"General, have you seen the eldest young lady?" He Qingyi, also disheveled, asked Xiao Zhen, noticing Xiao Man was not beside him. "The eldest young lady has been missing."
"I just entered the palace and haven't seen her. It's so chaotic in here, where could she have run off to? I hope nothing happens to her," Xiao Zhen said with urgency, worried about what might happen if something befell her in the current turmoil.
He Qingyi shook his head. "She disappeared when the Empress made her move. Afterward, we were brought here by the Empress and haven't seen her since. Please send someone to look for her quickly."
"I did see that girl. She's the one who rescued me from my sleeping quarters, said she was going to send you a signal, and then ran off again."
"This subordinate did indeed receive a danger signal from Man'er, and seeing the guards killing people in the streets and all the residences being attacked, I understood that something had happened in the palace. I immediately mobilized the guards from the Shen Du Battalion to escort me into the palace, but I haven't seen Man'er yet."
"This palace is fraught with danger. Hurry and take people to search for her. Her health has always been poor; she absolutely cannot be harmed," the Emperor commanded immediately. Considering it, this was the second time Xiao Man had risked her life to save him. He felt a complex emotion. Every time danger struck, the first to rush to his aid was neither his child nor his subject, but this young girl!
And he had once considered using this young girl for political gain. If he had truly agreed to Yun Qi's demand and sent Xiao Man to marry into Yun Qi's family, perhaps no one would have dared to risk entering the sleeping quarters to save him during today's chaos.
"The remaining rebels in the palace have not yet been cleared. This subordinate must remain here to protect Your Majesty's safety," Xiao Zhen said, standing by the Emperor. "You few, go search the palace for the young lady's whereabouts."
"Yes."
"I'll go with you," Wen Mohan said, feeling extremely uneasy, and went out with them to search. Xiao Ling also followed. Even though she knew Xiao Man wouldn't be in danger, her heart remained unsettled until she saw her with her own eyes.
Xiao Man, disguised as a young eunuch, hid with an old eunuch in a secluded cold palace. "Eunuch, it seems quiet outside now. I don't hear any more fighting."
"Can we go out now?" Xiao Man peered out the window, seeing no one.
"Silly boy, wait a bit longer. If you go out now, you might just run straight into trouble." The old eunuch, while eating pastries Xiao Man had pilfered, beckoned to Xiao Man. "Did you manage to get any wine?"
Xiao Man took a wine flask from her bosom and dangled it before the old eunuch's eyes. "With me around, is there anything I can't sneak back?"
"You brat, you're quite nimble!" The old eunuch snatched it away and took a hearty swig, looking pleased. "Good wine. Where did you steal it from?"
"From the wine cellar."
The old eunuch's eyes lit up. "You went to the Emperor's wine cellar?"
"I did. The palace was in such chaos, the wine cellar wasn't guarded, so I stole a few jars out. They're hidden in the cabinet in the corner. If you crave a drink, just take some out."
"You're a smart one," the old eunuch said with a grin. "Boy, which palace do you serve in?"
"I serve in Chengqian Palace, doing odd jobs under Eunuch Xiao Fu," Xiao Man said without batting an eye. "And you, Eunuch? You look quite old. You should have left the palace by now. Why are you still here?"
"I'm alone in the world. I'm old. Where else would I go if I left the palace?" The old eunuch's eyes were cloudy. "This palace is my final destination."
"Have you been in the palace for many years, Eunuch?"
"I entered the palace at fourteen and have been here for fifty years. When I entered, the current Empress Dowager hadn't even entered the palace yet."
Xiao Man's eyes brightened. "I've heard that the Empress Dowager is exceedingly kind and has been residing in the royal villa. She only recently returned to the palace."
"Kind?" The old eunuch took a sip of wine. "For her to rise from a concubine to her current position, it wasn't by kindness alone. Boy, you still have a lot to learn!"
"I saw the Empress Dowager once. She looked benevolent and seemed very kind."
"Foolish boy, the person in this palace who hides their true nature the best is the Empress Dowager," the old eunuch said, leaning against a pillar. "The Empress Dowager was once engaged. To enter the palace, she abandoned her fiancé. After entering, she curried favor with the Empress, attained the position of the Four Consorts, and then usurped the Empress. Her methods and schemes are beyond ordinary."
"The Empress Dowager had a fiancé? Who was it?"
"Too much time has passed. I remember this family also prospered thanks to the Empress Dowager." The old eunuch thought carefully. "I heard it from my master. My master served the Empress Dowager, accompanying her in the royal villa, and mysteriously died eighteen years ago."
"Eighteen years ago?" Xiao Man frowned. A lot happened eighteen years ago. "Speaking of which, Prince Qi is also eighteen years old. He'll be nineteen next year."
"Prince Qi..." The old eunuch's eyes lit up. "I remember now, his surname was Jin. That's Prince Qi's maternal grandfather's family!"
Xiao Man understood. It seemed to be Master Jin. Master Jin was originally a merchant who later prospered thanks to the Empress Dowager. Then, Master Jin's youngest sister entered the palace to become the current Emperor's concubine and gave birth to Prince Qi. The Jin family had firmly established their foothold in the imperial capital.
As for the old eunuch's master, he likely died because of the Empress Dowager's illegitimate child!
The old eunuch, having drunk too much, dozed off leaning against a pillar. Xiao Man thought he had fallen asleep and took off her padded jacket to cover him before preparing to leave. Unexpectedly, the old eunuch grabbed her arm.
"Boy."
"Eunuch, do you have any other instructions?"
"I am old and do not have long to live."
"You will live a long and healthy life, Eunuch," Xiao Man comforted him.
The old eunuch shook his head. "This palace is full of unsavory affairs. I've seen too much. That's why I prefer to be a shirking old eunuch rather than show my face in public, guarding this cold palace and living a solitary life. Those young eunuchs look down on me and boss me around, but you are different. You even steal wine and pastries for me."
"You are an elder, Eunuch. This is what I should do."
The old eunuch shakily tried to stand up but his legs were weak. "You're drunk, Eunuch. Please rest."
"Boy, help me up."
Xiao Man helped the old eunuch to his feet. The old eunuch gestured for Xiao Man to help him to the bed. "Are you going to sleep on the bed?"
The old eunuch remained silent, walking shakily towards the bed. Then, he knelt by the bedside and reached under the bed, fumbling for a long time before retrieving a dust-covered box.
"I can no longer use this. I'll give it to you," the old eunuch said. He blew the dust off the box and wiped it with his sleeve before handing it to Xiao Man. "You are still young. Keeping this with you might save your life one day."