Winter is the season when one most easily gains weight.
Zhe Junwu’s face had finally filled out. Chunyin pinched her cheek, “You look good even when you’re chubby.”
Xia Yin sat on the heated brick bed nearby, reviewing the account books from the flower and bird room. It was the end of the year, time to settle accounts. With so many entries, she hadn’t finished during the day and had brought the work back in the evening. Without looking up, she continued checking the accounts and chuckled, “She’s been going in and out of the small kitchen a lot lately. How could Eunuch Yang not slip her something to eat?”
Chunyin and Xia Yin shared a room, and Zhe Junwu had come over to deliver some pastries. She set them down, feeling a little embarrassed. “It’s true, I’ve been eating a lot lately.”
Before, even when she didn’t have to go hungry, she only had three simple meals of coarse grains and plain food a day. Where would she have ever tasted such delicacies—and the key was that they were free, as much as she wanted? Naturally, she couldn’t help but overindulge.
Chunyin said, “You should still eat less. Don’t get too chubby.”
Being too chubby wasn’t attractive, and perhaps the Crown Prince wouldn’t like it.
But Eunuch Liu thought a little plumpness was good. Before, she was too thin, like a skeleton come to life—what was attractive about that? In his understanding, the Crown Prince preferred rounder faces.
So he encouraged Zhe Junwu to eat a little more. Worried she might fret over her “appearance,” he comforted her, “You haven’t hit your growth spurt yet. Once you grow taller, the flesh will stretch out and settle on your newly grown bones, and you’ll naturally slim down.”
Later, Zhe Junwu thought about it. Whether plump or slim, as long as the Crown Prince liked it, that was beauty. And the Crown Prince did seem to like her—lately, he had even taken an interest in teaching her to read.
—From this perspective, the Crown Prince had been in a good mood recently.
Zhe Junwu sat at a small desk nearby, writing the characters the Crown Prince had taught her. She wrote very earnestly, cherishing this opportunity to learn. When she finished, she showed it to the Crown Prince, who laughed out loud.
“Unbelievably ugly. I’ve never seen such hideous handwriting.”
Zhe Junwu felt ashamed. She thought it was ugly too. The Crown Prince taught her to read only because he noticed her eagerness to learn—anyone could see that. She had memorized all the poems the Crown Prince taught the general and had secretly asked Chunyin how to write those characters and what they meant.
The Crown Prince happened to admire diligent people. After all, he himself was diligent, never missing a day of study. So in his spare time, he occasionally taught her a few characters.
Learning to read naturally started with the Three Character Classic. The Crown Prince asked her, “Did you know any characters before?”
Zhe Junwu shook her head, then nodded slightly. “This servant secretly learned a few in the village.”
The Crown Prince took out the Three Character Classic. “Read it. See how many you recognize.”
Zhe Junwu looked for a long time but only recognized the character for “person.” Then, hesitantly pointing to the character for “beginning” in “At the beginning of mankind,” she tentatively said, “Knife.”
The Crown Prince was amused. “Person’s knife?”
Then, as if struck by a thought, he sighed with emotion, “It’s not wrong either. The beginning must have a knife to end the beginning.”
This was too difficult to understand. Zhe Junwu hadn’t reached such a level of insight and couldn’t respond to the Crown Prince’s sudden enlightenment. She only whispered, “Your Highness, could you… give me the waste paper you’ve written on and don’t need anymore? This servant can take it back to trace over.”
The Crown Prince was taken aback and glanced at the wastepaper basket, which held only a few sheets. But when he was in a bad mood, there was indeed a lot of waste paper. He didn’t think much of it. “As you wish.”
Zhe Junwu was overjoyed. She never expected His Highness to be so kind. She became even more diligent and dedicated in practicing her calligraphy. The Crown Prince finally understood why some people enjoyed taking on clever students. Although he didn’t particularly care how well she learned and only taught her casually, knowing that she was improving because of his guidance gave him a rather pleasant feeling.
He instructed Eunuch Liu to go to Dong Yin and open the storeroom to fetch a few sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for Zhe Junwu, and even gave her a copybook he had used as a child.
When Eunuch Liu went to drink with Eunuch Yang, he remarked, “So, it’s all about fate. In the past, there were plenty of good-looking people coming and going before His Highness, but he detested them all. Now, Junwu just happens to suit his taste perfectly—not too beautiful, not too plain. Tell me, isn’t that fate?”
He sighed with emotion, “That little girl also has her ways, able to make His Highness indulge in such child’s play. Tsk, just you wait, in the future, perhaps—”
He trailed off halfway through his sentence. Understanding his implication, Eunuch Yang chuckled and said, “That’s her fate too. People like us can’t afford to envy it.”
Picking up a peanut, he squinted his eyes with a smile, “Tell me, how did you deliver it?”
Eunuch Liu clicked his tongue, “How? Naturally, I delivered it discreetly. Did you expect me to make a grand announcement?”
His Highness specifically rewarding a twelve-year-old—no, she’d be thirteen after the New Year—palace maid with scholarly tools would make those with ulterior motives wonder. After all, the Crown Prince had always kept his distance from women and detested good-looking people. Now that he had suddenly changed his ways, people wouldn’t think about how His Highness had come to this realization or how he had changed. Instead, they would wonder what abilities this girl possessed.
If things went wrong, Zhe Junwu’s life could be in danger. Although Eunuch Liu wasn’t exactly a kind-hearted person, he had no intention of harming a young girl’s life.
Moreover, if His Highness later regretted his actions, Eunuch Liu’s own life might also be at risk.
Therefore, not only did the gifts have to be delivered secretly, but Zhe Junwu herself had to be kept low-key, not drawing too much attention in her daily life.
Eunuch Liu hadn’t climbed to his current position for nothing; he had his own skills. Eunuch Yang admired this about him—he was always thorough at critical moments. And after today’s conversation with Eunuch Liu, Eunuch Yang had a clearer understanding of Zhe Junwu. He planned to make some of her favorite date cakes tomorrow and send them over.
Then, he poured wine for Eunuch Liu, “Are you accompanying His Highness out of the palace tomorrow?”
Eunuch Liu laughed, “So, everyone says you, Eunuch Yang, bury yourself in the small kitchen, oblivious to the outside world. I never believed it. Look at you, you know everything, don’t you?”
Eunuch Yang didn’t argue, only saying, “Since you’re going out, I’d like to ask you to pass on a message for me.”
Eunuch Liu naturally agreed, adding, “But don’t go too far from the Marquis of Shuling’s residence. Otherwise, Xiao Sheng’s legs won’t carry him fast enough, and he might be late getting back.”
Eunuch Yang replied, “Do you think I don’t know that? Don’t worry, I only dared trouble you because I knew you were going to the Marquis of Shuling’s residence.”
He then explained in detail. It turned out that Eunuch Yang had an older sister in the capital who sold tofu. He wanted Eunuch Liu to pass on his regards and check on his family’s situation.
Eunuch Li had long known about Eunuch Yang’s relative but pretended to have just found out, “Really? You actually have family?”
Eunuch Yang: “They were all sold off, but somehow, through twists and turns, they managed to reconnect. It’s given me a bit of hope in my heart.”
Eunuch Liu: “Then your good days are still ahead.”
A man without roots, even if he leaves the palace someday, will be alone. If he has some family ties, life can be much easier. And if he could adopt a nephew, that would be even better.
Eunuch Yang saw him out, saying, “That’s what I think too, so I’ve been having Xiao Sheng help me run around with this.”
When Eunuch Liu returned, he told Xiao Sheng, “Your Grandpa Yang has found his family. Make sure you handle this well. Later, when you go to the small kitchen, you might even get more treats from him.”
Xiao Sheng memorized the address of Eunuch Yang’s sister and then asked Eunuch Liu, “Grandpa Liu, will Yunwu be going to the Marquis of Shuling’s house tomorrow?”
Eunuch Liu shook his head. “No, no, and don’t mention it after you leave either.”
Though Xiao Sheng didn’t understand why, he didn’t dare ask further and changed the subject instead. “This time, the Marquis of Shuling’s family is really in the spotlight. It’s just a birthday, but the Emperor specifically asked His Highness to attend the banquet to show his favor.”
The only downside was that Prince Duan would also be there. Xiao Sheng didn’t need to think hard to know His Highness would be unhappy to see Prince Duan.
Eunuch Liu sat down. Xiao Sheng poured him a cup of tea, then brought hot water and personally helped Eunuch Liu take off his shoes, slowly adding hot water for him to soak his feet.
Eunuch Liu’s feet had been mistreated in the past, and they grew bone-chillingly cold in winter, requiring hot water soaks. The hotter the water, the better. Xiao Sheng didn’t dare use scalding water, so he brought several kettles into the room, with another pot boiling in the main hall. He slowly poured water into the wooden foot basin, keeping it at a comfortably warm temperature.
Eunuch Liu soaked his feet in great comfort—this was why he kept Xiao Sheng by his side. With such filial devotion, Eunuch Liu was more than happy to have him around.
This was Xiao Sheng’s first time going to the Marquis of Shuling’s residence, and he was still young, so there were many things he hadn’t heard about. Eunuch Liu was happy to tell him, so that in the future, when handling matters outside, Xiao Sheng would have a sense of each family’s background.
“The Marquis of Shuling’s family was built up bit by bit through military achievements. As you probably know, the current Marquis of Shuling is a formidable warrior. Back then, he played a crucial role in quelling the rebellion in Yunzhou.”
“Since then, the Emperor has regarded him with special favor. After he returned triumphantly to the capital, the Emperor appointed him as the Commander of the Five Armies, which was quite an honor.”
Xiao Sheng took this to heart, linking the Marquis of Shuling with high-ranking officials and thinking to himself that this was a family not to be crossed.
But Eunuch Liu, feeling exceptionally comfortable from the foot soak, was in the mood to tell Xiao Sheng about something widely known regarding the Marquis of Shuling’s family.
“Do you know how he made his name in that battle? What spread even wider than his military achievements was his character.”
Xiao Sheng asked curiously, “What kind of character?”
As he asked Xiao Sheng to add more water, Eunuch Liu sighed. “The Marquis of Shuling was brave and skilled in battle, and his wife was a noblewoman from a prestigious family. The two were deeply in love and harmonious. After having three sons, they welcomed a daughter, which delighted them so much they held a grand feast.”
“At the time, the girl was only three months old, wasn’t she? What a pity. It happened just when the rebels rose up. The Marquis of Shuling was then the general of Yunzhou and naturally fought to defend the city. The situation was dire at first—they suffered defeats, and the army kept retreating into the desert. The Marquis of Shuling’s wife was with the family at the time.”
“It is said that later, the army ran out of water and encountered a sandstorm, causing the family to become separated from the troops. At that time, the older children could still manage to walk on their own, but the infants could not—they had to be carried. Yet, how could anyone have had the energy for that? The Marquis of Shuling felt he had no choice but to abandon them.”
Xiao Sheng listened intently. “And then?”
Eunuch Liu sighed. “At that time, among the Marquis of Shuling’s party, there were two infants, both girls—one was his own daughter, and the other was his elder brother’s.”
“His elder brother had died in battle in Yunzhou, leaving behind only this one trace of bloodline. So, naturally, his brother’s daughter could not be abandoned, even though she was also an infant. He gritted his teeth and did not give her up, choosing instead to abandon his own daughter.”
“This incident spread among those who accompanied him, and his reputation soared. Everyone praised him for his loyalty and righteousness.”
After hearing this, Xiao Sheng also sighed softly. He poured more hot water into Eunuch Liu’s foot basin and said, “Then his daughter truly was pitiable.”