It was late at night.
This night seemed even more profound than usual.
Thick clouds hung in the sky, densely covering the stars and the moon, making the darkness of this night even more intense.
The entire Forbidden City was deathly silent. Only the footsteps of the guards and eunuchs on night duty patrolling with lanterns in the night, and the chirping of crickets and frogs in summer could be heard.
Outside Ningfu Palace, a familiar figure came to the door again. After repeatedly confirming the safety of the surroundings, he gently knocked on the palace gate.
Yinger had received the message long ago. When Chang Lin knocked on the door for the second time, she opened the gate and let Chang Lin in.
Chang Lin nodded to Yinger and asked, "Where's your mistress?"
Yinger timidly glanced into the inner room. Her expression rarely showed a bit of panic. She seemed reluctant to say more and only replied, "The mistress is in the room."
Chang Lin gave a soft "hmm" and was about to step forward.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he moved, he was stopped by Yinger. Yinger's expression was a bit strange. She opened her lips but finally said, "The mistress is not in a good mood right now..."
Chang Lin glanced at her, nodded again, then turned and pushed open the door into the room.
As soon as he entered, Chang Lin saw the broken porcelain on the ground and the splashed soup. He frowned, walked around those things, and walked behind the screen. He said softly, "Yan'er."
After a moment of silence, the slightly hoarse voice of Concubine Shu came from behind the screen.
"Come here."
Chang Lin was taken aback for a moment, then walked around the screen.
Behind the screen was Concubine Shu's boudoir. There was an exquisite dressing table, a tea table and tea stools, and a beautifully decorated rosewood carved bed. Concubine Shu was now with her hair loose, wearing a wrinkled and unkempt dress, reclining expressionlessly on the head of the bed. Her face, which usually wore a delicate makeup, was now completely bare, looking haggard and pale.
"Yan'er..." Chang Lin's throat moved. He couldn't bear to see Concubine Shu like this. He felt as if his heart was being tightly grasped.
Concubine Shu didn't move much. She just looked up at him. Her eyes gradually changed from empty and listless to resentful and jealous. She stared at Chang Lin, clutching the brocade quilt tightly. Gnashing her teeth, she said, "I... told you to think of a way, right? ... Where's the way?"
Chang Lin trembled all over and lowered his head without saying a word. His gaze was obscure and forbearing, gradually showing a hint of imperceptible pain.
Seeing that he didn't say a word, Concubine Shu slowly sat up straight. Her pair of eyes stared directly at Chang Lin. Her gaze seemed to be able to pierce into Chang Lin's bones: "Where's the way?!"
"What does the mistress want this servant to do?" Chang Lin lowered his head. His voice was a bit subdued.
"I don't care what you do, but you must make me in favor with the emperor!" Concubine Shu almost roared. She hugged her head frantically, grabbed her own hair with both hands, and said in an almost collapsing tone, "After that martial arts competition, the emperor likes her even more. The emperor even stayed overnight in the Kunning Palace again. Tell me what I should do?"
Chang Lin lowered his head without saying a word, but his lips were already tightly pursed into a straight line.
Seeing that Chang Lin remained silent, Concubine Shu became even more crazy. She let out a sob and then began to cry loudly: "I don't care what method you use to make her disappear. It's best to kill her! Kill her!"
"Yan'er." Chang Lin suddenly called her.
Concubine Shu was stunned for a moment and slowly looked up at him.
She saw Chang Lin standing not far from her. He gave her a sad smile and said, "Don't you think this is too cruel to me?"
Concubine Shu felt as if she had been poured a bucket of cold water from head to toe. She stiffened on the spot and stared at him with wide eyes. She was silent for a moment, and then her whole body began to tremble violently.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't utter a single syllable. After a moment, she slowly closed her eyes and said in a voice like a murmur, "Didn't you volunteer to enter the palace to accompany me?"
Chang Lin's expression froze. Pain and torment were mixed in his eyes. His complex feelings for Concubine Shu were like a big stone pressing on his chest, making it a bit difficult for him to breathe.
"Yes... we once loved each other deeply, but the emperor chose me, and my father also wanted me to be the queen... I advised you, but you insisted on entering the palace... You promised me that you would accompany and protect me. Have you forgotten all that?!" Concubine Shu almost screamed at the end. Crying loudly, she roared at Chang Lin, "If you can't do it, why did you enter the palace with me in the first place!"
Chang Lin looked at her, at this woman whom he had once loved deeply.
For her, he gave up his official career, gave up his status, and was willing to enter the palace as a humble eunuch.
Yes, he just wanted to protect her for a lifetime. He thought that as long as he could still watch her from afar in this life, it would be enough. But unexpectedly, this seemingly simple thought was so heart - wrenching to achieve that now he had to help the woman he loved deeply to gain the favor of another man.
Moreover, Concubine Shu always knew his feelings for her.
It was too ironic and too cruel.
But was it her fault?
It was he who couldn't bear not seeing her for a lifetime. It was he who took a desperate chance and signed up to be an eunuch.
From the moment he cut off that thing between his legs, he knew that he and she would never be together in this life, so he couldn't expect more.
Chang Lin showed a smile that was uglier than crying. With tears in his eyes, he said softly, "I understand. I will help you kill her."
She looked at Chang Lin's expression and felt as if her heart was being stabbed by a knife. Big teardrops fell like a curtain of beads. She cried even more loudly and didn't dare to look at Chang Lin anymore. So she buried her face in her palms and cried wantonly.
Chang Lin couldn't bring himself to comfort her, and she didn't expect his comfort either.
Concubine Shu just cried like that until she managed to hold back her tears and her loud crying turned into soft sobs.
Only then did Chang Lin bow to Concubine Shu and say softly, "If there's nothing else... this servant will leave first."
Concubine Shu sobbed but didn't say a word.
Chang Lin felt as if his heart had been cut by a thousand knives. The pain was so intense that he felt numb and suffocated. He no longer had the courage to stay here. So he slowly straightened up, turned around, and walked away.
Unexpectedly, just as he took two steps, Concubine Shu suddenly choked out, "Didn't I say that you're not allowed to call yourself a servant in front of me?"
Chang Lin stopped in his tracks. Holding back his tears, he said tremblingly, "The mistress is the Fourth - Rank Concubine Shu. This servant can't be on equal footing with you."
Hearing this, Concubine Shu cried again. This time she cried even more crazily. She pounded the bed with her hands and shouted, "I said no, so it's no! Don't you dare call yourself like that!"
"... Yes." Chang Lin took a deep breath. He closed his eyes tightly, then reached out and "banged" open the door and walked out.
Behind him, Concubine Shu's cries were still clearly audible.