Eunuch Shen was the orphan of a meritorious official, while he was a guilty minister.
Eunuch Shen’s expression remained unchanged from beginning to end, and Wei Yunping sighed lightly and bowed to confess, “The minister knows his mistake.”
His head hit the shining bricks of the magnificent Imperial Palace heavily, making a “thud” sound, as if it were the funeral bell ringing for his destiny.
Wei Yunping knew the current situation and did not need to say anything more.
Chu Xi immediately ordered, “In that case, the injustice against the Shen family can be redressed and their name has been cleared. Since the Shen family has made great contributions to our Chu kingdom since its founding, it is a regret of our Chu country and a shame of the emperor to have loyal and righteous ministers suffer unjustly. However, the deceased are already gone, and we can only do our best to make up for the living. I hereby bestow Eunuch Shen with the title of Lord Hou.”1冠軍侯 [Lord Hou] refers to a noble title in the feudal system of ancient China, and it is usually translated as “champion marquis” or “victorious marquis”.
Eunuch Shen thanked the emperor, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness. I am deeply touched.”
Chu Xi said, “As for the Prime Minister, remove him from the court and investigate his crimes.”
Once the emperor speaks, it was hard to retract. Someone couldn’t help but sigh and say, “One day the emperor, the next day a commoner.”
Although this remark was spoken softly, most people heard it. Chu Xi ignored it and ordered someone to take Wei Yunping away.
As Wei Yunping turned and left, Eunuch Shen looked at his departing figure for the first time today. The anger that had been pent up in his chest for many years finally dissipated.
Emperor Chu has died, and Wei Yunping has also fallen. The hatred of these many years has finally ended.
On this side, Shen Fengyue sat in the pavilion, cracking melon seeds and daydreaming. He was so bored that the sound of cracking shells constantly filled his ears. In front of him, there was already a small plate full of melon seed shells.
Shen Fengyue was happily cracking his melon seeds when suddenly a vague melody played in his mind.
“Crack!” He bit a melon seed in half, along with its shell, and after confirming several times that the music was floating in his own mind, he cautiously asked, “System?”
The music didn’t stop, and the system’s voice sounded even vaguer in the music. “Hmm?”
“Stop the music.”
The system didn’t respond, and the music continued.
Shen Fengyue felt that something was wrong. “System?”
Only then did the system say, “Recently, I have joined a religion.”
Shen Fengyue, “!!!”
Has this artificial intelligence gone astray in some evil organization?
Shen Fengyue whispered, “System, don’t joke with me, I’m serious.”
“You don’t have to be surprised. I didn’t lie to you. I really have joined a religion. Now, I feel that my heart is like a clear mirror and still water. As the ancients said, ‘The highest goodness is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to.’ We should be peaceful and benevolent like water.”
The system’s voice was surprisingly gentle and calm, without sorrow or joy.
Shen Fengyue, “…”
Wow, the system has transcended.
He was about to ask the reason when the system preemptively added, “I have done too much wrong in my past life. I hope that this time, I can purify my inner impurities and filth and transcend the mundane world.”
Shen Fengyue, “…”
Finally, it asked, “Shen Fengyue, will you join us?”
It was like the way people in multi-level marketing would try to brainwash their friends into joining their pyramid scheme. Shen Fengyue quickly rejected the offer three times. He was shocked and couldn’t calm down for a long time. Finally, he couldn’t resist testing the system, “Artificial idiot, to be honest, I’ve disliked you for a long time. Every night in my dreams, I’m stabbing you with needles. And having you serve me was intentional. I want to disgust you and make you deal with Emperor Chu for me while I’m enjoying sweet dreams and feeling very pleased with myself.”
“…”
There was silence on the other end.
Shen Fengyue thought it had worked and asked, “System, are you angry?” preparing for a confrontation with the system.
However, the system’s response was unexpected. Its tone was calm, without any waves, and one could even hear a gentle laughter in it.
The system said, “Shen Fengyue, you don’t need to provoke me. I’m not angry at all. Life is not long, and it’s a pity to waste our precious time on things that are not worth it. Don’t you think so?”
Shen Fengyue was shocked and dared not speak to the system again. The system’s behavior scared him.
So he continued to nibble on his melon seeds, and when his mouth was dry, he used a bamboo stick to pick up a piece of fruit to moisten his mouth.
It was in this situation that Eunuch Shen appeared.
“Your Majesty.”
Shen Fengyue looked up and their eyes met.
Eunuch Shen was dressed very differently from usual. The thick layer of white powder on his face was gone, making his face look much cleaner. He didn’t deliberately make his features look soft and feminine anymore, and his original appearance was revealed, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.
He was wearing a dark-colored outfit with simple and elegant patterns. When Shen Fengyue glanced at him, he thought he looked very good in dark clothes.
With an extremely long stature, he walked a bit fast, causing the corners of his clothes to lift slightly. He was holding a small box in his hand.
What a heroic and confident appearance, Shen Fengyue thought to himself.
He smiled at Shen Fengyue, so his narrow eyes curved downward, and the corners of his mouth turned upward, making him look especially handsome.
“Lord Hou?” Shen Fengyue had heard that he had been enfeoffed by Chu Xi.
Lord Shen walked over, and sat down on the stone bench opposite Shen Fengyue, taking the initiative in a familiar way. Shen Fengyue was used to their interaction and didn’t feel anything was amiss. Only the palace servants who saw this thought that the relationship between the Empress and the Lord was quite intimate.
“Her Majesty made me look for her, and you seem to be here.”
Shen Fengyue put the melon seeds in his hand on the table and asked, “What brings Lord Hou to see me?”
Eunuch Shen lifted the box in his hand and when Shen Fengyue saw it, he raised his left eyebrow slightly.
Eunuch Shen, “This whole journey was thanks to the Empress Dowager.”
“So?” Shen Fengyue asked.
“I have prepared a gift for the Empress Dowager, hoping that she will like it,” Eunuch Shen said as he placed the box on the table and pushed it forward toward Shen Fengyue.
“Your lordship is too kind,” Shen Fengyue said, just as he was about to open the lid, the hand in front of him suddenly snapped it shut.
Shen Fengyue, “…”
“This gift is special, so I hope the Empress Dowager will open it alone when there is no one else around,” Eunuch Shen said.
What a strange thing to do, making it so mysterious. But Shen Fengyue still nodded in agreement.
When Eunuch Shen saw that Shen Fengyue had agreed, his smile became even brighter. His smile had never been as radiant as it was today, like sunshine sweeping away all darkness, making him feel warm all over.
“May the Empress Dowager be blessed and enjoy eternal happiness and joy,” he bowed to Shen Fengyue and said this blessing.
This person always liked to play this kind of game, and Shen Fengyue was used to it, nodding and accepting his gift and blessing. Then Eunuch Shen accompanied Shen Fengyue for a while until it was almost time, and then he left.
After he left, Shen Fengyue was alone and didn’t feel like eating melon seeds anymore, and the system also went back to meditating. He couldn’t help feeling a bit bored and lonely. Soon, he headed back to the palace alone.
Back in the palace, he dismissed everyone and stayed in the bedroom. He rubbed his hands together and was about to open the box, wanting to know what kind of mysterious thing it was that he had to see alone.
When the lid was opened and the contents inside the box were revealed, Shen Fengyue’s breathing stopped for a moment.
Oh no, it felt like a heart attack.
There was a human head inside the box, neatly cut off and washed clean, so there was not much blood on it, but it still looked very terrifying!
A small note was placed next to it, stating that it was the head of the highest commander of the Yan Kingdom left in the Chu Kingdom.
Shen Fengyue, “…”
Silently closing the lid again, still in shock, Shen Fengyue patted his chest and took several deep breaths.
Okay, even though Eunuch Shen was showing goodwill towards him, implying that he had already helped him get rid of this person and that he could become the Empress Dowager worry-free from now on, but sending a person’s head as a gift… he had never seen anything like this before in his life.
Eunuch Shen was truly a talented individual.
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