The unexpected reunion was without the imperial robes and dragon chariot, without the soaring clouds, without the majesty of the supreme ruler, without the overwhelming aura of self-importance. There was only an old man in ordinary clothes, lying on his side on the couch, his brows furrowed, probably suffering from a terrible headache.
An Ning suddenly realized that he was no different from those elderly people who were bedridden with illness; he would get headaches when he caught a cold, and he would get diarrhea when he ate something bad.
"Your Majesty? Shall I give you a massage?"
She mustered her courage and asked a question, but received no response from the emperor. She then saw him lying down and waving at her.
An Ning carefully stepped forward, breathed on her slightly cool fingertips, and then placed them on the emperor's forehead.
"hiss."
It must be terribly cold outside; my fingers are still freezing.
"Your Majesty, I came in a hurry, aren't my hands a little too cold?"
"It's alright."
Since Anning became an ancient building restorer, this headache has never stopped. As the saying goes, long illness makes one a doctor, and now she has learned an extremely exquisite massage technique.
I don't know how long they pressed, but the person on the bed closed their eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
An Ning dared not make a sound and quietly stepped aside. Eunuch Wu tiptoed in and then pulled her out of the hall.
Eunuch Wu excitedly shook the dust off his hand, extremely gratified: "Little Ningzi, you've done a great service. The Emperor hasn't had a good night's sleep these past few days. Your good days are coming."
An Ning was a little confused, but later she realized what it meant: good days were coming!
In the courtyard where Eunuch Wu lived, there was a small room of hers, elegantly decorated with a table and chairs, a teapot and porcelain cups, and even a wooden wardrobe, where some of her eunuch clothes and... eunuch clothes were placed!
However, the sapphire blue curtains on the couch suited her perfectly.
The imperial decree of her promotion arrived the next day. She was no longer a lowly eunuch in Chunxi Palace, but an eighth-rank eunuch serving the emperor. Although her official rank was not high, she was personally appointed by the emperor to be Eunuch Wu's apprentice. Eunuch Wu was a first-rank chief eunuch who served the emperor when he was naked. Such a position was unmatched by others.
On her first day on the job, An Ning was somewhat uneasy and followed behind Eunuch Wu, not daring to leave his side for even a moment.
"We eunuchs' wealth and honor in this life all depend on our masters. From now on, you'd better be more careful."
Eunuch Wu gave instructions the whole way, and An Ning nodded the whole way. She used to have neck pain from sitting in the office, but she never expected that she would still have neck pain after becoming a eunuch.
Grandpa Wu: "We'll go make tea at home. You can learn from him. From now on, you'll be in charge of this job."
The work of eunuchs and palace attendants was far more than just brewing a cup of tea. After returning to her bedroom at night, Anning was exhausted.
Despite all her careful planning, she never expected that An Ning would be so incredibly unlucky. On the very second day after she was promoted to the rank of eighth-grade eunuch and took up her post, the emperor was assassinated!
"Your Majesty, please be careful."
"Assassins! Protect the Emperor!"
"Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor! Where are the Imperial Guards?"
Eunuch Wu's shrill voice nearly lifted the glazed tiles from the main hall. Inside, the imperial relatives and ministers were in chaos, with the sounds of swords clashing and the mournful cries of palace maids reaching the heavens.
An Ning's legs went weak, and she was sweating profusely. She was so scared that she was about to burst. She covered her head and desperately tried to crawl into the back hall, muttering, "Amitabha, Amen, God, Buddha, save my life!"
Just as she was about to step over the threshold, her collar was suddenly grabbed from behind. With a ripping sound, the emperor pulled her body in front of him, and before she could resist, she saw a curved blade slashing directly at her face.
The scimitar, carrying a sharp killing intent, fell like lightning. An Ning knew there was no way to avoid it, but she still subconsciously raised her arm to block it. In that split second, a long spear suddenly appeared and slashed horizontally like piercing the sky, breaking the scimitar in two.
An Ning tilted her head slightly, and the cries around her gradually subsided. The sunlight streaming through the doorway was so bright that she couldn't open her eyes, but she still endured the glare and saw his appearance clearly. He was the handsome and dashing figure described in those exaggerated descriptions, the spirited young general, the one who had brought about the chaos of the Great Qi Dynasty for fifty years, yet he stood with his back to her, spear at her side.
Thump.
Knock knock.
Knock knock knock.
Anning's heart is now pounding wildly!
She was caught off guard and fell in love at first sight; she was about to become love-struck!
'The plan failed; we rescued the wrong person.'
Just as An Ning was completely immersed in the sweet romance drama, a man's voice filled with frustration and anger suddenly rang in her mind!
"What plan failed and the wrong person was saved?"
An Ning was startled by the sudden sound and subconsciously murmured something, but he heard it all. Suddenly, she felt a chill on her neck. The spear that had saved her just a second ago was now held against her neck.
"Mu Ange!"
Behind him, the emperor called out to him.
"Put down your gun. This is my personal eunuch."
Mu Ange lowered her eyes slightly, her cold gaze sweeping over An Ning before disappearing in an instant.
"Ah!" He let out a very exaggerated cry of pain, and with a flick of his wrist, the spear fell to the ground, the tip of which pierced An Ning's toe.
"Ah!" That was An Ning's shout.
'A mere eunuch has managed to see through my plan; I absolutely cannot let him live. I should find an opportunity to eliminate him as soon as possible.'
The icy voice drifted into Anning's mind, making her shiver.
An Ning was shocked. She suddenly realized that she seemed to be able to hear Mu Ange's thoughts: Good heavens, I just fell in love with him at first sight, but now he wants to kill me. Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, you stinky man, you're all stinky men. Mu Ange, right? My merit is reduced by one, no, no, it's reduced by one hundred.
"Your Majesty, I am late in coming to your rescue. I hope you will forgive me."
Mu Ange looked grief-stricken and worried. As she spoke, she knelt on one knee, clutching her right arm. Her voice was weak and feeble, as if she had been seriously injured while fighting the villains.
"Are you injured?"
The emperor asked aloud.
Mu Ange looked pained, his eyes filled with tears: "My injuries are nothing to worry about, as long as Father is alright."
As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face as he uttered the last two words. Anyone who witnessed this scene would have to sincerely exclaim, "What a filial son!"
'If I cry like this, the emperor will surely believe me!'
An Ning hadn't figured out why he was acting all tearful when the answer instantly came to her mind. She just hadn't expected his acting skills to be so superb; he could even control which word the tears fell on. He was truly amazing.
"Father, I have a knife wound on my arm, and there are no servants in the mansion. Moreover, I have been suffering from a splitting headache lately..."
"For the knife wound, just have the imperial physician examine it. As for the headache, by the way, this young Ningzi's massage technique is quite good; you can take it back and use it."
"ah?"
An Ning was instantly dumbfounded: Give herself to him? What is this if not murder?
"Your Majesty, actually... I feel..."
Just as An Ning was racking her brains for an explanation, Mu Ange grabbed An Ning's wrist with astonishing force. For a moment, An Ning felt that her wrist was about to break, but then she heard that guy's extremely weak voice in her ear:
"Father."
He stopped to catch his breath.
"Your subject is seriously injured."
He took a deep breath, his face deathly pale.
"Your subject will take his leave now, after his injuries have healed."
He seems to be failing; he's even started rolling his eyes.
"Return them!"
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