Liao Yaoming had just arrived at the Imperial Household Department to deliver the account books when, unexpectedly, he encountered Yao Xi at the door.

Though there were many eunuchs at the Siyuan Bureau, Liao Yaoming didn’t know them all. However, he recognized Yao Xi from when he first entered the palace. Someone had taken care of the procedures for Yao Xi’s entry into the Siyuan Bureau. Although Liao Yaoming didn’t know where Yao Xi came from, he preferred to stay away from individuals with unclear backgrounds.

He had long considered transferring Yao Xi to another government office, but it seemed that other offices were already wary of him. Liao Yaoming sensed that Yao Xi’s background was not ordinary. Despite being the seal holder of the Siyuan Bureau, his position was in a remote government office, and there were many rumors circulating that Liao Yaoming was unaware of.

“What brings you here?” Liao Yaoming asked, already suspecting that Yao Xi had come to the Imperial Household Department to lodge a complaint. Even if she reported the missing items in her room to the higher-ups, they wouldn’t dare intervene, especially with Liao Bing’s situation. The higher-ups would likely give only a few dismissive words and let it go. Yao Xi had lost all her wealth and wouldn’t let it go easily, which would certainly lead her to approach Eunuch Zheng for help.

Yao Xi saw that it was Eunuch Liao, the seal holder of the Siyuan Bureau, and quickly bowed. “I have some matters to discuss with Eunuch Zheng. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done.”

“Yes,” Liao Yaoming said, leading his men into the Imperial Household Department. He wasn’t overly concerned about Liao Bing, after all, he was his nephew. Eunuch Zheng would hardly make things difficult for him over a lover, especially when they both worked for Eunuch Tang and saw each other daily.

Inside, Zheng Dayun was feeling down. Unable to shake his thoughts of Yao Xi, he was in a state of indecision. He had just returned from the weaving bureau, and his godfather, Tang Tang, had given him two days off. With nothing to do, Zheng Dayun felt even more lonely and dejected.

“Oh…” He sighed as he sat by the window.

“Brother Zheng?” A sweet voice broke his reverie.

Zheng Dayun, hearing the familiar voice, wondered if he was imagining things due to his obsession with Yao Xi.

“Brother Zheng? Are you there?” Yao Xi stood on tiptoe, peering into the room through the window.

Zheng Dayun saw a small figure outside the paper window, reached out, and opened it. Upon seeing Yao Xi’s face, his sadness lifted, replaced by joy. “Little one, have you thought it over and decided to follow me?” he asked, gesturing for her to enter.

Yao Xi walked into the room, standing before him with an aggrieved look. “Brother Zheng, I was at the Queen Mother’s Palace last night and didn’t return to the Siyuan Bureau. When I went back this morning, I found that my room had been robbed. Everything else is fine, but I’m upset about the things you gave me… I told the manager, but he ignored me…” Yao Xi squeezed out a few tears as she spoke. “No one has ever treated me so well before, and now, the things you gave me have been stolen.”

“I personally carried those items into the Siyuan Bureau, and someone dares to take them? They must be tired of living,” Zheng Dayun said angrily. He pulled out a towel and stood up to wipe Yao Xi’s tears away, pulling her into his arms. “Don’t be upset, leave this to me.”

Yao Xi tried to break free from Zheng Dayun’s embrace, but he pushed her back into his arms. Fear gripped her. Would Zheng Dayun force himself on her? Logically, if he did, there would be no recourse for her. She thought briefly about what would happen if he did—how would a eunuch, who had lost his manhood, feel any pain?

“I told you before,” Zheng Dayun whispered softly into Yao Xi’s ear, his voice tinged with distraction, “if you don’t have a powerful lover in the palace, anyone can bully you.”

Yao Xi understood his words but had no interest in eunuchs. Furthermore, if her true identity were revealed, she would be dead. Her best course of action was to navigate the palace carefully without getting too close to anyone.

“I understand,” Yao Xi said as she pushed Zheng Dayun away, her tearful eyes gazing up at him affectionately. “My family passed away when I was young, and I’ve been alone in the palace ever since. You’re the only one who’s ever treated me well. So, I truly want you to be my godfather.”

“You just want to irritate me!” Zheng Dayun poked Yao Xi on the head, pushing her aside as he walked toward the door. “Hurry up and follow me. Let’s clean up this mess at your office.”

“Okay, godfather,” Yao Xi replied, finally breathing a sigh of relief as she followed Zheng Dayun with a smile.

Meanwhile, Liao Bing had just seen the eunuchs bring the fruits and vegetables bought earlier into the warehouse. As he was preparing to sort the portions for the palace masters, he noticed Zheng Dayun and a group of eunuchs approaching the Siyuan Bureau’s warehouse.

“Zheng… Eunuch Zheng,” Liao Bing stammered, both startled and uneasy at the sight of the angry Zheng Dayun and the smiling, charming Yao Xi beside him.

“I heard you have the keys to all the rooms here,” Zheng Dayun said, eyeing Liao Bing suspiciously. Upon hearing that the lock on Yao Xi’s room had not been broken, he deduced that the person responsible for the keys was likely involved.

Liao Bing feigned confusion. “Yes, yes, yes. Eunuch Zheng, are you looking for something or someone? No need to go there yourself. Just let someone else fetch it.”

Zheng Dayun, uninterested in further pleasantries, pointed to Yao Xi and said, “My little brother lost some things in his room. You’re the only one who has the key.”

“I did open the door to Yao Xi’s room,” Liao Bing explained, trying to stay calm. “Last night, the Empress Dowager ordered us to check for Yao Xi, so we had to make sure he was in his room. I must have forgotten to lock it, and someone must have taken advantage of that. What was missing? It was probably stolen by someone from the yamen. I’ll go with you to search the rooms, and maybe we can find it.”

Zheng Dayun smiled and said, “Fine. Let’s start with my father-in-law.” He gestured to his men and added, “You all saw the things I brought back from Zhejiang. Look carefully.”

Liao Bing, hoping his explanation had cleared him of suspicion, began to panic internally. He had been instructed to dispose of everything, but his greed had stopped him. The things were valuable, so he’d kept them, including a jade sculpture and a pair of golden paperweights engraved with love poems.

The noise from the search was loud enough to draw onlookers, and soon, Liao Bing’s house, which was adjacent to the warehouse, was bustling with activity.

“Master, I found it! Take a look, is this it?” A little eunuch presented a golden paperweight to Zheng Dayun.

Zheng Dayun took the document, glanced at it, then handed it over to Yao Xi beside him. He ordered, “Don’t just stand there. Take him back for interrogation and make sure you don’t delay the work of the Human Resources Bureau.” Afterward, he pulled Yao Xi into a tight embrace and turned to the crowd. “Anyone who dares to bully Yao Xi again, don’t blame me for not showing respect to your Eunuch Liao.”

Yao Xi looked up at Zheng Dayun, whose presence radiated an imposing aura. With a grateful smile, she said, “Thank you, godfather.”

“Get lost!” Zheng Dayun sneered down at Yao Xi, then couldn’t help but smile. “Are you still heading to Ning’an Palace to stand guard tonight?”

“No, the Queen Mother assigned me to guard the Cold Palace.”

“You’re so lucky. Don’t be late again!”

“I know!” Yao Xi winked at Zheng Dayun.

Zheng Dayun felt a flutter in his chest but refrained from acting on it. Fearing he might overstep, he simply touched her head with a caring smile. “Go back to your room and rest. I’ll take care of the thief.” He believed that with enough kindness, Yao Xi would eventually come around.

---

An hour had passed since Zhu returned from Ning’an Palace, and she was still burping uncontrollably. As the dignified Queen of Daxing, the mother of the country, this behavior was anything but fitting.

“Everyone, leave. I need some rest… burp…” Zhu covered her mouth with a towel and gestured for everyone to exit. She needed a moment to burp freely.

However, the tactless maid not only failed to leave but stepped forward, offering, “Your Majesty, may I help you change your clothes?”

“Out! Get out!” Zhu was already in a foul mood, shouting, “If you’re still here when I count to three, I’ll have you beaten!” She knew that Wan Yi was forcing her to eat because of her resentment over the cutbacks in Ning’an Palace’s expenses.

It would have been fine if Ning’an Palace had not been demoted. After all, Wan Yi was now the Empress Dowager, from an older generation. Not relocating Ning’an Palace would have shown respect for her elders. Zhu, however, did this intentionally. When she became Crown Princess, Wan Yi had still been living a wild life among commoners. Zhu, who had entered the palace earlier and was older than Wan Yi, could not tolerate Wan Yi’s unruly behavior, especially after she was favored by the late Emperor.

On the pretext of the Empress Dowager setting an example for the harem, Zhu drastically reduced Ning’an Palace’s expenses.

She did not want to offend Wan Yi. She thought that Wan Yi, having her own secret funds, wouldn’t care about the small amount of money. What she didn’t anticipate was that Wan Yi would retaliate by luring her to Ning’an Palace for a trap. Zhu was still dealing with an upset stomach, and the taste of green grass lingered after rinsing her mouth.

Zhu was not the type to quietly suffer. After lunch, Emperor Mingcheng took a walk in the back garden to help digest his meal. Seeing that his hiccups had stopped, Zhu followed him there.

“Your Majesty…” Zhu’s face darkened when she noticed Concubine Yu accompanying Emperor Mingcheng.

“Your concubine greets the Empress,” Concubine Yu said sweetly, her voice trembling. She paid her respects to Zhu, but her eyes nervously darted toward Emperor Mingcheng, not even sparing a glance at the Empress.

“Why is the Queen here? I heard you were at Ning’an Palace for lunch with the Queen Mother?” Emperor Mingcheng asked as they walked slowly beneath the trees. It was a pleasant April day, though the heat would soon come.

Zhu replied, “Yes, I had lunch with my mother, and I have good news to share with His Majesty.”

“Oh?” Emperor Mingcheng raised an eyebrow. “What news?”

Zhu continued, “It concerns the national treasury. When the Queen Mother learned that I was cutting the harem’s expenses to ease the emperor’s burden, she praised my good intentions, but she said I hadn’t gone about it the right way. She also mentioned that the shortfall of more than two million taels of silver was not a big deal. I believe she is planning to use her private treasury to cover the gap in the national treasury.”

Emperor Mingcheng frowned. “Did the Queen Mother really say she would use her own treasury to replenish the national treasury?” He found it hard to believe. He had known Wan Yi for many years and was well aware of the type of person she was.

Zhu smiled and explained, “No, that’s not what she meant. She only said that I should leave the matter to her and learn from her.”

Emperor Mingcheng’s frown deepened. The more he listened, the more he sensed hidden motives. How did the Queen come to the conclusion that the Queen Mother would sacrifice her own wealth for the country? He was doubtful that Wan Yi would help with the treasury issue. What troubled him more was whether Ning’an Palace was up to something nefarious again.

“Has the Queen done anything to anger the Queen Mother?” Emperor Mingcheng asked, looking at Zhu with concern.

Zhu froze momentarily, then smiled and replied, “How could I?”

Emperor Mingcheng, seeing her forced smile, realized that Zhu had indeed offended Wan Yi. It wasn’t hard to guess that Wan Yi would retaliate, and she would certainly target the Queen. After all, they had been married for more than a decade, and the Queen had given birth to a son who was neither particularly bright nor endearing, and who bore no resemblance to her.

Emperor Mingcheng decided he would go to Ning’an Palace to plead on the Queen’s behalf and try to persuade Wan Yi to back off.

After a walk, he didn’t return to Qianqing Palace but instead headed directly to Ning’an Palace. However, to his surprise, Wan Yi was not there.

“Where is the Empress Dowager?” Emperor Mingcheng asked the palace maids.

“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager has gone to the Cold Palace,” replied the maid.