My Full-time Servant/Lover

VII. This Beau is in the Imperial Kitchen

"Eunuch Xu." Yin Wenyan knocks on the door thrice. "Are you doing just fine there?"

Xu Zhengming gritted his teeth and tried to smile. "Your majesty, I am defecating here. Why are you following me? Do you intend to cheer for me to poop?"

"Pfft..." Xu Zhengming heard the suppressed laughter and giggles of the maids outside the toilet. Now, he's torn between being embarrassed and annoyed.

The emperor turns to his maids and raised both of his eyebrows. His face asking sincerely, 'should we?'

The maids' grins on their faces got even wider. They nodded in unison.

The next thing Xu Zhengming heard was a loud chant. "Eunuch Xu, we wish for your success!"

Court Lady Han shakes her head and whispered to herself, "Youngsters these days..."

Xu Zhengming literally laughed while gritting his teeth. He doesn't know how to react. Why does this emperor with his maids following him here?

"You... you didn't eat anything ever since yesterday's lunch. You can't..." Yin Wenyan said. His voice has a hint of concern. "Why won't you eat first?"

Mingming rolled his eyes. "Yes. Eat, then get poisoned again. I am grateful for your kindness, your majesty but I have to refuse."

Yin Wenyan smiled slightly and his face brightens a little. "I know some recipes. You can help me prepare. That's safer, yes?"

The maids' grin faded in an instant and turned into an expression of disbelief. Even Court Lady Han lifted her head with her eyes opened wide. Why does the emperor give this little eunuch special treatment?

With just thought of food, Xu Zhengming heard his stomach growl. He can't deny that he's indeed hungry. He quickly wears his pants back and fixed his clothes before opening the door.

"Congratulations for successfully defecating, Eunuch Xu!" What greeted him were a bunch of grinning maids.

"I didn't!" His face got red out of embarrassment.

The emperor turns to face his maids. "I am going to the imperial kitchen together with Eunuch Xu. You do not have to accompany me any further."

"Yes, your majesty." The maids bow their heads in unison and headed back to the emperor's hall.

And so, just like that, the emperor and his little eunuch headed to the imperial kitchen.

"Royal Chef, I'm borrowing your kitchen for a while." Yin Wenyan said with a smile.

The royal chef that is currently preparing for breakfast didn't expect his majesty to come to his place himself. He quickly clasped his hands and bowed. "Please forgive me, your majesty. I'm almost done preparing your majesty's food. Please give me a little more time. I---"

The royal chef stopped talking when Yin Wenyan raised his hand. The emperor gave him a soothing and gentle smile. "It's okay. I am making my own breakfast for today."

"Does... does his majesty dislike the food I make?" The old man trembled as he swallows.

"The royal chef's dishes are extravagant. I do not dislike any of them. I just feel like cooking for today. May I?" Yin Wenyan's smile is as gentle as ever. Like a beautiful scenery that flatters everyone's heart. But this old man is too focused on his fear to be punished and failed to admire the view.

"Yes. Yes, of course, your majesty."

Meanwhile, in the grand empress dowager's hall...

"Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager has come!" The court lady serving under the grand empress dowager announced.

"Let her in." The grand empress dowager answered in a soft and weak voice. She's already in her mid-70's. Aside from her old age, her illness made her body weak. Most of the time, she's just lying on her bed and resting. She even rarely go out of her hall.

The empress dowager walks in and bowed to pay her respects. "Greetings, grand empress dowager."

The empress dowager wears a golden-yellow brocade matched with a golden hairpin in her bun. She's already in her early 50's. Though she got the noble title of an empress dowager, this woman isn't the mother of the emperor and the first princess, Yin Xiulan. In fact, she only got crowned as the late emperor's empress after his wife died.

Rumors had it that the late empress didn't die in a severe illness but instead, murdered. And who got the advantages the most? It's not surprising that the former noble consort was involved. But what's surprising is that it's said that the grand empress dowager might be involved in the 'crime' as well. Even when the late empress was still alive, she never treated her nicely and favors the late emperor's noble consort instead.

"Mn." The old woman nodded slightly. She speaks slowly, "How is she?"

"Due to her weak body, she still suffered. But this time it's more severe. She's currently resting and is now stable. Rest assured, Grand Empress Dowager." Said the empress dowager.

"Ah, that's good." The sickly woman sighs. "What about outside the palace?"

The empress dowager speaks once again. "Vicious corpses made a chaos in the town square. It caused the lives of many and damaged properties."

Having heard the news, the grand empress dowager slightly widens her eyes for a mere second. Her expression turned somewhat unreadable. "How did this happen?"

"It all started with a vicious corpse." Zhao Yangguang stated. "Apparently, it's a corpse of a resentful eunuch."

In Lotus Hall, Yin Xiulan, Emperor Yin Renshu, Zhao Yangguang, and Wang Junjie are also discussing the incident yesterday.

He added, "Wang Junjie and I conducted an investigation regarding yesterday's chaos. According to some witnesses, they first saw the vicious eunuch in a house of six members." He paused for a while before he continued to speak. "The residents all died of blood loss. However, there's more strange about it."

"What does shizun mean?" Princess Yin Xiulan asked impatiently.

Wang Junjie and Zhao Yangguang exchanged looks.

Wang Junjie was the one who answered. "The male members of that house got their reproductive organs cut off."

The hall falls into a deep silence. If they're not having a serious discussion, Emperor Yin Renshu would most probably laugh his heart out.

"Could it be..." Yin Wenyan finally speaks, "Could it be a eunuch who died in the process of castration?"

He put his hand below his chin as he tries to think harder. "Come to think of it. There are several existing cases that are related to this one."

Yin Xiulan realized it as well. "Mn. But the only reason I know why dead eunuchs can't rest in peace is that they are not buried complete. And their spirit won't feel at ease if they can't find theirs. That is why they are castrating all the males they encountered, trying to find theirs. However, they will eventually realize that the victim's thing doesn't belong to them. They wouldn't stop the activity until they can find what they are looking for."

"Does shizun and Wang-shifu learned the eunuch's whereabouts?" Yin Xiulan asked in a calm manner.

"Unfortunately, we did not manage to do so." Wang Junjie replied. "However, he won't be able to go far."

"Mn. Wang Junjie is correct. In fact, this corpse might show himself around soon." Zhao Yangguang assures.

The loud voice of an officer outside the hall breaks the solemnity of the place. "Reporting to General Yin Xiulan!"

All of them looked at each other before Yin Xiulan responds. "Alright. Speak."

"The living corpses in the dungeon... General, their bodies got dried. And they aren't moving anymore. All of them." The officer speaks in a loud voice.

"Well... I didn't see this coming." Zhao Yangguang put his leg on top of the other. "So they will end up like that if they can't drink blood?"

"That seemed to be the case." Wang Junjie arrived at the same conclusion.

"Report acknowledged. Stay put." Yin Xiulan commanded.

And the officer responds sternly. "Yes, General."

Zhao Yangguang took a sip in his teacup before speaking. "We need to plan for our next move." They must come up with a plan as soon as possible as the situation may worsen. 

Yin Renshu couldn't stay silent anymore, "Why is Wenyan not here yet?"

"He is usually punctual, why... ugh!" Yin Xiulan rolled her eyes. "He didn't oversleep, did he?"

"Why won't you go to check?" Yin Renshu offhandedly speaks.

In an instant, Yin Xiulan's face turns into an expression that a war god usually wears.

Before she could even say a word, Yin Renshu added. "I must not be seen when he's outside, remember? And I dare not order shizun and Wang-shifu around."

He smiled mischievously that made the Princess General's blood boil.

"Stop grinning. You look stupid." She rolled her eyes and yells loud enough for the people outside to hear. "Liu Chen, go look for his majesty and drag him here."

"Yes, general!" The officer responded before he headed to look for the emperor.

"You're not going yourself?" Yin Renshu said as he pours tea into his cup. He moves gracefully and his surrounding aura is modest. Yin Xiulan's left eyebrow raised. Now that he's acting like Yin Wenyan, she finds it more annoying. It looks so fake to her.

The princess opens her holy weapon and slowly fans herself, trying to calm herself. "You really do want to order me around, don't you?"

"You're overthinking. It's you who loves to slack." Yin Renshu said in a low yet gentle voice, still imitating his brother.

Yin Xiulan's patience died and closes her fan forcefully, making a crisp sound that echoes in the hall. "You...!"

Zhao Yangguang laughed a little. "You guys really didn't change. It brings back memories. Ah, if I could only drag you three back to Wan MoliHua Palace."

"Drag them back, and the sect will be in a mess again." Wang Junjie said coldly but a little weak smile draws on his lips.

"I liked it more when we're on a mess." Zhao Yangguang laughs again. "Even though your Wang-shifu and the other elders are there to accompany me, it's really different when you three are there, it's much livelier. Ah, why do I feel like I am a parent missing his children?"

"Don't be like that, they are now in the place where they truly belong." Wang Junjie taps Zhao Yangguang's shoulder. "Our children grew up so fast, I can't blame you for feeling that way."

Yin Renshu beams a smile and clasps his hands to offer his respect and gratitude. "I could not thank shizun and Wang-shifu enough for recognizing us as your children. It's an honor for me."

Yin Xiulan, on the other hand, got her face red and her heart got excited. They sounded like a couple missing their children. She badly ships Zhao Yangguang and Wang Junjie so bad way back when they are still in the sect. Even though both of them are men, she often witnessed their 'brotherly love' moments.

Just like Yin Renshu, Yin Xiulan is very pleased to hear that their shifu and shizun treats them as their own children. She wants to call them 'father' and 'mother' but who would be the mother? She thinks further, "If I would call them mother and father, shizun must be the mother."

She opens her fan once again and covered the lower part of her face. She said in the back of her head, "He's the 'wife' after all." And a wide grin flashed on her lips.

First Princess Yin Xiulan of the Imperial Royal Family. At the age of 27, she already bears the title 'Princess General'. The first female general in the history of their dynasty. Led an army to the battlefield and brought countless victories.

No matter how fierce she is, she is still a woman after all. The great Princess General can't say no to ladies' temptation and weakness.

"What are you grinning at?" The moment the emperor noticed his sister, Yin Xiulan's wide smile disappeared in an instant. He added, "I suppose you're up to something fun. Let me in!"

Yin Xiulan just rolled her eyes away from his brother, completely ignoring him.

"..." The emperor left speechless. If they were still the same seventeen-year-old teenagers, he would tease her more which would make her angry. The moment she got angry, he will get angry too. And so, they will eventually end up sparring, not willing to go easy on each other. Back in those years, Yin Wenyan's day isn't complete if he can't act as their referee.

Back to the imperial kitchen, Yin Wenyan and Xu Zhengming just finished cooking and were about to eat their breakfast when Officer Liu Chen arrived.

Liu Chen, "Your majesty, General Yin Xiulan asks you to join her and your martial masters in Lotus Hall."

Yin Wenyan just picked his chopsticks only to be put down again. "Ah, how could I forget about it?"

He looks at Xu Zhengming and gives him his signature smile. "Eunuch Xu, enjoy the food without me. I have to attend to my shizun and shifu."

"You're leaving already? You haven't eaten yet." Xu Zhengming casually said before putting a piece of meat in his mouth.

Yin Wenyan nods, "I dare not make them wait for me any longer. I'll eat later. After your breakfast, follow me in the Lotus Hall."

"Yes, your majesty."

Before turning his back on Xu Zhengming, he gave him a gentle smile once again. Yin Wenyan and Officer Liu Chen didn't waste any more time and quickly headed to the hall.

The royal chef sees his majesty off before he hurried towards the little eunuch. In a low voice, he speaks to Xu Zhengming. "The emperor seems to treat you exceptionally nice. Eunuch Xu, tell me, how did you earn his majesty's favor?"

Xu Zhengming smirked, "Believe me, it's not like what you think. He treats his maids the same way. His Majesty is temperamental. He may be nice to me now but not later." Xu Zhengming chews his food.

The royal chef thinks for a while before speaking again. "He really is temperamental? So the rumors are true?"

Xu Zhengming doesn't know whether to laugh or roll his eyes in response. "Yes. It's like he can change into a completely different person in just a split second."