Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“The person I like has some… difficulties in the area of reproduction.”

Imperial Father breathed a sigh of relief.

“You scared me to death. I’ll just have the Imperial Medical Bureau treat him.”

I stared guiltily at the tips of my toes.

“Well, it probably can’t be cured. He suffered a… physical injury.”

My Imperial Elder Sister fell into deep thought for a moment. “Does he happen to have a stable job? Does he wear a uniform?”

My sister truly understands me.

Imperial Father told me to bring the man so the Imperial Medical Bureau could take a look.

I refused, because it was a one-sided crush.

Imperial Father found it even more bizarre. “A crush? Then how do you know he’s ‘incapable’? Don’t tell me he’s a eunuch?”

He thought he was being humorous.

But the sudden silence caused his smile to slowly fade.

I summoned my courage and said, “Even though he’s a eunuch, he’s truly outstanding.”

Imperial Father interrupted me. “Silence! Do you even know the meaning of ‘outstanding’?”

He clapped his hands.

Eunuch Li, who had served by Imperial Father’s side for years, appeared instantly, carrying the weary resentment of a career laborer.

“Your Majesty, what is it now?”

“This is the most outstanding eunuch in the palace!”

Imperial Father pushed Eunuch Li in front of me. “Do you like him?”

Light suddenly flickered in Eunuch Li’s eyes. “Can I finally… switch masters?”

I didn’t even dare to meet Eunuch Li’s gaze, quickly lowering my head in denial. “No, I don’t. I don’t.”

Eunuch Li said regretfully, “Who wasn’t a peerless beauty in their youth?”

With a wave of Imperial Father’s hand, Eunuch Li vanished.

He truly was the most outstanding eunuch.

Imperial Father insisted on passing the throne to me.

Because the sexual orientations of my Imperial Elder Brother and Imperial Elder Sister were unchangeable.

As for me, he believed my liking for eunuchs was merely a temporary lapse in judgment.

After all, nobody’s ‘type’ is a eunuch.

Furthermore, he threatened that if I mentioned eunuchs again, he would give Eunuch Li to me.

I didn’t dare bring it up ever again.

Imperial Father moved quickly in the imperial court.

On the grounds that the Imperial Elder Brother suffered from a hidden ailment, he deposed the Crown Prince and chose to appoint me as the Crown Princess.

My Imperial Elder Brother raised no objections.

Imperial Father immediately began arranging male consorts for me to prevent me from becoming obsessed with eunuchs.

This task was assigned to the Jinyiwei.

In the late spring, Commander Jiang Xingzhou made a special trip to handle the arrangements for me.

At the time, I was playing on a swing by myself. I couldn’t bring it to a stop immediately, making the atmosphere subtle and awkward.

Jiang Xingzhou reached out and gripped the ropes of the swing.

I kept my head down, my heart racing.

Two years ago, I had accidentally fallen into the water, and it was Jiang Xingzhou who rescued me.

The winter lake water had been bone-chillingly cold, and a powerful grip had locked around my waist.

When my face broke the surface, I happened to meet those cold, indifferent eyes.

Lake water flowed from his forehead, down his brows and eyes, to his chin.

Amidst the rising and falling of the water…

The afterglow of the setting sun was refracted into shimmering ripples.

It was mesmerizing.

Jiang Xingzhou was my beloved-or rather, my beloved eunuch.

The Western Depot Imperial Guards were also eunuchs, yet I still harbored a secret crush on Jiang Xingzhou.

The swing gradually came to a halt.

Jiang Xingzhou released his grip.

“What kind of men does Your Highness prefer?”

I didn’t want to cause him trouble, so I just said they should be good-looking.

Two days later, Jiang Xingzhou brought back four men.

Tall, short, fat, and thin-he had them all.

I was utterly shocked. “What did I tell you?”

“Your Highness said they just needed to be good-looking.”

I was even more confused. “Which part of these men is good-looking?”

Jiang Xingzhou looked perfectly serious. “Your Highness, you are very good-looking.”

Wait, *I* am very good-looking?

I looked at the others again. The tall one was like a bamboo pole, his hem several inches too short. The short one was like a piece of charcoal, yet he was wearing all white today. I won’t even mention the fat one; there’s no need to be hurtful. But as for the thin one, I felt like feeding him half a bowl of rice.

Jiang Xingzhou pondered for a moment. “Is it possible that among so many people present, there isn’t a single one Your Highness fancies?”

Of course there wasn’t.

Jiang Xingzhou left in disappointment.

For the next half month, he continued to push the boundaries of my aesthetic limits.

He even made me miss the ‘tall, short, fat, and thin’ quartet.

Jiang Xingzhou sighed and said, “Please restrain your grief, Your Highness. Those four have already found wives.”

I turned to stare at him, tears falling uncontrollably.

Was I, a Crown Princess, unable to find even one handsome man?

Jiang Xingzhou was also taken aback.

He hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to me to wipe my tears.

“Princess, I was joking. The short one is still single.”

“…Get out.”

Imperial Father couldn’t take it anymore either. He said the Jinyiwei were incompetent and gave Jiang Xingzhou a beating.

Originally, it was just meant to be a reprimand, but Jiang Xingzhou insisted to Imperial Father’s face that the men he found were all very good-looking.

Imperial Father then asked him, “Then how do you think you look?”

Without a second thought, Jiang Xingzhou replied, “I am hideously ugly.”

Imperial Father was livid. He ordered his men to beat him until he admitted he was good-looking.

Later, even when the man had fainted, his mouth remained stubborn.

Imperial Father eventually handed the matter over to his confidant-Eunuch Li.