Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

Zhou Zhengyin was taken aback, clearly not expecting him to respond like that. He opened his mouth, his face turning even redder.

Bao Zhong's lips curved into a smile. He turned and walked out, waving his hand as he did so.

"Just stay put. You have plenty of books to read and plenty of people to meet. What's the rush?"

Little Deer quickly followed, and as she slipped out the door, she secretly glanced back at Zhou Zhengyin.

Seeing that he was still standing there angrily, his face even redder than before, she quickly bit her lower lip to suppress her laughter.

Bao Zhong glanced at him, and he quickly shrank back and followed him out.

The gate closed, leaving Zhou Zhengyin alone in the courtyard.

He stared at the door, the rage in his chest growing stronger and stronger. Suddenly, he turned around and kicked a pebble on the ground with a fierce kick.

The voice emerged from the darkness again, a hoarse voice laced with sarcasm:

"Tsk tsk tsk, taking your anger out on him with stones? If you're so capable, go talk to him to his face."

Zhou Zhengyin pursed his lips and remained silent.

The voice was cold and gloomy: "They don't care about you at all. Whether you're angry or aggrieved, they won't even bother to argue with you."

What are you in his eyes? Just a child throwing a tantrum.

"No..." His Adam's apple bobbed. "Baozhong just... didn't want to make things awkward. He's actually a very nice person, cold on the outside but warm on the inside."

The voice in the darkness chuckled: "Don't want things to get awkward? Or do you simply not take you seriously at all?"

Zhou Zhengyin closed his eyes, his knuckles turning white from clenching his fist.

The sound continued, piercing like a knife's tip:

"He's only nice to you because of your aunt. Without your aunt, who would he even know? He asked you to spread that poem in the palace, even a three-year-old could do that."

This clearly shows that he doesn't think you're very capable at all. In his eyes, you're just a useless piece of trash. He might be polite to your face, but he wouldn't even bother to look at you properly.

Zhou Zhengyin's breathing became heavy, the veins on his forehead throbbed, and he gritted his teeth, saying:

"That's enough! He and my aunt are both protecting me and thinking about my safety."

The voice paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, as if it had heard a joke:

"Protect you? You're good at making excuses for them. You know in your heart that they're only concerned about your life or death because of your aunt. Without that relationship, you're nothing in their eyes."

Zhou Zhengyin suddenly opened his eyes, but the sound slithered back into the shadows like a snake. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

After a while, he slowly loosened his fist, his back already soaked with sweat.

Those words just now felt like they were spoken to him by someone standing right in front of him. Although he was trying his best to argue, he was inwardly very conflicted.

Thankfully, the sound finally subsided.

He glanced down at his palm, where several nail marks were tinged with blood. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and turned to walk towards the backyard.

At this moment, two eunuchs came from the backyard, looked at each other for a moment, and then ran to his side.

One of the chubby boys looked at him kindly: "You're the new guy, A-Yin, right?"

Ah Yin?

Zhou Zhengyin was taken aback when he heard this. Baozhong had changed his address to him, no longer calling him "dumb slave".

He was momentarily dazed, as if something was gently blocking his throat, and after a long while, he nodded: "Mm."

The two young eunuchs exchanged a glance, and the chubby boy immediately reached out to take the bundle from his shoulder, grinning.

"My brother and I were assigned by Eunuch Baozhong to serve you. Please feel free to ask us anything in the future."

The little dwarf next to him nodded in agreement:

"My name is Fu Dai, and this is my brother Fu Dou. We brothers have only recently entered the palace and don't yet understand many of the rules, so please bear with us in the future."

As Zhou Zhengyin listened to the two people addressing him with polite formalities and their faces filled with obsequious flattery, a strange and inexplicable feeling suddenly arose in his heart.

Over the years, no one has ever given him a second glance.

In Changmen Palace, everyone called him the mute slave, disliked him, and avoided him. Even when passing him something, they would keep a distance of three steps.

But now these two young eunuchs stood before him, their eyes filled with timidity, probing, and a hint of eager flattery.

It wasn't because of him as a person, but because of Baozhong's words, "I only consider you one of my people."

He suddenly felt like laughing, and his lips twitched but didn't curve into a smile.

So this is what it feels like to be respected, even if that respect is earned for you by someone else.

Thinking of this, he lowered his eyes, swallowed the bittersweet feeling, reached out and patted Fu Dou's shoulder, his voice soft but steady:

"Alright, go to the back and wait there. No need to be so polite."

Upon hearing this, the two brothers nodded repeatedly with excitement on their faces.

Fu Dou hurriedly led him to the backyard: "The house has been cleaned up for you, and the food is ready."

Fu Dai added from the side, "On such a hot day, your servant has prepared water for you. Wash up first before you eat."

As Zhou Zhengyin listened to the two of them making arrangements one after another, he didn't stop moving. The feelings in his heart slowly melted away, turning into something warm and comforting, settling in his chest.

He suddenly understood why his aunt was so desperate to climb the social ladder.

It's not for anyone else, I just don't want to be trampled underfoot anymore.

(under)

The purification room.

Bao Zhong came out, his face grave. Song Zhang's castration record was gone.

Just now, I heard Eunuch Tian inside mention that more than ten years ago, the eunuch's chamber caught fire. That night, the flames soared into the sky and burned down most of the room, turning the crotches of many eunuchs to ashes.

Everyone else's was there, except for Song Zhang's.

The fire did occur, but no one witnessed how much was burned or whose property was burned.

Grandpa Tian only came in the last few years, so he knew little about what happened back then, only that there was such an old story.

However, the former eunuch Li Yong, who had managed the records in the castration room for most of his life, passed away three years ago. As is customary, the palace sent him a condolence payment and funeral expenses to his home.

He remembered the matter; he was the one who handled it at the time. But once that person passed away, the secrets became a muddled mess that no one could explain.

Song Zhang was as if he had been gently peeled off the page, leaving no trace.

A eunuch who once served in Changchun Palace had no record of castration and no official record of entering the palace, yet he was able to stay in the palace peacefully for so long.

This is more suspicious than the act of smuggling.

Some things, the more you ask, the fewer people will know; and some traces, perhaps, were never intended to be found.

Thinking of this, Baozhong quickly left the purification room. Little Deer immediately caught up, looking puzzled, and asked:

"Father-in-law, the trail has gone cold. What should we do?"

"Let's go back to the Imperial Household Department first." Bao Zhong didn't stop walking. "I'm on duty tonight, and it's getting late. Let's go back and change our clothes, and we'll talk tomorrow."

Little Deer opened her mouth, wanting to ask something more, but seeing Bao Zhong's quick and hurried steps, she didn't say anything more and just followed him in silence.

As soon as Bao Zhong stepped into the Imperial Household Department, he heard a heart-wrenching scream:

"Steward Feng, please spare me... This servant knows his mistake..."

Feng Xi stood on the steps, squinting at Xiao Anzi, who was groaning incessantly on the long bench, and scolded him:

"You clueless scoundrel. You know the Emperor is overwhelmed with worries about the floods in the Northwest, and everyone in the palace is scrimping and saving. But you, on the other hand, are swaggering around with a bright jade pendant hanging from your waist."

If the Emperor sees this, it will be a slap in the face to our Imperial Household Department, making him think that our subordinates are living more lavishly than their master.

As soon as he finished speaking, two eunuchs swung their sticks and brought them down from the left and right, the muffled thuds mingling with Xiao Anzi's cries, echoing back and forth in the courtyard.

Upon hearing this, Bao Zhong recalled that he had previously given Xiao Anzi a jade pendant of excellent quality.

"Godfather, what's wrong?" Bao Zhong came to Feng Xi's side, glanced at Xiao Anzi, and pretended to ask, "Did Xiao Anzi do something wrong before the Emperor?"

Feng Xi snorted, "That brat has a jade pendant hanging from his waist, so bright it's obvious the Emperor saw it. If we don't beat him, who will we beat?"

Bao Zhong nodded, his tone flat: "He deserved it. He behaved improperly before the Emperor, damaging the reputation of the Imperial Household Department. My godfather's reprimand was justified."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Anzi abruptly raised his head, baring his teeth and glaring at Bao Zhong, about to shout, "It's clearly..."

"Xiao Anzi," Bao Zhong interrupted him, his gaze slowly settling on his face, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Your godfather is disciplining you for your own good. Remember, from now on, you need to know what you should and shouldn't wear. What do you say?"

The last four words were spoken softly, yet carried a meaningful ending, as if reminding someone of something.

Xiao Anzi lay on the stool, his buttocks burning with pain. The jade pendant was clearly a gift from Bao Zhong, yet now he was standing next to Feng Xi, saying it had nothing to do with him.

He clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together, but the words he was about to say never came out.

Bao Zhong didn't look at him any longer, turned to the side and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Feng Xi:

"Godfather, I'll go to the back to change my clothes first. It's time for my duty before the Emperor."

Feng Xi waved his hand, and Bao Zhong turned and walked into the inner room, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Xiao Anzi had often whispered sweet nothings to Feng Xi, but after this beating, it would be difficult for him to serve the emperor again.

He even wants to take his place, without considering his own capabilities.