As soon as Su Jin entered the warm pavilion, he knelt respectfully on the floor mat before the Emperor could speak.
The Emperor, sitting beside his desk, gently rubbed his temples. His voice carried a hint of fatigue after such a long day, especially since he had not yet fully recovered. "Is what Consort Xian said true? Do you truly have feelings for that palace maid?"
Selfishly, Su Jin wished with all his heart that Hui Ming would not be dragged into such danger. However, he was well aware of the Emperor's authority. The Emperor could easily see through his lies. More importantly, if he denied it now, Hui Ming, a mere palace maid, would be nothing more than a blade of grass in the Emperor's eyes. With such rumors circulating, even if only for the sake of the Emperor's dignity, Hui Ming would likely not live past this new year.
Su Jin had already thought through the consequences. In the few moments after Consort Xian had revealed the matter, he had made his decision. Therefore, he did not hesitate at this moment. He carefully allowed a trace of self-pity and bitterness to appear on his face. After a pause, he bowed deeply again, his face full of worry and fear. "This servant is guilty. I only beg Your Majesty for punishment."
The nearly sixty-year-old Emperor looked at Su Jin's bowed back and froze. He then looked out the window, his eyes filled with reminiscence as if something had come to mind.
Su Jin remained respectfully kneeling on the ground, waiting quietly. After a while, he heard the Emperor on the throne sigh softly, his voice filled with sorrow. "You are right. At your age, you would have already had children if you were outside the palace. If not for…"
The Emperor shook his head, seemingly unwilling to continue. When he looked at Su Jin again, there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. "I have wronged you…"
Although Su Jin had been prepared, he couldn't help but clench his teeth at this point. He feared that if he relaxed even a little, the resentment that filled his chest would burst out, consuming him entirely.
Wronged?
His Su family, the prestigious Duke Protectorate Manor, whose ancestors had helped the founding Emperor establish the dynasty, had been framed and destroyed! One hundred and sixty-three lives, all because of the dirty internal power struggles of the royal family! All those over ten years old had been beheaded, while those younger had been sold into slavery or prostitution.
The once glorious Duke Protectorate Manor was now branded as a traitor, leaving only him, a castrated eunuch, to live on. And all he got was this one, insignificant sentence: "I have wronged you"?
Wronged? He would like to ask his ancestors, the one hundred and sixty-three souls of his family lying in the ground, if they agreed with this "wronged"!
Even the Emperor could bully people too much!
However, Su Jin dared not show any resentment on his face. The reason he was still alive was partly due to the Emperor's guilt. But more importantly, it was because of his own "youthful ignorance." He had wholeheartedly believed that his family was guilty of treason and was truly grateful for the Emperor's "kindness and care."
The Emperor could make no mistakes. The Emperor would never keep someone who resented him by his side. There was a reason why the Son of Heaven was also called the solitary one. Especially this Emperor, who had forced his own beloved wife's son, the Crown Prince whom he had raised and nurtured for decades, to his death. He wouldn't bat an eyelid at the life of his "wife's nephew."
Tasting the metallic tang of blood from biting his tongue, Su Jin regained his composure. When he rose again to face the man he had innocently called "uncle" under the late Empress's persuasion, his face held only respect and fear, as if ashamed and terrified by the Emperor's words. "This servant dares not."
The Emperor slowly straightened his back, resuming his imperial authority. He then ordered directly, "You are already the sixth-rank Chief Palace Steward, yet you still squeeze yourself into the West Wing. It is not appropriate. The Jing Alley in the south used to be the residence of eunuchs in the previous dynasty. It is also close to the palace. You can choose a courtyard there and move in after work."
During the previous dynasty, eunuchs held great power. Their leader was not the sixth-rank Chief Palace Steward like Su Jin, but the Director of Ceremonies and Seals, a powerful official of the third rank. He not only managed the affairs of the palace but also interfered in government affairs. At its peak, the position was even called "Inner Chancellor," often controlling the court and causing chaos.
It was precisely because of the lessons learned from the previous dynasty that the current dynasty imposed many restrictions on eunuchs. Jing Alley, once a gathering place for eunuchs, had been transformed into residences for regular officials. Since the beginning of this dynasty, only a few highly regarded old eunuchs, who had no family outside the palace, were granted residences in Jing Alley for their remaining years.
"Your Majesty, this…" Su Jin was genuinely shocked this time. He shook his head and said, "This is against the rules."
The Emperor ignored his refusal and continued rubbing his temples. "As for that palace maid, don't let me see her in Qiande Palace again. You may settle her elsewhere, somewhere remote, closer to Xinglong Gate, for her convenience."
The Emperor's words practically acknowledged his relationship with Hui Ming. He even granted him a residence in Jing Alley. The implication was clear: as long as they didn't openly flaunt their relationship within the palace, they could live as a couple in Jing Alley, entering and leaving together freely.
Su Jin paused for a moment, but quickly pulled himself out of the beautiful fantasy that almost drowned him. With three parts genuine and seven parts feigned, he displayed a perfectly measured expression of shock and gratitude. He kowtowed deeply once more, his forehead touching the ground. "Thank you for your immense kindness, Your Majesty."
While Su Jin carefully navigated the situation before the Emperor in the warm pavilion, Hui Ming, who was guarding the palace gate from afar, encountered an unexpected visitor.
"Song Hui Ming!" Hui Ming turned around at the sound of the familiar yet strange, sharp voice. "You have the audacity to stand here after harming Eunuch Su in such a way? Why? Are you still waiting for Eunuch Su to save you?"
The voice was familiar because it belonged to Wei shi, whom Hui Ming had been hearing every day. It was strange because the usually gentle and kind Wei shi had never uttered such vicious words.
Seeing Wei shi and Hong Yun appear before her, Hui Ming felt a burning rage ignite within her. In both her lives, she had never hated anyone with such intensity!
It was one thing for Hong Yun to frame her with the talc powder. But if not for Wei shi's malicious intentions and the resulting chaos, how could there be rumors about her and Eunuch Su, jeopardizing his future and even his life?
Hearing Wei shi's increasingly outrageous accusations, Hui Ming interrupted her coldly. "Then what do you suggest I do now?"
A crazed look almost appeared on Wei shi's face. "If I were you, I would find a well and jump in right now, to prove my innocence with my death! Let everyone know that you are innocent and have nothing to do with Eunuch Su!"
"No, you wouldn't." Hui Ming almost laughed in anger at Wei shi's shameless words. She straightened her back and took a step forward, her voice icy. "If my death could truly bring Eunuch Su peace and happiness, I would not hesitate to die. But you, you would never give up your own life!"
Wei shi lowered her voice. "What do you know! Since he arrived at His Majesty's side, I have taken care of him and helped him in every way. We have years of shared history. If not for you, we would have…"
"That is not true care! Wei Jun Mei, to truly care for someone is to want them to be safe and happy, to live a good life. If you truly cared for Eunuch Su, you wouldn't have spread rumors about us in Qiande Palace. You wouldn't have made things difficult for me while pretending to be nice to Eunuch Su. And you wouldn't have resorted to such despicable means today to try to harm me."
Hui Ming cut her off before she could finish. Her words were like sharp swords, their cold light piercing through Wei shi's facade. "No, this is not care, this is selfishness. If you truly cared for Eunuch Su, you wouldn't have done such a thing, and he wouldn't be in this situation today!"
By now, Hui Ming had pieced together the events of the past.
It was true that Eunuch Su had requested her transfer to Qiande Palace. However, there could be many reasons for a superior to transfer a palace maid – shared hometown, previous acquaintance, a favor to someone, or even simply because they found the person pleasing and wanted to promote them.
Eunuch Su had always been self-disciplined and never had a reputation for being lecherous. Even if he had requested her transfer, it didn't necessarily mean they were a couple. But strangely, just half a day after she arrived at Qiande Palace, rumors about her clinging to Eunuch Su for advancement had already spread throughout the palace.
She herself had never gossiped, and with Eunuch Su's character, he wouldn't have spread such rumors either. She had been clueless at the time, but now she realized that the only person capable and with a motive to spread such rumors was Wei Gu Gu. If not for Wei shi's actions, she wouldn't have been ostracized by others in both her lives. She wouldn't have misunderstood Eunuch Su in her previous life. More importantly, without those rumors, even if she had told Consort Xian that Eunuch Su had requested her transfer, the Consort wouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that they were having an affair and wouldn't have said what she did at the banquet.
To say that all of this was caused by Wei Jun Mei was not an exaggeration.
"Shut up!" The panic on Wei shi's face flashed for a moment. She looked at Hui Ming with venom in her eyes. "Who do you think you are? Do you think you can still live well in this palace after such rumors have spread?"
"Of course, I can still live well. But you…" Compared to Wei shi's frenzy, Hui Ming's expression was much calmer. Her words were flat, more like a matter-of-fact statement than a curse. "Your days in this palace are numbered."
Perhaps Hui Ming's words sounded too absolute. Wei shi seemed taken aback and froze for a moment. But in the next instant, she regained her composure and sneered. "Ridiculous! Who would believe such nonsense?"
"I believe it."
Wei shi's expression stiffened. She looked up to see Su Jin emerging from the shadows, his thin but straight figure shielding Hui Ming behind him. His gaze towards Wei shi was as cold as ice.