Hong Xiaoduo, who was in the car, was taken aback. The fact that Eunuch Fu would come, whether on the orders of the Emperor or the Empress, was quite unexpected to her.
After all, the reward has already been given!
As for Murong Jing, she hadn't seen him for the past two days, and she felt a little regretful that she hadn't said goodbye to him before leaving.
Ever since Madam Qi told her the evening before last that Princess Fenglin had just left and that the princess had stayed at the Wei residence for a whole day, and then Madam Qi asked Hong Xiaoduo hesitantly, she has been wondering if Murong Jing's absence these past two days is a deliberate attempt to avoid her.
Lady Qi said that the princess told her that Murong Jing liked Hong Xiaoduo, but he was stubborn and refused to admit it.
However, Hong Xiaoduo felt that the princess must have misunderstood. Her son was over twenty and still refused to get married, so she, as his mother, must be anxious.
Seeing that her son was interacting with her frequently and seemed to have a good relationship with her, she naturally assumed that her son liked her.
Hong Xiaoduo didn't think that Murong Jing had any romantic feelings for her. Although she had no experience in dating, she thought that if the other person really had those feelings for her, she should be able to tell, right?
After Hong Xiaoduo got off the carriage, she saw Dong Yuefan walking over and giving Kaiyang some instructions.
Mu Rongjing and Eunuch Fu also walked towards her. Mu Rongjing's expression was not as open and honest as before. It seemed that he was embarrassed and uncomfortable because he had learned about her mother's visit to the Wei residence. Hong Xiaoduo felt that her analysis was correct and she had found the reason. She smiled and nodded at him.
Then, she smiled and looked at Eunuch Fu, saying, "Eunuch Fu, what brings you here?"
"I am here on the orders of His Majesty and the Empress to see Miss Hong off. His Majesty instructed me to convey a message to you, Miss Hong: what I told you before still holds true. Whenever you tire of the martial world, Miss Hong, come back, and the position of a fifth-rank female official will be yours," Eunuch Fu relayed with a smile.
After hearing these words, Hong Xiaoduo sighed and said, "Generally speaking, a woman from the martial world like me, if she gets tired of the martial world in the future, should retire from the martial world, find a suitable person to marry, and be a good wife and mother. She is more likely to become a female official, let alone a fifth-rank official."
When Eunuch Fu and Murong Jing heard this, they knew she was joking and didn't really look down on the fifth-rank official position because it was too low.
"That's not necessarily true. Maybe at that time, Miss Hong, you'd like to change your way of life instead of living in seclusion. With your abilities, Miss Hong, rising through the ranks would be a piece of cake." Eunuch Fu chimed in, joking along with her.
Anyway, he told the little eunuch who came with him to stand far away and wait, so that he could have some casual conversation with this girl.
From this day forward, no one will ever speak to this old eunuch like she did.
"Haha, Father-in-law, you think highly of me. By the way, Father-in-law, how about you try a different way of life? They say serving a ruler is like serving a tiger. You have to be careful around him all the time. Why not come with me and roam the world freely and unrestrained?" Hong Xiaoduo laughed.
In the past, when watching period dramas, the eunuchs around the emperor and empress were sometimes good and sometimes bad. Many of the bad ones were because they were castrated after entering the palace, and because they were physically disabled and not treated as human beings, they gradually became psychologically twisted, deformed, and perverted.
She thought the old man in front of her was quite nice. When she first met him at Uncle Wei's house, she thought he was a mischievous and sly fellow who loved to watch the drama unfold.
After a few brief encounters, I realized he was just a cute little old man.
Upon hearing her say that serving a ruler is like serving a tiger, Eunuch Fu instinctively turned to look at the people around him, wondering how far away they were and whether they could hear her outrageous words.
"You little rascal, you've got some nerve! How dare you say such things?" Eunuch Fu pointed at Hong Xiaoduo with his whisk, shaking his head helplessly.
As he spoke, Eunuch Fu secretly glanced at Murong Jing, who was touching the bridge of his nose beside him. Hmm, judging from the young master's reaction, he must have heard her say such horrifying words more than once!
"It's alright, there's no one else here," Hong Xiaoduo said with a smile.
Little did she know that her statement that there was no one else present deeply moved the old man and the young man in front of her; she was treating them as family!
However, compared to the deeply moved Eunuch Fu, Murong Jing felt a mix of bitterness, helplessness, and disappointment—a complex mix of emotions. To her, he was merely someone who wasn't an outsider.
Although Eunuch Fu was physically disabled, he was not dull-witted. Seeing that Prince Mu had not spoken, he guessed that it was because he was in a position to keep quiet.
Although Eunuch Fu wanted to chat with Hong Xiaoduo a little longer, as he was getting old and didn't know if he would ever have the chance to see the girl again, he glanced at Murong Jing and then said to Hong Xiaoduo, "I have delivered the message. I will go back to report now. I wish Miss Hong a safe journey."
"Thank you, Eunuch Fu. Please also convey my thanks to His Majesty and the Empress." Hong Xiaoduo didn't know what to say for a moment. Should she wish the couple a long and happy marriage?
The emperor's harem was filled with beauties!
"Then I'll return to the palace." After saying this, Eunuch Fu tugged at his sleeve, hesitated for a moment, and then turned and left.
In his sleeve pocket were a gold note worth three hundred taels and two silver notes worth two hundred taels each. That was seventy percent of his life savings, which he had accumulated over most of his life and originally intended for his retirement and funeral expenses.
I heard that she sent one child back to the Wei family, and she still has six children to raise.
He also knew that Hong Xiaoduo had earned at least several thousand taels of gold in the capital, and his amount was nothing compared to hers; she certainly didn't need such a small amount of money.
But in the end, there was only one reason why he didn't take it out: what was his status and what was his reason for giving it to her?
He was just an old eunuch, but people treated him like a human being, so he actually gave him money as an elder?
The two young eunuchs who followed Eunuch Fu out of the palace noticed that his expression had turned sour as he turned to walk towards them, but they dared not ask and instead carefully helped him into the carriage.
Watching Eunuch Fu's carriage enter the city gate, Murong Jing still didn't speak. Hong Xiaoduo smiled and said, "Young Master, you don't seem like the sentimental person you are. What's wrong?"
"Was it because of what your mother said at the Wei residence? I didn't pay any attention to it, so you don't need to feel embarrassed. She was just trying to help you; she was worried and confused. But you're quite lucky to have such an open-minded mother. It's really rare for a princess to not care about a daughter-in-law's social status."
After Hong Xiaoduo finished speaking, she even reached out to pat the other person's shoulder.
However, seeing the way Mu Rongjing looked at her and his expression, Hong Xiaoduo was a little confused. She hesitated and withdrew her hand, wondering if she had said something wrong...
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