Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 463: Managing Eunuch

Xiao Jizi’s face froze in an exaggerated expression of astonishment, not understanding what was going on. When he turned his head, he saw Xiao Qing looking at him with a smile, her eyes brimming with laughter that seemed to celebrate for him.

His gaze drifted downward to see that Xiao Qing was holding a tray in her hands, upon which lay a full set of eunuch attire—boots, belt, and hat were all there, exceedingly complete and appropriate.

The pattern and style of the eunuch uniform were all too familiar to him; it was the attire of the Managing eunuch that he had longed for so deeply.

He was somewhat dazed, unclear as to what was happening, and bewilderedly turned back to look at Lian Hua.

With a smile, Lian Hua said to him, "Those clothes you wore before are no longer suitable for you, so I’ve prepared a new set for you."

Xiao Jizi, seemingly in disbelief, pointed at himself and asked stutteringly, "For me? For your servant?"

Lian Hua nodded with a warm smile, her eyes slightly moist, "Yes, for you. Xiao Jizi, thank you for all that you have done for me. I am aware of it all; everything you have done for me, I hold dear in my heart."

Without Xiao Jizi, she would have died at the Noble Consort’s hands long ago, unable to wait for His Majesty to come.

She still remembered the Young Eunuch who had his clothes torn and lost his shoes, his face beaten to resemble a pig’s head in his clean-freakishness, all the while busy and worried for her sake when they had not been master and servant for even a few months.

On ordinary days, she was careless of heart, and it was Xiao Jizi who was always by her side, foreseeing her needs, reminding her, always putting her first in everything.

She could not disappoint such precious friendship.

When Nanny Qi spoke with her about promoting rank, she suggested elevating him to the level of an internal affairs eunuch at most, one or two grades above other servants—not too high, as it wouldn’t be good, both inwardly and outwardly.

She wouldn’t concede; she wanted to promote him by four grades in one go, insisting on elevating him to the rank of Managing eunuch—the highest rank within her Beauty’s capacity to bestow.

She knew it was what Xiao Jizi had dreamt of, and now that she had the power, why not help him realize this dream first?

She asked Nanny Qi if promoting Xiao Jizi to Managing eunuch would be against the rules, and if the Nanny was displeased.

Nanny Qi shook her head, stating that there was nothing wrong with it. Canglan Court could afford it, and there was nothing to be unhappy about; she was merely considering it for Lian Hua’s sake.

Internally, there was a fear that promoting him too high too swiftly would make him arrogant; promoting him more slowly meant there would always be higher ranks to strive for, thus encouraging one to work even harder with more dedication.

Externally, there was also the fear that...

Nanny Qi didn’t finish her sentence, but Lian Hua understood. Internally, she was allowed by the rules to have only one Managing eunuch. Not promoting him to the highest grade possible left room for another Managing eunuch to be appointed over Xiao Jizi if he did not perform well.

If Xiao Jizi were promoted directly to Managing eunuch and he performed poorly, it would be troublesome to appoint a new one in the future or to demote him.

And those outside who disliked her would take the opportunity to say that she was exploiting her favoritism, buying people’s hearts by promoting her lower servants to high grades all at once, creating trouble and slander for her.

She smiled and said to Nanny Qi that, after spending so much time together, she understood Xiao Jizi’s character well. She trusted him and had no intention of changing the person managing her affairs.

As for those outside who disliked her, they would never like her anyway. Since the promotion wasn’t against the rules, why should she care about what they said? She wasn’t concerned.

Nanny Qi sighed, ultimately acquiescing to her words and submitting the rank of Managing eunuch.

Having understood the implications of her words, Xiao Jizi accepted the garments. From then on, he was the Managing eunuch of Canglan Court.

After he understood, his mind whirred, going blank with shock; the desire he had harbored for so long had suddenly been realized, almost as if he were in a dream, seeming utterly surreal.

Dumbstruck, it was only when he heard that he had always been remembered by his own master that he jolted back to reality.

"Master..." he smiled, suddenly not knowing what to say.

He wanted to express his profound gratitude as usual, but as soon as he began the address, his throat seized up, making it impossible for him to speak.

He smiled again, lowering his head to hide it, and wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes with his hand.

Usually, his crying was loud but tearless, an act for show and amusement, unlike now, where a real problem seemed to calm him even more.

He was moved beyond words, his nose tingled with acidity, and the warmth around his eyes could not be held back.

Over the years, no matter how much he had been bullied, he never cried.

When he had plummeted from grace, transferred from Star Palace to Canglan Court, he did not cry.

When he had been beaten to a pulp by Zhang Sancai’s men, he did not cry.

It was only when something happened to his master, when he had just found His Majesty and saw hope, that he cried.

That time was different from this one; this time, it was a matter of joy, and just a few words from his master had stirred a desire to cry within him.

He thought, he had only done what his duty called for, anyone else could have done it, it was not worth mentioning, yet his master remembered his merit so firmly.

He looked up, trying hard to smile, to pretend as if nothing was significant, to say that it was his duty and he had done nothing worthy of credit, but his throat choked up, making it impossible to speak.

He tried to change his approach, to say something humorous like usual, but still could not manage it.

’A soldier would die for someone who appreciates him,’ he felt he could now truly empathize with that saying...

Xiao Qing, holding a tray, was on the verge of tears; ever since she had come to Canglan Court, Xiao Jizi had been instructing her on how to behave, and he had always protected her; seeing Xiao Jizi’s wish finally fulfilled brought her immense joy.

Pang Ya felt deeply touched; she had never seen a Palace Consort like Master Lian who truly regarded her servants with such genuine care, transcending class barriers.

Xiao Jizi and Xiao Qing shared hardships alongside Master Lian, their master-servant bond deep and profound, so her presence felt inappropriate.

She quietly left, thinking of going back to keep company with Nanny Qi, who had always treated her well.

Lian Hua looked at Xiao Jizi, feeling a great deal of emotion. Usually given to jest and banter, this day he was at a loss for words.

She was also unskilled in handling such moments. She only wanted to let Xiao Jizi know that she remembered their kindness, not to bring them to tears, which now made her feel like crying as well.

She cleared her throat loudly as if to break the present mood and spoke in her normal tone, "Alright, alright, Xiao Jizi, get up and change quickly. Xiao Qing and I have been eager to see what you’d look like in your new attire."

"Okay." Xiao Jizi managed to squeeze out the word with a smile, his voice constricted in his throat, and acknowledged her.

He rose to his feet as told, bowed his head, and pretended to casually wipe his eyes with his sleeve, the visible tears glistening.

Lian Hua couldn’t bear it; just watching him was making her eyes moist.

She blinked away the wetness and looked elsewhere, "Oh, Xiao Jizi, you’re just becoming a Managing Eunuch, don’t be like this, it’s a happy occasion, you should be joyful."

Thinking of something more, she added, "This is just the beginning. We should look further ahead. There is still the chief eunuch, Great Eunuch, Managing Eunuch, Chief Steward..."