The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 49

After the summer solstice, the weather grew increasingly hot, and the air felt restless and lethargic, with only the cicadas in the trees chirping incessantly. (Note: The last part, "网(◎◎x◎s◎.o◎r◎g◎)百度搜索网址," is a website name and doesn't directly relate to the preceding text. It's left as is.)

To prevent the cicadas from disturbing the Empress Dowager's rest, some eunuchs had already climbed up the trees in the courtyard with nets to catch them. When Qin Shu entered the Empress Dowager's study, still radiating summer heat, he found her casually sprawled on her desk, teasing a few cicadas in a small cage on the table in front of her with a calligraphy brush in her hand.

At this time of year, if she didn't go out, she would simply wear light, thin clothes in the Cining Palace, her hair loosely tied up, leisurely and languidly reading and writing. Compared to Qin Shu, who was busy with many things almost every day, she was exceptionally idle. Qin Shu had taken care of all the trivial and complicated tasks for her, leaving her to decide on the simple and important matters in a short time. With so much free time, she truly resembled an old empress dowager enjoying a life of leisure.

Perhaps out of sheer boredom, he woke up from his afternoon nap to find a young eunuch catching cicadas. Suddenly reminded of his own childhood cicada-catching days, he felt nostalgic and impulsively ordered the cicadas he had caught to be brought over. The servants found him a delicate little cage, and five or six black-shelled cicadas were placed inside.

In June, officials in charge of ice would retrieve ice from the ice cellar and transport it over to help the emperors cool off; Cining Palace naturally had no shortage of it. In a corner of the hall, a square cauldron held piles of ice, and a young palace maid fanned it from the side, sending gusts of cool air through the air. Perhaps because the hall was too cold, the cicadas in their cages didn't chirp much. Liu Qingtang, resting her chin on her hand, would try to coax them with a brush before she could hear a weak chirp or two.

Qin Shu entered the hall, first curtsied and bowed to her, saying, "Greetings to the Empress Dowager."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingtang threw down her brush, waved to the two palace maids who were fanning her, signaling them to leave, and then walked over with light steps.

Qin Shu had changed his clothes when he arrived, afraid that his sweat and odor would bother his wife. Now, seeing her smiling and greeting him, he couldn't help but stare at her, as if he couldn't get enough of her. He used to be too shy to look at her, but now that he could, he stared at her constantly. Liu Qingtang was annoyed by his direct gaze and kicked him lightly. However, the force of the kick was more like a playful tantrum than a kick.

"Qin Shu, Wei Zheng is getting married in a few days. It's going to be a big event. Shall we go and see?"

Qin Shu nodded in agreement without a second thought, showing no intention of stopping the Empress Dowager's behavior, which seemed unbecoming of her status. Liu Qingtang, waiting to see his reaction, felt troubled by his decisiveness. His indulgent attitude meant that if she lost her temper, she might become spoiled and unruly.

From a young age, she was always unruly and prone to causing trouble. Although her father and brother doted on her, they often stopped her from doing certain things, telling her, sometimes sternly, sometimes gently, what was wrong and what wasn't good. But Qin Shu was different; he seemed to never know how to refuse. Liu Qingtang felt that since her rebirth, she had become increasingly willful, and with Qin Shu involved, he would only spoil her more and more.

With this bittersweet feeling, Liu Qingtang pulled Qin Shu aside and told him, "Qin Shu, you should refuse at times like this. Look, how could someone of your status personally go to congratulate a foreign official? Those censors would gossip about it. Although you usually pretend not to hear them, unless it's something absolutely crucial, you should still listen to their advice. After all, your status is what it is. From now on, the supervision will be handled by them. Next time, if you say something you shouldn't do, learn to refuse, understand?"

"Yes," Liu Qingtang said seriously, and Qin Shu also answered very carefully.

Liu Qingtang patted his shoulder with satisfaction, smiled again, and said with a blink of her eyes, "Then, let's go see Wei Zheng get married in a few days!"

Qin Shu answered without hesitation once again – “Okay.”

"You just agreed, how could you refuse?" Liu Qingtang cupped Qin Shu's face in her hands, making him look at her with a serious expression.

Qin Shu seemed stunned by what she said, staring at her for a long time without uttering a sound, as if trying to figure out what to say. Liu Qingtang, being mischievous, deliberately put on a serious expression and waited for his answer.

"Whatever decision Master makes, it won't be wrong." That was all Qin Shu said in the end. Whether it was right or wrong, as long as she wanted it, he wouldn't say no.

Seeing that the game was going nowhere, Liu Qingtang conceded defeat first. "Alright, alright, you're right." Rather than letting Qin Shu restrain her, she'd rather control herself. The "Shu" in Qin Shu's name was probably just for restraining himself.

"Actually... I've already prepared for this. I'll just say I have a headache and need to rest. I'll have Taoye and Chu go to Wei Zheng's residence to offer congratulations and gifts, and then secretly follow you. You'll leave through Chongwu Gate. Most of the guards there are former personal guards that Father used to bring with him, but now they're under Wei Zheng's command. If we go through there, the news won't leak out."

So Liu Qingtang, who had already decided to make things difficult for Qin Shu, was simply using her most adept method: flirting. Qin Shu was unaware of this, but even though he didn't quite understand, he didn't find anything wrong with the Empress Dowager's capricious and contradictory behavior.

July 6th, the eve of Qixi Festival, is an auspicious day for marriage.

Liu Qingtang, accompanied by Taoye, and Qin Shu discreetly left the palace through Chongwu Gate. Since there was still some time before the wedding procession, Liu Qingtang went directly to the Yang residence.

Although she had received the letter, she would still feel more at ease seeing it with her own eyes. Moreover, she said she was worried about Xiao Huai and the Yang family, and even declined the appointment to go to the palace this month to check her pulse. It's really a shame that she had worried about her life's important matter for so long, but as soon as she brought the silly prince home, she forgot all about her matchmaker and friend.

As Liu Qingtang half-jokingly complained to Taoye in the carriage that Yang Sushu was a heartless man who had forgotten her so quickly, Qin Shu looked up at her and pursed his lips.

Liu Qingtang immediately stopped talking when she saw his gaze and casually changed the subject. Qin Shu knew perfectly well that Su Shu was a woman, yet he was still jealous. But what could she do? She quite enjoyed being jealous herself.

The men in the Yang family had been imperial physicians for generations. Upon entering, one could see that their flower garden was different from others, filled with various medicinal herbs. The steward, Liao Bo, also recognized Liu Qingtang, but hadn't seen her since she entered the palace at the age of fifteen. Now that he saw her clearly, his face lit up with a delighted smile. Just as he was about to invite her in, he remembered that she was now the Empress Dowager and quickly prepared to kneel down.

Liu Qingtang stepped forward to help the old man up, and, just like many years ago, warmly held his arm and asked, "Uncle Liao, you can just treat me as Qingtang again. There's no need to be so formal. Back then, I treated the Yang family as another home, and I caused you a lot of trouble."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Liao couldn't help but wipe the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, saying repeatedly, "Hey, girl, it's been years since I've seen you. You've grown up so much in the blink of an eye. You're a young lady now. How are you?" After saying that, he shook his head and chuckled, "How could I not be? It's just that this old man has gone senile."

Liu Qingtang didn't comment on this statement, but simply smiled and nodded, saying, "You're still worried? By the way, where's Su Shu? Come and see her."

"What else can that child do? All she does is go back to the courtyard to tend to the medicinal herbs, and even Prince Chun sits there with her all day. She doesn't know how to do anything interesting after bringing her home; she just buries herself in those herbs." Uncle Liao shook his head, seemingly not having a bad impression of Xiao Huaiyu.

Liu Qingtang smiled and declined Liao Bo's offer of food, then led Qin Shu and Tao Ye to the Angelica Courtyard with practiced ease.

This courtyard was where the Yang family's group of medical enthusiasts organized and stored medicinal herbs. It was also the place where Liu Qingtang spent most of her time when she visited the Yang family as a child. Su Shu... back then she was still called Yang Su Jin. She followed her brother Su Shu around like a little tail all day long. Even before she could recognize the characters, she learned to look at the herbal medicine catalog, point to the flowers, herbs, roots, and leaves, and say in her clear voice what this was and that was.

Liu Qingtang vaguely remembered that Su Shu liked to cling to her brother when she was little. Su Shu's brother was also very gentle. Although he was only a little older than Su Shu, he was very sensible. He would pat the heads of the two little girls who had messed up the medicinal herbs without saying a word of reproach, and he would straighten out the messed-up herbs one by one.

Later, Su Shu's brother passed away, and their strict father, who had always been a source of pain for both siblings, also died, leaving Su Jin all alone. To avoid suspicion, Su Jin stayed in the Yang family mansion for over a year without leaving, her only contact being with Uncle Liao. Su Jin tried to become more and more like her brother Su Shu, using his name to support the Yang family and eventually entering the Imperial Hospital. After she entered the palace, Su Jin was left alone to guard the Dangui Courtyard.

The courtyard remained unchanged from years ago, with many bamboo trays drying in the sun, and the air filled with the aroma of medicinal herbs. In one corner stood an old locust tree. Every May, when this tree blossomed, she would come to eat locust flower cakes. Now, at this time of year, she and Su Jin would take a contented nap under the shade of the old locust tree, accompanied by the chirping of cicadas, until her brother came to find her and took her home, still having played wildly.

Looking back on childhood years later, there's a bittersweet feeling that evokes a smile and a touch of wistful nostalgia. Liu Qingtang stood at the gate, holding onto it but not going in. Her gaze lingered on the locust tree for a moment before shifting to her friend, who was diligently sorting and processing medicinal herbs under its shade.

She tied her sleeves with a thin white silk ribbon, sat on a stool, and every now and then took a few pieces of medicinal herbs from the bamboo tray and put them into the mortar and pestle, pounding them into powder with a thud. She looked serious and focused. Although she wore her hair in a man's bun, her profile, with a few strands of hair falling down her sides, was quite beautiful. If it weren't for the determination between her brows and the masculine air she had cultivated over the years, people would probably know that she was a young woman.

As for the Prince Chun, who had been brought directly back to the Yang family for temporary residence by Su Shu, he sat quietly on a small stool next to her. He held half a watermelon in his lap and a spoon in his hand, slowly picking out a mouthful of red flesh. It seemed he was going to eat it himself, but Su Shu seemed to have anticipated this, lifting her head and leaning over to eat the spoonful of watermelon in one bite, before continuing to pound the medicine with a rhythmic thud. Whether it was Liu Qingtang's imagination or not, she felt that Su Shu seemed to be pounding the medicine with more vigor than before.

Xiao Huai was a little slow, watching helplessly as the watermelon in his spoon was eaten. It took him a while to react, and then his gaze shifted from his hand to Su Shu's calm face as she chewed the watermelon, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, Liu Qingtang couldn't help but lean on Qin Shu's shoulder and chuckle quietly. She really hadn't expected to see this rare, shameless side of her friend after all these years.

Yang Sushu was startled by the commotion, and when she saw Liu Qingtang smiling at the door, she immediately realized that her actions had been seen, and her face flushed with embarrassment.

Author's Note: [It's either the next chapter or the chapter after that. Guess which girl I'm talking about!]

Halfway through, a landmine was thrown.

Halfway through, a landmine was thrown.

Big-faced cat, Big-faced cat loves to eat fish, threw a landmine.

Xiao Xiao threw a landmine

A landmine was thrown late.

[Thanks for the gag! I love all the girls too, muah! By the way, I just bought a drawing tablet and am going to start drawing, even if I'm a terrible artist. Maybe in ten years or so, when I'm a great writer, I'll become a master too! Then I'll draw character designs, covers, fan art, and comics for my stories. A bright future awaits me! [Go!]]