Chapter 16: The Sudden Blow

"When did Your Highness arrive?" Ye Cheng was startled, hurriedly bowing to Ling Xiaoyue.

He couldn't help but wonder if the crown prince had overheard his conversation with Lin Yaoxue.

"I saw you chatting and laughing with the crown princess—what were you discussing?" Ling Xiaoyue crossed her arms, a charming curve appearing on her beautiful face.

"The crown princess simply encouraged me to do my work well, nothing else," Ye Cheng replied, not daring to reveal Lin Yaoxue's words to Ling Xiaoyue. After all, it involved his identity as the former crown prince.

"Your performance today was impressive. Just now, Her Majesty the Empress praised you before me and said that when she has time, I should bring you to see her. She wishes to reward you," Ling Xiaoyue smiled, patting Ye Cheng's shoulder.

"The Empress wants to see me?" Ye Cheng was taken aback. He had previously lied to Ling Xiaoyue, claiming he was the Empress's man. If he met the Empress, would his identity be exposed?

He felt uneasy, torn between the urge to confess to Ling Xiaoyue and the danger posed by his true identity. If Ling Xiaoyue learned he was the former crown prince, would he be killed?

"Tonight, I will be dining with the envoys from the Golden Kingdom. I'll take you to see the Empress another day," Ling Xiaoyue's gaze swept over Ye Cheng.

In truth, she still harbored suspicions about him. The three puzzles posed by the Golden Kingdom had stumped the entire court, yet Ye Cheng, a mere eunuch, had solved them with ease.

Was he really just an ordinary eunuch?

Moreover, Ye Cheng wasn't even a real eunuch—he was a man in every sense. Even if the Empress wanted to assign someone for her protection, she would never choose a true man.

...

Back at the Crown Prince's residence, Ye Cheng remained uneasy. During his brief exchange with the crown prince, he had clearly sensed Ling Xiaoyue's lingering doubts about his identity.

"I must quickly establish a new identity for myself. I can't continue carrying the burden of being the former crown prince—it's a ticking time bomb. If I can't manage it, I'll have to flee," Ye Cheng thought to himself.

As soon as he returned to his small courtyard, the news of his appointment as Grand Steward had already spread, causing a stir throughout the residence. Eunuchs, maids, and guards all came rushing to congratulate him.

Within the Crown Prince's residence, after the prince and crown princess, the steward held the most power. But now, with a Grand Steward appointed, the hierarchy had shifted. The position of Grand Steward was undoubtedly above that of the regular steward.

Previously, Steward Li had been the third most powerful figure in the residence, but now Ye Cheng had taken that spot.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

Those who had once been Li's lackeys, seeing Ye Cheng's meteoric rise, hurried over with gifts and flattery.

Ye Cheng's hands ached from receiving so many presents—even Steward Qiu and Eunuch Xu came in person to offer their congratulations and gifts.

Ye Cheng bore no grudges; he accepted the gifts graciously. After all, it's better to resolve old enmities than to deepen them. Since they were now showing humility, there was no need to be harsh.

Steward Qiu, Eunuch Xu, and the others had assumed Ye Cheng would hold a grudge, but seeing that he did not, they all praised his magnanimity.

"Where is Steward Li? Why hasn't he come?" Ye Cheng asked, sipping his tea, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"Grand Steward, Steward Li is unwell and unable to attend," Steward Qiu replied obsequiously.

In truth, Steward Li had considered coming to offer his congratulations and admit defeat, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. After all, he had held the position for over ten years, and Ye Cheng, who was just a low-ranking eunuch a few days ago, had now surpassed him. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I am now the Grand Steward. Both duty and propriety demand that Steward Li come to pay his respects and hand over the affairs of the residence. If he refuses, how is the transition supposed to happen? Surely, I can't go and invite him myself," Ye Cheng said coldly, taking another sip of tea.

"This..." Steward Qiu hesitated, his face troubled.

"Grand Steward, leave this matter to me," Eunuch Xu interjected, rolling up his sleeves and volunteering.

Eunuch Xu, formerly the deputy steward, now saw his old post vacant with Ye Cheng's promotion. He was eager to reclaim his position, knowing that with Ye Cheng's favor, a few words could restore him.

"Very well, I'll leave it to you. Do it well, and I shall speak well of you before the prince," Ye Cheng replied with a faint smile.

Eunuch Xu was overjoyed and left with several attendants in tow.

In fact, Ye Cheng had no intention of promoting Eunuch Xu. The one he truly wished to elevate was Eunuch Wang, who had always treated him kindly, even when his previous self had struggled.

Therefore, Ye Cheng's words were deliberately ambiguous.

...

That night, Li Guizhi regaled Ye Cheng with the afternoon's events, her eyes alight with excitement.

Eunuch Xu had shown no mercy. When Steward Li refused to come, he and his men gave Li a thorough beating. Li cursed so fiercely that he lost his voice.

Ye Cheng couldn't be bothered with their infighting. As long as they didn't trouble him, it was none of his concern.

However, after his beating, Steward Li became much more compliant, sending over the account books and keys of the residence.

As Grand Steward, Ye Cheng was also entitled to a larger residence befitting his new status. Yet he preferred the peace and quiet of his small courtyard and chose to remain there.

A Grand Steward also required several maids for personal service. Ye Cheng selected two pretty young maids to attend to his daily needs, surprised to discover that even eunuchs enjoyed such privileges.

The two maids needed to finish handing over their previous duties, so they would arrive the next day.

Night fell.

In the small courtyard, Ye Cheng was preparing to sleep when he suddenly heard light footsteps outside.

"Could it be Shangguan Feiyan again? That woman seems addicted to spying on me—does she have some kind of voyeuristic obsession?" Ye Cheng grew alert, grabbing a wooden stick and hiding behind the door, ready to catch her off guard.

Creak.

The door swung open, and a woman in an emerald-green dress entered.

Ye Cheng raised the stick, but when he saw her face, he froze.

Her features were delicate and radiant, her lips full and crimson, her nose exquisitely shaped. Her entire countenance was gentle and graceful, a vision of pure innocence.

Her eyes, like crystal springs, were clear and cold, shimmering with an icy brilliance that lent her an ethereal, aloof beauty.

"Who could she be?" Ye Cheng wondered in astonishment.