The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 8

Wei Ziwan bit her lip and smiled faintly, saying, “Husband, are you short of silver? If there’s a chance to leave the palace, I have a few thousand taels of banknotes hidden away, and I can give them all to you.”

So, don’t lose the watermelon while picking up the sesame seeds. As for the few thousand taels of banknotes, of course, they don’t exist. If they did, she would have already absconded with the money and wouldn’t have ended up in such a predicament.

It’s infuriating that the people sent by the Western Island Kingdom to escort the dowry not only kept a close watch on her but also guarded the dowry tightly. As soon as news of the kingdom’s fall came, they all fled faster than rabbits, leaving not a single penny behind.

Bai Zhi looked at Wei Ziwan’s smiling face and noticed a faint trace of resentment flickering across it. What could this troublemaker be resentful about?

“Keep your hidden banknotes for yourself.” Bai Zhi said. Whether you can survive is still uncertain; even if you have silver, you need to be alive to spend it.

After saying this, Bai Zhi didn’t wait for Wei Ziwan’s reaction and stood up to leave. She hurried all the way to the small kitchen and finally let out a long breath.

When she heard Matron Jiang’s order to inventory the small kitchen, she knew that this day had finally come.

In her past life, it was the same. On the night she returned late, the Crown Prince secretly entered the cold palace to find Wei Ziwan but was caught by the palace guards searching for thieves. He was accused of trespassing, as the palace gates were locked, and adult princes were not allowed to stay overnight in the palace.

The difference this time was that it happened a day earlier.

Recalling the events of her past life, Bai Zhi understood all too well that this was a trap, one set specifically for the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, it seemed the Empress did not favor her own son, leaving the Crown Prince almost entirely isolated within the palace.

Recalling how Wei Ziwan had panicked and cried for help in her past life, her clothes disheveled, Bai Zhi could only hope that the guards would apprehend the Crown Prince earlier this time.

Although she knew that Wei Ziwan had not been harmed in her past life, only suffering from excessive fright, this time the events had been moved up by a day, introducing variables into everything.

It’s better to be safe than sorry. While Bai Zhi only wanted to protect herself, she also didn’t wish to see innocent people suffer needlessly.

Matron Jiang sent a maid to conduct the inventory, just like in the past life—a timid and illiterate one, yet this maid was overly confident in her memory, refusing to believe the accounts Bai Zhi had recorded in the ledger.

So, for every item counted, the maid would tally it on her fingers and commit it to memory, only to forget shortly after and have to start over.

Bai Zhi knew this was a deliberate choice by Matron Jiang to drag the process into the evening. In her past life, she had grown impatient several times, but this time she wasn’t anxious at all.

If you want to go slow, I’ll match your pace. If you need to start over, I’ll start over with you. Each person, with their own hidden agenda, tested the other’s patience.

Outside the small kitchen, Matron Jiang glanced from afar at the two seemingly engrossed in their counting, her heart stirring with excitement. Consort Lin had promised her a house after tonight—a property in the capital, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. Even a house in the suburbs would cost hundreds of taels.

When she retired from the palace in her old age, she might just settle there. Having a house of her own would mean having a home.

Matron Jiang checked the sky, her anxiety growing as she waited. Finally, as the sun dipped below the western hills, she hurried to the gates of the cold palace and called out to the guards, “There’s been a theft in the cold palace! Come quickly and see, all of you, follow me!”

When the guards arrived at Matron Jiang’s quarters, they found a scene of chaos, clearly resembling a robbery.

“My life’s savings! Some heartless thief has taken it all! I can’t go on living!” Matron Jiang wailed, her face tilted upward, though no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t squeeze out any tears. After all, the silver had been hidden away by her, and the ransacked room was a setup of her own making.

The guards, with stern expressions, conducted a brief inspection and concluded that a theft had indeed occurred. However, the cold palace had only a handful of people, and Matron Jiang didn’t seem like someone who would have much silver. They wondered which little maid had been tempted into such a foolish act.

Matron Jiang, glancing sideways, noticed a young eunuch waving at her from a distance. She stopped her crying and declared, “The thief must be someone from the cold palace! That wretched scoundrel probably hasn’t had time to hide the stolen silver yet. Let’s gather everyone and search the place immediately.”

As the head of the cold palace, Matron Jiang had a decent relationship with the guards, so they agreed without much hesitation. After all, their days guarding the cold palace were monotonous, and this incident added some excitement. Thus, the group began searching each side chamber one by one.

When they reached the small kitchen, Bai Zhi put down the ledger she was holding. After hearing the details, she promptly expressed her willingness to assist in catching the thief.

She glanced subtly at Matron Jiang. The same excuse as in her past life—it seemed the Crown Prince was already in the cold palace, perhaps even at her residence by now.

Thinking of Wei Ziwan, Bai Zhi sighed inwardly but quickly put on a panicked expression. “Matron Jiang, could we send a few guards to check my place first?”

Matron Jiang turned her head, eyeing Bai Zhi suspiciously. Could this girl have figured something out? “We’ll search one by one to avoid missing anything. Why the rush?”

Bai Zhi hesitated before stammering, “I’m… I’m worried about Wanwan. She’s all alone.”

Matron Jiang sneered, “How caring of you. Fine, let’s go.” She figured the Crown Prince had already found that so-called exiled princess. A little earlier or later didn’t matter much.

This way, it would seem more natural, and it would prevent the Crown Prince from hiding again. If they couldn’t find him, her promised house might slip through her fingers.

Matron Jiang’s heart raced as she took the lead. No, she had to go with them to ensure her house didn’t vanish.

The group hurried to Bai Zhi’s residence. Upon entering the courtyard, they saw a figure in plain eunuch attire pacing nervously.

“Who’s there?” Matron Jiang shouted, her heart pounding. After all, they were dealing with the Crown Prince, not some lowly eunuch or maid. She couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

In the next moment, Wei Ziwan pushed the door open and stepped out. Before anyone could react, she remembered Bai Zhi’s words during lunch and immediately began wailing, “Ah—help! Who’s there? Help!”

Everyone: “…”

The Crown Prince: “…” For a moment, he was too stunned to think of an escape plan.

Bai Zhi watched Wei Ziwan’s exaggerated and over-the-top acting, barely suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. It was truly hard to watch.

Feeling the gazes of the group, Wei Ziwan paused briefly before running toward Bai Zhi, crying out, “Husband, I was so scared! In the middle of the night, I thought it was a burglar!”

“Don’t worry, I’m here.” Bai Zhi said, forcing herself not to twitch her lips as she wrapped an arm around Wei Ziwan. Her gaze then shifted to the figure dressed as a eunuch in the courtyard.

“I was so frightened, but I’m glad you’re here.” Wei Ziwan clung tightly to Bai Zhi, her eyes catching a glimpse of the Crown Prince under the lantern light.

In a flash of realization, she tightened her grip around Bai Zhi’s waist, her mind racing with suspicions. So, the “burglar” was the Crown Prince. What an elaborate scheme.

—

Author’s Note:

Wei Ziwan: “I was so scared!”

Bai Zhi: “…” I almost believed it.