THE EVENING DRUM echoed six times as the distant mountains melted into the dusk. Dark clouds loomed heavy over the palace as the sun peeked sporadically through the gaps. Using long poles, eunuchs hung lanterns on iron hooks under the eaves. The palace gradually brightened beneath the soft glow of the swaying lanterns, which transformed into a brilliant sea of light once the entire palace was adorned with them. Only the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard remained shrouded in darkness, its bare eaves festooned only with lonely iron wind chimes. This was the most desolate corner of the Forbidden City.
A woman in red sat on the wall, waving a handkerchief. Her eyes were like old, empty wells, dark and lifeless. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I miss you so much. Why won't you come to see me?"
"Oh no, Consort Gao! How did you get up there again? If the chief eunuch sees this, Xiao-Juezi and I will both be punished!" Sixi lamented, frantic. Tucking his skirt into his belt, he clambered carefully up the ladder to Consort Gao. His plump body wobbled on the ladder; from a distance, he looked like a skewered meatball.
Consort Gao had been sent to the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard earlier that year. Rumor had it she'd scattered red beans on the garden path where Imperial Noble Consort Ma often walked, hoping to cause her to slip and miscarry. When the plot was exposed, she was imprisoned and tortured by the Imperial Clan Court until she went mad. The Fourth Qianxi Courtyard had already housed three other mad consorts, and with Consort Gao's arrival, Sixi was overwhelmed. His already receding hairline had moved even farther back.
Just as Sixi was reaching the end of his rope, a young eunuch around fourteen years old walked in, dressed in green. He placed a box of food on the table.
"Come down!" he called. "It's time to eat!"
Hearing that, Consort Gao quickly urged Sixi to descend, then climbed down herself, holding her skirt. She sat meekly at the table, waiting for the young eunuch to serve her.
Sixi breathed a sigh of relief. "You're really something, Shen Jue."
Shen Jue set the bowls and chopsticks on the table. His eyebrows and lowered eyes were as serene as a painting, their lines like ink-washed landscapes. At fourteen, he'd grown rapidly, a willow sprig stretching toward the sun. Still, years of poor nutrition had left his face pale, giving him a fragile, sickly appearance.
Sixi's gaze drifted down to Shen Jue's slender fingers. The boy's nails were neatly trimmed; he didn't have a single hangnail. Desire flamed in Sixi, and he reached out to caress the back of Shen Jue's hand, whispering, "Xiao-Juezi, have you thought about what I mentioned the other day?"
Shen Jue smoothly withdrew his hand with a mocking smirk. "I've heard of eunuchs and maids pairing off, but never just two eunuchs."
"Ah, you don't understand," Sixi said. His beady eyes narrowed, and a lecherous glint shone through. "We eunuchs are castrated, so how are we any different from women? When eunuchs and maids get together, they often rely on...tools to get things done. The same goes for two eunuchs..."
Shen Jue's good looks had long attracted Sixi. Fortunately, Shen Jue had been assigned to the cold palace, a desolate place where only crows flew about. Had the boy been assigned to a favored concubine's residence instead, Sixi would have had no chance, considering his plumpness.
But Shen Jue refused to yield, however Sixi tried to seduce him. Only after Sixi hinted at using force to satisfy his desires did Shen Jue show signs of trepidation and soften his attitude a bit. If not for that, Sixi couldn't have gotten this close to him.
"What—are you so desperate for me?" Shen Jue sneered, eyes full of disgust.
"Of course," Sixi said. He was accustomed to Shen Jue's sarcasm and didn't take it to heart. With a sycophantic smile, he continued, "My feelings for you are as clear as the heavens and earth. Haven't I always treated you warmly despite your cold shoulder? Don't worry. Once you're mine, I'll have my godfather transfer me from this wretched cold palace to the imperial stables. I'll take you with me, and we won't have to suffer here anymore."
Sixi had recently spent a few taels of silver to become the godson of the imperial stables' chief eunuch. He hadn't yet left the cold palace, but he was already convinced of his own imminent rise to power. Lately, he'd strutted around as if he owned the place.
Shen Jue stirred the rice in his bowl. "Fine," he said nonchalantly. Sixi seemed overjoyed, and Shen Jue's lips curled into a cold smile. "I'll come to your room tonight at midnight."
"Good, good! I'll be waiting." Sixi was unable to contain his excitement. He reached out to grab Shen Jue's hands.
The boy stepped back, avoiding Sixi's grasp, then tossed his chopsticks onto the table with a flick of his hand. "You can eat without me. I've lost my appetite."
Sixi wanted to pursue him, but Consort Gao suddenly grabbed him. "I'm starving! I'm starving!" she shrieked. "I haven't eaten my fill!"
"Eat, eat! Eat until you burst!" Sixi snapped.
Shen Jue closed the door. His room was cold and quiet. He'd left the lattice window open, and flower petals had drifted onto his desk, dusting his open book. He shut the window and made his way to the washbasin, where he scrubbed his right hand—the one Sixi had touched—over and over until his skin turned red. The thought of Sixi's face made him nauseous. In a fit of anger, Shen Jue overturned the basin and kicked a stool over. Only then did he feel slight relief.
After the long day of work, he felt sticky and uncomfortable. He fetched some water and brought it back to his room to bathe. The warm water washed away his fatigue. As he splashed his face, droplets dripped from his lashes like morning dew from a flower's petals.
As he dried off, a loud clatter came from outside the window. Shen Jue turned sharply, threw on his clothes, and pushed the window open to find a shattered flowerpot on the ground.
Sixi returned to his room, his heart pounding. His mind full of indecent thoughts, he'd gone and crouched under Shen Jue's window; weakening the paper pane with saliva, he poked a hole in it to spy on Shen Jue bathing. He'd been shocked to discover Shen Jue's secret—a secret that could cost Shen Jue his life. A maniacal look spread across Sixi's face. Now, Shen Jue would have no choice but to submit to him.
After drinking some tea to compose himself, Sixi sat at his desk, eagerly awaiting nightfall. Suddenly, Shen Jue threw the door open. He stood just beyond the threshold, his expression dark.
Sixi knew exactly why the boy was there but pretended otherwise. He assumed an insincere smile. "It's not midnight yet. I didn't expect such eagerness."
Shen Jue stepped inside. The room reeked with a indescribable stench, and he covered his nose in disgust, scanning the chamber. He wore only an underrobe with a thin coat draped atop it. His hair was still wet from his bath, and water droplets trailed down his neck, soaking into his collar. His pale skin glistened like jade wet with dew. Sixi stared transfixed at Shen Jue's slender white neck, nearly drooling.
Eunuchs were strange creatures. Though they'd been castrated, their desires were undiminished and in fact grew even less restrained. Both men and women were fair game to them—and those who were neither were even more so.
Rumors of eunuchs torturing and killing their partners were rampant in the palace. Their victims' bodies were said to be mangled beyond recognition. But the palace wasn't a just place. At most, perpetrators received a few lashes, and the violence only accelerated. If the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard hadn't been full of madwomen, its audacious eunuchs might even have targeted the nearby imperial consorts.
Shen Jue looked at Sixi coldly. "You saw everything, didn't you?"
"Saw what?" Sixi's eyes gleamed with malice.
"Don't play games with me. What do you want? Speak." Shen Jue rummaged casually through Sixi's desk drawers, pulling out strings of jewelry—likely stolen from some other palace courtyard.
"You know what I want," Sixi said, leering. He leaned in closer and smoothly ran his fingers through Shen Jue's hair. "All I want is you. I've dreamed of you, tossing and turning, night after night." Shen Jue's hair was cool beneath Sixi's palm; every thin strand that brushed against him tickled his heart. Sixi had already imagined a hundred ways to "cherish" Shen Jue, eagerly anticipating the moment Shen Jue would beg for mercy.
"And if I refuse?" Shen Jue's eyes darkened.
"You can't," Sixi whispered into Shen Jue's ear. "I know your secret. If you want to keep your head and your place in the palace, you'll obey me. If I spread the word, that little head of yours won't stay on your neck long."
"Is that so?" Shen Jue smiled coldly. His hand quietly reached into a drawer, pulling out a pair of scissors. Wrapping his arm around Sixi, he touched their sharp tips to the man's back.
"Of course, I'll treat you well," Sixi said, assuming that Shen Jue was yielding at last. Overjoyed, he returned Shen Jue's embrace, greedily inhaling his soapy scent.
Suddenly, sharp pain shot through Sixi's back, and his face contorted in agony. He stared at Shen Jue in disbelief. Shen Jue stared back coldly. His gaze wasn't that of a person looking at another human being—it was the look a person would give a corpse.
Sixi reached behind his back. His palm came away sticky and wet. As his blood continued to gush, he let out a piglike squeal of pain. Shen Jue grabbed a garment from the chair and stuffed it into Sixi's mouth. Eyes bulging with rage, Sixi clutched Shen Jue's hand in a death grip, but his own hands gradually lost their strength. In the end, they finally slipped from Shen Jue's fingers to the ground. Only Sixi's eyes, round as copper bells, remained open, as if he was trying to etch Shen Jue's face into his memory. As if, one night, he would return as a spirit and exact his revenge.
Once Sixi was completely lifeless, Shen Jue removed his coat and wrapped it around Sixi's wound to stem its bleeding. Then he hoisted Sixi onto his back. Outside, he threw the man into a dry well. No one but Shen Jue knew that the dry well in the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard led to a desolate forest outside the palace walls. Shen Jue had discovered that while cleaning the library, where he'd found an old map of the palace dating back to a previous dynasty.
Shen Jue returned to his room to change into warmer clothes; his fragile body still couldn't withstand the cold. Then he grabbed a rope and returned to the well, climbing down to pull Sixi's body deeper into the tunnel. Sixi was heavy, and it took all Shen Jue's strength to drag him to a suitable spot. Moving the body outside of the palace entirely would've taken too long, and Shen Jue still had to clean up the blood in Sixi's room.
By the time Shen Jue climbed back out of the well, night had fallen. As he emerged, he saw a young boy in black lying near the well. The boy wore a white porcelain mask and held a long saber, his shoulder soaked in what appeared to be blood.
An assassin? Shen Jue thought.
The assassin's timing couldn't have been worse. Shen Jue had just killed a man, and he couldn't let the imperial guards find him there.
Shen Jue fetched the scissors from his room. He gripped them tightly in both hands as he prepared to stab the assassin. Just as the scissors were about to pierce skin, the other boy's eyes snapped open, flashing with bloodlust. He quickly rolled to his feet, and his right hand clamped down on Shen Jue's wrist like an iron vice. The young assassin's left hand drew a dagger from his waistband. He charged forward and pinned Shen Jue to the ground, pressing the blade to his neck.
In the dim light, their eyes met. The assassin boy froze. "Shaoye?"
Shen Jue was also stunned. He reached up and removed the mask. Sure enough, a familiar face greeted him. Its more mature features had developed a stalwart edge. A few drops of blood—their origins unknown—stained his cheeks, giving his visage a fierce, battle-hardened aura.
Xiahou Lian struggled to his feet, holding the well for support. "You didn't see me. I'll be on my way. Maybe we'll meet again."
He took three steps toward the outer wall, then collapsed with a thud.
Shen Jue was shocked into silence.
Xiahou Lian was severely injured—the cut on his shoulder was deep enough to expose bone. Shen Jue carried him to Sixi's room, stripped off his bloodstained clothes, and burned them in the brazier. Fortunately, Shen Jue had some medicinal herbs in his room. He selected the ones meant to staunch blood loss and applied them to Xiahou Lian's wound.
Xiahou Lian drifted in and out of consciousness. Sweat drenched his forehead, and his brow furrowed in discomfort. When Shen Jue put his hand to the other boy's forehead, it was burning with fever. He fetched some cold water, then soaked his face towel and placed it over Xiahou Lian's forehead.
Outside, a commotion erupted.
"Everyone come out here!" someone shouted. "Find the assassin!"
Shen Jue's heart raced. He cracked the window to see a group of imperial guards, their faces stern and severe, their armor and swords gleaming coldly in the night.
If the guards found Xiahou Lian, both he and Shen Jue would be doomed. He'd panicked upon seeing Xiahou Lian's injury, and in his haste to bandage it, he hadn't thought to hide the other boy in the well.
But there was no time for second-guessing. Shen Jue's mind raced as he tried to think of some way to deceive the guards. Noticing the makeup on Sixi's bureau, Shen Jue quickly grabbed a chunk of rouge. He hastily dabbed Xiahou Lian's face with red spots, then wrapped him snugly in the blanket. After ensuring that no blood had stained his own clothes, he slipped quietly out the door.
Consort Gao was shrieking excitedly, "Where is the emperor? Why hasn't he come? Are you here to take me back? Wonderful! I'm returning! I'm the imperial noble consort—the imperial noble consort!"
Two guards tied Consort Gao to a pillar. The courtyard's other three consorts were slightly more stable; they cowered under the eaves, peeking out with fearful eyes at the imposing procession.
"The imperial noble consort was attacked during the banquet. The assassin fled in this direction, so we're under orders to search the area. Please summon everyone in the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard for inspection," said one of the guards.
Eunuchs hurried over. They buttoned their robes as they lined up under the eaves, heads bowed.
A guard walked around, patting the right shoulder of everyone present. Finding nothing amiss, he turned to Shen Jue. "Is everyone here?"
"Sir, someone is still lying down inside," another guard reported.
"That's Sixi-gonggong," Shen Jue told him calmly. "He's ill and can't get up."
"Ill or not, we have to check him." The guard gestured to his subordinate. "Go in and take a look."
"Sixi-gonggong is covered in red spots," Shen Jue added. "I'm afraid it could be smallpox. It would be better not to go in there."
At his words, everyone shrank back in fear.
The main guard's expression darkened. "We have our orders: Everyone must be inspected. Otherwise, how would we explain ourselves if the assassin happened to be hiding in there? Who here has had smallpox? They'll come help me search."
Two guards stepped forward. "We had smallpox as children."
Shen Jue's heart sank. "Why take such a risk, sir? Smallpox is no joke. I just came from his room, and I swear on my life, no assassin is hiding in there. On top of that, Sixi-gonggong is the godson of Supervisor Liu of the imperial stables. You should tread carefully."
With Wei De in power, eunuchs held significant influence in the palace. Even those appointed imperial guards had to show deference to high-ranking eunuchs. Although Shen Jue had been assigned to the cold palace, he was still a minor supervisor, and the guards didn't dare order him around.
The guards' leader hesitated, but finally said, "We're only carrying out our duties—please don't take offense. Follow me inside, men."
"Please understand, sir," one guard added. "The assassin is elusive—a master of concealment. He could stand right behind you, and you wouldn't even know it. This search is for everyone's safety."
With that, the three guards entered the room. Shen Jue closed his eyes for a moment, then followed them inside.
Xiahou Lian had awoken. Seeing the guards approach, he struggled to sit up. "This humble servant greets the honorable guards."
Noticing the red spots on his face, the guards stepped back subtly.
The two guards who'd had smallpox searched the room, then shook their heads at their leader. He turned to Xiahou Lian, who lay on the bed. The main guard's eyes flickered over him. "One of our blades struck the assassin's shoulder. Could you please remove the blanket and let me see yours?"
Cold sweat drenched Shen Jue's forehead and dripped into his eyes, but he kept his head down so the guards wouldn't see.
What should he do?
If the blanket was pulled away from Xiahou Lian's shoulder, and the guards saw his wound, neither of the boys would live past that day.