"Hmm... since you are new here, I guess you don't have a room assigned to you yet." The emperor robs his cheek with his palm. "Consider yourself as fortunate."

"...?"

"I'll change my clothes first. I'll bring you there." His majesty then walks behind the screen and changes his clothes. The cheap pair of robe and cloak was tossed and a luxurious robe made of gold yellow and obsidian black silk was worn. The silk itself has an exquisite embroidery of a dragon and lotuses.

In an instant, the common-looking man turned into a noble.

He wears his mian hat as he walks out of the screen, adorned with colorful beads.  Though he wears the same robes, the aura around him isn't the same. It's like he's a different person from before.

Xu Zhengming thought, this emperor is unpredictable.

"Your majesty! What brings you here?" Shocked, the eunuchs in the servants' quarters greeted. The emperor indeed walked him to the area!

"Ah, you see. My newly assigned eunuch doesn't have a room yet." Emperor Yin Renshu pointed at Xu Zhengming.

"His majesty insisted to trouble himself to go here. Please allow this lowly one to take care of things from here." A eunuch that seems to have a higher position spoke.

"Mn. I'll be counting on you." The emperor then looks at Xu Zhengming, "Go to my hall first thing in the morning."

Xu Zhengming bows his head, "Yes, your majesty."

And with that, the emperor headed back to his hall.

Mingming's fellow eunuchs look at him with confusion, and a little jealousy but didn't dare to say anything. It seems that this lowly one is favored his majesty. He looks young and inexperienced but still got chosen to be the one to serve him directly. Better not to be on bad terms with this little eunuch.

The room he got isn't bad. There's a small table with brushes and papers for writing on top of it. Also, a comfortable bed that has clothes for the night, a couple of eunuch uniforms, and a casual one laid on the side.

The life of a eunuch is actually well-off. They got a good salary. But to Mingming, all these things are not enough to pay for what they are bound to lose.

However, since he got lucky and became one without losing anything, thanks to that bipolar emperor, he got to indulge in this kind of life.

The next morning, he woke up early and get himself ready to go to the emperor's hall.

He knocks on the door with caution. "Your majesty?"

"..."

A few moments after that, he still got no response. Is he still asleep?

He was about to knock again when a couple of maids headed by a court lady came. One maid holds a basin of water and one holds a soft towel. The court lady that is with them is no other than Court Lady Han. The court lady he met yesterday.

"Why are you here?" She raised one of her eyebrows as she asks him.

"His majesty asked me to come first thing in the morning." He answered. But then, the ladies have unreadable faces after he answered. They look at each other and it seems they have the same thing in mind. Though Xu Zhengming doesn't get them, he felt like he should explain himself. "The emperor assigned me to be a eunuch who serves directly under him."

However, their faces became even more unreadable.

The court lady faked a cough and said, "If the emperor truly made you his personal servant, then that is good." She then faced the huge door and said in a loud voice. "Your majesty, it is time for you to wake up."

Court lady Han slides the door open as she enters the hall. The maids then follow after her. He thought he should come in too so he followed after them.

The emperor is in his white undergarments. He is already sitting on his bed and rubs his eyes.  He doesn't have the fierce look on his face yet. He looks like he's torn between being asleep and awake.

The maids put the basin and towel on the small table then the emperor came to wash his face. After doing so, he blinked twice. His face looks more awake now. His eyes roamed around and stopped his gaze on Xu Zhengming. His eyes widen and all his consciousness came back to him all at once.

The emperor beamed a smile to him as he says, "What brought you here? Ah, you should have told me that you'll see me beforehand so I can at least prepare tea."

"Eh?" Xu Zhengming is very much confused. Didn't he say last night to come here first thing in the morning?

The maids look at him with a suspicious look.

Xu Zhengming thought, did he forgot or is he just doing this intentionally?

He responds, "The emperor summoned this lowly one to come here today. Yesterday, his majesty appointed me to be your eunuch."

"Ah? I did?" The emperor seems he's still not on the same page. He thinks for a while before finally saying things with more sense. He smiles gently as he said, "Yes, yes. I remember now. My mind has been occupied these days."

The emperor turns his head to the court lady. "Court lady Han, please bring me my breakfast here. And oh, make it good for two persons. I would like to share it with my eunuch."

"???" Xu Zhengming couldn't be more confused. Why is this emperor who was mean last night could be this kind today?

No emperor in history shared their meal to their servants until now, the reign of Emperor Yin Renshu. Just who is this little eunuch to get the privilege of eating the same food with his majesty?

The ladies' faces turned dark yet they still left the hall after receiving the order. As they headed to the imperial kitchen, the maids couldn't hold their mouths any longer.

"So he really seduced the emperor?" The maid with the basin said in a low voice.

"If that's not the case, why is he willing to have his meal with him?" The maid with the towel responds.

"Not even the empress had a meal with his majesty. That's strange." The maid commented.

"How bold of him. He used his beauty to capture his majesty's eyes! How thick-skinned!" Court lady Han joined the conversation as well.

This conversation caught the attention of a lady of high status. "May I know who is this one who captured the emperor's eyes?"

The three of them halted their movements at once. Their reaction looks like they have seen a ghost. They quickly bowed their heads as they greet, "Your highness."

This lady is no other than the current empress of the imperial palace. Empress Xue Chi, the wife of Emperor Yin Renshu. Although they are husband and wife, the two seemed distant from each other. In fact, they rarely meet inside the imperial palace. They're a couple by law but not by heart.

The empress is affectionate to the emperor but it's not the same for the other party. Nevertheless, the emperor doesn't treat her badly and visits her in her hall once a month. But then again, it's just compliance with the law.

Behind her highness are six maids and a court lady. Their faces look gloomy unlike the empress' bright face.

The facial expression she wears is much scarier than an angry face full of resentment.

She's smiling sweetly.

"I want to meet this person."