472: No running around

Inside the Imperial Household Department, Xu Sanyan stood respectfully at the entrance, his peripheral vision scanning the room filled with a pungent Qi. Yuan Shut pavilion was conversing with an old eunuch, speaking very politely.

Even with Yuan Shut pavilion's distinguished status, he dared not act presumptuously in front of this old eunuch. These old castrated men were like certain officials in certain places; they might not help you succeed, but they could definitely ruin things for you.

“Since the Commander-in-Chief has come personally, this old servant will certainly take good care of things. Please rest assured,” the old eunuch said with a smile, his face so wrinkled it looked like it could trap flies.

“Then I thank the Chief Steward. I still have matters to attend to, so I won’t bother you any further. Farewell.”

Yuan Shut pavilion stood up to express his gratitude. As he left, he glanced at Xu Sanyan. His task was complete; the rest was up to Xu Sanyan.

“Commander-in-Chief, take care.”

The old eunuch saw Yuan Shut pavilion off, then slowly circled Xu Sanyan twice. He sniffed, but didn't detect any pungent Qi, which made him frown.

After eunuchs had their private parts removed, they would often struggle to hold their urine, necessitating a cloth to absorb it, which inevitably led to a foul smell. Yet, this person had none.

“What’s your name?”

“Lin Fan.”

“Oh~ Then from now on, you’ll be called Xiaofanzi. Forget your original name as soon as possible. In this palace, you shouldn’t consider yourself a human, and naturally, you can’t have a human’s name.”

The old eunuch put on airs, his cloudy eyes half-closed, and took a small sip from the teacup in his hand, saying, “Although you were sent by Vice Commander-in-Chief Yuan, the necessary rules cannot be omitted… ”

Xu Sanyan pouted. When Yuan Shut pavilion was present, he called him Commander-in-Chief, but as soon as Yuan Shut pavilion left, he immediately changed to Vice Commander-in-Chief. Such two-faced behavior was despicable, and he despised such people the most in his life.

The old eunuch lifted his eyelids, revealing his cloudy eyeballs, “Take off your pants. Let’s see if you’ve been thoroughly castrated.”

Xu Sanyan rolled his eyes. How could his precious treasure be seen by just anyone who wanted to see it?

If he took it off, it would scare him to death!

Xu Sanyan’s mind stirred. He once again condensed the demonic seed and imprinted it on the old eunuch’s forehead. Then, he sat down in a chair by himself, “What kind of work are you going to arrange for me?”

The old eunuch immediately changed his demeanor, obediently prostrating himself on the ground, “Wherever you wish to go, this old servant will arrange it for you now.”

The old eunuch was not the Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department; he was just a small steward responsible for management and dispatch, with some power but not much.

“Hmm… I’ll go serve Consort Xiang.”

Xu Sanyan had already prepared. Consort Xiang’s courtyard was closer to the place where the Dragon Veins were suppressed, making it convenient for him to investigate.

“Yes, this old servant will take you there now.”

The old eunuch got up and led the way, appearing somewhat constrained. Xu Sanyan frowned, “Be natural.”

“This old servant understands.”

The two walked one after another through the alleys. Their status was low, so they couldn't use the main roads, lest they offend noble people. They could only shuttle through the alleys.

A moment later, a small courtyard appeared before them. The courtyard was very small, not even as large as an ordinary three-courtyard house. These consorts seemed noble, but if they were not favored, their treatment was not necessarily good, and their personal freedom was even restricted, like canaries kept in a cage.

Along the way, the old eunuch briefly explained Consort Xiang’s situation. This consort entered the palace through selection, and her father was a county magistrate of a small city, with little power. Therefore, Consort Xiang was not very favored after entering the palace.

Originally, Consort Xiang's residence also had two eunuchs and two palace maids serving her, but with Xu Sanyan's arrival, he could only fill one eunuch's vacancy.

Everything in the palace had rules; Consort Xiang’s status only allowed for two eunuchs, which was unavoidable.

“Chief Steward Wang, you’ve arrived.” The young eunuch at the door saw the newcomer, and his expression became incredibly humble, even more intimate than when he saw his own father.