After Transmigrating Into A Eunuch, I Became Famous In The Harem - Chapter 32

When Shao Yin heard the Empress’s words, every hair on her body stood on end.

This wasn’t the first time she’d heard such a thing.

The Noble Consort had asked something similar before.

Though the words weren’t identical, the meaning was the same.

Why were these women of the Imperial Harem vying for the loyalty of a mere eunuch?

Was it like those modern-day girlfriend rivalries?

No matter how many friends my girlfriend has, I must be the one she truly relies on.

Could such petty jealousy truly exist among these Imperial Consorts?

“What?” Guan Zhixian didn’t give Shao Yin much time to think. “You really do have someone else in your heart?”

Shao Yin looked at the Empress and asked quietly, “If I say I have no one else in my heart, would Your Majesty the Empress believe me?”

Guan Zhixian’s lips curved, but her smile held no warmth. “I’m not some empty-headed fool like Liang Fujun, believing everything others tell me.”

Shao Yin lowered her head and fell silent.

How could Guan Zhixian not understand her meaning?

She knew that in this palace, Shao Yin had served many people and encountered countless others. She might have considered some her masters, others mere acquaintances.

These encounters would inevitably leave faint traces in her heart.

Just like herself, she often found herself preoccupied with many people.

She even wondered how she could have said such a thing.

Upon reflection, she realized that her question carried a trace of Liang Fujun’s influence.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the charcoal fire in this small room, seeping into her flesh and heart, quickening her pulse.

Light from the window streamed into the room, casting shadows over them.

Their breaths mingled in the cramped space, the atmosphere thickening with the ambience created by the charcoal fire.

Guan Zhixian snapped back to her senses.

Perhaps she truly saw Shao Yin as her own younger sister.

Having been separated from her own sister for so long, her longing must have stirred these absurd feelings.

Just as she was about to change the subject, Shao Yin spoke: “This servant indeed cares for more than one person. I am deeply grateful to Eunuch Qian for his support in the Imperial Study, and to Eunuch Su for his care these past days. I will always remember everyone in the palace who has helped me.”

“But the Imperial Consort’s position is different.”

Guan Zhixian didn’t even notice her tense features soften momentarily.

The room was exceptionally warm from the charcoal fire, its heat radiating onto their faces and leaving a rosy flush on their cheeks.

Guan Zhixian gestured for Shao Yin to sit beside her.

How could Shao Yin dare sit with the Empress? She quietly remained standing beside her.

Guan Zhixian looked up at her. Her slightly upturned eyes, framed by her cool demeanor, unexpectedly softened her features with a hint of charm.

Her fingertips, concealed beneath her sleeve, tapped lightly in the air as she asked in a soft voice, “What kind of residence outside the palace would you like? Would a three-compound courtyard be enough for you?”

Shao Yin had a general understanding of ancient housing layouts. A three-compound courtyard would already be quite spacious for her.

She turned to the Empress, her clear eyes betraying a flicker of anticipation and joy. “Actually, even a small single-compound courtyard would be sufficient. I live alone—such a large residence would be far too much for me.”
“What if you have family in the future?” Guan Zhixian pressed.

Shao Yin was taken aback. “Does that mean after marriage, my family would have to live in my house?”

She wanted to say that she had no intention of marrying in this era. Men of this time were too steeped in feudal traditions, their patriarchal mindset too rigid. She couldn’t endure such people.

Guan Zhixian, unaware that Shao Yin had no intention of marrying, assumed she was planning for her wedding. For some reason, her heart tightened, and breathing became difficult.

Perhaps it was because her younger sister’s marriage had been unhappy, a union with an unsuitable partner. Guan Zhixian’s own marriage to the Emperor could hardly be considered a happy one. That’s why she couldn’t bear the thought of Shao Yin marrying and having children.

She reached out and gently hooked Shao Yin’s chin with her fingertips. Though she had to tilt her head back to look up at Shao Yin, her voice carried an authoritative air, as if she were looking down at her. “Who dares to live in the residence I bestowed upon you? If any greedy person covets this estate, I will make them understand that some things are beyond their reach.”

“Of course I wouldn’t let anyone else live in the residence you’ve granted me,” Shao Yin replied with equal conviction.

Guan Zhixian’s fingertips lingered on Shao Yin’s chin, gently stroking it.

Her heart felt as if it were being crushed by a heavy stone, her breaths deepening into drawn-out gasps. The soft, smooth skin beneath her fingers seemed to possess an inexplicable pull, keeping her hand glued to it, unwilling to let go.

Deep within her chest, a fierce beast seemed to stir, struggling against its cage, desperate to break free.

A fierce possessiveness threatened to consume Guan Zhixian.

She had never imagined she could feel such a frenzied possessiveness toward a slave.

Guan Zhixian stood up and took a step forward, closing the distance between herself and Shao Yin to less than a foot.

The atmosphere between them grew intimate and tender.

An unfamiliar yet strangely familiar emotion was about to break free from Guan Zhixian’s restraints.Shao Yin also unconsciously slowed her breathing.

The places Guan Zhixian had touched felt electrified, the current spreading across her skin and leaving her half-dazed.

Just then, Shao Yin’s pupils widened.

She felt a warm flow leaving her body.

This sensation was all too familiar: it was a gush of menstrual blood.

She had thought her period was almost over, so why was it suddenly so heavy?

Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she glanced at Guan Zhixian with a bashful, hesitant expression. “Your Majesty the Empress, this… this servant… I’m experiencing some… feminine… inconveniences. I may need to attend to them privately.”

Guan Zhixian quickly remembered that Shao Yin was on her period.

She released Shao Yin, her voice lingering seductively in the charged atmosphere.
“I’ve heard the Noble Consort personally prepared your menstrual supplies.”

Shao Yin grew even more embarrassed. “In my current position, it’s difficult for me to obtain these women’s necessities on my own.”

“That’s precisely why the Noble Consort rewarded you,” Guan Zhixian explained. “From now on, I’ll have Su Zhongjie deliver them to you monthly. Since you’ve become my favored attendant, I won’t let you suffer using these items repeatedly.”

This news brought immense relief to Shao Yin. She truly struggled with reusing menstrual pads. Though they could be washed thoroughly, as a modern woman, she preferred disposable ones.

Seeing the sparkle in Shao Yin’s eyes, Guan Zhixian nodded with satisfaction. She added considerately, “Since you’re unwell, I won’t disturb you further. Rest well. In a few days, I’ll settle the score with Consort Liang, ensuring she never dares to scheme against you again.”

After Shao Yin expressed her gratitude, Guan Zhixian departed.

On her way back to her palace, Guan Zhixian gazed down at her fingertip—the one she had brushed against Shao Yin’s chin moments earlier. The tip still seemed to hold a lingering warmth from Shao Yin’s skin.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something different about Shao Yin, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

Before she could dwell on it further, Su Zhongjie began asking about the day of the theatrical performance again.

The Empress’s visit lingered in her thoughts.

After washing up in her quarters, Shao Yin lay down and closed her eyes. The Empress’s earlier visit to her modest room replayed in her mind.

She couldn’t help but feel that the room had cooled considerably after the Empress left.

But the Empress was such a cold person. How could her presence have raised the temperature in the room so much?

Shao Yin couldn’t figure it out, so she stopped thinking about it and soon drifted off to sleep.

Yongshou Palace.

Consort Liang had received an invitation from the Empress and already suspected it had something to do with her recent audience with the Emperor.

But she couldn’t tell whether this invitation was a good thing or a bad thing.

She and the Empress had always been at odds, their strained relationship stemming from their fathers’ rivalry at court. A good relationship between them in the Imperial Harem had never been possible.

Yet this time felt different.

This time, the Empress had invited her after she had been punished for seeking an audience with the Emperor.

Was the Empress an ally or an enemy this time?

Was the Empress jealous of her scheming to seduce the Emperor, or had she seen her resolve and wanted to ally with her to get rid of Shao Yin?

Consort Liang leaned toward the latter.

She never thought the Empress had invited her to support Shao Yin.

She couldn’t believe Shao Yin could simultaneously charm both the Emperor and the Empress.
On the day of the performance, Consort Liang had arrived early, only to find the Noble Consort had beaten her to it.

Behind the Noble Consort stood that cunning eunuch, Shao Yin.

This time, she would be especially cautious, making sure the eunuch couldn’t find any opening.

But she couldn’t understand why the Empress had invited both her and the Noble Consort, especially with that eunuch in tow.

Her mind churned with these thoughts, making it impossible for her to focus on the captivating performance unfolding on stage.

Her attention kept drifting as she tried to decipher the true purpose of this banquet.

Then, as Shao Yin placed a fruit plate on the table, she accidentally knocked over Consort Liang’s teacup. Hot tea spilled over the edge of the table, soaking through Consort Liang’s robes before she could react, leaving a faint, lingering tea scent.

Consort Liang, who had never liked this eunuch, had finally found her chance.

She exploded, “You clumsy servant! Are you blind?”

“Guards! Drag her away and punish her severely!”

Guan Zhixian was about to intervene when Liang Fujun slammed her palm on the table. “I dare anyone to try!”

Consort Liang stared in disbelief. “Noble Consort, even though your servant was so careless, you still protect her?”

Liang Fujun’s lips curled into a smile, her radiant face blossoming like a peony. “If I don’t protect my own servant, who will?”

“How is this servant responsible for spilling the tea? You’re the one who placed your cup in an awkward spot.”

Consort Liang’s expression froze in confusion. She had never heard of a servant’s mistake being blamed on their master. No matter where the master placed their cup, the servant was always at fault if it was spilled. She couldn’t fathom how this eunuch could be so favored by the Noble Consort.

Liang Fujun was about to scold further when Guan Zhixian picked up her teacup and slammed it back onto the table. The crisp sound made everyone turn to check the cup. Seeing no spilled tea and no broken porcelain, they breathed sighs of relief.

Guan Zhixian calmly looked up at Liang Fujun. “There’s no need for you to worry, dear sister. This incident occurred in my palace, and Shao Yin was once my servant. How she is punished is my decision alone.”

Consort Liang’s eyes lit up, eagerly anticipating the Empress’s punishment of Shao Yin, the eunuch. But unexpectedly, the Empress’s gaze landed on her, colder than the snowstorm outside, her sharp eyes slicing across Consort Liang’s face. Consort Liang’s heart raced, her panic making her vision tremble.

As expected, Guan Zhixian wasn’t targeting Shao Yin for punishment, but her.

Consort Liang saw Guan Zhixian part her crimson lips, her tone menacing: “Consort Liang, do you think I’m right? This is my Kunning Palace, and I decide who to punish. I decide who breaks my rules.”

“Don’t you agree, Consort Liang?”

A chill ran down Consort Liang’s spine, and she dared not speak.

Liang Fujun, however, wasn’t pleased. Her peach-blossom eyes, tinged with coquetry, arched. “Even in Your Majesty’s palace, my servant is the one being bullied. I won’t trouble Your Majesty to intervene.”

Trapped between them, Consort Liang felt the lightning-fast glares pass through her as they locked eyes. Her heart seemed about to stop.

Only now did she realize.

Her clothes had been soaked, Shao Yin had clearly erred, yet she was the one being punished. And what were the Empress and the Noble Consort doing now? Were they actually competing to punish her?

A sense of desolation and fear washed over Consort Liang.

She glanced at Shao Yin, bewildered. What kind of bewitching power did this woman wield? How had she not only captivated the Emperor’s heart but now made even two Imperial Consorts vie to avenge her?

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