Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

It had not even been two years since Hui Ming left, and she was back in Qiande Palace. However, she was no longer the female official she once was. Now, she was the Seventh Prince's personal palace maid.

Today was the seventh day of the seventh month. In the past, this minor festival would have been lively celebrated in the palace. But these days, His Majesty's "illness" had worsened, and the palace naturally had no mood for festivities. The entire day passed quietly until the sun began to set. As dusk approached, Nanny Wang, who was on duty at Changxing Palace, received an order. His Majesty wished to summon the Seventh Prince.

Whenever the Seventh Prince went to see the Emperor, either Nanny Wang or Hui Ming would always accompany him. He could not go alone. However, Nanny Wang had suffered from a severe cold and fever a while back. Although she had been recuperating for the past two years, the illness had lingered for too long and had damaged her health. She was left with a persistent cough. It would be inconvenient for her to go and meet the Emperor.

Therefore, after some discussion, it was decided that Hui Ming would accompany the Seventh Prince to Qiande Palace.

"His Majesty is still taking his medicine. Please wait a moment." In private, Su Jin's voice was as gentle and considerate as water.

Being in Qiande Palace, Hui Ming did not dare to say more. Although she was a little worried, she only nodded. "I'm fine. Eunuch Su, please don't mind me. Don't delay your duties."

Su Jin shook his head. "No need. His Majesty instructed me to come and see you. How is the Little Prince?"

Knowing that they were going to see the Emperor, Hui Ming had specially brought a famous ancient chess manual for the Little Prince to read before bringing him here. At this moment, although the Seventh Prince was standing obediently by the side, his eyes were vacant. His entire being was immersed in the chess manual, and he did not pay attention to anything else.

Although this would make him appear a little dull and unresponsive when greeting the Emperor, it was still much better than him being frightened and screaming. Therefore, Hui Ming looked down at the Little Prince, who was as still as a jade carving, and nodded. "As long as no one pulls or shouts at him, he'll be fine."

Over the past year, Su Jin had heard a lot about the Seventh Prince's condition from Hui Ming. "Don't worry. There's no one else in His Majesty's寢palace. In his current state, His Majesty probably doesn't have the energy to speak much with the Prince."

Hui Ming nodded. Seeing that there was no one around, she revealed a hint of casual closeness and asked with concern, "Was it tiring on duty today?"

Su Jin's expression softened even more. "It's alright. We'll go back together later."

Hui Ming smiled. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

As the two were chatting, Yuan Bao came from outside to convey a message. "His Majesty has summoned the Prince inside."

Upon hearing this, both Su Jin and Hui Ming straightened their expressions. Su Jin led the way, and Hui Ming followed with the Seventh Prince, entering the inner chambers in an orderly manner.

It had been a long time since Hui Ming left the Emperor's presence. Now, looking at Emperor Xuande, she saw that he was indeed not much different from this time in her previous life. Due to his illness, he had lost a lot of weight. But because he had lost weight too quickly, his skin seemed to have shrunk, hanging loosely and looking rather frightening.

Hui Ming did not dare to look closely. Seeing the Emperor straighten up with the help of the palace maids, she quickly pulled the Seventh Prince to kneel and greet him.

The Little Prince's face was still blank, but perhaps because he was used to this motion, he did not resist Hui Ming's pull and knelt down unknowingly.

The Emperor sat upright, gasped for breath, and squinted at the Little Prince on the ground for a while. Then, as if he could not see clearly, he gestured for them to come closer.

Seeing this, Hui Ming stood up first and continued to patiently explain to the Seventh Prince beside her ear that they needed to move a few steps forward so that His Majesty could see him clearly. She even deliberately delayed for more than ten breaths under the Emperor's gaze until the Seventh Prince's eyes moved and he clearly heard her. Only then did she continue walking towards the dragon bed, straightening up and kneeling down.

Yun Hua and Yu Gan, who were at the side, knowingly raised the candles to illuminate the Little Prince more clearly.

Yu Gan knew about the Little Prince's condition. Although it was difficult to disobey the Emperor's orders, she intentionally avoided shining the light directly on him, stretching her arm out while keeping her distance. On the other hand, Yun Hua, who was unaware, shone the light without any regard.

Hui Ming's heart skipped a beat. Turning to look, it was evident that the Little Prince was also a little nervous about the two of them approaching. Although his face did not show it, his hand began to count the prayer beads one by one.

The Emperor stared intently at the Little Prince's every move. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice, "Do you still remember who I am?"

The Little Prince did not answer as if he did not understand. The prayer beads in his hand moved even faster.

The Emperor waited for a while longer, then seemed to have lost his patience. He waved his hand, his body slumping back onto the soft pillow.

As the Emperor made this movement, Yun Hua and Yu Gan retreated. From the shadows, an elderly man with slightly hunched shoulders came forward. He bowed deeply, then knelt down and reached for the Seventh Prince's wrist.

Being suddenly brought to the unfamiliar Qiande Palace and stared at by so many people, it was already thanks to the chess manual that had captivated most of his attention, coupled with Hui Ming and Nanny Wang's careful care over the years, that the Seventh Prince had managed to remain calm until now.

At this moment, the old man did not say a word and suddenly grabbed at him. The Seventh Prince was startled and dodged back, falling towards Hui Ming.

Hui Ming's heart tightened. She straightened up, caught the Seventh Prince, and patted his back, comforting him quickly, "It's okay, Your Highness. Don't be afraid. That's the Imperial Physician, here to check your pulse. Didn't you see him before? He's just checking your pulse. It's okay, it's okay…"

Indeed, as he got closer, Hui Ming recognized the old man who had suddenly appeared as Imperial Physician Yuan from the Imperial Hospital. Not only was he highly skilled in medicine, but he was also deeply trusted by the Emperor. Ever since the Emperor suffered a stroke and fell ill, he had often appeared in Qiande Palace.

Hui Ming repeated these comforting and explanatory words over and over again until she saw that the Seventh Prince had calmed down a little. Only then did she turn to bow to the Emperor and explain with a hint of anxiety, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. The Prince has been confined to Jingfang斋 since he was young and has always been timid. He becomes like this when strangers approach him suddenly. He'll be fine once he gets familiar with them."

The Emperor's expression was stern, and he did not say anything. After a while, seeing that the Little Prince had calmed down under Hui Ming's comfort, the Imperial Physician approached again. However, this time he was extra cautious. Fortunately, the old Imperial Physician had been practicing medicine for many years and was never short of patience. He tested the waters bit by bit, taking nearly fifteen minutes before finally placing his fingers on the Seventh Prince's pulse.

After feeling the pulse, the Imperial Physician spent another fifteen minutes diagnosing. In addition to checking the pulse, he also carefully observed the Little Prince's expression and reactions, despite his fear and cowering. He even asked Hui Ming a few questions.

After all this was done, the Imperial Physician finally stood up shakily and bowed to the Emperor on the bed. "Reporting to Your Majesty, although the Prince's temperament is different, his body is strong and healthy. It will not hinder him from having heirs."

Heirs? Hui Ming frowned and heard the Emperor speak again. "Then, will his… condition be passed on to his offspring?"

The old Imperial Physician replied cautiously, "This humble subject is not proficient in mental illnesses. However, from what I have observed, the Prince is not actually stupid… His Majesty is so wise and brilliant. The Prince's condition is just a coincidence and not common."

His words were clear. Hui Ming naturally understood. But before she could react to the shock, the Emperor, upon hearing this, turned his gaze to her. "I see that Little Seven is quite dependent on you. What's your name?"

Hui Ming paused for a moment and said her name clearly, "This servant is Song Hui Ming."

It had not even been two years since she left the Emperor's side. Upon hearing her name, a flicker of recognition appeared on the Emperor's face. Before he could speak, Su Jin stepped forward and knelt down. "Your Majesty, Hui Ming is the palace maid who was granted permission to leave the palace with this servant to go to Jing Alley. After leaving the palace, she was assigned to serve the Seventh Prince at Consort Kang's Changxing Palace…"

"It's you two… That's good…" Only then did the Emperor seem to remember. He looked at Su Jin, then glanced at Hui Ming, coughed lightly, and changed the subject. "In that case, you go back later and, together with Su Jin, choose a few well-behaved and obedient palace maids. Teach them well and let them learn. They will serve Little Seven well in the future."

All in all, the Little Prince had just turned thirteen!

Hui Ming was shocked, but in front of the Emperor, she did not dare to utter a single word of question. Even though she was resistant in her heart, at this moment, she could only kowtow and agree obediently.

Seeing this, Emperor Xuande turned his head and waved his hand. Hui Ming saw this and respectfully retreated with the Prince, slowly exiting the Emperor's bedchamber.

Although they had left the main hall, the Little Prince was still unable to calm down for a while. He clutched the old prayer beads in his hand, his fingers moving rapidly.

Seeing the Little Prince's state, Hui Ming did not immediately take him back. Instead, she led him to the washroom in the side hall and asked a young eunuch to wait outside, making sure that no one would enter easily. She also took the opportunity to inform Eunuch Su.

Fortunately, everyone knew that she was Eunuch Su's partner, so the eunuchs of Qiande Palace did not make things difficult for her regarding this small matter. They all agreed readily.

Hui Ming asked for another cup of water and waited patiently in the washroom for the Little Prince to completely calm down. After finishing a cup of tea and washing up, it was not until the sky outside had completely darkened that he finally settled down.

Seeing this, Hui Ming was about to ask someone to inform Eunuch Su again that she would take the Little Prince back to Jingfang斋. However, Su Jin walked towards her with hurried steps and a serious expression.

"Let's go back first." Seeing Hui Ming exit the hall, Su Jin first asked her and the Little Prince to retreat to the washroom. "We can't leave. Something happened outside. Wait here."

Hui Ming's heart skipped a beat. She had a bad feeling. "What happened?"

Su Jin nodded at her and lowered his voice. "Prince Rui made his move."

Hui Ming gasped. "But it's only the seventh day of the seventh month…" She stopped, realizing that because of her, Eunuch Su and the Emperor's choices and actions had changed. What did it matter if Prince Rui's rebellion was moved a few days earlier from the Ghost Festival to the seventh day of the seventh month?

Moreover, for this day, Hui Ming had indeed waited and prepared for too long. Although it was slightly different from the previous time, Hui Ming actually felt a sense of relief.

The last time, Eunuch Su died in the chaos of the Ghost Festival. This time, Prince Rui's rebellion was no longer on the Ghost Festival, so Eunuch Su would definitely be fine!

Thinking of this, Hui Ming looked up at Su Jin. "How are things now?"

Su Jin's voice was steady, even carrying a hint of gentle comfort. "Don't worry. His Majesty was prepared. Prince Rui had just made his move, and the palace already had a response. It's fine."

Hui Ming's heart felt like it was hanging by a thread, but her expression remained calm. She even managed a smile. "Okay, then I'll wait here for you to come back. We'll go home together."

Hearing this, Su Jin's expression softened even more. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Hui Ming's ear. "Okay."

Hui Ming stood there, watching as Eunuch Su's figure disappeared around the corner. It was a long while before she finally retreated to the washroom in the side hall with the Seventh Prince.

The side hall was unlit. In the darkness, time ticked by slowly. Qiande Palace went from being completely silent to the faint sounds of soldiers running and shouts of battle coming from outside the window. Hui Ming calmly comforted the slightly panicked Little Prince. Her gaze followed the Seventh Prince's hand as he moved the prayer beads one by one. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she also took out the prayer bead that the Little Prince had given her and clutched it tightly in her hand. However, her heart remained suspended in the air.

It was not until Qiande Palace returned to silence and a sliver of light peeked through the window in the east that the Little Prince, unable to hold on any longer, dozed off on the armchair. However, Hui Ming remained motionless, her gaze fixed on the window.

"Hui Ming."

When Eunuch Su first entered the washroom, Hui Ming did not even react for a moment. It was not until the handsome figure walked in front of her and Eunuch Su's warm palm gently touched her forehead that Hui Ming finally seemed to have woken up from a nightmare that had plagued her for many years.

She looked up slightly, wanting to smile, but when she opened her mouth, her voice was inexplicably choked with emotion. "Eunuch Su."

Seeing her like this, Su Jin panicked slightly. "What's wrong?"

Hui Ming laughed through her tears. "Eunuch Su, you're alive."

Although a little confused, Su Jin still patiently explained and comforted her. "Of course, I'm alive. Prince Rui's tricks are nothing much. In front of His Majesty, they're not worth mentioning. I was with His Majesty, so naturally…"

"Eunuch Su!" Hui Ming was in no mood to listen to all this. She reached out and grabbed Su Jin's warm, living hand, finally smiling genuinely. "This time, Eunuch Su, you must be with me for a long, long time, for a lifetime… No, that's not right." Hui Ming changed her words. "For a long, long time, for life after life!"

Su Jin paused. In the morning light, his features were as gentle as the rising sun. His voice was clear, as if he wanted to carve these words into his heart. He repeated each word with utmost sincerity, "For a long, long time."

"For life after life."

—End of Story—

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