Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 776 Eunuch Gathering
Gao Shiming folded his umbrella and leaned it against a stone bench outside the courtyard gate. Water droplets still clung to the umbrella, trickling down the ribs and quickly forming a small puddle on the bluestone slab. He straightened the hem of his rain-dampened robe, took two steps forward, grasped the door knocker, and gently tapped it, making a soft "tap tap tap" sound.

A moment later, the sound of light footsteps came from inside the door, and then the door creaked open halfway.

A eunuch of about seventeen or eighteen years old peeked out. He was wearing a light blue eunuch robe with a circle of fine white cloud patterns embroidered around the collar. His hair was styled in a neat little bun with an ebony hairpin inserted in it.

The eunuch, who had been wearing a welcoming smile and had his hand on the door, ready to open it, froze instantly when he saw the three people outside. He instinctively shrank back, his eyes becoming blank: "It's not Physician Xie. Who are you?"

The eunuch's gaze swept over the crowd twice before finally settling on Gao Shiming, who was at the head of the group. His brows furrowed slightly, as if he were trying to recall something, and he murmured, "You are..."

The eunuch felt that Gao Shiming looked familiar, but Gao Shiming had no recollection of the eunuch in front of him: "I am Gao Shiming, the newly appointed Director of the Customs Administration. I heard that Eunuch Liu Kejing from the Ceremonial Office is temporarily staying here, so I have come to pay my respects. Please inform him of my presence."

Upon hearing this, the eunuch's eyes lit up. He instinctively bowed and his tone became much more respectful: "Oh! So it's Mr. Gao!"

Gao Shiming paused for a moment, then carefully examined the eunuch before him—his features were delicate, his chin sharp, and he did look somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd seen him before. "You know me?"

"Student Liu Dian," the eunuch stepped back half a step and bowed deeply. "Greetings, Master Gao!"

Gao Shiming then realized: "You also came from the Inner Academy?"

Liu Dian straightened up, a shy smile on his face, and nodded in response: "In reply to Mr. Gao, I entered the Inner Academy in the 40th year of the Wanli reign. My original surname was Zhou, but I later changed it to Liu."

Gao Shiming still couldn't recall the other person's face, but that didn't stop him from putting on a familiar expression: "Oh, it's you! Zhou Dian. I remember now. When did you start working for Eunuch Liu?"

Liu Dian's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched slightly, a fleeting look of disappointment crossing his eyes—he clearly remembered that back in the inner study hall, Mr. Gao had praised his handwriting, but judging from his appearance, the teacher obviously didn't recognize him. He couldn't even remember his real name.

However, Liu Dian quickly composed himself and replied respectfully, "I became your godfather in the 42nd year of the Wanli reign. At that time, you were working at the Imperial Wardrobe. Later, you were transferred to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and I even accompanied you to visit you once, but you were too busy then and I didn't dare to bother you further."

Gao Shiming's expression froze for a moment, and he gave a rather awkward smile. How could he possibly remember any such visit? When he was working at the Inner Academy, hundreds, even several hundred, of eunuchs would enroll and graduate every year; how could he possibly remember them all?
Gao Shiming felt his face burning and quickly coughed to change the subject: "I see. Is your godfather in the yard now? Is he feeling better?"

Liu Dian's disappointment came and went quickly: "Yes, but my godfather is still a bit weak after getting up this morning. He's resting on the couch in the inner room right now." He turned to the side and gestured towards the courtyard, "Mr. Gao, and these two gentlemen, the rain outside hasn't stopped yet. Why don't you come with me to the hall for a while and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourselves up?"

Gao Shiming didn't move, but glanced into the courtyard: "If it's inconvenient for Eunuch Liu to receive guests, we won't go in and bother you. We can visit again another day when we have the chance."

"That won't do!" Liu Dian quickly shook his head, his tone earnest. "Since you've all come, how can you just stand outside for a while and then leave? You should at least come in and have some hot tea to warm yourselves up. If my godfather knew that I'd seen the guests off like this, he would definitely scold me later."

Seeing his sincere attitude, Gao Shiming stopped refusing. "Alright, then I'll take my leave."

Liu Dian immediately opened the gate and led the three of them into the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't large, with a bluestone path in the middle and several banana trees planted on both sides. Raindrops pattered on the broad banana leaves, making a soft "rustling" sound. At the end of the stone path was the living room, with clean wooden doors and windows. A dark yellow bamboo curtain hung on the door, and the tables and chairs inside could be vaguely seen.

Upon reaching the entrance of the main hall, Liu Dian reached out and lifted the bamboo curtain, immediately revealing a warm and inviting atmosphere—a small charcoal stove was burning in the corner of the living room, with a ceramic pot warming on it, and steam gently rising from it.

Inside the hall stood a polished octagonal table, flanked by several pearwood chairs. On the table sat a celadon tea tray and a celadon vase containing a sprig of fresh reeds. Beside the table stood two young eunuchs, about ten years old, with their hair in double buns and dressed in light green robes. Upon seeing someone enter, they quickly stood at attention, hands clasped, barely daring to breathe.

"Mr. Gao, gentlemen, please have a seat." Liu Dian led the three to the table and sat them down. He then turned to the two eunuchs and ordered them, his voice more somber than before: "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and make some tea?"

"Yes." The two eunuchs responded in unison. One of them hurriedly went to the shelf behind to get the tea canister that the post station had sent, while the other walked to the stove and carefully picked up the earthenware pot.

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Liu Dian watched as the two eunuchs bustled about with tea sets, then turned and cupped his hands in greeting to Gao Shiming and the others: "Mr. Gao, please have a seat. I'll go to the backyard to tell my godfather."

Gao Shiming was holding a cup of freshly brewed hot tea. His fingertips touched the warm porcelain bowl. He looked up and smiled, "Go ahead. We can just sit here and listen to the rain while drinking tea. That would be quite elegant."

Liu Dian responded with a "Yes," and then quietly left the living room.

The rain outside the courtyard hadn't stopped yet. Water droplets on the banana leaves trickled down their veins, "drip-dropping" onto the bluestone slabs, splashing up tiny water droplets. Liu Dian walked along the corridor toward the second courtyard, his steps light and slow, the soles of his shoes barely making a sound as they glided across the wet, slippery stone slabs.

The door to the main house of the second courtyard was slightly ajar. The bamboo curtain hanging above the door was wet from the rain and swayed gently in the wind. Liu Dian leaned closer to the door, listened for a moment, and then gently tapped the door with his finger, his voice very low: "Godfather, it's me."

Footsteps sounded quickly from inside, then the door was pulled open a crack, and a eunuch in his early twenties peeked out. He wore a dark blue eunuch robe with a subtle pattern embroidered on the collar, and his face was more composed than Liu Dian's; he was Liu Dian's senior apprentice, Liu Ce. Upon seeing Liu Dian, Liu Ce immediately frowned, brought his mouth close to Liu Dian's ear, and whispered in an almost inaudible voice, "Keep your noise down! Your godfather just fell asleep, and it's only recently that we've had some peace and quiet. Doctor Xie is here?"

Liu Dian quickly shook his head and lowered his voice, just like him: "It's not Doctor Xie."

"Then what are you doing here?" Liu Ce frowned even more and reached out to push him out. "Get out of here and don't bother your godfather, or you'll regret it."

"It's Mr. Gao!" Liu Dian quickly explained.

Liu Ce was taken aback, his eyes filled with confusion: "What Mr. Gao? Which Mr. Gao?"

“It’s Mr. Gao, who’s in charge of the Inner Academy,” Liu Dian said. Liu Ce, having been out of town for a while, couldn’t immediately recall Gao Shiming’s face: “Who exactly is Mr. Gao from the Inner Academy?”

Liu Dian was in a hurry, but dared not call Gao Shiming by his name directly, so he stood there stunned.

Liu Ce stared at him for a moment, his brows slowly relaxing as if searching through distant memories. After a long while, he finally spoke: "You're not talking about Mr. Yunfeng, are you?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Liu Dian was also recalling Gao Shiming's self-chosen name, and just as he thought of the character "Yun," Liu Ce pointed it out. With his thoughts flowing smoothly, he suddenly clapped his hands, "It's Gao Yunfeng, Mr. Gao!"

Liu Ce grabbed Liu Dian's hand, glared at him, and gestured for him to keep quiet: "Why is Mr. Gao here?"

Liu Dian was startled again, his ears slowly turning red. "I didn't ask for details. I just thought I'd tell my godfather first."

"You idiot!" Liu Ce raised his hand and gently patted the back of his head, his tone both reproachful and helpless. "How could you come without even asking why they came?"

Liu Dian shrank back and whispered in defense, "I remember Mr. Gao always saying that he's now the director of some newly established government office. Maybe he's on a business trip and stopped at a post station. He heard that my godfather is here, so he brought his men to pay his respects to my senior brother. Should we ask my godfather to get up?"

Liu Ce looked troubled, glanced back at the side room, and softened his voice: "Godfather has only been asleep for half an hour. If we wake him up..."

Before he could finish speaking, a slight noise came from the next room. Then, Liu Kejing's weak voice drifted over, somewhat hoarse: "What's all the noise about? If the doctor is here, please come in. Don't mutter at the door."

Liu Ce's expression changed, and he quickly pushed Liu Dian aside and strode into the courtyard. Liu Dian followed him. The curtain of the side room was half-lifted, and Liu Kejing could be seen lying on the couch, his elbows propped on the edge of the couch, trying to sit up. His face was pale yellow, and his lips were bloodless.

Liu Ce walked quickly to the bedside, reached out to support his arm, and said in a very soft voice, "Godfather, it's not a doctor, it's Gao Yunfeng. Mr. Gao has arrived."

"Gao Yunfeng?" Liu Kejing paused, his breathing becoming rapid. "Are you talking about Gao Shiming?"

Liu Ce did not answer, but turned to look at Liu Dian who was following behind him.

“Yes, it’s my godfather, that’s him.” Liu Dian nodded quickly and moved closer to the couch: “He also brought two eunuchs of the sixth or seventh rank, who are waiting in the front courtyard reception room right now.”

Liu Kejing remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful expression gradually appearing on his face: "Why would he come here?"

Liu Dian's heart tightened. He dared not admit that he hadn't asked, so he could only give a vague reply: "He must have gotten a new job, maybe he's going somewhere to do some research. He heard that you were here, so he came to pay his respects..."

Liu Kejing nodded and propped himself up to get out of bed: "Help me up, I'm going to see him."

"Godfather!" Liu Ce quickly pressed his hand down, his voice full of worry, "You've only just recovered and you're still feeling weak. Should I go and tell the doctor we can meet another day..."

"Another day? When will we meet again? He's heading south, and I'm heading north. Who knows when we'll run into each other?" Liu Kejing rolled his eyes at him. "Back when we were in the Directorate of Ceremonial, he took good care of me. Now that he's come all this way to pay his respects, what kind of behavior is it for me to lie here and refuse to see him? Hurry up, stop talking nonsense, and help me change my clothes."

As he spoke, he straightened up a bit more. Liu Ce didn't dare to stop him again and could only sigh helplessly, "Sigh, then I'll go get you some clothes."

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The rain under the eaves seemed to have lessened a bit, but the water droplets on the banana leaves continued to drip down from the tips of the leaves, "drip-drip" onto the bluestone slabs, spreading out in circles of light damp marks.

Before long, soft footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor, accompanied by a faint cough. Liu Kejing, supporting Liu Ce's arm, slowly walked over.

He had changed into a dark purple eunuch's casual robe, with a large, darkly patterned sunflower embroidered on the chest. The fabric was slightly loose, making his already thin frame appear even more frail. Liu Kejing's complexion was still pale yellow, his lips bloodless, and he had to catch his breath after taking a few steps. His left hand was unconsciously pressed against his chest, clearly indicating that he had not yet recovered from his illness. Upon reaching the entrance to the reception hall, he gestured for Liu Ce to step back, then, after catching his breath by holding onto the doorframe, he lifted the curtain and went inside.

The tea smoke was rising gently in the hall. Gao Shiming had just picked up his teacup, his fingertips still warm from the porcelain, when he noticed the swaying of the curtain. He immediately put down his teacup and stood up. Fang Zhenghua and Pang Tianshou, seeing this, also quickly stood up. All three of them composed themselves and waited at the table.

"Brother Xingjian." Gao Shiming was the first to greet him, cupping his hands in a respectful bow, his tone carrying a genuine familiarity, "It's been a long time. I never expected to run into you here at Hexiwu Post Station."

Liu Kejing raised his hand in return with difficulty, his voice hoarse from illness, yet still maintaining proper etiquette: "Brother Yongsheng, you're too kind. It has indeed been almost half a year since we last met." He paused, his gaze drifting to the rain outside the hall, and asked softly, "Having been away from the capital for so long, I wonder how His Majesty is doing lately?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Shiming's smile seemed to deepen: "I hope Your Majesty is well. Before I left the capital, I had the honor of seeing Your Majesty's face. He was truly a splendid figure, with an awe-inspiring presence that made one dare not look directly at him."

A hint of surprise flashed in Liu Kejing's eyes. For eunuchs like them who didn't personally attend to the emperor's daily needs, an audience with the emperor was a rare privilege. However, although he was curious, he didn't ask further. He simply nodded in agreement and then turned his gaze to the two men behind Gao Shiming: "May I ask who these two eunuchs are?"

"Oh, I forgot to introduce you." Gao Shiming stepped aside and pointed to Fang Zhenghua first, "This is Fang Zhenghua, the inspector of the Western Depot's External Inspection Division."

Fang Zhenghua immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a clear voice, "This humble Fang Zhenghua greets Eunuch Liu."

Upon hearing the name of the Western Depot, Liu Kejing immediately felt a sense of unease. His eyes narrowed slightly, but his face remained smiling as he raised his hand in a gesture of support: "So it's Eunuch Fang. Standing so upright and distinguished, truly a talented young man!"

(End of this chapter)