The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter Fourteen

After returning to Cixi Palace, Liu Qingtang stayed alone in her study, writing. She didn't ask anyone to serve her, and Qin Shu, Zhuiyi, and Taoye all remained in the outer room, not daring to disturb her.

As noon approached, the swirling snowflakes outside showed no sign of stopping; on the contrary, they fell heavier and heavier, quickly covering the flowers, trees, and corridors of Cixi Palace. The overcast sky made it look as if it were evening.

Zhuiyi glanced at the sky and went into the inner room to light a lamp for Liu Qingtang, while Taoye went to the courtyard and quietly instructed the maids and eunuchs sweeping snow at the door to be quiet and not make any noise.

Qin Shu stood quietly in the outer room, awaiting the Empress Dowager's instructions. The small hand warmer in his sleeve was almost cold, retaining only a trace of warmth. Qin Shu stroked the hand warmer, lost in thought. He recalled that morning, before going to the morning court session, he had also waited for the Empress Dowager in the outer room, holding the hand warmer that the maid had instructed him to prepare for the Empress Dowager.

But even as he followed the Empress Dowager's palanquin out of the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager showed no intention of letting him take the hand warmer. He quietly asked the maid, who was dressed in a traditional dresser's hand warmer, "The Empress Dowager has never liked using hand warmers before, but this morning she had me prepare one and specifically asked you to take it."

Qin Shu understood perfectly well. The Empress Dowager had prepared this especially for him, probably because she had seen his frostbitten hands.

Qin Shu was slightly taken aback. On the way to the Hall of Diligent Governance, he couldn't help but steal glances at the Empress Dowager ahead. Even though she was sitting in her phoenix carriage and he could only vaguely see her figure, he couldn't look away. Because of the hand warmer hidden in his sleeve, he felt warm all over in the howling wind.

These past few days, the Empress Dowager had treated him differently, unlike the aloof Empress Dowager he had seen over the years. She seemed more vibrant and alive, giving him the illusion that he could reach her if he simply moved forward. But today, in the Hall of Diligent Governance, he saw again the Empress Dowager he had seen more than a month ago—unapproachable and unreachable.

He used to secretly admire the Empress, feeling that someone as noble as her should stand on a high platform in a palace, inspiring awe. But today, standing behind her, looking at her straight back and proud head, he felt a strange pang of sorrow in his heart.

He thought that the Empress Dowager must be very tired. Even though she did not show any weakness and dealt with the chief minister's son and the judicial officer in a decisive manner, leaving the ministers and even the emperor not daring to say a word, Qin Shu still felt that the Empress Dowager was not happy.

Although the Empress Dowager didn't say anything, she stayed there alone practicing calligraphy after returning, which showed that she was indeed unhappy. He didn't know why she was unhappy, or what was troubling her, and at this time he was completely helpless to do anything for her.

A greater desire, seemingly budding within him, than simply "staying by the Empress Dowager's side to watch over her," was slowly taking root. He wanted to be someone the Empress could rely on, someone who would do anything she had to do but was unwilling to do, someone who would solve any problem she found difficult, so that she would no longer have to stand tall and face everything alone.

The snow gradually subsided, and Liu Qingtang, who was in the inner room, finished writing the tenth piece of calligraphy. Finally, she let out a long sigh, stopped writing, and rubbed her wrists.

She had a habit of practicing calligraphy whenever she was in a bad mood or had something she couldn't figure out, to calm herself down. Today was the first time she had seen those two prime ministers since her rebirth, and she was even less composed than she had imagined.

If her death was because the emperor disliked her and constantly suppressed and controlled him, then the deaths of her father and brother were because the two chief ministers feared they would hinder their efforts to usurp the emperor's power and seize control of the court. Although her father was always low-key, he was very prestigious in the military, and several generals were his protégés. How could he not be afraid of those two?

Whether in her past life or this one, what Liu Qingtang could least tolerate was the harm done to those she trusted and her loved ones. Therefore, this time, she might spare the emperor's life, but she was determined to ensure that all those who had harmed her father and brother in her past life received their due punishment. Since she had devoted herself to the emperor and the court, only to end up being accused of treason and forced to drink poison, this time she would simply solidify that charge, seize control of the court, and ensure that no one else would ever harm those important to her again.

Taking a step back and sitting down in a chair, Liu Qingtang shifted her gaze to the outer room. Through the openwork carved frame, she could see Qin Shu standing there, gazing absently at the courtyard outside. Tao Ye Zhuiyi wasn't there; she must have been busy with their affairs. Perhaps knowing that she was in a bad mood, she had even called the surrounding eunuchs and maids away so as not to disturb her.

Liu Qingtang simply stepped out, casually asking as she followed Qin Shu's gaze, "Qin Shu, what are you looking at?"

Qin Shu immediately snapped out of his daze and turned to her, replying, "This servant was looking at the flowers and trees in the courtyard that were covered in snow."

There was indeed a camellia bush in the spot he was looking at, its branches bent low by the weight of the snow. A vibrant red peeked out from beneath the white snow—it was a late-blooming red camellia.

"Those who manage the flowers and trees are certainly dedicated. The camellias in the snow have a unique charm," Liu Qingtang said, then looked up at the sky and added, "The blood splattered on the snow is probably as vibrant as the camellias blooming in the snow."

Qin Shu understood that the Empress Dowager was thinking of Chief Minister Feng's son, who had been beheaded at the Meridian Gate, and wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words. Just as she was feeling troubled, a eunuch in a dark blue robe approached from afar.

The eunuch in dark blue was the chief eunuch, a position reserved only for the emperor, empress, and empress dowager. Qin Shu glanced at him and immediately stepped back, standing respectfully behind Liu Qingtang.

The eunuch soon stepped forward, bowed to Liu Qingtang, and said, "Your Majesty, General Wei has sent word that the young master of the Feng family has just been executed. The Feng family has already taken the body back for burial."

"Is that so?" The slight smile that had appeared on Liu Qingtang's face when she was talking to Qin Shu had long since disappeared. She replied coldly, her eyes fixed on Eunuch Ning, the chief eunuch of Cixi Palace, seemingly lost in thought.

This Eunuch Ning was someone who had been by her side since she first entered the palace; he had previously been the chief eunuch in the late Empress's palace. After her elder sister passed away, she entered the palace, and Eunuch Ning was ordered to come and assist her.

It's less about helping her and more about keeping an eye on her for her sister, perhaps even keeping an eye on her. As long as she doesn't do anything that would harm the young emperor, this eunuch Ning won't interfere. This old fox is incredibly cunning; he's impeccable in his duties, but if there's any other request, he'll find all sorts of excuses to refuse.

In this respect, Qin Shu, who in her past life would silently fulfill any request she made, even those outside his duties, was truly exceptional to her. However, it's true that the current chief eunuch doesn't need to do so much; the habit of delegating everything to him originated with Qin Shu.

"Your Majesty, this old servant just came from the Emperor's place and it seems that the Emperor was worried about Your Majesty."

"Oh? Worried about me?" Liu Qingtang's expression softened, but she couldn't help but scoff inwardly. The true master of this current chief eunuch of Cining Palace was her sister before, and later her sister's son, never her. In her past life, he would often tell her how much the emperor cared for her, and she actually believed it.

"His Majesty regards the Empress Dowager as his birth mother, so naturally he cares about and is filial to her."

Liu Qingtang simply smiled and waved for him to leave. In her past life, she remembered the kindness her sister had shown her when they were children, remembering that they were family after all, and how her sister, like her father, pitied her young nephew who had lost his mother at a young age, treating him strictly but kindly. Even knowing her sister's ulterior motives in placing Eunuch Ning by her side, she pretended not to know. Now, however, she couldn't bear it, because of the resentment in her heart, a knot she couldn't untie. Even if she acted as if nothing had happened on a daily basis, she was still oppressed by the nightmares of her past life.

Since having such a person around makes her unhappy, perhaps she should replace him sooner rather than later and let him retire early. Liu Qingtang watched Eunuch Ning's back and began to think about when to replace him with Qin Shu.

Qin Shu became the head steward of Cining Palace three years later, at the age of twenty-three, in the seventh year of Yuanning.

That year, a plague broke out in Yujing. Eunuch Ning died from that plague, and it was around that time that Qin Shu came into her life, gradually giving her a glimpse into that vague figure. Because of the plague, many people died in the palace, and everyone was in a state of panic. Especially since she and the young emperor were both infected with the plague, Cining Palace was almost without anyone in charge. It was Qin Shu who stepped forward to arrange many things.

Later, Physician Yang Sushu developed a method to treat the plague, and she recovered. Afterwards, she felt that although Qin Shu was not likable, he was meticulous, conscientious and thoughtful. Since he was quite easy to use, she simply made him the chief eunuch of Cixi Palace, where he remained until her death.

The plague also sowed the seeds of a major problem for her. Because she was ill and unable to care for the emperor, the two chief ministers took the opportunity to place some people around him. Those servants who had shared the hardship later gained the emperor's trust. Chief Minister Wang even secretly sent one of his young granddaughters from a concubine's family to the palace as a maidservant to the emperor. She cared for him throughout the plague and thus gained the emperor's trust, eventually becoming the emperor's favorite in the harem.

That woman was also the reason why the relationship between the emperor and her was becoming increasingly strained. The servants and that woman, by the emperor's side, gradually influenced his thinking, teaching him how to be outwardly affectionate towards her while inwardly hating her.

If Grand Secretaries Wang and Feng could use this method to control the emperor, she could certainly use the same method to completely turn the emperor into someone who, although he had eyes and ears, was "blind and deaf."

Thinking of her plan, Liu Qingtang laughed out loud. Yes, she didn't need to be afraid, because she wouldn't repeat the same mistake.

She simply lifted her skirt and went down the steps, heading straight for the camellia. Qin Shu, who was still wondering what the Empress Dowager meant by suddenly laughing, hurriedly stepped forward and pulled up his sleeve to cover her head.

"Your Majesty, it's still snowing. Why are you stepping on it? Your embroidered shoes will get wet." Seeing that the Empress Dowager didn't seem to hear him, she shook the snow off the camellia and broke off a branch. Qin Shu continued, "If Your Majesty wants to see flowers, may this servant break one for you? Your Majesty should go back quickly and avoid catching a cold."

Every time Qin Shu said this, Liu Qingtang pretended not to hear. After selecting a few camellias, she turned to leave. As she walked, she noticed that Qin Shu's gesture of pulling her sleeve to shield her from the cold seemed a bit awkward. Upon closer inspection, she realized he was also holding a small hand warmer. "It must be cold now, why is he still holding it?" Liu Qingtang wondered. She went into the room and said to Qin Shu, "The hand warmer is cold, why haven't you put it down?"

Qin Shu hesitated for a moment, shaking the snow off his sleeves, before replying, "Your Majesty is considerate of this servant, but it is against palace rules for this servant to use Your Majesty's hand warmer."

"I didn't give it to you. Didn't you hear my order to 'prepare a hand warmer for me'? It's just that I don't want to use it right now, so I'm giving it to you to hold." Liu Qingtang started to argue as soon as she saw Qin Shu's expression.

Qin Shu was taken aback and after a long pause, he finally said, "Yes."

Liu Qingtang chuckled: "I did make it especially for you, but so what? Could you refuse? I've said it before, regardless of palace rules and regulations, if I say it's possible, it's possible. By the way, didn't you see all those ministers praising your ink stain today?"

Recalling the scene of the ministers praising the painting with trepidation, Qin Shu found it quite amusing. Just as the Empress Dowager had implied, those with power could dictate the rules. This made him yearn even more for that kind of power, so that one day he could tell himself he wasn't a "stain" on the Empress Dowager.

"Perhaps soon, someone will imitate the Empress Dowager and deliberately create ink stains." Qin Shu said something unusually joking, but his tone remained serious and not at all like a joke. So Liu Qingtang didn't realize he was actually joking; she just thought he probably really thought so, and nodded in agreement.

A little while later, Qin Shu returned to his residence with a warm hand warmer and a vase containing a bunch of camellias. He held onto the hand warmer the whole time, reluctant to put it down, and tucked it into his clothes, making his stomach feel warm.

As for the vase, Qin Shu initially placed it under the window, but then felt it wasn't appropriate, so he picked it up and put it on the table where he could see it while practicing calligraphy. After practicing a few characters, he still felt it wasn't good, so he carefully carried the vase around the room, and finally hid it under the bed curtains.

"Since you like it, take it back to see. You can't see camellias where you are, can you?" That's what the Empress Dowager said when she gave him the flowers.

Qin Shu recalled the memory and unconsciously wanted to laugh, but when he wiped his mouth, he realized that he had only tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Author's Note: Chen Li threw a landmine.

A truly lazy person threw a landmine.

Zhu Chimohei threw a landmine

Another landmine was thrown.

The cheeky Shanpu Rabbit threw a landmine

Ata threw a landmine

[Thanks to the beautiful girls who threw those grenades!]

I had my university graduation party today and got completely drunk. I didn't get back until 9 pm, feeling dizzy. I was thinking of posting a chapter tomorrow for the college entrance exam as encouragement, but are there really any girls taking the exam reading this? Well, it's too late, so I guess they won't see it..._(:3∠)_

I've been a bit busy with work in the real world, thank you all for your understanding~ Mwah~

Wow, time flies! It's that time of year again for the college entrance exams... Good luck no matter what! Girls, I'm here for you too, whether you're working or studying, good luck! (＾u＾)ノ~yo