Chapter 2

In the sixth year of Yongtai, the month of April found the ancient elm tree in the Imperial Gardens’ courtyard heavy with its seed pods. A few days prior, a greedy eunuch, craving elm seed bread and rice, had climbed the tree and plundered several branches.

Yao Xi, enjoying a rare day off, sat alone on a bamboo chair beneath the elm, her gaze fixed on the clear, post-rain spring sky through a tiny gap in the branches. A melancholic expression settled on her face.

It was her birthday.

To be precise, Yao Xi possessed four birthdays. One in the late 20th century, the day Sun Xibao, the original owner of her body, was born, the day she transmigrated and became Sun Xibao, and the birthday of the young eunuch, Yao, whose identity she now occupied.

Logically, she should celebrate the birthday of the eunuch Yao, having assumed his place within the palace. However, in Yao Xi’s heart, April 28th, 1998, remained her true birthday. Still, it mattered little. Eunuchs serving the Emperor received silver on their birthdays; even those rarely seen by him received red envelopes from their patrons.

Yao Xi had no patron. It was peculiar. Every year, a fresh wave of eunuchs entered the palace. Those handsome, eloquent, and likeable found patrons among the various government offices’ managers. Those of more modest qualities found favor with junior eunuchs or similar. Even those with flaws found themselves sought after by childless older eunuchs.

She, however, remained a neglected waif. She possessed the same beauty as the others, a silver tongue, and had mastered the art of adapting her speech and fabricating tales to suit her audience since entering the palace. Yet, it availed her nothing. No one claimed her.

In the palace, lacking a protector meant facing constant bullying. Fortunately, while Yao Xi lacked a powerful patron, she possessed a sworn brother. Zheng Dayun, one of the adopted sons of Eunuch Tang, the current head of the Imperial Household Department. Unfortunately, Eunuch Tang had recently dispatched Zheng Dayun to the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau, and he had yet to return.

In the year since entering the palace, her life in the Siyuan Bureau had been relatively comfortable. She enjoyed the luxury of a private room, a fact she attributed either to Zheng Dayun’s influence or to the secret instructions of the Sixth Eunuch who had purchased her for the palace.

Speaking of the Sixth Eunuch, Yao Xi found something inherently strange about his actions.

Eunuchs held considerable power during this era. While entering the palace as a eunuch was shameful, it guaranteed sustenance, and success could lead to wealth and influence. Furthermore, eunuchs’ families were exempt from taxes and corvée labor. Many desperate individuals resorted to self-castration to secure this livelihood, only to find themselves worse off, lacking the means to enter the palace.

Why did she not spend money to get connections in the palace, but instead got two hundred taels? Who was the young eunuch named Yao that she replaced? What was the purpose of the Sixth Eunuch bringing her into the palace?

There were many things Yao Xi couldn’t figure out. She had a hunch that the truth of this matter was not simple, but she didn’t dare to investigate, let alone ask anyone. If she was implicated in the fact that she was a woman, she was afraid that her life would be in danger. When Yao Xi thought of this, she couldn’t help but look down at her gradually bulging chest. Even if she was wrapped with a strip of cloth, she could still vaguely see the undulating curve. The body of a 17-year-old girl has almost developed. To be safe, she will have to wrap it tighter from tomorrow.

Yao Xi was sitting there thinking about something else when she heard the voices of eunuchs outside the courtyard gate. As soon as she heard the obscene voices, she knew that a beautiful palace maid must have arrived.

“What a bunch of losers,” Yao Xi said this while stretching her neck to look at the gate of the courtyard.

The location of the Siyuan Bureau was remote, and it was not their turn to deliver the allowances to the ladies in the palaces, so Yao Xi had few opportunities to see the palace maids. The eunuchs came and went around her. Most of the eunuchs were pale and thin, nothing to see. Moreover, because they had no place to vent their anger, they had no place to vent their anger at their masters and superiors, and over time, their personalities became a little… how should I put it… perverted?

The palace maids are still pleasing to the eye. There are more beautiful women in the palace than just the ladies and concubines. Each palace maid is carefully selected from the people. The palace only looks at the face when selecting people. It is not like beauty pageants with shady dealings. Those who can stay in the palace are not bad. It is rare for a beautiful woman to come to the Siyuan Bureau, and Yao Xi also wants to take the opportunity to feast her eyes.

Unexpectedly, the person who came was Aunt Hanqiu from Concubine Xu’s palace.

“Aunt Hanqiu,” Yao Xi quickly stood up and offered her chair when she saw Hanqiu coming. “Are you here to help Lady Xu get something?”

Han Qiu smiled at Yao Xi and shook her head gently. Among all the eunuchs in the Siyuan Bureau, only Yao Xi was likable. He was handsome, looked at people with a clean eye, and spoke with discretion. Moreover, the Siyuan Bureau was responsible for purchasing, and it was common for them to go out of the palace. Han Qiu would occasionally ask Yao Xi to help buy some small things. In this way, she was willing to help Yao Xi wherever she could.

“I came over to give you a message,” Han Qiu turned around and saw the eunuchs at the door still crowded and staring at her, so she leaned close to Yao Xi’s ear and whispered, “Something happened to Yu Gui, who was beside Lady Xu. Go to the Internal Officials’ Office and ask someone to help him out. See if you can transfer him to serve the beauty. Although our beauty’s position is not high, she is generous to the people who serve her. Haven’t you always wanted to save money to open a shop?”

Han Qiu also had her own selfish reasons for helping Yao Xi. The eunuch Yu Gui, who she had worked with before, was a dirty-eyed and even dirtier person. He had spoken rudely to her several times and shamelessly wanted to be her lover. She was afraid that the Internal Affairs Bureau would send someone over again, and it would be someone like Yu Gui, who was disgusting.

Yao Xi wanted to find a good job and save some money. She didn’t plan to be a eunuch for life. The longer she stayed in the palace, the greater the risk of being discovered as a girl. Of course, the sooner she got out, the better. But working as a small errand boy in the Siyuan Bureau would not save a few taels of silver. Without enough money to make a living outside, she could only stay in the palace to get food, drink, and shelter.

It takes money to find someone to help, and she has a lot of money. Her entire fortune is only a few hundred coins. Who would be interested in her few hundred coins? “It’s hard for Aunt Hanqiu to miss Yao Xi, but I have no connections and no money…”

Han Qiu took out two large paper bags from her sleeves and handed them to Yao Xi, saying, “Aunt knows you haven’t saved much money. The small bag is made of tea leaves I got when I served Concubine Li. The old tea is fragrant and worth giving away. The big bag is the snacks I made myself. Take the things to the person in charge of this matter and just say something sweet. People who have a say in the Internal Affairs Bureau won’t mind your little money.”

Opportunities are hard to come by, so Yao Xi didn’t act pretentiously. He thanked Han Qiu gratefully, accepted the two packages, and sent Han Qiu out. The eunuchs watching at the door saw the two of them whispering to each other for a long time, and Han Qiu gave Yao Xi two packages before leaving. The eunuchs thought that there must be something going on between the two, and they started to make a fuss again.

Yao Xi ignored everyone and sent Han Qiu out, taking his things with him to the Internal Affairs Office. Yao Xi went into the Internal Affairs Office and asked around, and heard that Eunuch Ye, who was in charge of transfers, had just sent a new servant to Concubine Kang’s palace and had not returned yet. Fearing that someone might get there first, Yao Xi went back into the palace and stood in the cherry blossom forest outside Concubine Kang’s palace, waiting for Eunuch Ye to come out.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, a patch of pink, and the wind blew gently, dropping petals all over Yao Xi. Yao Xi sat on a rock, took off her black hat, and shook off the cherry blossom petals that had fallen off the top of her hat. She lowered her head and concentrated on cleaning the petals, not noticing that there was a figure behind her.

Zheng Dayun had just delivered the account book of Jiangnan Weaving Bureau to the emperor, and personally delivered this year’s new cloth and Jiangnan specialties to the ladies in the palace. As soon as he came out of Kangpin Palace, he saw a pretty and slender figure looming in the cherry blossom forest. The person was wearing eunuch’s clothes, but had a more seductive figure than a girl. It could not be anyone else except his sweetheart Yao Xi.

The day before Yao Xi entered the palace, Zheng Dayun heard that a eunuch had come to the Siyuan Bureau, and he was very handsome. Although he was lustful, he was very picky, and there were not many people who looked like him. But as long as they were to his liking, it didn’t matter if they were male or female, even if they were eunuchs. Unexpectedly, Yao Xi was also a straightforward person. Zheng Dayun knew that Yao Xi had just entered the palace, so he considerately gave her some medicine and proposed to become brothers. Yao Xi agreed on the spot.

This bold love and hate, unabashed style of behavior made Zheng Dayun even more fascinated by Yao Xi.

Originally, they were willing to have a relationship, and something should have happened that night. But Zheng Dayun thought that Yao Xi had just entered the palace and her wounds had not yet healed, so he put aside the idea of ​​sleeping with her. As a result, not long after, his godfather sent him to Zhejiang. He hadn’t seen Yao Xi for more than a year. Although Zheng Dayun was a lustful man, he was loyal but not long-term. He would lose interest in people quickly, but he would only like one person at a time.

He thought that he and Yao Xi had become sworn brothers, and the novelty had not yet worn off. Since he had someone in his heart, he could not mess around with other women. During the more than one year in the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau, officials who wanted to please him sent him various beauties to enjoy, but Zheng Dayun resisted the urge to do so.

Yao Xi had no idea that Zheng Dayun’s so-called sworn brotherhood did not mean sworn brotherhood. She simply thought that she had a sworn brother. She had no idea that Zheng Dayun had made such a big “sacrifice” for her and had not eaten meat for more than a year.

Zheng Dayun originally wanted to go to the Siyuan Bureau to talk things over with Yao Xi in the evening after he finished his work in Beijing, but he didn’t expect to meet him here.

Yao Xi had been in the palace for more than a year, and she was no longer as skinny as when she first entered the palace. Zheng Dayun scanned Yao Xi’s body, imagining the feel of every part of her body. He was also worried that he had abstained from meat for too long, and his skills were rusty, so what should he do if he didn’t perform well?

Yao Xi didn’t know that Zheng Dayun was taking advantage of her in his mind, so she happily stood up and greeted him, “Brother Zheng? Have you finished your work at the weaving bureau?”

Zheng Dayun put away those messy thoughts and was somewhat proud when asked about official business. “I have found a way to improve the weaving speed of the loom. Starting this year, the cloth production of the weaving bureau will at least double.”

Yao Xi clapped his hands enthusiastically, with a look of admiration on his face.

“What’s your mission in the palace?” Zheng Dayun didn’t want Yao Xi to stay in the Siyuan Bureau. The work there was heavy. The purchased fruits and vegetables had to be moved into the palace in boxes and sorted by grade. Those that were not in good shape or had bruises could not be sent to the master.

After Yao Xi entered the palace, Zheng Dayun was the only one who showed her kindness. Moreover, with Zheng Dayun’s background, he had no intention of gaining anything from her. She had heard from other eunuchs that Zheng Dayun was a bit romantic, but Yao Xi didn’t care much about it. At least Zheng Dayun didn’t have that kind of intention towards her. As for human affairs, as long as both parties were willing and did not harm others, it was not a big deal in Yao Xi’s eyes.

There was no need to hide her desire to change jobs from Zheng Dayun. Firstly, they had a good relationship, and secondly, Zheng Dayun might be able to help. “I heard that there is a vacancy in the palace. I want to wait here for Eunuch Ye from the Internal Affairs Bureau to recommend myself.”

“You are well-informed.” Zheng Dayun stretched out his finger and touched Yao Xi’s forehead lovingly. “You just found out that the eunuch on duty in the Empress Dowager’s palace was assassinated, but that’s a tough job… If you really want to go, I’ll help you talk to the Internal Affairs Bureau?” Hardship aside, the key is that the Empress Dowager’s Ning’an Palace is the place with the highest chance of death in the entire palace. Zheng Dayun was reluctant to let Yao Xi go, but he said it casually, thinking of taking this opportunity to transfer Yao Xi to his side, so that he could take him with him when he went on long errands in the future.

Yao Xi knew how dangerous Ning’an Palace was. She was afraid that Zheng Dayun would really send her to the Empress Dowager’s palace, so she waved her hands and said, “No, no, no. I would rather end my life than go to the Empress Dowager’s palace…”

Yao Xi was about to say something when she saw Zheng Dayun’s face change. She remembered that some people are allergic to pollen and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong with you? Why did you suddenly lose your color?”

Seeing that Yao Xi was slow to react, Zheng Dayun could not take care of her for a while. Between life and love, Zheng Dayun resolutely chose life.

“Your servant Zheng Dayun greets the Empress Dowager.”