Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

Upon hearing this, Bao Zhong hurriedly knelt down on the ground:

"Godfather, please calm down. I only want Consort Rong to know that someone is secretly taking care of her during her confinement. When she is released, she will naturally remember your kindness. I did all this for your sake."

Feng Xi glanced at him sideways, took a few puffs of his cigarette, and slowly exhaled smoke that drifted towards Bao Zhong's face. He scoffed:

"Does Consort Rong need to remember this? Consort Rong has always looked down on us eunuchs from the bottom of her heart. We're just tacitly agreeing and each taking what we can get."

"Godfather is right. I acted on my own initiative, please punish me, Godfather."

Bao Zhong pressed his forehead to the ground, struggling to hold his breath. The stench of foul smells, smoke, medicine, and perfume mingled together on Feng Xi's body, and he desperately suppressed the acid churning in his stomach.

"If our family wanted to punish you, why would we wait until now?"

Feng Xi straightened up, sat up in bed, and placed his feet on the bed steps. He bent down slightly and used the long pipe in his hand to lift Bao Zhong's chin.

Bao Zhong slowly raised his head. Feng Xi leaned close to him, blowing smoke mixed with his breath in his face. His fingernails dug desperately into the cracks between the bricks.

Feng Xi's tone softened somewhat:

"Bao'er, you were promoted by our family. Four years ago, you knelt in the snow and recognized us as your godfather. We know that in our hearts."

When you called me "godfather," your eyes were full of reluctance. You wanted to bring Jiang Shuoning out of the imperial tomb for that girl. Our family knows everything.

Bao Zhong looked up at Feng Xi's sinister face.

That old eunuch, nothing can be hidden from him.

He kept all his emotions to himself, his face remaining impassive.

"Godfather has discerning eyes. It was indeed because of her that I met you, Godfather. But I know in my heart that without your approval, she could not leave the imperial mausoleum or enter Yihua Palace. I have never forgotten what I owe you, Godfather."

Feng Xi squinted and tapped his chin twice with his pipe:

"Bao'er, I know you have feelings for her. Not to mention your feelings, I've had my own thoughts about that girl too. If I had taken her in earlier, what chance would you have?"

Bao Zhong's heart skipped a beat, and he dug his fingernails deeper into the crack between the bricks, an inch further.

"Godfather is too kind to her. She's just a palace maid. I'm keeping an eye on her for Godfather because I'm afraid she's too clever and might turn around and bite back, damaging Godfather's reputation."

Feng Xi stared at him for a couple of moments, then suddenly grinned, revealing a row of yellow teeth:

"Some time ago, Consort Rong intended to marry that girl to our family. We know exactly what she was planning."

You and Jiang Shuoning forced our family to stage a frame-up. If it weren't for your influence, our family wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess.

face?

These two words were like a blunt knife, slowly slicing across Bao Zhong's back.

That was the "face" he gained by giving away everything he had accumulated over the years.

When Feng Xi asked him to place people in other palaces, he did so; when Feng Xi secretly sold official positions, he ran errands and relayed the messages. He handled every single one of these matters.

When Feng Xi said "your face," he was actually saying, "I have your weaknesses in my hands."

He owes Feng Xi nothing.

The debt he owed to Feng Xi four years ago for kneeling down and calling him "godfather" has long been repaid. But Feng Xi will never feel that he has finished paying it off.

Bao Zhong, his forehead pressed against the floor tiles, spoke calmly: "Godfather flatters me. I have no face to speak of; I've just been running errands for Godfather more often."

Feng Xi didn't reply. Smoke slowly escaped from his cigarette, obscuring his face. After a long while, he finally spoke slowly:

"Bao'er, not only can you not think about that girl now, but you can't even think about us." Feng Xi lay back on the bed and smiled meaningfully: "Do you know why the Emperor was able to appoint a palace maid as a concubine? It was because we saw through the Emperor's intentions and paved the way for that girl."

Bao Zhong suddenly looked up at Feng Xi, his heart skipping a beat: "Does Godfather mean... that Consort Wei was sent up by Godfather?"

Feng Xi didn't reply, but instead smugly exhaled a puff of smoke, then changed the subject:

"Consort Liu is completely ruined. If her voice doesn't recover, she can't sing, and if she can't sing, it will be difficult for her to regain the emperor's favor."

As he spoke, he glanced leisurely at Baozhong:

"A concubine without the Emperor's favor is not even as good as us. You intentionally shifted the blame onto Consort Liu, so it's time to wrap things up so that the newcomers can have a chance. What do you say?"

Bao Zhong lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Feng Xi himself also gave a push behind the scenes regarding Suihe and Xiaoshunzi's affair.

Suihe's earrings, Xiaoshunzi's confession, and Rongfei's suspicion—all of these bear Feng Xi's fingerprints.

Now, in his mouth, it has become "you are intentionally trying to steer the conversation toward Consort Liu."

The bad things were all done by others; Feng Xi was just an onlooker, completely innocent.

Old eunuch. He really doesn't get involved in anything.

Bao Zhong swallowed those three words back and lowered his head, saying, "Son knows what to do."

Feng Xi waved his hand: "Go out."

(under)

Bao Zhong walked out of the duty room, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. His heart felt heavy, like a stone was lodged in it, making it hard to breathe.

The Emperor had taken a liking to Shuoning. Feng Xi had also planted a new pawn. These two events combined made him suddenly realize that Feng Xi had become wary of him.

It didn't just start today.

It's just that I'm only bringing this up tonight.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of ruthlessness and determination flashing in them.

He reeked of Feng Xi's scent. The smell of smoke, medicine, and that filthy, foul odor clung to his skin, impossible to wash off.

He raised his arm, and the cuff where Feng Xi had wiped his mouth still had a bit of dampness on it. Disgust welled up inside him, and he couldn't suppress it.

He quickly took off his outer garment and was walking down the steps when a young eunuch ran towards him. He threw the garment into his arms, his voice as cold as ice:

"I threw it away. I'll get a new one tomorrow."

Bao Zhong ignored him and walked straight ahead.

The young eunuch quickly embraced him, saying, "Yes, Eunuch Baozhong."

The night wind blew into his undergarments, the chill penetrating to his bones. Baozhong walked for a while, then suddenly stopped, pondered for a moment, and then walked towards the gate of the Imperial Household Department.

At midnight, dark clouds rolled in, pressing heavily over the imperial city, preventing even a ray of light from penetrating.

Yihua Palace.

Qing'er and Jiang Shuoning had just switched shifts. Qing'er walked out of the bedroom in a daze.

Fengchun, who was keeping watch at the door, saw that her face was pale and heard that she had just been scolded by Consort Rong. She clicked her tongue and came closer:

"Got scolded again?"

Qing'er nodded, looking aggrieved. Feng Chun frowned, seeing her absent-minded expression.

"Go back inside and rest. The way you look, even I'm scared, let alone the Empress. You look like a ghost."

At Feng Chun's casual remark, Qing'er trembled violently, grabbed his wrist, and stared wide-eyed:

"You...you saw a ghost too, didn't you? It's Suihe...Suihe has turned into a vengeful ghost to claim my life..."

Feng Chun was startled and hurriedly shook off her hand, taking two steps back.

"You're really crazy. Always talking about ghosts and demons. Even if Suihe comes back to take our lives, she won't be able to find us. If she's looking for anyone, it'll be the person who harmed her."

Upon hearing this, Qing'er nodded like a puppet, muttering to herself, "Yes...she's going to find the person who harmed her...she's coming for me..."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the backyard in a daze.

Feng Chun watched her retreating figure, muttered a curse under his breath, and then a gust of cool wind swept over him, giving him goosebumps. He quickly shrank back into the house.

Qing'er slowly made her way into the backyard, muttering to herself, "She's coming to take my life...she's coming for me..."

Suddenly, a white shadow flashed past her eyes, silently, as if it had come out of the wall.

Qing'er froze, her entire body stiffening, her eyes fixed on the direction where the white figure had disappeared. Her lips trembled for a long time before she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"...Sister Suihe?"

The white figure didn't turn back or stop; it disappeared into the darkness in the corner in the blink of an eye.

Qing'er took two steps forward, then suddenly stopped, as if she had been pulled back by something.

She suddenly squatted down, covered her head with her hands, huddled against the wall, and cried uncontrollably.

"Sister Suihe... I was wrong... It's all my fault..."