After Marrying the Disabled Prince (BG) - Chapter 12: The Eunuch

Bao Ning, hearing the commotion, put down her work and stood by the window, staring blankly outside.

The small courtyard was now crowded with a dozen or so people, all armed guards, surrounding an old eunuch with a slick, powdered face.

The eunuch, who appeared to be in his forties or fifties, wore a deep purple robe and had a face thickly smeared with powder. From afar, a strong, fragrant scent wafted through the air.

Bao Ning recognized the embroidery on his robe, unique to the Imperial Household Department. Judging by the eunuch’s ostentatious attire, his rank must be high.

This puzzled her. The people from the Imperial Household Department were known for being snobbish. Even during her wedding return visit, not a single one of them had come to deliver gifts. Yet now, on an ordinary day, they’d arrived in droves.

Her heart tightened. This couldn’t be good. Bao Ning didn’t dare go out recklessly.

“Where is everyone? Dead, are they?” a burly, bearded guard bellowed. “If no one comes out, I’ll set fire to the house!”

Ah Huang, sensing hostility, arched its back and stood defensively in front of the house, letting out low growls as a warning.

“Where did this stray dog come from?” the eunuch, Huang Ji, cast a sidelong glance at it and coldly said, “How dare it bark in front of me? Someone, drag it out and beat it to death!”

At his command, one of the guards responded immediately, “Yes!” He unsheathed his sword and prepared to stab forward.

Ah Huang turned and ran back toward the house, causing Bao Ning’s heart to jump in fright. She quickly stepped out and shouted sternly, “Do you know where you are? How dare you act so brazenly! What is your purpose here?”

“Oh, finally someone shows up.”

Huang Ji turned to look at her, smiling slyly as his eyes roamed over her from head to toe. “This servant greets the Fourth Prince’s Consort.”

Though his words suggested respect, his posture and gaze were insolent and arrogant.

Bao Ning frowned and asked, “Who are you?”

Huang Ji feigned a moment of realization and exclaimed, “Ah, I forgot to introduce myself.”

“I am Huang Ji, the current deputy director of the Imperial Household Department,” he said, clasping his hands together with a mocking smile. “Your Highness, we are old acquaintances. It was our department that arranged your wedding with the Fourth Prince. Are you satisfied with our work?”

His tone was dripping with sarcasm, clearly not someone with good intentions.

Bao Ning watched him warily and took a step back. “Deputy Director Huang, may I ask what brings you here today?”

Huang Ji smirked. “I’m here under the orders of the Third Prince to deliver some gifts and check on the Fourth Prince’s condition. If he’s not doing well, our department needs to prepare a coffin for his burial as soon as possible.”

Bao Ning’s face turned pale in an instant. Shocked and furious, she was about to retort when she heard Pei Yuan call her from behind in a steady voice.

“Bao Ning, come back.”

Turning around, she saw Pei Yuan standing at the doorway, draped in a black cloak. He was leaning on a crutch, his expression calm. He gestured to her with his hand.

He didn’t seem angry. His expression was indifferent, and after a brief glance at Huang Ji, he turned his attention back to Bao Ning and said, “Carry your dog.”

Pei Yuan rarely addressed her by her name directly. Hearing it now, Bao Ning suddenly felt a sense of reassurance. She took a couple of steps toward him and, recalling his words, realized she’d forgotten about Ah Huang. Hastily, she picked up the dog and hurried to Pei Yuan’s side.

Behind them, the burly, bearded guard laughed mockingly. “What a coward, running away after just a few words. Stay and chat with us for a bit!”

Pei Yuan placed a hand on Bao Ning’s shoulder and shot a cold glance back. His gaze, icy and sharp, carried a fleeting hint of murderous intent. The guard’s heart froze, and the rest of his taunt was swallowed back.

He gripped the hilt of his sword nervously, coughed to cover his unease, and spat on the ground. “Just a cripple. Does he still think he’s who he used to be? Hah!”

Bao Ning’s heart was pounding. She had never encountered such a situation before. The hostility from those people was overwhelming, and she didn’t know how to deal with it.

Pei Yuan noticed her fear and said in a low voice, “Help me inside.”

“Alright.” Bao Ning, feeling a sense of relief, nodded and supported Pei Yuan’s arm as they headed back inside.

Pei Yuan turned his head and said to Huang Ji, “You all come in as well.”

His tone was calm and casual, as if he hadn’t heard any of the taunts earlier. He still carried the air of a superior giving orders, without a trace of subservience.

Huang Ji was momentarily stunned. Pei Yuan was nothing like he had imagined.

Huang Ji had seen Pei Yuan when he first arrived here after being released from prison—covered in bl00d, barely alive, more ghost than human. In Huang Ji’s mind, even if Pei Yuan had survived, he would be disheveled and pathetic, with a resentful consort who would either berate him or abandon him altogether.

Who would’ve thought Pei Yuan still carried himself with dignity and composure?

Unwilling to see such a display, Huang Ji had intentionally provoked Pei Yuan, expecting him to lash out in anger and make a fool of himself. After all, the Fourth Prince had always been arrogant and reckless.

But Pei Yuan acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing, even daring to speak in such a commanding tone.

Huang Ji’s expression darkened. He wasn’t here to watch Pei Yuan flaunt authority; he was here to witness his humiliation.

The bearded guard frowned and whispered to Huang Ji, “Sir, are we really going in?”

Huang Ji flicked his sleeve and sneered, “Of course! A cripple—does he think he can intimidate me?”

Bao Ning stood beside Pei Yuan, listening nervously to the commotion outside. Her palms were icy with sweat.

Pei Yuan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her sweat. “Take Ah Huang back to your room and lock the door. Don’t come out unless I call for you.”

Bao Ning hesitated. “But you…”

Pei Yuan let out a cold laugh. “A bunch of eunuchs. What can they do to me?”

Such arrogance. Bao Ning bit her lip and whispered, “Don’t be rash.”

Such a timid little thing. Pei Yuan chuckled softly and, for once, spoke patiently to comfort her: “Back when I was wielding a blade, you were still in the backyard playing shuttlecock. Look at you now—what’s there to be scared of?”

Bao Ning couldn’t smile. She knew she would only cause trouble for Pei Yuan if she stayed, so she quietly obeyed and retreated to her room.

She picked up Ah Huang, cast a worried glance at Pei Yuan, and returned to the west wing before Huang Ji entered with a bearded man.

The bearded man watched Baoning’s departing figure, exchanged a glance with Huang Ji, and briefly showed a lecherous expression before retracting it and striding into the room.

Pei Yuan leaned lazily against the back of the chair, his fingers tapping on the armrest, clearly waiting.

Huang Ji pulled the corners of his mouth into a mocking smile. “Fourth Prince, it’s surprising—you’re not dead yet?”

Pei Yuan replied, “Dogs don’t die so easily. How could a living person like me die?”

Huang Ji’s face darkened. “What do you mean by that, Fourth Prince?”

“I’m talking about you, of course.” Pei Yuan stared at him, rubbing his chin with a smirk. “Back then, you were sucking up to me, almost kneeling down to lick my boots. Now you’ve changed your tune and come here waving Pei Xiao’s imperial token to show off. Huang Ji, Huang Ji, you really are an opportunistic dog.”

“Outrageous!” The bearded man roared, drawing his blade. “If you dare speak such insolence again, I’ll kill you on the spot!”

Pei Yuan glanced at him, shook his head, and said, “Huang Ji, I thought you were a smart man. How did you end up choosing such an idiot as your deputy?”

“But neither of you should despise the other.” He raised two fingers and waved them back and forth. “Two stupid dogs.”

“You!” Huang Ji finally lost his temper. He took a step forward and pointed at Pei Yuan’s nose, ready to start cursing, but before he could say a word, Pei Yuan grabbed his finger and twisted it with force.

With a crisp crack, Huang Ji screamed in pain. Pei Yuan grabbed him by the collar, pulled him forward, twisted his arm behind his back, and locked his neck in the crook of his elbow, forcing him back onto his own lap.

Pei Yuan exerted his full strength, choking Huang Ji until he couldn’t breathe. His legs kicked wildly, and his face turned red and purple.

The bearded man was initially stunned but quickly snapped out of it and shouted, “Guards!”

“Yes!” The guards stationed outside the door immediately rushed in. A dense group filled the room, blades drawn and gleaming as they pointed at Pei Yuan.

“See that? They’re eager for you to die,” Pei Yuan sneered as he tightened his hold. His expression darkened. “Huang Ji, you followed me like a dog for so many years and still don’t understand. Even with one crippled leg, killing you is as easy as snapping my fingers.”

“I-I…” Huang Ji could barely breathe. Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes, and the makeup on his face ran from the strain. His left index finger was unnaturally bent as if broken. His eyes were bloodshot with pain. “I was wrong, Fourth Prince, please spare me…”

Pei Yuan said, “Tell them to get out.”

Huang Ji weakly waved his hand and struggled to say, “Leave… all of you!”

The bearded man was reluctant but didn’t dare defy the order. He waved his hand. “Withdraw!”

The room quickly fell silent.

Pei Yuan slowly released Huang Ji’s neck, rinsed his hands with tea, and coldly said, “Go back and tell Pei Xiao: if he wants to trouble me, he should come in person. Don’t send some random cats and dogs to disturb my peace.”

Huang Ji nodded repeatedly, coughed dryly a few times, and fled quickly, forgetting even his whisk broom.

The bearded man waited anxiously in the courtyard. When he saw Huang Ji emerge, he hurried over. “Sir, are you all right?”

Huang Ji gritted his teeth. “How dare you even ask? You couldn’t even handle a cripple! What use are you to me?”

He slapped the bearded man hard, knocking his face to the side. The man bent over, accepted the punishment, and apologized repeatedly. “Sir, are we just going to swallow this insult?”

Huang Ji said, “What else can we do? Kill him for real? The Emperor may scold him outwardly, but he still has a soft spot for him. If that cripple really dies, both you and I will end up meeting the King of Hell!”

Burning with pain and rage, Huang Ji stood at the door, staring at Pei Yuan’s window for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying, “Unload the stuff from the cart and place it in front of that cripple’s door.”

The bearded man obeyed, directing the guards to quietly place several sacks from the cart at Pei Yuan’s door.

One man mustered the courage to knock on the door. “Fourth Prince, the Imperial Household Department has delivered your supplies. They’re at the door.”

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and ran off.

Huang Ji smirked and muttered, “Let’s see how long you can keep up this arrogance.”

“Let’s go!”

The sound of the cart wheels gradually faded into the distance.

Bao Ning finally relaxed her tense heart. Worried about Pei Yuan, she opened the door and rushed to the west wing.