Little Samuel suddenly realized that this was the imperial palace, and he might have barged into some consort’s bedchamber. The thought made him break out in a cold sweat. He tumbled to the ground and hurriedly knelt, saying, “It was this servant’s ignorance. May I ask, miss, where is this place?” Although flustered, he could still tell that the beautiful young girl before him was not a mistress. Which consort in the palace would lower herself to speak with a lowly eunuch like him? Not immediately having him thrown out was already being polite.

“This is Fenghua Palace, the bedchamber of the Seventh Highness. You trespassed here without permission and disturbed His Highness—what crime do you think that deserves?” The girl was, of course, Emily. She and Matthew Brooks had planned everything in advance: first, Matthew Brooks added a small amount of sedative to the lamp oil in Little Samuel’s room. Since this was the lowest place in the palace, Matthew Brooks, disguised as an old eunuch, had no trouble getting in. Little Samuel inhaled the drugged lamp oil and naturally became groggy. Then Emily took the risk to lure him near Fenghua Palace. Few guards ever passed by here; it was a desolate spot in the palace, so the plan went smoothly. Any mistake in any step would have had far-reaching consequences. It was their first time doing something like this, so both Matthew Brooks and Emily inevitably broke out in a cold sweat.

Little Samuel immediately realized he had been tricked. Though of low status, he had served many palace consorts during his years in the Imperial Kitchen and had some sense. “Since this servant has already trespassed, I’ll leave it to you, miss, to decide my fate!” He steeled himself. No noble in the palace would take notice of someone as insignificant as him. Even a fool would know this was no small matter—one wrong move could mean the extermination of his entire family. How could he dare agree lightly?

Emily felt a surge of annoyance. “According to palace rules, trespassing in a prince’s bedchamber is not a grave crime, but the Seventh Highness is frail. This fright will only worsen his condition. Just for that, your life alone may not be enough to atone!”

“Then what does miss wish to do? This servant’s life is worthless, but I will do my best if it’s within my power.” Little Samuel’s face had completely changed. He knew well that the Seventh Prince was not favored, but his mother was one of the most powerful women in the harem. He couldn’t afford to offend her. His own head was nothing, but if his younger brother at home was implicated, his guilt would be too great.

“You’re still young. I don’t want you to die.” Emily put on a look of compassion. “You only need to do one thing.”

Little Samuel asked tentatively, “May I ask what this servant must do?”

“It’s simple. You don’t need to deliver food tomorrow.”

Chapter Ten: Substituting Plum for Peach

Little Samuel finally understood why this girl kept switching between harsh and gentle. But it made sense—he was just a humble little eunuch; what else could make others value him? Still, this was a huge risk. “Miss, if I don’t go tomorrow, who will take my place?” Little Samuel decided to risk it. If he could really latch onto a powerful patron, his days in the palace would be much easier. Although the Seventh Prince’s actions now were different from the rumors, he was willing to gamble.

“Someone will take your place tomorrow. Remember, if you breathe a word about tonight, Fenghua Palace will be in trouble, but you’ll be risking your entire family’s extermination. I don’t need to teach you what to do, do I?” These threatening words from Emily carried unexpected authority. “Of course, if this matter succeeds, Fenghua Palace will not treat you poorly in the future.” Emily took a silver note from her sleeve and tossed it to the ground without a glance.

Little Samuel picked up the silver note with trembling hands, glanced at it quickly, and almost cried out in joy. Two hundred taels! For a lowly eunuch with a monthly wage of only two and a half strings of cash, this was a considerable fortune. After weighing his options, he finally agreed, “This worthless life of mine is yours, miss. From now on, whatever you say goes. Just, miss, please act swiftly tomorrow—the guards are extremely strict.”

“You needn’t worry about that. Afterwards, I’ll arrange a better post for you in the Imperial Kitchen.” Emily also breathed a sigh of relief, having finally settled this key person. “But, just in case, you must sign this agreement. I don’t want you losing control of your tongue when the time comes!”

Little Samuel pressed his fingerprint on the document without a second thought, then grinned and said, “Now you can rest assured, miss. I may be lowly, but I’ve never betrayed my master. I’m still hoping you’ll promote me. How about this—if you don’t mind, I’d like to call you my sworn elder sister and be under your guidance. What do you think?”

Emily had never dealt with such a shameless opportunist before and was momentarily at a loss. She had just acknowledged a father, and now a eunuch brother had appeared—what was going on? Still, she rather liked Little Samuel’s cleverness. Thinking that her master needed an informant, she hesitated for a moment and then agreed.