Chapter 86: Extra 14
Tu Dayou had been born into a poor family. Since his household could not afford to raise many children, he was sent into the palace to become a eunuch.
Among the many eunuchs in the palace, Tu Dayou was not especially outstanding. Aside from having a fairly decent appearance, he had almost no exceptional strengths. And as a eunuch, having clear features and a pleasant face did not bring him any real advantage.
During his youth, Tu Dayou often got into conflicts with the other eunuchs.
Because he was not clever enough and did not know how to curry favor with his superiors, yet he had a habit of meddling in other people’s affairs…
He was straightforward by nature and not the sort to endure losses silently. At first, no one really went out of their way to provoke him. But whenever he saw his companions being bullied, Tu Dayou could not help but stand up for them. Over time, he became the one who was constantly “taught a lesson.”
This pattern of being beaten every few days went on for several years, until he reached the age of fourteen…
That day, he was being ganged up on and beaten by several young eunuchs behind an artificial rock in the imperial garden. By chance, Ji Qinghuai—who had entered the palace that day accompanying Imperial Tutor Ji—happened to see what was happening.
Ji Qinghuai had originally just been passing by the rockery, but when he heard the commotion, he took a few extra steps to look. The young eunuchs who were doing the beating immediately stopped when they noticed someone coming. After Tu Dayou yanked the sack off his head, he saw Ji Qinghuai standing there.
At that time, Ji Qinghuai was only slightly older than Tu Dayou and was still a youth himself.
Although he did not enter the palace often, he could easily understand what was going on when he saw the situation.
In the deep palace, it was common for disputes to arise among eunuchs. Most people would have simply walked away and minded their own business.
But Ji Qinghuai did not intend to ignore it. Perhaps it was because, after pulling the sack off his head, the young eunuch instinctively bowed to Ji Qinghuai with a faint smile on his face. Or perhaps it was because the boy was about the same age as Ji Qinghuai’s younger brother, stirring his sympathy…
After they looked at each other for a moment, Ji Qinghuai said, “Little Gonggong, I seem to have gotten a bit lost. Would you be willing to show me the way?”
Tu Dayou was startled. He threw the sack aside, gestured politely for Ji Qinghuai to follow, and led him out of the imperial garden.
Ji Qinghuai had two guards following behind him, so he clearly was not actually lost.
Tu Dayou was not especially clever, but he understood that Ji Qinghuai was helping him out of an awkward situation.
“Where does the young master wish to go?” Tu Dayou asked.
“To the imperial study,” Ji Qinghuai replied.
Tu Dayou chuckled. “If you were trying to get to the imperial study, then you really did lose your way by quite a bit.”
“I entered the palace today with my father. He mentioned that the peonies in the imperial garden were in bloom, so His Majesty ordered someone to take me to have a look,” Ji Qinghuai explained.
Tu Dayou paused and asked, “Did you get to see the peonies?”
“No, I didn’t. I’ll leave it for another time,” Ji Qinghuai said.
Hearing this, Tu Dayou stopped walking. “The peonies in the imperial garden don’t bloom for very long. If you don’t come here often, you might not get another chance for quite a while. Let me take you back,” he said, turning around and preparing to lead Ji Qinghuai back the way they had come.
“You…” Ji Qinghuai said in surprise. “Aren’t you afraid of running into them again?”
“I’m used to it. At worst, I’ll just get beaten again,” Tu Dayou replied. “That’s nothing compared to missing the chance to see the peonies.”
Ji Qinghuai had not expected such an open-hearted response. Despite being bullied, Tu Dayou showed no bitterness at all, which truly surprised him.
“What is your name?” Ji Qinghuai asked as he followed him back into the imperial garden.
“My name is Tu Dayou,” Tu Dayou said. “Tu as in ‘map,’ Da as in ‘big,’ and You as in ‘have.’”
“‘Great Possession’—a name that follows the will of Heaven and accords with the times. It’s a fine name,” Ji Qinghuai remarked.
“You’re too kind, young master. My family was poor, so my parents just gave me a rough name, hoping I’d grow up sturdy and survive,” Tu Dayou laughed. “Since I get beaten so often, I guess I really have grown stronger. So the name works well enough.”
Ji Qinghuai laughed as well, feeling cheered by the boy’s personality. “My father named me Qinghuai—‘Pure Huai.’ It’s not nearly as auspicious as your name. Perhaps I’m destined to suffer some hardships in the future.”
“Now, now, young master, don’t say such things,” Tu Dayou replied. “You look like someone born to wealth and honor. You definitely won’t have to endure much hardship.”
Ji Qinghuai nodded, finding the boy’s sincerity and humor very charming.
After they finished admiring the peonies that day, Tu Dayou personally escorted Ji Qinghuai back to the imperial study.
After that day, Tu Dayou did not see him again for quite some time.
However, he later learned from others that Ji Qinghuai was the eldest son of Imperial Tutor Ji and was known for his talent and learning.
Tu Dayou thought to himself that someone like Ji Qinghuai would likely never have anything to do with him again in this lifetime.
Until, not long afterward, Tu Dayou was suddenly summoned by Yao Chang’an, the chief eunuch of the Inner Attendant Department.
Even though Tu Dayou served as a eunuch in the palace, he rarely had the chance to meet Yao Chang’an, and even less often did he get to speak with him. Being called in so unexpectedly made Tu Dayou feel uneasy, as he assumed he must have accidentally caused some sort of trouble.
He had never expected that after Yao Chang’an exchanged just a few words with him, the very next day he would be moved out of Yan Court and into Yao Chang’an’s own small courtyard, and that Yao Chang’an would directly take Tu Dayou in as his disciple. Such a stroke of luck was something everyone in the Inner Attendant Department dreamed of, yet it had fallen onto Tu Dayou’s head for no reason at all—something no one could have imagined.
“Master, I don’t understand. Why did you take a liking to me?” Tu Dayou asked Yao Chang’an after they had grown familiar with each other. “There are so many people in the Inner Attendant Department who are smarter and more capable than I am. Anyone would have been easier to train. Since you chose me, they all said…”
“They all said I must have gone blind?” Yao Chang’an replied.
Tu Dayou laughed. “So Master already knew?”
Yao Chang’an sighed. “I’ve been in the palace for so many years and have seen all kinds of clever people. Now that I’m old, I just wanted a quiet, steady person by my side. That day, Young Master Ji mentioned you to me, and I grew curious. I wanted to see what kind of boy could make him speak up for you.”
Out of that curiosity, Yao Chang’an met Tu Dayou once. After just that one meeting, he decided to keep Tu Dayou by his side.
“Young Master Ji?” Tu Dayou was a bit confused.
“He said you guided him somewhere that day, and it might have caused you some trouble. He was worried others would make things difficult for you, so he asked me to look after you,” Yao Chang’an said. “For the son of a Imperial Tutor to keep your matter in mind like that, you should remember this favor.”
Tu Dayou nodded when he heard this, but he couldn’t speak for a long time.
He had been sent into the palace by his family when he was very young and had practically been worn down as he grew up. He could hardly remember the last time anyone had cared about him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t imagine that a noble young master like Ji Qinghuai, someone who seemed to live high above the clouds, would actually keep the affairs of a lowly inner attendant like him in his heart.
Yao Chang’an told him to remember Ji Qinghuai’s kindness, and he never forgot it.
Not only did he never forget—it was as if he carved his benefactor’s name into the very depths of his heart. If he could, he would have burned incense and prayed for Ji Qinghuai’s blessings every single day.
Over the course of several years, Tu Dayou rose from a bullied little inner attendant to become one of the emperor’s most favored attendants.
Yet in all those years, he never saw Ji Qinghuai again.
After being assigned to serve before the emperor, he met Imperial Tutor Ji many times, but there was never any news of Ji Qinghuai.
It wasn’t until the time when the emperor fell gravely ill and the Ji family fell from grace…
That day, Tu Dayou was serving at the emperor’s side when the emperor flew into a furious rage at Imperial Tutor Ji, uttering words of deep wrath. Imperial Tutor Ji, however, remained calm and unyielding—he didn’t even kneel and beg for forgiveness. Tu Dayou was frantic and nearly dropped to his knees to plead on the Imperial Tutor’s behalf, but Yao Chang’an reacted quickly and pulled him back.
“Have you lost your mind? You’re just an inner attendant, and you dare to interfere in matters of the court? Do you think your head is too secure on your shoulders?” Yao Chang’an almost struck him afterward in anger.
Tu Dayou asked, “Does His Majesty intend to punish Imperial Tutor Ji?”
“Don’t ask about things that don’t concern you. Even a hundred of you couldn’t change what’s happening. All you’d do is make His Majesty think the Ji family was colluding with the Inner Attendant Department, and then their punishment would only be worse,” Yao Chang’an said.
Tu Dayou broke into a cold sweat. He knew then that the Ji family’s glory was likely at an end.
An emperor’s heart was never easy to predict. Imperial Tutor Ji had held great prestige in the court for years, and now that the emperor was critically ill, it was inevitable that he would become wary of him…
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the fate of the Ji family was decided.
Tu Dayou knew he could do nothing, but he desperately wanted to see Ji Qinghuai once before the young master was exiled.
He knew that what Ji Qinghuai had done years ago was probably just an act of compassion. They had only met once, spoken a few words, and admired the peonies in the imperial garden together. Strictly speaking, they couldn’t even be called friends.
He was only an inner attendant—how could he dare to think of being Ji Qinghuai’s friend?
Still, he regarded Ji Qinghuai as his benefactor, because in all those past years, Ji Qinghuai was the only person who had ever shown him any concern.
Yao Chang’an, of course, did not approve of his wish to see Ji Qinghuai.
The Ji family had fallen into misfortune, and anyone associated with them would meet no good end…
Tu Dayou had thought he would never see Ji Qinghuai again for the rest of his life.
Until one day, Prince Heng came to him…
Tu Dayou’s status was now completely different. After the late emperor passed and the young emperor ascended the throne, his position at court had become highly influential.
With Prince Heng’s arrangement, Tu Dayou finally managed to see Ji Qinghuai on the eve of his departure from the capital.
Even after so many years, Tu Dayou recognized Ji Qinghuai at a glance. However, the young master had spent a long time in the imperial prison and looked utterly destitute, nothing like the elegant nobleman he once was.
“And you are?” Ji Qinghuai failed to recognize him.
Tu Dayou crouched by the prison door and said, “‘Great Possession’—a name that follows the will of Heaven and accords with the times. Young Master once told me that this was a fine name, though I still don’t know what those eight words meant.”
“So it was you,” Ji Qinghuai said with a faint smile. “Tu Dayou.”
“Back then, Young Master asked Chief Steward Yao to look after me. Chief Steward Yao later accepted me as his disciple, and now I was fortunate enough to serve before the emperor,” Tu Dayou said.
Ji Qinghuai nodded when he heard this, his expression showing a great deal of relief.
Even though he had fallen to such a miserable state, his gaze remained firm and bright, without the slightest hint of despair.
“What I said back then was only in passing, just a small favor. The fact that you gained Chief Steward Yao’s trust was your own good fortune,” Ji Qinghuai said.
“Perhaps, to you, it was only a casual remark, but I never dared to forget that kindness. Now that the Ji family has suffered misfortune, I am only a lowly attendant…” Tu Dayou’s eyes reddened as he dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times to Ji Qinghuai. Ji Qinghuai reached out, wanting to stop him, but he was separated by the prison door and could not intervene.
“I have no way to repay you. In the future, every year on the Imperial Tutor’s death anniversary, I will go to the place where he was executed and secretly burn extra paper offerings for him. That will be my way of repaying Young Master Ji’s kindness,” Tu Dayou said, and then bowed once more.
Ji Qinghuai looked at him for a long while before speaking. “When a man dies, his light goes out. You don’t need to risk yourself doing such things… But if you are willing, there is indeed one matter I would like to ask you to help with.”
“Please tell me, Young Master,” Tu Dayou said.
“My younger brother is named Qingzhou. He was originally sentenced to exile along with me, but later he volunteered to enter the palace and become an inner attendant…” Ji Qinghuai said.
Tu Dayou had already heard of this and quickly replied, “Young Master Ji Qingzhou will officially enter the palace in April. Rest assured, I will protect him with my life.”
“There is no need to risk your life. Just look after him a little, and I will already be deeply grateful,” Ji Qinghuai said, bowing to him with great courtesy.
The next day, Ji Qinghuai set out for the place of exile.
In April, Ji Qingzhou entered the palace…
Tu Dayou had originally thought it would be very difficult for the young master to survive in the palace, and he had even prepared himself to make plans for him. To his surprise, however, only a few days after they met, the young master ended up saving Tu Dayou’s life.
It seemed that Ji Qinghuai had truly underestimated his younger brother.
After that, Tu Dayou and Ji Qingzhou became friends.
Time passed in the blink of an eye. From the moment Tu Dayou had muddle-headedly pledged himself to Prince Heng, to when he was “won over” by Ji Qingzhou and joined Li Zhan, only a few months had gone by.
Later, when Li Zhan arranged for Ji Qinghuai to return to the capital, he worried that Ji Qinghuai was still physically weak and would need someone capable to care for him on the journey. So he sent Tu Dayou to accompany him.
During those months in exile, Ji Qinghuai had suffered greatly. When Tu Dayou finally saw him, Ji Qinghuai looked even more worn and haggard than he had in the prison. Fortunately, Tu Dayou had made preparations in advance. Though they had to travel all the way back to the capital, he constantly found ways to help Ji Qinghuai regain his strength.
By the time they were nearing the capital, Ji Qinghuai’s health had recovered considerably.
Along the way, the two of them talked happily. Tu Dayou noticed that despite all he had endured, Ji Qinghuai showed no bitterness or resentment. On the contrary, while in exile he had even taken note of many local issues, planning to report them to Li Zhan once he returned to the capital.
At the time, Tu Dayou couldn’t understand how Ji Qinghuai could remain so calm after the Ji family had been so loyal to the late emperor yet suffered such injustice. Only later did he realize that the Ji family had never been loyal to the late emperor as a man, but to the Great Yu dynasty itself. A person’s loyalty to a nation does not change simply because one ruler betrays them.
It was then that Tu Dayou truly came to understand Ji Qinghuai.
As their group continued traveling toward the capital, with only a few days’ journey remaining, they were attacked by bandits outside a county town. Although Li Zhan had sent many guards to protect them along the way, the bandits had long occupied the area and were extremely difficult to deal with, and the group was scattered in the fighting.
The bandits had suffered heavy losses at the hands of the guards, so they turned their fury on the defenseless Tu Dayou and Ji Qinghuai and tried to kill them. During the chaos, the two were driven to a dead end. While protecting Ji Qinghuai, Tu Dayou was slashed across the neck, and blood immediately soaked half of his clothes.
Knowing they were unlikely to survive, Ji Qinghuai decisively grabbed the unconscious Tu Dayou and rolled down the hillside.
By sheer luck, they did not die. They lay unconscious in a ditch at the foot of the hill for an entire night, and the next day a doctor passing by on his way home happened to rescue them.
Ji Qinghuai had broken his leg, and Tu Dayou had lost so much blood that he remained unconscious for several days before waking.
But at least they had both survived.
“Are you stupid? No matter how tough your neck is, how could it withstand a blade?” Ji Qinghuai said after Tu Dayou woke, still shaken. “The doctor said that if the cut had been even half an inch deeper, or if the attacker had used just a little more force, your head would have come clean off.”
Tu Dayou grinned at him. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I couldn’t just stand there and watch you get killed.”
“Remember this in the future—no matter the situation, and no matter who it is, no one is worth risking your life for,” Ji Qinghuai said.
Tu Dayou still smiled. “I thought it was worth it.”
Ji Qinghuai looked at him for a long time, unable to say anything.
Later, after the two of them gradually recovered, Qin Zheng brought them back to the capital.
Li Zhan granted Tu Dayou permission to leave the palace, and Tu Dayou naturally went to the Ji residence.
Ji Qinghuai never asked him where he planned to go, and Tu Dayou never asked either.
In everyone’s eyes, Tu Dayou had become Ji Qinghuai’s personal attendant, taking care of his daily needs.
Sometimes, when Tu Dayou faced Ji Qinghuai, he found himself harboring all sorts of strange thoughts. He hadn’t understood those feelings before, but after seeing Ji Qingzhou marry Li Zhan and have children, he began to develop more worldly desires. He blamed it on the fact that after leaving the palace, he had no longer taken that special medicine from the palace.
But these thoughts were only private musings, never acted upon.
To Tu Dayou, Ji Qinghuai was like a phoenix perched atop a phoenix tree—just thinking such thoughts felt like an affront to him.
Moreover, after so many years in the palace, Tu Dayou’s body could no longer fully recover. This “imperfection” carried with it a subtle, inexpressible shame. Especially when he faced Ji Qinghuai, that sense of inferiority deepened in his heart.
In the past, he would never have thought like this. When he had no such thoughts, he could simply serve as an attendant without concern.
But once these desires stirred, all of his past experiences carried a sense of embarrassment, things that could not be shown to anyone.
Fortunately, Ji Qinghuai did not seem to harbor such thoughts himself, which, while disappointing in a way, also gave Tu Dayou some relief.
He felt that being able to serve Ji Qinghuai as a servant for his entire life was quite enough.
In the future, when Ji Qinghuai married and had children, he could still help the Ji family care for the young masters.
As long as Ji Qinghuai did not drive him away, he could hide his thoughts perfectly, ensuring no one would ever notice.
Until one day, Ji Qinghuai asked him about his plans for the future.
A chill ran through Tu Dayou’s heart, and a sense of foreboding suddenly took hold.
He realized that at some moment, one of his glances must have slipped, letting Ji Qinghuai perceive something.
A person like Ji Qinghuai would never allow someone with such base thoughts to remain by his side…
And who could accept that, really?
“I wish to serve you, Young Master, for my entire life. If you do not wish it, then I will serve as a mere household servant in the Ji residence,” Tu Dayou said.
“Why do you keep saying ‘servant, servant’? This isn’t the palace. You should get used to speaking differently,” Ji Qinghuai said.
“Yes,” Tu Dayou said, not daring to meet his gaze. Under Ji Qinghuai’s guidance, he had already corrected many of his old habits, but when nervous, he still occasionally slipped.
Ji Qinghuai paused to consider for a moment, then said, “In the past, our Ji family did not have many servants, only a few for guarding the house and estate. I kept you by my side these past days because my leg was injured and I needed someone to look after me. Now that my leg has healed, it is not right to have you following me without status or recognition.”
Tu Dayou did not know what he would say next, so he kept his head lowered, listening silently.
“You always seem tense lately. I do not know your thoughts, and when I ask, you say nothing,” Ji Qinghuai said. “Since that is the case, then let me speak… The Ji family does not need servants, nor do we need attendants… You…”
Ji Qinghuai stared at Tu Dayou for a long moment, then walked to a nearby writing desk. He opened a drawer and took out a small, rectangular wooden box.
He placed the box in Tu Dayou’s hands and said, “Take this and look at it. I give you three days to think it over… Whatever your answer, I will accept it.”
Tu Dayou held the wooden box and looked up at Ji Qinghuai. Ji Qinghuai’s expression was slightly unnatural, his ears tinged with a faint flush. Tu Dayou had rarely seen him like this and could not immediately read his intentions.
“Does Young Master intend to send me away?” Tu Dayou asked.
“The answer is already in your hands. Take a look, and you will know,” Ji Qinghuai said.
Tu Dayou nodded, took the wooden box, and returned to his quarters.
Ji Qinghuai had given him three days, and Tu Dayou had a feeling that whatever was inside was not trivial. So he delayed until the third day before opening it. Inside the box, he found a single pale-green jade hairpin.
The hairpin was made for a man. Its design was simple, but one could discern that a peony had been carved into it.
Although Tu Dayou had read very little, he knew what it meant to give someone a jade hairpin…
He stared at it in disbelief for a long moment, unable to accept it.
He even wondered if Ji Qinghuai had made a mistake…
But the peony engraved on the hairpin left no room for doubt. When the two boys had first met, the flower they had admired together in the imperial garden had been peonies.
Most men of the Great Yu dynasty wore jade hairpins, but he had heard of hairpins carved with bamboo, orchids, or even birds—never peonies. The peony, so grand and magnificent, was not considered appropriate for a man’s hairpin. Therefore, this jade hairpin must have been specially made by Ji Qinghuai, not bought from a shop.
Could it really be as he suspected?
Tu Dayou felt as if he were dreaming.
Ji Qinghuai had sent the hairpin, expecting Tu Dayou to respond the next day.
But three days passed, and there was still no reply.
Ji Qinghuai, who had initially felt confident, now could not help but doubt his own judgment.
Could he have misread Tu Dayou’s feelings?
Had all those small details and possibilities he had interpreted been merely his own wishful thinking?
If that were the case, sending the jade hairpin would have been far too forward.
Ji Qinghuai had never encountered such a situation in his life and was momentarily flustered.
Just when he was beginning to lose hope, a knock came at the door.
Ji Qinghuai rose to answer it, but when he opened the door, there was no one there.
He looked down in confusion and froze.
At the door, a fruit tray had been placed neatly, filled with an assortment of fruits.
Ji Qinghuai bent to pick up the tray, and after a moment, realization dawned on him. A smile slowly appeared in his eyes.
Tu Dayou was thorough—he had probably gathered every fruit in the capital and placed it here…
A gift of fine jade to the ruler,
And to him… a giant fruit tray?
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