Chapter 110: A Eunuch's Revenge, Never Too Late Even After Ten Years

"Do you have other plans?" Di Luoxi caught the underlying meaning in his words.

Long Chen replied, "We will surely win this time, but since we cannot take down Jing Tianlie, we will take down Bai Qiulian."

"As I said, if there is fault, there shall be dismissal. Bai Qiulian also bears responsibility in the Shui Han case. When the time comes, we will dismiss her and reclaim control of the Ministry of War."

Di Luoxi, who had been dizzy with rage just moments ago, finally understood.

"So that's how it is. You set a trap for her?"

Di Luoxi kicked off her boots, climbed onto the heated brick bed, and took a sip of tea, feeling her anger subside.

"Exactly. That old witch is truly detestable."

Long Chen secretly wished he could slap her.

Di Luoxi patted her chest and said, "That’s more like it. I was about to burst with anger earlier."

Xuan Yi brought over a set of casual clothes. Di Luoxi knelt on the bed and commanded, "Help me undress."

Long Chen stepped forward, removed Di Luoxi’s official court robes, and helped her into the casual attire.

"The Censorate will soon post the inquiry documents. The people of the capital will surely discuss this, so we must guide public opinion," Long Chen said while helping her dress.

"Guide public opinion?" Di Luoxi had never heard such a phrase.

Long Chen explained, "The collective voice can melt metal, and repeated slander can destroy a person. When a thousand fingers point, one dies without a disease."

"Today’s events will soon spread throughout the capital and even the entire empire. We must steer the narrative in our favor."

Di Luoxi understood immediately. "You mean spreading rumors to make Jing Tianlie infamous for all time?"

Long Chen laughed. "How could it be just rumors? This is guiding public opinion."

Di Luoxi sighed, "You eunuch are truly venomous. Who do you plan to send?"

Long Chen smiled. "I’ve already sent people. The focus is on the scandalous affair between Jing Tianlie and Bai Qiulian. That is what people love to hear most."

From ancient times to the present, people have always been most interested in gossip about men and women, which is why Long Chen chose to start with their illicit affair.

"That bitch Bai Qiulian... today I truly wanted to beat her to death."

After changing into her casual clothes and drinking two more cups of tea, Di Luoxi finally suppressed her fury.

"Your Highness, if you want to beat Bai Qiulian, why are you bullying me?"

Long Chen was speechless. Di Luoxi spoke of wanting to beat Bai Qiulian, yet she had pinned him down on the bed instead.

"I just want to bully you. Don't resist; the more you resist, the more excited I get."

Di Luoxi sprawled over Long Chen, though fortunately, she was light.

"Little Long, wait until your cultivation breaks through to the Martial Emperor realm, then you can bully the Princess back," Xuan Yi teased with a giggle.

Qing Yue echoed, "That's right. A eunuch's revenge is not too late even after ten years."

Xuan Yi joked, "But I heard that eunuchs cannot break through to the Martial Emperor realm."

Qing Yue feigned surprise. "Oh, what will we do then? Little Long will be bullied by the Princess for his whole life!"

Listening to the two hussies singing in harmony, Long Chen laughed inwardly: You two know nothing. I am not a eunuch at all; you’d better wait and see!

Di Luoxi remained sprawled on top of him, and Long Chen could not resist.

Since he could not resist, he decided to... enjoy it. His fingers had a mind of their own; it was cold outside, but it was warmest inside her clothes.

"Are your fingers thirsty?" Di Luoxi asked, looking up.

Long Chen didn't understand and retorted, "How can fingers be thirsty?"

Di Luoxi snapped, "If they aren't thirsty, why are they wandering into the stream?"

Long Chen chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I suppose they are a bit thirsty."

Di Luoxi grabbed his hand, bit his arm, and said with disgust, "Get lost!"

Long Chen got up, put on his shoes, and returned to the Qiu Xing Palace. As soon as he entered, Xiang Ning approached him. "My Lord, someone asked me to deliver this letter to you."

Long Chen took the thick envelope. "Who sent it?"

Xiang Ning shook her head. "I don't know. I was out buying some things when someone wearing thick clothes suddenly shoved it into my hands and said it was for Chief Long."

Palace maids were generally not allowed to leave the palace, but because Long Chen rarely went out, he often had Xiang Ning run errands for him.

Long Chen carefully tore open the envelope and took out the contents.

"What is it?" Xiang Ning leaned in to look.

Inside were records: on such-and-such day, Bai Qiulian did this...

"Did that person walk with a limp?" Long Chen asked.

Xiang Ning nodded. "Yes. I wanted to chase after them to ask who they were, but I was afraid of trouble, so I didn't."

"My Lord, how did you know the person walked with a limp?"

The envelope contained records of Bai Qiulian using private soldiers and even secretly funneling military forces to Jing Tianlie. Being this detailed and recorded in such a standardized manner, it had to be Li Junjun. He was Bai Qiulian’s husband; living under the same roof, he would inevitably know her secrets. As a registrar in the Censorate, Li Junjun had the habit of keeping records, so it had to be him.

"An unintentional act grows into a shade tree."

During the interrogation at the Censorate, Long Chen had deliberately provoked Li Junjun, only hoping for a stroke of luck, but it had actually worked.

"I also have to thank Sun Hongyan. If she hadn't blocked the door and cursed, this wouldn't have had such an effect."

Sun Hongyan had blocked the Censorate door, calling Li Junjun a cuckold, letting all his colleagues know about his domestic scandal, which was equivalent to trampling on a man's final shred of dignity.

"My Lord, what are you talking about?" Xiang Ning didn't understand his muttering.

"I said, where is the wooden tablet for tonight? Bring it here." Long Chen placed the documents into a secret compartment. He didn't avoid Xiang Ning; these little hussies were his confidantes.

"Alright, I'll bring it right away."

Xiang Ning skipped off to fetch the tablet. Zhang Qian, Xuan Yi, and Qing Yue happened to walk in at that moment.

"I want to sleep on the inside tonight; I almost fell off last night," Qing Yue said as she entered and claimed her spot on the bed.

Xiang Ning returned with a tray holding six tablets. "Ladies, the usual rules—pick a tablet," she said with a grin. Xiao E and Xiao Daiyu waited outside, wanting to join but feeling too afraid.

Zhang Qian looked coldly at Xiang Ning. "Xiang Ning, the Lord is at odds with the Jing family, and his current situation is very dangerous. Do you know that?"

"Forget about picking tablets for now; let's just have the three of us for this period."

Xuan Yi stepped forward, took the tablets, and said coldly, "Can you protect Little Long? You only know how to take, not how to contribute."

Xiang Ning looked at Long Chen with a grievance-filled face, while Xiao E and Xiao Daiyu, being timid, had already slipped away.

"Don't sleep sideways; there is plenty of room if you sleep vertically. Xiang Ning, come sleep too. Whether there are three or four, it's all the same—why be so polite?" Long Chen mediated, trying not to offend anyone.

Xuan Yi and Qing Yue immediately lay down beside Long Chen, with Zhang Qian on the outside and Xiang Ning on the inside.

"What's the point of sleeping like this?" Xiang Ning lamented.

Xuan Yi heard this, sat up, and asked with a smile, "Xiang Ning, then how do you think it would be interesting to sleep?"

Xiang Ning quickly said, "That's not what I meant."

Xuan Yi, however, got excited and hugged Xiang Ning, laughing, "Little Long, this little hussy wants it to be interesting—give her a little 'interest'."

Qing Yue and Zhang Qian, feeling bored, helped lift Xiang Ning and stuffed her under the covers, laughing, "What's the fun in sleeping with clothes on? It's only interesting when you take them off."

Xiang Ning was no match for them and was stripped in no time. Hiding under the covers, she curled up and begged for mercy, "Sisters, that's not what I meant!"

Seeing them bully Xiang Ning, Long Chen said, "You ladies are not being very 'interesting' yourselves."

Zhang Qian laughed, "Isn't that what you meant?"

Qing Yue teased, "Little Long, what do *you* mean?"

The best part about Xiang Ning was her skin; it was truly like solidified fat, smooth and soft—she could be called the number one jade beauty of the harem. Long Chen loved sleeping while holding her.

Long Chen laughed, "You all understand my meaning best. Little Xiang Ning, I’ll make sure you find tonight interesting."

...

After the court session, the Censorate followed the imperial decree and posted the interrogation documents at the marketplace intersections. The people of the capital learned that there were hidden circumstances behind Shui Han’s death, and everyone began to whisper.

The fierce confrontation between Long Chen and Jing Tianlie in the imperial court also spread throughout the capital. Everyone said that Jing Tianlie was arrogant due to his contributions, using his military success to pressure Long Chen into giving up his position as the Minister of Revenue so that the corrupt official Jing Heng could return to the post.

What spread the most, however, was the illicit affair between Jing Tianlie and Bai Qiulian, claiming the two had been entangled for decades and that Bai Tingting was actually Jing Tianlie’s daughter.

For a time, rumors flew across the capital, even reaching the Southern Liang and Western Xia dynasties. Jing Tianlie became the laughingstock of every teahouse and street corner.