SFS Chapter 272 Wei Zhu's New Job
Chapter 272 Wei Zhu's New Job
Chapter 272 Wei Zhu's New Job
The Fourth Master was coaxed into submission upon returning home, but Bu Erhe of Fengwu Palace was now somewhat worried: "Tell me, did Concubine De discover something? Otherwise, she wouldn't have suddenly been clamoring for Fourth Brother to provide for her in her old age. After all, as everyone knows, Fourth Brother is already registered under Empress Xiaoyi's name, so she shouldn't be provided with old age care anyway!"
After Buerhe's reminder, Yinreng also found something wrong. Yes, logically speaking, Fourteenth Brother is in a bad condition now, and Little Five is far away in Khorchin and can't be of any help to her. How can she come out with a clear conscience and make a fuss about going to her fourth brother's house to retire?
If this is the case, then she must have discovered that Concubine Cheng had left the palace. However, Concubine De only had two palace maids serving her, so how could she have known this secret?
It can only be said that the people who know you best are not only your relatives but also your enemies. As the lifelong enemy of Concubine Cheng, Concubine De's sensitivity to enemies is like a radar. Whenever there is any movement from Concubine Cheng, she will know about it very quickly.
The answer was soon revealed with the arrival of Liang Jiugong. It turned out that the maid who came with Concubine Cheng's dowry had long been Concubine De's woman. This matter was spread by the maid before Concubine Cheng left the palace. However, he had already passed the message to the Seventh Master, so it seemed that the maid should no longer be there.
It was enough that the matter was properly resolved; Yinreng hadn't intended to pursue it to the bottom of the matter. After all, the grudges between the older generations were far less pleasurable to him than a casual chat with his own queen. However, since Liang Jiugong had come so specially, Yinreng naturally couldn't help but offer a few words of concern.
Yinreng smiled and asked in a gentle voice, "How has Liang Anda been doing lately? Is there anything he lacks? If so, please send someone to inform He Zhu." He then turned to look at He Zhu, who was standing beside him, and solemnly instructed, "He Zhu, you must be extremely alert and take good care of your grandfather Liang's daily life. If there is anything missing that is not made up in time, I will certainly not let you off easily!"
Hearing this, Liang Jiugong hurriedly smiled and replied: "Oh, Your Majesty, please don't scare He Zhu! Here, I really have everything I need, everything is fine! Besides, now I don't have to worry about anything every day, food, clothing and other expenses are all well served by servants. Such a leisurely and comfortable life is just like an old feudal lord who enjoys all the glory and wealth!
"I sincerely thank Your Majesty for your great grace. If it weren't for your protection, I would have lost my life long ago, and how could I have such a comfortable and wonderful life today!"
Yinreng, however, shook his head slightly in disapproval and retorted with a smile, "Liang An Da, you are truly too modest! In my opinion, you should just rest assured and enjoy your life to the fullest. If I hadn't taken care of you all those years, I don't know how many detours I would have taken."
Liang Jiugong saw that he couldn't refuse, and thinking that the emperor had sincerely asked him to do so, he gave up. After finishing his story, he was about to kneel down to pay his respects and leave. However, at this moment, Yinreng suddenly said something that he didn't expect: "Liang Anda, Wei Zhu doesn't have any important matters to attend to right now. Why not let him come to serve me?"
Hearing this, Liang Jiugong suddenly raised his head and stared at Yinreng's face to make sure whether he had really heard the words clearly.
After confirming his identity, he pondered inwardly, but he cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, this young Wei Zhu is indeed not a very important matter at the moment, but... he is a man left behind by the retired emperor..." Although he didn't finish the rest of the sentence, the implication was self-evident. Liang Jiugong was genuinely worried that the emperor would harbor resentment because Wei Zhu had served the retired emperor.
But Liang Jiugong's worries were obviously unnecessary. Yinreng smiled slightly and said slowly, "I trust you, Liang Anda. Furthermore, your disciple dared to risk everything to come and beg me to help you cure your illness. This shows that he has a kind character. I still trust him."
Besides, even if he was previously a servant of the Emperor, so what? After all, he was carefully trained by you and is naturally trustworthy. If you have no objection to this, I hope to allow Wei Zhu to return to the Forbidden City and keep an eye on all matters in the palace for me."
Could Liang Jiugong object? The answer was clearly no! He had only had one precious disciple in his life. And this disciple was renowned for his caring and filial piety. Now that he was old and had no worries about being left without care, he had the opportunity to secure a bright future for his disciple. How could he possibly refuse such a good thing?
So, after Yinreng made a promise and gave him a guarantee, Liang Jiugong didn't think twice and immediately knelt down on the ground, kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude: "I thank the emperor for his grace! I will go back and tell that brat to pack up and come quickly. If he dares to do anything inappropriate, I implore the emperor to punish him severely, so that he will remember it and learn a lesson." After that, he kowtowed again.
Seeing this, Yinreng nodded slightly and then winked at He Zhu beside him. He Zhu understood and hurried forward a few steps. He extended his hand and carefully helped Liang Jiugong to his feet, saying soothingly, "Eunuch Liang, please get up quickly. The ground is cold. Don't worry. Since the emperor trusts you two so much, he will certainly not treat you unfairly."
After Liang Jiugong stood firm, Yinreng cleared his throat and continued, "Alright, I know you love your disciple. But the task assigned to him this time is not complicated. As for me, I have no plans to return to the Forbidden City in the short term. However, the concubines and many palace servants in the palace still need someone to properly look after them.
Originally, it would have been most appropriate to let He Zhu handle this matter, but I'm used to using him and I really don't want him to go back to Beijing to do things at this time. After much thought, I can only ask Liang Anda, your talented disciple who has been carefully trained, to do it for me.
Rest assured! I will grant him the position of Deputy Chief of the Imperial Household, a position second only to He Zhu. When he is old and frail and can no longer perform his duties, someone will take good care of him in his later years, ensuring he has someone to rely on. He will never suffer the misery of being neglected.
Liang Jiugong felt a deep sense of trust and gratitude for the Emperor before him. Back then, he had merely provided some assistance to the Emperor when he was young. However, even now that the Emperor had passed away, he could still enjoy a leisurely retirement in the garden.
In that garden, there were all kinds of delicious food, and the servants served him wholeheartedly. No one dared to neglect or disrespect him in the slightest.
These eunuchs worked hard all their lives, and all they wanted was to have a safe and comfortable place to live when they were old and weak.
Liang Jiugong immediately kowtowed to the emperor and expressed his gratitude, constantly praising his kindness and generosity. Even after He Zhu personally escorted him back home, Liang Jiugong continued to praise the emperor, happily recalling the emperor's gifts and care.
Meanwhile, in the front hall, Yinreng's mind kept replaying the years when Liang Jiugong had helped him, as well as the hardships he had endured. Gazing at the peaceful and beautiful scene before him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. He felt as if everything he had now was like a colorful yet illusory dream, intoxicating and difficult to extricate himself from.
However, regarding the matter of Cheng Taipin that Buerhe had raised earlier, Yinreng decided to talk to his seventh brother. No matter what, this matter still had to be resolved. If one De Taipin could discover it, then it was possible that others would know it soon.
This kind of thing may be done in private, but if it is made public, it would be a slap in the face of the royal family.