Tong Su frowned in disgust.
This Yun Zong was castrated and entered the palace from the common people. He was suspicious, cruel, and vicious, but he was also good at flattery. He pleased the late emperor with his sensual pleasures and thus gained the emperor's favor, and from then on, he rose rapidly through the ranks.
Before the late emperor passed away, he had already risen to the position of Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and concurrently served as the Commander-in-Chief, wielding immense power over the court for a time!
He was only eight years old when he ascended the throne. Being young and without any support, Yun Zong, as the regent eunuch, took the opportunity to develop his power, secretly allied with ministers for assistance, and controlled the Eastern and Western Depots.
For a time, he could be said to have absolute power, to the point that the people of the world only knew of Yun Zong and not of the Empress!
He purged dissidents, formed cliques, and adopted many sons, becoming incredibly powerful. Those who curried favor with him addressed him as "Lord Nine Thousand Years," and now even governors and viceroys from various regions are vying to build shrines in his honor!
When Tongsu ascended the throne, the court officials, led by the Prime Minister Murong, formed a Murong faction to oppose the eunuch faction.
Three years ago, the eunuch faction began a large-scale persecution and suppression of the Murong faction, framing, arresting, and killing a large number of Murong faction officials. Prime Minister Murong was falsely accused of corruption and died tragically in prison.
From then on, the Murong faction was completely wiped out by the eunuch faction, which became the dominant force. This eunuch, known as the Ninth Prince, didn't even put the Empress in his eyes!
He brazenly led his entourage into the Empress's palace, and he merely gave a perfunctory bow: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Eunuchs are traditionally required to address the Emperor as "this humble servant," but this "Nine Thousand Years Old" consistently referred to himself as such in front of Tong Su.
Not only was there no respect in her tone, but it was also as sinister as a cold-blooded venomous snake lurking in the dark, sending chills down one's spine.
Tong Su sat up in bed and sneered, "So it's the Ninth Prince who's here. Who do you think you are? So rude, barging into my palace without even announcing your arrival?"
Yun Zong said insincerely, "I did announce it, but I'm afraid His Majesty didn't hear it. Besides, I am the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a confidant of His Majesty. How can my visit to His Majesty be considered casual? Your Majesty, it would be best if you didn't label me so easily. Also, Your Majesty, what book are you reading?"
Tong Su slammed the book shut and said impatiently, "It's just a storybook, what's it to you?"
Yun Zong slowly stepped forward and, ignoring her attempts to stop him, forcefully snatched the book from her hands. Tong Su was furious: "How dare you!"
He didn't care about counting, casually flipped through it, and raised his eyebrows: "The Zizhi Tongjian? This kind of book is too profound and not very useful. Your Majesty should read less of it."
Then, with a swift movement, he tore the book into vertical pieces on the spot: "Your Majesty, reading this kind of book is rather dull and tasteless. Didn't I say that Your Majesty should read some lively and exciting books? Why bother with this kind of book?"
He raised his hand, and the eunuchs greeted him with smiles, holding several picture books with illustrations, which they presented to Tongsu.
Yun Zong smiled and said, "Here are a few copies of 'The Romance of the Western Chamber' and 'The Peony Pavilion' that I just collected from the common people. If Your Majesty wants to read, these are fine. If you still don't like them, I will have someone go to the common people to find more."
Tong Su trembled with rage, almost grinding her teeth to powder, glaring at him with fury: "You—how dare you!"
She has been on the throne for eight years now, and since her father's death, she has not read a single book that truly teaches knowledge—Yun Zong has essentially raised her to be a useless person!
Not to mention the tutor who helped her with her studies, even all the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections stored in the imperial study were taken away by this damned eunuch. She couldn't find anything to study on her own!
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