Chapter 35. Why the sudden... halt to castration?
A commotion erupted in the palace. It turned out that His Majesty had suddenly decided to grant a general amnesty, allowing palace women past a certain age to return to their hometowns. Within half a day, a long queue had formed at the residence of Grand Eunuch Wang.
Deng Mengnu was the first to leave.
She was a criminal, and as a registered government slave, she was supposed to spend her entire life growing old and dying in the palace.
But this morning, the indenture was torn to shreds at her feet, and her name was crossed out. Clutching the newly made identification tag, Deng Mengnu burst into tears.
She is a free person now.
Although she had been in the palace for almost ten years, she still didn't have much to carry. With all the things she could take with her, she parted ways with everyone at the side gate, her eyes red.
With eunuchs watching, Deng Mengnu was too embarrassed to say anything sentimental. Fortunately, all the women in the inner palace, regardless of their relationship with her, lined the road to see her off, and everything was understood without words.
But no matter how long she waited, the little girl who had helped her gain her freedom never appeared.
"Serving His Majesty must be tiring." For the past two days, Liu Ao had been astonished by Qingqing's unscathed escape, and no one could understand what she was thinking. They only knew that the lack of sarcasm was already a rare occurrence.
"Aunt Liu, don't talk nonsense." Deng Mengnu touched the ordinary woman's hairstyle that she had finally managed to get back, and stood on tiptoe to look around.
Aunt Liu shut her mouth.
I waited for a moment.
I waited another moment.
The person still hasn't arrived.
Deng Mengnu was ultimately disappointed, thinking, "She must be entangled in something."
The guard urged impatiently again, "...Alright, I'm leaving now." She said helplessly.
Sister Wu finally spoke: "Take care. From now on, whether you want to eat meat or wild vegetables is entirely up to you."
Deng Mengnu lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement.
The door creaked shut, slowly closing.
She had only taken a few steps when she was still unwilling to give up. Deng Mengnu kept turning back to look at herself.
Qingqing ran there quickly. Yan Dibai clung to her, deliberately not letting her leave. She had to coax and plead before she finally reluctantly let her out the door.
The Meridian Gate was closing quickly, and time was of the essence. The girl's dress fluttered through the snow.
As Deng Mengnu left, turning back every few steps, Qingqing raised her hand and shouted:
"Sister Deng! Please take good care of yourself!"
Deng Mengnu was startled; the city gate was about to close, leaving only a crack. She quickly turned around and smiled at the young girl in blue inside, calling out:
"Qingqing, take care!"
That waving hand somehow stirred up her sorrow. Less than a year had passed; where did such deep feelings come from?
Deng Mengnu didn't know that, "Qingqing," she began, tears welling up in her eyes, too busy to wipe them away, afraid of missing even a single moment of her beauty.
"My family used to have a house in the capital! Number 13, Pipa Lane! Once I've settled down back there, I'll come back to find you! Sister Wu, Aunt Liu! Even though you're not good people, you still have to be well!"
Qingqing dragged her aching legs forward a few steps and nodded: "I'll come find you in Pipa Lane after I leave the palace!"
The sound was abruptly cut off by the door, and the group remained silent for a long time.
A strong wind blew, and the new snow wiped away the old traces, as if no one had ever walked this road.
The next day, everyone who could leave left. Qingqing also came to see them off.
With only one day left until the amnesty deadline, many in the palace are envious of the Yeting (Imperial Palace). Now, the Yeting is left with only two orphaned girls with nowhere to go, and Sister Wu, Liu Ao.
Liu Ao glanced at him sideways: "If you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave at all. Aren't you going to sign up? Well, Lord Wang probably won't be able to bear to part with you."
Wu Yuzhi sat silently in the empty courtyard for a long while, then stood up with red eyes and glared at her:
"I'll drag you down with me sooner or later. I won't leave until you're dead!"
Liu Ao sneered: "I only punished you once back then, and you hate me this much? If you hadn't washed the nobleman's clothes, this wouldn't have happened."
Speaking of the past, Wu Yuzhi immediately gritted her teeth: "If it weren't for that time with you, I wouldn't have become his partner!"
The old scores are too numerous to recount. In short, it's the story of a young girl walking on thin ice, desperately seeking protection from freezing and starvation, and looking for a powerful patron.
At this point, bringing up those blood and tears is just old, tired clichés. It's not worth arguing about.
Aunt Liu never liked wasting time: "Go ahead."
"You're really something now, you have a shrewd friend. Just wait and see when she falls again."
*
Yan Dibai felt that Yang Liuqing had been radiant lately, as if she had taken some kind of magic potion, and was happy all day long. Even when he impulsively ordered someone to move her bedding to Prince Xianning's dilapidated low room, she didn't look upset. Instead, she quietly cleaned it up and went to sleep peacefully.
This time, Yan Dibai didn't actually intend to torment her. He just couldn't bear to see Yang Liuqing, that hypocritical girl, happily keeping her distance from him. And the closest place to Xianning Palace was this low house left by his father, which used to be a resting place for concubines waiting to be served in the emperor's bedchamber. It had fallen into disrepair over the years and was covered in dust.
An ordinary person would have been unhappy and kept it to themselves. But Yang Liuqing, that master of lies, showed no sign of displeasure; she even smiled exceptionally well as she dressed him that morning...
It's kind of nice.
Upon hearing this, Yan Dibai froze, his scalp tingling, a strange, inexplicable unease creeping over him. He shook his head, trying to shake off the odd feeling.
Wo Xue chuckled and wrung out her handkerchief: "Your Majesty, she's happy for her departed sister."
Yan Dibai crossed his legs: "Just for this?"
"Oh my, that's for sure. The scene was truly breathtaking, with couples holding hands, gazing at each other with tearful eyes, speechless with emotion!"
"..." Yan Dibai didn't speak. He didn't really understand why Wo Xue was so happy. He felt uneasy but didn't ask. A while later, he went to visit Yan Xifang alone. Not long after, he came out with a sour face.
Qingqing immediately understood the reason; she had been given kind advice once again.
The news that Yan Xifang personally escorted Prime Minister Lin back to his residence that day spread throughout the court and the country. Prime Minister Lin praised the princess for being sensible and magnanimous.
The stories of Princess Xifang advising the young emperor to use his private wealth to help the people quickly spread among the common people. In just a few days, the young emperor had transformed the mysterious widow princess into a figure akin to a bodhisattva.
If anyone questions it, someone will bring up Prime Minister Lin, saying, "Even Prime Minister Lin praised him highly!"
Those who questioned it immediately fell silent.
Fortunately, thanks to the princess's advice, the young emperor ordered Li Er from Longxi to go and provide disaster relief. Along the way, he helped the refugees and distributed winter clothes, saving half of them from freezing to death.
The people's resentment towards the royal family lessened slightly. However, it was only slightly. The mad young emperor remained a figure universally despised. Some even said that it would be better to have a hen crowing at dawn, or to let a princess manage state affairs, than this emperor.
The feedback from the common people seemed to indirectly influence the palace. The palace servants gradually felt that life wasn't so precarious. The night Qingqing and Yan Dibai reconciled—or rather, the night they reconciled?
What shocked Wo Xue was that after the princess left, His Majesty did not kick or punch her when he served her dinner that night. Instead, he frowned and told her to go back and eat her meal before coming back to work.
Wo Xue's nose tingled, and tears almost streamed down his face. He kept saying "Thank you, Your Majesty," which made Yan Dibai feel uneasy and get goosebumps. He almost slapped the bowl and chopsticks on Wo Xue's face again.
In short, the cruel and ruthless emperor became strangely kind and amiable.
All of this was naturally attributed to Princess Xifang.
Qingqing didn't have much to say about it. She wasn't confident that her words would have much impact on Yan Dibai. Getting him to grant a general amnesty to the Imperial Palace was probably the limit.
The suggestion he made to treat the palace women better was actually implemented thanks to Yan Xifang.
That night, while resting after work, Qingqing touched her heart and, unsurprisingly, felt no change in her "Emperor's Aura" value. Instead, the system gave her a long-awaited notification:
[Two other individuals possessing the aura of an emperor appeared simultaneously.]
She was startled, but then realized that it didn't seem reasonable that Xiao Yuanjing had been the only person there for so long. But this time, no name was given… She thought for a moment and asked the system.
[Both of their stats are lower than Xiao Yuanjing's, so they are not displayed by default.]
…So you're going to choose the maximum value, right?
"May I ask for the name?"
【Can. 】
The two individuals are Lee Myung-soo and Choi Bong-an.
"?!" Qingqing nearly convulsed in her sleep.
Li Mingshao too?
He wasn't particularly noticeable, and she didn't have a strong impression of him.
That Cui Feng'an… wait a minute, Qingqing felt that the last two words sounded familiar.
It seems that Miss Xue's fiancé's name is this? But, she frowned, Miss Xue said that he and she share the same surname.
If it's the same person, would it be intentional concealment?
In this era, there are five prominent families and seven powerful clans. Currently, the only ones who have made a name for themselves are Li Mingshao and Wen Puti. This is understandable.
But Cui…
There are two families in Cui. One is in Qinghe, and the other is in Boling.
Yang's father once wanted her to become a maid in the Cui family's mansion in Boling. However, she was eager to see Yan Dibai at the time and refused.
But Miss Xue's fiancé is in Jizhou, and he has joined Xiao Yuanjing's team... which doesn't seem quite right.
However, it is also possible that he is simply surnamed Cui and has no relation to the two major clans.
However, upon closer examination, this conclusion is not entirely reliable.
Could he be another ambitious and ruthless figure from humble beginnings like Xiao Yuanjing?
"..." It still seems unlikely.
If so, Prime Minister Lin would likely react immediately. Given the precedent set by Xiao Yuanjing, he would not tolerate a second person who posed a threat to imperial power.
"Can we check their 'Emperor's Aura' values?"
【Yes, please pay for 5 days' worth of gas first.】
"...Never mind then."
Qingqing continued sleeping.
Yan Dibai hasn't gone mad these past few days, thanks to Yan Xifang's restraint; otherwise, no one could have stopped him. Many now say the princess is His Majesty's yoke. Yang Liuqing agrees, and is quite relieved by her return.
She was finally getting a good night's sleep, and snuggled comfortably under the covers. Even though she heard someone seemingly humming her name... Qingqing closed her eyes even tighter.
She can't hear me.
After seeing off her able-bodied sisters, she faced new challenges. How could she possibly outwit Yan Dibai without getting enough sleep?
I had a good night's sleep.
The cold dew brings heavy dampness.
Yan Dibai stared at the sleeping girl, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly.
He had just returned from his older sister's place.
The elder sister has become stricter now. When she speaks to him, she always unconsciously puts on a stern face, as if she's scolding a child. She spends her days advising him to do good, to be a good king, and even urging him to take more concubines so that he can have a prince soon.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but my older sister seems to have changed somewhat ever since that day she sent Prime Minister Lin back.
I'm afraid he's been corrupted by the old folks, spouting all sorts of benevolence and morality... it's disgusting to listen to.
He had clearly done many good deeds, granting permission for palace servants to return home and refraining from killing anyone for several days; he had done everything he could to be benevolent and righteous.
Humans are truly never satisfied.
He called out to Yang Liuqing in a rather irritable tone, but she just pursed her lips and continued to sleep soundly.
“...”
Yan Dibai immediately became unhappy.
Although his decision to seek warmth from his elder sister in the middle of the night was impromptu, and he upheld his promise to be lenient with palace servants, he didn't order her to accompany him before leaving. But upon returning, she didn't even go to Xianning Palace to greet him—how could she possibly disregard him, her emperor?!
What audacity!
I will punish her.
Yan Dibai squatted down, pondering how to teach her a lesson. After thinking for a long time... he couldn't just kill her to scare her. So, after looking left and right for a while, Yan Dibai reached out and pulled her.
The quilt was lifted and turned to the side.
Qingqing instinctively pulled her legs back and hugged her arms, her half-clenched fingers spreading out as she groped around.
Yan Dibai immediately felt comfortable and deliberately pulled the blanket out a little further.
In the darkness, the girl frowned and began to shift her body, searching for the covers. He watched her, wearing a loose undergarment, her belly protruding like a little fat worm, wriggling around. Suddenly, he found it quite amusing.
With a flick of his index finger, Yan Dibai stole the last warmth from Qingqing's feet.
The low-ceilinged house was nothing like the Xianning Palace; there was no underfloor heating whatsoever. Even the kang (heated brick bed) was cold; the only warmth was in the quilt.
A cold bed is no less deadly than a death sentence. Although Qingqing was fast asleep, she still panicked. She flailed her arms wildly in the air.
Yan Dibai was having a good time when his collar was suddenly grabbed, almost causing him to fall on her. In the blink of an eye, he let go and threw the blanket back down.
Qingqing immediately hugged him tightly, her brows relaxing slightly.
Yan Dibai stared silently at his wide-open collar. The surroundings were quiet and dull. He was about to leave when he caught a glimpse of a leg flashing beneath the covers and paused.
Qingqing used all four limbs to adjust to the correct direction, and her pants unintentionally slipped down with the kicking motion.
He'd seen plenty of legs and didn't think much of it. But Yan Dibai remembered the scar on her leg.
Upon closer inspection, the flowers I had drawn last time were gone.
Yan Di's thin white lips curled up, a sudden whim stirring within her.
Qingqing felt a chill on her legs in her drowsy state. Just as she was about to wake up, a sinister voice breathed in her ear: "Don't move!"
What a vicious voice and tone.
She quickly forced herself to continue sleeping. The next morning, she sneezed six times in a row. Still half-asleep, she put on her clothes, rushing to serve Yan Dibai before he woke up. Lost in thought as she put on her trousers, Qingqing, despite the chill, glanced at the scars that had begun to peel.
Wait, she thought she was seeing things. What is this?
Three large characters, "Yang Liu Qing," stand upright in the center of the turtle's shell, its head and limbs partially retracted inside. Two beady green eyes dart left and right. A curved scar is painted black, serving as the turtle's tail. A lifelike turtle, adept at maneuvering, leaps onto the leg.
Damn, it's actually drawn quite vividly...
Before I could even wonder where this giant turtle came from, a line of powerful characters reading "Made by the Divine Martial Emperor Yan Dibai" came into view.
She suffocated.
Suddenly, Qingqing gritted her teeth, took off her pants, and angrily wiped away the ink.
It was already dawn, and Wo Xue waited outside for quite a while but no one came. She thought to herself that Yang Liuqing might have overslept and skipped work, so she decided to wait a little longer.
Although His Majesty has been treating him quite kindly lately, it's always better to be cautious. With Yang Liuqing leading the charge, he has no intention of going into battle himself.
However, Qingqing never came.
Wo Xue had no choice but to bite the bullet and call out, "Your Majesty, is it time to get up?"
Naturally, there was no response.
However, Yan Dibai generally didn't sleep in late. If he didn't drink alcohol or smoke tobacco, he was always a light sleeper. Because he didn't sleep well, he had a bad temper and often woke up in the middle of the night.
Logically speaking, it shouldn't be more than half an hour late, no matter how late it is.
Unexpectedly, Yan Dibai remained silent for two hours.
Wo Xuexin's heart tightened, and she anxiously ordered someone to first fetch the princess, then find a physician, and specifically emphasized that Yang Liuqing should come quickly. Finally, she mustered her courage and sneaked into the bedchamber.
As soon as she entered, a painful groan escaped her lips, startling Wo Xue into screaming, "Your Majesty!"
"Get out!" A loud shout from the inner palace stunned him.
"His Majesty...?"
"I'm fine."
How could he be alright? That voice was clearly weak. Wo Xue still couldn't resist going in to check.
"Get out!" Yan Dibai shouted at him, glaring fiercely at the pole that had risen up again between his legs.
He took a deep breath, reached out, and pressed down hard again, just like before. "Ugh—!" An unspeakable pain immediately assaulted his limbs and bones.
The veins on Yan Di's white face bulged, and he didn't forget to glare at his second brother with murderous eyes, feeling ashamed, angry, and pained, completely baffled.
He was clearly born a eunuch, so why did he suddenly stop being a eunuch?
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:43:27 and 20:59:58 on September 24, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 "lol";
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Copper (5 bottles); Abai (2 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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