EUNUCH Chapter 1

Translator: She.Wee

Chapter 1: Paying a Visit

“Fifth Brother, we’ve already waited for about half an hour. Why don’t we just leave?” Little Thirteen squirmed restlessly in his chair, looking irritated.

Zhao Chi glanced at him and said, “Don’t be impatient.”

Among them, Zhao Jingtong was the most impatient. He waved over a eunuch standing nearby and said, “Hey, you there, come here.”

The young eunuch was quick-witted, stepping forward lightly and bowing respectfully. “Your Highness, I am Xile.”

“Hah… what a vulgar name,” Thirteen muttered under his breath. “When will He An return?”

“The Supervisor went to the imperial estate this morning to check the accounts. He left early, so he should be back soon—perhaps in just half an hour,” Xile replied.

“You said the same thing half an hour ago!” Zhao Jingtong snapped. “Or did you just forget what you said before?”

“I ask Your Highness to be patient for a little longer,” Xile said with a slight bow, his tone calm and respectful.

“Oh, you little servant—” Zhao Jingtong raised his hand to slap him.

“Thirteen.” Zhao Chi stopped him with a sharp voice. “You’re in He Gonggong’s residence. You’re angry, so you want to hit his servant?”

“Fifth Brother! Just look at him—he’s got that fake smile plastered on his face, not even the slightest change in expression! He’s acting like he’s just humoring me!” Thirteen fumed. “Even He An himself is a servant of our imperial family. What does this little eunuch count as? Why shouldn’t I be able to hit him?”

“Ridiculous,” Zhao Chi said.

Then, turning to Xile, he said, “Gonggong Xile, Thirteen is young and speaks without restraint. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“However His Highness sees fit to discipline me is my blessing to receive,” Xile replied humbly. “I would not dare think otherwise.”

Zhao Chi nodded slightly, his gaze drifting toward a redwood box placed on a small table beside them.

Having left the capital for years, so much had changed.

Yesterday, upon returning to the capital, his first duty was naturally to enter the palace to pay respects to the emperor. He had knelt outside the hall for a long time, but the emperor did not summon him. After that, he went to see the Crown Prince.

When Zhao Yiming, the Crown Prince, saw him kneeling in greeting, he let him remain there for a moment before permitting him to rise.

They chatted briefly about their childhood memories—how they had once set fire to their tutor’s beard, and how they had stolen a bird’s nest from the garden of Consort Zhuang’s palace. The conversation carried a brief air of fraternal warmth.

In the end, the Crown Prince said lightly, “Fifth Brother has suffered in exile.”

“Replying to Your Highness, I have no merits to speak of and dare not call it suffering,” Zhao Chi answered respectfully. “Rather, I should thank Your Highness for remembering me and for making arrangements to bring me back to the capital.”

“Heh…” The Crown Prince teased a parrot by the window and said, “If we are speaking of merit, the credit should go to the Grand Secretariat’s scribe eunuch, Zheng Xian.”

“Zheng Xian?”

“Have you been away so long that you’ve forgotten Zheng Xian, Fifth Brother?”

“Of course I remember him,” Zhao Chi replied. “Wasn’t Zheng Xian originally one of Your Highness’s chief attendants? Has he now been transferred to the Secretariat?”

The Crown Prince chuckled. “He has indeed risen quickly. Some time ago, the Emperor recalled certain past events and thought of your mother. Zheng Xian took the opportunity to drop a few well-placed words, and the Emperor’s heart softened, allowing you to return to the capital.”

“Then I truly owe my gratitude to Gonggong Zheng.”

Before parting, the Crown Prince smiled meaningfully and said, “I’ve heard that while you were away, you had quite the reputation—elegant and gallant, leaving behind many tales of romance with talented men and beautiful women alike. Now that you’re back in the capital, you’d best restrain yourself.”

Zhao Chi cupped his hands. “I will bear Your Highness’s advice in mind.”

After returning to his residence in the capital, he summoned Bai Qiu to consult.

Bai Qiu thought for a moment and said, “The Crown Prince asking you to thank Zheng Xian is a test. If you refuse or delay, the Crown Prince may see you as a threat. So this matter cannot be postponed. But going directly to see Zheng Xian would be too conspicuous. If someone with ulterior motives spreads word of it, they could say you are degrading yourself by currying favor with a eunuch. That might displease the Emperor.”

“A dilemma indeed,” Bai Qiu sighed. “I have said before—returning to the capital is fraught with dangers for you.”

“But staying away was not a solution either,” Zhao Chi said with a faint smile. “If there’s a way to approach the matter indirectly, that would be ideal.”

Bai Qiu paced with his hands behind his back before saying, “The Commissioner of the Imperial Stables, He An, is Zheng Xian’s junior and also belongs to the Crown Prince’s faction. Because of Zheng Xian’s appointment to the Secretariat, He An has recently become a highly favored court eunuch. He has a great fondness for calligraphy. You should bring fine paper and ink to visit him tomorrow. Outwardly, you’ll say that since you just returned to the capital, you are looking for good horses and would like to ask Commissioner He to help find some. If anyone hears about it, they won’t be able to accuse you of currying favor with a eunuch.”

T/N: I will be posting a few chapters for now and then officially start from April 1. Thank you for reading as always!!