After Transmigrating Into A Eunuch, I Became Famous In The Harem - Chapter 14

The Noble Consort’s words made Shao Yin tense up again.

She hadn’t realized that beneath the seemingly serene surface of the palace dwellers lurked ferocious beasts. The moment these creatures bared their fangs, they could tear her to shreds.

Seeing Shao Yin’s head bowed and silent, the Noble Consort reached out to lift her chin.

Shao Yin lowered her head further, suppressing her fear. “This servant is filthy,” she said. “I fear I might dirty Your Majesty’s hands.”

The Noble Consort’s expression hardened, the mischievous smile slowly fading. Her scrutinizing gaze fell upon Shao Yin, as if assessing whether she truly was as dirty as she claimed.

Finally, with a cold expression, the Noble Consort withdrew her hand with a dismissive snort. She rose and spat, “Get out,” before sweeping her robes and striding toward the Empress’s Palace.

The main gates of Cining Palace stood open, and the entire scene unfolded before the Empress’s eyes. She watched Shao Yin leave before turning her gaze to the Noble Consort.

The Noble Consort bowed in greeting. The Empress waved off the formalities, gestured for her to be seated, and asked, “What brings you here today?”

The Noble Consort shed her flirtatious demeanor. “I’ve come to discuss military funding,” she replied.

The Empress straightened her expression. “I know this war is necessary, but the national treasury is empty.”

Noble Consort’s voice carried a hint of sarcasm. “Isn’t the treasury empty because of his reckless spending? He’s building a new imperial residence and planning a lavish birthday banquet—doesn’t all that cost silver?”

“Winter’s coming, and the border soldiers don’t even have enough to eat, let alone proper winter clothes. My father and brothers are going gray with worry, while he indulges in luxury in the palace!”

“Liang Fujun!” The Empress slammed her hand on the table. “You should know better than to say such things!”

Noble Consort restrained her expression. “I know you wouldn’t go tattle to him.”
“But what if there are ears behind the walls? What if someone with ill intent overhears? If you lose your life in this palace, no one will care. But what about your father, your brothers, and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the border? Have you ever thought about them?”

“You don’t need me to teach you such a basic lesson: loose lips sink ships!”

The Empress’s scolding left Noble Consort’s eyes slightly reddened, yet a stubborn glint remained. “So what if I said it? At worst, I’ll take him down with me! Sister, you’re securing your son’s position, and you’ll all sit in that seat. I don’t need to worry about my father, my brothers, or their hundreds of thousands of soldiers!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress rose and strode to her side, covering her mouth with a cold, fierce gaze. “Do you think I wouldn’t dare kill you? Do you believe my kindness to you means I’ll let you recklessly drag me into that abyss?”

Their tempers clashed, momentarily locked in a stalemate.

Yet both knew they didn’t truly want to win this verbal sparring match. What mattered most were the matters the Noble Consort had raised: the soldiers on the border, military funding, and how this war should be fought.

If they didn’t fight, it would be the common people who suffered, and their nation’s territory that would be torn apart. Even the ladies of the Imperial Harem couldn’t bear to see such a fate.

But to the Emperor, these tragedies seemed utterly inconsequential.

The Empress knew he wasn’t fit to be emperor.

She closed her eyes and said to the Noble Consort, “We can’t rush this. Let’s work together to find a solution.”

In the following days, Shao Yin changed into a new set of clothes and continued serving in the Empress’s Palace.

But one day, the Emperor came.

He was drunk, his belly full of grievances as he stormed into the Empress’s Palace, his gaze particularly hostile as he glared at her.

Before she could speak, he swept the teacup from the table, sending tea and porcelain shards scattering across the floor.

The Emperor sneered at the Empress, his gaze taunting. “Empress, your father and brother align perfectly with the Noble Consort’s relatives. Together, you all denounce me in court, finding fault with everything I do. What’s this about now? Is it the construction of a second palace or the grand longevity banquet that offends you?”

“Let me make this clear: I want both the palace and the banquet! As for military funding, that’s the Ministry of Revenue’s concern. Why should I care about their troubles?”

The Empress’s brother was the Vice Minister of Revenue, and her father was a Cabinet Minister.

The Ministry of Revenue managed the nation’s finances, taxes, and revenues. The Emperor cared little about why their coffers were empty; he only cared about whether he could draw funds when he wanted them.

The Empress trembled with anger at his words, but she dared not show it. She lowered her gaze and soothed him gently, “Your Majesty, are you unwell from drinking? I’ll have the Imperial Kitchen prepare a sobering soup for you.”

The Emperor dismissed her concern. He grabbed her wrist, yanking her close, and snarled, “What I hate most is that cold, detached facade of yours. So what if you’re beautiful? That face of yours can’t stir a single emotion in me!”

“Today, I will tear that mask of yours off!”

With those words, the Emperor reached out to tear the Empress’s clothes.

Guan Zhixian never imagined the Emperor would act like some lecherous pervert toward her!

A flicker of murderous intent flashed in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

This was the Emperor. She couldn’t let him die mysteriously in her palace.

Besides, it wasn’t yet time for his death.

Hearing the commotion from the inner chamber, Shao Yin, who had been waiting outside to attend to them, rushed in.

She saw the cold fury and humiliation in the Empress’s eyes, and the Emperor’s repulsive, lecherous appearance. She couldn’t care about anything else in that moment.

She lunged forward and yanked the Emperor away from the Empress.

But unexpectedly, the Emperor stumbled backward, his head slamming hard against the armrest of the low couch.
Shao Yin’s breath caught in her throat, her body stiffening. She stared at the Emperor, his eyes closed and body slack, then reached out to feel for his breath beneath his nose.

After a moment, she turned to the Empress. “His Majesty has fainted.”

The Empress’s gaze darkened. “He’s drunk. He’s just deeply asleep from intoxication. He hasn’t fainted.”

Shao Yin understood.

If he had simply fainted, it would be a different story. But if he’s just deeply asleep from drinking, what does that have to do with them?

Shao Yin’s body went limp as she stared at the unconscious Emperor, a wave of fear was washing over her.

Her fingertips trembled slightly where they rested by her side, still fixed on the Emperor, as if afraid he might suddenly wake.

Just then, icy fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to turn and face the Empress.

It was the early winter, and snowflakes drifted softly down in the night, the wind carrying a biting chill.

The room was brightly lit by candles, the coal fire glowing crimson, much warmer than the cold outside.

The Emperor lay unconscious on the low couch, his feet resting on Shao Yin, who knelt in eunuch’s robes. The Empress sat beside him, her fingers pinching Shao Yin’s chin, forcing her to look up.

Guan Zhixian’s grip was firm, yet a faint smile played in her eyes. “Since you were so terrified, why did you rush in here?”

Her fingertips traced Shao Yin’s chin. “I exposed your true identity. Shouldn’t you hate me?”

Shao Yin’s eyes, clear as glass, reflected the flickering candlelight, more fragile than the snow outside.

Still haunted by lingering fear, she was forced to raise her head. Her soft neck strained as she whispered, voice trembling, “This servant doesn’t hate the Empress.”

The Empress’s smile faded, her gaze turning serious. Her fingers pressed down with slightly more force. “Why not?”

“My identity is a fact,” Shao Yin replied. “It’s myself and my family who brought me to this situation. It has nothing to do with Your Majesty.”

“That Your Majesty didn’t expose me, didn’t punish me—that’s already kindness. Why would I hate you?”

Every word Shao Yin spoke came from the heart.

She truly didn’t hate the Empress.

It was just… she was a little afraid of her.

But now, with the candlelight flickering, the charcoal fire warm, even the air seemed to grow hazy and suggestive.

The Empress stroked Shao Yin’s fingertips, a hint of tenderness in her touch.

“You’re the one who bewitched His Majesty, aren’t you?” she asked. “The one he can’t stop thinking about.”

Shao Yin’s eyes glistened with tears. “I haven’t done anything.”

She had done everything she could to avoid the Emperor. Yet in the original story, the Original Host had gone to great lengths to catch the Emperor’s attention, only for him to become obsessively devoted to her despite her constant avoidance.

Shao Yin couldn’t understand it either. She thought the Emperor was simply a shameless man who craved what he couldn’t have.

The Empress sighed softly. “Perhaps it’s precisely because you’ve done nothing that you’ve captivated him.”

Shao Yin was utterly baffled by the Empress’s words.

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