The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 37

Liu Qingtang got up early and restyled her hair into a dignified updo, then put on her Empress Dowager's magnificent robes, preparing to return to the palace. As she stepped out of the Haitang Pavilion, she saw her brother standing in the courtyard with his back to her, having waited for her for an unknown amount of time; his clothes were soaked with dew.

"Brother? Why didn't you let anyone announce your arrival? What are you doing standing here outside?" Liu Qingtang waved his hand, dismissing the servants, before stepping forward to speak.

"It's nothing, standing outside will help me clear my head." Liu Qingrong turned around, revealing noticeable dark circles under her eyes.

Liu Qingtang looked him up and down: "Could it be that you didn't sleep all night, brother?"

Liu Qingrong touched the bridge of her nose and shook her head helplessly: "How can I sleep after hearing what my father told me?"

Liu Qingtang tried to force a smile, but couldn't manage it. She could only silently say "I'm sorry" to her brother. She had hidden away because she didn't want to tell her brother about those things herself; every time she recalled them, she felt the pain, a truly unbearable feeling. Her father probably knew as well, which was why he spoke to her brother himself.

"Silly girl, why are you apologizing? This only makes your brother feel worse. Letting your little sister face so many things alone, I really am the 'useless brother' you used to always talk about." Liu Qingrong stepped forward and gently hugged his sister.

Liu Qingtang held back her tears, patted her brother's shoulder, and said in a light tone, "So, Brother Wuyong, you don't need to worry about those things. I just hope that this time you can live according to your own wishes, without having to consider the Liu family or the positions of Father and me. Just do what you want to do."

After saying that, she changed the subject with a hint of smugness and said, "You should know that I am the Empress Dowager who kills without blinking an eye in the eyes of the ladies and young ladies of Yujing. What do I have to be afraid of?"

"Oh? Then who was the one who would secretly hide and cry whenever something sad happened when we were little? And who was the one who was so scared when they saw a chicken being killed in the kitchen that they had nightmares for days?" Liu Qingrong listed them one by one. Seeing that his sister was about to get angry, he sighed and said, "Silly sister, I am your brother. What I want to do is the same as you, which is to protect my family."

Liu Qingtang was touched, but her face showed no appreciation as she turned her head and said, "I'm not going to care about you anymore. I'm telling you to stay out of it and enjoy life, but you're not happy about it."

Liu Qingrong had been bullied by this younger sister since childhood and had long since figured out her personality. He patted her head and laughed, "Wait for your brother to come and rescue you, our Liu family's little princess in distress."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Liu Qingtang kicked him and slapped his hand away in an annoyance. "I just combed my hair, why are you slapping it like that? Don't mess it up again!"

"I used to bathe you when you were little, and I've seen you with your bare bottom. Now you won't even let your brother touch your head. It's true what they say, a grown-up sister doesn't want her brother anymore." Liu Qingrong shook his head, perfectly portraying a heartbroken and elegant young man. Watching him, Liu Qingtang felt her hands itching again after not teasing her brother for several years.

Clenching her fist, she punched her brother, who was pretending to be in pain, in the stomach. Seeing him bend over and groan in agreement, Liu Qingtang put one hand on her hip and looked at him with disdain: "You're only five years older than me, and you've never given me a bath before! Speaking of which, you're already twenty-five this year and you still haven't helped me find a wife. Do you want our Liu family line to die out? Now, continuing the Liu family bloodline is your responsibility alone!"

"Hey, hey, brother, I was wrong. Can we not talk about this?" Liu Qingrong straightened up abruptly and waved his hand. He was usually driven crazy by his father and those matchmakers. They had been nagging him ever since his eighteen-year-old sister hadn't even entered the palace yet. Now, his sister was getting involved too. How could they be good family members?

"Without you, sister-in-law, no one in our family can come to the palace to see me. You were just saying you couldn't bear to see me alone in the palace, and you've already changed your mind. Is this how you act as a brother?" Liu Qingtang seized on her brother's sore spot and poked at him hard, not caring about sibling affection at all. She fully demonstrated the fine tradition of bullying her brother in the Su family, where her mother lived.

“I’m a man, so it’s not a big deal, but I think Su Shu’s problem is much bigger than mine. She may appear to be a man, but she’s actually a woman. This can’t go on. I think you should pay more attention to Su Shu’s marriage prospects.” Liu Qingrong’s expression was extremely righteous, dragging Yang Su Shu into the mess without hesitation. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get married, but influenced by his father and mother, he wanted to find a woman he truly loved and settle down with, but he just couldn’t find one.

Furthermore, after hearing what his father said last night, and knowing the ultimate fate of the Liu family, he absolutely could not bring himself to marry a woman and make her share in all of this before resolving everything. After all, a wife should be cherished and loved, not forced to live in fear. Liu Qingrong knew his sister understood him, but understanding was one thing, and his sister just loved to rub salt in his wounds.

"It's getting late, and I have to go back to the palace, so I'll let you go for now." Liu Qingtang glanced at the sky and stopped teasing her poor brother.

"Okay, go ahead, wait for your brother to come see you. If your sister-in-law can't come, your brother will go by himself."

Liu Qingtang didn't say anything, glanced at her smiling brother, and turned to leave. As she reached the door, she was called back.

"Qingtang, if you think about those painful things, don't keep them to yourself. Let Qin Shu keep you company." There was no joking or irreverence in his voice; she heard her brother's slightly hoarse voice speaking earnestly.

"Yes, I know. Take care of yourself, brother." Liu Qingtang said just as seriously, but then she revealed a slightly malicious smile, "I'll tell Su Shu about how you dragged her into this, just wait for her to get back at you."

"Huh? Wait, Qingtang... don't do this."

Liu Qingtang walked out of the courtyard gate of Haitang Pavilion in a cheerful mood and saw her father waiting there. It should have been his daily time to practice his sword, but today he was waiting here, and like his brother, he was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

"Dad, you didn't sleep all night like my brother, did you?"

Liu Shaodi didn't reply. Seeing her come out, he started walking forward first. "I'll see you off."

Every time Liu Qingtang saw her father's serious and cold demeanor, she felt strange. How could her mother, who looked so much like her, have fallen for her father?

"Father, what did you and my brother talk about yesterday?"

"..."

"Father, didn't you practice your sword this morning?"

"..."

"Dad, do you want to hear about Qin Shu's past life?"

"No need."

Finally getting her father to speak, Liu Qingtang smiled and leaned closer, "So, Dad, you acknowledge Qin Shu?"

Liu Shaodi: "Hmph."

Her father, being such a hypocrite, meant it when he said "humph." Liu Qingtang smiled and took her father's arm, "Then next time Qin Shu calls you 'Dad,' you can't refuse, can you?"

"Hmph, tell him that if he doesn't take good care of you, he can expect to be trampled into mincemeat by my hundreds of thousands of troops." Liu Shaodi said in a deep voice, staring straight ahead.

Seeing that her father was clearly still holding back his anger but had no choice but to compromise, and could only utter a few harsh words, Liu Qingtang suddenly wanted to laugh. However, she was worried that her laughter would make him even angrier, so she could only silently hold back, and then nodded and said in agreement with him, "Yes, I will convey your words to Qin Shu exactly as they were."

They soon reached the second gate and saw a group of palace maids and eunuchs surrounding a carriage waiting there. Liu Shaodi stopped. "Go."

"Your daughter is leaving now, Father, please take care." Liu Qingtang gave a solemn curtsy, then stepped past him and boarded the carriage.

Even after exiting the second gate and then the main gate, Liu Qingtang could still see her father. He followed her carriage all the way to the main gate and then stood at the gate watching her carriage leave.

Liu Qingtang suddenly recalled the day she entered the palace. At fifteen, she was dressed in an elaborate red gown, sitting in a carriage just like this. Wearing a phoenix crown, she ignored the palace servants' attempts to stop her and lifted the curtain to look back, where she saw her father standing at the door, watching her leave from afar.

He stood there alone, like a pine tree on a cliff, unafraid of wind and rain, but ultimately appearing somewhat weathered and lonely.

Just like the way they came, they passed through the bustling city and returned to the hustle and bustle. As the caravan slowly entered the palace gate, Liu Qingtang saw through a corner of the raised curtain that the high palace walls were gradually left behind.

Separated by a palace wall, even the sky seemed different. The carefree and vibrant Liu Qingtang outside the palace could only revert to her dignified role as the Empress Dowager once she returned. Most of the time, she pondered the fate of the nation, the safety of the country, and… the grudges of her past life.

Fortunately, she had long since grown accustomed to the oppressive atmosphere of the palace; to her, this was her battlefield. Even though she yearned for the freedom outside the palace and the warmth of home, she still had to return here; some things simply had to be done.

Just as she had told Qin Shu the night before, she was indeed very busy that day. Upon returning to the palace, she first drafted several imperial edicts, and then went to have lunch with the young emperor, listening to his progress in his studies and offering him a few words of encouragement, thus demonstrating to everyone the deep bond between the Empress Dowager and the emperor.

Then, the ministers reported on the preparations for the imperial examinations in March, appointed this year's chief examiner, and selected the essay topics. Even after returning to Cixi Palace after dark, there was no time to rest; one had to first deal with the political affairs that the young emperor could not decide.

Liu Qingtang was hunched over her desk, pen in one hand and flipping through memorials and files with the other, her brow furrowed as she occasionally jotted down a few words. The candlelight had dimmed, and Zhuiyi tiptoed in to replace it. Disturbed by the noise, Liu Qingtang stopped writing, rubbed her wrist, and casually asked, "What time is it?"

"It's already early in the evening, and the master hasn't ordered dinner yet."

Closing the unfinished memorial, Liu Qingtang stood up as Zhuiyi suggested, "Then let's serve dinner." After washing her hands in a basin of warm water brought by a maid, Liu Qingtang asked, "Have you all had dinner?"

Zhuiyi handed over a handkerchief at the right moment, and said with a smile, "If Your Highness doesn't need to have dinner, how dare we servants?"

"I've said it many times, when I'm busy, you can have your meal privately first, it's no big deal," Liu Qingtang said with a helpless expression.

Zhuiyi didn't respond. When they first accompanied their mistress into the palace, they had to be careful in everything they did, so as not to give anyone any leverage over them. Now that their mistress's position was secure and she could indulge them in many things, they were still used to keeping to their proper place. No matter what, this was always the safest way, so as not to cause trouble for their mistress.

"Master, the red marks on my hands haven't faded yet. Should we apply some jade ointment?"

Liu Qingtang raised her hand, saw several burn marks from the oil stains, and shook her head indifferently. "They'll disappear tomorrow."

"You don't need to serve me later. You and Taoye can have your meal first. Also, tell someone to make a bowl of longevity noodles for Qin Shu and send it over." Because it was his birthday today, but she didn't have time to be with him, she simply gave him a day off to rest. Now, she actually missed him a little.

Author's Note: [Family, romantic, and friendship—grasp all three with equal strength!]

Fat Cat threw a landmine

Ada threw a landmine

15429533 threw a landmine

Ata threw a landmine

[Apart from the number guy, the others are all super~ familiar girls~ Since they're familiar faces, I won't thank them, I'll just take off my pants (lol)]