The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter

“Lian Qiao, I’m so sorry.” Consort Lian said, a look of shame on her face. “You’ve taken care of my son and me for so many years, and I’m actually going to let you give yourself to a eunuch for Huaiyu’s sake. But I really have no choice. In this palace, you are the only person I can trust.”

"Your Highness, please don't say that. You saved Lian Qiao's life, so it's only right that I do things for you." Lian Qiao, her face expressionless, said softly as the Dowager Consort held her hand. "Besides, there are many palace maids and eunuchs in this palace... It would be fine for me to become their partner."

Those palace maids had no hope of leaving the palace and didn't want to spend their lives alone in the palace, so they sought out disabled eunuchs to be their partners. But Lian Qiao could have left the palace with her. If she gave herself to such a person now, it wouldn't be easy for her to find a respectable family in the future... Thinking about this, Consort Lian felt even more guilty.

After a long silence, Consort Lian held her hand tightly and said, "My days are numbered. If I can persuade the Empress Dowager to allow my son and me to return to Yangzi Prefecture, away from this complicated Yujing, then I will arrange for you to be Huaiyu's attendant, to stay by his side and bear him a child. Then I will be at ease."

That being said, who knows if she'll even be able to leave then? Besides, if she really gives her body to someone else, how can she possibly stay by the Second Prince's side with peace of mind? She usually only dares to watch someone with such a pure heart from afar, let alone when that time comes.

Lian Qiao felt bitter inside, but she still had to put on a grateful face and said, "I will remember the Empress Dowager's great kindness and will certainly live up to her expectations. Second Prince... I will take good care of the Second Prince."

Consort Lian seemed to feel a little better, and a glimmer of hope appeared in her sorrowful eyes. "Today I saw that the Empress Dowager trusted that Eunuch Qin a lot. Perhaps going to him might really turn things around. When we leave here and return to Yangzizhou, we can entrust the Second Prince to his uncle. Then I won't have to worry about the Second Prince being bullied after I go there."

Consort Lian coughed a few times, covered her mouth, and whispered a few words of comfort to Lian Qiao before saying, "I'll go back to Qinghuai Palace and wait for your news."

Standing in the boundless night, Lian Qiao watched the Empress Dowager Lian's receding figure and smiled bitterly.

If only things were as simple as the Dowager Consort thought, she feared the Empress Dowager had other plans. That Eunuch Qin was currently a favorite of the Empress Dowager, but in truth, he was just a servant like herself. Even though she had cared for the Dowager Consort and the Second Prince for so many years, if anything happened, wouldn't the Dowager Consort be willing to sacrifice herself? She wouldn't care about such things. She feared that even if she sought out Eunuch Qin, their struggles would be futile.

The faint echoes of New Year's firecrackers could still be heard through the palace walls. Lian Qiao listened to the sound and silently stood under the corridor, hugging her arms.

Qin Shu was carrying the cloak that the Empress Dowager had left in the Zhongsui Pavilion when he was stopped by her as he walked along a winding corridor.

"Eunuch Qin." The palace maid stepped out from the shadows; she looked somewhat familiar.

Qin Shu thought for a moment and then said, "Even the Empress Dowager's side?"

"This servant is Lian Qiao, a palace maid from Qinghuai Palace. The Dowager Consort asked me to ask Eunuch Qin for a favor."

"If Consort Lian has anything to say, she can go and report to the Empress Dowager. She would never send a maid to me, a mere servant, to say such a thing." Qin Shu had no intention of listening to the maid's words and replied indifferently before turning to leave. The Empress Dowager was still waiting for this cloak in the side hall ahead, and it wouldn't be good for her to keep waiting.

Seeing Qin Shu's unwilling expression, Lian Qiao hurriedly tugged at his sleeve: "Eunuch Qin, you are a favorite of the Empress Dowager. Consort Lian only wishes to ask you to put in a good word for her and the Second Prince with the Empress Dowager. Whether it succeeds or not, the Consort and the Second Prince will remember your kindness..."

Qin Shu flung away Lian Qiao's anxiously outstretched hand and said coldly, "How dare we servants question the Empress Dowager's decision? Consort Lian is probably delirious from her illness lately. Since Your Majesty wants Consort Lian and the Second Prince to stay in Yujing, they can only accept it with gratitude and have no reason to complain behind her back. If the Empress Dowager finds out about this behavior, she will probably be displeased."

Lian Qiao felt a chill run down her spine under those cold, piercing eyes, and the words she wanted to say kept swirling in her throat. If she did speak, there would be no going back. Just thinking about how she would one day be treated like those palace maids who were kept as concubines by powerful eunuchs, constantly abused and beaten, made Lian Qiao hesitate.

It's important to understand that most eunuchs became somewhat cruel due to their physical disabilities, and their only outlet for their frustrations was the palace maids they were paired with. If they were of similar status, it was fine; they could simply be companions. But for a lowly palace maid like her, hoping to curry favor with a favorite of her master, she was likely to face abuse.

She had seen this Eunuch Qin before; he always had a gloomy face and seemed very unapproachable. However, they had never crossed paths, so she hadn't paid him any attention. She never expected to be in this situation now. Compared to those eunuchs who appeared smiling on the surface but employed countless methods of torture, this Eunuch Qin, who instilled fear in her just by looking at him, was probably even more ruthless.

But no matter how terrified she was, the thought of the Second Prince, the person she had secretly kept in her heart for so long but dared not touch, made her hesitate and speak up for his future: "If you can help me, sir, I... I am willing to serve you with my body..."

After speaking, she nervously looked at the person in front of her, but was instantly stung by the look of disgust in their eyes, which made her face burn. A tremor ran through her, and she was too embarrassed to know what to do.

Qin Shu didn't give her any more time to react. He glanced at her indifferently and walked past her.

But after walking a few steps and turning the corner, Qin Shu saw the Empress Dowager standing there, while Tao Ye and Zhui Yi stood further away under the corridor, heads bowed and no one daring to make a sound.

Qin Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he froze, not daring to step forward. The Empress Dowager was positioned strategically, not far from where he had just spoken with the palace maid, and should have been able to hear their conversation. Qin Shu was startled and subconsciously began to recall if he had said anything inappropriate. But even though he thought it over and realized he hadn't said anything that would anger the Empress Dowager, he still felt a sense of panic.

Before Qin Shu could even speak, Lian Qiao, who had been left behind and hadn't seen what was happening around the corner, gritted her teeth and hurriedly caught up, saying, "Eunuch Qin, please have a good word for me and say a few good words to the Empress Dowager. I'll give you anything I can... Empress Dowager... Your Majesty..."

Before Lian Qiao could finish speaking, she saw Liu Qingtang standing there, her face turned pale, her legs went weak and she knelt down, saying, "I have offended the Empress Dowager, this servant deserves to die."

Liu Qingtang withdrew her gaze from the sky and glanced at Qin Shu, who stood there, seemingly uneasy despite not having done anything wrong. Seeing that he wanted to say something to her but was unsure whether to approach her, the inexplicable gloom in her heart dissipated slightly.

Liu Qingtang glanced casually at Lian Qiao kneeling on the ground and suddenly said, "Empress Dowager Lian has been in the palace for so long, but I didn't expect her to be so bad at disciplining people."

"Go back and tell your master that if he has any complaints about my imperial decree, he should come to me in person and say so." After saying this, Liu Qingtang turned around and left without paying any attention to Lian Qiao kneeling there, trembling and almost lying on the ground.

Tao Ye and Zhui Yi hurriedly followed behind with a group of palace maids and eunuchs, while Qin Shu, holding his cloak, frowned and caught up.

It was the dead of night. Several eunuchs carrying lanterns led the way, and the group silently returned to Cixi Palace in the thick darkness.

As they walked into the inner hall, only Tao Ye Zhuiyi and Qin Shu remained behind Liu Qingtang.

"Qin Shu, come in." After saying this, Liu Qingtang walked into the bedroom without turning her head.

"Master stood there listening for quite a while," Zhuiyi whispered, seizing the opportunity to remind them. Although they didn't know what Qin Shu and Lian Qiao had said, they could tell that their master was somewhat angry. Qin Shu felt even more uneasy upon hearing this. He nodded to her and quickly picked up his robe to chase after Liu Qingtang.

Liu Qingtang sat in a chair and asked when he came in, "Qin Shu, do you know your mistake?"

Without a second thought, Qin Shu knelt down and said, "This servant knows his mistake and begs Your Majesty for punishment."

Seeing him like this, Liu Qingtang was at a loss for words. She wanted to help him up, but she felt that she hadn't yet vented the anger that had been building up inside her, so she could only turn around and keep drinking the cold tea on the table.

"Your Majesty, cold tea is not good for your health. How about this servant..."

"You still have the mind to talk to me? Go, kneel on the bed." She didn't even make him kneel, but without saying a word, she knelt on the ground. Wasn't he able to feel how cold and hard it was? Liu Qingtang slammed down her cup and pointed to the bed.

Qin Shu was still holding Liu Qingtang's cloak. Hearing what she said, he patted his clothes clean, took off his shoes, and climbed onto the bed without saying a word and knelt down.

If Qin Shu didn't want to talk to her, he would absolutely not say another word. Although this made it less likely to annoy her, she still wanted to hear what he had to say.

Liu Qingtang drank a few cups of tea, inwardly cursing Qin Shu while reflecting on why she had suddenly become so angry.

It seemed to have started from the moment that palace maid said she was willing to serve Qin Shu with her body. She wanted to sneer when she heard that. Qin Shu was hers in her past life, and even more so in this one; no one could covet him. Besides, how could such a lowly palace maid speak to Qin Shu in such a reluctant tone? Her Qin Shu was not someone anyone but her could even dream of; it was both laughable and hateful.

"Taoye." Liu Qingtang became increasingly dissatisfied and called out to Taoye.

"Yes, master."

"Send someone to Qinghuai Palace and tell Consort Lian that I think the fifteenth of the first month is an auspicious day to leave the palace. Tell her to prepare to leave with the Second Prince to the newly built Prince Chun's residence. As for that palace maid, she doesn't need to leave the palace. She can stay in Qinghuai Palace and guard it well." Liu Qingtang gave the orders in one breath. After seeing Taoye accept the order and leave, she finally felt a little relieved.

But as Liu Qingtang thought about it, something felt off. Could it be that she was jealous of a palace maid? It seemed like this scene had played out not long ago. Back then, she found it amusing that Qin Shu was jealous, and now it was happening to her?

This feeling, which she herself found unreasonable... Liu Qingtang paused for a moment, then stood up and walked to the bedside. She pulled back the pillow, took out a pair of arm sleeves from underneath, and tossed them into Qin Shu's hand, saying indifferently, "Qin Shu, go back and rest."

Qin Shu wasn't afraid of the Empress Dowager scolding or beating him; what terrified him most was her silent demeanor. He no longer cared about the things being thrown at him, and said with a hint of anxiety in his eyes, "Your Majesty, are you still angry? If Your Majesty is still angry, I don't care how you punish me."

Realizing that she was jealous, Liu Qingtang, feeling embarrassed and angry, didn't say anything more to him and directly kicked him out of the bedroom.

Qin Shu stood dejectedly in the outer hall, holding the sleeves, wondering what he had done wrong to displease the Empress Dowager. Just then, Tao Ye and Zhui Yi came over.

"These sleeves have been made for a long time, but I didn't expect to only bring them out for you today," Tao Ye said softly, glancing towards the inner hall.

"Sleeve covers?" Qin Shu snapped back to reality in an instant, only then noticing the sleeve covers clutched in his hand. He murmured in disbelief, "These are... made by the Empress Dowager?"

"That's right, Master even pricked several fingers while making these sleeves," Zhuiyi remarked from the side.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, this is what I made for you..." Qin Shu repeated, his expression indescribable.

Finally, the two watched as Qin Shu walked unsteadily back to his residence. Then, the next day, news broke that Qin Gonggong had fallen and bumped his head because he hadn't brought a lantern home. This news made Tao Ye and Zhui Yi exchange a laugh.

Author's Note: [I've been sick with a fever for the past two days and haven't been able to update. I'm still feeling dizzy today, and I struggled to write this chapter this morning. Please bear with me, ladies. By the way, starting an internship is really tough. I took sick leave, bought medicine, and slept in my rented apartment all day. I woke up hungry in the middle of the night, and groggily cooked a pot of plain porridge. I didn't have the energy or time to go grocery shopping, so I just drank the porridge like water and went back to bed. I felt a little better on Saturday morning but still had to go to work, and I was busy until 6 pm when I got home. I had time to write last night, but I was too dizzy to keep going, so I rested... Seeing how miserable I am, ladies, won't you leave a comment to encourage me? ~_(:3∠)_ I'm lying down and reading your comments.]

[Thank you to all the lovely angels who threw me trolls after I started paying for this! And thank you so much to all the angels who left comments too! There are so many fewer people now that I'm paying for this, thank you all for being here with me!]

The pea threw a grenade

Chen Li threw a grenade

Su Nian threw a bomb

abyss threw a grenade

Season 12 threw a grenade and two grenades.

Speaking of which, the grenade-throwing interface has been redesigned so much that I don't even know where to find the thank-you list anymore...