The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1182 - 637: A Beautiful Spring, Yet Better a Dream
Zhao Douan drank in silence, listening intently: "And then?"
Sun Lianying babbled, "I don’t quite remember, it’s been too long. I only remember at first I was ambitious, thinking I could serve beside a certain concubine, or even the Emperor. It was the Chief Eunuch then. There was an eighteen-year-old who achieved the position of Chief, envied by others."
Zhao Douan responded, "You’ve told me about this before."
"Have I?" Sun Lianying leaned back in the wicker chair, looking at the swallows on the treetops, saying, "But later he died, killed upon leaving the palace, which shattered my hope of serving great figures. But in life, when you think of something it’s often difficult, when you stop thinking, it falls into your lap. Somehow, I got sent into the palace of a newly arrived concubine, heard she had a strange temperament, several eunuchs serving her died. I thought I’d perish too, but unexpectedly, due to my skill in hairdressing, I served her satisfactorily and stayed, a few years passed, Third Prince was born, and I turned to care for him..."
"You haven’t told me these things." Zhao Douan continued drinking.
Sun Lianying murmured, "These are distant stories, later the concubine passed, and I followed the Prince here, Mo Chou was about the same age as the Prince then, maybe even younger? In short, a playmate. Back then every spring, the Prince would run wild with Mo Chou in the yard, playing with windmills. I’d guard the door, preventing other servants from seeing, to avoid gossip. When the Prince grew, entered school, everything settled, he stopped running, began to enjoy reading..."
The warm spring wind blew over the budding, tender willow branches in the courtyard, sunlight gradually moved over, dispelling the shadows under the eaves.
Zhao Douan listened quietly to the old eunuch reminiscing the past, occasionally chiming in, but mostly he listened.
"...I initially thought, once His Highness found a Prince Consort and married, I’d leave the palace, buy a small house to end my days. Unfortunately, family can no longer be found, accumulated some thin wealth, I don’t know whom to give it to... well."
As Sun Lianying spoke, he started coughing again, his face turned even redder than when healthy.
He gasped for breath, slowly regained composure, said, "Unexpectedly, a coup erupted, the Prince became Empress, everything turned upside down."
"You know what happened afterwards."
Zhao Douan looked at him, suddenly said, "Why not stop talking for now, I’ll help you back into the house to rest."
Sun Lianying shook his head: "I’ve been lying indoors for months, it’s suffocating, the spring outside is beautiful, don’t bother about me, I’ll take a nap to recover."
The old eunuch half reclined in the wicker chair, eyes closed, basking in the spring light, softly babbling.
His words became somewhat less coherent.
Seemingly falling asleep.
"...Think about it, truly wondrous, as a child walking from the village to the town felt remarkable. A trip to the capital’s outer city was joyous... now I’ve entered the palace, become Chief Eunuch."
This was Sun Lianying’s last murmured sentence.
The wind blew past the eaves, the swallows on the trees spread their wings and flew.
Zhao Douan alone, drank up a jar of wine, ate all the beef on the table, unknowingly, his eyes became slightly moist.
He turned, looked at the old eunuch lying in the spring light, now breathless.
The shallow bowl of wine beside him on the table, ultimately untouched.
"Master?" Zhao Douan tentatively called, then paused, picked up the bowl of wine, slowly poured it on the ground.
Good spring light, rather like a dream.
He stood, gently picked up the old eunuch, then was surprised to find such a large person, under the Python Robe, light as a cloud.
Zhao Douan carried Sun Lianying out of the Empress’s old residence.
Headed straight for the palace city.
"Mr. Zhao? What is this..." Inside the palace city, a familiar female officer saw him approaching, asked astonished and tentatively.
Zhao Douan calmly stated: "Sun Master passed away. Kindly find someone to handle his affairs. I don’t know what specifications the palace has, in any case, bury him in the place with the highest honor that palace-buried people can be buried. When the Emperor returns, I’ll explain to her."
Sun Master is gone... gone... The middle-aged female officer froze, took a moment to react, hurriedly nodded, called a few eunuchs over to take Sun Lianying away.
Zhao Douan did not intervene in the affairs of this old superior, also the first person to sincerely treat him well after he crossed into this world.
He wandered aimlessly in the palace for quite a while, a sudden feeling of tastelessness.
Unknowingly, he arrived outside Xiuwen Pavilion at the North Gate.
"Scholar Zhao? Just in time, the Grandmaster is looking for you!" Scholar Han Zhou walked out of Xiuwen Pavilion, his eyes brightened upon seeing him, hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed his sleeve and led him inside.
Zhao Douan didn’t ask what happened, upon entering a separate room, saw Grandmaster Dong Xuan sitting behind a desk, repeatedly examining a fresh urgent report in his hand.
"You’re here." Grandmaster Dong saw him enter, instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly found his backbone.
But noticing Zhao Douan’s slightly reddened lower eyelids, he hesitated, gestured silently for Han Zhou to leave, closed the door, then asked, "What happened?"
He didn’t think Zhao Douan was sentimental because the Empress left the capital... too exaggerated.
Zhao Douan calmly said, "Sun Master passed away."
Grandmaster Dong paused, processing it, and understood, the now aged Old Grandmaster nodded, said: "Previously, Imperial Physician privately told me, Sun Master shouldn’t have lasted this long, must have gritted his teeth, held on until Eight Princes’ Rebellion settled, then released."
Zhao Douan paused.
After silent moments, he gathered his emotions, asked: "What happened? Urgently sought me?"
Grandmaster Dong waved the urgent military report in hand: "Yunfu Road Zhao Shixiong sent an extremely urgent letter, saying the Liao Clan is moving, with actions to attack Yunfu."
Zhao Douan calmly took out a pre-written decree from his sleeve, tossed it over: "The Emperor already drafted the order, instructing Zhao Shixiong to lead the border army to hold the Liao Clan at Yunfu, not seeking to repel, only ensuring they don’t spread to the heartland of the Empire. Everything prioritizes the Xiping Road battle, Liao Clan, though troublesome, has few members, and is quite far from the Capital, with Yunfu Road’s strategic depth, no problems in the short term."
Dong Xuan was stunned, surprisedly said: "The Emperor already knows..."
Zhao Douan nodded, vaguely said: "This matter involves some higher secrets, inconvenient to detail to the Grandmaster, in short, everything is under control, now with the Emperor’s western expedition, the Grandmaster should remain composed, to ensure court officials aren’t shaken. As for the rest... the Emperor left me in the Capital, naturally for a reason."
Grandmaster Dong paused, took a deep breath, sighed: "So that’s good."
Moments later.
Zhao Douan left Xiuwen Pavilion, tried to exit the palace, intending to head towards Heavenly Master Mansion, but upon reaching the palace gate, saw a clear and elegant attire waiting ahead.
"Princess Lu?" Zhao Douan exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Yaner stood alone, travel-worn, at the palace gate.
——
Zhao Douan left Xiuwen Pavilion, tried to exit the palace, intending to head towards Heavenly Master Mansion, but upon reaching the palace gate, saw a clear and elegant attire waiting ahead.
"Princess Lu?" Zhao Douan exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Yaner stood alone, travel-worn, at the palace gate.
Conclusion of this section to be revised, and can be seen again upon reentry.
