Chapter 4

When Qian Qin was dragged out of the Imperial Kitchen, he still didn't know what fate awaited him. He stared at Ning Hongru, instinctively sensing danger.

What kind of status did the Chief Steward of the Imperial Presence have? Why would he come to the Imperial Kitchen?

Either something had happened in front of the palace, or His Majesty had given an order. Whatever the case, the guards who had just rushed into the Imperial Kitchen were enough to show that they came with ill intentions.

Qian Qin: "Chief Steward Ning, you, why have you come personally?"

Ning Hongru smiled: "His Majesty has given an order, so of course I had to come."

The ominous premonition in Qian Qin's heart grew stronger, and he could barely maintain his smile: "This servant... you could have just summoned this servant. This, this..." He glanced at the sturdy guards holding him on either side, his eyes darting around.

"Hold him," Ning Hongru said, "and have everyone else from the Imperial Kitchen come out."

Soon, the open space in front of the Imperial Kitchen was filled with eunuchs and palace maids, all with uneasy expressions.

The news of what had happened in front of the Qianming Hall had not yet reached the Imperial Kitchen, but the appearance of this Chief Steward Ning filled them with awe.

Ning Hongru clapped his hands, and a few guards dragged the pot-bellied Qian Qin over. His arms were tied firmly behind his back, and his mouth was forced open by something.

What a pathetic sight.

Ning Hongru toyed with a small knife in his hand and said with a smile, "Qian Qin, in this life, it is precious to be smart. But being too smart and saying things you shouldn't say is not good either."

The small knife grazed the corner of Qian Qin's mouth.

"A tongue that is too nimble is better off without."

"Mmm, mmm—"

Qian Qin's eyes were wide with terror. He wanted to scream, but could only spray out bloody foam, howling like a wild beast.

He was fat and strong. When he struggled, it took several people to hold him down and prevent him from resisting.

A soft piece of flesh lay on the snow, bloody and gruesome. Among the palace servants watching in the open space, several were so frightened that they swayed and their faces turned pale. Ning Hongru didn't even look at the wailing Qian Qin. He casually wiped the small knife in his hand until it was shiny before putting it away.

"Zhu Erxi," Ning Hongru pointed out a thin eunuch standing at the front. "By His Majesty's decree, from now on, you are the head of the Imperial Kitchen."

There was still fear in Zhu Erxi's eyes, but hearing these words, he became excited, his face twisting. He immediately knelt and kowtowed.

"This servant receives the decree, this servant receives the decree."

In the past, it would take a long time for news from the palace to reach the North Wing. But this time, the news arrived the very next day.

Someone from the Imperial Kitchen came to report that Jingzhe didn't need to go.

When the message came, Changshou was also listening. He curiously asked a few questions, but the young eunuch's face was pale, and he just shook his head and left.

Changshou frowned: "Something must have happened."

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Jingzhe walking out and became anxious, "Where are you going?"

Jingzhe: "I'm going to tell Grandpa De."

Changshou's eyes rolled, and he immediately followed, "I'll go with you."

Jingzhe didn't stop him, and the two went to see Chen Mingde together.

At that time, Chen Mingde was huddled in his room, playing with a smoke pot that emitted a strange smell.

After Sanshun led them in, he silently retreated to the side.

Chen Mingde put down the smoke pot and said hoarsely, "You've come to ask about the Imperial Kitchen?"

Changshou chimed in: "Yes, yes, this is so sudden and strange. Grandpa De, did something happen?"

Chen Mingde: "Sit down."

After Jingzhe and Changshou sat down, he spoke slowly.

"Little Master Liu is dead. Qian Qin's tongue was cut out, and he didn't survive the night. He's dead too."

These few words made both Jingzhe and Changshou's faces change. Changshou's reaction was more obvious; he even gasped.

Jingzhe pursed his lips, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back.

Changshou, however, was direct and rashly asked, "Grandpa De, could it be His Majesty..."

Chen Mingde laughed coldly: "Coveting wealth and glory in this palace is a matter of opening and closing your eyes. One day you're on top of the world, and in the blink of an eye, you can be shattered to pieces with no way out."

The chilling words made the already cold winter day even more piercingly painful, as if every word had turned into a tearing blade, eager to rip flesh from bone.

Changshou was frightened by Chen Mingde's words and didn't dare to speak.

Jingzhe said softly, "Thank you for your guidance, Grandpa De."

Chen Mingde's voice also softened, with a strange tone: "Jingzhe, you are lucky. With the situation as it is today, if you had really gone, you would never have come back. Rest well in the North Wing for the next few days and don't go out."

As he said this, Chen Mingde glanced at Changshou.

Changshou's face flushed, knowing that Chen Mingde was pointing at him.

In this half-month rotation, it was supposed to be him and Heye who went to get the meals. But because it was too cold, Changshou and Heye made excuses, and sometimes Jingzhe even went alone.

Changshou muttered, "I understand."

While they were talking, not far away, in Matron Ming's residence, it was a different scene.

Heye helped Matron Ming to sit down, then busied herself searching in a box on the side. After much difficulty, she found a large pill. She turned to dissolve it in water, but Matron Ming snatched it away and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing desperately.

The way she choked, her eyes almost popping out, was terrifying, but she finally swallowed it.

Heye cleverly went to get some tea. Matron Ming drank several cups, and as the medicine took effect, she finally calmed down.

Seeing that Matron Ming's face had finally regained some color, Heye said with a sob, "Matron, you scared me to death. What happened?"

Matron Ming took a breath and then said, "Talented Lady Liu is dead."

Heye froze, almost dropping the teapot in her hand. Just now, when Matron Ming came back from Chen Mingde's room, her face was very pale, and she almost fainted.

But this answer...

Talented Lady Liu was the connection Matron Ming had worked so hard to establish.

This young mistress had been favored in the harem for a long time. Whether it was food, clothing, or the emperor's affection, no other concubine could compare.

Such examples were not unheard of in the past.

In the years since Emperor Jingyuan ascended the throne, a few outstanding ones would often emerge in the harem. But after a few months of popularity, they would be replaced by another. After many times, it was like raising venomous insects.

Looking at those who had just become popular, few people would immediately try to get close. They would only observe in secret for a period of time to avoid betting on the wrong horse and suffering a disaster.

Talented Lady Liu was the one who lasted the longest, so it was no wonder she had a high opinion of herself. And because of this long period, she gradually gathered many people under her.

...Perhaps this was the one who could finally capture His Majesty's heart?

Matron Ming was one of them.

Although she was called Matron, she was not yet forty this year. Since coming to the North Wing three years ago, she had been thinking of nothing but getting out.

She was different from that old dog Chen Mingde; her ambition had not yet been worn away.

A goddaughter she had acknowledged happened to work in Talented Lady Liu's palace. Although she was only a second-class palace maid and couldn't get close, she had more face than those outside and knew more.

Talented Lady Liu was arrogant because of her favor. Talented Lady Liu wanted to drink persimmon soup, the Imperial Kitchen's idea, Qian Qin's thoughts... Although Matron Ming was in the North Wing, she was not deaf or blind. She knew everything clearly.

She was the one who took the initiative to connect with Qian Qin.

Qian Qin wanted to get rid of this mess, and Matron Ming, seeing his need, sent him a good pawn.

When Matron Ming first came to the North Wing, Chen Mingde was suffering from a high fever.

Logically, such a palace servant should be moved out to wait for death.

But this old dog was lucky. The place he stayed was the North Wing, where no one cared if the masters died, let alone the servants.

As long as no one reported it, he could still hold on in the North Wing.

It was also his good fortune that among these young eunuchs, there was someone who knew a little medicine and saved him by treating a dead horse as a live one.

That person was Jingzhe.

At that time, Chen Mingde relied on Jingzhe's half-baked, and who knows if it was effective, medicinal food to get better. Otherwise, why would that old dog protect a young eunuch for no reason?

Matron Ming remembered this, and she also remembered Jingzhe's background, and even more so that he had indeed used a persimmon soup at that time, which is why she chose him.

If she could leave the North Wing, what did it matter if she offended Chen Mingde? Besides... even if Chen Mingde protected him, he would never clash with her for Jingzhe's sake.

And the facts were indeed as Matron Ming had expected.

Although Chen Mingde was angry, he did not stop her at all, because this matter already involved Qian Qin. Unless Chen Mingde was willing to suffer a great loss, he could not stop her.

That old dog was not willing!

But Matron Ming had calculated the beginning and the process, but she had not calculated the end!

Talented Lady Liu, who was so powerful yesterday, how did she die?!

"Are you going out with Changshou today?" Matron Ming suddenly said.

Heye nodded.

"Take this time to gather as much information as you can."

Heye hesitated, but still nodded.

After she left, Matron Ming's face turned completely ashen.

The person who terrified them the most in the entire palace was naturally Emperor Jingyuan. When something like this happened, everyone was filled with pure fear.

Who knew what the emperor was really thinking?

...

After Jingzhe returned, he felt relieved.

With both Talented Lady Liu and Qian Qin dead, the Imperial Kitchen would surely be in chaos for a while and would no longer think of him. In fact, it was already an extra kindness that the Imperial Kitchen remembered to send someone to inform him.

...Could it be that the deaths of Talented Lady Liu and Qian Qin were related to Chen Mingde's silence that day?

Jingzhe just thought about it and sighed.

He himself was struggling to survive, how could he care about others?

After Jingzhe finished sweeping the North Wing and adding hot tea for the masters, he had just returned to his residence when he saw Sanshun waiting there, smiling a little foolishly.

"Jingzhe, I've boiled water for you."

Jingzhe: "I told you, you don't have to do this for me. I can do it myself."

"No, I'm strong, Jingzhe is weak." Sanshun shook his head, "Go quickly, I'll watch for you, I won't let anyone in."

Changshou sneered from inside the room: "You big fool, who would go to see him? As if I don't have my own!"

Wuyou laughed loudly: "Who told you to barge in before? You knew he didn't like it, aren't you just looking for trouble?"

Ever since Chen Mingde had a high fever that year and woke up under Jingzhe's clumsy care, not only had Chen Mingde's attitude towards Jingzhe changed, but Sanshun was also devoted to him, always rushing to do any heavy work.

Jingzhe liked to be clean, and even in winter, he would always wash himself. But he had a strange habit of never washing with others, and Changshou had even had a conflict with him over it.

Every time Sanshun boiled water for Chen Mingde, he would also boil some for Jingzhe and even act as a guard.

Sanshun never cared what the people in the room said, living like a rock. Jingzhe frowned and glanced at the people in the room. Wuyou patted Changshou, stopping his complaints.

After Jingzhe took his clothes and left, Changshou couldn't help but say, "Why did you stop me? Are you afraid of them?"

"Your mouth will always get you into trouble. Why do you care what others do?" Wuyou didn't like Changshou's attitude either, but they had entered the palace in the same year and were more familiar with each other. "Sanshun is Grandpa De's man. If you badmouth him, will Grandpa De be happy?"

Changshou thought about it and pouted.

He really didn't like Sanshun. If Chen Mingde hadn't chosen Sanshun back then, the one by Grandpa De's side now would be him!

...

Jingzhe had to talk for a long time to persuade Sanshun to leave.

Every time he had to stand guard outside, Jingzhe felt a pang of guilt.

He carefully closed the doors and windows, making sure that even if someone came in, he could hide immediately. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

It was no wonder Jingzhe was so cautious every time. When he took off his clothes and soaked in the bucket, his naked body showed the difference between him and Changshou and the others.

Jingzhe had not been castrated.

There was another reason for his entering the palace back then. It was a way for his family to save his life. Although he would rather have died with his family than live this precarious life... but this was his parents' last wish before they died.

When Jingzhe was young, something happened to his family.

He vaguely remembered that before the incident, his father was involved in a case handled by Minister Huang.

The Huang family was the family of the succeeding empress.

The Minister Huang of that time, now the Minister of Revenue, was the brother of the succeeding empress, who was now the Empress Dowager in Shoukang Palace.

His entire family was executed. To say that it had nothing to do with the Huang family was absolutely impossible.

But Jingzhe had no evidence, and this was just a guess.

His parents were afraid that he would get himself killed trying to get revenge. Before they died, they refused to tell him what had happened to the family, so he had to struggle to live like this.

He would never help Prince Rui ascend the throne!

It was cold, so he didn't dare to wash for long. He soaked for a while and then got out.

As he was getting dressed, he glanced at his back.

The previous marks had long since faded, but Jingzhe always felt strangely uneasy and would always take a few glances when he bathed.

It was a good thing that Rong Jiu was broad-minded.

Otherwise, for two men to do such a thing, even if not disgusted, one would feel strange. What's more, he was a eunuch.

But in the past few months of occasional contact, Rong Jiu seemed very calm and didn't seem to take those things to heart.

When Jingzhe finished washing and came out, he saw Mingyu waiting for him outside.

There were a total of six young eunuchs serving in the North Wing.

Changshou and Wuyou were the last to arrive, followed by Jingzhe and Mingyu. Qitui and Baqi were the earliest, both in their early twenties.

Jingzhe and Mingyu had the best relationship.

Jingzhe was drying his hair, and Mingyu helped him carry the washed clothes out. The room was warm, but it was freezing cold as soon as they stepped out. This was also a benefit of the North Wing being unsupervised, otherwise where would they find a separate room to bathe?

"Why did you come out?" Jingzhe said, "It's cold outside."

There was little to do in the North Wing. The masters, except for one who liked to torment people, were all very tired and didn't like to go out in such a winter, only looking for palace maids to talk to.

In the cold winter, these boys loved to be lazy in their rooms. Although there wasn't much charcoal fire, it was still warmer than the icy world outside with the doors and windows closed.

Mingyu: "I don't like to listen to them talking in the room." He went to do some work for the masters and then came to find Jingzhe, just not wanting to stay in the room.

As soon as Jingzhe heard this, he knew that Changshou was gossiping again.

He and Mingyu walked back side by side.

"I heard from Baqi that you met that guard again yesterday?"

"Yes, it was his turn to patrol yesterday."

"Jingzhe, that Rong Jiu doesn't look like a good person to get along with..."

At this point, they were almost back. Hearing this, Jingzhe stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"You don't like to go out and haven't met many people. The aura he has, I don't think even the head of the guards can compare. I always feel that a person like him may not just be a small guard in the future..." Mingyu said with some hesitation.

Many officials cared a lot about their reputation, especially if they were too close to eunuchs. If it were known, they might be impeached. Now Jingzhe and Rong Jiu seem to have a good relationship. If Rong Jiu becomes successful in the future and looks back on this relationship as a disgrace, then Jingzhe, a small eunuch, can do nothing.

Jingzhe laughed and pointed at himself: "If he really soars in the future and looks down on me, I'm just a eunuch in the North Wing with no power or influence. If he doesn't come, he doesn't come. Can I go looking for him? Why would he come to deal with me?"

The guards can leave the palace, but they can't.

Mingyu thought about it and nodded: "You're right," then he smiled, "Maybe he won't get promoted."

Jingzhe: "Why do you say that?"

Mingyu: "He has a really bad temper."

He looked Jingzhe up and down.

"Only someone with your good temper can tolerate it."

It's not so easy for someone with a bad temper to climb up in the palace.

This principle applies everywhere, and it's the same in officialdom.

Mingyu had only seen Rong Jiu twice, but he could tell that such a person would never be able to bow and scrape.

Jingzhe laughed: "If you have ability, it doesn't matter if your temper is a little bad or a little good."

Mingyu shook his head: "That's not for sure. If someone has connections in their family, they can just step on him to get ahead. Tell me, is guarding the North Wing a good career path?"

Hearing this, Jingzhe was about to speak when he heard stumbling footsteps. He looked up and saw a disheveled Changshou, with Heye following behind him, also with a terrified expression, as if being chased.

Jingzhe and Mingyu exchanged a glance and hurried over.

"What's wrong?"

Heye was carrying a food box, very nervous. When she saw Jingzhe and Mingyu clearly, she almost cried. Her nose was red, and she wiped the corners of her eyes, saying, "Changshou was beaten."

On the other side, Jingzhe had already supported Changshou.

As soon as he grabbed his arm, he cried out in pain. Although he didn't look dirty, he was so afraid of pain. Jingzhe frowned and rolled up his sleeve. This action was very cold in the middle of winter, but it also allowed Jingzhe to see that his arm was covered in bruises.

Wuyou came out when he heard the noise. Several palace servants took them inside and then hurried to deliver the meals.

After a while, they learned the whole story from Changshou and Heye.

Today, Changshou and Heye obediently went to get the food. On the way, Heye said she had a stomachache and wanted to leave for a moment. Although Changshou was not happy, he let her go since nature called.

Heye went, but when she came back to the agreed meeting place, she saw several people surrounding Changshou, and a tall palace maid in a green dress stood beside them, her pretty face full of disgust.

And Changshou was already crying out in pain from being beaten.

Heye didn't dare to go forward and hid on the side until the people left.

Changshou was beaten so badly that he couldn't even lift his arm. Fortunately, the food box was not broken, so Heye carried it back.

Everyone gathered around Changshou and asked, "Which deity did you offend to get beaten like this?"

Changshou had a sad face. Wuyou was applying medicine to him, and he screamed every time he pressed. After a while, he wiped his face and tears, "It's the people from Chenghuan Palace."

Jingzhe's heart skipped a beat, "Chenghuan Palace... did you offend Concubine Xu?"

Changshou's face was wrinkled like a sour orange.

"How would I dare to offend the people of Chenghuan Palace? I was waiting for Heye when I ran into people from Chenghuan Palace passing by. Who knew what was wrong with that tall palace maid, she suddenly came up and asked me if I was from the North Wing."

Changshou naturally said yes. Then, the tall palace maid asked him if there were any handsome and pretty young eunuchs in the North Wing.

Changshou racked his brains but couldn't think of anyone.

The best-looking in the North Wing was naturally Jingzhe, but although Jingzhe was good-looking, he wasn't as heavenly as the tall palace maid described, so he said no.

As a result, the tall palace maid's face immediately changed. She said he was lying and had him beaten severely.

After Wuyou finished applying the medicine, he was puzzled.

"What's going on? Why would people from Chenghuan Palace come to the North Wing to look for someone?"

Another palace maid, Handan, also shook her head.

"Usually, those people look down on the North Wing. Maybe someone caused trouble outside and pushed the blame on us?"

"Do they think that because our place is remote and cold, even if we are blamed, no one will seek justice for us?"

The people below were all scared when they learned that Changshou had been beaten. But if Chen Mingde and Matron Ming knew, they wouldn't care. They didn't care about such face, and they knew that they couldn't get justice.

Wuyou helped Changshou to rest. Mingyu turned around and found Jingzhe standing there in a daze. He pulled him into the door, "What are you doing standing outside? The draft is freezing. Come in quickly and close the door."

Jingzhe met Mingyu's worried eyes and forced a smile, shaking his head at him. It wasn't until he sat back on his bed that he could suppress the feeling of his heart pounding.

That tall palace maid from Chenghuan Palace should be Qiuyi who stopped him that day.

That day, the system's two tasks failed in a row. The first punishment was a "loved by all" buff. The first person he met was the group from Chenghuan Palace, who chased him all over the palace.

Jingzhe remembered this frightening event vividly and could not forget it.

Qiuyi is still looking for him? Why?

Is it because the "loved by all" buff still has a lingering effect?

Previously, Jingzhe had been ignoring the system. In his opinion, it was a very bad demon. But now with the Chenghuan Palace incident, he had to pay attention.

"After the punishment's duration is over, will there still be a lingering effect?"

This was the first time Jingzhe had spoken to the system since their argument.

He asked in his heart, not knowing if the system would answer him.

[After the buff disappears, the effect will not disappear immediately, but will gradually slow down. It varies from person to person. Some people have short residual effects, while others have long ones.]

The system also responded.

Jingzhe was still not used to someone speaking in his ear. He subconsciously shrank his neck and then began to think about what the system had said.

...The effect won't disappear immediately?

His face changed slightly. Wait, then Rong Jiu?