The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 55

After that day, Qin Shu began sleeping in Liu Qingtang's room at night. However, the two didn't do anything; at most, they would just sleep in each other's arms. Qin Shu slept very soundly, not moving an inch all night, while Liu Qingtang was different, always turning over and tossing and turning, quite restless.

Sometimes Qin Shu felt that she was like a child, always kicking off the covers when she slept, or unconsciously burrowing deeper under them, her whole body and head completely covered. Tonight she would be curled up obediently in the corner of the bed, but tomorrow night she would take up the whole bed and squeeze him to one side; her sleeping position was different every night. After a few days, Qin Shu had secretly developed a hobby of analyzing the Empress Dowager's sleeping positions.

Occasionally, when she had a dream, Liu Qingtang would mumble something incoherently, then swat or kick Qin Shu. Whenever this happened, Qin Shu would immediately open his eyes, roll over and hug her, gently patting her back like he was soothing a child. Then Liu Qingtang would obediently nestle her head against his chest and continue to sleep soundly.

Qin Shu had never known that the Empress Dowager had this side to her. It was different from her mischievous and endearing way of teasing him, different from her seriousness about politics in court, and different from her gentleness towards friends and family. Instead, she was a silly, genuine, and almost adorable person. She always seemed to bring him new discoveries, so vivid and lively. Never before had Qin Shu felt so close to her as he did now.

Liu Qingtang is not only good, she also has many flaws, but Qin Shu sees those flaws as strengths, and he likes every single one of them.

Qin Shu was a quiet sleeper, but he was easily startled awake. Often, he would wake up at the slightest movement from Liu Qingtang, and then instinctively check if she was properly covered by the blanket, or if she had covered herself up again. In fact, after being pushed out of bed on the first night, Qin Shu quickly developed this good habit: he would instinctively check on Liu Qingtang as soon as he opened his eyes in the middle of the night, and if he saw that she was sleeping in an uncomfortable position, he would gently correct her posture to make her as comfortable as possible.

He would cover her back with the blanket she had kicked off, or gently lift her out of the blanket and tuck her back in. Qin Shu would then lie there with his eyes open, gazing longingly at Liu Qingtang's silhouette in the darkness. Just having her sleeping beside him made Qin Shu feel both safe and content, and even though he woke up every night, he was still in excellent spirits.

Even when he slept alone, he would always dream of terrible memories he didn't want to recall, and he would wake up with a headache and feeling disoriented. But when he slept next to the Empress Dowager, he rarely had those dreams anymore. Even if he did, the helplessness, sadness, and resentment in the dreams were so faint that he could hardly feel them. Perhaps it was because he subconsciously knew that she was by his side, so he felt that many things didn't matter anymore.

Every night before going to bed, Qin Shu would read a passage to Liu Qingtang. Often, Qin Shu would sit up against the headboard under the covers, reading word by word by the bright candlelight beside the bed, while Liu Qingtang would lie beside him listening, her hands restlessly braiding his hair and then taking it apart, having a great time.

Qin Shu read almost everything to Liu Qingtang, including stories about love between men and women, poems about lamenting the passing of spring and autumn, military treatises on troop deployment and strategy, miscellaneous subjects like divination and palmistry, and even Buddhist doctrines and scriptures.

The Imperial Water Villa has a very large library with a vast collection of books. It is said that when the late emperor brought his late empress, also known as Liu Qingtang's sister, here to escape the summer heat, he specially built this library for the empress, who loved reading. Every day, Liu Qingtang would stroll around the library, randomly pick a book, and then have Qin Shu read it to her in the evening.

As Liu Qingtang listened, she would occasionally offer her own insights and opinions. For example, if Qin Shu was reading military texts, Liu Qingtang would cite examples of military campaigns her father had told her about, along with his understanding of warfare. If he was reading travelogues about local customs and supernatural phenomena, Liu Qingtang would enthusiastically recount her hearsay and her own imaginings of the scenes described in the books.

As for reciting poetry, Liu Qingtang always liked to tease Qin Shu, reciting love poems to him while swaying her head. Qin Shu could remain indifferent to other people and things, but he became incredibly shy around Liu Qingtang. No matter how explicit the love poems were, Liu Qingtang could recite them without blushing or skipping a beat, while Qin Shu couldn't; his ears would turn red every time he listened. If it was various kinds of folk tales, Liu Qingtang would point out the inappropriate behavior of some characters and the commendable actions of others, suggesting how things could be done better. She completely treated these folk tales depicting the myriad aspects of human life as teaching materials on how to conduct oneself and be a good person.

Liu Qingtang was not a woman confined to the inner palace. Before her marriage, she had tried many things. Curious about most things, and with her father and brothers being no ordinary men who doted on her, she was exposed to many things. Even during her education, aside from not being required to fight twenty people alone like her brother, she followed in his footsteps in everything he learned. Liu Qingtang might not have been as specialized as her brother, but she learned a wide range of things, possessing a broad knowledge base and a discerning eye.

Later, after entering the palace, she found that the imperial library had the largest collection of books, including some that she had never had access to before, as well as materials that were not available to the common people. Feeling that she was young and inexperienced, she constantly absorbed a lot of knowledge, read many books, and consulted many senior officials for their opinions and ideas. It can be said that most men could not compare to her.

Having lived thirty years in her previous life and experienced a brush with death, Liu Qingtang could be said to have a rather clear understanding of many things. Except for matters of the heart, where she truly lacked experience and solutions, she could talk about almost anything else. Therefore, over time, Qin Shu also felt he had benefited greatly. After all, he was young, and even the most mature and composed person had many things they couldn't foresee or understand.

This indirect form of instruction made Qin Shu and Liu Qingtang resemble master and apprentice. However, whenever Liu Qingtang earnestly shared her views, Qin Shu, while feeling admiration, would unconsciously recall her sleeping posture, and any initial sense of awe he felt would vanish. When praising the Empress Dowager, who was secretly pleased with herself, he sounded more like he was coaxing a little girl showing off her toys.

During the day, they were quite restrained, except that Qin Shu found excuses to see Liu Qingtang more often. One minute the neighboring estate would send some fresh fruit to the Empress, the next the cook from the estate would send some new pastries, and then he'd find some novelties to amuse her. He'd diligently run to Liu Qingtang's place several times a day. After delivering the gifts, Qin Shu would contentedly continue with his work; the more he did, the more rest she could get.

The two were enjoying a carefree time at the Imperial Water Villa, but many people in Yujing were getting restless. Anyone with a discerning eye could see the unusual behavior of the Empress Dowager these past few days. In the past, she had some reservations and would give in on many things, but now she was not giving in at all, and her intention was clearly to confront the Grand Secretary's faction.

Previously, most officials were still observing, but now they have to weigh what the Empress Dowager really means and whether they should take sides.

The Empress Dowager is currently at the height of her power, holding sway over the court. She has a large number of military generals behind her, and many civil officials have entered the service because of her favor. However, she is ultimately a woman, and many officials believe that the throne will eventually fall into the hands of the young emperor. The crucial point is that no one knows whether the Empress Dowager truly intends to mold the young emperor into a puppet so that she can seize power herself.

To outsiders, the young emperor and the Liu family always seemed to be on good terms, but who knows if it was just an act? Moreover, the Empress Dowager's sudden change and her apparent lack of concern for the young emperor's behavior inevitably makes people wonder if there has been some discord between the emperor and the Liu family.

The Empress Dowager wasn't in Yujing City, and even if she were, few dared openly inquire about her thoughts. Duke Liu had been feigning illness and absent from court for a long time, and his reputation as the "God of War of the Southern Dynasty" was immense; very few dared to approach him. Then there was the Empress Dowager's brother, Uncle Liu, who, true to the troublesome nature of the Liu family, was as cunning as a fox, keeping his mouth shut so tightly that nothing could be gleaned from him. One slip-up, and you'd end up getting information out of him. After wave of people had been rebuffed by him without gaining anything, no one dared to risk further trouble.

As for Wei Zheng, who was part of the Empress Dowager's faction, he was newly married and had no patience for others to talk to him about these things. He ignored them and closed his doors to visitors. Apart from military affairs and his duties, he devoted himself to living a quiet life with his wife.

Of course, some people also thought of Yang Sushu, the handsome imperial physician who was said to be the Empress Dowager's childhood sweetheart and possibly her male favorite. However, because he was usually low-key, kind, and unassuming, he maintained distant relationships with everyone, making it impossible to find a reason to get close to him and inquire about information. In addition, he had somehow adopted Wei Zheng's practice of refusing visitors, making him impossible to see, so there was no way to get anything out of him.

However, some well-informed individuals still learned that the mentally challenged Prince Chun was living in Yang Sushu's residence. Yang Sushu was the Empress Dowager's person, and Prince Chun, Xiao Huai, even if he was mentally challenged, was still a member of the royal family. Why would Yang Sushu suddenly become close to that mentally challenged prince at this time? Could it be at the Empress Dowager's behest? Thinking about it this way, the mentally challenged prince was indeed easier to control than the current emperor.

Almost everyone thought the same thing, and the young emperor Xiao Huaixu was no exception. So, a month and a half after Liu Qingtang left the palace, he summoned the two chief ministers, Wang and Feng, to the palace. After discussing it for a morning, he led a group of people to the Imperial Water Villa in the afternoon.

When Xiao Huaixu arrived, it was evening. A magnificent red sunset reflected on the water, and Liu Qingtang was in a small boat surrounded by overlapping lotus leaves. She lay on her back with a lotus leaf covering her face, surrounded by a dozen pink lotus flowers. She stretched one hand into the water, creating ripples, looking very relaxed and content.

Xiao Huaixu suddenly stopped and stood on the shore, staring blankly at Liu Qingtang, who was dressed in green. How long had it been since he had seen her wear that color?

He still remembered that when she first entered the palace, she didn't like wearing the dark-colored clothes that the maids and servants chose for her, saying that they made her look old. She only liked to wear light-colored clothes, and she especially loved green. She even smiled and told him that it was willow green, which suited her best.

Later, she seemed to forget what she had said and began to accept things she hadn't liked or been used to before. But now, why has she put that green dress back on?

Author's Note: The little bee threw a landmine.

xxxymmia threw a landmine

Kenji of the Yamaguchi family threw a landmine.

Little Lazy threw two landmines.

Mo Chou threw a landmine

Shi Nuan threw a landmine.

Fat Cat threw a landmine

Boss Jia threw a landmine x8

Dreamy Silver Crystal threw a landmine

Butterfly Loves Flower threw a landmine

Nangong Zhenyue threw a landmine

The Ming Dynasty threw a landmine x6

[Again, thank you to all the girls for the landmines~ It's always a bittersweet experience to compile this list =.= Um, I'm sorry to have worried you girls about work, thank you for comforting me, hugs and kisses to you all!! Anyway, I'm going to work even harder starting tomorrow, striving for what I love, I won't be satisfied until I try! Go for it! My style today is so positive!]