Chapter 45: Being a Eunuch is Too Hard

Hu Bao tremblingly picked up Xiao Zhi's memorial, scanning it page by page, his expression growing increasingly grim.

At that moment, the eunuch on duty outside the hall announced, "Your Majesty, Princess Changping requests an audience."

Hearing this, Hu Bao let out a long sigh of relief. With the princess present, Qin Yong's emotions might stabilize somewhat, and Princess Changping would surely put in a good word for Xiao Zhi.

Hu Bao hurried out to welcome her, intercepting the princess before she even entered the hall.

"Your Highness, please take a look at this. Lord Xiao sent this to His Majesty."

Princess Changping examined the paintings, her expression turning heavy. "Given everything Xiao Zhi has witnessed during this period, these are such tragic sights. It truly has been hard on him."

Hu Bao, "???"

*Your Highness, that is not what I meant at all.*

"Oh, Your Highness, His Majesty is furious because of this. Please go and persuade him."

"Haven't disaster relief efforts already been underway?" the princess asked. "Could it be that the officials in charge of relief are just holding sinecures and acting with boundless greed?"

Hu Bao felt a row of black lines cross his forehead. *Why on earth can the two of us never get on the same page?*

*Being a eunuch is far too difficult.*

"Your Highness, my good princess. His Majesty believes that Lord Xiao is implying that His Majesty is... well, a foolish ruler."

Hu Bao lowered his voice for the last few words.

Only then did Princess Changping understand. She nodded and walked into the main hall carrying the *Scroll of a Thousand Miles of Starving Corpses*.

"Imperial Brother, what has made you so angry?"

"It's none other than..." Qin Yong turned back, sat down, and pointed to the memorials scattered all over the floor. "These ministers are all demanding that I punish Xiao Zhi."

"And furthermore, this Xiao Zhi actually dared to use paintings to insinuate things against me."

Princess Changping smiled radiantly and stepped behind Qin Yong, her hands naturally massaging her imperial brother's shoulders while she spoke in a gentle tone, "Let your younger sister ask you this: does Your Imperial Brother know the actual condition of Shandong?"

Qin Yong remained silent. What he knew was naturally light-years away from what Xiao Zhi had sent back.

Princess Changping continued, "Xiao Zhi merely wanted Your Imperial Brother to see how those officials are preying upon the common people. How could that possibly be dissatisfaction with Your Imperial Brother?"

"Think about it, Imperial Brother. When Xiao Zhi executed Huai Zhong, didn't the deadlock in the imperial court instantly break open?"

"Has Your Imperial Brother ever bestowed any rewards upon him? Do not tell me you only granted him a sixth-rank post. In our Great Chu, what is a sixth-rank position worth?"

"Xiao Zhi led the Imperial City Directorate to crack down on corrupt officials. Has Your Imperial Brother ever commended him?"

"He whipped the Northern Barbarian envoy, presented the hand-held thunder to the court, and devised a single strategy that nearly cost the Northern Barbarian king his life. Were it not for him, would our Great Chu not have been forced to yield to the Northern Barbarian demands and double our annual tribute? Even your younger sister would have been married off far away to that bitter, freezing wasteland. What an peerless contribution this is!"

"For merits such as his, if Your Imperial Brother were to grant him anything less than a marquisate, I would feel a sense of injustice on his behalf. After all, titles of nobility in our Great Chu are not all that precious anyway."

"The salt monopoly law was also proposed by Xiao Zhi, which has filled the imperial treasury to the brim with countless gold and silver treasures that can hardly even be contained. Moreover, this strategy still holds future maneuvers that will allow the imperial court to gradually swallow the foundations of the aristocratic families whole. After this stratagem, those great clans will likely find it difficult to ever grow as arrogant as before. Yet, what has Your Imperial Brother rewarded Xiao Zhi with?"

"If Your Imperial Brother were in Xiao Zhi's position—having achieved such peerless exploits in little more than a single month, yet receiving zero rewards—what would you think?"

"Just think about it, Imperial Brother: every single plan of his is meticulously calculated and airtight. As a person, he possesses extremely delicate sensibilities. For Your Imperial Brother to neglect a loyal minister is hardly the way of a sovereign."

"Then has Your Imperial Brother ever considered whether Xiao Zhi has a countermeasure for the alliance between the Northern Barbarians and the Western Rong? When he plotted against the Northern Barbarian king, did he ever imagine things would come to this? Without even asking him for his counsel, is it truly appropriate to simply assume Xiao Zhi is insinuating against his sovereign?"

Princess Changping's words left Qin Yong speechless, and even too ashamed to face her.

He had constantly been on guard against Xiao Zhi, worrying most of all that Xiao Zhi would continually grow in power until he became too formidable to control—fearing the emperor would eventually be powerless against him, at which point he would become a powerful minister capable of usurpation.

Yet Qin Yong had never once considered whether this subject had received any return for his efforts.

How could any normal person make such great contributions without receiving rewards and harbor no grievances?

Now, simply because Xiao Zhi sent him the *Scroll of a Thousand Miles of Starving Corpses*, Qin Yong had flown into a rage. How on earth did he expect to rein in such an eternal statesman of unmatched talent in the future?

Qin Yong pondered in silence, his brow furrowed slightly.

Sensing that it was enough, Princess Changping said no more.

She shot an inquiring look at Hu Bao, who immediately caught her meaning and pointed with his chin toward a letter on the emperor's desk, beside which lay several raw jadeite stones.

The windows had already been cut open on these raw stones, revealing top-grade, fully emerald-green material.

Although such jade items were precious, Princess Changping was hardly lacking in them; she had seen plenty of the world.

Even so, receiving them sent by Xiao Zhi was naturally a different matter.

Princess Changping took the letter and carefully unfolded it.

Xiao Zhi had not written many words, but the *ci* poem within caused Princess Changping to softly murmur it aloud:

"A mountain away, a river away,
Journeying toward Mount Tai's domain,
Deep in the night, a single candle's flame.

A watch of wind, a watch of rain,
Shattering my homesick heart, dreams are in vain,
No such sound by the lakeside pavilion."

Princess Changping whispered under her breath, "He traveled day and night, witnessing so many human tragedies, yet deep in the night he was accompanied by only a single candle's light—how terribly lonely. Amidst wind and rain, unable to sleep, he thought of our time together by the lakeside pavilion."

Involuntarily, a deep ache of sorrow pierced Princess Changping's heart.

The princess understood Xiao Zhi, comprehended his loneliness, and felt his longing for her as if it were her own.

"Linhua, tell me, how should I reward him? What official authority should I grant him?" Having figured things out, Qin Yong was determined to make Xiao Zhi serve him without letting him grow uncontrollably powerful. His previous approach had been wrong, capable only of breaking a loyal minister's heart.

This was a matter of imperial interest, entirely devoid of sentiment.

Princess Changping replied, "Your younger sister understands nothing of the sort. You should ask me about affairs of state and military strategy."

Hu Bao stood respectfully to one side, looking left and right before finally speaking, "Your Majesty, what if a member of the imperial family were to stay by Lord Xiao's side day and night? Whatever Lord Xiao does each day, consulting with this person would be the same as consulting directly with Your Majesty. Would that not kill two birds with one stone?"

It would allow them to keep Xiao Zhi under surveillance while boldly employing him, all the while curbing the day-by-day expansion of his authority.

It was a solution that achieved multiple goals at once.

Qin Yong slapped his thigh. "Exactly! Ah-Bao, you truly are my wise counselor."

Princess Changping remarked, "This is indeed a fine method, but... who would be suitable?"

"This person must be someone close to Your Majesty, preferably of the closest blood relation, and someone who can also share a mutual understanding with Lord Xiao." A smile crept onto the corners of Hu Bao's mouth as he arched his brows and signaled with his eyes to Princess Changping.

Qin Yong and Princess Changping exchanged a glance, then spoke in unison, "The Sixteenth Prince!"

The late emperor had reigned for quite some time, siring a total of twenty-four sons. The sixteenth, Qin Mian, was eighteen years old, possessed of great wisdom and strategy, yet shared a temperament similar to the Twelfth Prince—hopelessly fond of play and infatuated with landscapes and nature.

Hu Bao stared dumbfoundedly at the emperor and the princess.

*Brother and sister truly are of the same family.* *This slave had already spoken to this extent, arched my brows up to the heavens, and practically pointed right at her, yet you two actually managed to think of the Sixteenth Prince.*

Qin Mian was obsessed with mountains and rivers—how on earth was he suitable for this?

At that moment, Hu Bao even began to wonder if all of the late emperor's children were missing a screw in their heads.