After Being Reborn as the Chief Eunuch Chapter 39

Chapter 39

The young nobleman had intended to “teach Ji Qingzhou a lesson,” but instead, he ended up falling flat on his face, chipping a front tooth, splitting his lip, and bleeding from the mouth. He looked absolutely pathetic.

That fall knocked the nonsense right out of him. He clutched his mouth in pain, groaning, and pointed at Ji Qingzhou with his other hand, clearly intending to settle the score.

His servants hurried forward to check his injuries, but he was so enraged he didn’t care. He picked up his horsewhip and signaled to his servants to help him teach Ji Qingzhou a lesson.

He had never been humiliated like this in his life. No matter what, he was determined to make up for it today.

“Beat him up!” the nobleman ordered, speaking through a mouthful of blood.

Instinctively, Ji Qingzhou took a step back—only then realizing that Li Zhan’s hand was still resting on his waist. The servants charged at him, but Li Zhan didn’t panic in the slightest. With one arm, he pulled Ji Qingzhou behind him for protection; with the other, he reached out, grabbed one servant by the shoulder, and gave him a push. The man lost his balance, stumbled backward, and collided with another servant. The two tumbled together—and knocked the just-recovered young nobleman to the ground again.

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter at the spectacle—such a scene was rarely seen in the capital.

The nobleman was furious, humiliated, and in pain—he nearly burst into tears on the spot.

“You just wait… If you have the guts, don’t run! I’ll find someone to break your legs!” the nobleman shouted.

The three—master and servants—scrambled to their feet and prepared to flee, but Li Zhan lifted his foot and kicked the basket Ji Qingzhou had thrown earlier. It struck the back of the nobleman’s knees, making him buckle and kneel on the ground.

“Riding recklessly in the crowded capital and injuring someone—don’t think you can leave without settling that account,” Li Zhan said coldly.

“Settle accounts? You want to settle accounts with me?” the nobleman spat blood and barked angrily. “Do you even know who I am?”

Ji Qingzhou glanced at Li Zhan, silently lighting a candle in his heart for the poor fool. You’d better not be the son of some high-ranking official, he thought, or your father’s going to suffer for this.

Before the young nobleman could shout out his name, guards from the City Patrol arrived and quickly surrounded them. The captain froze for a second upon seeing Li Zhan and was about to salute, but Li Zhan lifted a hand to stop him. Unlike the Imperial Guards, the City Patrol was responsible for maintaining order in the capital, not the palace. So few of them had ever seen Li Zhan in person, and most didn’t recognize him.

“These three caused a disturbance in the streets and injured someone. Hand them over to the Dali Temple for judgment,” Li Zhan said calmly.

“Yes, sir.” The captain gave the order, and several guards stepped forward to detain the trio.

The young nobleman raged, yelling, “Do you all have a death wish? Do you know who I am?”

The captain, clearly experienced, didn’t let him continue. Not wanting him to offend Li Zhan further, he stuffed a cloth into the nobleman’s mouth before he could say another word.

Once the three were taken away, the crowd dispersed reluctantly, still murmuring about the commotion.

Li Zhan glanced at the beans scattered all over the ground, then looked at Ji Qingzhou with a questioning expression.

“I was the one who threw them…” Ji Qingzhou admitted awkwardly.

Li Zhan took out a silver ingot and handed it to the bean vendor as compensation. Only then did he leave with Ji Qingzhou.

Just before leaving, Ji Qingzhou glanced once more at the shattered pill on the ground, looking heartbroken. But now that Li Zhan had shown up, he couldn’t exactly crouch down and scoop up powder off the street. So he walked away, turning back three times with each step, full of regret.

“Big brother…” Just a few steps later, a child’s voice called out to Ji Qingzhou from behind.

Ji Qingzhou turned to see it was the same child who’d nearly been trampled earlier.

“This is for you… Thank you.” The child held out a small pinwheel and handed it to Ji Qingzhou.

Ji Qingzhou blinked in surprise, then raised a hand to take it. The child turned and ran off.

As a breeze passed by, the little pinwheel in Ji Qingzhou’s hand spun with a cheerful creak.

Ji Qingzhou let out a small laugh, his mood slightly lifted by the spinning toy.

“This place isn’t anywhere near the teahouse. What are you doing all the way out here?” Li Zhan asked.

Ji Qingzhou’s heart skipped a beat. He lowered his head and fiddled with the pinwheel nervously as he replied, “I vaguely remembered someone once told me there’s a candy shop nearby… I thought, since I rarely get to come out, I’d buy some candy for His Majesty.”

“His Majesty hasn’t lost his baby teeth yet. He shouldn’t eat too many sweets,” Li Zhan said.

“Yes…” Ji Qingzhou responded. “I can always save them for myself.”

Li Zhan turned his head to glance at the youth beside him but didn’t say anything more.

Ji Qingzhou followed behind Li Zhan, weighed down by his thoughts. The two of them turned down two streets before finally stopping outside a shop.

Ji Qingzhou didn’t understand what was going on and looked at Li Zhan in confusion. Li Zhan, however, simply glanced at the shop’s sign and motioned for Ji Qingzhou to go in on his own. Ji Qingzhou turned and saw, to his surprise, that it really was a candy shop.

He quickly went inside and came out carrying two bags of candy. Li Zhan noticed that Ji Qingzhou still had the pinwheel in hand and looked a little encumbered, so he casually took the candy from him and carried it in his own arms before turning and walking ahead.

“I can carry it myself,” Ji Qingzhou said a bit embarrassed, not wanting Li Zhan to hold things for him.

Li Zhan ignored the comment and instead asked, “Do you know who that youth just now was?”

“Never seen him before… but judging by how arrogant he acted, I’d guess he has some backing in the capital,” Ji Qingzhou replied.

“Do you remember Qiu Lanxi?” Li Zhan asked.

Ji Qingzhou paused, thinking that it would be hard to forget. Not only had they had that memorable encounter at Fengxian Pavilion, but afterward, the Old Wang Ye had even tried to arrange a marriage between her and Li Zhan…

“That youth is Qiu Lanxi’s younger brother from the same mother. His name is Qiu Lanhui,” said Li Zhan.

Ji Qingzhou was surprised. What a small world, he thought. Of all people, it had to be someone from the Qiu family—whom the Regent despised—that bumped into them in broad daylight and even offended Li Zhan. This certainly complicated things.

The Qiu family had four children. The eldest was Qiu Lanting, followed by the current Empress Dowager Qiu Lanzhi. Qiu Lanhui and Qiu Lanxi were twins—one boy and one girl—born when their parents were nearly forty, so they’d been doted on immensely.

After the death of Old Master Qiu, the eldest son Qiu Lanting became the head of the household. He had a wife and children of his own to look after and naturally didn’t have the energy to rein in his younger siblings. This was how Qiu Lanhui became so spoiled and unruly.

“If Wang Ye knows this Qiu Lanhui, why didn’t he recognize you?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

Li Zhan’s expression flickered slightly as he replied, “Maybe he just has a bad memory… couldn’t remember what I look like.”

Ji Qingzhou nodded and didn’t ask further.

Later that day, after returning to the palace, Ji Qingzhou found time to go visit Tu Dayou.

Tu Dayou had been constantly worried about him. The moment they met, he anxiously asked, “How did it go?”

Ji Qingzhou sighed and lowered his voice. “That doctor you mentioned… is he really trustworthy?”

“Of course. If he weren’t, would I have sent you to him?” Tu Dayou asked. “Did something go wrong?”

Ji Qingzhou shook his head. “He only felt my pulse and then said…”

“Said what?” Tu Dayou grew more anxious seeing Ji Qingzhou hesitate.

But Ji Qingzhou felt awkward. Even though he already knew for certain he was pregnant, saying it out loud was still incredibly strange for him—a man.

“What is it? You’re killing me here,” Tu Dayou pressed.

“He said…” Ji Qingzhou’s face turned crimson as he looked away. “I… have that…”

“Have what?” Tu Dayou asked.

“That thing…” Ji Qingzhou gestured toward his stomach. “Don’t you get it?”

Tu Dayou froze for a moment and stared at Ji Qingzhou’s belly. After a long pause, he couldn’t help but reach out to touch it.

Ji Qingzhou immediately slapped his hand away, flustered and annoyed. “What are you doing?”

Tu Dayou awkwardly pulled his hand back and scratched his head. “I just… hey… since you’ve got one now, doesn’t that make me sort of an uncle? Or no—maybe a maternal uncle?”

“What are you even talking about?” Ji Qingzhou looked utterly exasperated.

Tu Dayou finally snapped out of it and said hurriedly, “Right, right… I got confused for a second. Don’t be mad.”

Ji Qingzhou became even more embarrassed by Tu Dayou’s reaction. His handsome face flushed red, and he didn’t speak for a while.

After recovering from the initial shock, Tu Dayou calmed down and asked, “What did the doctor say?”

“He gave me a pill. Said to take it at night…” Ji Qingzhou replied, frowning.

“Then that solves it, doesn’t it?” Tu Dayou said. “Why the long face? Don’t tell me you’re reluctant?”

Ji Qingzhou snapped, “I’m a grown man—what would I be reluctant about? I… I just lost the pill.”

“Then just go back and ask for another one,” Tu Dayou suggested. “Are you really sure about this?”

Ji Qingzhou nodded. “But the fifteenth has passed, and we can’t leave the palace.”

“No worries,” Tu Dayou reassured him. “Leave it to me. I’ll figure something out. Just don’t be too anxious—if we’re not absolutely sure, I can’t recklessly send someone out. If word gets out…”

“I know,” Ji Qingzhou nodded.

This kind of thing must never become public. If he had any other option, Ji Qingzhou wouldn’t have let Tu Dayou take such a risk.

“I can wait. Worst case, I’ll leave the palace again on the fifteenth of next month,” Ji Qingzhou said. “Now that it’s confirmed, it’s just a matter of getting the medicine. Don’t let anyone get leverage on you—I don’t want to drag you down.”

Hearing that, Tu Dayou gave him a light thump on the shoulder. Then, after a moment, he glanced at Ji Qingzhou’s belly again and asked, “Can I touch it?”

“No!” Ji Qingzhou barked, clearly annoyed.

Tu Dayou sheepishly withdrew his hand, then muttered, “If… if this child really were born, that wouldn’t be so bad. Your Ji family would have an heir.”

“Wake up. This is a Li family child!” Ji Qingzhou replied.

Tu Dayou sighed at that, his expression turning a little sorrowful.

Ji Qingzhou knew Tu Dayou cared about him. To him, this child had always been like a hot potato—something he was desperate to get rid of. He’d never dared to think beyond that. But Tu Dayou had, without hesitation, acknowledged the child’s existence in his heart. Even though he was helping Ji Qingzhou get rid of it, emotionally, he couldn’t help feeling attached.

Ji Qingzhou thought about it and felt a pang of sadness too.

It was just like when he had once felt pity for that stillborn child of Xiao Shan. Perhaps Tu Dayou was feeling the same way now.

“Brother Dayou…” Ji Qingzhou murmured.

“I know,” Tu Dayou said, placing his hand gently over Ji Qingzhou’s. “Don’t worry. No matter what, I’ll help you.”

Ji Qingzhou nodded and said, “If someday… we get the chance to leave the palace… and if I ever become a father again, I’ll definitely have the child recognize you as his godfather… When we’re old, he can take care of us until the end.”

Tu Dayou burst into laughter and replied, “Well, I can’t seem to get a wife anyway. When you get married, you and your family will have to feed and house me in my old age. If your wife complains, you’d better take my side.”

“Deal,” Ji Qingzhou said.

Only then did Tu Dayou nod in satisfaction.

The next day, news of the young master from the Qiu family galloping recklessly through the market spread.

During the morning court session, the censors brought up the matter one after another. The Office of Judicial Review even submitted detailed reports and testimonies, clearly intending to escalate the incident.

Li Zhan only glanced over the documents and made no comment.

And so, the matter was temporarily shelved…

“This is the first time I’ve found the censors so endearing,” Qin Zheng said with a grin as he flipped through the memorials accusing the Qiu family. “Now I understand why you value them so much. They’ve offended you time and again, but you’ve never gotten mad….”

Li Zhan gave him a side glance and said, “That’s what remonstrating officials are supposed to do—be upright and incorruptible, with no regard for personal gain or loss. In the entire court of Dayu, these clean-stream officials are the least selfish. If I were to silence them, I’d be blind in no time.”

Li Zhan had always been lenient toward the censors. Though he sometimes guided and used them to his advantage, most of the time, he didn’t interfere with their speech or actions. As the saying goes, honest words are hard to hear, but a wise ruler takes them to heart. Li Zhan had always been cautious in this regard.

Ji Qingzhou, who was helping Li Zhan grind ink on the side, couldn’t help but ask, “Is galloping through the market considered a serious offense?”

“It depends,” Qin Zheng replied. “If it’s during wartime or an emergency, and no one gets hurt, it’s usually overlooked. But that young master from the Qiu family has clearly been spoiled rotten. He rode wildly and injured people, showing blatant disregard for the law.”

“So the censors are impeaching him for being unruly and arrogant?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

“Smart,” Qin Zheng said. “Incidents like this aren’t uncommon, but few make it all the way to the Office of Judicial Review. The censors finally got a chance and are using it to rein in those playboys in the capital. Poor Qiu Lanhui became the perfect target…”

Ji Qingzhou sneered and muttered, “Serves him right.”

Li Zhan had been deep in thought, but upon hearing this, he looked up and glanced at Ji Qingzhou.

“But there’s one thing I don’t understand… If this is such a good opportunity, why don’t we strike while the iron’s hot and pressure the Qiu family?” Qin Zheng asked.

Li Zhan chuckled lightly. “It’s just a horse ride. Not worth it.”

Ji Qingzhou was thoughtful. Somehow, he sensed an unspoken sharpness in Li Zhan’s gaze when he said that.

That afternoon, someone came to Yinghui Pavilion with a message.

The Empress Dowager had gone to the imperial study and wanted to speak with Li Zhan.

Since the Empress Dowager was technically Li Zhan’s sister-in-law, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to visit Yinghui Pavilion directly. To avoid suspicion, she went to the study instead. The young emperor was reading there that afternoon, so calling Li Zhan over didn’t cross any lines.

Since entering the palace, Ji Qingzhou had only met the Empress Dowager twice.

Once was during her birthday banquet, and the other time was when he accompanied the young emperor to greet her, during which she asked a few questions about his studies.

Most of the time, she kept to herself, devoutly practicing Buddhism. She rarely saw even the emperor, let alone someone like Ji Qingzhou.

That day, the Empress Dowager wore a simple palace gown, looking modest and reserved. She wasn’t old—still under thirty—and because she took such good care of herself, she could have passed for a girl in her early twenties if dressed in brighter colors.

When Ji Qingzhou followed Li Zhan into the imperial study, the young emperor was reciting poetry to her. Upon seeing them, his eyes lit up and he nearly ran to them—but upon seeing the Empress Dowager, he held back.

She didn’t often see him, and the young emperor held a certain fear of her due to her imposing presence.

“I’ve come to trouble you today, Wang Ye. I believe you know what it’s about,” the Empress Dowager said bluntly.

“It’s about the young master of the Qiu family?” Li Zhan asked.

The Empress Dowager nodded. “That boy has been spoiled since childhood. After our father passed, there was no one left to keep him in check. My brother is busy day and night trying to bring honor to the family and pays no mind to such things.”

Ji Qingzhou was surprised. He hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to speak so candidly and without airs.

“After what happened today, my brother felt the Qiu family had lost face and came to me asking that I do whatever I could to protect him this once,” she continued. “But I’m just a woman—I don’t understand court matters. I leave the decision to Wang Ye.”

Ji Qingzhou: …

This plea was… rather half-hearted, wasn’t it?

Truly a woman devoted to Buddhism…

“I understand. Empress Dowager need not worry,” Li Zhan replied.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” She patted the young emperor’s ear affectionately, then left with her attendants.

Ji Qingzhou watched her back and couldn’t help feeling a trace of melancholy.

She had come under the guise of pleading for her brother, but in truth, she was simply fulfilling a promise made to the Qiu family—nothing more.

The Empress Dowager was likely the most esteemed woman in all of Dayu. Yet her eyes were empty, as if she’d lost all attachment to the world. Even the young emperor, her own son, probably held little weight in her heart…

Ji Qingzhou had seen many films and dramas portraying palace life, often repeating the saying, “Entering the palace is like sinking into the sea.” But it wasn’t until today, looking at the Empress Dowager, that he truly understood it. No matter how devoted the late emperor had been in life, all he left her in death was endless loneliness and despair.

The next morning, the Qiu family’s matter was brought up again.

Chi Zhou, the Assistant Minister of the Office of Judicial Review, personally submitted a memorial accusing Qiu Lanting of failing to discipline his younger brother and allowing his indulgent behavior to run rampant. The memorial was long and dense—Ji Qingzhou glanced at it and saw line after line. Who knew how many outrageous things the young master had done?

Because the Qiu family was of royal blood, the Office of Judicial Review couldn’t rule on its own and needed Li Zhan’s decision.

After listening to the officials debate for the entire morning, Li Zhan finally closed the memorial and said, “Youthful ignorance. Let this be a warning,” effectively treating it as a minor offense with only a verbal reprimand.

He then left court, ignoring all objections.

But Chi Zhou wasn’t willing to let it go. He followed Li Zhan all the way to Yinghui Pavilion and knelt in front, refusing to get up until he was granted an audience.

“There are many noble sons in the capital. If we let this go for the Qiu family’s young master, will we also excuse the sons of the Wang or Xie families next time?” Chi Zhou said, kneeling upright. “Please inform Wang Ye that if this matter goes unpunished, the Office of Judicial Review won’t know how to rule in future cases like it. We ask Wang Ye to set a precedent!”

Ji Qingzhou gave him a polite bow and went inside to relay the message to Li Zhan.

Li Zhan didn’t even look up and said coolly, “Let him kneel… Bring him in after two hours.”

Ji Qingzhou felt a little confused. He had thought Li Zhan and Chi Zhou got along well. He didn’t expect them to fall out over such a small matter. But then again, that was how rulers often were—Li Zhan was especially hard to read.

Though puzzled, Ji Qingzhou knew better than to press the matter. He stepped outside and stood beside Chi Zhou.

That day, Ji Qingzhou got a better sense of Chi Zhou’s character—he was clearly a very upright man. It wasn’t surprising that someone like him would butt heads with Li Zhan. Perhaps good ruler-minister relationships always involved some friction, Ji Qingzhou thought.

In any case, his sister was still at Chi Zhou’s residence. Ji Qingzhou didn’t dare offend him and had to stand with him. If Chi Zhou became angry with Li Zhan and it affected his sister, it would be a real problem.

By noon, the June sun was scorching. After just half an hour, Ji Qingzhou was already drenched in sweat.

Chi Zhou glanced at him a few times, signaling that he didn’t need to stay, but Ji Qingzhou didn’t budge. Surely he’ll appreciate how loyal I am, he thought.

Half an hour later, Li Zhan ran out of ink and called for someone to grind more.

Normally, this was Ji Qingzhou’s job. But when someone else came in, Li Zhan immediately looked up.

“Why is it you?” he asked the junior attendant.

“Ah… Your Highness, Ji Gonggong is outside with Assistant Minister Chi,” the attendant replied.

Li Zhan frowned and said, “Nonsense. Bring him in.”

The attendant quickly left to deliver the message, and moments later, Ji Qingzhou entered with Chi Zhou following behind.

Li Zhan looked up at Chi Zhou and said coldly, “Who told you to come in?”

Both men froze and exchanged awkward glances, about to step out again.

“Come back!” Li Zhan said, his tone sharp.

The two returned and stood quietly, heads lowered, waiting for Li Zhan to speak.

He noticed Ji Qingzhou’s flushed face from the sun and frowned. “Go get a bowl of mung bean soup,” he instructed the attendant.

Just as the servant was about to leave, Li Zhan glanced at Chi Zhou and added, “Make that two.”

The attendant responded and left. Ji Qingzhou glanced at Chi Zhou and saw him wipe the sweat from his brow. The man no longer looked like someone ready to die on the palace steps.

A moment later, Li Zhan said, “Sit. You’re blocking the light.”

Chi Zhou thanked him and sat down naturally.

Ji Qingzhou: …

He looked at Li Zhan, then at Chi Zhou—and suddenly realized:

These two had been putting on a show this whole time?

And he’d foolishly joined in, nearly getting heatstroke for nothing!

Love the drama and palace machinations? Buy Ciacia a coffee on Kofi to keep the intrigue brewing.

Tired of cliffhangers? The Zhouzhou Tier unlocks up to 5 chapters early, letting you peek behind the golden screens before the rest of the court.