Xue Shu paused and turned to look at Wei Xihe.

His eyes were not friendly, and could even be said to be cold and hostile. He had always been very sensitive to Yin Chengyu's emotions. Ever since Yin Chengyu invited Wei Xihe to be a staff member of the East Palace, he knew that Wei Xihe was special.

The Eastern Palace has many staff and ministers who make plans for the prince and explain major issues in the world. The prince treats them with courtesy, but there is nothing special about them.

But Wei Xihe was different. He always felt that the way Yin Chengyu looked at him revealed a kind of familiarity that he could not understand.

In his opinion, Yin Chengyu was actually a suspicious person, and there were only a few people he truly trusted. But even though he had never met Wei Xihe before, Yin Chengyu seemed to have no suspicion of him.

Just like when I brought him back to the East Palace.

It’s not enough to have Zheng Duobao and Zhao Lin in the East Palace, do we need another Wei Xihe?

Xue Shu's mind was full of thoughts, but his face remained calm. However, his eyes could not deceive anyone. If he was not afraid of Yin Chengyu getting angry, his first reaction to the threat would be to kill the other party.

"What is it?"

Wei Xihe did not miss the murderous intent in his eyes. Although he did not know where it came from, he still lowered his head and tried his best to make himself look non-threatening. "Officer Xue's beard was not shaved cleanly enough. Ordinary people may not be able to see the clues, but those who know the business can see it at a glance..."

"...People who have been castrated have no stubble." Wei Xihe lightly stroked his smooth chin.

When he was fifteen, he was robbed by bandits. He was accidentally discovered while trying to escape. The bandits who were chasing him trampled his legs and broke his lower body. In order to save his life, he was castrated during the treatment.

Although he was old at that time and his voice did not become shrill like those eunuchs who had been celibate since childhood, he gradually stopped growing stubble.

Xue Shu is now two or three years younger than he was then. Although he has shaved carefully, a light blue stubble can still be seen on his chin.

Although one can use the excuse that one is too old when the body is purified, there is no guarantee that it will not be used as an excuse by someone with ulterior motives.

Xue Shu touched his chin subconsciously and felt a little pain.

He had a thorough understanding of the eunuchs in the palace, and even observed Zheng Duobao carefully. Most of the eunuchs who were castrated at a young age had smooth and delicate skin, a high-pitched voice, no beard on their chins, and feminine behavior like a woman; the older eunuchs who were castrated did not change that much, but it was true that few of them grew beards.

He could still speak with a strangled voice, but he couldn't control his beard. Although he shaved carefully every day, it was inevitable that there would be stubble left.

"Can you cover it up?"

By saying this, he acknowledged Wei Xihe's guess.

"I have read a lot of miscellaneous books, and I once came across a recipe for an ointment written by a traveling doctor. Apply the ointment on the jaw for half a minute, then scrape it off with a knife, and it will completely remove the root cause without leaving any marks."

In fact, this ointment recipe was originally a secret for women's concubines, and was used by women with excessive body hair to remove it. According to records, after using it several times, the body hair would not grow back.

Today, after observing Xue Shu's behavior, he had some guesses in his mind, so he took a risk.

"I want the recipe, what do you want?"

Wei Xihe did not hide his purpose: "I am a commoner who entered the palace as a eunuch. I have no foundation and no one to rely on. I hope that Xue Jianguan will support me in the future."

Xue Shu frowned. Although he was not happy that Wei Xihe followed His Highness, he was still puzzled by Wei Xihe's determination to become a eunuch in the palace. "His Highness doesn't mind your identity. Wouldn't it be more promising for you to follow His Highness?"

He didn't believe Wei Xihe's high-sounding words.

"I want power, and where in the world is closer to power than the palace?" Wei Xihe smiled softly, "Besides, the Crown Prince is a man of integrity, and I have long seen the evil nature of human nature. If I don't use some tricks, I'm afraid I won't be able to survive. Your Highness appreciates my talent, but he may not tolerate my meanness."

As early as when the prince and his entourage arrived in Tianjin, he had already inquired about the prince's temperament and behavior.

I have always heard that Prince Zhi is upright and dignified, but I didn't expect that he is even more admirable than the rumors say. However, such a gentleman who is as upright as jade, I am afraid, cannot coexist with such a despicable person as him.

Rather than incurring suspicion and dissatisfaction from the master in the future, it is better to use this achievement to take another path.

At this point, he could no longer hope to take a smooth road.

Xue Shu understood what he meant, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Wei Xihe changed a little and was no longer so hostile.

Wei Xihe is a sensible man and knows himself well.

If you want to know a person's character, just look at the people around him. Zheng Duobao, Zhao Lin and others who served Yin Chengyu were all people who were devoted to their master and had pure hearts.

In comparison, he seemed out of place.

Sometimes this realization would make Xue Shu feel unhappy, but more often, he would feel happy.

His Highness was surrounded by honest people, but he chose to stay with him. Does it mean that he was different from His Highness?

Wei Xihe's choice now made him more certain of his guess.

"You have some good judgment." Xue Shu glanced at him and said, "I will make arrangements for you after we return to Beijing."

Having said that, he turned and walked towards the waiting carriage.

Yin Chengyu waited in the carriage for a while before seeing Xue Shu coming up. He frowned slightly in dissatisfaction: "What did you say to Wei Xihe?"

Xue Shu naturally would not hide it from him, so he repeated the conversation between himself and Wei Xihe and asked again: "Is Wei Xihe right?"

Yin Chengyu lowered his eyes and did not answer.

Wei Xihe was of course right, but that was him in his previous life.

He studied the Four Books and Five Classics since he was young, and was determined to be a dignified and courteous prince. He devoted himself to the country of Great Yan, did not form a clique or engage in private interests, was filial to his parents, and was respectful to his brothers. The court and the people praised him highly, but what was the result?

On the day his mother died in childbirth, he was drugged and framed, and was found lying in the same bed with the concubines in the harem.

Even if everyone knows it, this is a frame-up.

However, the emperor scolded him for his immorality, and no one dared to redress his grievances when they saw the fall of the Yu family and the death of the empress. The second prince's party and the third prince's party took the opportunity to add insult to injury and spread rumors everywhere. He became infamous and was cursed. He fell from a high platform into a quagmire and was imprisoned in the imperial tomb for five years.

Later, he gambled everything and even used his beauty to please the woman in exchange for a chance to turn things around.

Not long after he returned to court, he finally found evidence to clear his name, but he did not feel very happy.

He was drunk that day and questioned Xue Shu why the world was so unfair, why the common people suffered injustice while the treacherous and corrupt officials were at large?

Xue Shu looked at him in silence for a long time before he said, "The world is so unfair. If you want justice, you have to hold power in your own hands." He raised his chin frivolously, "If you don't have power, how can you, as the crown prince, hang out with a concubine of our family? If you are not willing, go and fight for it yourself."

His words were ear-piercing, yet they were true.

The imperial court is a battleground for intrigue, power, and profit. If you don't fight or compete, and think you are honest and upright, one day you will be trampled into the mud.

Since then, he has abandoned his previous foolish persistence.

Yin Chengyu's eyes darkened and he lowered his eyes unhappily: "If I like honest people, why would I keep you by my side?"

"I'm different." Xue Shu frowned and retorted.

"What's different about you?" Yin Chengyu raised his eyes, leaned over to pinch his chin, and sneered, "Are you a bit more handsome than others?"

Xue Shu said nothing, holding his breath and staring at his face that was approaching.

Yin Chengyu met his gaze and realized that they were too close. Perhaps it was because he had suffered too many setbacks from this person in his previous life. In this life, he couldn't help but want to return those tricks to him.

He let go and pushed the man away, then leaned back and gave him a lazy glance: "Sit further away, don't bother me."

The author has something to say:

Gou Gou: The bad things done by the big dog have nothing to do with me, Gou Gou.