Chapter 20: Xu Genshuo’s Eunuch Diary (2)
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, July 20th, drizzle.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my third day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I miss home…
I suppose I’m ill. No matter how I try, sleep won’t come. I sit up and wish to light a cigarette, only to find there’s nothing to smoke. This sadness has no cause. I gaze bleakly at the two pillows on my bedside—one is mine, the other is also mine…
Outside, a gentle rain begins to fall. I paid my respects to Chief Steward Huang today, but still haven’t seen the Empress Dowager. I don’t even know what she looks like…
Hard to bear…
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, July 21st, overcast.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my fourth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I miss home…
Last night, the west wind stripped the verdant trees. The rain is about to stop, but I still haven’t seen the Empress Dowager. Perhaps this is fate…
I think of my three golden fingers, my transformation into the Pure Yang True Lord guiding serpent spirits beneath the moon—what a sight that was! Now I’m reduced to this pitiful state…
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, July 22nd, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my fifth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I miss home…
Still no sign of the Empress Dowager today, but compared to previous days, my sense of disappointment has lessened. Perhaps I’ve grown accustomed to this life. Alas…
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, July 25th, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my eighth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I’ve slacked off for several days and haven’t written. My hand feels stiff. I miss home.
I’m probably ruined. My daily activities are confined to my room and Chief Steward Huang’s study—a straight line between two points. I eat all my meals in my room. I feel I’m being raised as a useless person…
As for the Empress Dowager? It no longer matters…
Wrinkled skin or snowy hair, a face full of creases—whether she is truly a perverse old witch who likes hawks to eat chicks, what has that to do with me, Xu Genshuo?
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, July 31st, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my fourteenth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I miss home and feel like giving up entirely…
Never mind, nothing happened today. I won’t write…
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 1st, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. Fifteen days. I miss home.
Today someone called me Eunuch Xu. I realized I’ve spent half a month here in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. Not that I’m familiar with everything, but at least the eunuchs here recognize me.
Eunuch Xu it is…
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 2nd, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my sixteenth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I miss home.
Today is a special day. I’ve memorized all sixteen “Manuals of Palace Protocol” that Chief Steward Huang required.
He was quite pleased, and said he would arrange for me to be on duty tomorrow.
Those who toil in earnest will not be disappointed. Sixteen days in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility—all spent between two points—I’ve nearly been stifled to uselessness, but now at last there’s something to do…
With nervous anticipation, I asked Chief Steward Huang where I would be on duty and what preparations were needed.
He told me the old eunuch who swept the garden had retired due to age, and I was to take over his work: sweeping the garden in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. Sweeping… the… garden…
Words cannot describe my feelings at that moment. How should I put it—somewhat aggrieved, yet somewhat relieved. Aggrieved at sweeping the garden, relieved that it’s only sweeping the garden…
Being able to go out is, after all, a good thing.
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 3rd, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my seventeenth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. I miss home.
Last night, rain was sparse and wind fierce; the sky is washed clean. My first day on duty, no longer locked in my room—I felt a little excited, but I was happy too soon…
Though the storm was brief, the garden was littered with fallen leaves and drenched petals. I stood there with my broom, stunned for a long while…
Pure Yang body, you’ve been through so much with me.
Ten years of luck, a dragon trapped in a well—one day I’ll rise to the clouds. When I succeed, I’ll make sure you live in luxury!
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 4th, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my eighteenth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. Today was eye-opening.
Empress Zhang of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Noble Consort Liu of the Palace of Eternal Peace, and Noble Consort Zhou came together to visit the Empress Dowager.
No wonder they were chosen from thousands—the Empress’s beauty and bearing are exquisite: delicate brows, light makeup, lips like a touch of vermilion—she is truly stunning, especially with that regal aura befitting the mother of the realm, far beyond ordinary women.
Liu and Zhou, the two noble consorts, are no less beautiful—one as lovely as spring peach, the other as pure as autumn chrysanthemum, each with her own charm, and all mature…
To be honest, I wanted to threaten Chief Steward Huang to transfer me to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility or the Palace of Eternal Peace, so I could fulfill the ambitions of the prime minister, but that was only a thought…
It’s said the Dog Emperor, after seeking immortality, has become indifferent and seldom visits the harem. Who knows if that’s true.
Well, true or false, it doesn’t matter. Some suffer from drought, some from flood…
The more I think, the angrier I get. Dog Emperor! Damn you!!
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 6th, clear.
My name is Xu Genshuo. This is my twentieth day in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility, and I realize I was completely mistaken. I am ashamed of my earlier thoughts!
Today, I saw Empress Dowager Chen!!!
While sweeping the garden today, I saw a noble and elegant beauty whose aura was no less than Empress Zhang’s, admiring flowers in the garden. My heart skipped a beat, for she wore the Empress Dowager’s everyday attire!!
I could not have mistaken her!
I muddled through until evening, then plucked up courage to visit Chief Steward Huang’s study, borrowing a few more books under the pretense of “reviewing old and learning new.” Then I found…
In the Shengyuan dynasty, there had been three empresses. The first, Lady Qian, was banished to the cold palace for rebuking the emperor, and died in sorrow; the second, Lady Li, died of illness; when Lady Chen became empress, the emperor was already forty-one, but Lady Chen was just sixteen.
Only then did I realize how foolish my previous assumptions were. By calculation, Empress Dowager Chen is still not yet forty!!!
Moreover, she has mastered the arts of preserving her youthful appearance—time has barely touched her. She is a noble and elegant beauty!
From wrinkled skin and snowy hair, the image of a perverse old witch, she suddenly transformed into a ripe, honeyed beauty. Empress Dowager… I was wrong!!
Empress Dowager, I don’t want to strive anymore.
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 7th, clear.
Xu Genshuo, oh Xu Genshuo—your second uncle’s family is still waiting in prison for you to rescue them, the deaths of your kin remain unavenged, the grievances of the dead eunuch from the Eastern Depot and the fat inspector linger before your eyes—how can you be so lax!?
At dawn, I got up to sweep the garden…
Year Sixteen of the Yonghe Era, August 8th, overcast.
My name is Xu Genshuo. Today I don’t miss home, for I’ve made a great discovery!!
Last night, while going to the latrine, I saw a young eunuch, and he relieved himself standing up!!
He is whole!
So today, I pretended to sweep near the lavatory, but in truth used the Heavenly Eye technique to observe secretly.
There are only a handful of young eunuchs in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility, so it was easy to watch. Sure enough, all the young eunuchs are actually whole men in disguise!
This discovery makes me even more convinced of my suspicions!
The opportunity to sell myself for glory is close at hand!
Realizing all these young eunuchs are my rivals, I changed my hairstyle… started working out… changed my style, and began to push forward!
Sorry, but this time, I will win!
I, Xu Genshuo… will win!!