The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 33

"Your Majesty, are you not returning to the palace tonight?"

"I already said I'd take you to see the lanterns, why go back to the palace?"

"But tonight is the Lantern Festival. If the Empress Dowager is not in the palace, it might cause gossip."

"Have you said I haven't been gossiped about enough?" Besides, if she, as the Empress Dowager, doesn't act out of line, how will she give those restless people a reason to make a move? If they don't act, how will she find any leverage against them? She doesn't want to keep waiting for them to lose patience. Liu Qingtang replied to Qin Shu leisurely, rummaging through several pieces of men's clothing, thinking about which outfit to dress Qin Shu in.

"Well... today is the Lantern Festival, a day that should be for family reunion. Why doesn't Your Majesty stay at the Liu family and spend it with the Duke and the Duke's brother-in-law?" Qin Shu could see that the Empress Dowager cared about her family, but he didn't understand why she was unwilling to spend the Lantern Festival at home when she rarely returned to the Liu family. So he could only ask tentatively.

Liu Qingtang paused for a moment, then said as if nothing was wrong, "I guess Father and Brother will be talking for a long time in the study today, and they won't have time to have dinner with me. It's fine for us to go out and see the lanterns."

From birth, she never celebrated the Lantern Festival with her father because her mother had passed away on that day, which was also the anniversary of her mother's death. So on this day, her father would lock himself in his study and not come out. Each time, she would take her brother and Sushu out to the lantern festival and to a place to pray for her mother, whom she had never met.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed dissatisfied as she put down the clothes and prepared to take out a few more sets from the trunk, Qin Shu couldn't help but say, "This servant can wear whatever clothes he wants, but please don't take the Emperor's brother's clothes."

Yes, after his wife said she would take him to see the lanterns, she swaggered over and dragged him into the room of the emperor's brother-in-law, rummaging through it.

“Brother won’t care about such a small matter, there’s no need to worry.” Liu Qingtang knew that Qin Shu was worried that her brother was angry, but didn’t he see the maids guarding the door, all looking at it as if it were nothing out of the ordinary? She had been doing this kind of thing since she was a child, after all, she had always believed that her brother was someone to be bullied.

As they bullied each other, they naturally grew closer. Liu Qingtang, who had always bullied her older brother since childhood, thought this with a clear conscience, while holding the clothes in her hand and comparing Qin Shu's height with her own, feeling somewhat distressed.

In just one morning, Qin Shu had a general idea of ​​what the Imperial Uncle meant when he complained to him that morning about how "men of the Liu family are worthless and oppressed, with a cold-faced father above and troublesome younger sisters below."

However, in his view, nothing the Empress Dowager did was troublesome. Even if she made him feel awkward, distressed, or helpless, he still enjoyed it. He even envied the Imperial Uncle for being bothered by the Empress Dowager. The more he learned about the Empress Dowager, the more he was drawn to her.

He didn't like the Empress Dowager because of her specific appearance, but because she was her, he liked every aspect of her, and his liking grew to the point where he could no longer hide it. Whether she was as cold and stern as before or as lively and playful as she was now, he was completely captivated.

Sometimes Qin Shu himself found it strange. At first, he was simply grateful—grateful that the Empress Dowager had so casually and unintentionally rescued him when he was at his most helpless and desperate. But later, in the countless days he looked up to her, his feelings had quietly changed without him realizing it. By the time he realized that he was actually yearning for the Empress Dowager, he could no longer stop this audacious fantasy.

This inappropriate feeling was so intense and sudden that he could only carefully hide this bittersweet emotion. He felt overjoyed every time he could get close to the Empress Dowager, and disappointed and bitter every time she indifferently glanced at him. Then he dutifully served as a servant by her side.

How did things turn out this way? It's like a dream. The Empress Dowager also liked him and even introduced him to his father and brother...

"Stand up straight and straighten your back."

Qin Shu was lost in thought when Liu Qingtang suddenly patted him hard on the back, causing him to stumble and almost fall forward. He quickly regained his balance, remembering the Empress Dowager's words, and straightened his back, no longer daring to bend over.

The palace eunuchs dared not look up at their masters without permission, so they became accustomed to bending slightly, doing so unconsciously. Many old eunuchs could no longer straighten their backs and would feel soreness, precisely because they had always humbly bent over like this when they were young.

Qin Shu didn't pay attention to the slight stinging pain in his waist caused by the sudden straightening. Liu Qingtang patted his back and then gently pounded it a few times: "Isn't it uncomfortable to be bent over like this all the time? Okay, I'll give you permission not to do this."

"This servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

"If you won't call me Qingtang, fine, but at least change your self-reference as a servant. Haven't you noticed that I've been addressing you as 'you' and 'me' in private these past few days?" Liu Qingtang sometimes really wanted to knock Qin Shu's blockhead.

"I... understand." Qin Shu swallowed the "This servant dares not" that was almost out of his mouth and replaced it with this answer. Seeing the Empress Dowager smile, he couldn't help but feel happy.

"Hmm? You changed your tune quickly this time." Liu Qingtang smiled, picked up the robe hanging on her arm, walked around to Qin Shu, unfolded it, and held it up against him. Seeing that the robe dragged on the ground, she muttered, "It's still too long, Qin Shu. You need to eat more. You're only half a head taller than me, and you can't even fit into your brother's clothes."

She was just saying it casually. Even though she never paid special attention, she knew that in her previous life, Qin Shu would be more than a head taller than her a few years later. She herself was not short among women, and Qin Shu's height was quite good. However, Qin Shu looked thinner back then than he is now. His tall and thin figure, coupled with his sinister eyes, made him seem very gloomy.

Perhaps it's because her mindset has changed, but now when Liu Qingtang thinks of Qin Shu back then, she only feels sorry for his thinness, without any of the dislike she felt when she first saw him like that. Hmm, his unpleasant appearance now seems surprisingly interesting and pleasing to the eye.

Qin Shu had no idea what the Empress Dowager was thinking. He only heard her comment that he was too short, and he immediately became anxious. He had never cared about these things before, but now it was different; it wouldn't do for the Empress Dowager to think he was too short. With a gloomy face that remained expressionless, Qin Shu began to worry inwardly about his height. What could he do to grow taller?

Liu Qingtang didn't realize how much Qin Shu cared about her casual remark. She picked up a few more clothes and compared them to Qin Shu, but found none of them fit him. She then decisively took a slightly smaller navy blue robe, pulled Qin Shu back to her Begonia Pavilion, and prepared to have Zhuiyi Taoye alter it.

The Liu family didn't have many servants, and because Liu Qingtang was going home to visit her family, some servants who weren't suitable to stay at the Liu family at this time were temporarily given leave, so the inner courtyard was very quiet. As Liu Qingtang walked along the road, she would occasionally point out to Qin Shu which places she used to play in when she was a child, and which places she liked to hide in when she was a child.

Passing by an artificial hill, Liu Qingtang became interested and pulled Qin Shu into the enormous structure. Inside, the hill revealed a hidden world; what seemed to be narrowing gradually opened up into a spacious cavern, about two people high, nestled within. The cavern wasn't dark; light shone down from the small openings in the hill, allowing them to see the dust particles dancing in the beams of light.

"Qin Shu, come and see!" Liu Qingtang, disregarding her dignified image as Empress Dowager, lifted her skirt and crawled through a narrow hole, waving to Qin Shu from the other side. Qin Shu followed her over and discovered that there was another, slightly smaller hole inside, though smaller than the one outside, so that neither of them could stand up straight. Qin Shu pressed herself against the rock wall of the artificial hill to avoid crowding the Empress Dowager.

Liu Qingtang squatted down and pulled Qin Shu, who was leaning against the stone wall, down to squat with her. Then she pointed ahead and said, "Look, this is the place I liked to stay in when I was a child."

This small cave is more like a nest, with stone walls on three sides, except for the front, which is open, like a large window due to the terrain. They squatted here, facing the shimmering lake, and could see the row of willows swaying in the wind on the shore. The wind passing through was mostly blocked by the protruding artificial hill outside, so even if there was a breeze, it was gentle and not cold. Moreover, because it was facing the lake, no one could see inside, making it both secluded and scenic.

Looking nostalgically at the lake and weeping willows, Liu Qingtang said with a touch of endearing pride, "This is a place I discovered, a place that belongs to me alone. Look, the lake is right below us, reflecting the clouds like a mirror. Isn't it beautiful? It's even more beautiful when it rains. The splashing water creates a misty fog on the entire lake, a vast expanse of white. When the rain gets heavier, this side becomes a beaded curtain, with raindrops constantly falling from it."

She was radiant, her eyes brimming with joy that made Qin Shu's heart flutter, waving as she shared happy childhood memories with him.

In this narrow, low stone cave, Qin Shu sat close to the Empress Dowager, her hand in his. Looking at the scenery the Empress Dowager had once seen, and hearing her voice, he felt a warmth in his heart that almost melted him.

"In a few days, all the willows in that area will sprout new buds, swaying beautifully in the wind. Willow catkins will also be blown onto the river and drift with the current all the way here. If you lie down and try to scoop them up by hand, you can gather a whole handful. Petals from further up will also drift here. There are some red koi in this lake, and they will chase after these floating catkins and petals and gather together. Sometimes they gather down here, and you can reach out and touch them, but those fish are very afraid of people, and they will scatter as soon as you touch them."

“On the artificial rockery outside, there are some screws stuck to the places that have been soaked in water. You can find them by reaching out and touching the protrusions. I once pulled off a few big screws and secretly took them back to keep in a teacup, which I hid under the blanket. But one night I accidentally knocked it over while sleeping, and the next day I made a fool of myself, cough cough. So I threw all the screws back in.”

Qin Shu had heard about this from the Emperor's brother-in-law that morning. The Empress Dowager had filled a cup with water to keep snails in, hiding it under her bed. That night, she accidentally knocked it over. The next morning, the maids and servants who attended to her all thought she had wet the bed, which made the Empress Dowager blush with embarrassment, and she never dared to hide anything under her blankets again. Qin Shu found it amusing; it seemed the Empress Dowager had many happy memories from her childhood.

"Qin Shu, this is so strange." Liu Qingtang looked at the white clouds drifting leisurely across the lake and said with a puzzled expression, "I never want to tell anyone about this place, so why would I want to tell you? I don't usually talk about my childhood with others either, but why would I want to tell you? I've brought these things up with you several times already."

She turned to look at Qin Shu, her bright eyes filled with genuine confusion. "Qin Shu, why do you think this is?"

Qin Shu looked into those eyes so close to his own and almost couldn't breathe. It took him a long time to find his voice. "I...I don't know." Actually, he understood that feeling too. If he had these happy memories from his childhood, he would also like to share them with the Empress Dowager, to tell her about his past, about everything, and to make her smile because of his funny stories.

However, apart from his memories of the Empress Dowager, he had no happy memories whatsoever. And how could he possibly tell the Empress Dowager that he felt joy simply from seeing her?

"Qin Shu, do you like listening to me talk about these things?" If not, she would try to control herself and not keep talking to him about these things.

Upon hearing this, Qin Shu's eyes lit up immediately, and he answered without hesitation, "I like it."

Liu Qingtang couldn't help but laugh, pulling his head close and giving him a quick peck on the lips. Qin Shu's heart pounded wildly. Looking at his beloved's smiling face, he couldn't help but hold his breath and lean forward, gently kissing the corner of her lips.

Seeing Qin Shu take the initiative for the first time, Liu Qingtang was a little taken aback. Feeling a warm touch on her lips, she instinctively covered her mouth and widened her eyes. Qin Shu looked at her, not immediately looking down as he usually did, so the love in his eyes was easily visible. Being looked at like that, even Liu Qingtang suddenly felt a little embarrassed, subconsciously looking away from him, her face flushed slightly.

The two leaned against each other in silence, their clasped hands tightening slightly before the other returned the grip with equal force. This winter was mild, and swallows returned early, flitting among the still-unbudding willow branches, then skimming low over the calm lake, their clear, melodious chirping carrying the joy of spring.

After a moment of silence, Liu Qingtang came to her senses, grunted, and fumbled around in an inconspicuous corner of the stone wall for a while before pulling out a cushion. "This is the little pillow I used to hide here. I would sleep here with this pillow on summer afternoons."

"Cough cough, so much dust!" The pillow that was pulled out was covered in dust, and as soon as it was taken out, dust flew everywhere, filling the small hole that wasn't very big to begin with. Pillows easily accumulate dust, and she hadn't been here for several years, so it was only natural that there was so much dust. She hadn't noticed it for a moment because she was distracted.

Liu Qingtang squinted and stepped back. Qin Shu quickly protected her head to prevent her from hitting the stone wall, and fanned the dust off her face with one hand. After the two left the cave, Liu Qingtang saw that Qin Shu was covered in dust. Instead of helping him brush it off, she laughed and used her dusty hands to touch his face, leaving a few cat whisker-like marks.

In fact, Qin Shu wanted to laugh when he saw the dust on the Empress Dowager's face, but he would never laugh out loud and anger her. He simply used a handkerchief to wipe her face and hands clean, and then patted the dust off her clothes, not caring at all about his disheveled appearance.

Liu Qingtang, however, felt embarrassed and stopped teasing him, returning directly to Haitang Pavilion. Taoye and Zhuiyi, who had already prepared Haitang Pavilion, came to greet her, covering their mouths and chuckling at Qin Shu's appearance.

"Alright, you two stop laughing. Help Qin Shu alter these clothes; we're going to the lantern festival tonight," Liu Qingtang said with a laugh, tapping each of Tao Ye and Zhui Yi on the forehead.

"The Lantern Festival? We haven't been there in years! Miss, is it the same as before?" Back at the Liu family home, Tao Ye and Zhui Yi relaxed considerably. The carefree Tao Ye even called Liu Qing Tang by her usual nickname from home. Seeing the two, who were usually quite composed, suddenly become so excited, Liu Qing Tang didn't stop them. She smiled with her hands behind her back and said, "The same as before. You two arrange the guards."

Seeing their demeanor, Qin Shu knew perfectly well that the Empress Dowager often did such things before entering the palace, which put his mind at ease. He had been worried that if the Empress Dowager suddenly felt like going to see the lanterns, she might refuse to bring guards. After all, lantern festivals attracted all sorts of people, and if something unexpected happened, it would be too late to call for help.

Fortunately, although the Empress Dowager enjoyed reading those storybooks, she didn't seem to want to emulate the characters in them. Qin Shu recalled the stories the Empress Dowager had made him read, where young ladies from noble families would sneak out of their residences without guards, encounter danger, and then fall in love at first sight with a chivalrous hero. He was very worried that the Empress Dowager would be led astray.

Author's Note: [Fewer and fewer comments, I don't feel like writing anymore, do I? _(:3∠)_ (Lying down and drawing circles)]

A rocket was launched from an old passenger ship.

The pesky old monster threw a landmine~

Chen Li threw a landmine~

Season 12 dropped a landmine~

[Thanks for the landmines and rocket launchers~(*^__^*) I'll remember you lovely girls~]