pretentious, rather, this was the truth.
A post in some forum in his previous life had talked about the inhuman pains of the position of Emperor. Thus, Fan Xian wanted to protect his right to choose whatever career he wanted. This was probably the largest problem between him and Chen Pingping.
With 10,000 strings of cash around his waist, riding down to Jiangnan, the Emperor’s sword on his back, and remotely holding the power in this world, perhaps this kind of life wasn’t bad.
Of the four Great Grandmasters, it was actually only Ye Liuyun who had the more restful life. However, he still needed the Junshang Conference’s money and seamless service.
Fan Xian didn’t need that.
Sunk deep into his wonderful imagination, Fan Xian tilted his head to glance at his wife. Lovingly and gently, he stroked the hair on her head and said,
In another few years, there will be peace under heaven.
A few years?
Wan’er’s pulled up the corners of her lips and forced a smile.
Hopefully it is so.
How was your talk with mother?
Lin Wan’er’s eyes were gazing out of the carriage at the sight of Jingdou’s streets when she suddenly asked this.
Fan Xian started slightly and warmly said,
We chatted for a little bit but didn’t talk about anything substantive. Last night, you looked very tired and went to sleep early, so I couldn’t stay either.
I was pretending to sleep,
Lin Wan’er calmly said.
If I didn’t sleep, the two of you wouldn’t be able to speak conveniently.
Fan Xian was silent for a long time. He only understood now that his wife was giving him and her mother a chance to negotiate, to see whether or not they could reach a compromise. However, both parties had too much blood on their hands. It was difficult to wash them clean and join them together again.
Feeling the silence of her husband beside her, Lin Wan’er suddenly felt a bit unwell and tired. In a quiet voice, she said,
What is there to be done now?
Fan Xian silently and gently pulled his wife into his arms, unsure of what to say.
Wan’er did not reject his embrace and tilted her head gently to lean against his chest. A flash of apathy and hopelessness flashed across her face and then disappeared. Tears began to slide down like pearls, flowing into a line and wetting Fan Xian’s clothes.
It was not that Fan Xian had not thought about the problem of what to do, but the situation had long been set. He could try and break the Second Prince’s great ambition, but he had no chance of hoping to convince the Eldest Princess to retreat from the world’s stage.
It was a battle of either your death or mine.
While Wan’er, who was outside all of this, was the person to be pitied the most. Fan Xian knew this well, yet he was unable to change it. He held his wife tightly and, for some reason, his heart began to hurt.
A year ago, Wan’er had once reminded him that her mother may once again ally with the Crown Prince.
Remembering this again right now, Fan Xian couldn’t help but sigh with admiration at his wife’s acute intuition. He knew that it wasn’t because Wan’er didn’t understand the silent currents in Qing Kingdom’s time of peace, rather, she was caught in the middle and could only stay silent.
Silent forever, until she seemed to disappear.
It was because of this that Fan Xian felt guilty and apologetic toward his wife. There was nothing he could say. He could not even give her a promise.
His wife cried silently in his arms.
Fan Xian gently wiped away the tears on her face with his thumb.
Raising his head, he looked out at the view of the street outside his window. He thought to himself that even if a person had two lives, there were still many things they could not change and many desires that could not be fulfilled.
It was so for Ye Qingmei, and it was so for him.
