I. This Beau is Running for His Life

"Y-Your Majesty, Please spare me!"

Xu Zhengming stutters and his knees trembling.

Yes, he is prideful but he knows very well that aside from his good looks he has nothing to be proud of.

The emperor's phoenix eyes seem burning as the flame on his talisman reflects its radiance. He narrows his eyes as he looks down at the shorter man. This scene looks like a vicious predator is calculating how many times will it chew the pitiful trembling prey before it goes down to its stomach.

Seeing this look on his majesty's face, Xu Zhengming kowtowed on the ground. His head is only a few centimeters away from the emperor's feet.

"This... this lowly one greatly offended your majesty. I... I deserve death."

Of course, Mingming doesn't mean any of it. He might have 'unintentionally' sexually harassed him but he thought, the emperor will not kill him for that offense... right? He must be reasonable, right?!

It took the emperor a long time before he responds with a look of disgust on his face. "It is good that you know how greatly you have offended me."

Shiiiing!

A sharp sound of a blade being unsheathed echoed in the alley.

Xu Zhengming's eyes widen and his heart beats like a war drum. The emperor actually draws his sword that was once hidden under his cloak!

Will he die right here and now? He thought, no, he can't die this way.

This is too humiliating. Not suited for someone as gorgeous as him. His death might be the main topic of the aunties who have nothing else to do.

"Have you heard about that unfortunate young man, Xu Zhengming's death?"

"Oh, that handsome man? Yes, I heard the emperor himself severed his life. Why is that?"

"He molested his majesty."

"Oh my! How bold of him."

Just thinking of the people who love to gossip talking in the streets about his death makes his eyebrows twitch.

He raised his head a bit to meet the emperor's gaze. "Wait! Wait! Your majesty! Please, can we settle this without bloodbath?"

The emperor raised an eyebrow as he speaks, "Aren't you the one who said you deserve death?"

"Yes..." Xu Zhengming thought, "Yes, I did say that but you are really going to kill me? How obedient can you be?"

Xu Zhengming once again did kowtow by the emperor's feet. "I... This lowly one will do anything. Anything that I could. Please spare me, your majesty!"

"Anything?" The emperor repeated. With his tone, Mingming could tell he's interested in the idea, and the thought of beheading him subdued.

He heard the sword being sheathed again. He let out a sigh of relief and his head rise again with twinkling eyes. Before he could even celebrate, the emperor speaks again.

"Then be my loyal servant."

Xu Zhengming froze for a second.

Doesn't he want to leave the imperial palace? He gave up his current job as a eunuch on his very first day on the job. Being a servant of the emperor means he has to stay in the palace, right?

Xu Zhengming forced a smile as he looks up at the emperor. "Your majesty, the truth is..." He hesitated for a moment but decided to continue anyway. "I am a eunuch but I want to quit now."

This time, the emperor raised both of his eyebrows. "And why is that?"  He asked.

"I didn't know that one must... murmur murmur..."

"I cannot hear you."

"What I was saying was... murmurmur..."

The emperor doesn't have long patience so he pulled the other's wrist upwards to make him stand.

"What?"

Xu Zhengming still couldn't make his mind if he will tell the matter to the emperor. He isn't comfortable talking about it. It's a little embarrassing for his part.

Just a few hours ago, he happily set his feet inside the imperial palace. Not until he's forced to go to the imperial infirmary. He was forced to lay down on the bed and a group of men is pinning him down with all their might. A total of four eunuchs were holding his limbs. The physician is holding a strange-looking knife. The blade looks sharp and would definitely cut bamboo with just one slash.

"Wh-What the fuck are you doing?! Let me fucking go!" Xu Zhengming yells until his voice becomes hoarse. His every single sentence contains a vulgar curse.

The physician looks at him with a hint of confusion. He said with a calm voice, "Young man, are you sure you want to become a eunuch?"

"Yes! I still want to become a fucking eunuch so please spare this fucking lowly one's life!"

The physician asked once more, "Are you really sure you would not regret it?"

"Why the fuck would I?" He yells. "What the fuck are you all planning to do with me? I may be good-looking, but still, we are all fucking men! We can't fucking be!"

"Why are you talking nonsense?" The physician gives his 'patient' a puzzled look. Then a moment passed, it seems that the old man came to a realization.

"Could it be, you do not know?"

"Know fucking what? What the fuck am I supposed to know? I am fucking clueless here!" Xu Zhengming gives a death glare on the poor old man.

Even with that glare, the physician still remained calm and his voice is gentle. "Listen, young man. You cannot become a eunuch if you're not castrated."

Xu Zhengming felt that the blood in his head drained and his scalp goes numb. "Ca... What the fuck?!"

"To become one, your..." The royal physician clears his throat. "... should be cut off."

The sharp glare slowly turns into a pair of scared eyes. "Cut off? As in completely removed? Detached? Eliminated?"

The physician nods, "Yes, that is correct."

Xu Zhengming inhaled deeply as he yells, "I don't want to get castrated! Nooo!"

It seems like he got stronger by ten times. He actually managed to free himself from the men who were pinning him down.

He runs out of the infirmary, running away from the physician, running his way out of the palace.

Sure, all the eunuch receives a good salary and is living a good life. Even their families outside the palace are not facing hardships in life.

A well-off life in exchange for his precious manhood?

He thought, "No, no. If I don't have this, I am better off dead."

Well, isn't it a shame if he couldn't get to see his gorgeous offspring that bears his gorgeous features?

He loves his thing just as he loves himself so in life and death, he wouldn't sacrifice it. NEVER!

He was so lost in the thought that he didn't bother to look at his way. He bumped on something sturdy, and the sound of beads colliding with each other was heard.

He was running as fast as he could and so the impact isn't weak. Xu Zhengming was about to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Fortunately, a big and rough hand caught his wrist, and a sturdy arm wrapped around his waist.

The next thing Mingming saw is his reflection in a pair of obsidian black phoenix eyes. A couple of sword-like eyebrows. A pointy nose, and thin lips. Xu Zhengming isn't sure if the man's gold yellow robes made his face shine even more or he is just imagining it. Whatever the matter is, there's one thing he is sure of: he's more good-looking than this man.

The wind blows once more and the strings of beads hanging low from the man's exquisite headdress completely uncovered his facial features.

The man's eyes were still opened wide in surprise, and so are Xu Zhengming's. However, the man quickly recovered from the shock and restored his composure quicker than him. His thin lips curved into a gentle smile.

Xu Zhengming then finally gathered his composure and steadied his balance. Even after doing so, the man still didn't remove his hands off from him.

"Uh... I'm fine now." Xu Zhengming said. He realized this position is rather awkward.

By then did the man realized that his hands are still holding Xu Zhengming's wrist and waist and immediately let go.

"I apologize, I was too distracted with your face. I think I saw you before but it seems you did not recognize me."

Xu Zhengming snickered. "Hehehe... I understand. This face is really hard to forget." He even elbowed the man. Only he did observe that this man's yellow and black robes were made of luxurious silk. For sure this man is a noble and came from a high-profile family. Good thing, it seems this man isn't angered and not taking the accident personally. But judging from his headdress, not every noble is allowed to wear one. Could it be that he is a member of the imperial family?

The nobleman laughed. "Yes, yes. It is rather unusual for a man to have such an alluring beau."

Not too far from where they stood, an old woman is approaching and catching her breath as she yells, "Your majesty! Are you hurt?" A mid-50's woman hurried to them. She dressed in a green maid's uniform.

Your majesty? Just who is this man?

"Court lady, Han." The man smiled at the old maid. "I am sorry for leaving without you."

"There is no need for your majesty to apologize to this old woman." She bows her head and her hands are kept inside her sleeves.

She then looks at Xu Zhengming. "Who are you? How dare you bump into the emperor? Even showing disrespect!"

Emperor? This man is the emperor of this palace?! How could he act in such a manner after offending him?

Will he die? He won't right? RIGHT?!

"Court lady Han, don't be angered. I am fine, it's okay. In fact, I am partially at fault." The emperor looks in Xu Zhengming's direction with a smile. "I still have matters to attend. Be careful in your way."

Xu Zhengming quickly bowed as he clasps his hand to show respect. "The emperor is merciful. This lowly one bids his majesty a good day."

"Mn." His majesty shows him a smile for the last time before turning his back to him and left with the court lady.

After the incident, the thought of backing out of the job he just got didn't disappear even after the emperor let him go away from a certain punishment.

"No one can go in and out the imperial palace without the permission of the emperor himself." The imperial guard sternly said it to Mingming's face.

However, Xu Zhengming is rather persistent and begged with puppy eyes. "Please? Please? I won't tell anyone about this. My life is in danger!"

The guards standing by the palace gates are not allowing him to go out due to palace laws.

Another imperial guard knitted his eyebrows as he said. "Then you must have made a crime. The more you are not allowed to go away."

Xu Zhengming quickly defended, "No. No. You don't understand! I don't know if you'll believe me or not but the emperor himself personally knows me."

The two imperial guards said almost at the same time. "How dare you use the name of the emperor to deceit us!"

Xu Zhengming put his palm on his face out of disappointment. "Ugh, please, just let me go."

"No can do." Still, he can't convince the guards to let him flee.

This way won't work. He has to think of another way.

For hours and hours of coming out of a plan, he finally came up with one.

The plan is that he should first stay away if everyone's sight. Those men in the infirmary might still be looking for him. Also, he must make a move by nightfall. He must sneak out from the tall walls since the guards won't allow him to pass by the gates. And the guards will take shifts so there's no way he could get a chance to pass even in the nighttime.

Little did he know, the incident with the emperor was widespread in the palace. That's even the main dish for the royal concubine's gossips.

"A little eunuch bumped onto the emperor?!"

"He's not officially a eunuch yet. But it's said that he made it on purpose to capture the emperor's eyes!"

"Also, his actions were clearly aiming to seduce."

"What? Does he think our emperor is a cut-sleeve? How shameful!"

"He even made the emperor wrap his arm around him. Like any other prostitute would do!"

"And their faces were so close! Like he was trying to have a taste of his majesty's lips that even us didn't have yet!"

"What does this bold one look like?"

"I saw him during that incident. He got a pair of narrow eyes with long eyelashes. He also got a mole under his left eye. His nose has a high bridge and the tip is pointy. His lips aren't too thin nor thick, just right. His long hair is in a braid but some strands escaped. He got a fair complexion and---"

"Are you perhaps describing your ideal man?"

"No, no. I am just describing what my eyes saw. In any case, just for you ladies to know, he got a mole under his left eye."

"Aiyah! This young man should be punished in our hands. Who does he think he is?"

"Punish him!"

And so the members of the royal concubine decided to join forces to make this young man pay.

By nightfall, there are fewer individuals strolling around the palace. He thought this is the perfect plan to start his move. Also, he can't stand the harsh smell of the firecracker powder that is lingering in the entire storehouse where he is hiding.

He carefully sneaks in the shadows and headed towards the nearest wall that isolates the entire palace from the outside world. Climbing a not-so-tall wall isn't an easy task for him. The wall is smooth-finished and so his limbs often slip as he climbs. Fortunately, he managed to set himself on the top of the wall.

"Hey, you! What are you doing?" A loud voice of a maiden made him flinch in surprise and almost fall. He subconsciously turns his head to where the voice came from. It was a lady in high-quality clothing. Beside her is a maid in a sky blue uniform.

The noble lady's eyes widen. It seems she just made a big discovery. "A mole under the left eye. You...!"

Our protagonist, Xu Zhengming is truly unfortunate that he got noticed by a royal concubine.

"He's here! The little eunuch that tried to seduce our emperor is here! Ladies! Hurry!"

"Eh?" Xu Zhengming felt goosebumps all over his body.  She isn't referring to him, is she?

Not too long after that, a handful of concubines with their maids gathered outside and started to go after him.

He quickly jumped off the wall. And unexpectedly, the ladies got a high level of energy and climbed on the walls too.

"AAAAAAH... LADIES, I KNOW I AM GOOD-LOOKING BUT YOU ARE ALL THE EMPEROR'S CONCUBINES! SUPPRESS YOUR DESIRES!" He yells as he runs as fast as he can without looking back. This caught the attention of the imperial guards.

"NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO GO IN NOR OUT OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE WITHOUT HIS MAJESTY'S APPROVAL!"

And that is how our good-looking young man, Xu Zhengming, got chased by men and women.