Chapter 3

After Empress Wan left, Ning Chen finally raised his head, his eyes slightly narrowed. This was the most terrifying person he had encountered since entering the palace, not just because of her status, but also because of her inscrutable and calculating nature. This woman was no ordinary person.

The palace was fraught with danger at every turn; a single misstep could drag one into an unknown vortex. Ning Chen deeply felt the darkness ahead, but unfortunately, the palace was now under strict guard, making any attempt to escape impossible.

"I wonder how that woman is doing, whether she’s obediently staying put and not running around."

Bored, Ning Chen continued to hobble along, leaning on the wall, and encountered a couple of other bored young boys. He grinned and greeted them warmly.

In reality, the palace’s medicine was incredibly effective, far surpassing the dog-skin plasters of the future.

Ning Chen was still somewhat worried. The woman seemed to be injured and could not show her face. Even if she stayed hidden in the purification room, there was still a chance she could be discovered.

The purification room was located in the most remote part of the palace, rarely patrolled by guards, but this did not mean it could be entered freely. The palace was always outwardly relaxed but inwardly tight. Places that seemed deserted would reveal countless imperial guards once one ventured out. Ning Chen had no doubt that anyone who dared to sneak out at this time would be chopped up and fed to the dogs by the guards outside the palace.

Ning Chen did not dare to return to the purification room to look for her. These few days were a sensitive period. The clumsy woman had entered the palace to assassinate the Emperor of Daxia, causing a huge scandal. Any hint of suspicion could bring disaster.

As the saying goes, happiness is scratching an itch when you can, and unhappiness is having an itch you can’t scratch. Ning Chen felt very unhappy at this moment. He was itching to go to the purification room for a look, but he couldn’t do it.

"Head up to take a look, head down to take a look, stand up and go back to sleep."

Ning Chen fished out a copper coin from his pocket, muttered to himself, and flicked it. The coin flew high, drawing a beautiful parabola in the air, and then clattered to the ground, rolling straight forward.

Seeing the coin about to roll away, Ning Chen panicked. This was his only possession.

If someone asked Ning Chen at this moment whether life was more important than money, he would undoubtedly say money.

Indeed, in his panic, Ning Chen forgot about his leg injuries and hobbled after the coin, wincing with each step.

As the saying goes, good things never come in pairs, but bad things never come alone. Another saying goes, if a person is unlucky, even drinking cold water can cause a toothache. Yet another saying goes, if you don’t court death, you won’t die.

Ning Chen was the type who would get a toothache and court death. Focused on the coin, he didn’t watch where he was going and bumped into a warm, fragrant embrace, realizing his mistake too late.

Looking up in a panic, he saw a beautiful woman in a noble and exquisite phoenix robe, about thirty years old, with gentle eyes that smiled, making Ning Chen’s heart race.

"Whose servant is so bold as to startle the Empress’s body? You would not have enough heads to spare even if you had ten."

"Sorry, sorry," Ning Chen hurriedly stepped back two steps and apologized, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he wished he could slap himself for saying the wrong thing again.

Apologizing to the Empress, he was truly as stupid as the clumsy woman. Spending too much time with her had dulled his wits.

"Bold!" The eunuch by the Empress’s side scowled, finding him extremely disrespectful.

"Such panic, what is the matter?"

Changsun Wuyou extended her hand to stop the eunuch from punishing him, smiled at the tiger-faced young boy, and asked gently.

Hearing Changsun’s question, Ning Chen subconsciously looked at the copper coin on the ground, which had stopped rolling, and felt like banging his head against it in regret.

Did the ancients say that money is more important than life because of him?

Changsun Wuyou followed Ning Chen’s gaze to the coin, then bent down to pick it up.

Ning Chen watched helplessly as Changsun picked up the coin, wanting to ask for it back but not daring to, so engrossed that he forgot about his earlier collision with the Empress.

Actually, it was not Ning Chen’s fault. It was almost impossible for a modern person to truly fear imperial authority, even though he constantly reminded himself to be mindful of his status. However, he often forgot his carefully cultivated reverence.

Changsun carefully examined the coin in her hand, finding nothing special about it. Seeing the young boy’s conflicted expression of wanting it but not daring to ask for it, she couldn’t help but smile. It had been years since she had encountered such an interesting little guy.

"Be careful, the palace is not like the outside world. Remember to follow the rules," Changsun Wuyou kindly advised, then took a light step and continued on her way.

"My coin!"

Ning Chen watched helplessly as the coin moved away again, his raised hand falling limply. The Empress of Daxia, a high-ranking official, had taken his money, truly demonstrating the overwhelming power of authority.

"Your Majesty, he’s still staring at you," a beautiful palace maid by Changsun’s side whispered.

"He’s probably still thinking about his coin. What an interesting little guy. Since I took his coin, I’ll help him once. Order the inner court to assign him to Weiyang Palace."

Ning Chen had no idea that Changsun’s words had decided his future. If he had known earlier, he would have rather die than accept her favor, crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang himself to make Changsun retract her kindness. He was planning to escape, and going to Weiyang Palace would likely ruin his plans forever.

Without his coin, Ning Chen’s mood was terrible, his face long and sullen, looking like he was in a bad mood and didn’t want to be disturbed. Recalling the coin’s fall, he realized it had landed on its edge and rolled quite a distance.

Clumsy woman, you’ve ruined me.

After repeated shocks, Ning Chen confirmed that the palace was full of strange and dangerous people, not a place for humans to live. Escaping was the only way out.

The assassination attempt on the Emperor was a shocking event that shook the world. The palace was the center of the storm. In just two brief encounters, the most prestigious women in the world, the Empress and the Imperial Consort, had emerged from the inner palace, indicating that their actions were not just for show.

Ning Chen’s face was calm, but his heart was in turmoil. The palace was now the most dangerous place, for the woman and for him.

The Imperial Consort was sharp and dazzling, while the Empress was gentle and reserved. From their brief encounter, Ning Chen had a general impression. Both were beautiful, but their styles were vastly different. Undoubtedly, neither was simple.

The Imperial Consort, despite being a consort, was not overshadowed by the Empress, showing her sharpness. What Ning Chen couldn’t see through was the Empress, who stood above the formidable Imperial Consort and remained unshaken, truly remarkable.

The Imperial Consort’s sharpness came from within, and the Empress’s gentleness was not an act. Their sharp collision could temporarily balance, but the underlying complexities were beyond Ning Chen’s understanding.

Reflecting on it, Ning Chen realized that since coming to this strange world, the people he could talk to were either women or eunuchs, and none of them were easy to deal with. A single misstep could lead to disaster.

He couldn’t go to the purification room, as he might run into someone else. Before he had a chance to escape, he had to be more cautious.

Ning Chen limped back to his “dormitory,” looking at the group of young, pretty “boys,” feeling even worse. He buried his head and fell into a deep sleep.

Perhaps because he had lost too much blood from the woman’s slash, he hadn’t recovered last night. Ning Chen slept until nightfall and then—until morning.

The next morning, the door opened, and people from various palaces came to collect the boys. After nearly two days of rest, most of the boys could勉强下床走两步，恢复快的已经不需要人搀扶，跟着各宫的领路人走了，正式开始了他们一生的太监生涯。

Ning Chen was also led away by a beautiful and graceful palace maid, who walked ahead with a swaying gait, exuding charm.

Unfortunately, Ning Chen’s mouth, always at the wrong time, opened again.

"Big sister, walk slower."

The palace maid, named Qingning, heard Ning Chen’s address and her beautiful face turned dark, wishing she could kick this boy to death.

"Big sister, where are we going?"

"Big sister, my injuries haven’t healed, walk slower."

"Big sister, how much farther?"

"Big sister..."

...

Ning Chen’s incessant chatter echoed in Qingning’s ears, making her hands clench and unclench repeatedly. Just as she was about to explode, they arrived at Weiyang Palace.

This was Changsun’s territory. Although Ning Chen was ignorant, he knew this well-known fact. His heart raced, wondering if this was retribution for bumping into her yesterday.

Ning Chen was indignant. Why would a grown woman hold a grudge against a child?

"What, not satisfied?"

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded in Ning Chen’s ear.

"How could I be?"

Ning Chen’s expression changed instantly, his angry face breaking into a radiant smile, a mix of respect and guilt.

"Good, you will serve in Weiyang Palace from now on. The rules here are fewer, which should suit you."

Changsun Wuyou didn’t mind Ning Chen’s messy manners, her beautiful and gentle face always wearing a soft smile, appearing very approachable.

"Qingning has been with me since childhood and knows all about Weiyang Palace. If you have any questions, ask Qingning. I have matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first."

With that, Changsun and two palace maids left, leaving Qingning and Ning Chen standing there, staring at each other.

As soon as Changsun left, Ning Chen felt his whole body ache, while Qingning felt a surge of satisfaction. After enduring for so long, she could finally repay the “favor” properly.

"Killer intent."

Ning Chen read two words from Qingning’s eyes, clear and unhidden.

"Leave some room for future encounters." Ning Chen immediately stepped back, showing submission.

"Good attitude, but it’s too late."

Qingning’s slender hand shot out, her steps swift, grabbing the “enemy” in front of her so fast that Ning Chen had no chance to escape...