More pressing matter

**Xianyang Palace**

Dust choked his throat, burning with a fiery pain. The sound of the board landing was muffled and unsettling.

"Two hundred and ninety-eight, two hundred and ninety-nine..."

The young eunuch clenched his lips tightly, swallowing blood mixed with dirt. The taste of iron spread in his mouth. He dared not cry out in pain, nor make a single sound.

"Three hundred!"

The executioner eunuch dropped the board, collapsing onto the ground, panting heavily. This job was truly inhumane; beating someone was more exhausting than being beaten.

Lao Ai strolled over leisurely, his exquisite leather boots crunching on the gravel, producing a grating sound that made one's teeth ache. He looked down at the young eunuch lying on the ground like a dead dog, with not a hint of mercy in his eyes.

"Look at that handsome face, what a pity," Lao Ai clicked his tongue, pinching the young eunuch's chin as if examining a piece of merchandise. His fingers lightly traced the bloodied cheek, his voice soft, "Does it hurt?"

The young eunuch dared not speak, only shaking his head frantically, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Lao Ai's voice remained gentle, yet it sent chills down one's spine.

The young eunuch nodded repeatedly, tears and snot mixing with blood, smearing his face.

"Where did you go wrong?" Lao Ai increased the pressure on his hand, his fingernails almost digging into the flesh.

"I, I... shouldn't... shouldn't..." The young eunuch winced in pain, unable to finish his sentence.

"What shouldn't you do?" Lao Ai suddenly jerked his hand, causing the young eunuch's head to crash onto the ground with a dull thud. The impact was severe, and the young eunuch felt darkness clouding his vision, nearly fainting.

"Shouldn't let those old men see it!" Lao Ai's voice rose sharply, shrill and grating, like a knife scraping against glass. He kicked the young eunuch in the chest, who let out a scream and flew backward, hitting the wall and rolling to the ground, curling into a ball and whimpering in agony.

The surrounding eunuchs knelt down in terror, their heads buried, afraid that they might be the next to suffer.

Lao Ai snorted coldly, brushing off imaginary dust from his sleeve, "I've said it before, the palace is not like the outside world. Every move you make is watched by countless eyes. If you can't control your desires, you'll sooner or later bring disaster upon yourselves!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a blade, "You all serve the master. Only when the master is pleased can you live comfortably. But look at you! You never learn, always thinking about those sordid affairs! Do you really think the Xianyang Palace is your backyard?"

"Your servants know we are wrong! We will never dare again!" The eunuchs kowtowed frantically, their voices trembling with sobs.

Lao Ai walked over to the barely conscious young eunuch, bending down and whispering into his ear, his voice low and sinister, "Do you think your little schemes can escape anyone's notice? Those ministers, every one of them is a sly old fox. They've been eyeing you with suspicion!"

The young eunuch's body jolted violently, his eyes filled with terror. He finally realized that he was nothing more than a pawn in the game between Lao Ai and those ministers.

"They dare not confront me openly, so they use you as a scapegoat!" Lao Ai's voice was tinged with a hint of triumph, as if everything was under his control, "Do you think they truly care about the palace rules? They just want to make a fuss and embarrass me! A bunch of self-righteous old men!"

"It's easy for me to take your life," Lao Ai's voice was light, yet it felt like a sword hanging over the young eunuch's head, ready to fall at any moment.

The young eunuch trembled all over, his eyes filled with despair. He knew he was truly finished this time.

"But..." Lao Ai's tone shifted abruptly, a playful smile appearing on his face, "I'm not entirely heartless. You've served me for years, and even if you have no merit, you've put in effort. Besides, if I killed you, who would take the blame for me?"

He straightened up and said to the kneeling eunuchs, "Take him away and find a doctor to look at him. Don't let him die. He's still useful, at least... to annoy those old men."

"Yes, Chief Eunuch." Several eunuchs quickly moved forward, lifting the young eunuch and staggering away. The young eunuch was truly fortunate to have escaped death at Lao Ai's hands.

Lao Ai watched their retreating figures, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Dismissed." He waved his hand, "Remember, be more careful in the future. Don't give me any more excuses. Otherwise, you won't be so lucky next time!"

The eunuchs breathed a sigh of relief, kowtowing in gratitude before dispersing.

"Imperial Decree: The last three days of each month are designated for the joint governance meetings between the Empress Dowager and Prime Minister Lü."

In the past half year, Prime Minister Lü had often made excuses and avoided these meetings. Lao Ai clenched the decree in his hand, his knuckles turning white. He let out a cold laugh. Lü Buwei, ah Lü Buwei, the Empress Dowager is not so easily deceived.

"Someone, come here!" Lao Ai shouted, his voice tinged with barely contained excitement, "Prepare my carriage! It's all because of that little brat that I almost missed something important today."

He cursed as he walked out of the room, squinting against the sunlight. Several young eunuchs were already waiting outside. Seeing him emerge, they hurried forward with obsequious smiles.

"Chief Eunuch, the carriage is ready," one of the young eunuchs said ingratiatingly, carefully supporting Lao Ai's arm.

Lao Ai hummed in acknowledgment, lifting his foot to step into the carriage, but then stopped. He turned to the young eunuch and asked, "What do you think of my clothes? Are they grand enough?"

The young eunuch was taken aback for a moment, then quickly replied, "Chief Eunuch's clothes are the finest! Worn by you, they are... they are..." He searched his mind for the right word but couldn't think of one.

"What are they?" Lao Ai raised an eyebrow.

"They are... even a dragon robe would pale in comparison to Chief Eunuch's demeanor!" the young eunuch blurted out, inspired by a sudden thought.

Lao Ai burst into laughter, patting the young eunuch's shoulder, "You boy, your tongue is getting sweeter by the day. Here, this is for you!" He took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and tossed it to the young eunuch.

The young eunuch caught the silver, beaming with joy and kowtowing in gratitude. Lao Ai got into the carriage triumphantly, his mind already envisioning the scene of him wielding power over the court, second only to the emperor.

The carriage started moving slowly, heading towards the Summer Palace in the northwest of Xianyang. Lao Ai leaned back in the carriage, closing his eyes to rest. He could already see himself in a position of great authority, with everyone bowing to him.