Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 30

Only after being led into the study and the door closed did Chen Fu speak, asking, "I thought you would be back in four or five days, Changwei. Why have you been delayed for so long? How is Suiyang? Why haven't I seen Jia Huai?"

Li Ji shook his head: "I don't know either..."

He then recounted his encounter with Nan Ba ​​at the walls of Suiyang, and his journey to Linhuai and Pengcheng to seek reinforcements. He concluded by saying, "General Helan and Doctor Xu have already led their troops to relieve Suiyang. I was in a hurry to get to Luoyang, and I know nothing about what will happen next, whether it will succeed or fail... As for Jia Huai, because his horse is slow, I was supposed to follow behind, and even if I couldn't catch up, I could still run into him on my way back. However, I also went to Pengcheng, and the roads diverged, so I think I missed him."

Chen Fu was speechless with astonishment: "Changwei, you've done something really great again!" He paused for a moment, then continued, "If Suiyang can be saved in the end, the achievement will be immense. As for Jia Huai, there's no need to worry. He knows about the Yu family and will eventually find his way over. I'm just afraid he'll arrive too late and won't be able to make any contribution."

Li Ji smiled, deliberately comforting him—and also speaking to Yu Ling and Yun Lin beside him—saying, “If we can’t find them, so be it. But if we fulfill our mission, I will personally petition for rewards for you all before the Prince of Fengjie, ensuring that no one is left out.” He then composed himself and asked seriously, “You have been in the city for many days. Have you been to the Yeting Palace? Do you have any definite news?”

Chen Fuxian and Yu Ling exchanged a glance before Chen Fuxian turned his attention to Li Ji, slowly shaking his head and saying, "We are powerless to do so. We are only waiting for you, Chief Guard, to come so that we may have any hope of sneaking into the Inner Palace..."

Li Ji was confused. "I can't walk through walls or leap over ridges, so why did you all wait for me?"

According to Yu Ling, he received inside information that there was a woman in the inner palace who looked very much like Lady Shen, but he couldn't confirm it—the key was that no one dared to ask without certainty, lest the information leak out and An Qingxu and Yan Zhuang find out, turning a good intention into a mistake. Therefore, he only conveyed vague information to Fengxiang through certain channels.

Li Ji then asked, "I have already given the token given to me by the Prince of Fengjie to Old Chen. Can't I use it?"

Chen Fu shook his head again: "There are two difficulties, so we dare not try for the time being. First, although we have the token, we are not very familiar with Prince Guangping and Prince Fengjie. If it is indeed Consort Shen hiding her identity in the inner palace, she will be extremely vigilant and probably will not dare to reveal her identity even if she sees the token. Second, given our appearance and age, we are not capable of sneaking into the inner palace..."

Li Ji hurriedly asked, "What does this have to do with appearance or age?"

Chen Fu glanced at Yu Ling, seemingly having something difficult to say. In the end, it was the old man Yu who mustered up the courage to slowly reveal his plan to Li Ji:

"To be honest, the one who recognized Consort Shen was an old eunuch from the palace. He used to be in Xijing and even served in the Eastern Palace, where he met Prince Guangping and his consorts, Lady Cui and Lady Shen, a few times. Later, due to old age, he returned to Dongjing to retire. When the rebel army broke through Luoyang and the usurper took the throne, he was still employed to clean and sweep the palace..."

As Li Ji listened, he nodded, thinking to himself, "Hmm, this makes sense. As the concubine of the Prince of Guangping, and having been married for fifteen or sixteen years, it's impossible for ordinary people to recognize Lady Shen. Those who could find her are either her close relatives or former servants or eunuchs."

"This official is an old acquaintance of mine, and thus he conveyed a message to me, saying: 'An old man nearing death doesn't care whether the world belongs to the Li or the An family, or who ultimately possesses the state. However, having served in the Eastern Palace, I admire the benevolence and filial piety of the Prince of Guangping. His principal wife, Lady Cui, is arrogant and extravagant, while his concubine, Lady Shen, is dignified and frugal, often bestowing gifts upon the servants. Furthermore, the Prince of Guangping and Lady Shen are deeply in love, and I truly cannot bear to see them separated forever. Knowing that you have dealings with the Western Regions, you could send someone to investigate the truth and try to offer assistance.'"

Li Ji immediately praised, "I never imagined that there could be such a chivalrous person among those who have been executed!" In fact, he didn't have that much to say; he was just interjecting to make it easier for Yu Ling to continue.

Yu Ling paused, a slight apology on her face, and slowly said, "The Yeting (Imperial Inner Palace) is ultimately within the palace, and according to the law, men are not allowed to enter without permission. Although the An Lushan Rebellion has caused chaos in the court, and there are few rules even within the palace, Yan Zhuang, Gao Shang, and others often stay overnight in the palace, and the generals also frequently come and go as they please. Ultimately... there are only two types of people who are not familiar with the guards and can find a way to sneak into the Yeting..."

"Which two?"

"Woman, or eunuch."

Li Ji frowned: "You should have said so earlier! If you had, we could have had the imperial court send a woman, or..."

"The eunuch is coming..."

Chen Fu shook his head and said, "Women and eunuchs with courage and wisdom are probably hard to find in this world..."

Li Ji was quick-witted; he immediately realized what was going on—"Damn it, you want me to impersonate a eunuch so I can sneak into the inner palace!"

"With my size and physique, how do I resemble a eunuch?!"

Chen Fu immediately chimed in: "Master Li's height is no worse than yours; and Master Yu, judging by physique alone, is no less than you, is he?"

"But I have a huge beard..."

"You can shave your beard—it's not like you have to cut off your genitals, so why make excuses?"

Li Ji was furious. So none of you were willing to pretend to be eunuchs, which is why you were all waiting for me to come? He pointed at Chen Fu and said, "Old Chen, why don't you shave?"

Chen Fu reached out and touched his cheek, smiling wryly, "My face is like a dried orange peel, weathered by time. How could I possibly play the role of a eunuch?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Li Fuguo is even uglier than you, yet he still manages to thrive as a eunuch." But he also knew that Chen Fu was right. Li Fuguo had been in the palace for a long time, so it was fine, but if an old, ugly stranger suddenly appeared, wouldn't anyone be suspicious? As soon as you pull down his pants, the charade would be exposed on the spot.

Then he pointed at Yunlin and said, "Brother Yun, your face is pale!"

Yunlin replied coldly, "Unfortunately, I'm too old..."

Yu Ling quickly explained, "Even if one were to impersonate a eunuch, it would not be easy to sneak into the palace. Fortunately, a few days ago, the traitor An selected many young women to enter the palace and engage in debauchery. He realized that there were not enough servants, so he ordered me to find some young men, castrate and train them, and send them into the palace. Now I have twelve. If I can infiltrate one more, I can complete the task."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was speechless. He knew that he had a baby face and that it was only because of his beard that he looked like an adult. If he shaved his beard, although he was taller, he would just be a big kid who was developing faster. Judging from his appearance alone, he would be no more than a year or two older than Li Shi.

Chen Fu is over thirty, and with his weathered face, he looks like he's in his forties; as for Yun Lin, although he's not yet thirty and has fair skin, his square face makes it hard to pretend he's a young man...

Damn, were you guys waiting for me here? Did you plan this all along?

Li Ji waved his hands repeatedly, refusing to agree. But since the matter had already been brought up, Chen Fu stopped hesitating and repeatedly bowing and pleading, saying, "There is really no other way. If we want to confirm whether it is Consort Shen, the only option is to sneak into the inner palace, and you, Changwei, are the best choice—you have shaved your beard, making you look most like a minor eunuch, and you are also familiar with Prince Guangping and Prince Fengjie. If you refuse to go, we will return empty-handed, but if the one in the inner palace is indeed Consort Shen and is ultimately murdered, how can the Emperor forgive us?"

Li Ji stroked his beard, lost in thought and remaining silent.

He had been in this world for over a year, and his beard had grown quite a bit, now reaching about an inch. Originally, it was unkempt and unkempt, but after becoming a military officer, Li Bi told him to pay attention to his appearance and personally trimmed it for him. Soon, Li Ji also learned how to trim his beard using the primitive scissors of this era.

To be honest, it didn't work very well. Plus, this body's beard was naturally messy, and he really wasn't used to waxing it, so no matter how he trimmed it, it always looked a bit ugly. But no matter how ugly it looked, he had spent a lot of time and effort on it, so how could he bear to shave it all off? Even though he never grew a beard in his previous life, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and he gradually got used to the fashion of the time.

Besides, I was hoping my beard would grow to about two inches long so it would be a bit softer and easier to comb. My face looks youthful, and my beard is essential for my appearance; a good beard makes me look more energetic. If I shave it all off, how long will it take for it to grow back...?

To be honest, he didn't hold out much hope that the woman in the inner palace was indeed from the Shen family. Moreover, Li Fuguo's recommendation of him for this important task was actually a ploy to harm him, so even if things failed, he wouldn't feel too guilty. However, thinking of Li Shi, that poor child, though silent before, had frequently revealed his sorrow at separation and his longing for his family. Now, receiving some uncertain news, he clung to his grandfather and wept bitterly…

Li Shi had originally planned to use his mother's matter as a pretext to save me, although I didn't need his help at all, but I couldn't refuse his kindness. Having received his kindness, how could I not repay it?

Think of Chen Ruo, who hadn't even determined whether the siege of Suiyang could be lifted, yet he was already planning to slit his own throat to repay me! I'm not as courageous as him, but to repay the debt of saving me... no, the debt of saving me, do you really think I wouldn't even be willing to part with a few hairs?

Left with no other choice, they had to accept their fate. Chen Fu, Yu Ling, and the others were overjoyed. Chen Fu quickly helped Li Ji sit down and personally shaved his beard clean. Yu Ling even found some white powder used by women for makeup and applied it to Li Ji's lips and chin to cover his still somewhat bluish complexion. After finishing, she stuffed the whole box of white powder into his arms and instructed him, "After entering the palace, you must look in the mirror and groom yourself every day, so as not to give yourself away."

Li Ji was still a little uneasy, not because of the unpredictable nature of the situation, but because he had to impersonate a eunuch… “I’m just not good at acting… I’m not good at this kind of thing!” He repeatedly asked Yu Ling what kind of gait, mannerisms, and voice these eunuchs usually had. Although he had dealt with Li Fuguo and Yu Chaoen before, and even lived in the same courtyard with Ran Mao’er and the other two eunuchs for several months, he was so nervous that he could barely remember what they looked like…

Yu Ling said, "Don't worry, I've trained twelve young eunuchs. The old eunuch who was in charge of delivering messages took the opportunity to ask for a job, coming every day to teach them palace rules and etiquette. You can cram a little and you'll definitely be able to pass as a pro." She then added, "But you can no longer bear the surname 'Li.' An Qingxu is extremely averse to the word 'Li.' I heard that a few days ago he even issued an edict ordering Li Guiren to change his surname. I've changed all the young eunuchs' surnames to An, and you will also bear the surname An. From now on, you will be called… An…"

Chapter Twelve, Imperial Kitchen

Several days later, seeing that everything was ready, Yu Ling had Li Ji and the twelve junior eunuchs bathe and wash—Li Ji even needed makeup—and dressed them in the robes of low-ranking eunuchs. She then asked the palace to send someone to fetch them. The old eunuch, presumably to avoid suspicion, never showed his face again, only sending two middle-aged eunuchs to inspect them, checking their appearance, asking their names, and testing their etiquette; they couldn't find anything seriously wrong. However—

"They're all fools. Only An Zhili, though a bit dull, is still quite pleasing. It's no wonder, Mr. Yu. After all, the palace is in a hurry. You only have a month. How can you find good candidates? But someone like Zhili should be in the Shanggong or Shangyi positions. I don't know why he was assigned to the Shangshan and even designated to serve as the Sichu. This is... a pity."

Fortunately, they didn't have to take off their pants for a physical examination on the spot. I don't know if this was the usual practice, to prevent someone from impersonating someone to enter the palace, or if Yu Ling used money, or if that old eunuch used a trick.

Immediately, the two eunuchs led a total of thirteen junior eunuchs, including Li Ji, away from the Yu residence. They walked across the Tianjin Bridge, then circled east to Chengfu Gate and entered the palace. The guards searched each of them thoroughly, almost from head to toe, with a suspicious intent. Li Ji was so frightened that he lowered his head, not daring to look anyone in the eye. He thought to himself, "If they touch my private parts, I'll have to seize their weapons and fight my way out of Luoyang on the spot..."

Fortunately, the area was just inside the thighs, reaching the knees, so no soldier would try to reach upwards to the groin. Come to think of it, what normal man would want to touch another man's groin—even if there's nothing there—how disgusting! And if it's a homosexual, since there's nothing there, why touch him?

On Li Ji, they only found a small razor—which he falsely claimed was for pedicures—and a box of heroin. The soldier confiscated the razor but threw the heroin back at him. Li Ji thought to himself, "Thank goodness I didn't bring those two deadly items with me..."

The document was naturally an official document from the Marshal's Mansion, which he always kept close to his body. However, considering that the palace was a restricted area and he was a stranger, he might be subjected to a thorough search. Unless he followed the example of a legendary eunuch who hid a pearl, cut open his skin and stuffed it in before sewing it back up, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to get away with it.

Besides, why would you bring this thing into the inner palace? To prove your identity to Consort Shen? There's really no need for that.

Another thing was that Li Shi had given Li Ji a jade pendant as a token when he was searching for his mother. He gave it to Chen Fu when they parted ways at Luyang Pass. Now that he was going to the palace, Chen Fu was going to return it. Li Ji thought about it carefully for a while and finally decided not to take it with him.

Actually, it was Li Ji who first brought it up that day, saying, "If I see that woman who looks like your mother, how can I convince her that I was sent by you, Prince? Is there any token given to me by your mother that would make us recognize each other at first sight?" Li Shi first shook his head: "In previous years, my parents naturally gave me gifts for my birthday, but I didn't care much, and they might not even remember..."

In the imperial family, what good things don't they have? Yet, precisely because there are so many good things, even pearls are like dirt; who would remember them all?

Finally, Li Shi took off the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Li Ji, saying that although it was not a gift from his mother, he could tell at a glance that it was a royal item, and perhaps he could recognize it...

However, after careful consideration, Li Ji felt that the jade might not be of much use. Since the Tang dynasty had relocated, countless treasures must have been scattered among the people, so Shen might not believe that the jade was genuine. Moreover, according to Yu Ling, the young officials they had gathered were all children from poor families who, in order to have a full meal, were willing to mutilate themselves and be castrated to enter the palace. Therefore, it would be easy to arouse suspicion if one of them carried a fine jade pendant.

After the search, the crowd lined up and entered the palace. Li Ji deliberately walked in the middle, neither rushing ahead nor falling behind. Originally, to avoid attracting attention, he always crossed his arms and lowered his head, appearing extremely respectful; however, seeing that the young eunuchs accompanying him were all like "Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden," glancing sideways and looking around, which drew constant reprimands from the leading eunuch, he didn't want to stand out from the crowd, so he became a little more unrestrained.

The Luoyang palace was very spacious, covering a large area. After walking for a while, they suddenly saw several warriors accompanying and guarding a purple-robed official approaching from the opposite direction. The eunuch leading the way hurriedly ordered his junior eunuchs to move aside and stick to the wall, while he himself went up to greet him, bowing repeatedly and saying, "Prime Minister Yan."

Li Ji cautiously glanced up and saw that the official was around forty years old, with raised eyebrows, narrow eyes, thin lips, a long beard, and deeply etched nasolabial folds—a cunning and ruthless appearance. He thought to himself, "So this is Yan Zhuang, the prime minister of the puppet dynasty? If I were to suddenly attack now, I could very well strangle him. If he were dead, perhaps An Qingxu would be terrified, and the rebel army would fall apart..."

Just as he was about to act impulsively, Yan Zhuang seemed to have noticed something and turned his gaze directly towards him. Li Ji was startled and quickly lowered his head. Fortunately, Yan Zhuang only glanced at the group of eunuchs and did not question them in detail. After giving the two eunuchs a few perfunctory words, he went back the way they had come from—presumably to leave the palace.

The two eunuchs led the junior eunuchs through the palace, occasionally dropping one or two off to assign tasks. These junior eunuchs, who had only recently been castrated and had no official rank, could only temporarily serve as cleaning and miscellaneous servants in the "Six Departments," simply handing them over to the responsible officials. Li Ji listened intently to the conversation between the eunuchs and the female scribes; it seemed that the order of assignment was related to the importance of the department.

Therefore, the Si Chu, who was only responsible for the palace servants' rice and firewood, was the least favored. Li Ji was the last one to be assigned. He had been going to the palace since noon, and it was almost dark now. He had not eaten or drunk anything, and his mouth was dry and his stomach was rumbling. But he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

The kitchen was located in the southwest corner of the palace, and the courtyard was quite large, but the rooms...

The buildings were all low and, compared to other departments, quiet and lifeless. The surrounding roads were also extremely narrow, often with two walls facing each other, leaving only enough space for one person to pass through. The two eunuchs arrived at the door, waved and knocked, and soon a palace maid opened the door.

Li Ji lowered his head and glanced sideways. He saw that the palace maid who answered the door was thin and small, with dark skin. Her clothes were very simple, her face was unmade-up, and her hair was adorned with only a single hairpin. She looked almost like a commoner's servant—and not a servant from a wealthy family. Looking at her face, her features were fairly regular, but her skin seemed stiff and expressionless. Her eyes were quite large, but her gaze seemed somewhat lost…

Li Ji couldn't help but think to himself, "There are actually such good-looking people in the palace? Compared to them, the few that Cheng Yuanzhen sent to serve me and Li Bi when we first arrived in Ding'an were indeed top-notch!"

The palace maid opened the door but didn't speak, just staring blankly at the three eunuchs outside. One eunuch asked with a stern face, "Which elder sister is on duty today? We've sent laborers to her, go and summon her quickly."

The palace maid was stunned for a moment before saying "Oh" and turning away.

Another eunuch leading the way frowned and asked, "Who is this? With such a face, and so ignorant, she seems like a fool. Who recommended her to the palace?" His companion scoffed, "A lowly maid who carries firewood and grain, does she need to be pretty? And what does she know?"

"Given her stature, is it she who is burdened with the grain, or is it the grain that is burdening her?"

Before the words had even finished, a clear and alluring voice rang out: "Shut up! How dare you discuss the people here?!" A female official rushed out, appearing to be in her thirties. Her face was heavily made up, with rosy cheeks, and her hair was styled in a double-bun hairstyle. She wore a white blouse, covered by a turquoise shawl, and a rose-red pleated skirt. Li Ji glanced at her; she was quite voluptuous, with a very impressive bust and a rather striking cleavage… Her round face was most striking for her slightly narrowed phoenix eyes, which sparkled and shone with a seductive charm.

The two eunuchs quickly bowed and said, "So it's Chef Pang on duty..."

Each department had six female scribes of rank, all of the sixth rank, divided into three categories: Si, Dian, and Zhang. Specifically, the Si Chu (司饎) department had two Si Chu, two Dian Chu, and two Zhang Chu. Therefore, this Zhang Chu, Pang, should be considered the fifth or sixth-ranking person in the department.

Pang Zhangchu ignored the two eunuchs and fixed his phoenix eyes on Li Ji, scrutinizing him from head to toe. He then sneered, "I need someone who can do heavy work, why send a child?" As he spoke, he reached out his soft hand without any hesitation to grab Li Ji's arm.

Li Ji could have easily dodged it, but he didn't dare to, so she grabbed him and even squeezed him a couple of times... Then he heard the chef Pang say, "The flesh is quite firm, I wonder if it has any strength."

The two eunuchs hurriedly replied, "This was assigned by above; it has nothing to do with us. Currently, all departments are short-staffed, and the Emperor frequently beats and kills palace servants and eunuchs, making it difficult to fill vacancies..."

Pang Zhangchang's eyes widened: "Are you all making fun of a saint?!"

The two eunuchs hurriedly replied, "We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare." It was obvious that they were quite afraid of this Manager Pang—or perhaps not afraid, but simply unwilling to get entangled with her any further—and quickly bowed, saying, "We've delivered the person. If you wish to replace them, please, Manager Pang, go and speak to your superiors yourself—farewell, farewell." After saying this, they turned around and disappeared in a jog.

Li Ji turned his head naturally to watch the two eunuchs leave, and then turned his face back, only to be startled – the head chef had stepped forward at some point and was now close to Li Ji's face, his breath audible… especially the two white mounds on his chest, which were almost touching Li Ji's clothes!

A strong aroma wafted over, almost knocking Li Ji over... This definitely wasn't some top-grade spice.

He instinctively shrank back, but Pang Zhangchu grabbed his arm and laughed, "Why are you hiding? Haven't you ever seen a woman before? What's your name?"

Li Ji quickly bowed and clasped his hands: "My name is An Zhili..."

Pang Zhangchu scoffed, "Another one surnamed An. Does the Emperor only feel at ease when all the palace eunuchs are surnamed An?" He paused, then added, "Close the door. Come in and talk." With a slight pull, he dragged Li Ji into his arms...

Chapter Thirteen, First Night in the Imperial Palace

Pang Zhangchu grabbed Li Ji's arm, almost hugging him, but Li Ji quickly followed the other's force, twisting his heel to dodge to the side and thus breaking free from Pang Zhangchu's grasp.

Pang Zhangchu smiled, turned around, closed the courtyard gate, and bolted it. Then she turned back and seemingly naturally took Li Ji's hand—her palm was soft and boneless, moist and fleshy. Li Ji didn't dare to shake it off easily, and felt his heart tremble and his whole body feel uncomfortable.

In his past life, besides his grandmother and mother, he had held women's hands before, but even then, it wasn't unusual for men and women to hold each other so openly upon first meeting. Besides, this woman wasn't exactly beautiful, and her seductive, thirsty manner practically emanated from her eyes and every pore of her body… Li Ji could only secretly comfort himself: Don't worry, don't worry, she doesn't see me as a man; I'm just a lowly eunuch…

As Pang Zhangchu led Li Ji into the courtyard, he asked repeatedly, "Zhili, where are you from? Why do you want to be castrated and enter the palace? Do you have any family members? Are your parents farmers or merchants? Which eunuch brought you here?"

Li Ji wished he could clench his fist right then and there and punch that face, which was painted deathly white and almost as round as a full moon—why do you have so many questions? Are you checking my household registration?!

In the end, he dared not be presumptuous and could only lower his head, his whole body tense, showing his timid and restrained state. He mumbled a reply: "I am from Yingyang... My family is poor and my parents have died... In order to have a full meal, I voluntarily castrated myself to enter the palace..." Before he finished speaking, his stomach rumbled again.

Pang Zhangcan smiled ingratiatingly, "We may not have many other things in this palace, but we can certainly have a full meal. However, judging from your condition, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? What about lunch? Have you eaten?"

As he spoke, he deliberately turned his head to get closer to Li Ji's lowered face to observe the other's expression.

Li Ji quickly shrank back and shook his head: "I haven't... I entered the palace before noon and haven't been able to eat or drink anything since..."

Pang Zhangchu exaggeratedly showed a pitiful expression: "Oh dear, those two bastards, why aren't they feeding you? If you don't eat, won't you starve and get thin?" Then he shouted loudly: "A-Cuo, A-Cuo!"

The palace maid who had answered the door earlier came upon hearing the sound, but her gaze remained blank as she stared at Manager Pang without saying a word. Manager Pang didn't find it strange and directly ordered, "Go to the kitchen and heat up some leftover cakes and soup for Zhili to eat." As before, A-Cuo was stunned at first—as if thinking and trying to understand the other party's intention—before finally saying "Oh," turning around, and taking small steps away.

Pang Zhangchu continued to hold Li Ji's hand, turned around and comforted him, "Don't worry, rest for a while and you'll have something to eat—you won't go hungry."

Her mouth practically wouldn't stop, rambling on and on about Li Ji's ancestors for three generations... Li Ji got tired of making up lies himself, so he finally found a moment to interject and ask, "Master Pang..."

“Oh dear, now that you’re here, we’re family. Why be so formal? I’m a bit older than you, so you can call me Sister Pang or Sister Pang.”

"...May I ask, Sister Pang, how many people are there here when I come to cook? What kind of work do I usually have to do?"

Then it dawned on Pang Zhangchi that she should introduce the department to the newcomer... She spoke in a disordered but illogical manner, a jumble of words. Li Ji listened attentively and finally managed to piece together a general outline.

The Sichu department typically has six heads: Sichu, Dianchu, and Zhangchu, along with sixty-four palace maids and several eunuchs. However, this makeshift organization in Yan State was newly established, and the palace staff was scarce—most of them had fled when Luoyang fell or were captured by the rebel army. Currently, there is only one Sichu, surnamed Yang, an old lady who entered the palace in the early years of the Kaiyuan era. She doesn't manage much affairs. The Dianchu position is vacant, and there are only two Zhangchu: one is the Zhangchu Pang in front of us, and the other is surnamed Lü.

The remaining palace servants numbered less than twenty, less than a third of the quota, and there were only two eunuchs, not much younger than Yang Sichu. Every day before dawn, the two old eunuchs would push a cart to either collect grain from the granary or buy firewood at the market. After returning, the palace maids would cook rice or make flatbread for each meal and then distribute it to the various bureaus and departments.

Originally, there wasn't much work, but firstly, carrying grain and firewood required strength, and the two old eunuchs lacked sufficient physical strength and were also lazy, often dragging their feet even more than the palace maids; secondly, recently An Qingxu had been extensively recruiting women from the common people in an attempt to enrich the harem, resulting in a surge in the number of palace maids, which naturally increased the amount of staple food needed, but the kitchen hadn't added many staff, so naturally they couldn't keep up.

That's why a report was submitted requesting additional personnel—preferably young eunuchs who could serve as laborers.

As they were talking, the palace maid named A-Cuo brought over a food tray and stood in front of Li Ji and Chef Pang. She didn't offer it to them, but just stared blankly. Chef Pang took the tray and handed it to Li Ji, saying, "Eat it while it's hot; you'll have energy if you eat it." Li Ji reached out to take the tray, but Chef Pang glanced at the sky and said, "It's getting dark so quickly today. Let's go to my room to eat."

Li Ji hurriedly bowed and said, "How dare I, how dare I." He really didn't want to go into Pang Zhangchu's house!

After thinking for a moment, Pang Zhangcan said, "Alright, let's eat at A-Cuo's room. There's a spare bed in her room, so you can rest with her for now. We'll assign tasks when we set off tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback—"Don't you still have two eunuchs here? Why didn't you put me in the boys' dormitory?"

Then Pang Zhangchi grabbed his arm, brought his round face closer, and...

He gave a knowing smile: "A-Cuo is still a virgin, you'd better not get any bad ideas tonight..."

Li Ji quickly replied, "How could such a thing happen..."

Pang Zhangcan's smile widened: "Don't tell me you don't have any, you can't... The toothless the eunuch, the more he craves delicacies. Don't I know all about the ways of eunuchs?" As he spoke, he actually reached out to touch Li Ji's face: "You've reached an age where you understand things. Since you were only recently castrated, maybe..."

Li Ji hurriedly shrank back, almost stumbling, and said, "I'll just eat here in the dark—Sister Pang...Sister Pang, you'd better find me another place to stay." He grabbed the food table with one hand, pulled it into his arms, and used his chest to hold it in place. With the other hand, he grabbed a freshly heated flatbread and stuffed it into his mouth.