The Eastern Depot was located at the very front of the right side of Taiji Palace.
The main entrance to Taiji Palace was Xuandemen, which was only opened on major occasions. To its left and right were Youyemen and Zuoyemen. Usually, when the ministers arrived for the morning court, they filed in through Zuoyemen. Youyemen, on the other hand, was the gate His Majesty used when taking his concubines out for excursions to escape the heat—though the current Emperor had no one in his harem.
Because of this layout, there was a saying: “Left for Court, Right for Residence.”
The Eastern Depot had been established in the first year of the Ningwu Emperor’s reign.
Its location was unique; it was practically situated inside His Majesty’s harem. Through that very Youyemen, the Nine Thousand Years, Xu Xiaoman, entered and exited daily to perform his duties. When the Eastern Depot was first established, the court officials had protested, but the Ningwu Emperor had settled the matter with a single word.
The veteran officials of the court had many grievances, claiming it was improper—what kind of administrative office for the “Left Court” was placed in His Majesty’s “Right Residence”? However, the Ningwu Emperor remained firm. In the end, they could only comfort themselves with the thought that those from the Eastern Depot were eunuchs; being “rootless,” they couldn’t defile the harem. Furthermore, the Eastern Depot’s location was actually at the palace gates, so it wasn’t strictly part of the inner palace anymore.
Naturally, there were those whose eyes turned red with envy, calling Xu Xiaoman a great sycophant behind his back.
The Eastern Depot occupied a significant amount of land. Half consisted of administrative offices, while the other half served as the Factory Overseer’s residence and resting quarters. The interrogation rooms and prison were not located within the palace but were outside.
Xu Duofu had been recuperating for three days and didn’t have to attend school. No one in the Eastern Depot restricted or managed him, so once his spirits improved slightly, he began running around to play. However, he was limited to the area between the “first and second gates.” The second gate was called Luoxia Gate, and it was guarded by the Golden Wu Guard. Passing through it meant entering the true inner palace.
His home was in a corner. Outside was a vast plaza and a naturally flowing stream called the Qingque Canal, which encircled Taiji Palace. Beyond a wide white jade Gongqiao and across a distant stone-paved plaza stood a towering hall.
“Chongming Hall.”
In his past life, Xu Duofu had excellent vision from elementary through high school. It wasn’t until the summer after the college entrance exams, when he spent nights reading novels with the lights off, that he suspected he’d become nearsighted. He had planned to get his eyes checked before starting university, but now there was no need.
His vision now was exceptionally good—crisp and clear.
That was the Palace School established by the Ningwu Emperor upon the advice of the Nine Thousand Years.
“Does the young master want to go to school?” Zhu Yue asked with a smile.
Xu Duofu: …
Who would be that passionate about school? Not him, definitely not him.
He wasn’t some top-tier student.
He was just bored. Over the past three days, Xu Duofu had nearly finished counting the stone bricks at his doorstep. Even so, hearing Zhu Yue’s question, Xu Duofu—who had been leaning over the railing to look at the school from a distance—startled into a straight posture. Before he could speak, he heard someone call him “Duoduo.” He didn’t even need to think to know it was his father. Xu Duofu turned at the sound. His father had just returned from Youyemen, followed by subordinates all dressed in Eastern Depot uniforms.
They looked incredibly cool!
The novel mentioned that Xu Xiaoman had an ordinary appearance, just pleasant to look at, possessing a certain delicate refinement if one stared long enough. But that was only in comparison to the Ningwu Emperor, Zhong Cheng, who was a “beautiful, mad-dog tyrant-emperor-top.” That was what the author had said.
Now, the character from the book had come to life.
Xu Xiaoman wore a black and gold Feiyufu with narrow sleeves and leather wrist guards. The waist was cinched, and his leather short boots had soles about three or four centimeters thick. He stood about 183 centimeters tall, his frame upright and lean, with long legs and a narrow waist. He wore a hat with not a single stray hair visible, which made his face appear small and three-dimensional. He exuded an air of sharp, dashing energy.
“It’s almost noon. Father will accompany you for a meal. Is your health better today?” Xu Xiaoman rubbed the boy’s head.
The subordinates bowed and greeted the “Young Master.” Xu Xiaoman waved his hand, and everyone dispersed to rest. They still had work in the afternoon—they had to go out and arrest people; they would be busy.
Xu Duofu replied, “I’m better, Father.”
He called him “Father” without the slightest hesitation or awkwardness. He attributed this to his modern parents divorcing early, a lack of paternal love, and the physical instincts of this child’s body.
“Then you shall go to school tomorrow. I saw you staring at Chongming Hall just now; you must be bored. I’ll be busy starting this afternoon, and I don’t know when I’ll be back,” Xu Xiaoman said as he led the boy by the hand back home to eat.
Over these three days, Xu Duofu could sense how busy Xu Xiaoman was with official duties. Despite this, his father came to see him every day, sometimes having breakfast with him, and sometimes tucking him in late at night.
Xu Duofu, who just a moment ago didn’t want to go to school: …… So I have to go to school tomorrow.
“I understand, Father,” the obedient child replied.
“Good boy.”
Father and son shared lunch together. Xu Xiaoman ate very quickly. Before he had even finished, a subordinate arrived to report something. The voice was very low, and Xu Duofu only caught the keyword “Ming X has escaped.” Xu Xiaoman’s expression didn’t even flicker.
“Duoduo, Father won’t be back tonight. Can you go to school by yourself tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Xu Duofu nodded in agreement.
It was only a ten-minute walk from his house to the school—very close. Not to mention there were several young eunuchs and palace maids serving him. There were no kidnappers inside the Imperial Palace.
Xu Xiaoman stood up to leave, and Xu Duofu hurried to grab a meat pie and handed it to him. “Father, eat this on the way. You didn’t even finish your meal.”
“Hehe, Father knows. You go ahead and eat.” Xu Xiaoman was deeply moved. He would have to show this off in front of Zhong Cheng—his son was both filial and obedient!
He left in a whirlwind.
After finishing lunch and waking up from his nap, the imperial physician came to check his pulse and declared him fully recovered. However, given his weak constitution, he needed to stay warm and take tonic supplements during the change of seasons.
In the evening, a eunuch arrived with a message: His Majesty had summoned him.
Though they were all eunuchs, those from the Eastern Depot were easily distinguishable from those in the Internal Affairs Office. The Eastern Depot eunuchs all wore the Feiyufu uniform. Regardless of their features, they were all sharp and capable, clearly possessing bodies trained in martial arts. If one didn’t know they were eunuchs, they would be indistinguishable from ordinary men.
The eunuchs from the Internal Affairs Office, however, were just like the ones Xu Duofu had seen on TV.
Xu Duofu had just woken up, and his clothes were wrinkled. With Zhu Yue’s help, he changed his clothes and headed for Zichen Palace, the Ningwu Emperor’s sleeping quarters.
On his third day after transmigrating, he finally entered Luoxia Gate.
A young eunuch led him to a large hall. As Xu Duofu was considering how to bow, the Ningwu Emperor spoke first: “Sit. Serve the meal.”
Xu Duofu sat down happily.
It was a long table. The Ningwu Emperor sat at the head, and he was seated just below him. There were various dishes on the table, though the ones on his side were mostly light and vegetarian. The Ningwu Emperor did not speak, he simply ate. The room was very quiet, without a single sound.
Seeing this, Xu Duofu treated himself like a guest who was just there for a free meal and buried his head in his food.
Who understands the joy of eating a feast without having to socialize?
the Imperial Chef’s skills were truly better than those at his house.
It was just that… he wanted to eat meat. Xu Duofu lifted his face from his bowl and looked at the meat dishes slightly further away. The plating was beautiful and the preparation exquisite; he couldn’t even name most of them, though he recognized the shrimp.
“Uncle, I want to eat meat.” Xu Duofu looked eagerly at the Ningwu Emperor. “May I?”
Zhong Cheng was slightly startled. Since he had ascended the throne, this child, who was already timid, had become even more terrified of him and had never called him “Uncle” again. An attendant personally placed some meat on Duofu’s plate and waved for the eunuchs to rearrange the dishes.
“You have just recovered. Do not overeat.”
“I know, Uncle.” Xu Duofu was delighted.
The meat tasted even better!
The Imperial Chef’s skills were top-notch.
After the meal, the Chief Eunuch Zhao Erxi personally escorted the young master back, not daring to be negligent. Xu Duofu was very happy after his wonderful meal and took a walk to aid digestion. As soon as he arrived home, he saw Zhu Yue busy working. Upon asking, he learned she was ironing the clothes he would wear to school tomorrow and packing his schoolbag.
Xu Duofu: …
He blamed his own big mouth.
The Ningwu Emperor had summoned the Nine Thousand Years’ foster son to Zichen Palace merely for a meal, and afterwards, his personal Chief Eunuch Zhao Erxi had personally escorted him back. Within a night, people outside the palace knew about it by the next day.
There was another matter: Ming Yi had been captured by the Eastern Depot.
Ming Yi was a Vice Director in the Ministry of Revenue, a rank five-b official.
In Shengdu, a rank five-b minor official wouldn’t be remembered by any courtier if it weren’t for the Eastern Depot’s arrest, but when the Eastern Depot moved, it was a different story.
Before the palace gates were even fully open, officials in various manors in Shengdu were already dressed. Those with good information had known since midnight. At this moment, the moon still hung in the sky, and the dawn was just beginning to break.
“Why did Xu Xiaoman arrest Ming Yi?”
“I heard that during dinner yesterday, His Majesty summoned the Nine Thousand Years’ foster son to dine with him.”
“What ‘Nine Thousand Years’? He’s just a eunuch, a treacherous official—”
“Quiet! Do you want to die? Who knows where the Eastern Depot has their people.”
Those who could receive these two pieces of news held high positions in Shengdu and belonged to prestigious families of meritorious officials. The Du family was one of them. There was no morning court today—the Sheng Dynasty held court every three days and allowed a day of rest every ten days. However, capital officials, especially those from the Six Ministries and the Cabinet whose offices were in the Left Palace, were accustomed to waking up early.
“How many days has that Xu Duofu missed school at Chongming Hall?” Master Du asked his third legitimate son, Du Chong.
Du Chong was eleven years old, one of the students at the Palace School in Chongming Hall. He answered, “Father, it has been three days already. Today is the fourth.”
“Hmph, stay away from him.” After Master Du finished speaking, he stroked his beard with an indignant expression. “The son of a eunuch, actually studying alongside you all… His Majesty places great importance on sycophants, harming upright officials, and yet he favors Xu Duofu so much…” He sighed.
Walking behind his father, Du Chong’s eyes darted about as he heard his father’s sigh. There were some things he didn’t say. He was also afraid; Xu Duofu’s fainting might have something to do with them.
No, no, no, not necessarily. They were simply debating “treacherous officials who ruin the country.” It was a topic set by the Grand Tutor, asking them to discuss “Right and Wrong.” Besides, Xu Duofu had been caught in the rain; they hadn’t forced him into it. It was his own fault for being so stupid that he couldn’t win the argument, getting so red-faced with anger that he ran away.
At least he had a sense of shame, yet he still associated with eunuchs.
Since he had acknowledged a treacherous eunuch as his father and became his foster son, he deserved to suffer the retribution for the people his father had harmed.
He deserved it.
After thinking it through, Du Chong’s guilt and fear vanished, replaced by the feeling that he had done well.
At the end of the Chen hour (around 8:15 AM), the Left and Right Side Gates of Taiji Palace opened simultaneously.
Those going to work used the Left Side Gate; those going to school used the Right Side Gate.
Xu Duofu finished his breakfast with sleepy eyes and was now walking in front, crossing the large Gongqiao toward Chongming Hall. As he passed Youyemen, he saw many classmates arriving one after another, each looking spirited and vibrant, only to immediately lower their heads the moment they saw him.
“……” Your acting is way too amateur.
Xu Duofu didn’t take the initiative to greet them either; he wasn’t about to force himself on people. He thought back—he really hadn’t paid much attention to the child in the book. He admitted it: the author of that first BL novel he read “drove” so well that his straight-man brain only remembered the plot between Xu Xiaoman and Zhong Cheng.
He didn’t like looking at the kid, and since the kid had the same name as him, it felt really weird.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but feel lucky that the “traffic” on Jinjiang was so congested. Although the author’s “driving skills” were superb, the descriptions weren’t overly detailed. Otherwise, right now, he really wouldn’t dare to look his father and the Ningwu Emperor in the eye.
Class only started at the end of the Chen hour, which was eight in the morning.
Xu Duofu: …
If class starts at eight, why did he have to leave the house at seven!!
His house was only a ten-minute walk from the school.
Later, he asked Zhu Yue, and she said, “Young Master, you used to like arriving early to review your lessons.”
Xu Duofu: …… Did this kid love studying that much?
In that case, this kid’s character persona was definitely going to crumble.
Because. He. Hated. Studying!
The author has something to say:
This story is also called “The Little Salted Fish Crown Prince”
Xu Duofu: I am the wise and divine Little Crown Prince! [Listen to me, tell everyone, 50 cents per person]
Palace School classmates: …