After wiping away the bloodstains, the two of them were momentarily speechless.
Hsu Fengnian did his best to put on a pleasant expression. "Go do what you need to do."
The young eunuch trembled as he left. After walking far away, he quietly turned around and saw the purple-clothed stonemason. Hsu Fengnian smiled. "I'll just walk around and take a look. Don't worry about me."
Following that, Dong Shou went to prune the flowers and plants that were much more valuable than his life. When he accidentally saw the stonemason pluck a flower, he endured the fear in his heart and cried out that this was a crime punishable by execution. Then the stonemason said that he was a stonemason and that it didn't matter. As a result, Dong Shou worked for two hours and cried no less than six times. Fortunately, the Imperial View Garden occupied a large area and no one paid attention to the situation in the flowerbed. Dong Shou felt that his courage had been broken and his teeth were chattering incessantly. However, he didn't have the courage to call for someone to take this purple-clothed man away. Although the stonemason spoke lightly, he felt that if he was caught committing such a crime, he would definitely be beheaded in public. In the past two years, every time he saw a dying chick fall from a nest in a tree, he would grieve for a long time. How could he bear to kill a living person?
Afterwards, Dong Shou was struck by lightning by the scene in front of him. The stonemason walked to the side of a brocade-clothed woman whose face couldn't be seen clearly and chatted happily.
Having an affair with a female official in the palace was a crime punishable by death!
Dong Shou closed his eyes and muttered, "I didn't see anything. Nothing at all …"
Hsu Fengnian walked back to the young eunuch and smiled. "What was your surname and given name before you entered the palace?"
Dong Shou wanted to speak but hesitated.
Hsu Fengnian waited quietly.
Dong Shou lowered his head and said softly, "Tong Guan. Guan as in money."
Hsu Fengnian nodded and smiled. "The name is very good."
Dong Shou quickly raised his head and asked in high spirits, "Really?"
Hsu Fengnian said in all seriousness, "Really. In Liyang, there was a destroyed Southern Tang. There was once a great eunuch called Tong Guan. He had a great background and became the Prime Minister."
Dong Shou was confused.
Hsu Fengnian sat on the grass near the lake. Behind him was a beautiful field of flowers. He explained, "Normally, when a man becomes the Grand Secretary or Prime Minister, he is called Gong Xiang. Actually, there is no such thing as superfluous. But that Tong Guan, who shares the same name as you, is too powerful. As a eunuch, he has the same authority as the Prime Minister. That is how the title of Gong Xiang and Gong Xiang came into existence."
The young man secretly grinned, feeling very proud.
Hsu Fengnian changed the topic and asked, "Do you know that Duichun Mountain is the place where the Dunhuang Castellan ascended during the Double Ninth Festival?"
The young eunuch said blankly, "I've never heard my master mention it."
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said, "In the future, when you miss home, you can go there and look outside the palace."
The young eunuch blushed.
Hsu Fengnian asked, "If one day you become a great eunuch, what will you do?"
Dong Shou said shyly, "Send a lot of money to my parents and sister outside the palace."
"And?"
"To show filial piety to Master."
"It's gone?"
"I don't think so."
"Tell me the truth."
"Kill those eunuchs who laughed at my master!"
"Those who bullied you?"
"Kill them all. Skin them alive and pull out their tendons."
Unknowingly, he revealed his thoughts. Remembering his master's teachings, the young eunuch was suddenly horrified and remorseful. He did not dare to say another word.
Hsu Fengnian looked at the lake and said lightly, "Don't be afraid. This is what a man should say and do. I don't have time to be apologetic with a young eunuch like you. "
Dong Shou lowered his head and said, "Am I a man?"
Hsu Fengnian smiled and said, "It's fine as long as you know it."
The clouds were light and the wind was light.
Sweet Potato did not disturb them.
In the next few days, Hsu Fengnian, in addition to reading the writings and similar records about Dunhuang, would go to Yujing Garden to get some fresh air and chat with the young eunuch when he was free. Gradually, Dong Shou was no longer reserved and timid. He became more lively and lively. The two of them chatted casually.
"A woman's temper is directly related to the size of her breasts. If you don't believe me, think about the situation of the palace maids around you. Isn't this the truth? "
"Oh, it seems to be true!"
"Then which palace maid sister do you think has the heaviest breasts?"
"Of course it's the palace maid Sister Qixue. Her face is very beautiful. Those Jinwu Horsemen on duty can't take their eyes off her every time. Hey, I'm about the same, but it's just a thought. Well, there's also Sister Shiyu who works in Chenrui Palace. Her breasts might be bigger, but she's not as beautiful as Qixue. "
"Then you like big ones?"
"No, I think it's not good to have big breasts. It's better to have small breasts. They're so heavy that they'll burst their clothes. I feel tired for them. The face is still the most important thing. "
"You're still young. You don't understand."
"Sir Stonemason, you know. Can you tell me?"
"Why would a young eunuch like you know this?"
"Sigh."
"Are you worried?"
"There's food and drink. What's there to worry about? I don't think about things between men and women. In fact, I know that there are palace eunuchs and palace maids who are quite pitiful."
"Are they as pitiful as you?"
"Sigh."
"Dong Shou, you only know sigh."
"Hehe, you're ignorant. I don't know what to say. There's nothing I can do about it."
The last meeting was very short. It was at dusk. Hsu Fengnian said, "The matter is done. We're leaving the palace."
The young eunuch didn't want to cry, but he couldn't hold back. Soon, he burst into tears. Then, he asked him to wait for a while. He ran away in a hurry. When he came back, he handed Hsu Fengnian a money bag and begged him to give it to his family outside the palace.
Hsu Fengnian asked, "Aren't you afraid that I'll be greedy?"
The young eunuch shook his head and said, "I know that Sir Stonemason isn't such a person!"
Hsu Fengnian threw the money bag back and smashed it on his face. He scolded, "What do you know! What if it's embezzled or forgotten by me? Can your family starve for a month? "
Dong Shou picked up the money bag. He felt wronged and at a loss. He began to sob again.
Hsu Fengnian touched his head and said softly, "In the future, don't trust anyone so easily. However, once you've set your mind on something, you have to do it well. Give me the money bag. I promise I'll deliver it to you. "
Dong Shou wiped his tears and handed over the money bag with a happy smile.
Hsu Fengnian turned to leave. After thinking for a while, he turned around and ordered, "Go break a flower branch and bring it over."
The young eunuch was conflicted. In the end, he gathered his courage and went to break a branch. Hsu Fengnian squatted on the ground and wrote two words on the ground with the branch. He raised his head.
Dong Shou's voice trembled with excitement. He asked carefully, "Tong Guan?"
After Hsu Fengnian got up, he broke the flower branch section by section and threw it into the lake. He rubbed the young eunuch's head with all his strength.
The young eunuch cried and laughed.
Hsu Fengnian walked straight away. When he turned the corner, he saw Sweet Potato standing gracefully.
Sweet Potato asked softly, "Should I arrange a stable yamen for the little guy or throw him into a pot of oil and fry him?"
Hsu Fengnian shook his head and said, "There's no rush. Let's wait for another two years. If his temperament hasn't changed, we'll find someone to teach him how to read and then send him to the Sutra Depository. He'll read the secret manuals freely. Don't try too hard and spoil his growth. What happens next will depend on his own luck."
Sweet Potato nodded.
By the lake, the young eunuch picked up some branches near the lake and stuffed them into his sleeve. He was about to throw them into the bottomless and narrow holes on Mount Duichun.
He returned to the two words "Tong Guan" and squatted down to look at it again and again. He memorized it in his mind. When he was about to wipe it away, he still couldn't bear to do so. After thinking for a while, he took out a thorny branch and deeply carved two small words on his palm.
He squatted there in a daze. After a long time, he came back to his senses and said, "If I had known, I would have begged my benefactor to teach me how to write the word" Dong "."
The young eunuch slapped his face hard. "Don't be ungrateful!"
He stood up and clenched his fists. His eyes were firm.
The young man loosened his fists and looked down. He muttered, "Tong Guan!"
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Thank you to the new top scorer and the adorable Xiao San.
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