……
"Ah!"
The Emperor lazily yawned.
For those officials, today was a tense day.
Today might decide many things, and there would be many changes.
The rights they had been fighting for all along should have a result today.
For some minor officials, after working hard for most of their lives, they finally got a chance to meet the Emperor.
Meeting the Emperor today might change their fate for the rest of their lives.
They might rise to power or remain frustrated and unfulfilled.
In short, this was an extremely important day for the court officials.
It might be a matter of life and death, or it might be a turning point in their destiny.
For the Emperor, it was just one of the thousands of working days, a rather dull day.
He had to get up early today.
Last night, he discussed opera with Wenxin and went to bed a bit late.
Getting up was difficult.
It was still dark, and the eunuch who called him up frowned, not wanting to be the bad guy.
The Emperor had finally fallen asleep and was sleeping soundly in the early morning.
Those ministers each had their own thoughts, but none truly cared about the Emperor's health.
They were the ones who truly cared about the Emperor.
After all, they had nothing but the Emperor, and they shared life and death with him.
In the end, they still had to wake him up.
They felt sorry, but the job had to be done.
Seeing the Emperor drowsy, just waking up, looking like an old man, with many age spots on his face.
His hair looked white and sparse.
He was not even as robust as an ordinary old man.
The Emperor was actually not older than Old General Meng.
But when Old General Meng came back last time, he walked briskly and ate three bowls of hard rice in the palace.
The Emperor was much worse.
He would occasionally feel dizzy after sitting for a long time.
When the Emperor had not yet washed and dressed, the eunuch would silently keep the mirror away from him.
After tidying up, the Emperor put on a luxurious dragon robe and a crown, covering his sparse white hair.
His face was also massaged, making it look fuller.
The Emperor himself more or less knew.
He just didn't want to face it.
Anyway, he would be as happy as he could be.
But every time he summoned Wenxin, it was after he had tidied up.
It was more solemn than meeting the concubines.
It could be said that Eunuch Yan was someone the Emperor needed to dress up to meet.
And those concubines had seen the Emperor's bare face.
After tidying up, he had some breakfast.
The Emperor didn't have to worry about wanting to use the toilet; he was the boss, and if he wanted to use the toilet, he could just dismiss the court.
He had breakfast with Eunuch Yan.
Nowadays, there was no Empress Dowager in the palace, no Empress, and the concubines couldn't control the Emperor, so no one would gossip if the Emperor wanted to dine with a eunuch.
There were rumors outside that Eunuch Yan was the Emperor's male favorite, but that was not the case.
It's just that as men get older, sometimes their interest in women wanes, and they prefer someone they can talk to, regardless of gender.
Talking with ministers would always make them guess his deeper meaning.
Eunuch Yan was different; he was just a eunuch who loved to sing, and Eunuch Yan understood him.
They discussed hobbies and interests, which might not have been called "art" at that time, but it was just a matter of shared interests.
Over there, the ministers were traveling by carriage under the stars, parking, queuing, socializing, coming and going, scheming.
Here, the Emperor was in the warm palace, discussing with Eunuch Yan whether the melon was not sweet.
"It doesn't have to be too sweet, just clear and soothing for the throat. Too sweet would be a bit cloying," Eunuch Yan said slowly, eating slowly as well.
The Emperor laughed.
He liked Wenxin's calm demeanor.
He was playful, loved to play, and had a good attitude. Being with Wenxin always made him feel a few years younger, seeing only the satisfying parts.
"Wenxin, with your temperament, didn't you ever like a girl before? You should be quite popular with girls," the Emperor asked, taking a bite of the not-so-sweet melon.
"Yes, I did. I used to like a sister in the village very much. She was tall and strong, with a round face, and very powerful. She could carry so much firewood by herself," Eunuch Yan gestured, drawing a big circle with his hands.
The Emperor couldn't help but laugh.
The palace maids and eunuchs serving nearby also couldn't help but smile.
For a moment, the room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
The more the Emperor thought about it, the funnier it seemed.
What was it about Wenxin liking a tall and strong girl who could carry so much firewood? How much was that... How could a girl be measured by the amount of firewood she could carry?
"And then what happened?"
"I was weak, had no relatives, and could only sing. I couldn't even support myself and often needed that sister's help. One day, I finally made up my mind to work hard and earn money. I went to the county town and found a job as a waiter. After working for a month, I finally saved enough money to buy a hairpin."
Compared to the messy court affairs, obviously, listening to gossip was more interesting.
And it was the gossip shared by the person in front of him.
It was vivid and lively.
The Emperor and the others in the room were all intrigued.
Eunuch Yan's voice was pleasant.
Clear and tender, naturally filled with affection and melancholy.
"That day, I took a day off, holding the hairpin, and went to find the sister excitedly. But when the sister was chopping firewood on the mountain, she passed by a river and saw someone floating in the river. The sister was a warm-hearted person and jumped into the river to save the person. Our village was remote and backward, and saving someone from the river and dragging them up was considered intimate contact. Although I didn't mind, the sister did... The main thing was, that man was extremely handsome, much more handsome than me."
Eunuch Yan was originally telling a rather sad story.
A twisted and winding love story.
The listeners were all stunned.
Even the Emperor felt a bit sorry.
He wanted to say a word of comfort.
But when he heard the last sentence.
The soup in the Emperor's mouth almost spurted out.
What the...
The other eunuchs and palace maids struggled to hold back their laughter.
"So, your sister married that man because he was handsome?" a bold eunuch chimed in.
"Who says otherwise? I worked hard for a month, bought a hairpin, and gave it to the sister as a wedding gift," Eunuch Yan said with an extremely aggrieved look.
"Hahaha!" The Emperor finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"How could there be a man more handsome than Wenxin in this world? That girl must have been blind, what a pity."
"Fortunately, Eunuch Yan didn't marry that girl, otherwise, we wouldn't have seen Eunuch Yan's elegance. Now that Eunuch Yan is in such good condition, do you still think about that sister?" Eunuch Liu chimed in.
This remark was a bit gossipy, with some insinuations. What could a eunuch think about women, and did Eunuch Yan, who was now well-off, still help his past love? Was he kind or disgusting?
The Emperor was the master, indifferent to what the people around him said. Only others guessed his thoughts, not the other way around.
He casually asked, "Did that girl regret it?"
Eunuch Yan shook his head and said, "The sister married a man of unparalleled beauty, who is also very promising. I guess the Emperor will see him at the court meeting today. I have always thought about her, but with my status, it's not appropriate to approach her. Seeing her living well is good enough."
Hearing this.
The Emperor remembered.
The court meeting.
The morning court.
He still had to attend court.
After eating, feeling cold, he left the inner hall and walked out.
The smile under the crown also turned stern.
He didn't want to go to work.
……
