The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 5

Bai Zhi couldn’t help but sit up even straighter, her expression turning serious as she flipped to the second page. With just one glance, her face froze in shock.

Unable to believe her eyes, she quickly flipped through the rest of the pages, completely stunned.

The entire booklet was filled with illustrations, with very few words. But these weren’t drawings of flowers or plants—they were images of pairs of small figures.

Upon closer inspection, they appeared to be two women. No, wait—perhaps it was more accurate to say they depicted a eunuch and a palace maid. In any case, the illustrations showed the two figures in various positions of companionship.

What on earth was this?!

The skill she had hoped to gain was certainly not this kind of “technique”!!

It seemed that heaven had not blessed her after all…

Bai Zhi looked at the booklet in her hands, both amused and exasperated, thinking to herself how the old concubine, who was supposed to be devout and vegetarian, could have such a booklet. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover—was she practicing a false Buddhism?

She closed the booklet without changing her expression, but for the first time, she was curious about why the old concubine had been relegated to the cold palace back in the day.

Could it be that the old concubine was caught by the former emperor reading such books? Probably not. Or was it that she was caught with a palace maid… or a eunuch, doing the things depicted in the book, and then the scandal broke out?

The autumn wind drifted through the window, scattering Bai Zhi’s thoughts. She unconsciously shook her head, secretly laughing at herself for still having the leisure to indulge in wild fancies at a time like this.

Then, she instinctively glanced toward the bed.

Their eyes met, and Bai Zhi’s breath hitched, her mind going blank for a moment.

Wei Ziwan, noticing Bai Zhi’s dazed expression, blinked slowly. She licked her dry lips and softly called out, “Husband, I’m a bit thirsty.”

Bai Zhi shivered inexplicably and quickly averted her gaze, her tone slightly annoyed. “Keep being thirsty, then.”

Wei Ziwan: “…” This heartless, cruel eunuch.

Bai Zhi: “…” This annoying troublemaker.

Bai Zhi raised her hand, ready to throw the booklet away, but then hesitated. As if guided by some unseen force, she walked to the wardrobe and began packing, pulling out two sets of clothes to wear.

She looked at the two sets of rough linen garments in the bundle and silently scolded herself for being so foolish. What use were these eunuch’s clothes outside the palace?

After reorganizing, the bundle now contained only a few pieces of silver and a black leather booklet—a pitifully meager collection.

Behind her, Wei Ziwan watched Bai Zhi busily packing by the wardrobe, feeling a strange unease. Why did it seem like this eunuch was preparing for a long journey? Did ordinary eunuchs even have the chance to leave the palace?

Thinking this, she glanced at Bai Zhi’s hat. It lacked any official insignia, indicating she was just a low-ranking eunuch. But then, why had she been given to this minor eunuch? Could it be that this person had some other connections, granting her the opportunity to leave the palace?

The possibility made Wei Ziwan’s heart beat faster. If she could escape the palace, and with the Western Island Kingdom already fallen, perhaps she could flee far away. Once she was beyond the reach of the emperor, who cared about the royal family’s squabbles?

It seemed she would have to be even more ruthless with herself. Wei Ziwan closed her eyes and silently recited, “If I do not enter hell, who will?”

When she opened her eyes again, a flicker of determination crossed her face. She bit her lip and slowly spoke, “Husband, the palace is heavily guarded at every turn. I am not a naive girl; I understand the gravity of the situation. You can untie me, and I will obey your every command.”

Her voice was pitiful and moving, her tone hoarse and lingering, likely due to her prolonged lack of water.

Bai Zhi turned her head, thinking to herself, You’re not a naive girl—you’re a reckless one. You dared to kill a prince; what wouldn’t you do?

She walked to the bed, silently observed Wei Ziwan for a moment, then decisively turned and left the room.

Wei Ziwan: “…”

This heartless, stone-cold eunuch!

The night was quiet, and the lights in the cold palace had all been extinguished. Bai Zhi stood outside the cold palace gates, holding a small lantern and braving the chilly wind.

Today was the fifteenth day of the month, and on this day every month, she would wait outside the cold palace. Sometimes her adoptive father arrived quickly, but other times she had to wait until the early hours of the morning. After all, her adoptive father served the emperor and didn’t have much freedom with his time.

The guards watching the cold palace observed from a distance. Normally, no one was allowed out at night, but Bai Zhi was an exception. Who could argue when her adoptive father was the Chief Eunuch? Though it was laughable—two eunuchs, incapable of having children, putting on a show of fatherly affection every month.

As the night deepened, Bai Zhi saw someone approaching with a lantern. She hurried forward, and upon recognizing the figure, her nose tingled with emotion.

Her adoptive father had always been kind to her, protecting her with all his might over the years. It was her own lack of ability that had caused him to send his “child” away too soon.

“Adoptive Father.”

Chief Eunuch Bai was forty-five, but his clean-shaven face made him look like a man in his thirties. When he saw Bai Zhi, his expression softened with concern. “The night is cold and damp. Wear more next time, so you don’t catch a chill.”

Bai Zhi rubbed her nose, waiting for the sting of tears to fade before replying, “Thank you for your concern, Father. Please take care of your health as well.”

Chief Eunuch Bai nodded and gestured toward a distant spot, indicating they should move further away to talk, lest eavesdroppers overhear.

They walked to a secluded corner of the palace wall.

Once sure they were alone, Chief Eunuch Bai sighed and brought up an old matter. “The princess from the Western Island Kingdom—just bear with her for now. It was unavoidable that she was assigned to you. The emperor didn’t want to clash with the empress, so I took the initiative to assign her to you. But this is also a rare opportunity. As long as the crown prince’s ambitions remain unfulfilled, you have a chance to leave the palace. When that time comes, it would be best to seek out your uncle. Life outside the palace is not easy.”

Chief Eunuch Bai spoke with genuine emotion. He had always hoped Bai Zhi would leave the palace soon, but the child was stubborn. Though willing to leave, she refused to go far from the capital, always worrying about him, her adoptive father, and wanting to stay close.

“I will follow your advice, Father.”

Bai Zhi knew the opportunity was coming soon. After the crown prince’s failed coup, she had been exiled to the imperial mausoleum. In her past life, she had been reluctant to leave her adoptive father, and in the end, she had lost her life. This time, she couldn’t repeat that mistake. No matter what happened, she had to survive first. Only then could there be hope.

Chief Eunuch Bai was momentarily stunned, then his expression brightened. “That’s good. You can go to Ninglin Prefecture with peace of mind. Though it’s far from the capital, your uncle will ensure you live comfortably. I will spend my life serving the emperor in the palace. As long as you’re safe and well, that’s enough.” He paused, then added, “Don’t worry about me.”

Bai Zhi subtly blinked away the tears welling in her eyes. Her adoptive father had shown her immense kindness. In her past life, she hadn’t had the chance to repay him, and in this life, it seemed she still couldn’t fully repay his debt.

As her adoptive father had said, her task now was to survive—to live well.

After Chief Eunuch Bai left, Bai Zhi stood for a while before returning to the cold palace. As soon as she entered, she saw Matron Jiang standing there with a lantern, as if waiting specifically for her.