Page 463
Xiao Jizi’s face froze in an exaggerated expression of astonishment, not understanding what was going on. When he turned his head, he saw Xiao Qing looking at him with a smile, her eyes brimming with laughter that seemed to celebrate for him.
His gaze drifted downward to see that Xiao Qing was holding a tray in her hands, upon which lay a full set of eunuch attire—boots, belt, and hat were all there, exceedingly complete and appropriate.
The pattern and style of the eunuch uniform were all too familiar to him; it was the attire of the Managing eunuch that he had longed for so deeply.
He was somewhat dazed, unclear as to what was happening, and bewilderedly turned back to look at Lian Hua.
With a smile, Lian Hua said to him, "Those clothes you wore before are no longer suitable for you, so I’ve prepared a new set for you."
Xiao Jizi, seemingly in disbelief, pointed at himself and asked stutteringly, "For me? For your servant?"
Lian Hua nodded with a warm smile, her eyes slightly moist, "Yes, for you. Xiao Jizi, thank you for all that you have done for me. I am aware of it all; everything you have done for me, I hold dear in my heart."
Without Xiao Jizi, she would have died at the Noble Consort’s hands long ago, unable to wait for His Majesty to come.
She still remembered the Young Eunuch who had his clothes torn and lost his shoes, his face beaten to resemble a pig’s head in his clean-freakishness, all the while busy and worried for her sake when they had not been master and servant for even a few months.
On ordinary days, she was careless of heart, and it was Xiao Jizi who was always by her side, foreseeing her needs, reminding her, always putting her first in everything.
She could not disappoint such precious friendship.
When Nanny Qi spoke with her about promoting rank, she suggested elevating him to the level of an internal affairs eunuch at most, one or two grades above other servants—not too high, as it wouldn’t be good, both inwardly and outwardly.
She wouldn’t concede; she wanted to promote him by four grades in one go, insisting on elevating him to the rank of Managing eunuch—the highest rank within her Beauty’s capacity to bestow.
She knew it was what Xiao Jizi had dreamt of, and now that she had the power, why not help him realize this dream first?
She asked Nanny Qi if promoting Xiao Jizi to Managing eunuch would be against the rules, and if the Nanny was displeased.
Nanny Qi shook her head, stating that there was nothing wrong with it. Canglan Court could afford it, and there was nothing to be unhappy about; she was merely considering it for Lian Hua’s sake.
Internally, there was a fear that promoting him too high too swiftly would make him arrogant; promoting him more slowly meant there would always be higher ranks to strive for, thus encouraging one to work even harder with more dedication.
Externally, there was also the fear that...
Nanny Qi didn’t finish her sentence, but Lian Hua understood. Internally, she was allowed by the rules to have only one Managing eunuch. Not promoting him to the highest grade possible left room for another Managing eunuch to be appointed over Xiao Jizi if he did not perform well.
If Xiao Jizi were promoted directly to Managing eunuch and he performed poorly, it would be troublesome to appoint a new one in the future or to demote him.
And those outside who disliked her would take the opportunity to say that she was exploiting her favoritism, buying people’s hearts by promoting her lower servants to high grades all at once, creating trouble and slander for her.
She smiled and said to Nanny Qi that, after spending so much time together, she understood Xiao Jizi’s character well. She trusted him and had no intention of changing the person managing her affairs.
As for those outside who disliked her, they would never like her anyway. Since the promotion wasn’t against the rules, why should she care about what they said? She wasn’t concerned.
Nanny Qi sighed, ultimately acquiescing to her words and submitting the rank of Managing eunuch.
Having understood the implications of her words, Xiao Jizi accepted the garments. From then on, he was the Managing eunuch of Canglan Court.
After he understood, his mind whirred, going blank with shock; the desire he had harbored for so long had suddenly been realized, almost as if he were in a dream, seeming utterly surreal.
Dumbstruck, it was only when he heard that he had always been remembered by his own master that he jolted back to reality.
"Master..." he smiled, suddenly not knowing what to say.
He wanted to express his profound gratitude as usual, but as soon as he began the address, his throat seized up, making it impossible for him to speak.
He smiled again, lowering his head to hide it, and wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes with his hand.
Usually, his crying was loud but tearless, an act for show and amusement, unlike now, where a real problem seemed to calm him even more.
He was moved beyond words, his nose tingled with acidity, and the warmth around his eyes could not be held back.
Over the years, no matter how much he had been bullied, he never cried.
When he had plummeted from grace, transferred from Star Palace to Canglan Court, he did not cry.
When he had been beaten to a pulp by Zhang Sancai’s men, he did not cry.
It was only when something happened to his master, when he had just found His Majesty and saw hope, that he cried.
That time was different from this one; this time, it was a matter of joy, and just a few words from his master had stirred a desire to cry within him.
He thought, he had only done what his duty called for, anyone else could have done it, it was not worth mentioning, yet his master remembered his merit so firmly.
He looked up, trying hard to smile, to pretend as if nothing was significant, to say that it was his duty and he had done nothing worthy of credit, but his throat choked up, making it impossible to speak.
He tried to change his approach, to say something humorous like usual, but still could not manage it.
’A soldier would die for someone who appreciates him,’ he felt he could now truly empathize with that saying...
Xiao Qing, holding a tray, was on the verge of tears; ever since she had come to Canglan Court, Xiao Jizi had been instructing her on how to behave, and he had always protected her; seeing Xiao Jizi’s wish finally fulfilled brought her immense joy.
Pang Ya felt deeply touched; she had never seen a Palace Consort like Master Lian who truly regarded her servants with such genuine care, transcending class barriers.
Xiao Jizi and Xiao Qing shared hardships alongside Master Lian, their master-servant bond deep and profound, so her presence felt inappropriate.
She quietly left, thinking of going back to keep company with Nanny Qi, who had always treated her well.
Lian Hua looked at Xiao Jizi, feeling a great deal of emotion. Usually given to jest and banter, this day he was at a loss for words.
She was also unskilled in handling such moments. She only wanted to let Xiao Jizi know that she remembered their kindness, not to bring them to tears, which now made her feel like crying as well.
She cleared her throat loudly as if to break the present mood and spoke in her normal tone, "Alright, alright, Xiao Jizi, get up and change quickly. Xiao Qing and I have been eager to see what you’d look like in your new attire."
"Okay." Xiao Jizi managed to squeeze out the word with a smile, his voice constricted in his throat, and acknowledged her.
He rose to his feet as told, bowed his head, and pretended to casually wipe his eyes with his sleeve, the visible tears glistening.
Lian Hua couldn’t bear it; just watching him was making her eyes moist.
She blinked away the wetness and looked elsewhere, "Oh, Xiao Jizi, you’re just becoming a Managing Eunuch, don’t be like this, it’s a happy occasion, you should be joyful."
Thinking of something more, she added, "This is just the beginning. We should look further ahead. There is still the chief eunuch, Great Eunuch, Managing Eunuch, Chief Steward..."
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268
- Page 269
- Page 270
- Page 271
- Page 272
- Page 273
- Page 274
- Page 275
- Page 276
- Page 277
- Page 278
- Page 279
- Page 280
- Page 281
- Page 282
- Page 283
- Page 284
- Page 285
- Page 286
- Page 287
- Page 288
- Page 289
- Page 290
- Page 291
- Page 292
- Page 293
- Page 294
- Page 295
- Page 296
- Page 297
- Page 298
- Page 299
- Page 300
- Page 301
- Page 302
- Page 303
- Page 304
- Page 305
- Page 306
- Page 307
- Page 308
- Page 309
- Page 310
- Page 311
- Page 312
- Page 313
- Page 314
- Page 315
- Page 316
- Page 317
- Page 318
- Page 319
- Page 320
- Page 321
- Page 322
- Page 323
- Page 324
- Page 325
- Page 326
- Page 327
- Page 328
- Page 329
- Page 330
- Page 331
- Page 332
- Page 333
- Page 334
- Page 335
- Page 336
- Page 337
- Page 338
- Page 339
- Page 340
- Page 341
- Page 342
- Page 343
- Page 344
- Page 345
- Page 346
- Page 347
- Page 348
- Page 349
- Page 350
- Page 351
- Page 352
- Page 353
- Page 354
- Page 355
- Page 356
- Page 357
- Page 358
- Page 359
- Page 360
- Page 361
- Page 362
- Page 363
- Page 364
- Page 365
- Page 366
- Page 367
- Page 368
- Page 369
- Page 370
- Page 371
- Page 372
- Page 373
- Page 374
- Page 375
- Page 376
- Page 377
- Page 378
- Page 379
- Page 380
- Page 381
- Page 382
- Page 383
- Page 384
- Page 385
- Page 386
- Page 387
- Page 388
- Page 389
- Page 390
- Page 391
- Page 392
- Page 393
- Page 394
- Page 395
- Page 396
- Page 397
- Page 398
- Page 399
- Page 400
- Page 401
- Page 402
- Page 403
- Page 404
- Page 405
- Page 406
- Page 407
- Page 408
- Page 409
- Page 410
- Page 411
- Page 412
- Page 413
- Page 414
- Page 415
- Page 416
- Page 417
- Page 418
- Page 419
- Page 420
- Page 421
- Page 422
- Page 423
- Page 424
- Page 425
- Page 426
- Page 427
- Page 428
- Page 429
- Page 430
- Page 431
- Page 432
- Page 433
- Page 434
- Page 435
- Page 436
- Page 437
- Page 438
- Page 439
- Page 440
- Page 441
- Page 442
- Page 443
- Page 444
- Page 445
- Page 446
- Page 447
- Page 448
- Page 449
- Page 450
- Page 451
- Page 452
- Page 453
- Page 454
- Page 455
- Page 456
- Page 457
- Page 458
- Page 459
- Page 460
- Page 461
- Page 462
- Page 463 (Reading here)
- Page 464
- Page 465
- Page 466
- Page 467
- Page 468
- Page 469
- Page 470
- Page 471
- Page 472
- Page 473
- Page 474
- Page 475
- Page 476
- Page 477
- Page 478
- Page 479
- Page 480
- Page 481
- Page 482
- Page 483
- Page 484
- Page 485
- Page 486
- Page 487
- Page 488
- Page 489
- Page 490
- Page 491
- Page 492
- Page 493
- Page 494
- Page 495
- Page 496
- Page 497
- Page 498
- Page 499
- Page 500
- Page 501
- Page 502
- Page 503
- Page 504
- Page 505
- Page 506
- Page 507
- Page 508
- Page 509
- Page 510
- Page 511
- Page 512
- Page 513
- Page 514
- Page 515
- Page 516
- Page 517
- Page 518
- Page 519
- Page 520
- Page 521
- Page 522
- Page 523
- Page 524
- Page 525
- Page 526
- Page 527
- Page 528