The acrobats were incredible, performing fire-breathing, hoop-jumping, and even smashing large stones on their chests.
Unlike watching it on television, standing on the edge of the crowd made it feel far more real and thrilling. Xu Duofu was actually a little scared, especially during the stone-smashing act. Clutching his father’s neck, he asked, “Daddy, will his internal organs be hurt?”
It looked so dangerous.
“This is how they earn their living. They’ve practiced since they were young to have skin of bronze and bones of iron. Ordinary people wouldn’t dare try it,” Xu Xiaoman said.
Ordinary folk each had their own ways and skills to put food on the table.
Xu Xiaoman felt a sense of respect. Holding the cub in one arm, he unfastened the money pouch from his waist with his other hand and handed it to Duoduo. “You give them the money in a moment.”
“Okay.” Xu Duofu nodded, gripping the heavy pouch.
When the finale—the stone-smashing—ended, the troupe leader cupped his hands to the crowd and said a few auspicious words. Beside him, a young apprentice began carrying a copper gong around to collect tips. The people standing in the front rows all gave something; mostly copper coins, some more, some less.
There were also stingy ones who slipped away as soon as the performance ended.
This sort of thing was voluntary and based on fate, so the troupe leader was used to it.
The apprentice was about twelve or thirteen, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a clever air about him. He had spotted the little young master in the red robe being carried at the back of the crowd long ago. There were only a dozen or so scattered coins in his gong, but when he reached the little young master, he stretched his arms out and held the gong high.
“Thank you, thank you, kind sir, for a reward.”
Xu Duofu had already opened his father’s money pouch and asked how much to give. Xu Xiaoman spoiled the child, saying it was up to him—give as much as he wanted. He added that the money had all been exchanged for copper coins, so he could give freely without worry.
Thus, when the gong reached them, Xu Duofu grabbed a large handful of copper coins and dropped them in. Because he was in a hurry and his hands were too small for such a large handful, a few coins spilled out and scattered on the ground.
“Oh no, Daddy, they fell. Put me down.”
Xu Xiaoman set the cub down, knowing what Duoduo wanted to do.
Xu Duofu crouched there to pick up the money. The apprentice holding the gong had never seen such a thing; not only had the little young master given so much money, but he had actually come down to help pick up the ones he dropped. The boy scrambled in a fluster, saying, “It’s fine, Your Nobility, I’ll pick them up,” while the troupe leader nearby bowed and smiled, trying to offer words of apology.
On the ground, Xu Duofu handed the coins to the apprentice.
“Actually, I should have come down to give them to you,” Xu Duofu said, carefully placing the coins in the gong. He smiled and added, “Your performance was wonderful. You’re very talented.”
Standing by, Xu Xiaoman smiled and nodded to the troupe leader.
The troupe leader’s planned apologies never left his mouth.
This father and son weren’t the type who demanded to be worshipped just because they gave money; there was no need for groveling words.
After giving the tip, Xu Xiaoman took back the money pouch and tucked it into his robe. He led the cub along to continue their stroll. Sugar-painted figurines, dough dolls—as long as Xu Duofu spared a single glance at something, the Nine Thousand Years had only one word: buy.
Eventually, the father and son stopped at a sugar-figurine stall.
“Old man, make a sugar figurine now. I want the shape of a tiger.” Xu Xiaoman gave two extra coins. “Use plenty of sugar for the tiger, and paint it to look majestic.”
The vendor was delighted, his smile so wide his missing teeth were visible.
“This old man has been making sugar figurines for decades. Rest easy regarding my craft. A tiger is majestic and wards off evil; it will ensure the young master’s safety and peace.”
Xu Duofu: I love Daddy so much!
A moment later, Xu Duofu held a majestic tiger sugar figurine in his hand. He raised the stick, reaching up to his father’s mouth with sparkling eyes. “Daddy, you eat first. The tiger will bless us both to turn calamities into blessings and stay safe.”
Xu Xiaoman: Sob, sob, sob.
He took a huge bite.
The father and son walked down the street, crunching on the tiger figurine. Their hearts were as sweet as the sugar.
There was much to see on Baifu Street. There were antiques and ornaments, though most were fakes and scams. There were tea stalls with storytellers, people selling flowers, birds, and fish, children’s toys, finished garment shops, rouge, powder, and jewelry. The main street branched off into alleys filled with residences; standing at an alley entrance, one could see people getting haircuts and shaves under the trees.
Men in the Sheng Dynasty all wore their hair long, but it still needed trimming. Some fastidious men would not only have it shortened but also have their hairlines, eyebrows, and stubble groomed.
The atmosphere of daily life was incredibly thick.
Once noon had passed, Xu Duofu grew hungry. While the father and son sat in the carriage on the way to Tianshui Workshop, the sound of a cricket chirping filled the carriage. Xu Duofu was staring at a small grass-woven cage containing a cricket.
“I didn’t expect there to still be crickets at this time of year, though its voice sounds weak. When spring comes next year, Daddy will take you to the fields to catch some. We’ll raise them well until early summer, and they’ll chirp so loudly,” Xu Xiaoman said, sounding a bit like he wanted to show off to his son. “I used to be great at catching these. Every one I caught was a fierce one.”
Xu Duofu looked at his father with glowing eyes. “I know, Daddy is the best!”
In the novel, Xu Xiaoman had been sold into the palace by his family at the age of seven. His family was poor and times were hard; the children were often hungry. But Xu Xiaoman had been a high-energy, wild little boy who could find food anywhere. He didn’t just find it for himself; he found mouthfuls for his younger brothers and sisters too.
Roasted grasshoppers, cicadas, frogs—he would even go into the mountains to catch snakes.
He was very brave.
Basking in the cub’s worshipful gaze, Xu Xiaoman puffed out his chest and chuckled. Zhong Cheng didn’t have this kind of luck!
Tianshui Workshop was a district where various streets intersected in a grid pattern.
Upon entering the workshop, the air was filled with the aroma of food. There were large, luxurious restaurants with carriages parked at their doors—clearly high-end places that required silver—as well as small storefront eateries.
Xu Duofu thought they were going to browse the small stalls, but to his surprise, his father took him into a grand restaurant.
“The roast duck here is delicious.”
“Roast duck!” Xu Duofu’s mouth watered.
Seeing the cub like this, Xu Xiaoman couldn’t help but reach out and pinch the boy’s hair buns. Since recovering from his illness, his cub had become more lively. Liveliness was good—he was more like him now!
Being like Zhong Cheng was boring.
The waiter at the roast duck restaurant clearly recognized the Nine Thousand Years. He came out to bow and receive them, calling out, “Master Xu, would you like to sit upstairs or downstairs?”
Usually, Xu Xiaoman would just sit in the main hall, but today he had the cub with him. “The second floor.”
Since the peak lunch hour had passed, the restaurant wasn’t too crowded. People were scattered about. The waiter led Master Xu and the little young master to the second floor. Xu Xiaoman didn’t take a private room, choosing instead a seat by the window and ordering the food.
The waiter withdrew.
The carriage driver, Wang Yuanyuan, another eunuch, and Zhu Yue took a separate table nearby. Zhu Yue was initially a bit uneasy, but Wang Yuanyuan was used to it. “When we’re out, the Supervisor and the little young master don’t need us to serve them while they eat. Really.”
Zhu Yue glanced over.
The little young master was currently pouring tea for the Supervisor. She instinctively wanted to stand up out of fear, but seeing how happy the little young master was, and even seeing him reach out to massage the Supervisor’s arm—and seeing the Supervisor laughing happily—she relaxed.
The father and son were in total harmony.
It seemed they really didn’t need her.
“Daddy, I’ll massage your arm for you.”
“Alright, go ahead.” Xu Xiaoman flexed a bit, showing off as he asked, “Can you feel anything?”
Xu Duofu gasped. “Daddy, your arm is hard. You have muscles!”
“What? You want to eat chicken?(Note: In Chinese, “muscle” sounds the same as “chicken meat”).
“No, I mean Daddy’s arm is amazing and very strong.”
“Those are tendons and muscle,” Xu Xiaoman said proudly. “You can’t tell when I’m wearing clothes.”
“Daddy is so amazing and strong. You carried me for so long just now.”
“Hehehe.”
“I want to be just like Daddy in the future.”
Xu Xiaoman, who had been laughing foolishly, suddenly stiffened. He looked at the cub. Being like him wasn’t good. Being like him—never mind being a eunuch, what kind of man gives birth to a cub? Although it proved he was a one-in-a-million rare genius, it was still better not to.
“It’s enough for your physical constitution to be as healthy as Daddy’s.”
When the roast duck arrived, it was served in several ways. The meat was sliced, and the staple food was bread. However, it wasn’t the thin spring pancakes, but unleavened flatbread. The bread was about the size of a palm, crispy yet chewy, meant to be folded around the meat.
There was also sauce, a flavor very similar to Peking duck sauce with a hint of spice.
The people of Shengdu loved spicy food; no meal was complete without it. A small dish also contained fried chili rings, crispy and fragrant. Some people liked to toss a few chilies inside when wrapping their meat.
Xu Xiaoman loved spice. He was about to pile them into his wrap when he remembered he had to go sleep with his ‘wife’ tonight. His hand paused. He turned to the cub. “Duoduo, you eat these.”
The cub could handle spice.
“Okay, thank you, Daddy.” Xu Duofu felt so lucky. Daddy was so good to him.
The duck bones had been simmered into a stock, and two bowls of duck soup were served. Inside were pieces of duck meat, sweet potato vermicelli, shredded pickled mustard greens, and duck blood tofu. One sip of the soup was salty, fragrant, and comfortably warm.
Xu Duofu took a big bite of the meat wrap. The duck skin was roasted until oily and the meat was very tender. With the spicy kick and absolutely no gamey smell, it was delicious. Following it with a sip of soup, everything was perfect.
After being a primary school student again for a few years, Xu Duofu had clearly forgotten about his actual stomach capacity. After eating one wrap, he couldn’t finish his soup. One look at the cub and Xu Xiaoman knew. “Then Daddy will drink it?”
“Daddy, it’s my leftovers.”
Xu Xiaoman didn’t care at all. He came from a poor background, and although he was now “Master Xu,” this was his own son’s leftovers, not a stranger’s—if it were a stranger, the Nine Thousand Years would have glared at them with ice-cold eyes. What was wrong with his own cub’s leftovers? So he gulped down both bowls, settled the bill, strolled around a bit more, and bought a few more things to take back.
Father and son left the restaurant full and satisfied.
Only then did the diners on the first and second floors dare to gossip. Particularly those on the second floor; someone whispered, “Was that man just now a eunuch?”
“He’s from the Eastern Depot. I heard the waiter call him Master Xu. That must be the Nine Thousand Years.”
“He certainly doesn’t look like one. He looks like a real man.”
“True. And that child sitting next to him was so clean and well-dressed, decked in gold and jade. He looked more like a young master than the sons of high officials, though they didn’t have much of an entourage.”
“He’s the foster son of the Nine Thousand Years. I heard he studies in the palace and His Majesty has even summoned him. Isn’t that more prestigious than any ordinary young master?”
“I heard Master Xu from the Eastern Depot arrested someone—”
“He caught a major corrupt official. Serves them right. Master Xu did a good job.”
“Don’t say it, Master Xu really is different from ordinary eunuchs. I think those rumors from before were wrong. Probably just those officials looking down on eunuchs, so they said such things.”
“Whether he’s a eunuch or a scholar, as long as he’s a good official, it’s fine.”
“How would we commoners know about the affairs of the imperial court? But I see Master Xu is truly approachable, just like us ordinary folks. He didn’t even mind his son’s leftovers, just finished them right up.”
“Well, I won’t eat my brat’s leftovers. It’s a mess, like a dog’s been digging in it.”
…
In the evening, before the palace gates were locked, Xu Duofu and his father returned home. They brought back many things. His father had bought pastries that were delicious when fresh; he’d bought several flavors, but he kept them packed away, only opening one bag for Duoduo to eat.
Xu Duofu looked at his father leaning against the carriage wall with a smile in his eyes—
He must be missing his Emperor Daddy!
Playing also consumed energy. After a day of wandering, Xu Duofu was exhausted. As he sat on a chair, Zhu Yue unfastened his hair buns and changed him into comfortable clothes. A eunuch took the cricket the little young master had brought back, promising to raise it well.
Night fell.
After washing up, Xu Duofu was already fast asleep in bed.
Zzzzzz~
He slept so soundly that he didn’t realize he had kicked off his blanket, revealing a red bellyband and matching underwear. The little chicken on the underwear was pointed right up—
Xu Xiaoman covered the cub with the blanket and whispered to Zhuixing, “Keep a close watch tonight. Be careful he doesn’t catch a cold in his stomach.” He wouldn’t be coming over tonight.
“Understood, this servant knows.”
Zhuixing was on the night watch tonight; Zhu Yue was tired from following them out of the palace during the day.
After giving his instructions, Xu Xiaoman felt happy seeing the child’s flushed, sleeping face. Seeing Duoduo’s health and spirits improve was enough; he felt at peace.
Thus, Eunuch Xu, the Nine Thousand Years, personally carried several bags of pastries and headed through the darkness toward Zichen Palace. After spending time with his son, it was time to spend the night with his wife.
Xu Xiaoman proudly: A true man.jpg
Ningwu Emperor had been quite diligent since his ascension. He rose at five-fifteen, went to the martial arts field to practice for an hour, then returned to the palace to wash and eat breakfast. Before seven, he was already in Xuanzheng Hall handling government affairs.
Xu Duofu’s translation: From 5:15 AM to 6:15 AM, he practices boxing. He goes back to the bedroom to shower and eat breakfast. By 7:00 AM, he’s sitting in Xuanzheng Hall working.
Not to mention, Ningwu Emperor often didn’t go to sleep until near midnight.
Asleep by 11:00 PM.
The essential qualities of a successful person: high energy, little sleep, and strong focus. In the novel, Zhong Cheng was exactly like that. Four or five hours of sleep a day was enough, and far from being tired, he was always vigorous—especially in that regard.
And today, in the study of the side hall of Xuanzheng Hall, as soon as Ningwu Emperor saw the sunset’s afterglow through the window, he asked Zhao Erxi what time it was. Zhao Erxi reported the hour, and Ningwu Emperor set down his scrolls, ordering his carriage back to his palace.
The Head Eunuch, Zhao Erxi, was not surprised. He only thought to himself: Here it comes.
Ningwu Emperor’s “quite diligent” nature was “quite” dependent on the Nine Thousand Years.
His Majesty’s harem was empty. Usually, aside from practicing boxing and swordplay to stay fit, he spent his time reading, reviewing memorials, or playing chess. The only exception was the Nine Thousand Years.
“Is Supervisor Xu back?” Zhong Cheng asked.
Zhao Erxi lowered his head and replied, “The palace gates were just locked. Master Xu and the little young master returned fifteen minutes ago.”
Zhong Cheng said nothing.
Upon arriving at Zichen Palace, Zhong Cheng first ate his meal, then changed his clothes. He sat on the soft couch by the window in the warm pavilion to play chess—though he had no opponent, so he played alone.
Zhao Erxi, experienced as he was, retreated to the outer room to wait.
Since His Majesty was acting like this, the Nine Thousand Years would surely come tonight.
The sun sank, and candles were lit in the warm room. The chessboard hadn’t moved in a long time; Ningwu Emperor now held a book. Zhao Erxi had changed the tea several times. Why hadn’t Master Xu arrived yet? Could it be that tonight… he wasn’t coming?
The candles burned brighter and brighter.
Zhao Erxi ordered a young eunuch to replace a batch of candle stands. When these candles burned low, the flames flickered easily…
The warm pavilion was silent. Zhao Erxi didn’t even dare to breathe loudly. He stole a glance at His Majesty; the Emperor’s expression was cold and his posture hadn’t changed, but the pages of the book in his hand hadn’t turned for a long time.
“Master Xu has arrived.” Xiao Luzi had been waiting on the palace path for a long time. Now, he came running in, wiping sweat, to inform his master. “He’s coming right now. It looks like Master Xu.”
Zhao Erxi was delighted and let out a huge sigh of relief.
In the middle of the night, who else could enter through Luoxia Gate besides Xu Xiaoman?
“Alright, proceed as usual.”
Thank heavens he finally arrived.
The Nine Thousand Years, carrying several bags of pastries from outside the palace, sneakily dodged the Golden Feather Guards all the way. He headed straight for the Emperor’s bedroom and met Zhao Erxi at the door.
“His Majesty is in the warm pavilion.”
“Got it.” Xu Xiaoman looked down at the pastries in his hand, then looked up with a chuckle. “I’m not giving you any of the pastries from Lao Xiang Zhai. If you want some, go line up and buy them yourself.”
Zhao Erxi: “…”
Who would dare ask for them?
“My brother, my old friend, please just go in.”
Xu Xiaoman was suspicious. “So enthusiastic. Did you make some kind of mistake? If it’s a small mistake, I won’t interfere; you’ll just take a few scoldings.”
Zhao Erxi wanted to say he hadn’t made any mistakes, but curiosity got the better of him regarding Xiaoman’s next words. “And what if it’s a big mistake? Would you interfere then?”
Xu Xiaoman had been joking, but now he suddenly turned serious. “A big mistake? Then I definitely can’t interfere. Zhao Erxi, what big mistake did you make? Embezzling money, colluding with outsiders, or bullying young eunuchs and maids, or—”
“No, I haven’t made any mistakes at all. Master Xu, please just go in.” Zhao Erxi wiped his sweat: he knew he shouldn’t have asked out of curiosity.
Even so, Xu Xiaoman wasn’t convinced. He stared at Zhao Erxi for a long time until Zhao Erxi practically wanted to raise three fingers and swear to the heavens.
“Truly, nothing.”
“That’s good then.” Xu Xiaoman was finally at ease. After a thought, he opened a bag of pastries and stuffed one into Zhao Erxi’s hand. “This one’s on me. As long as you do your job well and stay loyal to His Majesty, His Majesty won’t treat you poorly.”
With that, he went inside.
Zhao Erxi stood there with the pastry, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, but he was moved. Xu Xiaoman was just that kind of person—bluntly good. Anyone else would have given some hypocritical “we’re brothers” talk, only to disown you when disaster struck.
Xu Xiaoman wasn’t like that. He said what he meant. As long as you were loyal to the Emperor, he would truly save you in a life-or-death situation. Only—Zhao Erxi stared at the pastry in his hand. This ancestor… tomorrow was his day off anyway, he’d better arrange for Xiao Luzi to serve His Majesty instead.
The warm pavilion was quiet, the candlelight slightly dim.
As soon as Xu Xiaoman entered, his eyes were drawn to the silhouette by the window. He couldn’t move his legs.
Zhong Cheng wore a simple, moon-white robe with wide sleeves and a cross-collar. He leaned sideways on the soft couch, his collar slightly open, revealing his neck. His black hair was tied in a simple bun without any ornaments.
Xu Xiaoman, who hadn’t read much, couldn’t summon any flowery words of praise.
Zhong Cheng always liked wearing plain colors. When they were back in Wuzhou, he had been thinner than he was now, and his clothes had hung loosely on him, making him look like an immortal from the heavens.
Every time Xu Xiaoman saw him, he would daze for a moment.
He was too, too handsome.
And this was his ‘wife.’
At that thought, Xu Xiaoman scurried forward. He placed the pastries on the table and busily set about serving his wife, all while reporting what had happened that day.
“Have you eaten yet? You have? Then have some pastries. I lined up for a while to get these from Lao Xiang Zhai. They’re delicious. They might not compare to the imperial chefs, but food from the outside has its own flavor.”
“It’s dark, stop reading or you’ll hurt your eyes. The light is so dim.”
Zhong Cheng gave an “en,” set down the book, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Seeing this, Xu Xiaoman immediately reached out with his “dog paws.” “Let me, let me. I’ll massage them for you.” How could he be so handsome? Even when he was tired, he was handsome.
“The two of us went to Baifu Street first. There was an acrobat troupe today performing fire-breathing, hoop-jumping, and smashing stones on chests. Duoduo had never seen it before and was so happy. After noon, we went to Tianshui Workshop for roast duck.”
“Next time I have a day off, I promised to make a kite for Duoduo. A regular kite won’t do, it’s too ordinary. Help me think of a design that’s a bit more unique.”
Before Ningwu Emperor could answer, the Nine Thousand Years looked at him. “Don’t let your mind wander into the gutter. This is going up into the sky for Duoduo to play with. Forget it, I’ll think of something myself.”
Zhong Cheng: …
I think you’re the one wanting to paint a Dragon Root.
And you blame me for having a dirty mind.
“Xu Xiaoman, what kind of pattern are you thinking of for the paper kite?”
“Oh, I told you, don’t keep thinking about that stuff.” Xu Xiaoman gave Zhong Cheng an embarrassed glare and abruptly changed the subject. “Today, we had roast duck and soup. Duoduo couldn’t finish his, and his little face looked so guilty about wasting it. I drank the leftovers. He was so shy about it; Duoduo really is such a good boy.”
The Ningwu Emperor, feeling a surge of petty competitiveness, said blandly, “Oh? Is the Nine Thousand Years looking for someone to eat your leftovers? Never mind your leftovers—is there any part of your body that I haven’t tasted?”
“!” Xu Xiaoman’s ears turned bright red. His throat felt dry, and he picked up Zhong Cheng’s teacup, draining it in one gulp. “Anyway… let’s sleep.”
His wife was great in every way, except for being a bit temperamental, prone to jealousy, and competitive. And in bed… well, he demanded quite a lot. But who else could handle it if not the mighty Nine Thousand Years?
He could do it!
An hour later, the Nine Thousand Years’ whimpering grew quiet. No more, no more, my waist is going to break.
Ningwu Emperor held the other man’s waist and flipped them over. “The Nine Thousand Years can’t sit steady anymore? Then let me do the work.” He liked watching this blockhead talk tough while calling him “wife.” He loved kissing every inch of his eunuch’s body, watching the blockhead curl his toes in pleasure, eyes hazy, heart belonging entirely to him.
It was long past midnight by the time Ningwu Emperor stopped.
Xu Xiaoman hung exhausted on Zhong Cheng, mumbling in his sleep, “…Wife, you even get jealous of your own cub… ow, my poor waist…”
This blockhead—when something was on his mind, he would say anything once he fell into a deep sleep.
Zhong Cheng’s large palm rested on Xiaoman’s lean, resilient waist, slowly massaging it. That year, Xiaoman had returned to him carrying an infant. He was a jealous man; he had watched as Xiaoman, who used to be focused entirely on him, now tended to an infant’s every need, his every word about “Duoduo.”
The King of Wuzhou had used every ounce of his logic to find a good family to raise the child.
He truly hadn’t had the dark thought: Throw him out to feed the dogs.