Scheming Emperor X Hunting Eunuch - Chapter 3.1

“Whether it’s life or death, we don’t know yet,” Pei Yanci said with a smile.

Just now, Steward Zhao had come for no other reason than having received orders—Chief Steward Zhang wanted to see him.

Upon further inquiry, it was about his unauthorized departure from the mansion yesterday.

If he had slipped out quietly without incident, Chief Steward Zhang would have turned a blind eye even if he knew about it. But unfortunately, there had been a death, and it was precisely the Elu Bureau—which had deep enmity with the Crown Prince—that had acted.

The Crown Prince wouldn’t confront the Elu Bureau over such a trivial matter, but he would naturally harbor anger. For a lowly servant who could be killed at will, this made for an excellent outlet for venting, and it would also serve as a lesson for the other servants in the mansion.

“Put your mind at ease somewhat. His Highness has always been magnanimous and kind-hearted, reluctant to cause deaths. At most, Chief Steward Zhang will have you sold off,” Steward Zhao said, then sighed again. “Among this batch of servants, you’re the most reliable worker. How did you become so muddled for no good reason?”

“Must have been fed some bewitching soup,” Pei Yanci replied.

Based on Wu Luo’s dismissive attitude toward him last night, his words and methods weren’t particularly clever at all. The original soul probably hadn’t even held his hand, yet a few words were enough to fool him into devotion.

“Forget it, it’s too late to discuss this now.” Steward Zhao told him to wait there while he went to report first.

At this moment, the lake water rippled gently with cool breezes. The pavilion in the middle of the lake had white curtains on all four sides to block the rain droplets splashing over. Through the gaps blown by the wind, one could vaguely see a slightly portly middle-aged man kneeling at a low table, with several eunuchs in dark blue robes attending nearby.

After Steward Zhao bowed respectfully and spoke a few words, he emerged from the pavilion and beckoned him over with a raised hand.

Pei Yanci walked from the lakeside along the winding corridor to the front of the pavilion. Having received Steward Zhao’s prior guidance, he cupped his hands in salute.

“Chief Steward Zhang, my respects.”

“Someone about to become a steward is different indeed—even more courteous now.”

Zhang Huairu’s voice was shrill and thin. The moment he spoke, there was a strange, sarcastic tone that made people uncomfortable to hear.

“It’s all thanks to Chief Steward Zhang and Steward Zhao’s willingness to promote me,” Pei Yanci said, his voice betraying neither flattery nor fear.

“Knowing to remember my kindness, my efforts weren’t wasted,” Zhang Huairu said.

Pei Yanci straightened his back, his gaze fixed on the pale, plump hands across from him.

Light footsteps sounded from both sides, and soon only the two of them remained in the pavilion.

Pei Yanci’s eyes turned cold.

This setup didn’t look like they were just going to sell him off.

“Today I was thinking of promoting you to tea house steward. What do you think?”

He had caused trouble, yet Zhang Huairu wanted to promote him instead?

“Chief Steward Zhang, yesterday this lowly one disregarded the mansion’s prohibitions and left without permission, not to mention causing a death. I’m truly unworthy of a steward position.”

“I’ve heard about the matter,” Zhang Huairu took a sip of tea. “That one called Fei Yuan was probably eating from another household’s bowl. Such a person deserved to die.”

Did Chief Steward Zhang think Fei Yuan had been bought by someone else, which was why he had followed him? Pei Yanci pondered.

“Why would such a person follow this lowly one? This lowly one is merely a servant.”

Zhang Huairu had said as much, but seeing that he still maintained his composure without showing the expected reaction, immediately changed his tone. He snorted coldly and said sternly, “Why? Yesterday you bribed the gatekeeper to leave privately, went straight to Xiangqing Tavern, and ran into people from the Elu Bureau. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”

He slammed down his teacup heavily. “The entry and exit records for all the mansion’s gates are spread out right here before me. Usually you go out once every ten days on official business. With the recent rains, you haven’t been able to leave for half a month. Because of this, you took desperate measures and left privately. Isn’t that right!”

As he spoke, he hurled the record book from the table at him.

Pei Yanci obligingly knelt down again. “Chief Steward Zhang, for leaving the mansion without permission, this lowly one admits fault and willingly accepts punishment. But this lowly one truly doesn’t understand why, the moment I arrived at Xiangqing Tavern, Fei Yuan and the Elu Bureau followed and tracked me down, shouting for my capture and death. This lowly one fought with all his strength and only narrowly escaped disaster.”

“How did Fei Yuan end up killed by people from the Elu Bureau?”

“Fei Yuan’s death was an accident,” Pei Yanci said innocently. “At the time, Fei Yuan was standing beside this lowly one, and no one laid a hand on him. When someone from the Elu Bureau tried to capture me, I dodged away. He thrust his sword toward me but accidentally pierced Fei Yuan instead.”

His words were both right and wrong, wrong yet not entirely incorrect.

Fei Yuan had indeed followed him there, and the Elu Bureau’s loud commotion in capturing people certainly came after he had entered the tavern. As for whether they had come together as partners, he hadn’t said.

It was true that he and Fei Yuan had stood together, and it was true that no one had tried to kill Fei Yuan. But as for why, when both were servants from the same mansion and he was being pursued for his life, no one on Fei Yuan’s side was attacking him with swords and blades—he didn’t know either.

Fei Yuan had indeed died at the hands of the Elu Bureau, but not because he was from the Crown Prince’s mansion—it was an accident.

Combining all these factors, it was easy for people to deduce an answer: Fei Yuan had brought the Elu Bureau people to Xiangqing Tavern to kill him.

Fei Yuan was the spy the Elu Bureau had planted in the Crown Prince’s mansion.

With a few words, Pei Yanci had helped Chief Steward Zhang confirm his assertion that Fei Yuan was “eating from another household’s bowl.”

“He made such a big commotion just to kill you?” Zhang Huairu lifted his drooping eyelids slightly, following his line of reasoning, and let out a scornful laugh.

“He had already gotten wind that Steward Zhao planned to choose between him and me for the tea house steward position. If I were gone, he would naturally become the steward, and from then on, he would know clearly everyone who came and went in the mansion.”

This time Zhang Huairu remained silent for even longer.

“What did you leave the mansion for yesterday?” he asked, with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

Before meeting him, he had actually suspected that Pei Yanci had already been bought by the Elu Bureau, leaving the mansion privately to report on internal affairs to them. The loyal Fei Yuan had noticed something amiss and was killed to silence him when his tracking was discovered.

If Yanci were one of those castrated dogs secretly planted beside His Highness… Zhang Huairu thought to himself. Today he should have intimidated him first, made him reveal his true colors, made him think he was going to die, then tempted him with benefits. After that, he could be used by himself and His Highness.

But looking at the current situation, it didn’t seem like it.

Pei Yanci detected the tone in his words and frowned almost imperceptibly.

This wasn’t the result Chief Steward Zhang had wanted.

Why?

He lowered his head even further. “In the chaos, the back of my head was struck and broken. I’ve forgotten everything from before.”

He understood too little about the current situation and the people around him.

When operating blindly, it was easy to make wrong decisions.