Chapter 10
Li Fuquan waited until his body warmed up, rubbing his still-aching legs and feet. He finally fell asleep when a noise began to come from inside the hall. He opened his eyes again, waking up from hunger. He touched his trouser legs and put on his frozen-hardened outer robe again. At least after half a day of sun, it wouldn't cling to him anymore.
The path through the courtyard, swept by a thin layer of snow, was once again covered. Li Fuquan quickly received his meal and drank his fill before preparing to clean the ground again. After noon, the sun finally shone, bringing some warmth to the body. The clouds that had previously covered the sky had mostly dispersed.
It shouldn't snow again in the next few days, so he just had to wait and see when the snow in the yard would melt. He calculated the time, and since he hadn't heard any new instructions from his beloved, he didn't rush to clear the piles of snow.
As the sun shone down, the thin layer of snow on the top began to melt into water and flow into the path. The ground under the feet was frozen soil, which was not muddy yet.
Now, after moving around, he could feel the dull pain in his legs and feet. Li Fuquan slowed down his movements, scooping up a pile of snow next to the wintersweet tree, occasionally brushing off the snow stuck to the trunk.
After two nights of snow, the yellow blossoms were almost everywhere. The fragrance carried by the wind was even stronger than in the past few days, decorating the courtyard. He now knew that the trees gifted by the emperor were rare and unique, and since they were already in bloom, it was only a matter of time before they could survive this winter.
Li Fuquan even felt that even if he didn't survive this winter, the tree would still live until next winter. The man in the palace was particularly fond of the tree, and in recent days, he would be supported by his maid to look at it, or break off some branches to bring back to the palace.
The emperor seemed to have begun to like the wintersweet in the courtyard, or perhaps the man who picked flowers beneath it. These days, Li Fuquan would greet His Majesty at dusk, then retreat outside the palace to avoid the noise that continued into the night.
There were also attendants who would light lamps for him, so Li Fuquan could finally sleep well at night and finally had time to warm up his outer robe and inner clothes. However, his shoes and socks remained wet until the snow melted.
His feet were still covered in itchy and painful chilblains, much like the sores he'd gotten in previous winters. He lay on the couch, feeling somewhat confused, unsure whether he was actually living a good life.
Although I can drink hot soup now, I often stay up all night, standing next to the tree, smelling its fragrance and falling asleep.
It seemed that in the palace, people like him still could not live a good life. They still served the nobles in the palace or directly served the emperor. As for them, they could usually be exiled to other places or punished with just a few words.
But the monthly salary they received was substantial, and even now he didn't know how to spend it. Li Fuquan let himself fall asleep, unwilling to think about these things anymore. He should be able to wait for the good man in the palace to be promoted soon.
The wintersweet blossoms were eventually blown to the ground by the wind, rolling into the mud along with the nearly melted snow. The emperor naturally changed his mind and stopped staying in the palace every night. As for the beloved, he had recently stopped plucking the fragrant plum branches.
Everything returned to the way it was before the heavy snow. Li Fuquan was still responsible for sweeping the dust in the yard, and then continued to dream of promotion at night, not knowing when it would come true.
However, he didn't have to wait long before the emperor fulfilled their wish and issued an edict to promote this good man to a beauty, and also promoted him as well. From then on, he would receive the same amount of silver as Zhao Cai every month.
The beloved who lived in the palace pointed out the old heater to him and allowed him to carry it to his bedside to keep warm, saving the other rewards. Li Fuquan bowed and thanked her. Now it was time to call her beauty. He glanced up and saw that the beauty was wearing a new hairpin. Even her plain clothes had been replaced with a brighter color, exactly the same as the cloak she had worn that night.
Perhaps the emperor likes this color more. Li Fuquan only hopes that this beauty can be promoted to a higher position so that he can live a better life in the palace.
He also felt that he would have to wait another year or two, depending entirely on the emperor's wishes. He didn't know when he would be able to see the emperor stay in the same palace for several days and spend only one night with the same beauty again.
Of course, he couldn't guess the emperor's thoughts. According to the previous advice of the eunuch, he didn't dare to guess the emperor's intentions at will. He was just like the beauty in the palace, waiting and looking forward to it every day.
After waiting for half a month, it was time to collect his monthly salary. This time, he joined the other side of the long line and received double his salary, plus an extra thick cotton robe. As for the fact that it was a little worn, Li Fuquan didn't care at all.
He was pushed forward by the crowd, and when someone patted him on the back and he looked back, he couldn't hide the surprise on his face. He saw Zhao Cai, but Zhao Cai seemed different, as if he had changed into new clothes, and he didn't look like he did in the mansion.
Unlike back home, where he would shrink after a few words, or start trembling the moment he saw someone, Zhao Cai leaned close to his ear and whispered, "The adults outside said, keep the wooden sign with you for now... someone will naturally come looking for you later. Just do as they tell you."
Li Fuquan responded subconsciously. When he turned around to ask more, Zhao Cai was no longer there. He could only collect his monthly salary. After waiting outside for a long time, Zhao Cai still didn't show up, so he had to go back to the palace alone.
After sweeping the courtyard, he returned to the couch and took out the wooden sign he was carrying. If Zhao Cai hadn't reminded him today, he would have forgotten that he was still carrying the wooden sign from the mansion. Li Fuquan looked at the patterns on it and familiarized himself with the appearance of the wooden sign again.
He also recalled the days when he lay on the wooden board unable to move, the lingering smell of medicine in the always dim room, and the stinking corpse that lay beside him for three days.
Li Fuquan pondered the words of the steward and the other man, unsure of what he would be required to obey. However, he had a vague premonition, so he wrapped the wooden sign in linen and tucked it back into his arms. Anything they could do in the palace would likely require avoiding the emperor's presence; no matter how he considered it, they would be worthless victims.
I just hope that Zhao Cai's words are just a reminder, and won't make him take any action in the next few days. He just got promoted, and the silver in his hand is still hot.
Li Fuquan repeated the days of watering the wintersweet, watching the flowers on the tree wither and then return to the days of growing bulges, but this time he covered it tightly. He thought it must be the new leaves grown by the wintersweet, and when they began to show a little green, it would be spring in the palace.
It was time for the new year, and it was time for his first spring in Chang'an. He watched the days slowly pass by with a vague worry and hope for better days.
Such worries did not last long...or rather, Li Fuquan saw Zhao Cai's ending in advance, and that would also be his future ending.
It was a rare cloudless morning. Li Fuquan changed into his new uniform and wrapped it around himself. The sun hung in the sky, casting warm light. The hall was quiet and motionless.
When he was about to clean the courtyard, he heard the attendant outside the palace calling him out. Confused, he followed the attendant out and arrived at the place where they received their monthly salary.
A large crowd had already gathered at the entrance to the treasury. He subconsciously searched the crowd for familiar figures, but after a while, he found nothing. Then the attendant brought over a tray covered with white cloth and said, "You must be aware of who you are when you enter the palace. If anyone dares to murder the imperial concubines or the heir again, they will suffer the same fate."
He lifted the bleeding head from under the white cloth. The gasps and chatter of the people around him continued unabated. Li Fuquan pinched his palms to prevent his trembling from being noticed and arousing suspicion. The head was Zhao Cai, whom he had been unable to find for a long time. The white cloth was quickly stained red by the black blood that dripped from the hole.
He lowered his head and squeezed into the crowd. He vaguely heard them talking about, "I heard that the incense was poisoned... Poor beauty who just ascended to heaven, one body and two lives lost, and the royal heir was not saved either."
He feigned confusion and sighed, echoing the sentiments repeatedly. He hurried back to his residence, using the excuse that he hadn't finished cleaning the courtyard yet. He glanced at his pinched, red palms and began to tremble uncontrollably. He looked around, and when he saw no one was around, he removed the wooden plaque, along with the linen cloth, from his arms.
The steward had repeatedly warned him to hold onto this wooden sign, ever since he was chosen to be castrated. He had become accustomed to carrying it with him, but today he finally realized that it was stained with blood, a life-threatening sign, and one that should not be seen in the palace.
It was not so much the emperor's condescending threat as it was the fear of the bloody head. In any case, the first thought that came to his mind was that this wooden sign must not be kept.
There are so many eunuchs in the palace, and the steward and that adult generally cannot enter the palace. Even if someone comes to him later, as long as he can't produce the wooden sign, these tasks will never fall on him.
But Zhao Cai has already gotten into trouble, and it might not be long before someone finds this wooden sign, and even traces it back to himself and that adult.
He exhaled heavily, closed his eyes, and wondered where he should hide the wooden sign. He couldn't enter the palace unless the beauty summoned him. If he hid it in the palace, it might be discovered by a passing maid.
Li Fuquan touched the wooden sign, which he now felt was too heavy to hold. The fire in the stove wasn't strong enough, and he wasn't sure if the sign would burn completely.
He glanced at the yard again… There shouldn't be any problem burying it in the soil, but there were no flowers or plants in the corners, so he wondered if he could renovate it.
Li Fuquan thought of something and put the wooden sign back into his arms. Everything had to wait until night, until it was late at night and everyone inside and outside the palace was asleep.
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