From that day on, Ling Jingshu began attending Empress Xu personally at her side.

What “personal attendance” meant, in practice, was simply staying by Empress Xu’s side at all times, ready to be called upon. There was nothing particularly specific about it. The chores of dressing, washing, grooming, and serving tea and snacks were handled by the maids—what she, Rui Lian, and Qiu Shuang did was mostly just keep Empress Xu company in conversation.

By the end of each day, her nerves had remained taut the entire time, with not a moment’s rest allowed.

Fortunately, she did not need to keep night watch, and once Empress Xu had finished her evening meal, she could return to her own quarters to rest. Only then could she truly let out a breath of relief.

Those who kept night watch in Empress Xu’s bedchamber every evening included, besides a few maids, several eunuchs as well. These people were, evidently, Empress Xu’s true confidants.

In the months since Ling Jingshu had entered Jiaofang Palace, she had vaguely heard that those few eunuchs were rather “favored” by Empress Xu. She had never had a chance to observe them up close before, but these past couple of days attending at Empress Xu’s side, she had gradually begun to notice the signs.

All of these eunuchs were handsome and fair-skinned. The pity was that they were all castrated men in name only, their words and bearing carrying a certain effeminate air. One of them, named Yu Chun, had clear, fine features that bore a faint resemblance to Wei Yan, and he was especially favored by Empress Xu.

Thinking of Empress Xu’s sordid designs on Wei Yan, Ling Jingshu felt only revulsion inside.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the medicine has already been tested. Please take it now,” Rui Lian said with a smile as she carried in the medicine bowl.

Empress Xu responded indifferently, “Bring it over, then.”

Holding the bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, Rui Lian scooped up a spoonful of the decoction and brought it to Empress Xu’s lips.

Empress Xu opened her mouth and drank it down.

Licorice root had been added to the medicine, so there was hardly any bitterness; as it went down, there was even a faint hint of sweetness.

Thinking that this was a prescription Wei Yan had written himself, that sweetness carried with it an extra ripple of vague, ambiguous pleasure. Empress Xu quickly finished the entire bowl without leaving a drop.

Once Rui Lian had finished attending to Empress Xu’s medicine, she said gently, “Your Majesty, the warm bathwater has already been prepared.”

Empress Xu gave a casual hum in response.

The wide bathing tub was filled with warm water, scattered with a layer of flower petals on top. The rising steam mingled with the fragrance of the petals, leaving one feeling at ease in both body and mind.

With the maids’ help, Empress Xu undressed and stepped into the tub to sit down. One maid wiped her back, while another carefully worked her fingers through her long hair.

With maids attending to her, Empress Xu had nothing to do herself—she simply had to close her eyes halfway and enjoy it.

The soft towel brushing gently against her back gave rise to a strange, pleasurable sensation.

A soft sigh escaped Empress Xu’s lips, and beneath the water her hand drifted gently up to her chest. After all, she had passed forty, and no matter how well she had cared for herself, age showed once her clothes came off. Her chest no longer held the firmness of youth, and a little extra flesh had gathered at her belly…

As her hand moved over herself this way, a familiar flame kindled within her body.

Empress Xu’s breathing grew somewhat heavier.

The two maids exchanged a glance, then each looked away.

After her bath, Empress Xu put on a light, soft inner robe and returned to her bedchamber. Then she gave an order: “Let Yu Chun keep watch tonight.”

The eunuchs in waiting, upon hearing that Yu Chun had been named to attend the “night watch,” all turned envious, resentful looks his way.

Though the reputation of being a male favorite was not exactly flattering, these men had already been castrated and held the lowest standing in the palace—they had no room to choose, and certainly no courage to refuse.

Being fortunate enough to win Empress Xu’s favor meant, first, gaining a powerful patron and the ability to throw one’s weight around in the palace, and second, being able to play at intimacy with someone of such exalted standing as Empress Xu, which satisfied their own dark, twisted desires as well.

Amid the complicated looks from the other eunuchs, Yu Chun puffed out his chest, not without a certain self-satisfaction.

For three nights running, Empress Xu summoned Yu Chun to attend the night watch.

Jiaofang Palace was not exactly small, but it wasn’t all that large either. Even the most trivial, sesame-seed-sized matters could not escape the notice of those paying attention—especially Rui Lian and Qiu Shuang, who were Empress Xu’s closest personal confidants.

When the two of them were alone, they couldn’t resist gossiping and teasing a little about it.

“This Yu Chun has really won Her Majesty’s heart,” Qiu Shuang said, giving Rui Lian a suggestive look. “I hear he’s already kept watch three nights running.”

Rui Lian laughed softly. “Isn’t that the truth? Her Majesty even gave Yu Chun a pair of ruyi scepters as a reward yesterday.”

It seemed Yu Chun’s attendance had pleased Empress Xu quite a bit.

Rui Lian and Qiu Shuang exchanged a glance, sharing a knowing laugh without need for words.

Just then, Ling Jingshu walked over with a smile. “Sister Rui Lian, Sister Qiu Shuang, what are you two talking about?”

Qiu Shuang answered casually with a smile, “We were talking about Yu Chun! He’s really won Her Majesty’s favor these past few days—she even gave him a pair of ruyi scepters yesterday…”

Rui Lian coughed once, cutting Qiu Shuang off. “A’Shu, you’ve come at just the right time. Her Majesty has already gotten up and changed. The rest of us should go in and attend to her.”

Ling Jingshu silently noted the name Yu Chun, asked no further questions, and agreed with a smile.

A slight, small-statured eunuch slipped quietly out of Jiaofang Palace.

This eunuch was named Xiao Xi—plain in appearance, a man of few words, who usually handled menial sweeping and cleaning duties around Jiaofang Palace and never drew anyone’s attention.

Xiao Xi walked with his head bowed the whole way and soon arrived in the narrow passage outside the Imperial Medical Academy. After waiting a moment, Tian Dong quietly approached. “Xiao Xi, what brings you here?”

This Xiao Xi had lost both his parents when he was young, and in order to survive, had been castrated and brought into the palace at the age of eight. Honest and timid, a man who disliked talking, he was of no consequence in the vast imperial palace, and no one paid him any mind.

Four years earlier, Xiao Xi had fallen gravely ill and nearly lost his life. It was only thanks to Wei Yan’s kindness—who had privately prepared medicinal pills and had Tian Dong deliver them—that Xiao Xi’s life had been saved.

From that point on, Xiao Xi had willingly become one of Wei Yan’s eyes and ears.

Wei Yan, having spent many years in the palace, naturally lacked no connections, and three years earlier he had quietly arranged to have Xiao Xi placed to work inside Jiaofang Palace.

Xiao Xi usually kept his head down and said little while working, yet he got along well enough with people in Jiaofang Palace. Those fond of gossip would inevitably chatter away in his ear.

He kept it all in mind, and every so often, would quietly pass the information along to Tian Dong.

“Tian Dong, let Physician Wei know. The matter he asked me to watch for has finally taken shape.”

Xiao Xi lowered his voice and whispered a few sentences into Tian Dong’s ear, his voice extremely soft and his words coming quickly.

Tian Dong listened, his expression growing grave. “Good, I understand. I’ll go back right away and tell Physician Wei about this. Be careful on your way back too—if anyone asks why you came to the Imperial Medical Academy, just say you had a headache and came to me for some medicine.”

Xiao Xi nodded, said nothing more, and quickly turned to leave.

Tian Dong glanced sharply around, and seeing no one nearby, quietly let out a breath of relief before hurrying back to the Imperial Medical Academy.