"Eunuch Xu." Yin Wenyan knocks on the door thrice. "Are you doing just fine there?"

Xu Zhengming gritted his teeth and tried to smile. "Your majesty, I am defecating here. Why are you following me? Do you intend to cheer for me to poop?"

"Pfft..." Xu Zhengming heard the suppressed laughter and giggles of the maids outside the toilet. Now, he's torn between being embarrassed and annoyed.

The emperor turns to his maids and raised both of his eyebrows. His face asking sincerely, 'should we?'

The maids' grins on their faces got even wider. They nodded in unison.

The next thing Xu Zhengming heard was a loud chant. "Eunuch Xu, we wish for your success!"

Court Lady Han shakes her head and whispered to herself, "Youngsters these days..."

Xu Zhengming literally laughed while gritting his teeth. He doesn't know how to react. Why does this emperor with his maids following him here?

"You... you didn't eat anything ever since yesterday's lunch. You can't..." Yin Wenyan said. His voice has a hint of concern. "Why won't you eat first?"

Mingming rolled his eyes. "Yes. Eat, then get poisoned again. I am grateful for your kindness, your majesty but I have to refuse."

Yin Wenyan smiled slightly and his face brightens a little. "I know some recipes. You can help me prepare. That's safer, yes?"

The maids' grin faded in an instant and turned into an expression of disbelief. Even Court Lady Han lifted her head with her eyes opened wide. Why does the emperor give this little eunuch special treatment?

With just thought of food, Xu Zhengming heard his stomach growl. He can't deny that he's indeed hungry. He quickly wears his pants back and fixed his clothes before opening the door.

"Congratulations for successfully defecating, Eunuch Xu!" What greeted him were a bunch of grinning maids.

"I didn't!" His face got red out of embarrassment.

The emperor turns to face his maids. "I am going to the imperial kitchen together with Eunuch Xu. You do not have to accompany me any further."

"Yes, your majesty." The maids bow their heads in unison and headed back to the emperor's hall.

And so, just like that, the emperor and his little eunuch headed to the imperial kitchen.

"Royal Chef, I'm borrowing your kitchen for a while." Yin Wenyan said with a smile.

The royal chef that is currently preparing for breakfast didn't expect his majesty to come to his place himself. He quickly clasped his hands and bowed. "Please forgive me, your majesty. I'm almost done preparing your majesty's food. Please give me a little more time. I---"

The royal chef stopped talking when Yin Wenyan raised his hand. The emperor gave him a soothing and gentle smile. "It's okay. I am making my own breakfast for today."

"Does... does his majesty dislike the food I make?" The old man trembled as he swallows.

"The royal chef's dishes are extravagant. I do not dislike any of them. I just feel like cooking for today. May I?" Yin Wenyan's smile is as gentle as ever. Like a beautiful scenery that flatters everyone's heart. But this old man is too focused on his fear to be punished and failed to admire the view.

"Yes. Yes, of course, your majesty."

Meanwhile, in the grand empress dowager's hall...

"Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager has come!" The court lady serving under the grand empress dowager announced.

"Let her in." The grand empress dowager answered in a soft and weak voice. She's already in her mid-70's. Aside from her old age, her illness made her body weak. Most of the time, she's just lying on her bed and resting. She even rarely go out of her hall.

The empress dowager walks in and bowed to pay her respects. "Greetings, grand empress dowager."

The empress dowager wears a golden-yellow brocade matched with a golden hairpin in her bun. She's already in her early 50's. Though she got the noble title of an empress dowager, this woman isn't the mother of the emperor and the first princess, Yin Xiulan. In fact, she only got crowned as the late emperor's empress after his wife died.

Rumors had it that the late empress didn't die in a severe illness but instead, murdered. And who got the advantages the most? It's not surprising that the former noble consort was involved. But what's surprising is that it's said that the grand empress dowager might be involved in the 'crime' as well. Even when the late empress was still alive, she never treated her nicely and favors the late emperor's noble consort instead.

"Mn." The old woman nodded slightly. She speaks slowly, "How is she?"

"Due to her weak body, she still suffered. But this time it's more severe. She's currently resting and is now stable. Rest assured, Grand Empress Dowager." Said the empress dowager.

"Ah, that's good." The sickly woman sighs. "What about outside the palace?"

The empress dowager speaks once again. "Vicious corpses made a chaos in the town square. It caused the lives of many and damaged properties."

Having heard the news, the grand empress dowager slightly widens her eyes for a mere second. Her expression turned somewhat unreadable. "How did this happen?"

"It all started with a vicious corpse." Zhao Yangguang stated. "Apparently, it's a corpse of a resentful eunuch."

In Lotus Hall, Yin Xiulan, Emperor Yin Renshu, Zhao Yangguang, and Wang Junjie are also discussing the incident yesterday.

He added, "Wang Junjie and I conducted an investigation regarding yesterday's chaos. According to some witnesses, they first saw the vicious eunuch in a house of six members." He paused for a while before he continued to speak. "The residents all died of blood loss. However, there's more strange about it."

"What does shizun mean?" Princess Yin Xiulan asked impatiently.

Wang Junjie and Zhao Yangguang exchanged looks.

Wang Junjie was the one who answered. "The male members of that house got their reproductive organs cut off."

The hall falls into a deep silence. If they're not having a serious discussion, Emperor Yin Renshu would most probably laugh his heart out.

"Could it be..." Yin Wenyan finally speaks, "Could it be a eunuch who died in the process of castration?"

He put his hand below his chin as he tries to think harder. "Come to think of it. There are several existing cases that are related to this one."

Yin Xiulan realized it as well. "Mn. But the only reason I know why dead eunuchs can't rest in peace is that they are not buried complete. And their spirit won't feel at ease if they can't find theirs. That is why they are castrating all the males they encountered, trying to find theirs. However, they will eventually realize that the victim's thing doesn't belong to them. They wouldn't stop the activity until they can find what they are looking for."

"Does shizun and Wang-shifu learned the eunuch's whereabouts?" Yin Xiulan asked in a calm manner.

"Unfortunately, we did not manage to do so." Wang Junjie replied. "However, he won't be able to go far."

"Mn. Wang Junjie is correct. In fact, this corpse might show himself around soon." Zhao Yangguang assures.

The loud voice of an officer outside the hall breaks the solemnity of the place. "Reporting to General Yin Xiulan!"

All of them looked at each other before Yin Xiulan responds. "Alright. Speak."

"The living corpses in the dungeon... General, their bodies got dried. And they aren't moving anymore. All of them." The officer speaks in a loud voice.