Chapter 35 Open Her Mind
1985 Words
The temperature gradually dropped because of the night wind. It was getting late, and the captains all bade farewell to the Master.
"Seven, Ten, Chiliarch Cheng, and Xiao Xiaoshen stay here. Others can go back now."
The Master was accustomed to calling the seventh captain and the tenth like this. Calling in this way was simple and showed his kindness.
They understood that the Master would give some instructions and stayed. When other people left the Southern Residence, Leng Qingtang ordered,
"Yunxi, fetch it here."
Gu Yunxi went to the Master's house and took out the box sent by the Western Depot. She placed it on the table, opened the lid, and showed the earrings to everyone.
"Ming Lan sent this to Yunxi," Leng Qingtang explained it clearly to everyone since they were surprised.
"What? Have they found out that she is a girl? By people in the Western Depot?"
Cheng Wanli exclaimed, pulled Gu Yunxi, and looked at her two ears nervously. He clenched his fist and pounded it into the other palm.
"I have said at the beginning that taking this girl into the Eastern Depot would cause trouble sooner or later. What makes things worse is that it is Ming Lan of the Western Depot who finds it out now," Cheng Wanli said angrily.
Gu Yunxi was confused and aggrieved, bowing her head silently with her lips trembling.
"This is not the fault of Yunxi!"
Cheng Wanli's complaint was very harsh. Leng Qingtang showed his dissatisfaction immediately and replied to him stiffly,
"You and I know well what kind of person Ming Lan is! He is suppressing the Eastern Depot and me by this chance!"
Jiang Xiong, the seventh captain, was calm and twisted goatee on his chin. He stared at the pair of gold earrings and said,
"I think people will find out that Yunxi is a girl sooner later. She is beautiful and slender. Even if she wears men's clothes, she is different from a real man. I have heard a story. Many years ago, there was a madam called Di Rong in the previous dynasty. She joined the army for her husband, disguised herself as a man, and stayed in the barracks for twelve years without being found out. Every one can imagine how ugly she was."
Xiao Xiaoshen didn't know whether he should cry or laugh. He said,
"Hey, Uncle Seven, you are so eloquent."
Jiang Xiong was indeed eloquent. The seemingly casual conversation not only helped Gu Yunxi out but also complimented her beauty.
Leng Qingtang's face suddenly eased a lot after these words.
"Be serious," Jiang Xiong glanced at Xiao Xiaoshen and continued, "Master, why not take this opportunity to let Yunxi wear women's clothes again. It can stop the gossip in the future."
Leng Qingtang squinted his eyes and said, "It's good. However, since the founding of the Eastern Depot, we have never recruited a girl."
Jiang Xiong sneered and understood that the Master said it deliberately for Chiliarch Cheng.
"We don't talk about old traditions. Now you are the Master, and you have the final say."
Cheng Wanli snorted and turned his livid face to the side. He became sulky and no longer talked with them.
The tenth captain, Yuan Qian, stared at the gold earrings on the table for a moment, and suddenly raised his head. He asked the permission of the Master resolutely with an innocent face,
"Master, Ming Lan has found fault with Yunxi for more than once. I am waiting for your orders to handle it. As long as you give orders, I will bring the secret guards to attack the Western Depot at night without any trace."
"It's not necessary to attack them at night. It is too wasteful to use secret guards to deal with the Western Depot."
Leng Qingtang said it slowly and quietly. He lowered his eyelashes and covered the strange light in his eyes, which made it difficult to discern his emotions.
At this moment, he relaxed on the chair with his legs crossed and smiled.
"It is not necessary to send the secret guards to deal with the guards in the Western Depot. The six of us are enough!"
.
Two days later, Xiao Xiaoshen sent all things ordered by the Master to Gu Yunxi's house in the morning.
There were three trays on which were a set of pale pink sleeveless jackets with embroidered lotus, a blue skirt, a pair of embroidered yellow shoes, a set of rouge, and a few chic headdresses.
Seeing Gu Yunxi was unhappy, Xiao Xiaoshen asked her with concern,
"Sister Yunxi, I will take you to see Ming Lan this afternoon. Are you afraid of it?"
Gu Yunxi nodded silently.
Xiao Xiaoshen pulled out the chair and let Yunxi sit down. He squatted at her feet and comforted her,
"Never be afraid of it. For people like Ming Lan, the more you are afraid of him, the more blatant he will be. He used to bully the beautiful eunuchs and maids in the Palace. The Master has long wished to punish him. This time, you should cooperate with the Master to complete the task. It is not only for you but also for those who were once humiliated by him."
"OK, I know it! The Master said that you will guard me secretly, so I am not afraid. But..." Gu Yunxi stopped talking.
"But what? Ask me now if there is anything you don't understand."
"I just don't understand that... Isn't Ming Lan a eunuch? Why... does he still covet beautiful girls?"
Gu Yunxi hesitated and raised the questions in her heart. Then she blushed and looked extremely embarrassed.
Xiao Xiaoshen looked straight at her with a smile, "Is this what baffles you?"
"If you don't want to answer it, forget it." Gu Yunxi was annoyed by his nonchalant state.
"Don't be angry. I tell you!"
Xiao Xiaoshen thought that Yunxi was curious about the man's body, indicating that she was growing up. Since she asked, it would be better to explain to her with reservation. It could open her mind and help her grow up.
"Sister Yunxi, listen to me," Xiao Xiaoshen cleared his throat and solemnly said, "For a eunuch in the Palace, a part was removed from his body. He can't get married and has children like other normal men. However, eunuchs still have a desire for girls, especially for beautiful girls. Can you understand it if I put it in this way?"
"A desire?" Gu Yunxi repeated it once, blinking her eyes with long and thin eyelashes trembling.
Seeing that she still didn't understand it, Xiao Xiaoshen further explained, "When they see a girl, they want to hug her, kiss her, and even want to marry her."
Hug her, and kiss her...
Gu Yunxi suddenly became silent and turned her heart aside. Xiao Xiaoshen's words made her think of Master Leng Qingtang.
On Double Ninth Festival, he also hugged her tight and put her on his thigh in his room.
"Yunxi? Sister Yunxi!"
Xiao Xiaoshen exclaimed, raised his hand, and shook it before her eyes.
For a long while, she was thoughtful, lowered her eyes, and blushed in silence. He couldn't help but worry whether he talked too much and annoyed her.
"Yunxi!" He tried to raise his voice.
Gu Yunxi awakened from her thoughts. She panted, patted her chest continuously, and blamed him, "Why are you talking so loud? I'm scared to death!"
"What were you thinking about just now?"
"I... I didn't think of anything," Gu Yunxi was even shyer, and her expression was unnatural.
She knew that what she was thinking about at this moment was the Master. In any case, Gu Yunxi didn't feel any resistance or aversion to the actions of the Master. Was it because he was too handsome, or she had fallen in love with him?
When this thought flashed, Gu Yunxi suddenly blushed.
Xiao Xiaoshen didn't notice the change of her expression. He was still talking,
"Then is it clear? Even if the eunuch gets castrated, a lecherous man is still lecherous, just like Ming Lan! The leopard cannot change his spots."
Squatting for a long time, Xiao Xiaoshen felt uncomfortable and stood up.
"I got it!"
Gu Yunxi nodded. Then, she raised another question and looked up at Xiao Xiaoshen,
"You have just said that Ming Lan once bullied other eunuchs and maids. He had been castrated long ago. How could he bully those boys and girls?"
...
Suddenly, Xiao Xiaoshen looked very embarrassed.
"I can't tell you this."
When meeting Gu Yunxi's searching eyes, Xiao Xiaoshen blushed suddenly.
Although he had heard a lot of secret stories that the maids served the eunuchs, he should never tell her too much since Yunxi hadn't got married.
However, Yunxi stared at him with glittering eyes. Xiao Xiaoshen had to muddle through it,
"I haven't been castrated, and I don't know too much about it. If you want to know more, find a eunuch and ask him then."
The two looked at each other silently.
Suddenly, Xiao Xiaoshen realized his falsehood, and his face became pale. He immediately rushed in front of her with an uneasy expression on his face,
"Yunxi, never talk to anyone about what I'm telling you now, especially to our Master! If he knows that I told you these things, he will punish me and drive me out of the Eastern Depot!"
"You can be assured that I will not betray you since it's me who asked you first."
Gu Yunxi made a promise. The redness on her cheeks did not fade but got darker, which spread to the corners of her eyes.
Xiao Xiaoshen took a long breath and felt that he was worn out. It seemed to be more painful than accomplishing a most difficult task.
"Brother Xiaoshen, are there any eunuchs in the Palace finding wives?"
Gu Yunxi asked him with her eyes staring at her boots.
"Yes, many," Xiao Xiaoshen gave a serious answer, "In the Palace, people bully the weak while fear the strong. Too many people are tired of the Palace, but they can't get out. They can only find a companion to keep warm. Eunuchs are not like maids. Maids can get married and live in peace when they are old enough to get out of the Palace. A eunuch cannot live a normal life even if he gets married. Most of them have to look for a wife in the Palace to have dinner together. Maybe they feel it heartwarming."
"What about the Master? Except for his lover in the Palace long times ago, has he never found a wife then?"
Gu Yunxi also stood up and looked at Xiao Xiaoshen with eagerness. Her red face was full of eagerness for answers.
Xiao Xiaoshen realized how abnormal her behavior was and answered with a smile,
"Master's lover got married a long time ago because she was much older than our Master. Be assured. The Master hasn't found a wife yet. It is hard to say so in the future."
Looking at Gu Yunxi's embarrassing face, Xiao Xiaoshen laughed secretly.
"I... I have nothing to worry about," Gu Yunxi murmured and rolled her eyes at him.
Xiao Xiaoshen stretched his body and said, "Well, I will leave if you don't have any questions. When you finish dinner at noon, put on the clothes I brought you. The Master will come to see you when he is not so busy."
"OK."
After Xiao Xiaoshen left, Gu Yunxi walked in front of the trays, picked up a beaded flower, and looked at it repeatedly.
She was nervous since it was her first task. Thinking that she was working for the Master, she warned herself to stay calm.
Previously, it was the Master who protected her and treated her tenderly. Now, it was time for her to pay back.
- Writer
