Chapter 1

The firelight illuminated the wooden faces of the eunuchs, as Chief Steward Zhang Er picked up the wine gourd and took a swig, then forcefully spat it towards the well, coughing loudly as if to bolster his courage, "Get to work!"

With a long life ahead, she turned back after stepping out of the waist door to instruct Sula to take the mat and wrap the corpse, sending it to the charity house in the west of the city overnight. She gave Sula a silver ingot and tossed the remainder to her apprentice

Chang Man Shou glanced and said in a drawn-out tone, "Well... it’s quite heavy at the wellhead, and it’s not good to handle it directly. We need to use a joy lift to support it and let the energy dissipate. We’ll roll it onto the cart, and then tighten it from below. As the cart lifts a bit, it will all come out, right? As the saying goes, when someone dies, their weight is not light at all. Especially in cases of drowning, when they have a belly full of water, it takes at least four people to lift them. The wellhead is small, and just pulling with our hands won’t do; who has that kind of strength!"

The homes of eunuchs are often impoverished, and they do not easily miss out on opportunities to make money. Since they have become cut off from lineage, they might as well live recklessly. It is said that eunuchs are the most cunning; whether they are truly wicked is something they know in their hearts, but they must still put on a facade of politeness. "Thank you very much, Master An. I am also weighing this matter myself. Recently, I have been experiencing a streak of bad luck, with troubles coming one after another. However, I have thought it over; if I were to ask someone to pull strings through back channels, wouldn't that be an obvious admission of guilt?"

Almost there! She gestured east and west, estimating that this would work, An Da, let us go over there!

Chang Man Shou was so engrossed in talking to her that he forgot about the task at hand. A glance revealed that the well's rim had been completely dismantled. He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward; the inside of the well was dark and murky, making it difficult to see, but the smell was undeniably unpleasant. He waved his hand and commanded, "Lift it up!"

Thus, raising the lantern in hand to illuminate for others, the slender eunuch nails a wooden niche to the wall, striking an iron nail with a hammer wrapped in water buffalo hide, the clinking sound echoing in the stillness of the night sends shivers down one's spine

In this line, there are five individuals, four of whom are eunuchs. Among them are the second chief steward of the inner court and the person in charge, as well as a low-ranking servant from the north who handles filthy tasks. It is quite rare to gather such a group under the palace gate even with the key, and at such times, something is bound to happen, usually not something good

This is indeed useful; after trying the wheel, it turned out to be much easier than before

A crescent moon hangs in the sky, casting a dim light over the entire world.

Chang Man Shou felt a bit faint. He looked down further and could clearly see the old green cloak worn by the palace maid, who was just three or four feet away from the well's mouth, yet she remained motionless. He took two steps back and handed the wine gourd to Su Yi, saying, "It feels a bit eerie; take a couple of swigs of the strong liquor to bolster your courage."

Do not think that I am coveting your little bit of silver; I am happy to run errands for you. We did not have much of a relationship before, but I help you this time so that we can meet again in the future!" He smiled and said, "You also know a bit about the affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There is a saying among the people: 'A short tree does not have an ancient wall painted anew; this person must be from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.' If one does not have dirty hands, where would the silver come from to create a scene and show off? What do you think?"

Looking over there, the eunuch holding the wheel was pinned down and unable to move, the hemp rope was taut, presumably it had caught something, yet the cart could not come up. The well openings in the palace are quite small, allowing only one person to pass through upright without issue. However, for the deceased, with limbs splayed in all directions and coupled with swelling, it would likely be very difficult to slide out smoothly

Thus, I looked at the wooden stick lying across the well platform, "What is that used for?"

Before entering the palace, his disciple had the Han surname Zhang and was nicknamed Erchou. He found that name unrefined and changed it to Zhang Laishun. Zhang Laishun has served by his side for twelve years, developing a keen eye for discerning details. While attending to him and returning to the duty room, he muttered to himself, "I think this Lady Su resembles someone."

She nodded slightly, "Please inform An Da to return to the ancestral hall, indeed, that is correct. Tomorrow I will take the token to the Zhenshun Gate and tell her brother to go to the west of the city to fetch someone." She did not dare to look again, took out two silver ingots from her collar and handed them to Chang Man Shou, then crouched in a gesture of respect, "When An Da assigns someone, please take care of it for me, at least find a place where wild dogs cannot reach."

With small eyes slanting on his round, white, chubby face, he remarked, "The inner palace is not a place where reason prevails everywhere. Those who suffer unjust losses, can you say they are not in the right? The real mistake lies in not having a plan. In this world, money speaks..." He glanced at her, illuminated by the lantern light, revealing a beautiful oval face, with skin so tender it seemed to yield moisture at a touch. Upon closer inspection, her brows and eyes bore a slight resemblance to the Empress Dowager of Changchun Garden. Eunuchs are also human and appreciate beauty; they are inclined to show affection towards the palace maids with their neat and symmetrical faces. It is easy to converse with the young maids, but the formidable ones are these aunts. Having grown up in the palace, they are stable and self-sufficient, not dependent on anyone. When a rare opportunity arises, it would be a pity not to cultivate a closer relationship.

"Those who are capable should work harder; engaging in virtuous deeds may unexpectedly lead to promotion at any time." Chang Manshou is notoriously talkative; she is actually too lazy to engage with him. However, out of consideration for their relationship, she still feels the need to respond perfunctorily.

It is truly unbearable; given the current situation, who has the mind to engage in idle chatter with him! When the Shenxing Division inquires, she should simply answer truthfully. Having spent so many years in the Shangyi Bureau, she may not have much prestige, but at least she is somewhat familiar. There is really no need for him to be so kind-hearted.

He shot a sidelong glance at Chang Manshou, walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, and said, "You should take a look at who the current emperor is. If things go well, you might get ahead, but if they go poorly, you could lose your head. I need to ponder this matter for a while..."

A crow perched on the palace wall, its hoarse caw echoing like a thunderclap, nearly startling the very souls out of a person. Changman Shou spat a mouthful of saliva, muttering about bad luck, and staggered three steps into the guardhouse of the Moonlight Gate.

Zhang Man Shou Dun exclaimed, "Isn't this just like a sea cucumber? It must grow to quite a size!"

Zhang Laishun thought for a long time, "I have seen the Empress Dowager from a distance before, and now that I think about it, doesn't Su Gu Gu resemble the noble lady?"

Chang Man Shou smiled broadly and said, "You little rascal, your eyes are not dull. Who do you think you resemble?"

As he was speaking, the eunuch waiting by the well bent down and replied, "Please show me, Master, the well's circumference is too narrow, and I am stuck at the waist-high hoop, unable to get out"

After taking a sip, he passed it back. The gourd was passed around, and Chang Manshou finished the bottom. Leaning forward, he spoke, "Miss, your parents have been waiting outside the palace for three days. Hurry up and come up, so that the two elders won't worry."

He became animated, rambling on about his past grievances with the Grand Controller Rong Shou. In the end, he touched his nose and said, "Over the years, the old comrades have either left or been reassigned, and now only Jin Yingfu and I remain in the palace. The Emperor does not cherish old ties; if we want to curry favor for our positions, we still have to bow and scrape to those younger than us"

"It depends on whether she is willing to come up. Young ladies care about their reputation. It took three days to find her, and she is probably out of sorts, unable to face anyone."

She glanced at Chang Manshou, who was the most influential here, waiting for him to make a decision. After pondering for a moment, Chang Manshou slapped his thigh and said, "Let's dismantle it; it's crucial to get the people up here. Once that's done, we can return to the ancestral hall tomorrow morning and report back, allowing everyone to relax. However, my aunt will still be worried, as the Criminal Investigation Department will inevitably question us. After all, this matter originated under your command, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will want to take people as scapegoats." On the other side, as he rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fists to dismantle the bricks, he seized the opportunity to say, "Currently, the one in charge is my little fellow townsman. If my aunt finds it troublesome, prepare a few taels of silver for wine money, and I will run this errand for you." After all, this matter originated under your command, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will want to take people as scapegoats. On the other side, as he rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fists to dismantle the bricks, he seized the opportunity to say, "Currently, the one in charge is my little fellow townsman. If my aunt finds it troublesome, prepare a few taels of silver for wine money, and I will run this errand for you."

Two men turned the corpse over by the hand, and Su, using the light of the lantern, took a look and was immediately frightened into a cold sweat. It truly had a head as large as a basin, and was as strong as an ox. The body had swollen up, like a skin raft that had been inflated, and had lost all human shape. It was impossible to recognize the features, but fortunately, the palace maid had a mole on her earlobe, which allowed for certain identification that it was indeed the one who had gone missing.

The person finally emerged from the well, and two Suras hurriedly lifted the body to send it up. After a strenuous effort, the corpse, heavy and lifeless, fell onto the well platform, lying there, its form swollen to nearly twice its size, rendering it impossible to discern anything.

Thus, knowing that he was speaking to the dead, he slightly bowed and said, "What An Da said is true"

"Does the master have any thoughts?" Zhang Laishun said, "You used to be quite envious of Chief Steward Li. What is so special about Li Yugui? Isn't it just that he and Cui Guixiang are in agreement in promoting the Empress Dowager? Later, the cockroach turned into a cicada, and he ascended to great heights in one step. Should we learn from this now?"

Chang Man Shou cast a glance at her and said, "Su Gu Gu, take a look and see if it is one of your subordinates. Do not be afraid, we are of upright character."

It is somewhat unexpected that Aunt Changman Shou is unwilling to spend her own money for convenience, yet she is willing to waste money to take care of those beneath her. He gave a thumbs up and said, "Aunt, you are truly righteous; no wonder everyone below respects you! Just for this, I will make sure to take good care of you. Rest assured, everything is on me, and there will be no mistakes."

The retrieval of corpses is carried out with specialized large iron hooks. Deaths in the palace are a common occurrence, and after a long period of experience, it becomes almost second nature. The Su La from the Northern Five Institutes roll up their sleeves and get to work, threading a hemp rope through the hook's nose and tying a knot. A wooden stick is placed horizontally on the well platform, and that completes the task.

As a member of the Imperial Etiquette Bureau, her usual duties involved training the newly arrived palace maids, teaching them the rules, and then assigning them to various positions as directed by the Internal Affairs Office. This time, a maid had gone missing from the bureau, and since she had not yet been assigned elsewhere, it was her duty to identify the body. It was inconvenient to conduct the search during the day, as it might cause panic, so they decided to act only after the hour of the pig, when both masters and servants had retired for the night. At this late hour, it was indeed somewhat unsettling. However, as the head matron, she had to maintain her composure even if the roof of the Hall of Preserving Harmony were to collapse, let alone in this situation.

The wooden shrine was set up, and Chang Man Shou gave Su Yi a glance. Su Yi hurriedly inserted the lantern pole into the wall socket, opened the basket to take out the candles and incense, and after lighting them, waited for the eunuchs to finish their bowing before she paid her respects. When honoring the deceased, it is customary to offer money. Due to time constraints, they burned paper money instead. This was a type of paper cut into squares, with both sides covered in gold and silver foil, commonly referred to as "money for the journey." When thrown into the fire, the foil curled up, making a rustling sound like scraping ice in winter. This was a type of paper cut into squares, with both sides covered in gold and silver foil, commonly referred to as "money for the journey." When thrown into the fire, the foil curled up, making a rustling sound like scraping ice in winter.

Chang Manshou stroked his chin and said, "Luck is of utmost importance. Sometimes, looking like someone else can lead to a smooth ascent, while at other times, a slight deviation can bring about difficulties. Such a talented individual is trapped in the Shangyi Bureau, unseen by the outside world, which is a complete waste."

She adjusted her gaze to observe the progress of the salvage operation, the hemp rope swaying up and down, yet there was no news after a long time. She felt a bit anxious, "Isn't it floating? Why can't they bring it up?"

Chang Man Shou leaned against the wall and let out a laugh, "Su Gu Gu has probably never seen such a scene, right? Which day in the palace doesn't have some sort of incident? This is hardly worth mentioning! As for me, I am unfortunate, a straightforward person. After all these years, I am still just a second-in-command." He gestured towards the direction of Jin Jing, "You see, this kind of thankless and laborious task has been assigned to me repeatedly."

Thus, I frowned and said, "When you speak such words in my presence, I listen, but I forget them once I have heard them"

Thus, taking two steps back and slightly bowing, he said, "Thank you for your understanding. If there is nothing else here, I will return to my resting place. If you have any instructions, please send someone to the station to find me tomorrow."

The winch creaked and groaned as the rope rose inch by inch. Although she stood by the side claiming not to be afraid, it was a lie; she was fulfilling the request of the deceased's parents, recognizing the body to take it back for burial! This process of retrieving the body was truly fraught with twists and turns; the dead have their own spirit, and she obstructed the process, rendering even the greatest powers ineffective. Just as they had transported more than half of the way, something went wrong, and the eunuch operating the winch said it was stuck.

Chang Manshou glanced at her and said, "I know you are tight-lipped"