Su Cen naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to go directly to the palace to demand someone.
Inner attendants, that is, eunuchs, were also called the emperor’s servants, specifically managing various palace affairs including transmitting edicts, guarding palace gates, cleaning the inner court, and taking care of the daily needs of palace residents. Like the civil and military officials who had their own systems, the inner attendants also had their own rules, all under the Inner Attendant Bureau, with their own ranks and strict hierarchy, though they held no real power.
When Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he learned from the lessons of previous dynasties and clearly stipulated that eunuchs were not allowed to interfere in politics. This meant their limited authority was confined to showing off within the inner court, with no right to interfere in court affairs.
Similarly, inner attendants belonged to the imperial family, and as the saying goes, one must consider the master before beating the dog. These outer court officials had no authority to inquire into the emperor’s family affairs.
Due to established rules that outer ministers and inner eunuchs should not associate too closely, plus the fact that proud scholars mostly despised these eunuchs for their arrogant behavior with their petty authority, while the eunuchs also looked down on these face-saving, suffering scholars, they had always kept to themselves without interference.
And now Su Cen intended to interfere with these waters.
But before going, Su Cen first sought out someone.
This person had only met Su Cen a few times, but as a eunuch, he was extremely respectful to Su Cen. The fundamental reason was that Su Cen had saved his life.
During the factional struggles years ago, this eunuch had said a few words in court that offended Li Shi’s taboos and nearly got dragged out to be beaten to death. Because Su Cen was uninvolved in the factional disputes at the time and spoke a few words on his behalf, the eunuch’s life was saved. Since then, this eunuch had treated Su Cen with great courtesy, and even helped Su Cen once when Xiao Yan privately brought troops into the capital with rebellious intentions.
Thinking back now, Li Shi’s decision to show mercy to this eunuch and not pursue the matter further was out of consideration for Su Cen’s face.
Su Cen sought him out for another reason—this person held a considerable rank within the inner court.
In the power struggles within the palace walls, a person’s rank determined everything. As the emperor’s close attendant, someone even the young emperor wanted to protect, his rank naturally couldn’t be low.
When Su Cen found the Inner Attendant Bureau, the man was resting in a grand chair with his legs resting on a small eunuch’s back. The small eunuch knelt on the ground, sweating profusely in the deep autumn weather, not daring even to wipe his forehead for fear of disturbing the sleeping man.
Seeing Su Cen arrive, another small eunuch holding a fan signaled Su Cen to wait and whispered “Master” in the man’s ear several times before waking him.
The eunuch took a while to open his eyes, asking listlessly: “What is it? Has His Majesty summoned me?”
The small eunuch quickly said no and gestured toward the front.
Upon seeing the visitor, the head eunuch immediately stood up from his chair, approaching with a beaming smile and enthusiastically calling out: “Oh, how does Lord Su have time to visit?” while complaining to those behind him: “How do you do your work? Lord Su arrives and you don’t even offer him a seat.” The rapid change in his demeanor even shocked Su Cen.
Having a favor to ask, Su Cen naturally couldn’t show anything and allowed himself to be courteously led to the main seat. After some pleasantries, he stated his purpose—he was looking for someone.
“Oh? What person?” The head eunuch raised an eyebrow. “My lord, I’m not boasting, but when it comes to finding people, you’ve come to the right person. In this palace, from the masters and servants of every palace and courtyard to the cats and dogs in every corner, there’s no one this servant doesn’t know about.”
Su Cen: “Little Six, do you know him?”
The head eunuch was stunned: “Who?”
Su Cen had a faint suspicion in his heart but remained expressionless as he repeated: “Little Six, supposedly named for having six fingers on his hand.”
The eunuch frowned and thought for a while, somewhat embarrassed, then turned to ask the two small eunuchs beside him: “Have you heard of this person?”
The two little eunuchs immediately shook their heads: “If you don’t know, Master, then we certainly haven’t heard of such a person either.”
The head eunuch withdrew his gaze and stroked his chin in thought for a moment, then looked up and said: “Lord Su, don’t worry. This matter is in our hands. As long as such a person exists in the palace, we will definitely find him for you.”
Perhaps having been embarrassed earlier, the eunuch searched even more diligently. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, someone came to report that all off-duty eunuchs had been assembled and were waiting for inspection.
The head eunuch smiled smugly at Su Cen, “Lord Su, shall we go?”
Su Cen put down his teacup and followed the eunuch out, only to see the courtyard of the Palace Attendants’ Office already filled with people. He had been drinking tea just behind that door and hadn’t heard a sound.
The head eunuch said to Su Cen with some pride: “All the off-duty ones are here. If he’s still not among them, we’ll have to wait a bit longer for those on duty to finish their shifts and be called over.”
Su Cen thanked him, then said: “Could you have them all extend their hands?”
The eunuch gave an order, and a little eunuch behind him immediately called out in a high-pitched voice: “Extend your hands!”
Su Cen started from one end of the formation, examining each person. Pairs of hands—some rough, some delicate, others with slender fingers, obviously still growing. These little eunuchs had all been sent to the palace from childhood. Some came from families too poor to support them, others came voluntarily. Having suffered exposure and bullying outside, wanting to rise in the world, entering the palace was not a bad option.
He looked through row after row but never saw the six-fingered person Liu Cheng had mentioned. Just as Su Cen was becoming disappointed, he suddenly stopped.
After a moment’s concentration, he stepped back a few paces and stopped in front of a cowering little eunuch: “Where is your other hand?”
The little eunuch had only extended one hand, keeping the other behind his back.
“This humble one’s… this humble one’s hand…” The little eunuch glanced up at Su Cen, then quickly lowered his head, stammering: “This humble one’s hand is injured.”
Su Cen narrowed his eyes slightly, then slowly stepped forward and forcibly pulled out that hand bit by bit.
The hand was wrapped in layers of gauze, making it impossible to tell how many fingers it had.
“Unwrap it,” Su Cen said coldly.
“This humble one’s hand is injured and hasn’t healed yet. It’s bloody and mangled, and might frighten Your Lordship.”
“Unwrap it.” Su Cen repeated without room for argument.
The little eunuch hesitated but still didn’t move. The head eunuch following behind, seeing this, was about to order someone to act when the little eunuch, realizing the gauze had to be removed, reluctantly began to unwrap it.
Layer after layer of gauze fell away. Su Cen stared unblinkingly at the hand, watching as the heavily wrapped hand was about to reveal its true form, when suddenly an announcement rang out from outside the courtyard: “Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives!”
A phoenix boot immediately stepped in. Seeing this, the little eunuch immediately stopped and knelt down. The courtyard instantly filled with the sound of people falling to their knees, leaving only Su Cen frowning and staring intently at the vague outline under the final layer of gauze, seemingly unaware of what was happening around him.
It wasn’t until a eunuch following the Empress Dowager scolded: “Audacious Su Cen, why don’t you kneel before the Empress Dowager!”
Only then did Su Cen reluctantly withdraw his gaze, turn around and kneel: “Your subject Su Cen pays respects to the Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager’s face showed some displeasure, but she still raised her head slightly: “All of you may rise.”
As soon as Su Cen stood up, he heard the Empress Dowager say: “In broad daylight, instead of attending to proper business, what are you all gathered here for?”
The head eunuch had originally been placed beside the young emperor by the Empress Dowager. Seeing his old master, he immediately approached with a fawning expression: “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Lord Su from the Dali Temple came to investigate a case. This slave is helping Lord Su capture the criminal.”
The Empress Dowager ignored the head eunuch’s obsequious expression and looked at Su Cen: “You’re investigating a case? What case?”
Su Cen bowed respectfully: “It is precisely the Tian Pingzhi case that the Empress Dowager ordered this subject to thoroughly investigate.”
The Empress Dowager frowned: “Hasn’t that case been closed? Didn’t Liu Cheng confess?”
Su Cen: “Prime Minister Liu did indeed go to the Dali Temple to confess yesterday, but there are still doubts in the case. I suspect there is someone controlling Prime Minister Liu from behind.”
The Empress Dowager pressed her lips together, and after a long while asked through gritted teeth: “Did Liu Cheng tell you this?”
Su Cen hesitated slightly, then nodded humbly: “Yes.”
The Empress Dowager asked again: “What does this have to do with this eunuch?”
Su Cen reported truthfully: “According to the testimonies of Prime Minister Liu and Zhang He, before the metropolitan examination that year, they both saw a six-fingered person who gave them orders to kill Tian Pingzhi.”
“Six fingers,” the Empress Dowager mused, then looked at the eunuch’s hand behind Su Cen. The final layer of gauze had not yet been removed. She breathed a slight sigh of relief and said: “This person doesn’t have six fingers. Yesterday I had him trim flowers and plants and he injured his hand.” She then glanced at the little eunuch: “You have nothing to do here anymore. You may go.”
The little eunuch also sighed with relief as if receiving a great pardon. He bowed and was about to withdraw when a hand grabbed him back.
Little eunuch: “!”
The Empress Dowager also frowned: “Su Cen, what do you mean? Don’t you even believe my words?!”
Su Cen lowered his eyes, appearing completely gentle, but his hand didn’t relax its grip at all.
“Let me see for myself.”
He knew clearly that if he let this person go today, he would probably never find him again.
“Audacious!” The eunuch behind the Empress Dowager raised his voice in anger: “Someone come! Su Cen is defying the Empress Dowager and rebelling!”
The guards on duty nearby immediately rushed over. The courtyard, already full of people, became even more crowded. Everyone in the courtyard looked at each other with confusion flickering in their eyes, while only Su Cen stood in place, unmovable as a mountain.
The Empress Dowager narrowed her phoenix eyes and studied Su Cen for a moment. She had originally thought that with a little pressure, this person would know when to yield, but she hadn’t expected Su Cen to remain unmoved even when surrounded by armed forces. With things having escalated to this point, she found herself in a difficult position. She was indeed in the wrong in this matter, and with so many eyes watching, continuing this confrontation would truly make it appear as if she were harboring a criminal.
She had no choice but to compromise: “You may look if you want,” her tone shifting, “but for fairness, my people will unwrap the gauze.”
With things having reached this point, there was no other option. Su Cen hesitated for a moment before releasing his grip.
The little eunuch withdrew his hand and rubbed his wrist, grimacing. Five clear finger marks were visible on his wrist, pinched so hard that his fingertips had gone numb.
The eunuch following behind Empress Dowager Chu stepped forward and said to Su Cen with displeasure: “Lord Su, please step aside.”
Su Cen stepped back but kept his gaze fixed on that hand. Just as he watched a layer of light gauze being lifted, Empress Dowager Chu suddenly said: “I hear you’ve been quite close to Prince Ning recently. Does Elder Minister Wen know about this?”
Su Cen frowned and looked forward, then turned back to see that the gauze had already been removed, revealing five fingers.
And a hand covered in blood!
Everyone gasped. The little eunuch bit his lip hard, trembling all over, his expression nearly fainting.
Su Cen frowned deeply. Before he could speak, he heard Empress Dowager Chu laugh lightly: “See, I told you he has five fingers and you still didn’t believe me. Chen You, count carefully for Lord Su—exactly how many fingers are there?”
The nearby eunuch, ignoring the flowing blood, laughed while grabbing the trembling wrist and counted each finger for Su Cen: “One, two, three, four, five—it’s five fingers. Lord Su, did you see clearly?”
The little eunuch beside them was pale, with only his bitten lip showing blood, his whole body swaying unsteadily.
The sight of all that blood made Su Cen want to vomit.
Su Cen closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down, digesting the crimson scene before him. After a moment, he opened his eyes and said to Empress Dowager Chu: “I still need to take this person with me.”
“Su Cen, what do you mean?” Empress Dowager Chu’s expression hardened, instantly turning dark. “You questioned me, and I was magnanimous enough not to punish you. You wanted to verify, and I accompanied you in the verification. What more do you want? Don’t refuse the toast only to be forced to drink the penalty wine!”
“I must take this person today. Please forgive me, Empress Dowager. When the case is concluded, I will accept whatever punishment is decreed without a single complaint.”
“I’m afraid you won’t live to see the conclusion,” Empress Dowager Chu stamped her foot in anger. “Guards, arrest him!”
Before the guards could act, a rich voice rang out from beyond the courtyard wall.
“Who dares?”
##
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
