Chapter 11
The outcome of today’s literary examination was completely unexpected for Ji Qingzhou.
He never imagined that he would accidentally end up being selected.
Leaving aside the envious and jealous looks from the other eunuchs who were not chosen, even Ji Qingzhou himself was somewhat dazed. Despite his firm decision to avoid the original plot of the story, things still didn’t go as planned.
Becoming the young emperor’s attendant meant not only serving the emperor in his studies but also inevitably crossing paths with the Regent. The thought of being around that person made Ji Qingzhou feel a bit uneasy.
“Don’t worry, Wang Ye is very kind, and although His Majesty is young, he’s not troublesome; he’s easy to serve,” Tu Dayou encouraged Ji Qingzhou as they left the palace school. “If you serve well before the throne, who knows, in a few years, you might even earn the Emperor’s favor and be allowed to leave the palace. Then you could continue the Ji family line.”
Ji Qingzhou snapped out of his thoughts and asked curiously, “Why are you so concerned about the Ji family line?”
“I… I was just saying,” Tu Dayou replied, avoiding Ji Qingzhou’s gaze.
Ji Qingzhou sighed. His biggest concern now wasn’t serving the young emperor but rather the rumors related to Fengxian Pavilion. However, this worry didn’t last long, as a young eunuch soon hurried over to inform Tu Dayou about the events that had occurred in the palace that day.
“What did you say?” Ji Qingzhou was shocked and immediately questioned the young eunuch.
“You…” The eunuch, unfamiliar with Ji Qingzhou, still answered, “The whole palace knows about it now. While you were at the palace school, the news spread.”
Tu Dayou subtly tugged on Ji Qingzhou’s sleeve and asked the young eunuch, “Has the matter been resolved?”
“The Regent personally inspected the body, so there shouldn’t be any mistake. At least the eunuch department can finally rest easy,” the young eunuch replied.
After the young eunuch left, Ji Qingzhou seemed to realize something and suddenly turned to look at Tu Dayou.
Tu Dayou met Ji Qingzhou’s gaze with a calm smile, scratching his head but saying nothing.
Both of them knew this wasn’t the place to talk, so they silently returned to their small courtyard.
Soon after, Tu Dayou brought out a food box, placing the dishes and wine on the table, his mood visibly lifted. He poured wine for both himself and Ji Qingzhou, then picked up his cup and lightly tapped it against the other, downing his drink in one go.
Ji Qingzhou, however, didn’t touch his wine. Instead, he looked at Tu Dayou, lowering his voice to ask, “Did you kill someone for me?”
“Don’t look at me like that.” Tu Dayou reached out, intending to ruffle Ji Qingzhou’s hair but withdrew his hand halfway. “It wasn’t an innocent person, so don’t worry!”
Ji Qingzhou paused and asked, “Who was it?”
“The one who replaced the incense sticks at Fengxian Pavilion during the palace banquet, and the one who spread the rumors,” Tu Dayou replied.
So it was indeed the same person who tampered with the incense and spread the recent rumors. However, Ji Qingzhou knew that this eunuch was likely just a tool; the real threat lay with the person behind it all. But now that this tool had been exposed, it was likely that the mastermind would refrain from acting too quickly.
“You…” Ji Qingzhou looked at Tu Dayou in front of him, struggling to process the fact that he had killed someone. He wasn’t afraid or disgusted; after all, Tu Dayou had acted for his sake. But having grown up in a society governed by law, Ji Qingzhou found it hard to accept such a stark reality all of a sudden.
“How did you do it?” Ji Qingzhou asked.
“I had help; I didn’t do it myself,” Tu Dayou explained. “When I was applying medicine to your bruises before, I secretly memorized the locations of your injuries. Although it might not be perfect, since the body had been soaked in water, it should pass for the real thing.”
Hearing this, Ji Qingzhou finally understood. Tu Dayou hadn’t acted on a whim today. He must have planned this long ago, likely even before the rumors began spreading. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken the trouble to remember the specific locations of Ji Qingzhou’s bruises. As the rumors intensified, and as Ji Qingzhou resigned himself to his fate, Tu Dayou finally made his decision.
“You shouldn’t have gone this far for me!” Ji Qingzhou said.
“Let’s not talk about it anymore.” Tu Dayou handed Ji Qingzhou the cup of wine, saying, “Remember this well: the incident at Fengxian Pavilion had nothing to do with you from start to finish. The eunuch involved that night is now dead.”
Ji Qingzhou nodded in acknowledgment, feeling as though everything was a dream.
At the same time, his curiosity about the person behind Tu Dayou grew. Based on his guesses, the person who tampered with the incense at Fengxian Pavilion was likely connected to the Qiu family. Therefore, the person helping Tu Dayou must be from a different faction. This individual, who had managed to uncover the truth within days and quietly shifted the blame to the instigator without leaving any trace, clearly possessed far superior skills compared to the Qiu family.
Ji Qingzhou looked at Tu Dayou, thinking that this time, Tu Dayou had managed to avoid disaster. It was likely that this change would lead to unexpected developments in the future plot.
If that were the case, his own future might not be as bleak as he had feared.
The news quickly spread outside the palace. By the next day’s court session, it was concluded that the eunuch involved in the scandal at Fengxian Pavilion had committed suicide by drowning due to mounting public pressure.
The officials had initially focused on the scandalous behavior within the palace, showing little concern for the other person involved. Once it was known that the eunuch had taken his own life out of guilt, they lost interest in pursuing the matter further. The issue was considered closed.
No one in the court brought up the need to investigate the other person involved.
“Finally, it’s come to an end.” After court, Dong Dong helped Li Zhan change into his casual attire, expressing his relief. He had been worried that if the rumors continued to escalate, it might tarnish the reputation of his lord. Seeing that no one was pursuing the matter further, he felt a bit of relief.
However, Li Zhan didn’t seem to share the same sentiment. His expression, far from being relaxed, was marked by a hint of displeasure.
“Isn’t it good that the matter has come to this end?” Dong Dong asked.
“It’s not that I’m unhappy,” Li Zhan replied. “I just think it’s strange that while the scandal clearly involved two people, it seems like the other one has been completely forgotten.”
Dong Dong couldn’t think of much else and asked, “Does Your Highness wish they would continue pursuing the matter?”
“Forget it…” Li Zhan shook his head, deciding not to continue the topic.
After this incident, he suddenly realized his current situation in the palace. Previously, when he was not involved in politics, he paid little attention to palace matters and simply did his job. After the previous emperor’s death, he was suddenly thrust into the role of regent, which seemed to grant him significant power, but in reality, he had no one he could truly trust in the palace.
Despite his usual caution, he had been caught off guard during the palace banquet, almost causing a disaster. If that night’s unexpected eunuch hadn’t appeared, his blunder could have involved the Qiu family’s sister, and the consequences would have been unthinkable.
The eunuch who suddenly died in the Lotus Pool yesterday was not a suicide but had been murdered. Regardless of who was behind it, Li Zhan had to admit that there were dangerous undercurrents in the imperial city. If he didn’t plan carefully, he would face increasingly difficult challenges ahead.
“We need to have our own people in the Inner Attendant Department,” Li Zhan said calmly.
Dong Dong was pleased to hear this and quickly responded, “Your Highness is wise. It should have been done long ago.”
Li Zhan thought for a moment and asked, “You’ve been moving around the palace more often. Keep an eye out.”
“Your Highness, I believe there is someone quite suitable at present,” Dong Dong said.
“Who?” Li Zhan asked.
“Ji Qingzhou,” Dong Dong replied. “He is the son of your teacher and has a connection with you through that. Now that he is in the palace with no support or foundation, it is the perfect time to win him over.”
Everyone knew that Ji Qingzhou was favored by Chief Eunich Yao and would likely make a significant impact in the Inner Attendant Department.
Li Zhan smiled faintly, though the smile did not reach his eyes, and said, “Do you think you’re the only one who has noticed him?”
“Does Your Highness also?” Dong Dong asked.
Li Zhan replied, “Anyone in the previous dynasty who had personal interests to manage would probably have the same idea as you.”
Dong Dong was taken aback and asked, “Does Your Highness mean… that he might have already fallen into someone else’s hands?”
Li Zhan did not confirm or deny, striding toward the rear hall. He walked directly to the low couch and saw the young emperor, just having changed out of his morning court attire, leaning on the couch and looking drowsy.
Li Zhan picked up the young emperor and said, “Hasn’t he already been courted by His Majesty?”
Dong Dong was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, realizing what Li Zhan was referring to. However, it was clear that Li Zhan’s comment was meant as a joke. There was no definitive answer about whether Ji Qingzhou would be courted. Dong Dong did not dare to press further but resolved to keep an eye on Ji Qingzhou and, once he confirmed the young man’s reliability, to act swiftly to secure him for his lord, ensuring that no one else got there first.
With the rumors finally dying down, the people of the Inner Attendant Department felt a significant relaxation today.
After a brief period of shock, Ji Qingzhou quickly adjusted to his new role.
His duties required him to assist the young emperor with his reading and writing, so he did not need to accompany the emperor to court in the morning. He only had to wait outside the rear hall after court, ready to escort the young emperor once he had changed out of his morning attire and rested briefly.
On his first day of duty, he did not dare to slack off and arrived early, waiting outside the hall.
After a while, the door to the rear hall opened, and the regent, who was tall and imposing, emerged carrying the young emperor in his arms.
Ji Qingzhou looked up in surprise. The young emperor was nestled in the regent’s arms, still asleep. Despite the regent’s usual aura of cold detachment, he looked like a devoted caregiver in this moment.
In the original story, the regent had always been very distant with the young emperor, which allowed the protagonist to incite discord between them, deepening the rift.
But now, it seemed the regent was quite affectionate toward his nephew?
Before Ji Qingzhou could process this, Li Zhan approached him.
As Ji Qingzhou was about to bow, he suddenly felt the cold, sharp presence of Li Zhan close to him, which reminded him of that night at Fengxian Pavilion.
Then, Li Zhan’s low voice spoke near his ear, “Hold him steady.”
Before Ji Qingzhou could react, he felt his arms grow heavy…
Ji Qingzhou: …
The regent had placed the sleeping young emperor directly into his arms.
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of coffee for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
