Novel Bin
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Chapter 38: The Malicious Eunuch
Early the next morning, Ye Ning was still in his dreams when Old Huang woke him up.
“Sir, wake up quickly, you need to attend the court today!”
Attend court?
Ye Ning sat up.
He suddenly remembered that he was still an official of Great Zhou.
Previously, he had nothing to do because Ji Mingyue had specifically given him a few days off.
Now that the vacation was over, it was time for him to return to court.
“If I don’t go to court, will I anger Ji Mingyue and get myself executed?”
This was the first thought that popped into Ye Ning’s mind.
This showed just how much he wanted someone to kill him.
But immediately, he dismissed this thought.
He wanted to die, but he wasn’t stupid.
There was no way Ji Mingyue would kill him over such a trivial matter.
Forget it, better go to court and look for opportunities.
Ye Ning dressed and headed for the palace.
After seeing him off, Old Huang stood at the door thinking for a long time, muttering to himself, “Does the young master need a maidservant now?”
He knew that there were many things a rough old man like him couldn’t do well or was unsuitable for, such as making the bed, assisting with washing, helping with dressing, and even warming the bed…
Don’t be surprised. This was the wicked old society.
Warming the bed was a basic duty for maidservants.
In the past, Ye Ning was just a minor official, but now, he was different.
In the past few days, Old Huang had come to understand what had happened.
Although his limited knowledge made it hard for him to fully grasp it, he knew that Ye Ning was no longer the same. Now, he was famous in the capital, idolized by countless scholars, with many rumors saying he would soon rise high and prosper…
In Old Huang’s mind, a high-ranking official must have a maidservant to take care of them.
The young master was about to become a high-ranking official.
And high-ranking officials need maidservants.
In summary, the young master needs a maidservant.
That made sense.
—
Ye Ning had no idea that his old servant was pondering such peculiar things.
He arrived at the palace and entered through the Xuanwu Gate.
He paused for a long time under the Xuanwu Gate.
This gate was not simple. In his previous life, there was a thrilling story where Tang Taizong ascended to the throne through the Xuanwu Gate incident.
Memories of his past life would occasionally surface.
This lifetime, he couldn’t forget them.
But Ye Ning could distinguish reality.
The Xuanwu Gate in this world had no connection to the one in his past life.
The palace had four gates, all built during the Taizu period and named after the Four Sacred Beasts: Zhuque (Vermilion Bird), Xuanwu (Black Tortoise), Baihu (White Tiger), and Qinglong (Azure Dragon).
It was said that these four gates were the eyes of a formation that encompassed the entire palace.
With this grand formation, no one could break into the palace. Practitioners had to report in because they couldn’t use their powers or fly.
Any behavior even slightly out of line would immediately be eradicated by the formation.
Back then, Great Zhou was incredibly powerful.
Now, it’s all history. The “Four Sacred Formation” had been dismantled, with its parts reportedly taken by four immortal sects.
The current Xuanwu, Zhuque, Qinglong, and Baihu gates were just ordinary gates.
Even from a single gate, one could sense the rise and fall of a dynasty.
He entered the palace and arrived at the Golden Luang Palace.
He was familiar with this place. As soon as he entered, he automatically went to the corner and leaned against the wall, feeling quite comfortable.
But now, he was no longer an unknown figure.
Many people noticed him, with various feelings of admiration, jealousy, resentment, and disdain.
People’s hearts were complex, each with their own thoughts.
“Lord Ye, you’re here,” a warm voice greeted him.
“Old Liu, it’s you?” Ye Ning saw a familiar face, his eyes lit up, and he patted the shoulder of the newcomer.
It was Liu Jin.
Ye Ning’s greeting, “Old Liu,” made Liu Jin feel very close.
He could sense that Ye Ning had no trace of discrimination against him.
In this world, this was extremely rare.
Eunuchs, being castrated men, were naturally prone to discrimination, despised by scholars, scorned by warriors, and even looked down upon by themselves…
This kind of inferiority and sensitivity led many eunuchs to become twisted.
It was the first time in Liu Jin’s life to meet someone like Ye Ning, who called him “Old Liu” without any derogatory or discriminatory intent, treating him as an equal.
His heart warmed, and he greeted Ye Ning with a smile.
“Huh, Old Liu, why did you change your clothes?” Ye Ning noticed the difference.
The other day, Liu Jin had been wearing the lowest rank’s green robe, looking very crude.
Now, he was dressed in a fine blue robe, exquisitely crafted from top-quality silk.
His whole demeanor had changed too.
“His Majesty has assigned me to serve in the Imperial Study.” Liu Jin said with a smile.
The Imperial Study?
Ye Ning wasn’t clueless.
Eunuchs serving in the Imperial Study were the emperor’s confidants, able to speak directly to the emperor, often by his side.
These were elite eunuchs.
“Well done, Old Liu. You’ve really climbed up in just a few days.” Ye Ning was genuinely happy for Liu Jin.
Although this guy was a eunuch, he had some patriotism. He was just a bit timid.
But he was much better than those traitors who had forgotten their roots.
Such a person’s promotion was well-deserved.
“Climbed up, climbed up!” Liu Jin laughed naively.
He didn’t actually understand what “climbed up” meant, but he knew it was a good thing, so he agreed.
He understood that his promotion to Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Study was largely thanks to Ye Ning.
Ji Mingyue had found out that Ye Ning and Liu Jin had been together that day and had talked.
So, he summoned Liu Jin for detailed questioning. After Liu Jin truthfully reported, he gained Ji Mingyue’s favor, which allowed him to rise rapidly.
Liu Jin knew his fate had changed because of Ye Ning.
Ye Ning was a hero, and even more so, his benefactor.
To survive in the palace, one couldn’t really be naive. Without cunning, one couldn’t survive in the palace. So, despite his cheerful appearance, Liu Jin had his own thoughts.
“It’s easy to dodge an open spear but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. I’m just a useless eunuch and can’t do much for Lord Ye. But in the palace, I do have access to information. If anyone tries to harm Lord Ye, I won’t stand idly by!”
Liu Jin knew better than anyone that the palace was a place where people devoured each other, with many conspiracies brewing.
Though not very brave, he was willing to help Ye Ning avoid risks.
Meeting an old friend made Ye Ning very happy.
He would never have known that the seemingly honest eunuch before him harbored such “malicious” thoughts.