“Which palace are you from, you slave! How did you end up here! Have you no sense of the rules!” An effeminate old eunuch walked up to her, speaking in a sharp, shrill voice, and while lecturing her, he did not forget to raise a delicate orchid finger. “You! I’m talking to you!”
Mo Bei was briefly stunned, her hairs standing on end, then quickly lowered her head and curved her lips. “Gonggong, this one is newly arrived and has yet to serve a master.” Using stillness to counter movement was the best strategy. Before finding Nan Gua, she did not want to stir up any trouble.
“Oh? Newly arrived?” Seeing that this little eunuch was fairly sharp, Eunuch Deng’s cold expression softened slightly. He asked in a thin voice, “Have you been cut?”
Cut? Castrated? Hearing these two words, Mo Bei felt as though she had died and come back to life, but her face remained completely composed. She nodded calmly. “O-of course. Gonggong, rest assured!”
“Mm, not bad.” Eunuch Deng looked Mo Bei up and down once more, dropped a “Follow me,” and then swayed his hips as he walked toward the Eastern Hall.
Watching from behind, Mo Bei’s stomach began to churn. She thought to herself, *So effeminate!* Not bad? What kind of not bad was that? Did becoming a eunuch make one proud or something?
Passing ancient corridors and ponds, the two walked one after the other for quite some time before finally stopping.
Up ahead, a crowd was making a noisy commotion about something.
“Shut your mouths, all of you!” With a single command from Eunuch Deng, who had arrived late, the surroundings instantly fell silent. Only the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects could be heard. Looking over, the little eunuchs stood as straight and stiff as holly trees, frozen in clusters—it was quite a comical sight.
*Seems this old fellow has quite a bit of power. I’ll have to get on his good side in the future; it’ll make stealing things easier.* Mo Bei thought to herself, her eyes continuing to sweep over the surroundings, memorizing the layout of the area in her mind.
Eunuch Deng swept a dignified glance over the crowd and began to impart his lifelong wisdom.
He rambled on and on, and after dragging it out for ages, what he said amounted to nothing more than this: “If the master lives, the slave lives; if the master dies, the slave dies. If the master is glorious, the slave is greater than other men; if the master is humble, the slave is worse than a dog.”
Mo Bei listened quietly, her thoughts racing.
With her skills, escaping the palace would not be difficult. Though security was tight everywhere, how could it compare to the high technology of the 21st century?
However, she did not want to leave yet. At the very least, not now.
Since ancient times, the imperial palace had been the fastest place to gather information. With Nan Gua’s temperament, not stealing something would be unbearable. Once there was any stir, it was sure to draw attention.
Moreover, this place housed the Imperial Kitchen—the so-called Imperial Kitchen being where the finest delicacies under heaven were prepared. That glutton might very well walk right into the trap. She just needed to wait patiently.
Ahem, most importantly, she had finally made a trip to an ancient imperial palace. If she did not give this place a grand sweep, would that not be an insult to the name of God Thief?
While she was thinking this, the young and adolescent eunuchs around her were led away one by one, presumably to their assigned posts.
Eunuch Deng looked at the booklet in his hand and pointed at Mo Bei. “You. Go to Zhi Nuan Palace.”
The moment the three words “Zhi Nuan Palace” left his mouth, the little eunuchs who had just quieted down began whispering and muttering again. Phrases like “So pitiful,” “Going to serve a fool,” and “Who knows when they’ll be tortured to death” could be faintly heard.
Mo Bei raised her thick brows, her tone carrying a hint of amusement. “Gonggong, might I ask about this Zhi Nuan Palace…”
“Go when you’re told to go. What nonsense!” The old eunuch seemed unwilling to discuss it further. He snapped at her, closed his booklet, and left to make his report.
Mo Bei was not angry either. She simply gave him a good-natured smile. Within her sleeve, a green brocade money bag had suddenly appeared.
The corner of her mouth curved into a calculating, devious smirk. How did that saying go? A gentleman must avenge a wrong!
You made me lose face, so I’ll make you lose silver. She, Mo Bei, had always kept her accounts of gratitude and grudges perfectly clear!