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That morning, Su Ning had just finished cleaning the courtyard of the Imperial Kitchen and was preparing to investigate the details of the palace guard rotation under the pretext of going to the storeroom, as usual, when an unusual sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, steady and orderly.

Immediately afterwards, the door was pushed open, and instead of the familiar Wen brothers, a middle-aged eunuch with a fair complexion, no beard, and sharp eyes entered. Behind him were two junior eunuchs who were meek but had a capable air about them.

Su Ning's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

Could it be that Hai Dafu's affair has come to light?

Or was it that my covert investigation was exposed?

The head eunuch's eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the courtyard, finally landing on Su Ning. "You, are you Xiao Guizi?"

"Yes...yes, I...I am indeed Xiao Guizi." Su Ning hurriedly bowed and stammered in response, his heart pounding wildly.

The head eunuch nodded slightly, his face revealing neither joy nor anger, and announced in a loud voice: "By imperial decree: Xiao Guizi, the eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen, is intelligent and prudent in his actions. Effective immediately, he is promoted to Imperial Eunuch and will serve in the Imperial Study of the Qianqing Palace. The handover will take place immediately. Please come with me to express our gratitude!"

Like a thunderclap exploding in his mind, Su Ning froze on the spot, his mind going blank.

A royal eunuch?

Kangxi's Imperial Study?

This...how is this possible? !
How could a nobody like me, who barely managed to hide by impersonating someone else and pretending to stutter, be directly promoted to the center of power?
This is absolutely absurd!
In a flash, a figure, a face with pockmarks, bright eyes, and a touch of arrogance, suddenly entered his mind—Xiao Tongzi!

That "Little Tongzi" who comes to him every day to gamble, learn wrestling from him, and has a sweet tooth!
Tong... Tongjia clan!

Wasn't Empress Xiaokangzhang, the birth mother of Emperor Kangxi, from the Tongjia clan?

He was originally a bondservant of the Han Chinese Plain Blue Banner, and was later elevated to a higher banner by the Manchu emperor!
How could I not have thought of that!

The name "Xiao Tongzi" already hints so clearly with the character "Tong"!
And that face covered in pockmarks... popularly known as "Kang the Pockmarked"!
Everything is connected!
He wasn't some favored eunuch; he was none other than the young Emperor Kangxi himself!
Unbeknownst to him, he had been gambling with the emperor, teaching him "gambling skills," and even throwing the emperor around in the cloth storeroom until he was completely disoriented...

Having figured all this out, Su Ning felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, and her back was instantly soaked in cold sweat.

In the emperor's eyes, how "disrespectful" were all his previous actions?
Is this sudden promotion a blessing or a curse?
Is it appreciation, a test, or... the prelude to settling scores later?

Seeing Su Ning standing motionless, the head eunuch frowned slightly. "Little Gui Zi? Why aren't you going to accept the imperial decree and express your gratitude?"

Su Ning suddenly came to his senses; any hesitation at this moment could lead to his death.

He suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud, buried his head deeply, and used all his strength to pretend to be extremely frightened and flattered.

Then, in a trembling, stuttering voice, he said, "This...this servant...this servant Xiao Gui Zi kowtows...kowtows to thank His Majesty for His grace! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! But...but this servant is foolish and crude, I fear...I fear I am unworthy of this important task, and I have offended His Majesty's eyes..."

The head eunuch seemed unsurprised by his reaction. "His Majesty has discerning eyes. If he says you're capable, then you are. Get up! Pack your things and come with me to meet the Emperor and express our gratitude."

"Yes, Steward!"

Su Ning shakily got up, with nothing left to pack. He followed the chief eunuch almost absentmindedly, through the palace and halls, toward the Qianqing Palace, which symbolized supreme power.

Every step felt like walking on cotton or on a knife's edge.

Finally, he entered the solemn and majestic imperial study.

The air was filled with a faint scent of ink and ambergris. Behind the imperial desk, a young man dressed in bright yellow casual clothes was holding a vermilion brush, seemingly reviewing memorials. Who else could it be but "Little Tongzi"?

At this moment, however, the carefree and unrestrained air about him was replaced by a more composed and dignified demeanor befitting an emperor.

The chief eunuch who led Su Ning in and his attendants quietly retreated to the side, standing with their heads bowed.

Su Ning dared not raise his head, quickly stepped forward, and knelt down again with a "plop," touching his forehead to the ground. His voice trembled and stuttered just the right amount: "This...this servant Xiao Guizi pays his respects to the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Emperor Kangxi put down his vermilion brush behind his desk, his gaze falling on the figure prostrate on the ground below, trembling slightly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

He cleared his throat and said in a deliberately slow but still clear voice, "Little Gui, raise your head."

Su Ning obeyed, cautiously raising her head, her face filled with fear, confusion, and disbelief, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet Kangxi's gaze.

Emperor Kangxi found it quite amusing to see him in this cowardly state, so different from his previous image as a "gambling expert" and "wrestling master."

However, he deliberately put on a stern face and questioned Su Ning, "What? A few days ago when you were with me... with 'Little Tongzi,' weren't you quite the smooth talker? You were teaching gambling skills and wrestling, you were so bold! Now that you know who I am, you've turned into a quail?"

Su Ning had already cursed "Kang the Pockmarked" a hundred times in his heart. "This servant...this servant was blind! I...I offended Your Majesty! I...I deserve to die! I beg...I beg Your Majesty to forgive me!"

He deliberately exaggerated his stuttering to the extreme, making him appear incoherent.

Seeing how terrified he was, Kangxi finally couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the deliberate dignity he had been maintaining instantly dissipated.

He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Alright, alright. If I wanted to punish you, would you still be kneeling here? Get up and answer me."

"Thank you... thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Su Ning stood up shakily, still bowing, not daring to stand upright.

Emperor Kangxi stood up, walked around the imperial desk, and stood in front of Su Ning, looking him over with great interest. "Let me ask you, who did you learn your gambling skills and wrestling abilities from? Hai Dafu doesn't know any of these."

Su Ning's mind raced, and she had already prepared her explanation. She stammered, "Your Majesty... before entering the palace, I... I mingled in the marketplace, and I've met all sorts of people, and I've learned some unorthodox skills... I'm not fit for high society. After entering the palace, under Eunuch Hai, I... I was always trembling with fear, and dared not reveal my true abilities..."

Kangxi nodded, seemingly accepting his statement.

He paced back and forth a couple of steps, his tone becoming serious: "I brought you to my court because I think you're clever, interesting, and... truly capable. In my presence, you don't need to be like those people, always meek and subservient, having to think things through before you speak. What I need is someone who can speak and get things done, understand?"

Su Ning felt somewhat relieved. At least for now, it seemed that the young emperor was genuinely interested in her, rather than trying to punish her.

He quickly bowed and said, "This servant...this servant understands. This servant will certainly do his best to serve Your Majesty."

"Hmm." Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. "From now on, you must be proper in front of me, but you don't need to be too restrained. When I'm tired, you must keep me company and help me pass the time."

"Yes, slaves follow the order."

Looking at the meek and submissive Su Ning before him, a meaningful glint flashed in Kangxi's eyes. This stuttering little eunuch seemed to be hiding many secrets.

Having him by your side might not only give you a playmate, but also an unexpected source of help.

For Suning, this sudden "promotion" has put him in the spotlight.

The original escape plan seemed to have become even more unattainable and full of unknown variables.

……

Inside the warm pavilion, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. The young emperor, Xuan Ye, stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the sky outside, which was divided into squares by the palace walls.

On the surface, promoting Xiao Guizi was a spur-of-the-moment decision, stemming from the ease and genuine enjoyment of gambling at the gambling table and the cloth warehouse. However, a deeper reason, like an undercurrent surging in his heart, was the powerful minister Ao Bai.

Now that he is sixteen years old, according to ancestral rules he should have assumed power long ago, but Aobai, citing his "advanced age," joined forces with the three regents, Sony, Ebilun, and Suksaha, to firmly grasp power in his hands.

In recent years, he has become increasingly arrogant, forming cliques, controlling the government, and treating the emperor as nothing.

Every time in the imperial court, facing the oppressive presence and unquestionable tone of Ao Bai's imposing figure, Xuan Ye felt a burning anger of humiliation within him.

However, he was by no means the kind of young man in "The Deer and the Cauldron" who succeeded solely through luck and Wei Xiaobao's mischief.

Under the careful guidance of his grandmother, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, he had long understood the ways of the emperor and knew how to be patient and act only after careful planning.

On the surface, Kangxi still maintained respect and reliance on Aobai, but in secret, he had already begun to make arrangements.

The young guards who trained daily in the cloth warehouse were the sharp blades he had carefully cultivated, prepared to be used to capture Ao Bai in a critical moment!

The emergence of Suning was undoubtedly an unexpected surprise.

This man is agile and his fighting style is cunning and ruthless, far surpassing that of ordinary guards.

What's even more remarkable is that Su Ning, despite his seemingly stuttering and timid nature, is actually quick-witted and a skilled gambler. The fact that he can remain unharmed under Hai Dafu's control shows that he is no ordinary person.

If such a talent could be recruited and put to use, it would undoubtedly be a brilliant move to deal with Ao Bai, a hidden weapon.

“Clever, interesting, and truly capable…more importantly, he has not been tainted by any faction in the court and has a relatively clean background.” Xuan Ye thought to himself, “By transferring him to the emperor’s side, I can observe him closely, bestow favors upon him, and slowly win his heart. He may be of great use at a crucial moment.”

Every decision the young emperor made involved a power struggle.

He believes that his move today was a well-thought-out and brilliant move.

However, this young emperor, who claimed to have grasped the art of ruling, would never have imagined that his supposedly brilliant move today would sow the seeds of disaster that could overturn everything!

Because he misjudged the most crucial point...

Suning is not a person of this world at all, and has no awareness whatsoever of being a "lackey"!

……

At this moment, Su Ning stood with his head bowed under the corridor outside the Imperial Study, seemingly getting acquainted with the new environment, but his heart was in turmoil.

After the initial shock and panic, extreme calm and a sense of danger quickly took over his mind.

“Kang Mazi promoted me not just because we clicked at gambling and wrestling…” Su Ning’s mind raced, combining his vague memories of this period of history from his previous life with his observations over the past few days. “He’s sixteen, but Ao Bai still holds all the power… setting up the storeroom… training wrestlers… Heh, I see! He’s after my ‘mysterious’ kung fu skills and wants me to be his secret weapon against Ao Bai!”

Having figured this out, Su Ning did not feel "flattered" at all; instead, he felt a chilling anger at being used and treated as a pawn.

He came from the modern era, and his soul was etched with the ideals of equality and freedom. This made him feel no affection for this feudal imperial power that treated human life as worthless, let alone any loyalty to a certain Manchu emperor.

In Suning's eyes, Kangxi's "appreciation" was nothing more than a tool for condescending exploitation.

Then, a bold, even insane, idea crept into his mind like a venomous snake:

"What if...Kangxi's plan to eliminate Oboi fails?"

"What if... this historically renowned young emperor hadn't successfully captured Ao Bai, but instead had been killed by Ao Bai instead...?"

The idea, once it came into being, carried a chilling allure.

People say that history has no "what ifs," but the very existence of Suning is the biggest variable!

He is familiar with the plot, possesses knowledge beyond his time, and has mysterious spatial abilities.

Why should I be forced to passively serve as a pawn, or go to great lengths to escape?

"Perhaps... I can play a little trick behind the scenes?" A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Su Ning's eyes. "To introduce an 'unexpected' event into this battle that should have been won? For example, at a crucial moment, a certain 'little eunuch' whom Kangxi relied on might make a trivial yet fatal mistake due to 'nervousness' or 'incompetence'?"

At this moment, Su Ning seemed to see it all: in the decisive moment at Qianqing Palace, Ao Bai would suddenly launch an attack, and "Little Gui Zi," who was supposed to assist in defeating the enemy, would "just happen" to block a guard's path, or "accidentally" knock over something and disrupt the formation...

In the chaos, Ao Bai's fist might just land on the young emperor...

Just imagining that scene gave Suning a morbid sense of pleasure from breaking the established trajectory and manipulating history.

"Kang Mazi, Kang Mazi," Su Ning sneered inwardly, "You think you're promoting a knife, but little do you know that this knife might slit your throat from an unexpected direction. You want to stage a grand drama of seizing power from a corrupt minister? Well, I'll add some excitement to it and see if history can be rewritten!"

When Su Ning slowly raised his head again and looked up at the top of the Qianqing Palace, which symbolized supreme power, his gaze was calm, but a dark flame had already ignited in his heart.

What was originally a simple escape plan has now quietly turned into something else entirely.

A silent battle for power, life and death, intertwined with personal grudges and mad thoughts, has begun in the depths of the palace.

Emperor Kangxi, who orchestrated all of this, was completely unaware that he had personally placed a deadly poison beside his pillow.

...(End of chapter)