At that moment, the two were very close. Su Tiyue was enveloped in a mist of steam, revealing only a pair of alluringly fragrant snow-white shoulders.
She widened her eyes, finally able to clearly see the face so close to hers.
Xiao Heye’s skin was not particularly fair, tinged with a seductive bronze hue. His brows were sharp like swords, his eyes bright like stars, and his dark pupils were unfathomable, as intimidating as a fierce beast in the night. The contours of his face were sharp and well-defined, and his profile was as exquisitely carved as a sculpture. Indeed, Xiao Heye truly possessed a handsome appearance.
He stood tall and straight, with a long, slender frame. His fingers were slender and elegant, with distinct joints. Upon closer inspection, they were even more beautiful than her own hands.
What a pity he was a eunuch.
Su Tiyue furrowed her brows, thinking about her current predicament. Fortunately, he was a eunuch…
“Chief Seal Keeper… such a significant matter—are you truly willing to help me?” Su Tiyue asked Xiao Heye.
“Yes,” he replied quickly, his tone steady and his expression calm.
“Why?”
Su Tiyue narrowed her eyes and asked him, “Why would you choose to take such a risk to help me? Chief Seal Keeper, you must know that if any trouble arises in the future, you will also be held accountable.”
Xiao Heye chuckled softly and said unhurriedly, “This servant is not afraid of taking risks. Does Your Ladyship know that the greater the risk, the greater the reward?”
“Oh… I almost forgot. There is another reason why this servant is helping you. Prince Rong is also my enemy. Now that he has died at Your Ladyship’s hands, it can be considered his good fortune. If he had fallen into my hands, he would not have been so lucky…”
As he spoke these words, Su Tiyue felt the air around her turn eerie and cold. Although charcoal was burning in the room and she was immersed in warm, comfortable water, at that moment, it felt as if she were in a frozen, snowy wilderness, chilled to the bone. The coldness slowly spread from the depths of her heart.
“Did Chief Eunuch Xiao have a previous grudge with Prince Rong?”
“You could say so,” Xiao Heye replied vaguely.
Su Tiyue frowned and thought for a moment. That explanation seemed reasonable.
Someone as arrogant and domineering as Xiao Heye, a treacherous court official, naturally had countless enemies. Moreover, Prince Rong had always been arrogant and looked down on everyone. He despised the court ministers and sneered at the eunuchs in the palace. When two such self-important individuals crossed paths, it was inevitable that conflicts would arise.
“What are Chief Eunuch Xiao’s conditions?” After all this back-and-forth, Su Tiyue finally couldn’t help but ask him.
Xiao Heye curled his thin lips slightly and said leisurely, “It’s very simple. All I ask is for Your Ladyship to become my person.”
Su Tiyue was stunned. “What?”
With a hidden smile, he explained gently, “What this servant means is that Consort Shu is peerlessly beautiful and radiant. If one day you gain the Emperor’s favor, could you be of use to me?”
Now Su Tiyue understood.
Be of use to him? Become his person… In plain terms, wasn’t he just asking her to become a pawn in Xiao Heye’s hands?
Everyone in the palace knew that the current Emperor’s most favored Consort Ji had been presented by Xiao Heye. His intentions were clear.
It seemed he wanted Su Tiyue to become the next Consort Ji.
Su Tiyue said, “Chief Eunuch Xiao is now second only to one person, with both the court and the outside world under your control. You also have Consort Ji’s assistance in the rear palace. Why would you bother investing your efforts in an unfavored consort like me?”
Xiao Heye replied, “Whether in looks, figure, family background, or talent, Consort Ji is not worth a single finger of yours, Your Ladyship. If you truly intended to compete for favor, how could someone like Consort Ji ever stand a chance?”
As he spoke, he set down the cotton towel and gently lifted Su Tiyue’s chin with his hand, his right thumb slowly stroking her glossy, soft lips with just the right pressure, his voice low and deep:
“Your Ladyship is the most beautiful woman this servant has ever seen, and I assure you, any man who lays eyes on you would be moved.”
Su Tiyue raised her gaze, her eyes softly resting on his face, allowing him to lightly touch her lips. “But I have no intention of competing for favor. I despise the Emperor, and I fear him.”
The loathing was real, and so was the fear.
Her brow furrowed tightly, and as she looked into his eyes, they shimmered with glistening tears, flickering pitifully. She said, “Besides competing for favor, is there anything else I can do for the Chief Seal Keeper?”
Xiao Heye shook his head expressionlessly, his fingertips applying a bit more pressure. The crimson rouge stained his thumb as he said, “Why can’t Your Ladyship see things more clearly? Since you’ve entered the palace, you are the Emperor’s woman. Whether you despise him or fear him… Your Ladyship cannot hide in the Brocade Palace forever, avoiding the Emperor, can you? Besides, if Your Ladyship gains great favor, tonight’s matter—even if you killed ten Prince Rongs, what of it?”
Su Tiyue shook her head. “Chief Eunuch Xiao, I cannot see things clearly, nor can I make sense of it. I have no intention of competing for favor, and I do not wish to approach that man…”
Since entering the palace, Su Tiyue had never served the Emperor in bed. Her feelings toward him were fear, dread, and… resentment. She resented the thought of her pure body being taken by a foul, repulsive old man, even if he was the Emperor. If possible, she would rather never step out of the Brocade Palace for the rest of her life.
After hearing Su Tiyue’s words, Xiao Heye remained silent for a moment before curling the corner of his mouth slightly and saying calmly, “This is Your Ladyship’s choice. This servant dare not interfere, but I only wish to remind you that in this harem, everyone is bound by circumstances. If Your Ladyship wishes to live freely and unrestrained, it will be difficult without a powerful backer.”
She thought that aside from competing for favor or becoming a pawn placed by Xiao Heye beside the Emperor, Su Tiyue was willing to do anything.
Regarding this matter, Su Tiyue had always been clear-headed. She said, “If I become a pawn, and one day I lose favor, I will be discarded. What will become of me then? Chief Eunuch Xiao just said that I am the most beautiful woman you have ever seen, and any man who sees me would be moved… I wonder if the Chief Seal Keeper would be willing to let me truly become yours?”
Aside from competing for favor or serving the Emperor in bed, Su Tiyue was willing to agree to anything.
For someone like Xiao Heye, with his noble status and great power, if he disdained ordinary palace maids…
Su Tiyue paused. “I can…”
Xiao Heye lowered his eyes, carefully examining the face before him, lightly adorned yet stunningly beautiful. His fingers gently pinched Su Tiyue’s chin, tilting her face upward, his voice low and his tone deliberate. “This servant roughly understands Your Ladyship’s meaning. You would rather submit to a half-man, half-woman dead eunuch like me than serve the Emperor?”
“Yes.”
Xiao Heye asked, “But didn’t Your Ladyship just say you would not do anything that harms heaven and reason?”
Su Tiyue’s pink lips parted slightly as she hurriedly replied, “This… this is different…”
“Oh.” Xiao Heye chuckled softly. “This is different again?”
It seems our esteemed consort is remarkably swift in going back on her word.
“Why?” Xiao Heye asked her. “Why are you unwilling to compete for favor, unwilling to serve in the bedchamber?”
“Because he is filthy. He is disgusting.” Su Tiyue spoke her mind without reservation.
The Emperor’s harem was filled with countless women, and currently, he was particularly fond of Consort Ji and Wan Pin.
And what of Xiao Heye?
Though he was a treacherous eunuch with a wicked heart, Xiao Heye had no messy women around him, nor would he torment and play with women in the varied ways the Emperor did.
“Oh.” He curled the corner of his mouth into a faint smile, his face beaming, yet his eyes held an unfathomable darkness. “What a pity this servant is a cripple. Ever since losing my manhood, I’ve lost interest in such matters…”
Seeing him like this, Su Tiyue hurriedly extended both hands and said, “Aside from that aspect, I can take care of you, serve you, and even make you happy. I only ask that the Chief Seal Keeper protect me. Isn’t this also a transaction, a partnership?”
“Isn’t the consort’s thinking a bit too naive? What this servant seeks is not mere pleasure-seeking… Besides, the Emperor’s women—this servant wouldn’t dare touch them.” He coldly withdrew his fingers, his expression indifferent.
“Then if I refuse to be your pawn… will Chief Eunuch Xiao refuse to help me with tonight’s matter?” she probed.
In truth, Su Tiyue wasn’t truly refusing him; she merely wanted to know if she had any better options.
Su Tiyue also knew that the matter of Prince Rong was no trivial affair, but she still wanted to find a path she could walk for herself.
Xiao Heye sprinkled some water onto her shoulders with his hand. The water trickled down, droplets sliding over the wound on her chest, causing her to grimace in pain. His tone softened slightly. “That wouldn’t be the case. Since I promised the consort, how could this servant go back on my word?”
He said calmly, “There will be plenty of time ahead, Consort… This is merely cooperation. If it doesn’t work this time, perhaps it will next time.”
Su Tiyue asked, “Are you serious? Then wouldn’t you be helping me for nothing?”
Xiao Heye was unperturbed. “This servant sincerely wishes to collaborate with the consort on great endeavors. This is my sincerity…”
Using such a significant favor as a gesture of sincerity… Su Tiyue found herself increasingly unable to grasp Xiao Heye’s intentions.
Su Tiyue thought for a moment, then looked at him and said softly, “I appreciate Chief Eunuch Xiao’s kindness, but I am not one to take advantage of others for nothing. It’s just that the conditions you mentioned earlier are indeed somewhat difficult for me… How about allowing me some time to consider before giving you an answer?”
“Agreed.”
Xiao Heye replied with this word cleanly and without the slightest hesitation.
In truth, from the moment Su Tiyue said she wanted to be his person and was willing to serve him, Xiao Heye had already heard the answer that satisfied him. Wasn’t this exactly what he wanted?
Yet Xiao Heye had righteously refused, deliberately stating that his goal was to use her to compete for favor, to make Su Tiyue serve his purposes, just like Consort Ji.
Sometimes lies aren’t frightening; it’s the truth that can scare one to death.
For a timid and delicate woman like Su Tiyue, if Xiao Heye had bluntly stated from the start that he wanted her… tsk, he feared he might have scared this little thing away.
Moreover, upon meeting again, Xiao Heye pondered, he must at least leave a good impression on this gentle and serene Consort Shu.
Xiao Heye furrowed his brows as he gazed at Su Tiyue before him.
Suddenly, an image flashed through his mind.
It was still a snowy winter night when he first saw her…
Tsk.
But that was already ten years ago.