Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

Outside the main hall of Changxing Palace, Ban Ping stood politely at the door. "The Royal Consort doesn't need you to serve her right now, so you can go if you need to."

In fact, it wasn't just "right now." In the two or three days since Hui Ming had arrived at Changxing Palace, Consort Kang had not called her past the threshold of the main hall except for their very first meeting. There was no mention of personal service. Neither Consort Kang nor Ban Ping, the head maid, gave her any other tasks. Even if Hui Ming didn't show up all day, no one would look for her. As long as she was present at the appointed hours, no one would give her any instructions. Basically, she was treated as an idler who received a monthly salary for nothing.

However, Hui Ming did not become arrogant because of this. She remained respectful and bowed her head. "Then please thank the Royal Consort for her kindness. I will come back tomorrow morning to await her instructions."

Just now, Eunuch Su had sent someone to deliver Hui Ming a temporary pass to leave the palace, along with a message. He said that the house in Jing Lane was ready, and she could go out to have a look after work today. If it didn't interfere with her duties, Eunuch Su would come to pick her up around sunset. This was the reason why Hui Ming came to ask Ban Ping for leave.

After Hui Ming said this, she saw Ban Ping agree repeatedly. Only then did she bow and turn to leave Changxing Palace. She waited for a quarter of an hour, calculating the time. Sure enough, she saw Eunuch Su walking towards her from afar.

After seeing Hui Ming, Su Jin sped up his pace discreetly. When he reached her, he carefully examined her and saw that her face was rosy and she was not cold. He then greeted her, "Have you been waiting long?"

"You're on time, Gonggong. I came out after calculating the time." Hui Ming shook her head.

Su Jin nodded slightly. "The house has been cleaned up. It's too cold to do any work now. You can take a look and see if there's anything you're not satisfied with. We can change it in the spring."

Hui Ming nodded in agreement. Because they were still in the palace, especially near Xinglong Gate, where many palace people came and went, it was not appropriate to be too conspicuous. After greeting each other, Hui Ming lowered her head and followed one step behind Eunuch Su, like an ordinary palace maid accompanying her superior on official business.

At first, Su Jin didn't notice anything unusual. It was only after they left Xinglong Gate, with Hui Ming still keeping her head down and remaining silent, that Su Jin finally confirmed that she was truly unhappy.

Why? Could it be that she didn't want to live with him? Su Jin's face remained impassive, but his heart sank. But the other day, when he mentioned living together, the joy on her face wasn't fake…

Could it be that she was unhappy working at Changxing Palace? Su Jin refused to acknowledge the possibility and found another reason for Hui Ming's low spirits. Seeing that they were not far from the house he had chosen, he clenched his hand and finally asked softly, "Did something happen today?… I see that you seem to have something on your mind."

Hui Ming was stunned for a moment before she heard Eunuch Su continue, "You seem to have something on your mind."

Since Yu Gan left at noon, Hui Ming had been thinking about the connection between Eunuch Su and Noble Consort Xian. With worry in her heart, she naturally couldn't be as happy as she had been in the past few days, simply because she could live with Eunuch Su, get closer to him, and save his life.

Hearing this, Hui Ming thought for a moment and took the opportunity to speak. She said slowly, "Today, Yu Gan came to talk to me and mentioned Consort Zhen, formerly known as Lady Wei…"

"Don't worry, I already said I would give you an explanation. Wei will not end well!"

Hearing this, Su Jin thought that Hui Ming was unhappy because Wei, who had harmed her, had not only escaped punishment but had become a consort. He was relieved and quickly explained, "Wei's identity is different. She can't be sent directly to the Department of Punishment like Hong Yun. Although she has become a consort, she will not have an easy time in Wanxi Palace."

Of course, Hui Ming understood what Eunuch Su meant. However, what she cared about was completely different from what Eunuch Su thought. Hearing this, she frowned even more. "Will Noble Consort Xian mistreat her?"

"Naturally." Su Jin nodded immediately. To reassure her, he added, "After the New Year…"

He paused, looking at Hui Ming's furrowed brows. Su Jin felt that this timeframe wouldn't satisfy her, so he changed his words. "Before the New Year, I will have Wei moved out again due to illness. Once she's outside, no one will care even if she dies of illness. If you are merciful and want to spare her life, you can decide how to deal with her then!"

Hearing this, not only had Noble Consort Xian stepped in to take Wei to Wanxi Palace for Eunuch Su, but she could even control when Wei would become seriously ill or even die.

Had Eunuch Su's relationship with Noble Consort Xian and Prince Rui reached such a point?

But Eunuch Su was already the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Court, the highest-ranking among the eunuchs. He also had the Emperor's trust. Even a mistake like "pairing up" with a palace maid was not investigated, and he was even rewarded with a house.

Why did Eunuch Su still need to get involved with Noble Consort Xian and Prince Rui in such a crucial matter…

Hui Ming became even more worried, but it was not the right time to say such things. Moreover, after leaving Xinglong Gate, the house that Eunuch Su had chosen was already in sight. Hui Ming didn't say anything more and just nodded silently in agreement.

"Congratulations on moving, Master and Mistress!"

Before they reached the door, Yuan Bao, who had been waiting outside, greeted them with a big smile. He knelt on one knee and bowed with a cheerful smile. After getting up, he suddenly noticed something was wrong from Su Jin and Hui Ming's expressions. The smile on his face froze, making him look a little comical.

Su Jin remained expressionless and glanced sideways at Hui Ming. He introduced her in a low voice, "This is the place. It's only a few dozen steps away from Xinglong Gate. After this turn, it's much quieter."

It was her and Eunuch Su's future residence after all. Even though Hui Ming was worried, she couldn't help but look up. As Eunuch Su had said, although it was at the end of Jing Lane outside Xinglong Gate, there was a particularly large osmanthus tree at the base of the wall. Even in this weather, there were still a few green leaves hanging on its branches. Presumably, when the weather warmed up, it would be lush and fragrant with flowers.

The gate of the house that Eunuch Su had chosen was right behind this osmanthus tree. Because of the cover of the branches, if one wasn't paying attention, they wouldn't even notice this small courtyard hidden away.

"This place is really nice." Before even entering the door, Hui Ming couldn't help but exclaim. "If it were a few months earlier, I'm afraid the whole courtyard would be filled with the fragrance of osmanthus flowers!"

Seeing that the satisfaction on Hui Ming's face was not fake, Su Jin's heart relaxed a little. He led Hui Ming further in.

Following the not-so-wide stone steps and wooden door into the courtyard, and then bypassing a decorative stone screen, Hui Ming's eyes lit up. She felt as if she had entered a wide-open space. The square courtyard, though not luxurious, was clean and tidy, with corridors connecting the front and back.

"I'll live in the front yard, and you'll be in the back." Su Jin stood in place for a moment, waiting for Hui Ming to take a general look around. He had no intention of taking her to the front yard for a closer look. He directly led her along the corridor, through a moon gate, and down a bluestone path that led straight to the backyard.

The backyard was more exquisite than the front yard. Outside the courtyard, there were broad-leaved cannas and various potted landscapes. On the west side, there was also a flower shelf, but at this time of year, it was still bare. Before Hui Ming could take a closer look, Yuan Bao, who was in front, had already bowed and opened the door, holding up the curtain and waiting quietly for her and Eunuch Su to enter.

Behind the door were three rooms, one bright and two dim. Although it was not completely dark yet, the rooms were already brightly lit with candles. As soon as Hui Ming stepped over the threshold, she couldn't help but gasp softly and almost dared not go further.

What she saw upon entering was the main hall for receiving guests. The floor was already covered with a thick carpet of wool felt with a pattern of clouds. In the center was a long, three-legged bronze incense burner with a kirin design, emitting a faint fragrance. On the side was a rosewood shelf with delicate and exquisite vases and ornaments. Slightly to the side was a rosewood couch with hard cushions and pillows. In the center of the couch was a small pear-wood table, and on the table was a small chessboard made of green jade. Beside the chessboard stood a plain, slender-necked, celadon vase with a few sprigs of red plum blossoms inserted at an angle. Hui Ming had not read many books, but looking at this scene, she could feel what the word "artistic conception" meant.

This room might not be as luxurious as the imperial palaces, but the difference was probably not that great.

Just this one main hall made Hui Ming stop at the door and look up at Eunuch Su. "Eunuch Su, this house…"

Su Jin just looked at her patiently, his gaze so focused that it seemed to sparkle. Hui Ming paused for a moment before continuing, "This house is too nice. I'm just…"

"It's just some ordinary things, not that great."

As if he could guess what Hui Ming was going to say next, Eunuch Su, who was usually cold and aloof, interrupted her self-deprecating words for the first time. He looked at her with even more seriousness. "I've already wronged you by ruining your reputation. If I were to be perfunctory about your living quarters, I'm afraid I would feel uneasy for the rest of my life."

It's just a few rooms, how can it be related to a lifetime… Eunuch Su's solemn words made Hui Ming unable to come back to her senses for a while. She was stunned for a moment before saying with some guilt, "But these furnishings, I think they are no worse than those in the palace…"

Hui Ming didn't move, and Su Jin stood with her at the door. Hearing this, he looked around and said with a hint of reminiscence in his voice, "These things were originally treasures of the Duke Zhenguo's manor. Over the years, His Majesty has returned many of them to me bit by bit. My ancestors have accumulated over the years, so some things are indeed not inferior to those in the palace."

To think that there was such a history behind these belongings, Hui Ming felt even more uneasy. "Since they are Gonggong's old belongings, they should be treasured. How can I use them?"

Hearing this, Su Jin lowered his eyes slightly. He never wanted to show such a gloomy expression in front of Hui Ming, but at this moment, he couldn't help but darken his face. "The Duke Zhenguo's manor no longer exists, and everyone is dead. What's the use of keeping these lifeless objects?"

Su Jin looked at Hui Ming, but swallowed the disrespectful words that came to his mind - It's only fitting to use them on you.

It was indeed the first time Hui Ming had seen such an expression on Eunuch Su's face. However, not only did she not feel scared or afraid, but thinking of Eunuch Su's life experiences, she felt a surge of indescribable sadness in her heart.

"Not everyone is dead." Hui Ming paused and looked up at Su Jin. In the end, she couldn't help but reach out and gently grab Eunuch Su's thin arm through her sleeve. Her voice was filled with complex emotions accumulated from two lifetimes of obsession. "There is still Eunuch Su. As long as Eunuch Su is alive and well, the Duke Zhenguo's manor still exists. Unless you are gone, only when you are gone, then everything will truly be gone!"

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