Serving the Lord

For ten years after entering the palace, Lu Xianqing did all sorts of filthy, despicable things in the shadows for Xiao Cheng. Whenever people spoke of Lu Xianqing, the chief eunuch of the Eastern and Western Depots, they either called him a ruthless powerbroker who held the court in his grasp, or spat and cursed that eunuchs had seized power and ruined the nation.

Few still remembered that Lu Xianqing had once been brought to the Hanlin Academy by his father and brothers, where they joked that he would pass the imperial exams, become the top scholar, and pluck every peony in the capital.

Xiao Cheng had said that if Lu Xianqing helped him, then once the court was at peace and the great clans had been destroyed, he would clear the Lu family's name.

When no minister in court dared to overstep the imperial authority, the Empress Dowager had killed herself, and the great clans had retreated into hiding, Xiao Cheng fell silent for a long time before saying, "Xianqing, the Lu family must not become the next Zhang family."

Later, the bastard Xiao Cheng had brought back from the south grinned and reached for Lu Xianqing's fingers. "His Majesty brought me back to serve as a shield for his child. He made the great clans hate me so much they'd like to tear the flesh from my body and break every bone."

"But, Eunuch, I do at least hold the title of Crown Prince. If you're willing to help me, I can give you everything His Majesty can, and everything he can't."

Later still, Xiao Yi pinned Lu Xianqing against the altar table and, with a smile, took his hand and placed it on the cold coffin. "Lu Xianqing, you gave my elder brother more than just your loyalty. I want the rest, too."

[New Love Interest]

Content warnings: 1. Lu Xianqing and Xiao Cheng really were in love. The cannon-fodder love interest is a terrible person, and the protagonist breaks up with him unilaterally. Also, the cannon-fodder love interest was already twenty-three when he met the protagonist, and had a wife, concubines, and children.

2. The main love interest is a virgin, while the protagonist is not. Younger man, older man; the protagonist is seven years older.

3. The protagonist is a real eunuch. He was once a young master of a great clan.

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