AEDBE CHAPTER 10

A Eunuch’s Dream of Being Emperor by Li Ximin

CHAPTER 10: The Encounter on the Mountain Path

As Li Hongtang spins around, her mind races with fear—is she facing a human or a ghost? The towering figure before her wears a sweeping black robe and a dark hood. Across his chest hangs a silver crucifix featuring a small, naked figure in agony. He has pale, snow-white skin, a prominent forehead, deep-set cerulean eyes, a high-bridged aquiline nose, a wide mouth, and reddish stubble. Having never laid eyes on anyone with such features, Hongtang panics, suspecting him to be a legendary fox-spirit, and collapses to the ground in a dead faint.

"Poor child!"

The cloaked man cradles her head in his arm and presses his thumb firmly into her philtrum. Hongtang releases a soft, shuddering breath and drifts back to consciousness. She hears his gentle, affectionate voice clearly: "Do not be afraid, young lady. I am neither an evildoer nor a demon. My name is John, a servant sent by God to deliver His good news". Trembling with terror, Hongtang has no understanding of "God" or the "gospel," so she struggles to her feet and retreats step by step.

The missionary named John offers a reassuring shrug and a smile. "Young lady, I truly mean you no harm. You have completely misunderstood me—"

Hongtang reasons with herself that if he were a malicious demon or an enemy, he would have killed her while she was unconscious. Instead, he revived her. Perhaps he truly is a kind person, though he carries a strange, foreign scent unlike anything known in Tang Town.

With a timid voice, she asks, "Where do you come from, and where are you going?"

John replies, "I have come from a very, very distant place, and my destination is the exact place you are heading".

Confused, Hongtang asks, "You are going to Tang Town?"

"Yes," John answers earnestly. "I am going to Tang Town".

Without another word, Hongtang turns and walks silently down the mountain.

"Wait, young lady—" John calls out.

He dashes into the roadside pine forest and returns moments later leading a tall, majestic chestnut bay horse laden with two travel trunks. Catching up to her, John notices her exhaustion and suggests she ride. Seeing the magnificent animal eases her fear of a fox-spirit, though she remains highly suspicious of this strange man. Why is he coming to Tang Town? She reaches out and strokes the horse's satin-smooth coat, instantly growing fond of it. John smiles and urges her to mount.

Hongtang's eyes widen. "Ride?"

Without waiting, John lifts her effortlessly into the saddle. Hongtang lets out a startled shriek. "Do not be afraid, just hold tightly to the reins," John instructs, placing her feet into the stirrups. Panicked and unsteady, Hongtang pleads, "Let me down, please let me down—"

"There is nothing to be afraid of, child. I will lead the horse by the reins. Sit steady, and you will not fall".

Within moments, Hongtang's anxiety settles. Riding a horse feels wonderful and deeply magical. She thinks to herself that if she owned such an animal, she could ride across the land to find her mother without enduring such punishing exhaustion, traveling far beyond what her own feet could carry.

As they move forward, her wariness gives way to a quiet appreciation for the foreigner.

Arrival in Tang Town and the Foreigner's Reception

As twilight descends, an outsider leading a towering bay horse with Li Hongtang seated in the saddle enters Tang Town, sparking an immediate commotion. Townsfolk flood out of their homes to gawk at the spectacle. Blushing deeply, Hongtang keeps her head bowed and begs John to let her down at once.

Passing the Earth God Temple, John slows his pace and casts a long, heavy look inside.

He stops in front of the Yulai Inn—situated directly across from Hu Xilai's cookshop—and lifts Hongtang down. Under the intense, prying eyes of the crowd, her face burns like hot coals, and the moment her feet touch the ground, she sprints all the way home.

Hu Xilai steps out of his cookshop to observe.

John removes his hood, revealing a thick mane of bright red hair.

Hu Xilai gasps internally: Ah! A red-haired devil! A red-haired devil has come to Tang Town!

Up in her family's loft, Dongzi has already heard the street noise. Opening the window, he looks down to see the bizarre foreigner, the massive horse, and his blushing sister. A profound sense of confusion grips him; he cannot understand why his sister returned on a foreigner's horse without their mother, nor why she brought home a strange-looking man instead. A creeping unease settles in his chest, warning him that this foreigner's arrival will bring disaster to Tang Town.

John's horse captivates the local children. Long after the adults disperse into the evening, the kids linger outside the Yulai Inn, laughing and watching the animal. Abao stands among them, noting how a real horse differs fundamentally from the paper ones crafted by Hunchback Li. John checks into the inn, carrying his two leather trunks inside while an inn hand leads the horse to the rear stable, finally sending the children home. The Yulai Inn is Tang Town's only lodge—a tiny place with four or five rooms. Because the town sits so far beyond imperial reach, travelers rarely visit except for the occasional merchant buying mountain goods. Innkeeper Yu Cheng does not make his living from lodging, however; everyone in town knows that local gamblers slip into the inn every night under cover of darkness.

With a guest staying over, Hu Xilai is thrilled, knowing guests always eat at his shop. Sure enough, once John settles in, he walks over to Hu's cookshop. His hood is gone, leaving his red hair fully exposed. Hu feels a volatile mix of excitement and dread—what kind of man is this?

John orders two dishes and a bowl of rice, eating slowly and deliberately. Before eating, he closes his eyes, bows his head, traces a cross on his chest, and murmurs a prayer: "Lord, grant us Your blessing, and bless this meal You have provided us, through Christ our Lord. Amen".

Hu Xilai smiles obsequiously and asks, "Would the honored guest care for some wine? Our local glutinous rice wine is quite good".

John smiles and shakes his head. "I do not drink alcohol, thank you!"

"Where are you from, sir?" Hu asks.

"England. Do you understand?"

Hu looks blank. "I have never heard of it".

John smiles. "Well, you know now. I am from England. You must be wondering why I came here, yes?"

Hu nods, thinking the foreigner is remarkably sharp for reading his thoughts.

John explains, "I am an emissary of the Lord, here to spread the gospel of God".

Hu blinks, uncomprehending. "God—?"

John continues, "Yes, God! There is only one God in heaven, the creator of the universe—mountains, rivers, trees, birds, fish... you and me, all are products of God. Human poverty, wealth, life, and death are all judged by Him. He punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous, for the Almighty is just. Every human has a soul that does not perish with death. Those favored by God ascend to heaven, while the rest descend into hell".

Hu stares blankly into John's deep blue eyes, completely entranced as if his soul has left his body.

John stops talking and quietly continues his meal. Outside, a figure peers into the cookshop, peeking furtively.

After eating, John closes his eyes, makes the sign of the cross, and offers a prayer of thanksgiving: "Almighty God, we thank and praise You for this evening meal and all Your blessings... Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen".

The figure lurking outside bolts away in a panic.

Hongtang's Despair and Family Tension

Li Hongtang boils a basin of hot water and washes her face, feeling intensely uneasy. Dongzi sits by the loft window, staring down silently at the cookshop. Before the foreigner left, Dongzi recognized the person fleeing in terror as Wang Hairong, a newly minted member of the local militia wearing a sword at his waist, who now sprints down Xinglong Alley.

Before washing, Hongtang had told Dongzi to close the window against the cold wind, but Dongzi had ignored her. After cleaning up, Hongtang adds oil to the household oil lamp and trims the wick, making the flame flare brightly. She picks up an old bronze mirror—a wedding dowry given to her mother You Siniang by the weighing-scale maker You Chengtuo when she married Li Cilin. Covered in thick dust from years of disuse, Hongtang wipes it clean with a cloth, and the mirror instantly shines bright. With trembling hands, she props it before her.

Dongzi glances over and shouts anxiously, "Elder Sister—!" He rushes forward and snatches the mirror away.

Hongtang asks mournfully, "Little Brother, what are you doing?"

"Do not look in the mirror, Sister. You are beautiful without it—"

"Give it back, Little Brother. Do not try to comfort me. I know I have grown ugly, and my hair is turning white. Let me see my true face, to see what has become of me. Even if I turn into a ghost, I will not despair. It is my fate!"

Tears fill Dongzi's eyes. "Sister, why must you torture yourself? Will you please stop searching for Mother?"

"I will search for Mother until the end. No one can stop me," Hongtang says with a bitter smile. "Hand me the mirror, be a good boy—"

Reluctantly, Dongzi hands it back.

Hongtang brings her face close to the mirror, her eyes locking onto the reflection. Her heart seizes, and she lets out a piercing shriek, dropping the mirror with a loud crash onto the floorboards.

Reflected in the bronze is a wrinkled, dull, lifeless face—the face of an old crone.

She is only seventeen years old!

Why? Why was this happening?

Hongtang cannot even cry. Over just a few days, her face has aged and withered. She cannot comprehend it; she has never harmed anyone in her life, and like her mother You Siniang, she is among the kindest women in Tang Town. Yet she feels struck by a sudden curse, aging before her time. She remembers the two tragic outsiders killed by her father and his men—is this divine retribution falling upon her head?

"No, this is impossible, impossible—" she whispers.

Weeping, Dongzi begs, "Sister, are you sick? Tomorrow we will see Old Herbalist Zheng. He will give you medicine, and you will be fine. You will be safe, Sister".

Hongtang pulls Dongzi into her arms, sobbing, "I do not need a doctor; I need to find Mother. Once I find her, I will be well".

Outside, the winter wind howled like a weeping spirit.

"Little Brother," Hongtang asks, "if I grow older and uglier, will you despise me?"

Dongzi chokes back tears. "No matter what you look like, you are my real sister. I will never abandon you; in my eyes, you will always be beautiful".

"You will always be my good little brother. As long as I live, I will love and cherish you just as Mother did!"

"Elder Sister—"

At that moment, a knock sounds at the door.

"Do not go down, let me open it," Dongzi says, wiping away his tears as he heads down the ladder.

Opening the door, Dongzi lets in his father, Li Cilin, along with a bitter gust of cold wind that makes the boy shiver.

"Where is Hongtang?" Cilin demands.

"Upstairs".

Noticing his son's tears, Cilin barks gruffly, "What are you crying for? I am not dead yet. Cry when I am!" He storms up the ladder.

Hongtang sits on the edge of the bed, wiping her red, swollen eyes with a handkerchief. Cilin stands before her, but she refuses to stand, greet him, or even look at him, turning her face away. Cilin has not looked closely at his daughter in a long time; seeing her ruined state makes his heart sink into an icy abyss. Unable to understand what happened to her, he softens his voice. "Hongtang, what has happened to you?"

She remains silent, refusing to speak to him.

Sighing, Cilin says, "I know I have wronged you and failed to care for you properly. Once I finish what I am doing, and Lord Shunde officially ascends the throne, I will treat you well. Stop looking for your mother, stay home and recover, and I will give you anything you want—even the stars in the sky!"

Still, she ignores him.

Cilin pauses, then asks sternly, "Tell me the truth, Hongtang. How did you return with that red-haired foreign devil? Where did you meet him?"

Silence.

"Speak to me, Hongtang!" Cilin urges anxiously.

She remains silent. She does not care why her father rushed back to ask this, nor does she feel any connection to him anymore. Ever since the day she witnessed him commit murder, an unbridgeable chasm—vast as heaven and earth—had opened between them. She can hardly believe this monster is her father, a man once known for his integrity and kindness.

Flaring up in anger, Cilin shouts, "Speak! Have you gone mute?!"

Hongtang suddenly lies back on the bed, pulls the quilt over her head, and shuts him out.

Trembling with rage, Cilin points at her. "Fine, fine, keep your silence—" Retaining a tiny shred of restraint, he refrains from beating her the way he beats his wives. Realizing she will tell him nothing, he stomps his feet and storms off in disgust.

The Ironmonger and the Eunuch's Grand Design

Shangguan Qingqiu slams the ironmonger's shop door shut, grumbling, "Old hag, why hasn't the food arrived yet!"

John's arrival means nothing to him. When his two apprentices return from gawking at the spectacle, Qingqiu snaps at them: "You have too much time on your hands. Do not meddle in Tang Town's affairs. Just focus on smithing. With our craft, we can survive any dynasty; we will never starve. Do you understand?"

The apprentices nod repeatedly. Shortly after, Qingqiu sends them home.

He lights his water pipe and puffs away in the dark. After a long wait, Zhu Yuejiu arrives and taps on the door. Qingqiu opens a small side door and snaps, "I was starving, what took you so long?"

Instead of handing over the food basket and leaving, Yuejiu squeezes through the door into his back room, where Qingqiu sleeps. She places the basket on the dark table. Noticing her red, tearful eyes, Qingqiu sneers, "Old hag, crying over a couple of words? When did you turn into such a crybaby?"

"You cold-hearted ironmonger!" Yuejiu lashes out. "Do you think I am crying for you? Even if you dropped dead, I would not shed a tear!"

"Then what is this about?" Qingqiu chuckles.

"It's as good as unsaid".

"Spit it out, woman—stop beating around the bush!"

"Let me ask you, you stone-hearted bastard: is Wenqing your flesh and blood?"

"Don't you dare mention that cursed bastard in front of me!"

"You truly have a heart of stone!" Yuejiu weeps. "How could I have been so blind to marry a heartless wretch like you?! No matter what, Wenqing is your son, yet you treat him with such cruelty! For over twenty years since he was born, have you ever cared for him? Have you ever given him anything?"

"That is ungrateful of you!" Qingqiu retorts. "If not for me breaking my back smithing to feed this family, that brat would have starved long ago. How can you say I didn't care?"

"Fine, you earned mountains of gold, but do we live like the wealthy?"

"Stop talking nonsense about wealth. We may not be the richest, but we've always had enough. When did I ever let you starve, freeze, or go without clothes?"

Yuejiu wipes her eyes. "Fine, I didn't come here to argue with you. I came to tell you that our son Shangguan Wenqing is fading away by the day. He is deathly ill, growing weaker... and his head seems to be shrinking, his body shriveling up..."

Qingqiu's body shudders. "What? How can such a thing happen?"

"No matter what, Wenqing is our flesh and blood. Do something before he's gone for good!"

Qingqiu stands frozen in helpless panic.

Eunuch Li's Dark Ambitions

Meanwhile, Eunuch Li sits comfortably in the Canglong Compound, sipping tea. Back in Beijing, he had been nothing more than a cringing dog, living in perpetual terror due to a dark secret. Since entering the palace, his burning desire had been to return home and find his father—despite his deep hatred for him. He often imagined his father begging on cold, rainy roads, a vision that filled him with unexplainable agony. He suffered recurring nightmares of a ferocious dog tearing open his father's throat outside a rich man's estate, spilling blood across his dreams.

Over time, accustomed to palace life, he grew numb to memories of his father and hometown. He survived by treading carefully, witnessing endless political conspiracies, bloodshed, and slaughter. Fortunately, his cleverness earned his master's favor. But as he grew older, the longing for his father returned, reduced to a hazy shadow in his mind. When the southern winds blew, he fancied he could smell his father and his hometown, moving him to tears. As political turmoil escalated, he resolved to leave the palace. But with empty hands, how could he return home begging like his father? The palace was filled with treasures, antiques, and calligraphy—all of immense value. Seizing the opportunity, he stole items to sell, eventually amassing a fortune. Fearing execution if discovered, he capitalized on Empress Dowager Cixi's passing mood to request retirement. Trembling in terror, he was surprisingly granted permission and gifted a sum of silver.

Leaving the palace felt like escaping a cage. Yet reality shattered his romanticized dreams: his father was nowhere to be found, likely dead on the streets of Beijing long ago. Worse still were the contemptuous glances of the Tang Town locals, one of whom whispered and mocked him as a "castrate". The word plunged him into darkness. In the palace, aside from the emperor, all men were eunuchs—humiliated, kneeling men without dignity. He had thought leaving the palace made him a normal man, but he was wrong. He was still a humiliated eunuch.

His mind drifts to a woman—a wife permitted by the Empress Dowager, whom he eventually strangled to death. Finding her a harlot who met his impotence with silent contempt, he tormented her in the dark, stripping her naked, scratching her flesh with long fingernails, using his hands and tongue to vent his burning, frustrated desires. Driven mad by a night when he caught her pleasuring herself in secret and she screamed, "Castrate! You have the guts to kill me, living with a eunuch like you is worse than death!", he snapped. He beat her with a stick and strangled her until her eyes bulged and she died, his hands never loosening from her neck.

He longs to strangle every person in Tang Town who whispers the word "eunuch," but he lacks the physical might. Instead, he whispers to himself: "I will make all of you kneel at my feet, make all of you eunuchs!" That led him to dream of the supreme throne—for before imperial power, all people are eunuchs, stripped of dignity. Having lived his life as a degraded eunuch, he must die as a man of absolute dignity, forcing Tang Town to bow in submission.

Everything is currently proceeding according to plan, filling Eunuch Li with boundless satisfaction.

Li Cilin hurries into the hall, followed by Wang Hairong. Both drop to their knees.

"This humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!" Cilin says.

"This humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!" echoes Wang Hairong.

Glancing down, Eunuch Li extends a delicate orchid-fingered hand. "Rise—"

Cilin stands. "Your Majesty, an uninvited guest has arrived in Tang Town".

Trembling on the floor, Wang Hairong remains terrified.

"Let Hairong explain," Cilin says.

With a disdainful glance, Eunuch Li tells Wang, "You rise as well!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wang stutters, his heart pounding at the terrifying aura radiating from the eunuch's smooth, well-preserved face.

Prompted by Cilin, Wang Hairong recounts the evening events: supervising the wall construction at the east gate and witnessing the mysterious foreigner arrive on a grand horse, escorted by Li Hongtang. Dripping with sweat and keeping his eyes glued to the floor to avoid the eunuch's eerie gaze, Wang finishes his report.

To Cilin, Wang Hairong is nothing more than a dog—a eunuch in spirit.

"You are dismissed," Cilin snaps coldly, prompting Wang to scurry away in panic.

Sipping his tea, Eunuch Li gestures to a grand chair. "Cilin, sit. Between us, dispense with the formalities".

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Pouring him a cup, the eunuch praises the tea's smoothness and fragrance. Cilin demurs, joking that having the emperor pour tea for him would provoke divine thunder.

Lowering his voice, Eunuch Li whispers instructions into Cilin's ear. Cilin listens with a grave expression, nodding repeatedly. Once finished, Cilin stands and departs to execute the orders.

Watching his retreating figure, Eunuch Li's eyes suddenly flash with lethal malice as he slams his palm onto the table. "Of all things, this old man despises foreign devils the most—"

Nighttime Intrigues and Threats

Deep into the night, Yu Guizi still has not left his house, prompting his wife, Shen Zhuniang, to nag him impatiently. Annoyed, Yu snaps at her, wondering why she is suddenly pushing him to gamble.

Zhuniang's face flushes. Secretly, she has been hoping for a rendezvous with Li Saogu once the children sleep. Though Yu Guizi wouldn't care if she were traded for gambling debts, getting caught committing adultery carries a horrific punishment: being sewn into a pig basket and drowned in Maiden Pool. Strangely, Li Saogu hasn't visited in days, but she remains stubbornly hopeful.

Indifferent to her inner thoughts as long as she doesn't sell the house, Yu Guizi curses under his breath and finally steps out into the bitter wind, though he feels an odd reluctance to leave tonight. The moment he departs, Zhuniang leaves the front door ajar, praying for Li Saogu's arrival.

Walking through Qinghua Alley, Yu Guizi thinks he spots a figure standing beneath a gate, but blinking, sees nothing. "Ghost!" he curses, his heavy footsteps echoing in the silence. As he exits the alley, he hears a woman softly sobbing, but turning around, finds nothing.

Approaching the iron shop near the Yulai Inn, a tall, slender shadow blocks his path. A hand clamps over his mouth, and a harsh voice whispers: "Listen to me, you wretched gambler, crawl back home! The Yulai Inn is not running games tonight. If you dare go near it, say goodbye to your dog's life!"

Terrified out of his wits, Yu Guizi turns and bolts home. Pushing open his bedroom door, a frantic Shen Zhuniang—stripped naked—pounces on him, mistaking him in the dark for Li Saogu. Repulsed and furious, Yu pushes her away. "Are you out of your mind, woman?"

Realizing it is her husband, Zhuniang's heart turns cold. Driven by a sudden, unnameable fury, Yu Guizi throws her onto the bed, shouting, "You love it so much, I'll finish you tonight!" Yet Zhuniang lies there in bitter disappointment, knowing he can never bring her the pleasure she desires.

The Missionary's Warning

Exhausted, missionary John lies on his narrow bed. The blanket is too short, leaving his feet exposed, and he feels freezing cold. Despite the harsh winter, he takes comfort in the genuine kindness shown by Tang Town locals like Hongtang and Hu Xilai. He smiles in the dark, hoping to drift into peaceful sleep.

In a hazy slumber, he senses someone standing by his bed.

His body is paralyzed; he cannot move or speak. As his senses clear, he subtly tests his fingers and finds he can move. Choosing the strategy of immobility, he stays silent, unsure if the intruder poses a lethal threat in this foreign land.

A low, menacing voice whispers: "Red-haired ghost, crawl out of Tang Town and spare your dog's life. If you dare stay here playing your tricks, bear the consequences! Tang Town is no place for you, go back to where you came from. We don't need you here! I have warned you—do what you will—"

John's heart sinks. Tang Town harbors deep, hidden dangers. As the phantom-like intruder vanishes, John weighs his options: should he stay, or should he flee?

Outside, the winter wind howls. Tang Town grows increasingly cryptic, its surface calm concealing massive undercurrents.

John curls his body beneath the covers, shivering from the biting cold.

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