Chapter Text
It hurt. It was brutal. But it was also... interesting," Maomao concluded after being kidnapped, castrated, and sold off to the Inner Court.
Life was cruel, yes, but at least not that cruel. The castration had only been partial, so at least he wouldn’t have trouble relieving himself. Plus, the bastards who sold him wouldn’t be profiting off his lifetime of labor. And more importantly, he could now observe firsthand how hormonal changes would affect his own body. Fascinating.
His adoptive father, after all, was a eunuch, though old and wrinkled now, more like a granny than a man. Would Maomao eventually end up the same? A grandma? A woman? A dainty little lady? He was scrawny and short, so… odds were there.
“Hey! Don’t just stand there. Can you help move the furniture!?”
The voice belonged to Hongniang, one of the Jade Palace maids.
“A-ah, sorry.” Maomao snapped out of it and stopped zoning out while staring at the storeroom wall of the Jade Pavilion.
Well… even the storage walls of the Jade Pavilion were beautiful—far more luxurious than the servant quarters.
He moved the furniture and wiped the dust to help out. There were too few maids, and they were working hard to keep the whole pavilion running. When he finished, they let him go.
As he walked along the corridor, Maomao found himself deep in thought again. Something was off in the Jade Pavilion. He’d heard that Princess Rinrii was ill, but… why hadn’t a proper court physician been called in?
The maids clearly wanted to help. That much he could tell. But he was still restricted to areas like the kitchen corridor—far from where the consort or princess could be found. He had no way to get closer.
A shame. He could have helped. But standing out too much wouldn’t do. He just wanted to finish his service and go home to his father. That wasn’t easy for a eunuch, especially a young one. There weren’t many of them—most eunuchs were older. And Maomao’s situation? A legal gray area at best. Maybe… that’s why the castration was only partial—to later claim he was born that way?
Maomao clenched his fists and pursed his lips.
He had counterarguments! He was born in the Red-Light District! The Three Princesses of the Verdigris Pavilion could attest to that! They knew what he was like before. Why the hell had they done this when forced castration was forbidden? He’d been sold like a damn slave—and that, too, was illegal.
His mood soured. The stink of corruption and injustice filled the air. And there was little he could do. Such was the life of a commoner trapped in the Inner Court.
Maomao exhaled sharply and returned to his room.
His “room” was nothing like the Jade Pavilion’s refined quarters. Thin walls, a straw mat, two small boxes where he stored and dried herbs. He lacked proper tools for making medicine. A narrow space without windows—unless you counted the slitted grate near the ceiling. Through the walls, he heard everything: footsteps, conversations, maids bickering with eunuchs. The doors felt more imaginary than real.
Maomao sat down on the straw mat. It hurt—a bit.
He mentally recorded the pain as part of the post-castration recovery process.
His father hadn’t spoken much about this phase—maybe because the old man’s castration had been so long ago, before he adopted Maomao. Time had dulled the memory.
Suddenly, a sharp slap snapped Maomao back to reality.
Consort Gyokuyou and Consort Lihua were fighting. Lihua was accusing Gyokuyou of something. Then came a harsh slap.
Watching from a distance, Maomao noticed something odd: sweat running down Lihua’s neck… leaving behind pale streaks that revealed darker skin underneath.
“Face powder…”
Maomao turned away immediately and left the crowd.
It looked like he’d just found a clue—and maybe, just maybe, he could help.