After Transmigrating Into A Eunuch, I Became Famous In The Harem - Chapter 52

Faced with the Noble Consort’s borderline perverse remarks, Shao Yin could only lower her head in submission.

However, deep down, she didn’t truly regard the Imperial Consorts of the Imperial Harem as equals. Their inherently unequal relationship prevented her from interacting with them on equal footing. To her, these Imperial Consorts would always remain her Mistresses.

Using her modern mindset, she viewed them more as bosses or superiors—ones she couldn’t defy.

So, with her head bowed, she said, “How could this servant ever forget Your Majesty? No matter what, Your Majesty will always have a place in this servant’s heart. This servant also remembers that Your Majesty is my Mistress.”

Liang Fujun glanced at her indifferently, her eyes flickering with a cold, menacing light. “You’d better mean that. I’ve never punished you before, but I hope you don’t provoke me. Otherwise, you’ll regret it—even regret ever entering this palace.”

Shao Yin hastily assured her that she would never dare.

Yet, even as she spoke, she was already strategizing how to escape this palace.

Though she couldn’t find an opportunity now, she was certain she would one day achieve her goal.

Liang Fujun’s alluring face held a sinister gaze, her expression as cold as a razor’s edge. “In that case, you should return and rest. We wouldn’t want you to be too tired while serving in Consort Zhen’s Palace and make a mistake that angers her.”

Before leaving, she made sure to poison Shao Yin’s mind about Consort Zhen: “Yang Yuzhen may seem gentle, but she’s not someone to be trifled with. Spend a day in her palace, and you’ll realize that I am the one who truly treats you best in this palace.”

Shao Yin repeatedly assured the Noble Consort that she knew the Consort was the kindest to her, and soon departed the Noble Consort’s Palace to return to her residence outside the palace.

Only after settling into her carriage did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

No one in the palace was easy to deal with.

She pulled the jade bracelet from her robe, seriously considering pawning it.
These gold and silver ornaments were only pleasing to the eye when worn by the wealthy. For someone like her, who relied solely on her monthly stipend, selling such trinkets was their truest purpose.

What could compare to the weight of gold and silver in one’s hand?

But Shao Yin never imagined that even returning to her residence wouldn’t bring her peace.

As she stepped through the gate, the young maid the Empress had bought for her approached and said, “Eunuch Shao, Madam has arrived and is waiting for you in the main hall.”

Madam? Which Madam?

It wasn’t until Shao Yin saw the woman that buried memories resurfaced, and she realized it was the mother of her original host.

Madam Shao’s eyes flashed with unmistakable disgust as she saw her daughter dressed in a eunuch’s robes.

Her daughter was strikingly beautiful, and many families had sought her hand in marriage. But marriage customs demanded a match of equal social standing. Their family’s status was mediocre at best, so even with numerous suitors, they were limited to officials of similar rank.

Higher-ranking officials, or those wielding power in court, only wanted her daughter as a concubine. As a concubine, she would have little real power or resources. Any support for her family would still depend on the benevolence of the household’s male head and his wife.

But becoming a concubine to the Emperor was different.

If she could bear the Emperor even a single child, the Shao family’s wealth and status would know no bounds.

She devised a plan to have her daughter sent to the palace, disguised as a eunuch, to gain access to the Emperor and enter the Imperial Study.

Rumors of the daughter’s favor had already spread throughout the palace, and the mother and her son were eagerly anticipating her appointment as a consort in the Imperial Harem, which would elevate their family’s status.

Before long, her daughter had managed to get close to the Empress, then later moved to the Noble Consort’s Palace.

What prospects could there be for a slave serving the Imperial Consorts? If they discovered her true gender, it could mean the extermination of her entire clan!
What infuriated her most was that the Empress had rewarded her daughter with a mansion—a three-compound residence even grander than their own Shao Manor, and located closer to the Imperial Palace.

Her daughter, however, remained silent about this, choosing to live alone in the spacious mansion while her family continued to squeeze into their two-compound home.

How could she tolerate such an unf filial daughter? In the end, she came to the mansion to teach her a lesson.

Seeing her daughter enter, she immediately ordered her to kneel.

“Do you know what mistakes you’ve made? Do you understand why I’m here today?”

Shao Yin refused to kneel, standing in the hall and staring at the woman who had sent the Original Host into a den of lions. In a society that already favored sons over daughters, this mother had amplified that bias. Coldness filled Shao Yin’s eyes.

Whether it was the fate of the Original Host in the novel or her own fate after Shao Yin’s transmigration, both led to a dead end.

The Original Host’s life had been ruined by her own family.

Shao Yin looked at the woman who called herself her mother. “I don’t know what I’ve done wrong.”

Madam Shao slammed her hand on the table. “You don’t know what you’ve done wrong? When you entered the palace, I told you to win the Emperor’s favor and secure a place in the Imperial Harem! But now you’ve become the Noble Consort’s personal eunuch. What were you thinking? Have you considered the disaster that will befall our family if your identity is exposed?”

“Isn’t all of this your doing? Since you sent me to the palace, you should have prepared for this outcome.” Fury surged in Shao Yin’s chest.

If these greedy people hadn’t sent the Original Host to the palace, she wouldn’t be in this precarious position, constantly on the verge of disaster.

“Are you blaming me?” Madam Shao asked, incredulous.

“Not exactly blaming you,” Shao Yin replied. “But now that I’m in the palace, surviving is proving incredibly difficult. Becoming a consort seems impossible. It would be better for your brother to focus on his duties at home. If he performs well, he might even get promoted. Don’t pin your hopes on me, your younger sister. Climbing over women’s shoulders to succeed—what kind of man does that make him?”

“What are you saying?!” Madam Shao could hardly believe these words were coming from her own daughter’s mouth.

Seeing her mother’s hand clench into a fist, Shao Yin remembered how ancient people were obsessed with blind filial piety. If she fought back, she’d likely end up worse off. She had no choice but to invoke the Imperial Consorts: “Please, Mother, calm down. Don’t punish me. I’m scheduled to report to the palace tomorrow. If I arrive with injuries, the Imperial Consorts might blame my brother, and I won’t be able to protect him then.”

“You… you… you ungrateful child!” Madam Shao trembled with fury.

Shao Yin thought to herself, The suppression I faced in the palace from those Imperial Consorts was solely due to their absolute power.

There’s no reason I should be subservient to my family when I’m backed by several powerful Imperial Consorts.

So be it if I’m called a disobedient child. I don’t need those empty titles. I’m already a Eunuch—why should I care about such things?

Madam Shao seemed to realize that she no longer held control over her child. Yet how could she bear to let her leave in such disgrace?

She glanced once more at the exceptionally elegant residence.

“I won’t interfere with your affairs in the palace anymore. You know what’s at stake. Remember to support your father and brothers. A woman’s life depends on her children or her male relatives. Only when they prosper will you enjoy a good life.”

“But why live alone in such a grand residence? Don’t you realize your father and brothers rise early for their duties because our family home is too far from the Imperial Palace?”

Shao Yin thought to herself, These relatives are bloodsuckers through and through.

She smiled faintly, a softness in the corners of her eyes that belied a steely resolve. “Did Madam Shao say she wanted to move the entire family into this residence? This is a gift from the Empress. I’ll ask Her Majesty when I enter the palace tomorrow during my shift. If she’s willing, we can proceed. Otherwise, if we displease Her Majesty and risk the entire family’s lives, I refuse to bear that responsibility.”

The mere mention of “the entire family’s lives” extinguished Madam Shao’s greed.

Madam Shao’s gaze turned venomous, dripping with malice as she stared at her daughter.
This home was no longer a refuge.

Even if she left the palace, returning to the Shao family would only worsen her situation.

Shao Yin remained unyielding, leaving Madam Shao powerless. In the end, she stormed out in fury.

Shao Yin, who had planned to return home and rest, found her mood soured by the encounter.

Yet, the next day, when she reported to Consort Zhen’s Palace, she discovered that Consort Zhen was already aware of the incident.

Yang Yuzhen, her face soft with a gentle smile, spoke of the hairpins. “The Empress seems displeased. Should I buy her some more hairpins to appease her and prevent her from punishing you?”

Shao Yin knew Consort Zhen wasn’t someone to be trusted. If she really followed through with this, the Empress, who had only just calmed down, would undoubtedly become enraged again. And when that happened, it would be Shao Yin, the servant, who would suffer.

She immediately knelt before Yang Yuzhen and said, “Please, Imperial Consort, have mercy on this servant. If you proceed with this, the Empress will surely blame me for being indiscreet and saying something inappropriate to you.”

The other servants in the hall held their breath. Outside, the wind and snow howled against the windows. Although the Main Hall was warmed by a brazier, the biting cold seeped into Shao Yin’s bones through her kneeling position.

As she heard Yang Yuzhen approach, step by step, it felt like she was walking toward her own execution.

But unexpectedly, Yang Yuzhen crouched down in front of her, her fingertips lifting Shao Yin’s chin. A gentle smile played on her lips, but beneath it flickered a cold, ruthless glint. “This servant hasn’t even done anything for me yet, and she’s already begging me for favors?”

A hint of malicious amusement flashed in her eyes, and her voice lowered further. “I’m quite displeased, but if I punish you, that pitiful look of yours would break my heart. Why don’t we let your father and brothers suffer the consequences instead? What do you say?”

Shao Yin’s eyes flickered slightly. She wondered if Yang Yuzhen had discovered something. The Noble Consort had hinted several times before that she suspected Shao Yin’s true identity as a woman.

Her mother had visited the palace just yesterday, and now Yang Yuzhen was saying this. Was this a warning, or something else?

Shao Yin should have been afraid, but the flicker of delight and excitement in her eyes betrayed her true feelings at the prospect of her father and brother being punished.

Yang Yuzhen laughed at the emotion in Shao Yin’s eyes, her laughter soft and gentle, yet the words that followed sent a chill down Shao Yin’s spine: “So you’re not as weak as you appear. You actually want to use this palace lady’s hand to punish your family? Do you think I’ll grant you that wish?”

“Do you know what happens to palace servants who try to manipulate their mistresses?”

Each word cut into Shao Yin like a knife, and her thoughts immediately stilled.

Yet Yang Yuzhen continued to smile. “I’ve heard the Noble Consort adores it when you plead with her, acting so sweet and vulnerable. Why don’t you try pleading with me the same way?”

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