Chapter 2

After a moment, Ning Chen looked at his "masterpiece" and smiled foolishly. He was indeed a genius.

In the dim light, the bright woman before him was gone, replaced by a disheveled and genuine eunuch.

The woman, who lacked appreciation, had a blank expression. Ning Chen stood there for a while, but the woman did not praise him, which made him somewhat resentful. Well, he was a man, and he wouldn't quarrel with a woman.

Ning Chen dragged the old eunuch under the bed, then lay down on the bed himself. He stared at the woman and instructed her with great concern, "Soon, the imperial guards will come. When they do, just cut it off, and make sure you hit the right spot!"

The woman understood and nodded slightly, took the knife for the castration, and quietly walked to Ning Chen's side, calmly pulling off his pants.

"What's going on? Why isn't the lamp lit?"

Not long after, several imperial guards entered with heavy footsteps. The leader, dressed in a bright green armor, glanced around the room and asked sternly.

"Swish!"

Before the words were even finished, the woman's knife fell, splashing a shower of blood on her face. The fresh red blood trickled down her dirty face, making it even more blurred.

"The wind blew out the candle, it doesn't matter. I've done this many times, I can do it without a light."

The woman's voice was hoarse. The bright knife in her hand was now a crimson blade. The dim light and the eerie atmosphere made the guards at the door shiver.

Seeing the young man on the platform covered in blood, the guards felt a chill. The castration room was a dirty and ominous place, and no one would come here if not for orders.

"Let's go, check the other places."

Seeing nothing amiss, the leader waved his hand and led the guards away quickly.

Ning Chen, who had been barely holding on, suddenly sat up, gasping in pain and gritting his teeth.

"Woman, you did that on purpose!"

The knife had almost cost him his manhood, and it was cut so deep that he would have bled to death even if he hadn't been castrated.

"Uh-huh."

The woman nodded honestly, almost making Ning Chen faint. No one should be so cruel.

"What do we do now?" the woman asked.

She knew this was just the beginning. The palace would be on high alert for a long time, and they would eventually be discovered.

"Right, I haven't asked you yet. What did you do to have so many people after you?" Ning Chen was very curious. He woke up to see the imperial guards in a frenzy, and it seemed the heavens were really taking care of him.

"Assassinate the Emperor, but I failed."

The woman was calm, and so was Ning Chen. After a moment, he exclaimed, "What?"

Seeing the woman's fierce gaze, Ning Chen smiled awkwardly, "I lost my composure, I lost my composure."

He instinctively leaned back, thinking this woman was dangerous and might kill him on a whim.

"You haven't answered. What do we do next?"

The woman asked again.

"Wait."

This time, Ning Chen was obedient and quickly explained his plan. "Soon, a couple of young eunuchs will come to carry me away. They've just checked here, so no guards should come tonight. You stay here, and remember, don't try to escape."

The woman stared at Ning Chen for a long time and nodded lightly, indicating she would follow his advice.

Sure enough, not long after, two young eunuchs came and silently carried Ning Chen away.

The woman watched Ning Chen leave, her bright eyes beautiful even under the blood and dirt.

After a short walk, they entered a large room. The two young eunuchs carried Ning Chen to a bed. The beds around were filled with newly castrated men, some still unconscious, others crying quietly, whether from pain or something else.

The medicine to stop bleeding and treat injuries was on the bedside, one for each person. This was just a temporary place; the next day, they would be assigned to different places. Those with good luck might serve the concubines or princes, while those with bad luck would be assigned to do menial tasks in places like the laundry.

Feeling temporarily safe, Ning Chen calmed down and thought about his future. He couldn't stay in the palace forever; there were too many people and eyes. One mistake, and he would be discovered as a fake eunuch, and the old Emperor would have him chopped into pieces.

The woman was as troublesome as her face, a person who dared to assassinate the Emperor. He couldn't afford to offend her. His first priority was to get rid of this woman, or one day she might kill him on a whim, and he would have nowhere to cry.

Not sure if it was from the loss of blood from the woman's cut or sheer exhaustion, Ning Chen fell asleep, the low sobs and the sound of rain outside echoing through the night.

---

Happy times are always short. Just as Ning Chen was sleeping soundly, the sky turned bright. The early morning sun was not beautiful, as it meant his eunuch life was about to begin.

After the rain, the sky was clear. Ning Chen limped out of the room, leaning on the wall. He took a few laps, breathing the fresh air outside, feeling much better. Just as he was about to express his joy poetically, a hoarse voice made his chest tighten, like he had swallowed a fly.

"Whose little brat is this, don't block the eunuch's path."

Dressed in a gemstone blue robe with cranes embroidered on it, holding a duster, wearing a hat with peacock feathers and gemstones, with overly pale skin and a face that was neither male nor female, he looked like a deformed version of Dongfang Bubai. Ning Chen suppressed the urge to vomit, took a step back, but accidentally pulled his wound, causing him to grimace in pain.

"Your humble servant greets the eunuch, may the eunuch be blessed and safe."

"Hmm?"

Zhao Jin stopped and curiously looked at the young man, asking, "Blessed and safe? What a peculiar greeting, who taught you that?"

"Trouble."

Ning Chen knew he had said the wrong thing. He had just arrived and didn't know how to greet people. Now, he could only bluff.

"May the eunuch be blessed, your humble servant was overwhelmed by the eunuch's presence and forgot the rules, speaking the greeting used for elders in his hometown. I apologize, and I hope the eunuch forgives my ignorance."

After saying this, Ning Chen felt nauseous, especially with the strange smell from the old eunuch, which made him want to slap the old man.

"Clever little one, follow me from now on."

Zhao Jin looked him over, nodded in satisfaction. He was a good material, and with proper training, he could be very useful.

"Follow a big head ghost."

Ning Chen cursed in his heart but still smiled, "Thank you, eunuch, for your favor. I am new to the palace and have much to learn. I am grateful for your guidance."

"Hmm, not bad. Call me Eunuch Zhao from now on. What's your name?"

"Ning Chen."

"Hmm, from now on, I'll call you Little Ning." Zhao Jin nodded, satisfied.

"Your father's."

Hearing this name, Ning Chen couldn't hold back and blurted out, "Your father's." He really couldn't take it anymore.

"Hmm? What did you say?"

Zhao Jin frowned, not understanding what "your father's" meant, but sensing a hint of dissatisfaction in the young man's tone, which he didn't like.

"Nothing, nothing. Eunuch Zhao's name is a great honor." Ning Chen smiled brightly, "Little Ning, your whole family is Little Ning."

"I have something to do, Little Ning. The palace has many rules, you must learn them well." With that, Zhao Jin swept his duster and left.

"Phew."

Watching Eunuch Zhao leave, Ning Chen let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. The hardest people to deal with in this world were not women, but those who were neither male nor female.

"Whose servant is this, blocking the path?" Just then, another stern voice rang out, making Ning Chen jump.

"Damn, again?"

Ning Chen was furious. He was standing in this place, how could he be blocking their path? Just as he was about to explode, he saw the canopy with phoenix patterns and immediately cooled down.

"Who is this?"

Four beautiful palace maids escorted a woman in splendid palace attire, with a stunningly beautiful face. Her hair was styled in a phoenix knot, her eyebrows delicately drawn, her eyes full of spring, her skin smooth and fine like warm jade, seven parts beautiful, three parts enchanting, making it impossible to look away.

Ning Chen didn't recognize this woman, but he knew such a grand procession in the palace could be counted on one hand. This woman was not to be trifled with, and he planned to run away soon, so it was best to be low-key.

Taking a step back, then another, Ning Chen bowed, lowering his head, muttering, "I am a passerby, you can't see me."

The leading young eunuch, seeing Ning Chen move aside, huffed and said nothing more. As a servant, he dared not be too arrogant in front of his master.

"Wait."

After two steps, Wan Yunshang stopped, glanced at Ning Chen, and asked, "Why don't you kneel?"

At this moment, the four palace maids and the young eunuch realized that this unfamiliar man had not knelt from the beginning. If not for Wan Yunshang's question, they wouldn't have noticed.

"I am new to the palace and don't know the rules. I beg the Empress to forgive me," Ning Chen sighed inwardly, speaking respectfully.

"Do you know now?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you kneel!"

"Newly castrated, I can't control my body. I beg the Empress to understand."

Wan Yunshang didn't let up, and neither did Ning Chen. After a moment, Wan Yunshang's lips curled up, and her piercing eyes carefully examined the young man.

"Oh, I see. Then it's fine."

"Thank you, Empress."

Ning Chen breathed a sigh of relief, hiding the defiance in his eyes, and spoke respectfully as usual.