The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 69

Xuan Ge's pregnancy immediately became the most talked-about event in the harem and even the court. The Southern Dynasty's imperial heirs had always been scarce, making them a highly valued commodity. Coupled with the unusual attention from the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, this made the situation even more important to those who knew the details, and those who did not.

Consort Huai, whom the Emperor kept hidden away in a golden palace, forbidding other concubines from visiting her, and even going so far as to beg the Empress Dowager for an exemption from paying respects, was a favored concubine of the Emperor that many had heard of but few had actually seen. She seemed unaware that she had now become the focus of everyone's attention, continuing her seemingly isolated life in her Qingyin Palace. Unassuming and unhurried, she lived an utterly dull life, spending her days eating and sleeping, never considering playing music or composing poetry to cultivate her mind like other concubines. She not only avoided contact with everyone, but also made no attempt to win over her servants, and never even bothered to keep the Emperor around.

Even so, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor valued her more and more, showering her with countless rewards every day and promoting her to the rank of Consort even before her child was born, making her the highest-ranking Consort in the palace.

The fact that she could obtain so many things that others could only dream of without doing anything made the other concubines grit their teeth in envy. More or less, they all secretly regretted misjudging her. They thought she was just hiding in Qingyin Palace because she had no other choice but to stay hidden, but they didn't expect her to be so clever as to use retreat as a means of advancement. They guessed that once she gave birth to a prince, she would show her true colors and would no longer be able to maintain her indifference, but would start to deal with them.

Even Liu Qingtang, observing her actions over the past few days, increasingly felt that Xuan Ge was a truly intelligent and insightful person. Although she appeared lazy, she probably had just as many schemes in her heart as she did.

In fact, Xuan Ge wasn't as scheming as the imperial concubines, nor was she the intelligent and insightful woman Liu Qingtang had guessed. She was simply rather lazy and therefore thought less. With fewer thoughts in her mind, it felt empty; by thinking less, she found peace and quiet. In this respect, she could barely be described as insightful. She had her own set of principles for dealing with people, and occasionally a hint of profound wisdom could flash through her, but for Xuan Ge, who couldn't even read properly, the label of "intelligent" was clearly an overstatement. Even her unusually respectful attitude in front of Liu Qingtang was merely a deliberate display of admiration for the Empress Dowager, a gesture designed to impress.

Throughout her life, Liu Qingtang had mostly encountered intelligent and quick-witted people, and she subconsciously tended to overestimate them. She would overthink things and her mind would wander to every little detail. When it came to someone like Xuan Ge, she really was overthinking things.

Xuan Ge felt that as long as she had food and drink and was well taken care of without having to do anything, anyone who would make things difficult for themselves because of other people's opinions was just being pretentious.

As for the child she was pregnant with, Xuan Ge hadn't really realized what it meant to be a mother. Since she could remember, she had been wandering around, and every day she thought about how to eat and dress warmly. She couldn't even maintain a basic livelihood, and there were no elders around to take care of or guide her. Not to mention childbirth, which was a big problem that even Liu Qingtang couldn't figure out, Xuan Ge was also clueless about matters between men and women.

Every time Xuan Ge was with Xiao Huaixu, she would frown and endure his less-than-gentle demands, then listen listlessly as he called out other people's names to release himself. Xiao Huaixu didn't like her, so he never cared about her feelings and was extremely rough. Xuan Ge had no feelings for him either, and coupled with his brutality, she couldn't enjoy it at all. Each time, she would count down the time until he left so she could treat herself to something delicious.

Xuan Ge really couldn't understand why those concubines would fight so hard to pull the emperor to their side, having to endure such an unpleasant situation. It was as if they were asking for trouble.

While everyone was focused on the child in her womb, Xuan Ge was simply overjoyed to be able to use her pregnancy as an excuse to refuse to do that uncomfortable thing with the emperor. Besides, compared to that mentally unstable emperor, the man whose face she hadn't even seen clearly that day, covered in blood, was obviously much better.

Speaking of this, Xuan Ge was unsure whether the child in her womb belonged to the emperor or the man from that day.

From the moment she moved into the vast Qingyin Palace, countless guards appeared outside, surrounding the entire palace like an iron barrel, while the number of people inside was relatively small. When Xiao Huaixu wasn't around, Xuan Ge would usually eat whatever she liked freely, then find a comfortable spot to sleep, often for more than two hours at a time.

All the servants who attended to her were used to it, and at this time they would slack off by keeping their distance. The main reason they were so used to it was that the Emperor did not like them to have too much contact with this mistress. Many times, unless necessary, they did not even dare to speak much to this mistress, for fear of offending the Emperor.

Xiao Huaixu had intended to teach Xuan Ge a lesson for her disobedience, but Xuan Ge happened to dislike chatting and preferred sleeping. This actually pleased her. Seeing that he couldn't discipline her and didn't want to waste any more time on her, Xiao Huaixu ignored her. Truly, aside from her face, he didn't want to look at her at all. Coincidentally, Xuan Ge also felt no attraction to him, especially during intimacy; she always sincerely hoped he would be impotent.

In short, for various reasons, Xuan Ge lived a very free and carefree life, at least she was very free in the cage. That day, she ate a large plate of freshly made pastries from the kitchen as usual, and found a breezy pavilion to sleep in. Unexpectedly, there was an injured man hiding in that pavilion, and he took liberties with her. During this time, they made a fuss for at least two hours, and no servants found out.

Xuan Ge didn't remember clearly. She was still half asleep when she suddenly smelled blood, and then she was completely covered up, her eyes also covered. The hand covering her eyes was burning hot, with warm bloodstains on it, flowing down her face to the corner of her mouth. In her dream, Xuan Ge was still somewhat groggy, eating pastries with crumbs all over her mouth. She subconsciously stuck out her tongue and licked it, only to taste a mouthful of blood.

The taste was so awful that she spat it out on the spot. Xuan Ge felt the breath on her face and belatedly realized that she had probably spat all over the man's face. Xuan Ge dared not move; she was afraid of dying. After a moment, the man pressing down on her seemed to chuckle softly, and then Xuan Ge heard his voice, very gentle and apologetic, whisper in her ear, "I'm sorry, I accidentally ingested an aphrodisiac herb, and now I really can't hold back."

What followed was an experience Xuan Ge had never had before. The man was extremely gentle and considerate. Even though his movements were clumsy and he finished a little too quickly the first time, Xuan Ge felt it was much better than with Xiao Huaixu. Moreover, she experienced comfort and pleasure in this kind of thing for the first time, which made her feel quite novel. It turned out that this kind of thing wasn't so uncomfortable after all. So when the man asked somewhat shyly in a low voice, "One more time, okay?" Xuan Ge considered it seriously for a moment and whispered back, "Okay."

“But, it’s said that men who do this kind of thing with me get poisoned.” Xuan Ge’s eyes were covered and hadn’t been opened, so she blinked in the man’s palm and said.

"It's not a particularly potent poison, but as far as I know, only I can cure it." The man's voice remained gentle and smiling, as tender as a spring breeze. His slender fingers twitched slightly as Xuan Ge blinked. "It's strange, the effects of the drug on me have clearly worn off, yet I still want more."

"I want to too, because it's very comfortable, but I'm feeling a little hungry now," Xuan Ge said honestly, smacking her lips.

The man laughed again. His laughter was always light and warm, making Xuan Ge feel sleepy. So, having just had close contact with this man and not feeling too scared, she said, "If you laugh again, I'm going to sleep."

"Sleep? But you promised me you'd come again, and you just said you were hungry." The man seemed troubled. Xuan Ge heard him rustling around for a while, then he put a slightly cool bottle to her lips and said, "If you're hungry, drink this first."

Xuan Ge smelled a pleasant fragrance and, without caring what the other person was giving her, took a sip. Just like when Liu Qingrong had someone save her from the brink of death, and upon hearing that the other party promised her a life free from want, Xuan Ge agreed without hesitation to work for them as a way of repaying them. Xuan Ge is, in essence, an exceptionally gullible person.

She drank a small bottle right from the man's hand and felt energized, experiencing an indescribable sense of comfort. More importantly, she had never tasted anything so delicious before. So she reached for the man's hand again, pulled him, and said, "I want more."

"Because brewing this is very complicated, I only brought this small bottle with me. Well, if you like it, I'll brew more next time and give it all to you."

"Oh, could you get a bigger bowl next time?" Seeing how easy he was to talk to, Xuan Ge became bolder and gestured a circle with her hand to indicate that she wanted this size.

The man thought for a moment and actually agreed, "Using a bowl isn't really suitable for holding it, but there's a way, and I'll grant your request."

"Then I won't hate you for doing this to me."

"Thank you for your understanding; now I feel at ease."

The two of them, one injured but seemingly oblivious, the other blindfolded and never seeing the other's face clearly, chatted for a while without any sense of tension, and then did it again. Xuan Ge couldn't remember what happened in the end; she fell asleep comfortably, and when she woke up, the man was gone.

When she woke up, there was no blood on her face or body. If it weren't for the small white jade bottle in her hand and the faint sweet taste in her mouth, one would really think that the man was just a dream.

Xuan Ge didn't care too much about it. In any case, to her, the other man and Xiao Huaixu were no different. In fact, she preferred the man whose face she hadn't seen. She thought about the delicious drinks that man gave her more often than she thought about Xiao Huaixu.

Then, she became pregnant. The imperial physician mentioned it around that time, and Xuan Ge didn't know who the father was. However, it didn't matter whose child it was; the child in her womb was hers.

She ignored all the outside disturbances, enjoying her life to the fullest, occasionally touching her growing belly with curiosity, wondering how a child could fit in such a small space. The imperial physician came to examine Xuan Ge's pulse every day as instructed, and each time he was amazed, saying he had never seen a pregnant woman with such good health. She didn't like to eat any supplements, didn't like to move around, and didn't take care of herself, yet she was getting better every day, without any morning sickness or many pregnancy symptoms.

When Liu Qingtang had the imperial physician examine Xuan Ge, he said that she had a chronic illness and some minor problems with her internal organs. However, after the examination, she found that there were no problems at all and that no one was more energetic than her.

Xuan Ge didn't really care about the man, only about the big bowl of delicious food he had promised. But even after her child was born, she never saw him again. Xuan Ge's pregnancy was unusually easy, and her childbirth was equally easy. Most women who gave birth were pale and haggard, weak and exhausted, and some even lost their lives. But Xuan Ge gave birth in less than an hour, and afterwards, she was rosy-cheeked and in great spirits. After being taken care of, she held her wrinkled daughter and looked at her in amazement.

Yes, Xuan Ge gave birth to a daughter. Upon hearing this news, Liu Qingtang first sighed and then smiled. She sighed at fate, knowing she would ultimately have to push her godson into that position according to the original plan. She smiled because of Xuan Ge's good fortune. If it had been a son, the child would likely have been used as a bargaining chip by her and Xiao Huaixu, and Xuan Ge would not only be unable to protect her child but would also likely be implicated. But now that she had given birth to a daughter, she had no value to her or Xiao Huaixu, so Xuan Ge could continue to live a peaceful life with her child as before.

For Liu Qingtang, this child was only a second layer of protection. Although she was disappointed that the child had failed, she didn't feel much resentment or annoyance. Besides, the one who should be truly disappointed and angry was not her, but Xiao Huaixu, who had no way out.

Unlike Liu Qingtang's easygoing attitude, Xiao Huaixu's face turned extremely pale when he heard that the baby was a girl. The veins on his hand holding the pen bulged, and he suddenly threw the folded document away.

Xiao Huaixu was furious, not only because Xuan Ge had given birth to a useless child, disrupting his original plans and thwarting his calculations of the past few months, but also because he had seen several memorials requesting titles and rewards for the emperor's uncle, Liu Qingrong, who had achieved remarkable political success. He didn't want to pay attention to these memorials, but he couldn't ignore them; moreover, he had to elevate Liu Qingrong according to their wishes. How could an emperor who couldn't follow his own heart be called an emperor?

Xiao Huaixu forced himself to calm down. It was just a small gamble. If he lost, he lost. He still had many opportunities to reverse the current unfavorable situation. He could afford to wait.

Taking a few deep breaths, Xiao Huaixu calmed himself, stood up, and asked, "What was the Empress Dowager's reaction?"

His trusted eunuch, Fu, immediately stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has not reacted at all, and has even sent many things to Qingyin Palace. Moreover..." Fu glanced at the Emperor, paused, and said even more cautiously, "The Empress Dowager has summoned the Prince Chun's heir to the palace."

"Prince Chun's Heir?" Xiao Huaixu murmured these words, his expression, which had just recovered, darkening again. Prince Chun's Heir, Xiao Le'an, was only three years old, yet on his first birthday, the Empress Dowager had already ordered him to be granted the title of heir. Whether it was out of respect for Prince Chun's brother, Yang Sushu, or to groom Xiao Le'an to become emperor, Xiao Huaixu hated both possibilities intensely.

After initially realizing Liu Qingtang's intentions, Xiao Huaixu discussed the matter with Chief Minister Wang many times, and they both agreed that Xiao Le'an should not be allowed to stay.

However, with Duke Liu in charge outside the palace, Xiao Huaixu and the Grand Secretary's men found it difficult to act. Xiao Le'an lived in the Yang residence, not far from the Liu residence, and Duke Liu had personally dispatched guards to be stationed there, making it much harder for him to infiltrate than for an ordinary person to enter the palace. The Liu residence had very few servants, mostly loyal servants born into the family or orphans who had been rescued by the Yang family. These people had little connection with the outside world, and neither coercion nor bribery could persuade them to switch sides. On the contrary, several times, coercion failed, exposing a few of their sentries. Since both overt and covert operations were ineffective, Xiao Huaixu had no choice but to temporarily suppress his intentions and wait for an opportunity.

Xiao Le'an, who had always been well protected by the Liu family, was leaving the Yang residence for the first time. Now was the perfect opportunity.

Xiao Huaixu narrowed his eyes. "Go to Cixi Palace."

Author's Note: [I'm back! Did you miss me? No need to answer, I know you didn't. I was just having some fun, haha. I moved again after coming home, it's a long story... Anyway, thank you girls for still being here, angels, lick lick lick!]

海苔扔了一个地雷投掷时间:2014-08-3109:05:56

沧海月明扔了一个地雷投掷时间:2014-08-3110:57:49

coco,接着扔了一个地雷投掷时间:2014-08-3117:09:44

真的懒人扔了一个地雷投掷时间:2014-09-0109:41:19

[Thank you so much, girls who threw grenades! Come and accept the love of flat-chested idiots!]