From CEO to Concubine

The imperial city at night was very different from the day. The route between Yuyang Palace and Qianqing Palace wasn't a long one but Yan Zheyun had to avoid using the main streets as much as he could, making a big loop sometimes in a bid to avoid patrolling guards as much as he could. When he couldn't, the best thing he could do was to behave as calmly as possible. Even though he tried his best not to catch anyone's attention, he didn't lurk in the shadows or creep around suspiciously. 

This was not to say that he had nothing to hide. Quite the contrary. But he'd learnt over months of observing the way the imperial city operated that it was a paradoxical place. A lowly eunuch sneaking about between palaces in the middle of the night would get into a lot of trouble for lurking because he had no authority to be there. However, a lowly eunuch walking with purpose between palaces in the middle of the night would make others pause and think twice because they would assume that he was carrying out an important task for his masters. 

Keeping his head low and striding forward with the same confidence he'd trained himself to portray whilst taking the podium for presentations, he was surprised by how little the few other servants hurrying by, who presumably also had good reason to be out after curfew, paid him any heed. 

And on the one occasion he was stopped by a patrol, he had an ace up his sleeve. Even if it was a weak one. 

His eyes flickered up coldly to meet their captain's, noting the stunned expression on his face as he was confronted with the full force of Yan Yun's visage. Xiao De had pulled out a makeup set earlier in a desperate attempt to try and downplay some of the host body's best features but it had been a bit of a lost cause. The most he'd managed to achieve was to make Yan Zheyun look less like Lord Yue and more like another very good-looking person, the sort that anyone would imagine would gain imperial favour in a heartbeat, had the emperor been any other but himself. 

It was a shoddy disguise, to be sure. Yan Zheyun was very reliant on the assumptions that people had about concubines in the inner palace, namely, that no one in such a prestigious position would sully themselves by putting on the attire of a servant and a castrated one at that. Lord Yue, especially, had been a slave in the past and the expectation was that he would go to great lengths to avoid being associated with anything beneath his current worth. 

As such, Yan Zheyun felt a modicum of relief when he realised that there was a range of emotions on the faces of the guards on patrol, from the surprise his face had brought to them to a suspicion that he hadn't managed to dissipate, but no recognition. 

If he managed to speak with the emperor tonight, he was going to mention that some retraining for the security around the place was in order. 

"Zajia is out on Supervisor Liu's urgent orders," he said, going out of his way to use the self-address the high-ranking eunuchs preferred, despite his attire not matching up in worth to such speech. "It involves a life or death situation in the inner palace and requires His Majesty's attention immediately." 

This was the first time in any of Yan Zheyun's lives that he'd ever been a fox pretending at being as powerful as a tiger (1). As the oldest son and the heir of the Yan Conglomerate, he'd had countless opportunities to use his parents' names to back him up in any endeavour he wanted to embark upon. But he hadn't done it then, had always had the conviction that he wanted his success to be his own. Even on the rare occasion that he'd made use of his family's connections, he'd always negotiated terms that his own company could fulfil without relying on his parents to lend his words more weight. 

It had been a matter of pride. But pride had no business in the situation he found himself in now. 

"Supervisor Liu? Do you have any proof?" 

The captain's tone wasn't aggressive but Yan Zheyun's heart picked up its pace in response. Still, he didn't allow his nervousness to show on the surface. 

Raising an eyebrow coolly, he replied, "Did you not hear Zajia mention that Supervisor Liu's orders were urgent? If someone like Supervisor Liu has no time to provide proof, Zajia certainly isn't going to waste even more of his precious time by asking for it." Every word he spoke dripped with mindless deference towards Liu Suzhi and Yan Zheyun made a mental note to send Xiao De with his apologies and thanks after everything was over. "The question then becomes…is Captain braver than Zajia is? If so, Zajia would be happy to follow you to Wushan Abode for clarification." If push came to shove, he was confident that Liu Suzhi would play along with him, if just to see what he was getting at. 

"This…no, of course not. There's no need to disturb Supervisor Liu at this hour." 

Not for the first time, Yan Zheyun found himself wondering what deal Liu Suzhi had struck with the emperor. As the ex-lover of the emperor's father, it was a miracle that he could still hold so much power in the inner palace without meeting a gruesome end. Yan Zheyun had seen Liu Suzhi's face for himself and had heard ugly rumours about a son eating his father's leftovers, but the more he came to understand the emperor, the more he knew how empty the gossip was. 

But whatever the reasons for it were, it didn't change the fact that it dropping Liu Suzhi's name was effective.

"Be on your way and don't let us catch you dallying where you shouldn't be," the captain warned but there was little heat in it. 

Yan Zheyun acknowledged his words and was about to continue walking when the captain suddenly added, "You work in Wushan Abode?" 

"…" Yan Zheyun answered this question with a curt nod before taking his leave pointedly. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew why this guard captain wanted to confirm that. After the stunned expression on his good-natured face had worn off, it had been replaced with one of admiration, and it seemed like Yan Zheyun had underestimated the strength of Yan Yun's protagonist halo once again. More recently, all it seemed to do was garner him a ridiculous amount of jealousy, which had been more than sufficient to distract him from some of its other effects. 

Yan Zheyun figured that if he survived this current ordeal, he could expect a wry message from Liu Suzhi in the near future telling him to stop leading besotted young men to his residences in search of beautiful eunuchs who didn't exist. 

After this little setback, no one else impeded Yan Zheyun's progress until he finally reached the wide gates of the entrance of Qianqing Palace. Yan Zheyun had assumed that the security here would be tighter than elsewhere for the sake of the emperor's safety and he wasn't wrong. 

The lanterns of Qianqing Palace were still lit. Yan Zheyun was stopped at the gate by two guards from the Yulin Army, instantly recognisable by the feathered plumes on their helmets. He'd seen them outside Tianlu Pavilion as well, anywhere that the emperor frequented. But just because they were the emperor's personal guard didn't mean that Yan Zheyun was more comfortable dealing with them. He could vaguely recall the heated conversation between the emperor and the grand protector at the fourth prince's banquet. Back then, the grand protector had made a comment that sounded like he was in charge of the Yulin Army. 

He was also Noble Consort Li's grandfather. Yan Zheyun would have to be an idiot to trust anyone in the Yulin Army after knowing this fact. 

He didn't let his wariness show, of course. 

"Halt! State your business!" 

Yan Zheyun tensed up. He could detect the unfriendliness in their demeanour and wasn't certain whether this style of hostile interrogation was business as usual for them or if they had been tasked to keep out any visitors by someone other than the emperor. 

What were the chances that the emperor was a hostage in his own palace now? He had to try and fish for more information on the current status of Qianqing Palace. Pretending to be haughty and impudent might backfire now, he had to change his stance. 

"Supervisor Liu sent me here on urgent business to meet with His Majesty," he said frantically. "Please help me to report to Head Eunuch Cao at once, this matter concerns life and death and has severe repercussions if not attended to at once!" 

The same vague response he'd given to the patrol earlier but with a few significant changes. He made himself sound like he was on his wit's end and he asked for Head Eunuch Cao. 

As far as Yan Zheyun could tell, there was no one the emperor trusted more than the jovial eunuch who accompanied him everywhere. Now that he'd lived in the inner palace for quite a few months and with Xiao De as his aide, his ancient personal assistant of sorts, he'd also learnt a bit more about this inexplicable man. He now knew that Head Eunuch Cao and Supervisor Liu had been competitors since they first started together at their lowest ranks. And that this rivalry persisted even until now. 

If Head Eunuch Cao weren't indisposed, Yan Zheyun couldn't imagine him ignoring a mysterious message from Liu Suzhi that came without any warning. If nothing else, he seemed too shrewd to dismiss it, not when it could be an opportunity to take his opponent down or present him with more information to help him better guard against anything Liu Suzhi might be plotting. 

Yan Zheyun would respond this way. He felt like Head Eunuch Cao might too. 

But if the guards refused to let him see Head Eunuch Cao no matter what he said…a feeling of helplessness bubbled up in Yan Zheyun's chest. He already felt like he was floundering around in the dark. If he was denied even an audience with Head Eunuch Cao, then…he would have no choice but to beg Gracious Consort Yao to be less of a 'good dog' and more of a 'useful' one. 

The guards exchanged long looks. 

"Supervisor Liu sent you?" One asked gruffly. "Where's your evidence? Display your insignia!" 

The insignia he was referring to was a long wooden tablet that eunuchs always carried on a string attached to their belts, carved with their designation on one side and the palace that they were affiliated to on the other. Yan Zheyun didn't have one, of course, couldn't even borrow Xiao De's because it wouldn't match the identity he'd fabricated for himself. 

He'd told Xiao De to fasten his attire with less precision earlier on, to try and make himself appear a little dishevelled. But although his acting skills had improved by leaps and bounds after transmigration, he still wasn't confident that he was going to be able to pull this off. 

"Big brother," he said, voice laced with worry and frustration, "I was hauled out of bed to attend to this matter and left my insignia back in my room, I know it was careless of me, but if you send me back now, someone really might die!" It wasn't a lie, that person was very likely him if Noble Consort Li managed to get her way. "How about this? Could you please call Head Eunuch Cao out now and allow me to explain the matter to him? If after hearing me out, Head Eunuch Cao wishes to see my insignia too, I will gladly run back to Wushan Abode to retrieve it! But this message cannot be delayed!" 

As he spoke, he increased the volume of his voice by increment, hoping that someone within would overhear him. The guards outside remained staunchly adamant that he was not going to be granted entry without proof, their demeanour turning more and more menacing as Yan Zheyun's arguing increased in decibel. 

"Stop shouting!" the one who had spoken up earlier commanded, reaching out to shove Yan Zheyun back so violently that he stumbled onto the ground. His companion unsheathed his sword by an inch as they stepped forward to flank Yan Zheyun on either side. Their gazes were sharp as knives as they scrutinised every inch of him. "Causing a ruckus in front of His Majesty's palace and behaving suspiciously? You can relay your message to the Department of Careful Punishment—"

"Wait, Xiongdi, look at his face!" 

Yan Zheyun went deathly still. He'd been recognised? Had this guard been stationed at Tianlu Pavilion before making a switch over? But what were the odds of that—

"Fuck, he's more delectable than that male whore I saw in the flower streets the other day, did he say that Supervisor Liu is his master?" The guard that had called out grabbed at Yan Zheyun's chin roughly, his uneven nails nicking at the smooth skin there. "Aiyo, this one must have lost his balls at a tender age, see how pretty he remains? No wonder he can serve Supervisor Liu. Little thing, why don't you tell us how eunuchs please each other?" 

The emperor had the habit of taking Yan Zheyun's chin between his fingers too, guiding it upwards and holding it there until Yan Zheyun met his eyes. But his touch was always gentle. More importantly, it was welcome. 

That being said, this unwanted development had its advantages too. One, it meant that the guard insulting him had relaxed somewhat, the sword he'd used as a subtle threat against Yan Zheyun just seconds ago falling back into its scabbard with a click. Two, it meant that even though they were making life difficult for him, they didn't view him as a physical threat. Not if they were still comfortable enough with objectifying him. 

If this was the calibre of the emperor's personal guard, Yan Zheyun could only say that he was surprised His Majesty had survived long enough for them to meet. 

"That's enough." The first guard, the more professional of the two, it seemed, interjected solemnly. "We're on duty, do you want to get into trouble? He has to be sent for interrogation and punishment at once." 

A greedy gleam lit up in his companion's eyes. "We can't both leave our posts, Xiongdi. I'll escort him there, you stand guard? You're more senior, more dependable, eh?" 

The first guard hesitated. He looked at the entrance of Qianqing Palace and then back down at Yan Zheyun before conceding, "…don't take too long, send him there immediately." 

This elicited a snicker. "No promises there." He reached down to seize Yan Zheyun by the arm but as he bent closer, this was the moment Yan Zheyun chose to retaliate, dodging him swiftly before grabbing onto the hilt of the sword that was carelessly directed towards him and drawing it free. 

He had no idea how to wield a blade, much less to do so without hurting himself. 

But right now, what he needed was to create some space for himself. 

"What—" the guard whose sword he'd appropriated stumbled backwards to avoid Yan Zheyun's clumsy swing. This gave him enough of his opening to make a break for the open entrance, tossing the heavy weapon he couldn't use aside in favour of sprinting at top speed into the courtyard of Qianqing Palace. 

"HEAD EUNUCH CAO!" He shouted. The commotion outside had already drawn the attention of the servants and guards standing within but this was fine. As long as he created a big enough fuss, they wouldn't be able to take him away. 

"STOP HIM! ASSASSIN!" he heard the guards behind him shout and if he weren't wired so tightly on adrenaline, he might even have taken the time to roll his eyes at them. Assassin? This frail wispy young thing who would bowl over at too strong a gust of wind? They had the cheek to call him just because they'd failed to stop him? 

It seemed like his daily running routine, which he'd kept up even until now, was actually of some use though. He managed to make it as far as the front steps leading up to the main hall of Qianqing Palace before they caught and subdued him, wrestling him to the floor. 

His chin collided painfully with the stone pavement and the sharp edge of a blade was pressed against his throat. But he knew that he'd made the right bet when the doors swung open and out stepped an irate Head Eunuch Cao, looking like he'd seen better days. 

"What's going on?" he snapped. "How did an assassin get in on your watch—" His gaze landed on Yan Zheyun and he cut himself short, eyes blowing wide in disbelief. 

Yan Zheyun's piecemeal disguise might have been sufficient to hoodwink servants and guards who'd never had the opportunity to take a good look at him but Head Eunuch Cao had seen him up close and personal too many times before. 

"Assassin?! Are all of you blind or just really stupid?! Release Lord Yue at once!"