Bai Qing couldn’t help laughing. “You make it sound like you’re not a woman.”
“And even if I am, I’m still better than you deceitful women.” Ye Han folded her arms and sat on the couch, her mouth puckered high.
Bai Qing tapped her on the head. “All right, enough nonsense. So how did you end up as a eunuch?” Her eyes even flicked toward Ye Han’s important parts. “You didn’t turn into some freak, did you…”
It would have been fine if she hadn’t brought it up, but the moment Ye Han heard that, she flared up. “How would I know? You come over and you’re a consort, but when it’s me I end up as a eunuch, and a girl disguised as a man at that… What if I get found out someday? My head will definitely be gone…”
“As for why you became a girl disguised as a eunuch, I’m not very sure either. Maybe the system had a bug…”
Ye Han thumped her chest in anguish. “Heavens, what exactly did I do wrong to deserve this? I’m still young, I don’t want to die here!!”
Bai Qing found her tantrum oddly cute and, out of humanitarian concern, comforted her. “Don’t worry. Our harem has never been that strict. Besides, a real eunuch and a fake one are obvious at a glance. Someone as fair and delicate-looking as you is definitely a little eunuch… unless…”
Ye Han said, “Unless what?”
“Unless someone pulls your pants off, hahaha…”
Ye Han was speechless. “What time is it, and you’re still joking?”
Bai Qing turned serious again. “Still, with me here, and with my empress here… it’s nothing.”
Ye Han sneered. “Hmph, your empress? Look at how sure you are. She’s obviously the emperor’s empress.”
Bai Qing shot her a glare. “Would you die if you didn’t butt in…”
The two of them chatted for so long that Ye Han almost forgot the real business. When it came time to ask for her reward, she said, “Consort Qing, I made you cry from the spice. Isn’t there supposed to be some reward?”
Bai Qing smiled faintly. “For the sake of our being ‘from the same hometown,’ from now on you can work by my side. It will definitely be much better than your rough labor.”
“Then get me some more good food too, and some money or whatever. I’ll go give it to those poor fellows of mine.”
Bai Qing agreed readily and called toward the door, “Yue Rong.”
It was the palace maid who had brought Bai Qing the mala tang. The moment she came in, Ye Han grinned foolishly at her. “Sister Yue Rong, please take good care of me from now on.”
Yue Rong knew what she meant as soon as she heard that, and replied politely, “We’re all just serving our masters. What is Ye eunuch saying?”
Bai Qing said, “Take Little Ye to get some pastries, then get some broken silver too.”
“Yes.”
Yue Rong led Ye Han into the side kitchen, where they picked up quite a lot of pastries and also some broken silver. Seeing that both of Ye Han’s hands were full, Yue Rong naturally reached out and helped carry one of the food boxes. “I’ll go with you.”
“Thank you, Sister Yue Rong.”
Along the way, Ye Han kept telling Yue Rong how miserable she had it as a low-ranking eunuch, how awful the manager was, how many times her butt had been kicked, and Yue Rong listened earnestly, occasionally nodding and smiling in agreement. She felt that this new little eunuch in front of her was, aside from being a bit noisy, mostly quite likable. She looked good, had a sweet mouth, and kept calling her sister, soft and clingy like mochi.
Ye Han was in the middle of talking excitedly when Yue Rong grabbed her arm. “Stop talking for now. The Imperial Consort is ahead. Kneel quickly.”
With a thud, Ye Han dropped to her knees. She used a little too much force, and the impact sent a jolt of pain through them. Biting her teeth, she endured it.
A pair of flowerpot-soled shoes passed by in front of her. Ye Han caught a faint rose scent from the Imperial Consort. Since she had been born allergic to flowers, she really couldn’t hold it in and sneezed…
“Bold of you to be disrespectful to the Imperial Consort! Drag her out and give her twenty strokes!”
That scared Ye Han senseless. Twenty strokes, and her butt would definitely bloom. Ignoring the rules, she looked up at the eunuch beside the Imperial Consort and begged, “No, please, this servant is allergic to roses. The Imperial Consort has a faint rose scent on her body, and I really couldn’t help sneezing and offending her. Please spare this servant’s life, sir!”
The eunuch was utterly unmoved. “So by your logic, this is the Consort’s fault? The Consort shouldn’t have rose scent on her body, or else you wouldn’t have sneezed, is that it…”
Reasoning with him was impossible. Aggrieved to the point of tears, Ye Han could only gather her courage and look at the Imperial Consort. “Your Grace… it’s this servant’s fault… but this servant didn’t do it on purpose…”
The Imperial Consort turned back and met a pair of tearful eyes, head hanging low, lips curled down, like a little dog begging for mercy while wagging its tail. Ye Han also finally got a clear look at the Imperial Consort’s face. In all the days since she came to the palace, she had secretly glanced at the faces of some consorts, but none of them compared to the woman before her. Her skin was like fine cream, her brows and eyes were full of spring, her cherry lips were bright and enticing, and her pale red palace dress only made her seem even more noble and untouchable.
“Why are you staring at this palace?” Mu Xueyan looked down at Ye Han, who was kneeling on the ground. Her features were small and delicate, her skin white and tender, nothing like a eunuch at all, more like a pampered young lady.
Ye Han answered honestly, “Your Grace is too beautiful. This servant couldn’t help himself for a moment…”
Yue Rong beside her tugged at Ye Han’s sleeve as if reminding her, Woman, don’t forget you still have to take your punishment.
Coming back to her senses, Ye Han hurriedly kowtowed. “Please spare this servant’s life, Your Grace. This servant was wrong, truly wrong…”
Mu Xueyan didn’t bother arguing with her. “This palace is in a good mood today, so I won’t hold it against you. Withdraw.”
“Many thanks for Your Grace’s mercy!”
Only after Mu Xueyan had gone far away did the two of them dare to stand up. Ye Han asked Yue Rong, “So that was the Imperial Consort? She’s so beautiful… and she doesn’t seem anything like the arrogant, overbearing, hard-to-please sort people say she is.”
Yue Rong said, “Didn’t you hear the Consort say she was in a good mood just now? Otherwise you’d already have been beaten. And from now on, you’d better be careful in everything you do. In front of the masters, you can’t even yawn. That’s all considered great disrespect.”
Ye Han nodded. “I understand. Is the Imperial Consort’s background very impressive?”
Yue Rong said, “The Imperial Consort’s father is the South Town General. He holds military power in his hands. Even the empress has to show her respect when she sees her, and the emperor dotes on her even more. And the Imperial Consort is not only beautiful, she also paints very well and knows many characters. The emperor admires that about her most.”
After listening, Ye Han nodded thoughtfully. “Oh… just like in TV dramas. Imperial Consorts are usually rich and beautiful…”
Yue Rong roughly understood what she meant and answered, “Yes. In short, the Imperial Consort is very impressive.”
Ye Han carried a large pile of things to the eunuchs’ quarters. The little eunuchs swarmed her the moment they saw her. The youngest one, Xiao Lizi, bit into a pastry and said, “Brother Ye, we all heard you went to the Noble Lady’s palace. You don’t have to do rough labor anymore and have become a second-rank eunuch. We’re really happy for you.”
Ye Han patted Xiao Lizi’s head affectionately. “Eat slowly, no one’s going to fight you for it. Don’t eat it all, leave some for those two girls.” Then she pulled some broken silver from her bosom and stuffed it into the hand of an older eunuch. “Take this money and exchange it for something good to eat. You’re all still children and growing. You need to eat well to get taller.”
The little eunuchs nodded through tears. They had never expected to meet such a kind person in this deep palace.
Before leaving, Ye Han encouraged them. “Be smart when you usually work, and you’ll all get to serve by the side of the masters too. Keep it up!”
The little eunuchs, all childlike in appearance, were deeply encouraged, and they too looked forward to the day they would no longer have to do rough labor and become upper-rank eunuchs.
On the way back, Yue Rong noticed that Ye Han’s mood had fallen and spoke to comfort her. “Those children were all sold in from poor families. Their households already had too many children. I think their families probably couldn’t even manage food and clothing, which is why they had no choice but to do this. Otherwise, no parent in the world would be willing to send their child into the palace to become a eunuch.”
Seeing that Ye Han still had her head lowered and said nothing, Yue Rong smiled and said, “Actually, I came out of there too, but I was lucky enough to meet a benefactor. I believe they’ll meet a good master too.”
Only then did Ye Han look up, her eyes a little red. “Mm, I believe that too.”
Yue Rong couldn’t help laughing. What a sentimental child.
Inside Changle Palace
Mu Xueyan remembered what that little eunuch had said. There are people in this world who are allergic to flowers? She herself loved using flower petals to bathe the most. Lifting her arm and sniffing it, was the floral scent on her body too strong?
“Xiao Jinzi, does the scent on this palace’s body smell very strong?”
Xiao Jinzi shook his head. “How could it, Your Grace? This servant thinks the floral scent on Your Grace is faint and refreshing, just smelling it makes one feel bright and at ease… Please don’t mind what that little eunuch said. If he’s allergic, that’s because he’s lacking in fortune. Who knows how many people have said the scent on Imperial Consort’s body smells wonderful. The other masters in the palace all try to imitate it.”
The flattery hit all the right notes, and Mu Xueyan was pleased. “Exactly. If I didn’t smell good, would so many consorts copy me?”
“What was that little eunuch called during the day? He looked quite fresh and fair…”
Xiao Jinzi said, “Replying to Your Grace, he seems to be the little eunuch who just came from Consort Qing’s palace, the same one who made Consort Qing cry from the spice a while ago.”
Mu Xueyan recalled that there did seem to be such a thing. It was her first time seeing a woman love spicy food so much. Something that even many imperial chefs couldn’t manage had actually been done by a eunuch.
Xiao Jinzi started trying to read his master’s mind again and said cautiously, “If Your Grace likes him, this servant can ask for Little Ye to come serve you.”
Mu Xueyan slammed the table. “What nerve. How dare you guess this palace’s thoughts? Have I spoiled you too much normally…”
Xiao Jinzi hurriedly knelt to beg for mercy. “This servant knows his mistake. Please punish me, Your Grace.”
On the surface he was terrified, but inside he was steady as could be, because every time he guessed the Imperial Consort’s thoughts correctly, she would definitely get angry.