The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 79

Liu Qingtang was still lying by the bedside, but her sobs had turned into silent tears. Besides her and the unconscious Qin Shu on the bed, only Tao Yezhuiyi and Liu Qingrong were in the room. The other three didn't know how to comfort Liu Qingtang, so the room fell silent.

In this suffocating silence, the sudden cry of a baby seemed particularly eerie.

"Who is it?" Liu Qingrong was the first to react, and he quickly stepped forward to protect his sister. As a man of the Liu family, Liu Qingrong was naturally skilled in both literature and martial arts. When he deliberately concealed his abilities, he appeared like a weak scholar. But now, with his sharp eyes and deep voice, he seemed more dangerous than he was.

"My name is Ye Yun. My wife once owed the Empress Dowager a favor, and I have come today to repay it. I left a letter for the Empress Dowager back then, and I hope she still remembers it."

As the voices spoke, a man in blue robes carrying a small child came into view.

Liu Qingrong didn't relax after hearing his words; instead, she became even more vigilant, assuming a posture ready to attack or defend at any moment. This man's ability to enter the palace so casually, as if it were his own territory, and even enter the most heavily guarded Cining Palace without being noticed, clearly showed he was no ordinary person.

There are countless martial arts masters in the world, and Liu Qingrong had heard of them before, but she had never seen one in person. Now that she had seen this man, she felt that there were indeed people more skilled than herself, and that the world was truly vast beyond her reach. From the first glance, Liu Qingrong instinctively felt that this man was extremely dangerous.

Liu Qingtang was originally a cautious and proud person, but at this moment she didn't care about anything else and stood up directly to look at the uninvited man and asked, "If I'm not mistaken, your wife is Xuan Ge, and this child is also yours?"

Ye Yun nodded and smiled, saying frankly, "Yes." The little girl in his arms bounced up again, whimpering as if in response. She had two little braids in her hair, and a pair of bright, dark eyes. A pair of silver bells in her hands jingled as she waved her chubby arms.

Liu Qingtang's expression softened slightly. She glanced at Qin Shu on the bed and said in a more certain tone, "You said you owe me a favor, so you're here to save Qin Shu. I smelled a faint medicinal scent. You're a doctor. You can save Qin Shu."

"As long as he has a breath left, of course he can be saved." Ye Yun's expression remained unchanged, still with a slight smile.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingtang's heart skipped a beat. She exhaled and clenched her trembling hands, which were shaking with tension or joy, and said, "Then please save him." Even if she had spoken with certainty just now, her heart was still pounding with anxiety. Now that she had received a positive answer, she breathed a sigh of relief.

One should be somewhat suspicious of such a strange man who comes knocking on one's door, just like Liu Qingrong was. But Liu Qingtang was already in despair. At this moment, hearing that someone could save Qin Shu, how could she care about anything else? She only wanted to believe that it was true, and she didn't even want to have the slightest thought that it was a conspiracy.

Liu Qingtang stepped aside to let Ye Yuneng treat Qin Shu, then sat at the foot of the bed, watching his actions with eager eyes. Seeing her like this, Liu Qingrong ultimately remained silent, standing behind her and also watching Qin Shu. He also hoped Qin Shu would be alright, so his sister wouldn't be lonely. Besides, seeing his sister like that just now had truly frightened him; he even suspected that if Qin Shu died, his strong-willed sister, who was never one to be outdone by men, would commit suicide with him.

Thinking of this Liu family daughter, who had always worried him and his father about being too strong and sharp-edged, now showing such a gentle and vulnerable side, Liu Qingrong didn't know whether he should feel relieved or what. Now, he only hoped that Qin Shu would truly be safe and sound.

"I would like to trouble Your Majesty to hold my daughter."

Liu Qingtang was still anxiously pinching her hands so hard they were almost digging into her flesh when suddenly a chubby little girl was thrust into her arms. She froze, unsure how to hold her, her awkwardness even slightly easing her anxiety. Her godson, Xiao Le'an, was just a baby then, and she hadn't dared to hold him, only watching longingly from the sidelines when Su Shu held him. The only time she had secretly held him, neither she nor Qin Shu dared to move.

Recalling those memories, warmth welled up in Liu Qingtang's eyes. She let the baby girl sit in her lap, gently wrapping her arms around her. The baby girl was very well-behaved, sitting quietly in her lap without moving, obediently biting her chubby little fist.

"Such a severe injury would surely have killed him if he hadn't met me. However, I am but a mortal. Even if I could save his life, I couldn't fully restore him to his original state. He will often feel chest tightness and dizziness in the future and will need to rest and recuperate. In addition, his right leg was broken so badly that even if it is set and heals, he will still walk with a limp." Ye Yun said, putting down her sleeves, and took her daughter, who had fallen asleep while waiting and whose arm was covered in drool from Liu Qingtang, from Liu Qingtang's arms.

Liu Qingtang stepped forward, took Qin Shu's hand, and pressed it against his cheek. She felt his breathing, though weak, was no longer intermittent and seemed like it might disappear at any moment. Her eyes stung with tears.

This is probably what they mean by "tears of joy." Liu Qingtang rarely cried, but on this day, she cried countless times. The overwhelming sadness and indescribable joy were both because of Qin Shu.

“It doesn’t matter, as long as he’s alive, nothing else matters.” He was weak and needed to rest, so she went with him to Yushui Manor, ignoring all the right and wrong; he had difficulty walking, so she helped him, sat with him every day, and always took the initiative to approach him.

"I have already repaid my wife's kindness, and I owe her nothing more. I will take my leave now." As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Yun disappeared in a hurry, just as he had come. By the time the people in the room realized what had happened, he was already gone.

Liu Qingtang gently stroked Qin Shu's excessively pale face, which bore two scratches, her eyes filled with the joy of having regained what she had lost. When she stood up and took a deep breath, apart from her still-red eyes, the previous heartbreak was no longer visible. The previous hesitation she had felt knowing Qin Shu might die was gone; instead, her eyes were filled with unwavering determination. Just like the Liu Qingtang of the past, perhaps even more resolute.

She first said to Taoye and Zhuiyi, "Take good care of Qin Shu." Then she looked at her brother and said with a smile, "I'll trouble you to keep things stable outside. As for Father, tell him that we'll go to hear his instructions together once Qin Shu is better. Also, please pass on a message to Sushu, saying that 'it's time for my godson to become my legitimate son.' This time may not be long, so tell Sushu to be prepared."

"Okay, brother understands. Leave it to me." Seeing that his sister had recovered, at least superficially, in such a short time, Liu Qingrong felt quite proud. No other woman could have done better than his sister. Even if his sister had someone she deeply loved, even if she had what others saw as a weakness, it didn't matter, because it would give her more courage and make her cherish herself even more. That was enough. They would never let such a thing happen again.

Love is a double-edged sword; it can make people timid and erratic, yet it can also fill them with courage and hope.

"Brother, Xi Lan has done a great service by saving the emperor this time. Perhaps she can take this opportunity to restore her identity as a woman and become the second female general in the history of the Southern Dynasty. You know what to do then, right?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingrong's serious expression vanished, replaced by a fawning smile. "I knew you cared about your brother the most, little sister. Don't worry, I won't let you down. Just wait until I marry my sister-in-law, hehe~ and then she'll bring your nephews and nieces to visit you, hehe~"

He hadn't even managed to win over a wife, yet he was talking about nephews and nieces. Liu Qingtang couldn't help but glare at him.

Finally, after washing up and bandaging her wounds, she went to see the culprit behind this scheme, the emperor's nephew who wanted her dead, and then rushed back to be with Qin Shu before he woke up.

Upon hearing that Liu Qingtang had returned to the palace, Xiao Huaixu knew he had lost. Despite being effectively placed under house arrest, he didn't show any signs of agitation. This was because he had heard that Qin Shu was critically ill, and none of the imperial physicians in the entire Imperial Hospital could save him.

That damned servant is dead, and Liu Qingtang will be heartbroken. How wonderful it would be if she, someone so devoid of emotion, so indifferent to him, who tormented him with such forbidden feelings, could finally experience that agonizing heartache. Just thinking about it, imagining the despair and regret on Liu Qingtang's face because of that servant's death, filled Xiao Huaixu with a twisted excitement and joy, even more so than hearing that they had both died at the same time.

She didn't want to love him, so let the person she loves die. Wouldn't that make him and Liu Qingtang equally pitiful?

Yes, he should have thought of that sooner. He shouldn't have let Liu Qingtang die; instead, he should have let that servant die, and then let Liu Qingtang live a life worse than death. That way, even if he himself were in hell, he would feel gratified.

But he was destined to be disappointed. He didn't receive news of Qin Shu's death; instead, he was met with Liu Qingtang, who remained as calm and aloof as ever. This time, she didn't deliberately avoid his gaze, but the indifference, disgust, and contempt in her eyes made Xiao Huaixu's resentment and anger spread like wildfire.

That look again, that indifferent look. Why? He should be the person she cares about most in this palace. Why can't she see him? Instead, she's fallen for a damned servant. That servant, that damned eunuch, why did she fall in love with him? Why doesn't that filthy fellow who defiles beauty die?

After hearing Liu Qingtang say that Qin Shu was no longer in danger, Xiao Huaixu finally couldn't help but tear off his mask in front of Liu Qingtang. Beneath that false, innocent, and adoring expression was a face twisted by unrequited love and extreme possessiveness, making him look ferocious and terrifying.

"Why do you care so much about those lowly servants?! You are the Empress Dowager, a pampered young lady of the Liu family, don't you have a shred of shame? How could you debase yourself to serve such a eunuch! Why? Tell me why!" Xiao Huaixu stood up unsteadily, smashing a vase in his hand, scattering shards of porcelain all over the floor.

Liu Qingtang didn't react to his words at all, not even a hint of anger was aroused, she just looked at Xiao Huaixu indifferently. The palace servants following behind Liu Qingtang also didn't react to Xiao Huaixu's words, they didn't even lift their eyelids as if they hadn't heard him, like statues.

Xiao Huaixu picked up a teapot and smashed it at Liu Qingtang's feet, glaring at her fiercely.

Liu Qingtang lowered her eyes and adjusted the white bandage tied on the back of her hand, saying lightly, "Xiao Huaixu, the look of jealousy on your face is truly unsightly." This made Xiao Huaixu's face turn pale instantly.

Author's Note: Scarlet Cherry Blossom threw a landmine.

A truly lazy person threw a landmine.

TS threw a landmine

Tang Guoguo threw a landmine

Coco then threw a landmine.

[Thanks for the grenade throw, muah~ But why are there suddenly several more grenade throws? Well, even though there aren't many clicks, there are at least a dozen or twenty girls watching, I'm satisfied~]