"To serve Your Majesty, this subordinate naturally gives his all." Gao Dazhuang's words implied he was taking full credit for their achievements.
Li Qingzhi and the others immediately felt discontent. Without their life-and-death efforts, how could there have been such a stunning success?
The Emperor glanced at them before finally addressing Gao Dazhuang, "You shall remain by my side from now on. The others will still follow your orders."
"As Your Majesty commands." Gao Dazhuang said no more but raised his hand to remove his mask, allowing the Emperor to see his face clearly.
This was standard procedure—the Emperor could not be unaware of the appearance of his close guards.
Sui Yunzhu, Li Qingzhi, Qiu Yunxiao, and Sun Dixian also revealed their true faces in turn.
Lou Mingyue hesitated briefly before undoing her face covering.
The frantic ride through the rainy night had left her disheveled. The dark strands of hair hanging over her forehead still held droplets of rain on the verge of falling. Her arched eyebrows slanted upward, her beauty undiminished by an air of valor.
Gao Dazhuang's expression remained indifferent. He wasn’t worried, for although Lou Mingyue was stunning, she wasn’t the Emperor’s preferred type—unless His Majesty’s tastes had suddenly changed.
When An Jiu removed her face covering, Gao Dazhuang couldn’t help but glance subtly in her direction. Upon noticing the Human Skin Mask still covering her face, he felt slightly relieved, silently hoping this girl wouldn’t be so earnest as to peel it off entirely.
The Emperor surveyed them briefly before nodding slightly. "Dismissed."
Gao Dazhuang exhaled imperceptibly and immediately led the way out.
The Emperor returned to his seat and looked over the documents before him. Suddenly, he commanded, "Halt!"
Gao Dazhuang’s steps jerked to a stop. He turned and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty."
The Emperor spread out the dossiers of several individuals, his icy gaze sweeping over them before lingering between An Jiu and Sui Yunzhu. Finally, it settled on An Jiu. "How dare you conceal your true face from your sovereign!"
The records indicated three men and three women, along with Gao Dazhuang, who was neither clearly male nor female. Yet now, there were four men and two women—clearly, one was a woman disguised as a man.
Gao Dazhuang shot a glance at An Jiu, feigning shock before dropping to his knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This child is meeting the sovereign for the first time and lacks understanding." Lowering his head, he hissed in a low voice, "Hurry up and remove that mask!"
One by one, the others slowly knelt. An Jiu retrieved a vial of oil from her robe, applying it to the edges of the mask. After two breaths, she peeled off the Human Skin Mask.
Beneath it lay a face of breathtaking beauty—petite and exquisitely delicate. The prolonged concealment had left her complexion with a faintly sickly pallor. When her lashes lowered, her demeanor was utterly captivating—her allure neither overly gaudy nor too plain.
The Emperor stared fixedly at this face for several breaths before snapping back to awareness. "The Mei Clan?"
"Yes," An Jiu replied.
Over the years, more than one Mei woman had attended the Emperor. Their beauty had always been this delicate and moving. Not long ago, a woman from the Crane Riders had been betrothed to Hua Rongtian, leaving the Emperor somewhat reluctant. And now, another had appeared...
"Your Majesty, Mei Shisi is exceptionally skilled in archery. In the recent border defense battle, she turned the tide, forcing the Liao army to retreat," Gao Dazhuang interjected, knowing full well what the Emperor was thinking without needing to look at his expression. "The Mei Clan has just suffered heavy losses. Fourteen Lady is distraught and meant no offense. I beg Your Majesty to be lenient in your punishment."
The Emperor chuckled at his blatant favoritism. "Gao Yuanxin, you remain as inept at speaking and handling affairs as ever."
His gaze lingered on An Jiu’s face for a few more breaths before he finally said, "Dismissed."Most men favor beauties, but the emperor was more obsessed with seeking immortality and the Tao. Beautiful women were merely ornaments. He sensed resistance and wasn't so desperate as to force someone into his bed. Moreover, the records stated that Mei Shisi practiced pure External Cultivation without Inner Force, which held no benefit for the Cultivation of the Tao. As for mere beauty, the imperial harem had plenty to offer.
The group withdrew, and a black-clad figure descended silently from the rafters, appearing before them. He handed a bundle to Gao Dazhuang. "The Commander's orders: starting tomorrow, you are to disguise yourself as a eunuch, Lord Gao. Perform well, and in time, Eunuch Huang will take you as his disciple."
Eunuch Huang was the emperor's personal attendant, a eunuch who had served His Majesty since childhood, almost like a playmate. The emperor referred to him affectionately as "Huang the Companion" in private. For a eunuch, such lifelong service was an honor, and he delighted in being addressed as such. Thus, most officials of rank called him by this title.
Gao Dazhuang's mouth soured, and the bundle in his hands felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Without his manhood, this path was inevitable sooner or later. At least this was a high starting point!
He mocked himself inwardly.
"Acknowledged," he replied.
The black-clad man said, "I am Xuan Liu. If you lack anything in the future, come to me."
He tossed a map of the palace into their hands. "The red dots mark the emperor's frequented locations. The area within the purple dotted lines is your jurisdiction. Once His Majesty enters your zone, his safety is your absolute priority! But do not pry where you shouldn't, nor listen to what you mustn't! The black dots denote the Dragon Martial Guard's quarters. Arrange your shifts among yourselves and report to me. Any negligence will be traced back to those on duty!"
"Yes!" they chorused.
Xuan Liu handed them bells. "The rules for choosing quarters are the same as in the Crane Control Army."
Gao Dazhuang cast an envious glance. Never before had bells seemed so endearing to him! As the saying goes, to deceive fully, one must commit wholly. Playing the eunuch meant living among them henceforth, forfeiting all privacy.
With the map in hand, they set off to find their quarters—at the very least, to change out of their drenched clothes.
An Jiu arrived first.
The Dragon Martial Guard's quarters were a courtyard within the Cold Palace, a rigidly square compound with numerous identical buildings, indistinguishable in hierarchy. The furnishings were sparse—a bed, a table—reminding An Jiu of the dormitories in her former organization.
A fence encircled the yard, but weeds choked the grounds.
Surveying the area, An Jiu noted all the rooms were vacant, realizing this space was reserved solely for their team. She chose a room with east-facing windows and hung the bell by the door.
As she stepped inside, a song drifted from nearby.
Having once been confined in an asylum, An Jiu recognized the madness lurking beneath the melody's beauty. The singer was anything but sane.
Abruptly, the song cut off mid-verse, and the woman cried out joyfully, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
Humming the tune, An Jiu inspected the room.
The furniture was new, seemingly arranged by someone, with little dust. A chest at the bedside held an assortment of clothes and shoes.After a while, Lou Mingyue and the others entered the courtyard one after another. Once everyone had chosen their rooms, Sui Yunzhu called them out to discuss the shift arrangements.
"I'll be with Mei Shisi and Li Qingzhi, while Lou Mingyue, Qiu Yunxiao, and Sun Dixian will be together," Sui Yunzhu said, knowing this group never voiced opinions, so she took the initiative to assign the teams. "Does anyone have any objections?" (To be continued...)
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