Due to her straightforward nature of focusing solely on work without flattery, Yinzhu could only take on the rough tasks others avoided while serving in the Internal Affairs Bureau.
This allowed her to become acquainted with many low-ranking palace servants and learn some inside information.
Yinzhu told Shuixian that every day at 5:45 PM, the Internal Pharmacy would send young eunuchs to transport medicinal herbs and other supplies, always passing through the remote side of the Imperial Garden.
If Shuixian wanted to secretly observe Xiao Chuanzi’s character, she could wait in the Imperial Garden daily at 5:45 PM, pretending to enjoy the scenery while taking the opportunity to watch him.
Using the excuse of the death in Changxin Palace, Shuixian pretended to be timid and went out for fresh air around 5:00 PM daily.
Sometimes arriving a quarter-hour early, other times half an hour late, her flexible timing and unpredictable movements made others believe she was genuinely frightened by Attendant Song’s sudden death, appearing depressed all day long.
Shuixian and Yinzhu would sometimes hide behind rockeries or sit in distant pavilions, peering through sparse bare branches to observe the path leading to the Internal Pharmacy from a distance.
Around 5:45 PM, they would always see several young eunuchs passing by – some pushing carts, others carrying heavy loads on their shoulders – all walking with difficulty.
At the end of the group, Xiao Chuanzi’s figure was always present.
He usually carried the heaviest medicine chest, moving with exceptional difficulty. His excessively thin frame made Shuixian fear he might break under the weight.
After several days of observation, Shuixian gradually formed a general impression of Xiao Chuanzi.
He was a person so silent he seemed almost voiceless.
He walked with
If events followed their previous life’s trajectory, two years later, Xiao Chuanzi would single-handedly turn the tide during a devastating plague sweeping the capital, relying on an obscure ancient prescription from a medical text.
A lowly eunuch had actually presented the key remedy for the epidemic?!
During that period, Xiao Chuanzi gained widespread fame, and the Imperial Hospital exceptionally recruited him into their ranks.
Later, all she heard was news of Xiao Chuanzi’s death.
Everyone in the capital lamented and regretted it—who would have thought Xiao Chuanzi, who had saved so many lives, would die suddenly and violently. Truly, heaven envies talent.
About half a year later, when Shuixian had already fallen into Hongxiao Pavilion, she overheard a drunken customer at the next table grumbling, mentioning that there was more to Xiao Chuanzi’s death than met the eye.
That person said that after Xiao Chuanzi joined the Imperial Hospital, a highly respected imperial physician took him on as a student. That physician tricked Xiao Chuanzi into compiling a self-authored book containing over a thousand obscure prescriptions, then found an opportunity to kill him.
That highly respected imperial physician later used this achievement to become the Chief Physician of the Imperial Hospital. The drunken customer complaining about this was another student of that physician.
He said Xiao Chuanzi was a good person—he felt it was unjust for Xiao Chuanzi, and he also felt his own vulnerability, like lips perishing when teeth are cold.
Aside from her, no one else took this drunken man’s words seriously.
They all believed the Chief Physician of the Imperial Hospital was such a miraculous healer—why would he covet the knowledge of a mere lowly eunuch? Besides, highly talented and learned people must surely be upright and virtuous.
People often misunderstand, always assuming those with great learning also possess high morals.
Only Shuixian knew how filthy those in high positions could be—they were just skilled at cloaking themselves in hypocrisy.
She remembered Xiao Chuanzi’s name, not for any particular reason, but because of their shared plight—both utterly betrayed by those they trusted (their masters/teachers), used and then discarded like worn-out shoes.
Shuixian was immersed in memories of her past life when suddenly, a jarring commotion erupted ahead.
Today, they seemed to be transporting an extremely valuable batch of medicinal pills. Everyone moved more cautiously than usual, terrified of making the slightest mistake.
The burly bully eunuch leading the group suddenly stumbled violently!
“Aiyo!” the bully cried out as the heavy wooden crate on his shoulder flew from his grasp, crashing heavily onto the thin snow-covered bluestone path!
Crash!
The lid burst open, and the neatly arranged small white porcelain bottles inside spilled out instantly! The bottles shattered against the hard ground.
Brown pills mixed with porcelain fragments and snowflakes, scattering into a chaotic mess!
The air froze instantly.
The other young eunuchs were petrified, standing rigidly with ashen faces, not daring to breathe.
The bully eunuch himself was stunned. Seeing the mess on the ground, his face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat instantly soaked his inner garments.
These pills were rumored to be worth a fortune! This entire crate… even if he were chopped up and sold, he couldn’t pay for it!
He jerked his head up, his fierce eyes sweeping over the terrified young eunuchs before viciously locking onto Xiao Chuanzi at the back of the line.
“You little bastard!” The bully eunuch charged over and grabbed Xiao Chuanzi by the collar!
With immense strength, he lifted the frail Xiao Chuanzi as easily as hoisting a chick.
“It was you! You bumped into me just now! That’s why I lost my balance!” the bully eunuch roared, slapping Xiao Chuanzi’s sallow cheek with his other hand. Though not heavy, the gesture was utterly humiliating!
“You little bastard, hear that? You’re the one who dropped this medicine chest! You bumped into me! When the supervisor asks later, you’d better know what to say! Huh?!”
Xiao Chuanzi struggled to breathe from the choking, but his clear eyes blazed with defiance!
He stared fixedly at the vicious face before him, forcing out a hoarse yet unmistakably clear voice through gritted teeth: “You fell yourself! I… didn’t bump into you! Even if you beat me to death… I won’t admit it!”
“How dare you defy me!” Enraged by his resistance, the bully eunuch violently slammed Xiao Chuanzi to the ground!
Xiao Chuanzi crumpled heavily onto the snow, curling up in pain but stubbornly clenching his jaw to suppress any groan.
Still unsatisfied, the bully eunuch raised his foot to viciously kick the curled-up boy on the ground!
“I’ll make you admit it! Make you admit it!”
Throughout the beating, Xiao Chuanzi remained silent, using his arms to protect his head.
During the violent struggle, a book carefully wrapped in oilpaper, its corners severely worn, slipped from Xiao Chuanzi’s robes. It landed on the snow, revealing a corner of yellowed pages.
Spotting the book from the corner of his eye, the bully seemed to have found new leverage!
He abruptly bent down and snatched the oilpaper-wrapped book!
“You little bastard! Hiding treasures!” The bully sneered, making a show of tearing at the fragile wrapping.
“What’s this? Stolen medical texts? Good! You dare steal too! I’ll tear it up right now, let’s see how you’ll compensate the supervisor!” He knew these tattered books were Xiao Chuanzi’s most prized possessions.
This finally ignited the powder keg!
Xiao Chuanzi, who had endured everything almost numbly, suddenly saw red when he saw the bully grabbing his book and threatening to destroy it.
“Give it back!”
Like a thoroughly enraged young beast, Xiao Chuanzi recklessly lunged at the far stronger bully, putting all his strength into crashing against his waist!
Caught off guard, the bully staggered, nearly losing his grip on the book. Shocked and furious, he instinctively swung a punch!
But Xiao Chuanzi ignored the incoming fist—his only goal was the book!
His bony fingers clamped like iron vices onto the bully’s wrist holding the book, nails digging deep into flesh! Simultaneously, he wrapped his entire body around the arm and sank his teeth hard into the back of the bully’s hand!
“Ah!” The bully screamed in pain, instinctively releasing his grip from the agony!
The book fell!
Xiao Chuanzi immediately clutched it tightly to his chest, heedlessly exposing his back to the enraged bully!
“You little bastard! You bit me! I’ll kill you!”
Completely enraged, the bully raised his foot to deliver a savage kick to the back of Xiao Chuanzi, who was desperately shielding the book!
The kick carried tremendous force, whistling through the air! If it landed squarely, Xiao Chuanzi’s frail body would be severely injured if not killed!
“Stop!”
A cold command rang out from behind. The bully turned instinctively to see Shuixian in plain white robes.
Beside her, Yinzhu’s hand shot out like lightning, precisely seizing the bully’s ankle!
The bully only felt an irresistible, tremendous force surge from his ankle, the power behind his kick instantly dissipated! Immediately after, that force twisted and shoved violently!
Crack!
A sickening crunch of bone!
“Ahhh!!!” The bully let out a piercing, pig-slaughter-like wail. Clutching his twisted ankle, he rolled on the ground in agony, tears and snot streaming down his face!
Yinzhu expressionlessly withdrew her hand and silently retreated half a step behind Shuixian.
The bully roared, “Do you know who I am?! Ahhh! I, Li San, have powerful backing! Even if you’re masters, you can’t bully me without reason!”
Shuixian raised an eyebrow as if hearing something incredibly amusing. “Backing? Hah… Do tell. I’d like to see exactly who gave you the nerve to frame and beat palace servants in broad daylight?”
Her tone was so contemptuous that Li San blurted out, provoked: “It’ll scare you to death! Changxin Palace! Consort Yi! I’ve run errands for Consort Yi’s palace! If you know what’s good for you, get lost now! Otherwise…”
He thought this would frighten off this unknown minor palace consort, but instead, the smile at the corner of her lips deepened, revealing a chilling grin.
“You’re… Consort Yi’s person?”