The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 12

The Empress Dowager's illness came on suddenly but also recovered quickly. She was completely healed after a few days in bed. However, she had some matters on her mind, so she continued to recuperate at Cining Palace. (For more text, please search on Baidu.)

The emperor would come to visit her every day after court to show his filial piety. However, apart from the same few words over and over again, such as "Mother, please take good care of yourself" and "Your son will never let you worry," he never mentioned anything else about court affairs.

Hearing the young emperor recount these things, Liu Qingtang couldn't help but chuckle. She laughed at how eager he was to seize power from her, and how his pretense was becoming increasingly convincing. Those people were trying to take advantage of her illness to usurp her power; they were acting far too hastily. She didn't know if it was the senior ministers behind him who were anxious, or if the young emperor himself was impatient—it was truly an unsightly display.

Knowing the situation clearly, Liu Qingtang pretended to be sick every day and leisurely painted and wrote calligraphy in Cixi Palace. In her spare time, she would stroll around the garden of Cixi Palace to enjoy the scenery. She just watched coldly as the young emperor became more and more complacent these days, and the chief ministers also began to get restless and think about disciplining the young emperor to expand their own power.

Liu Qingtang wasn't in a hurry, but the simple-minded Taoye was starting to get anxious. Taoye was usually in charge of the purchasing and reception affairs of Cining Palace, unlike Zhuiyi who managed her daily life, so she couldn't come to her side often. In addition, Taoye was more carefree and impatient than her sister Zhuiyi. Seeing that her mistress had been stripped of her power after her illness, she couldn't help but finish her work and go to the inner palace, pacing around Liu Qingtang.

Like Zhuiyi, Taoye had served Liu Qingtang since childhood, so Liu Qingtang naturally knew her quite well. Seeing her like this, he could tell why she had come after a little thought.

Just as Liu Qingtang finished painting a picture of plum blossoms braving the snow, she put down her brush, and Taoye greeted her with a smile, praising, "Master, you are getting better and better at painting! Look at these plum blossoms, they are even more beautiful and proud than if they were alive!"

"Alright, your master doesn't know your little schemes yet. Just watch. Your master isn't someone you can easily bully." As she said this, Liu Qingtang's confident expression was exceptionally dazzling, and her slender figure exuded a sharp edge.

Tao Ye chuckled and winked at Zhui Yi, who was also serving nearby, and said flatteringly, "Of course, we servants all trust our master. This time, I'm just here to report to our master. News has come from outside that everything is ready."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingtang smiled faintly and said, "Then Taoye must prepare the imperial carriage well in advance for tomorrow's morning court session. I can't keep shirking my duties." After letting them cause trouble for a month, it's time for her to loosen their muscles and bones. Otherwise, they will all forget how she arranged this position for the young emperor back then.

Seeing Qin Shu standing quietly in the corner, and then looking at her own painting of winter plum blossoms, Liu Qingtang said to Zhuiyi and Taoye, "You've been busy for two years now. Take advantage of your free time today and go to the outer hall for a chat."

Because she was glancing at Qin Shu intentionally or unintentionally while speaking, Tao Ye and Zhui Yi subconsciously glanced at the person in the dark blue clothes in the corner. The exceptionally perceptive Zhui Yi immediately smiled and pulled Tao Ye away to take their leave.

Tao Ye walked out of the inner hall without looking to the side. As soon as she entered the room, her expression changed to one of curiosity, and she asked excitedly in a low voice, "Sister, what's going on with the little eunuch by the master's side? I think I've noticed something! Is it what I think...? Tell me quickly!"

"You have sharp eyes, why would you need to ask me?" Zhuiyi smiled as she poured her a cup of tea. "These past few days, I've been watching from the sidelines, and I feel that Master is truly sincere towards Qin Shu. Not only does she often summon him to her side, but she also cares for him exceptionally well. She worries that he doesn't have enough ink and brush, and she's concerned that his hands and feet might get frostbite, so she even personally wrote calligraphy books for him to teach him to read. Think about it, besides Master and Miss, who else has Master cared for like this since she was a child?"

Taoye sat down, her excitement still evident. "It's naturally best for the master to have someone he trusts by his side, but sister, does your tone suggest that you feel wronged that Qin Shu has suddenly become the master's favorite?"

Seeing her teasing expression, Zhuiyi continued to smile at her. Zhuiyi stopped laughing, coughed a few times, and then took a sip of tea while hugging her quilt. Zhuiyi then sighed and said, "Don't tease your sister with your words. Our master has always been very good to us. Even during those difficult times, she still protected us. I will remember her kindness for the rest of my life. I'm just worried that Qin Shu is unreliable. If he is used by someone with ulterior motives, our master is so concerned about him now. If something were to happen to him, how heartbroken our master would be."

"Oh, sister, you always worry so much. Since our master likes him, it means he trusts him. Our master is so smart, how could anything happen to him? Sister, you can put your mind at ease. Besides, I think that although Qin Shu has never smiled, the way he looks at our master is quite unusual~" Tao Ye smacked her lips and made a meaningful expression.

"I didn't see that coming. I've never seen you so meticulous in other matters, except for this kind of thing, which you seem to be most interested in. Aren't you ashamed?" Zhuiyi smiled at her, but still said with some concern, "And then there's Qin Shu. I don't know if he's any of the bright spots. I've pointed him in the right direction, but he still hasn't served his master well. I'm worried he might be a blockhead. He hasn't shown any enthusiasm for his master either. I really don't understand why our master has taken a liking to him. If it weren't for our master's status, General Wei and Yang... never mind, let's not talk about this." Realizing she had overstepped her bounds, Zhuiyi stopped talking and sighed again.

"Come on, I don't think Master has any feelings for those two. I think Qin Shu is a better match for Master; maybe Master just likes that kind of thing." Tao Ye was quite optimistic, pulling Zhui Yi aside and asking even more quietly, "Hey, my dear sister, do you think Master often spends time alone with that guy like this? Do they... um, cough cough, tell me about it~"

"You're getting more and more out of control with your mouth. Alright, alright, let's stop here." Zhuiyi realized she had gone a bit too far today, so she quickly picked up the pastries on the table and stuffed them into Taoye's mouth.

After swallowing the pastries in a few bites, Taoye stopped asking questions. However, judging from her winking and gesturing, she was clearly thinking about something that was hard to say. Zhuiyi couldn't help but turn away, unable to bear looking at her overly unrestrained younger sister any longer.

The things that Tao Ye imagined would happen when Liu Qingtang and Qin Shu were alone together did not actually happen.

Even though Liu Qingtang has been holding Qin Shu's hand and touching his face all the time these days, she just wants to see his expression change. She really hasn't thought that much about it.

As for Qin Shu, being able to get used to being so close to her was already quite an achievement for him. To take the initiative to serve the Empress Dowager according to the pictures in those books? No, just thinking about it made him feel even more filthy, and he couldn't even lift his head in front of the Empress Dowager.

Liu Qingtang, having focused all her attention on court affairs in her past life, was completely ignorant of such matters, especially since her partner was a eunuch. She had never even considered doing such a thing with him, nor did she want to prick his sore spot. Qin Shu, on the other hand, was still in the state of being teased by the Empress Dowager and had no desire to retaliate. Fundamentally, both of them were clueless about such things, their relationship purely limited to holding hands, with occasional kisses only occurring when Liu Qingtang was deliberately trying to scare him.

For example, at this moment, the two people alone together in the room are very innocent.

"Hurry up and come here!"

"This servant would not dare to offend Mother..."

"You've prepared for so long, and you still don't dare?"

"This servant has not yet burned incense and washed his hands."

"Just give it a try. Even if you don't do it well and it gets dirty or leaves marks, I won't blame you. Come on."

"slave……"

"How much longer do you want me to hold on? Do I have to personally hold your hand and make you move? Hurry up and do as I say."

The fact that "I" has changed to "my dear wife" indicates that there is no room for negotiation.

Qin Shu stepped forward and took the brush dipped in ink from the Empress Dowager's hand. He pondered for a long time over the winter plum blossom painting that the Empress Dowager had just finished, but he couldn't bring himself to paint it.

The Empress Dowager was a renowned talented woman in Yujing, not only of noble birth but also exceptionally skilled in both calligraphy and painting. She preferred calligraphy to painting, and only painted a few pieces when it was rare. Outside the palace, it was said that her works were priceless, and only a few aristocratic families with a long history possessed her calligraphy. Even ministers of slightly lower rank in the court rarely saw them.

Now, with such a rare painting placed before him, the Empress Dowager wanted him to inscribe it. He had only practiced his calligraphy for a little over a month, and although it looked somewhat decent, it was far from matching the Empress Dowager's painting. If he were to actually write on it, the painting would be ruined.

The Empress Dowager had been painting all morning. How could he possibly bear to destroy her? Just as he didn't want his crippled body and lowly status to touch her body, this sense of hierarchy, along with his love, had been deeply etched in his heart for many years and couldn't be easily changed.

“I’m feeling a bit hungry. If you don’t write, I’ll just have to wait here until you finish writing before we go eat.” Liu Qingtang already knew how to keep him in check, and seeing that the time was about right, she slowly leaned on his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

As expected, Qin Shu put pen to paper without hesitation, but he did not write a poem; he simply wrote the date in the corner.

Qin Shu was surprisingly easy to understand. Liu Qingtang leaned on his stiff shoulder, and seeing his cautious expression as he worked on the painting, she suddenly felt like causing trouble. So, being increasingly willful since her rebirth, she impulsively stepped forward and bit Qin Shu's ear.

Qin Shu, who was carefully trying to avoid ruining the painting, was startled by the Empress Dowager's sudden action, leaving a glaring ink stain on the paper. Looking at the ink stain that clashed so drastically with the winter plum blossom painting, he felt utterly helpless. No matter how careful he was, he could always leave a stain.

Yes, no matter how careful he was, he would still leave a stain on the Empress Dowager. He thought to himself, his heart filled with bitterness, yet another sense of resentment welled up within him. Why couldn't he have done better?

Liu Qingtang had been chuckling on his shoulder ever since she saw the ink stain appear, showing absolutely no remorse for causing the situation. She laughed with her arm around Qin Shu's shoulder, making Qin Shu's heart race.

But what was even more unsettling was yet to come, because after she finished laughing, she suddenly said earnestly in his ear while still in that position, "If I say it's not a stain, then it's not a stain."

After saying this seriously, she added, "If you don't believe me, I'll show you tomorrow."

Author's Note: 14774803 threw a landmine.

A large truck threw a landmine.

My second uncle threw a landmine.

Yue Xiao threw a grenade

The Ming Dynasty threw a landmine

Please don't be careless, Mr. Sa, go ahead and throw a landmine.

Fat Cat threw a landmine

[Thanks for the support~ I'm a little excited to see myself on the monthly ticket ranking, so shy~]

Thanks for comforting me, sister! I feel completely better after eating so much delicious food back home. By the way, the peaches were so delicious, but eating too many made my stomach hurt. But I'll still keep eating them until the end of the season! [bite]