After Being Reborn as the Chief Eunuch Chapter 56

Chapter 56

In the following days, the format of the martial competitions became increasingly complex. Ji Qingzhou, who had no knowledge of military affairs whatsoever, found it difficult to stay interested. So, he mostly refrained from joining in the excitement.

Seeing that Ji Qingzhou wasn’t interested, the young emperor naturally lost interest too.

And so, the pair—one tall, one small—spent their days either lounging in the tent eating nonstop, or wandering around with Dong Dong catching rabbits. The young emperor was no longer particularly obsessed with rabbits; every time Dong Dong caught one, he’d play with it for a while and then let it go.

“These past few days of competition—who’s been winning the most?” Ji Qingzhou asked Dong Dong.

Dong Dong, while keeping an eye on the rabbits to make sure none ran off, replied, “The Capital Garrison.”

Ji Qingzhou thought about it. At this rate, the risk of Young Master Qin’s father’s troop being disbanded seemed low. Li Zhan had originally intended to target the Western camp—he just didn’t know whether this entire martial tournament had been arranged by Li Zhan in advance.

“Is the Capital Garrison really that much stronger than the Western camp?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

Dong Dong gave him a glance and lowered his voice. “Both garrisons have actually sent their most capable soldiers to this competition—but the Capital Garrison has Wang Ye’s people in it.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingzhou had a flash of realization. So there really was something fishy going on.

“If the Western camp keeps losing, won’t they notice something’s wrong?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

Dong Dong gave a shrug in response. Ji Qingzhou immediately understood.

Li Zhan was blatantly helping the Capital Garrison win—and he probably meant to provoke the Western camp into reacting.

But what would the Western soldiers do once they were angered?

Ji Qingzhou looked around and noticed that over the past two days, there had been significantly more guards stationed around him and the young emperor than usual. This only confirmed Ji Qingzhou’s suspicions.

Li Zhan likely feared something unexpected might happen—so he placed extra protection around them. With no threats at his back, he’d be free to act as he pleased.

That afternoon, the young emperor grew tired after playing and said he wanted to go back and take a nap.

Ji Qingzhou led him back toward the campsite. From a distance, they could already hear the sounds of a heated argument coming from Li Zhan’s tent.

The shouting carried clearly through the canvas walls and drew quite a few curious onlookers.

As soon as people saw the young emperor approaching, they quickly bowed and stepped aside—but the arguing inside continued.

From the voices, Ji Qingzhou could vaguely recognize one of them as Xiao Tengyun, commander of the Western camp. Xiao Tengyun seemed to be saying something to Li Zhan with great emotion, his tone bordering on furious. But Li Zhan said nothing in response, making Xiao Tengyun sound as if he were shouting into the void—venting his frustration to no one.

“Is Wang Ye alright?” Ji Qingzhou turned to ask Dong Dong.

“Young Master Ji, don’t worry. Xiao Tengyun wouldn’t dare do anything to Wang Ye” Dong Dong quickly reassured him.

Just as he said that, Qin Zheng and Qi Jingheng walked over from a distance.

Qi Jingheng greeted Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor politely, while Qin Zheng headed straight into Li Zhan’s tent.

Moments later, Ji Qingzhou could hear Qin Zheng scolding Xiao Tengyun inside.

Then came Xiao Tengyun’s angry voice, snapping at Qin Zheng with things like “relying on your father’s power,” before storming out of the tent in a rage.

Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor stood at the side of the tent. Xiao Tengyun was so worked up that he didn’t even notice them as he passed.

“That man is scary!” the young emperor hid behind Ji Qingzhou and whispered.

Ji Qingzhou stared after Xiao Tengyun’s retreating figure and gave a cold snort. “Even a grasshopper jumps a little higher in autumn.”

But it wouldn’t be jumping for much longer.

That same day, news of Xiao Tengyun’s quarrel with Li Zhan spread quickly through the camp.

Even Xiao Shan and Guo Zi had heard plenty of rumors…

“I heard them say it’s because the Western camp lost badly in the martial matches, and their commander couldn’t accept it, so he went to argue with Wang Ye,” Xiao Shan told Ji Qingzhou. “People are saying the side that performs poorly in this competition is very likely to be disbanded.”

Ji Qingzhou fell silent for a moment, then asked, “And what are they saying about Wang Ye?”

“They said Wang Ye gave Xiao Tengyun a suggestion,” Xiao Shan replied. “That if he wasn’t convinced, he could challenge someone from the Capital Garrison again—even go one-on-one with Commander Qin if he liked.” Xiao Shan added, “But apparently Xiao Tengyun was completely speechless when he heard that…”

The facts were undeniable. The Western camp had already lost badly once—fighting again would just mean losing a second time.

And Xiao Tengyun, knowing full well that he was no match for Qin Xueqi, naturally wouldn’t want to seek out that kind of humiliation.

Li Zhan’s words had struck straight at Xiao Tengyun’s sore spot—no wonder he’d been so furious!

“Qingzhou, which garrison do you think His Highness will insist on disbanding?” Xiao Shan asked Ji Qingzhou.

At this point, the entire camp was discussing the matter, so there was no need to be particularly cautious when talking about it in private.

Ji Qingzhou replied, “Both garrisons are responsible for guarding the capital. Since the ministers all believe that one of them can be disbanded while the other remains, that suggests they don’t see both as necessary. But then, why did the late emperor set up two garrisons with the same responsibilities around the capital in the first place?”

Xiao Shan thought for a moment and said, “To keep each other in check?”

Ji Qingzhou smiled. “If it was about mutual checks and balances, then why disband one now?”

“I got it!” Guo Zi chimed in excitedly. “Wouldn’t it be better to cut each garrison in half? That way we can reduce the surplus troops while still keeping the balance between the two sides.”

Ji Qingzhou smiled at that but didn’t say anything. That had indeed been his suspicion, though he couldn’t be sure if Li Zhan had something else in mind. Still, he was eager to see what Li Zhan’s next move would be.

That afternoon, Li Zhan summoned officials from the Ministry of Appointments and the Ministry of War who had accompanied them.

Since Xiao Tengyun had previously caused a scene, all the ministers knew about it. Now, some were offering advice, suggesting that Li Zhan shouldn’t be too concerned with Xiao Tengyun. After all, it was inappropriate of him to confront Wang Ye just because he lost a competition. Why didn’t he ask himself why he lost to the Capital Garrison in the first place?

“You all witnessed the competitions. If you have any opinions, feel free to speak,” Li Zhan said.

“Wang Ye, the Western camp has grown complacent over the years, relying on the favor the late emperor granted them. It’s truly a shame,” said one minister from the Ministry of War. “Since there’s already talk of cutting back troops, I think the Western camp is the best place to start.”

Li Zhan’s expression darkened slightly, but he didn’t respond, instead shifting his gaze to the others.

“I also believe that disbanding the Western camp would be more appropriate.”

“Yes, the Capital Garrison has proven itself from commander to soldier—they’re clearly the stronger force…”

Everyone began speaking up in support of disbanding the Western camp.

But Li Zhan understood very well that their support didn’t necessarily mean they believed the Western camp was worse—it was more that they didn’t care which one got disbanded. Since Western camp had underperformed and its commander had clashed with Li Zhan, pushing to eliminate them was a convenient way to curry favor with him. Why not take the opportunity?

These ministers were steadfast on crucial matters, but on issues like this, they weren’t particularly rigid.

“The Western camp was personally established by the late emperor. To dissolve it entirely would be regrettable,” Li Zhan finally said. “After all, it’s only one round of competition. That’s hardly enough to draw absolute conclusions. Besides, while Xiao Tengyun may have spoken rudely, his loyalty to the emperor and the nation is not in question. I wouldn’t go so far as to punish him over this.”

The ministers were surprised—none had expected the Regent to be so magnanimous.

“Then what does Wang Ye propose?” one of them asked.

“We trim both garrisons, but reduce their numbers rather than disbanding either. What do you think of that?” Li Zhan asked.

The officials all nodded repeatedly, agreeing that this plan was sound.

This way, the two garrisons could still keep each other in check, and there would be no risk of one growing too powerful and developing ulterior motives.

On this matter, the ministers had been open to either option, so now that Li Zhan had presented a plan, none of them had reason to argue further.

“Have the Ministry of War draft a formal proposal,” Li Zhan instructed. “Once everything is finalized, I will personally announce it to both garrisons. Until then, everyone is to keep this matter strictly confidential. We must avoid causing unrest or panic within the ranks.”

The officials responded promptly, and with that, the matter was settled.

That evening, to celebrate the conclusion of the military contests, Li Zhan ordered a banquet to be held.

Though it had only been a few days since the initial gathering, the attendees were much the same. Yet, the atmosphere at this feast was entirely different from the last.

The two garrison commanders no longer exchanged pleasantries as they had on the first day. In particular, Xiao Tengyun wore a dark expression from the moment he sat down, and his subordinates were equally glum. Their collective mood cast an awkward shadow over the banquet.

Still, awkward or not, Ji Qingzhou remained highly curious—he had a feeling something would happen tonight.

The young emperor, infected by his curiosity, sat eating the roast lamb Ji Qingzhou fed him while darting glances around the room with wide, eager eyes.

“Is Your Majesty looking for something?” Ji Qingzhou teased.

“Are they going to fight?” the young emperor whispered in Ji Qingzhou’s ear.

Ji Qingzhou raised an eyebrow at him, and the two exchanged a knowing look.

The young emperor suppressed a giggle and returned to his food, though his gaze wandered a little less.

“Commander Qin, congratulations.” Qi Jingheng raised a cup toward Qin Xueqi across the table. “The display of skill from the Capital Garrison over the past few days has been truly impressive. No wonder my elder brother always spoke so highly of you. Seeing it for myself, I now understand he wasn’t exaggerating.”

Qin Xueqi nodded slightly and replied modestly, “You praise me too highly, Princess. We merely did what we could with the support of His Majesty and Wang Ye. We’re undeserving of such admiration from Your Highness and the prince.”

Though his words were humble, to the ears of those from the Western camp nearby, they sounded deeply grating.

What did he mean by “just a bit of effort”? So he casually used “a bit of effort” and still beat us—what did that make us?

Useless garbage?

One of the soldiers from the Western camp couldn’t hold it in. After downing a cup of wine, he slammed the cup down heavily and let out a cold snort, paying no mind to anyone around.

It seemed that Qi Jingheng had also realized something. After finishing her polite exchange with Qin Xueqi, she turned to Xiao Tengyun and said, “Commander Xiao, there’s no need to be disheartened. I thought the soldiers of the Western camp performed quite well. This was just a routine contest—it hardly counts as a real setback. Besides, don’t you people in the Central Plains have a saying? Victory and defeat are common in the life of a soldier…”

“Heh…” Xiao Tengyun sneered coldly and said, “And what would a mere woman like Your Highness know of military affairs?”

“I know a little, just a little,” Qi Jingheng replied calmly. “Before Commander Xiao, I dare not show off my limited knowledge.”

At this, one of Xiao Tengyun’s deputy generals interjected, “Since you know it’s showing off, why insist on making things unpleasant?”

“Watch your mouth,” Xiao Tengyun barked at him.

The deputy general quickly cupped his fists toward Qi Jingheng and muttered an unwilling, “My apologies.”

Xiao Tengyun, however, withdrew his cold expression and instead smiled as he said, “It was I who spoke out of turn. Though the princess is a woman, she keeps such close company with the Qin family’s second son—I’m sure he knows quite a lot about military matters. It’s no surprise he’s shared some with you.”

Xiao Tengyun had already been irritated, and now that he had been drinking, the alcohol went to his head. Provoked by Qi Jingheng, he ended up speaking rudely to her in front of everyone. The civil officials present, who valued etiquette highly, were visibly displeased upon hearing his remarks. Some were even prepared to speak up and correct him on the spot.

But Qin Zheng was quicker than anyone else. With a cold voice, he said to Xiao Tengyun, “Commander Xiao, what a fine man you are—losing face in the arena, then coming down to shout at a defenseless woman. Truly impressive.”

The soldiers of the Capital Garrison burst into cheers and applause.

Xiao Tengyun’s face immediately turned red, and his anger only deepened.

“I have offended, and I ask the princess to forgive me,” Xiao Tengyun forced himself to apologize, albeit unwillingly. Then he turned toward Qin Xueqi and said, “Today should be a celebration for Brother Qin. Not only did you win the competition, but now the Qin family’s second son has climbed high—looks like you’ll be marrying into Liang Kingdom as the princess’s prince consort soon enough, won’t you?”

Qin Zheng was furious when he heard this and shouted, “Xiao Tengyun, stop spouting nonsense!”

If it were only a joke at his own expense, he wouldn’t have minded. But Qi Jingheng was a princess of another nation. For Xiao Tengyun to ridicule her so openly in front of so many people was intolerable. Qin Zheng was so enraged he almost leapt up to fight.

“Oh? Is it that Xiao Tengyun is talking nonsense—or that Second Young Master Qin is feeling guilty?” Xiao Tengyun no longer held back. Emboldened by alcohol, he completely lost control.

There had already been swirling rumors in the military over the past few days. Combined with the repeated defeats of the Western camp during the competition, Xiao Tengyun had been under tremendous stress as commander. That afternoon, he had quarreled with Li Zhan. Afterward, Li Zhan summoned the officials from the Ministry of Appointments and Ministry of War and held a long discussion. Xiao Tengyun was convinced they were planning to disband the Western camp.

Now, in his heart, he was sure that Li Zhan had made the decision, and he felt completely hopeless. Provoked by Qi Jingheng and Qin Zheng, and emboldened by drink, all his frustration and anger surged to the surface.

“Oh… I nearly forgot,” Xiao Tengyun said with a mocking tone, “didn’t Second Young Master Qin have a thing with the prince of Liang Kingdom a few years ago?” As soon as those words were spoken, the banquet erupted into murmurs and shocked whispers. Xiao Tengyun continued, “What? Having a father as a commander wasn’t enough—Second Young Master Qin just has to cling to Liang Kingdom’s royal family? Failed to seduce the prince back then, and now you’re eyeing the princess…”

“Xiao Tengyun!” Qin Zheng completely lost it and stood up, ready to strike.

But Qi Jingheng calmly placed a hand on Qin Zheng’s shoulder and looked leisurely toward Xiao Tengyun, saying, “What’s the matter, Commander Xiao? Are you jealous?”

“I—” Xiao Tengyun hadn’t expected that response and was immediately choked by it.

Qi Jingheng went on, “But we in Liang are notoriously picky. Not just anyone catches our eye. I fear you might be disappointed, Commander Xiao.”

“You… you shameless woman!” Xiao Tengyun roared.

“Commander Xiao certainly knows shame well,” Qi Jingheng replied coolly. “You lost on the field and now bully a weak woman. Truly honorable.”

Qi Jingheng spoke with such composure and calm that she didn’t seem the least bit offended by the insult. On the contrary, it was Xiao Tengyun who, after being put in his place, turned red and pale by turns, with no outlet left for his mounting anger.

The atmosphere had grown tense, like a taut bowstring on the verge of snapping. Li Zhan immediately waved his hand and said, “His Majesty and I are both tired—let’s end things here for today.”

Everyone quickly responded in agreement. Seeing that Li Zhan didn’t pursue Xiao Tengyun’s breach of decorum in front of royalty, they all quietly noted that Wang Ye was indeed magnanimous.

In truth, Li Zhan had always given the court ministers a somewhat elusive impression.

At times, they felt the Regent was overly assertive. But just when they began to think that, Li Zhan would always make some unexpected decision—something that would soften their view of him and make them think he wasn’t so unapproachable after all.

And so, wavering back and forth like this, the ministers’ perception of Li Zhan remained suspended in this subtle gray area.

It was only later that Ji Qingzhou realized: the most dangerous thing about Li Zhan was his unpredictability.

Because he had lived through a lifetime, he knew each minister’s thoughts like the back of his hand, and thus knew exactly how to manipulate them…

After the banquet ended, Li Zhan began leading Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor back toward their tent.

But just then, a sudden commotion broke out behind them…

Li Zhan instinctively shielded Ji Qingzhou and the young emperor behind him, while his guards quickly raised their vigilance and assumed defensive stances. Moments later, a guard rushed over and whispered a few words in Li Zhan’s ear. His expression changed instantly.

At the same time, Ji Qingzhou saw the soldiers of the Capital Garrison forming a protective formation around Qin Zheng, who was running toward the tents with someone in his arms. Through the dim evening light, Ji Qingzhou could just barely make out that it seemed to be Qi Jingheng.

She was the only woman among them in the entire camp, and her attire was easy to recognize.

“What happened?” Ji Qingzhou asked urgently.

“It seems someone from the Western camp attacked the princess,” Dong Dong replied.

Li Zhan’s gaze darkened. He immediately ordered, “Convey my command: detain everyone involved—as well as anyone even remotely suspicious. They are to await my personal interrogation.”

Dong Dong looked as though he wanted to speak, but Li Zhan added firmly, “Do exactly as I said.”

“Yes,” Dong Dong had just turned to leave when Li Zhan added, “Bring Xiao Tengyun to my tent.”

Dong Dong nodded and left with his men.

Li Zhan then turned to Ji Qingzhou and said, “You take His Majesty back first. Don’t worry about what’s going on outside.”

“May I go see how the princess is doing?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

“Very well. Have Tang Shu examine her too,” Li Zhan said. After speaking, he reached out and gave Ji Qingzhou’s arm a firm but reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. It will be fine.”

Ji Qingzhou nodded. Every time Li Zhan said those words to him, he always felt deeply reassured.

Because Li Zhan had never broken his word. No matter the situation, he always seemed able to turn danger into safety.

Ji Qingzhou immediately sent someone to fetch Tang Shu and asked him to look at the princess’s injuries.

By the time Ji Qingzhou brought the young emperor to the Imperial Physician Courtyard’s tent, Tang Shu had already arrived.

Qin Zheng stood outside the tent, blood staining his clothes, his face as pale as paper.

Ji Qingzhou was worried the sight of blood would frighten the young emperor, but the boy gently tugged at his hand, signaling him not to worry, and obediently stood quietly by his side.

“What happened?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

“The people from Western camp tried to attack me, so I gave them a lesson…” Qin Zheng began. “But they got angry out of humiliation, and when I turned to leave, they ambushed me from behind. The princess… the princess was injured while trying to save me.”

Ji Qingzhou was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, his expression growing serious.

He could more or less picture the scene, but what surprised him was that the princess would risk her own safety to protect Qin Zheng. There seemed to be something unusual behind all this, but Ji Qingzhou hadn’t yet had time to sort through his thoughts.

Just then, several imperial physicians came out from the tent. Qin Zheng quickly stepped forward and asked, “How is she?”

“The princess wouldn’t let us treat her—only allowed Doctor Tang to stay,” one of the physicians said.

Qin Zheng frowned upon hearing this. He understood that Qi Jingheng, being a woman, had been injured in the chest. It was natural she wouldn’t want male physicians examining her. He grew even more anxious and made several attempts to go inside but ultimately restrained himself.

“Qingzhou, could you go in and check on her for me?” Qin Zheng asked.

“Me?” Ji Qingzhou replied quickly. “I’m a man too, you know.”

Qin Zheng scratched his head awkwardly. “That’s not what I meant. Don’t be mad… I was thinking… since you’ve taken the medicine, you wouldn’t have any improper thoughts toward women, right? She probably wouldn’t mind you going in.”

Ji Qingzhou considered it and found the reasoning fair. He handed the young emperor over to Qin Zheng and went into the tent with his hand covering his eyes.

“You’re no help. Switch with Qin Zheng,” Tang Shu’s voice called out suddenly. “I need someone stronger. You’re too weak to hold him down.”

Ji Qingzhou had no choice but to come back out and spread his hands toward Qin Zheng.

Qin Zheng’s face flushed red, then turned pale. In the end, he gritted his teeth and stepped into the tent.

“Come hold him,” Tang Shu said.

Qin Zheng paused, and when he looked up, he saw Qi Jingheng sitting cross-legged on the bed with her back to him. The upper part of her clothing had already been cut open by Tang Shu, revealing a lean and bare back. But it was more muscular and firm than he had imagined—there were even distinct, well-shaped lines along the muscles.

“Quit staring. Hurry up,” Tang Shu said impatiently.

Qin Zheng had no choice but to move sideways over. Kneeling behind Qi Jingheng, he reached out his hands but hesitated to place them down.

Tang Shu ended up grabbing Qin Zheng’s hand and pressing it onto Qi Jingheng’s back, pulling him forward until his entire body was pressed against hers from behind. Only then did Qin Zheng sense something unusual.

At such close distance, before he could even shut his eyes, his gaze landed directly on Qi Jingheng’s shoulder, neck, and collarbone—and in his peripheral vision, he caught sight of a clearly defined Adam’s apple.

Qi Jingheng had always dressed conservatively, her neck usually hidden under her collars. Qin Zheng had never had the nerve to stare at that area. But this unexpected glimpse nearly startled him out of his skin.

At the same time, he noticed even more things that didn’t match the image he had in his mind…

“Hold tight. I’m going to remove the arrowhead. Don’t let him move,” Tang Shu reminded him.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Qin Zheng tightened his arms around the person in front of him.

Tang Shu exerted force.

Immediately, a pained, stifled groan rang out by Qin Zheng’s ear. The voice, no longer disguised, was even deeper than his own.

Then, Tang Shu removed the arrowhead.

Qin Zheng suddenly felt the weight in his arms shift—the person he was holding went limp, their head dropping without warning onto his shoulder.

When he looked down, Qin Zheng saw, at the edge of the person’s forehead, a faint line where a disguise mask met real skin.

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