The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 50

"Why are you here at this hour?" Su Shu asked, getting up to pour Liu Qingtang a cup of herbal tea that had cooled under the tree. (Updates are coming soon! Just search "Lewen" on Baidu!)

Liu Qingtang took a sip, and without answering her question, nodded and said, "This tea still tastes the same. It tastes quite good now."

The blush on Yang Sushu's face finally faded, and a nostalgic smile appeared on her handsome face upon hearing this. "It's a summer tea with some medicinal herbs in it. I used to dislike drinking it the most, and I would always frown in disgust every time I drank it. I never thought I would hear someone say it's good."

Being able to regain what she had lost, whether good or bad, sweet or bitter, filled her with gratitude, and she naturally felt good about it. Liu Qingtang simply smiled, took a few more sips of the slightly bitter tea, and then said, "Judging from your eagerness to live a quiet life behind closed doors, it seems you're not planning to go to Wei Zheng's residence to join in the fun?"

Yang Sushu ignored the teasing look on Liu Qingtang's face and calmly nodded, saying, "The congratulatory gift was sent yesterday, so I won't go to join the fun today. Besides, I don't feel comfortable leaving Huaiyu alone."

He used to be basically a loner, is this raising a son? In just a few days, he's gone from Prince Chun to Huaiyu, quick as a flash, Liu Qingtang thought to herself, managing to keep quiet. Glancing at Xiao Huaiyu, who seemed completely oblivious to the three of them, Liu Qingtang gestured to Yang Sushu, "Look, what's the Prince doing?"

Yang Sushu turned her head and saw Xiao Huaiyu holding a spoon with a spoonful of watermelon in it, staring at her for who knows how long.

"Huh? Su Shu, does that mean he wants us to eat it?" Liu Qingtang became interested and sidled up to ask with great enthusiasm, "If he says he'll eat it right away, will he be angry?" As she spoke, she was actually eager to try it.

Before Yang Sushu could speak, Qin Shu stood up first. Without showing any other expression, he respectfully said, "Master, this servant will go and cut a watermelon for you."

Liu Qingtang sat back down reluctantly, pulling Qin Shu down with her, and said repeatedly, "It was just a joke, I don't want to eat watermelon right now." She then put on a big smile, which made Tao Ye and Yang Sushu unable to help but laugh, and they both turned their heads away.

Yang Sushu laughed for a while, and seeing that Xiao Huaiyu was still oblivious to the commotion around him and only focused on holding the spoonful of watermelon, she said to him, "Don't eat it, eat it yourself."

Xiao Huaiyu didn't react, but Yang Sushu, undeterred, repeated the question again. This time, Xiao Huaiyu finally responded. He slowly put down his spoon, didn't eat the watermelon, and lowered his eyes, refusing to look at Yang Sushu.

Yang Sushu smiled helplessly and shook her head, then reluctantly lifted his hand and put the spoonful of watermelon into her mouth. Only then did Xiao Huaiyu look up again and stare at her cheeks as she chewed the watermelon.

Liu Qingtang quietly watched the two interact, resting her chin on her hand. Suddenly, she realized she didn't need to ask the question she was going to. So she smiled and stood up, saying, "We won't disturb your relationship. We still have to go watch that big oaf Wei Zheng get married."

"Huh? Leaving so soon?" Yang Sushu also stood up, but at this moment Xiao Huaiyu scooped out another spoonful of watermelon and handed it to her.

Seeing this, Liu Qingtang pressed her back down, "Just sit and watch the princes you like, no need to see you off. After watching Wei Zheng's wedding, you can return to the palace."

"Yes, Qingtang, don't worry."

"I know, Su Shu doesn't need to worry."

They looked at each other and smiled, vaguely recognizing their youthful days.

As Liu Qingtang left the Yang residence, she glanced at Taoye. The clever girl immediately raised her hand and said, "This servant knows! Doesn't the mistress understand? This servant's mouth is the tightest!" She had already guessed that this Sushu was Sujin, who was very close to her mistress back then. After all, they had taken care of the mistress since childhood, and if they paid attention, it would be easy to see the clues. Only her seemingly shrewd but actually stupid older sister couldn't see it.

"You can't tell he's tight-lipped, but you can tell he's got the most mischievous ideas. When he was little, he was always busy tidying up..."

"Oh, my lady, it's getting late! Let's hurry to Minister Wu's house. We might even see Minister Wu make things difficult for General Wei. It would be so interesting! It would be such a shame to miss it!" Tao Ye quickly said seriously, her expression showing she was thinking of her. Only then did Liu Qingtang let her go and get into the carriage.

Upon arriving at the Wu residence, they indeed witnessed Minister Wu making things difficult for Wei Zheng. Wei Zheng was a military general, skilled in martial arts. Even if he was literate, the books he had read were mostly military strategies and treatises. He could arrange troops and fight on the battlefield, but he couldn't do the kind of bookish jargon that civil officials did.

Minister Wu sat leisurely in the courtyard, sipping tea, and posed a question to Wei Zheng, forbidding him from receiving his daughter if he couldn't answer it. Countless scholars and officials who had come to watch the spectacle were deep in thought, and Wei Zheng, even more so, was completely stumped, staring blankly at Minister Wu.

Finally, the matchmaker whispered something to Minister Wu, and only then did he reluctantly step aside to let his daughter out. Liu Qingtang guessed that the matchmaker had probably said that they would be late. No matter how unwilling Minister Wu was, he had to give in on his daughter's important life event.

After Miss Wu tearfully bid farewell to her parents and followed Wei Zheng into the bridal sedan chair, a group of people noisily and excitedly headed to Wei's residence for a banquet.

Liu Qingtang walked behind and saw Minister Wu sitting in the courtyard, picking up the cup of tea that had been sitting untouched for a long time. He looked at the embroidered building where his daughter used to live and sighed with a mixture of relief and melancholy, "My daughter has grown up and will eventually have to leave home."

For some reason, that figure overlapped with the one her father had stood at the gate to see her off to the palace years ago. Most fathers are like that; their love for their children is no less than that for their mothers, but they rarely show it. Only at times like these can one glimpse their reluctance and loneliness.

Liu Qingtang didn't look again and went to the Wei residence with him. However, on the way, she couldn't help but pull Qin Shu aside and say to him, "See, now you know how easy-going Father is. He knew about the two of you and didn't make things difficult for you."

其实他们这情况她爹也不好发挥，如果秦束是像魏征这样能光明正大的迎娶她的话，一定会被爹叫上一百亲卫凑上个十几关，一关一关闯过去，非得揍掉他半条命不可。当然这事就不能告诉秦束了。

Qin Shu nodded in deep agreement, "The Duke is indeed very good." At most, she'd glare at him a few more times, and occasionally, when she saw him picking up the Empress after court, she'd give him a threatening look, "If your daughter's unhappy, just wait." However, even if she beat him half to death, it was still good that he agreed to be with the Empress like this. Although neither of them said anything, their thoughts overlapped perfectly.

They arrived at the Wei residence amidst a lively procession and music. Seeing the festive red decorations hanging everywhere and the genuine smiles on the faces of the people there, Liu Qingtang couldn't help but sigh, "I'm so envious."

When she entered the palace, the emperor was already bedridden. At the wedding, she herself wore a bright red empress's court dress and received the homage of all the officials, bowing to heaven and earth and offering sacrifices to their ancestors. Although the scene was far more grand than today's, she envied Wei Zheng's wedding even more—it was blessed, the guests were happy for them, and it was incredibly heartwarming. Liu Qingtang even always felt that her own wedding was like a joke; she was not marrying the deceased emperor, but rather the Southern Dynasty's empire and that lonely, deep palace, wearing that overly ornate dress.

"If only I could marry you, Qin Shu." Liu Qingtang's voice was soft, but it struck Qin Shu like a thunderbolt, leaving him speechless. After a surge of indescribable joy came a deeper sense of helplessness. He couldn't give the Empress what she wanted. He could give her everything he had, but despite his efforts, there were still some things he couldn't give her.

Qin Shu opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say, so he could only silently grasp Liu Qingtang's hand.

"It was just a sudden thought, don't take it too seriously." Liu Qingtang smiled and shook Qin Shu's hand in return. Then she let go of his hand and let Qin Shu and Tao Ye go to deliver the congratulatory gift on behalf of "the Empress Dowager returning to the palace".

Before she could finish watching, Liu Qingtang returned directly to the palace after Qin Shu and Tao Ye had delivered their gifts.

After that, Liu Qingtang showed no sign of anything amiss, as if those words were merely casual remarks, never taking them to heart. But Qin Shu could never forget it. In the quiet of the night, he would always suddenly recall the faint look of envy on the Empress Dowager's face when she said those words. That expression burned within him, keeping him tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

A few days later, the weather became even hotter. One evening, when Qin Shu was about to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager as usual, he was dragged into a room in a side hall by Tao Ye and Zhui Yi.

The Empress Dowager had always valued them highly, so Qin Shu treated them differently in return, even after becoming the Grand Steward, he still took good care of them. Seeing the two of them acting mysteriously, it was clear they had something important to discuss, so he cooperated and sat there to listen to what they had to say.

"Master's birthday is coming soon, does Qin Shu know?" Zhuiyi asked first with a serious expression.

Qin Shu nodded. Although the Empress Dowager's birthday wasn't as significant as the Emperor's, and the Empress herself didn't like holding banquets, it was still a big day, and the servants naturally had to remember it. He had been considering what to give her for her birthday, but he had rejected countless ideas. No matter what he gave, it couldn't compare to the painting the Empress had given him back then in terms of value, and it couldn't compare to the countless "Happy Birthday" wishes exchanged with lanterns in terms of sentiment. He didn't know what to do anymore.

In the past, on the Empress Dowager's birthday, he could only kneel in the courtyard with a group of servants and say a few auspicious words. He wasn't even qualified to give her gifts. But now that he could, he felt that there was nothing he could give her.

"Qin Shu, my sisters and I have been thinking about this for several days and have decided to send a big gift to our master together." Tao Ye, who was usually so innocent and lively, said very seriously.

After recounting these words, Qin Shu still looked somewhat dazed when she left the room. Was it really as they said? Would the Empress be pleased? Would the Empress... be willing?

Liu Qingtang was unaware that the three of them were secretly preparing an unexpected birthday gift for her. She only found it strange when Tao Ye and Zhuiyi suddenly mentioned that she should go to Yushui Villa to escape the summer heat.

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Liu Qingtang asked casually, making a lazy note on the document.

Zhuiyi gave Taoye a wink, and Taoye stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Master, you all seem to have nothing important to do lately, so going to Yushui Manor to escape the summer heat is perfect. It's so hot, so we'd like to come along and enjoy ourselves. Besides, didn't you mention the other day that Qin Shu seems to have lost some weight from all the busy work? It's a good opportunity to have him come along, so you can spend some quality time with him." Taoye finished with a meaningful smile.

"Spend some time with Qin Shu without him bothering you?" Liu Qingtang put down her pen, a meaningful smile appearing on her face, just like Tao Ye's. She gave Tao Ye an approving look: "It suits my taste perfectly. Make some preparations, and we'll go in a couple of days."

Two days later, the Empress Dowager led a large entourage to the Royal Summer Resort, Yushui Villa.

Author's Note: [Finally, I can rest tomorrow! I've decided to spend the whole day writing this chapter. The content was planned a long time ago when I started writing, but I don't know if I can capture the feeling I want. Oh well, I'm going to eat now. See you tomorrow~]

Mwah mwah mwah mwah threw a landmine

Xiao Di threw a landmine

13450368 threw a landmine

The spoon threw a landmine

The spoon threw a landmine

Black Fang threw a landmine

A landmine was thrown without being seen again.

Lazy Little threw a landmine

Gao, not calm, threw a landmine.

[Thanks for the landmines, ladies~ I've seen so many girls clicked in, subscribed to my stories, and only threw me landmines, it gives me a strange sense of satisfaction _(:3∠)_ I'm a little relieved (?) that I didn't see any familiar girls appear. You finally listened to me and left me comments~ Love it~]