The little fat man hid on Zhang Xiaowu's back, looked around cautiously, and when he saw the four miserable boys, he couldn't help but lie in Zhang Xiaowu's ear and whispered: "Master, why don't they ***?" What is that grass for? ”

Zhang Xiaowu explained: "Which grass is used instead of *** to pee, and those who are eunuchs must be castrated ***, otherwise they can't enter the palace." All the eunuchs and fathers-in-law in the palace are also castrated people, and only the emperor and you are complete men in the palace. ”

The little fat man was surprised: "Master, don't you often enter the palace?" Then you also cut off ***? Master, do you hurt? ”

Zhang Xiaowu had a black line on his face, and said: "Your master and I are still complete, I am not a eunuch, you kid dare to think about it." He let go of the big eunuch's hand and said, "You must find out the background of these people, otherwise you won't have enough eight heads." ”

The big eunuch rubbed his wrist and took three steps back, distanced himself from him, and asked, "Who are you?" How can the people of the Heavenly Court dare to take care of the affairs of our pure house? Eight ministries and six courts, when did you learn to meddle in the affairs of the palace? ”

Zhang Xiaowu said: "I am a guard with a sword in front of the emperor, is it enough?" He raised another sign, a jade plaque with a sword in front of the guard. On weekdays, he only took out the jade card, and although the jade card with a sword guard in front of the emperor was on his body, he didn't want to show off, after all, it was too ostentatious.

The big eunuch looked him up and down, suddenly remembered something, pointed at him and said: "The only guards with swords in front of the emperor are General Li Canglan Li and Zhang Xiaowu - General Zhang - you are Zhang Xiaowu?" Are you the crown prince and young protector? You- then he is the king of Zhao? See His Royal Highness King Zhao! ”

"See His Royal Highness King Zhao." The other eunuchs in the purification room were so frightened that they knelt on the ground.

However, the four children showed strange expressions after hearing the prince, their eyes were wide and curious to look at the little fat man, Zhang Xiaowu suddenly noticed that the eldest child's eyes showed a trace of murder. He turned his head with a murderous aura, but saw that the child had closed his eyes, but the other children's eyes widened, but he closed his eyes, which made Zhang Xiaowu even more suspicious.

This matter is too strange, Zhang Xiaowu said: "The news in this palace spreads very quickly, yesterday's incident, and now the whole palace knows about it?" Now you know what I want to do, right? ”

The big eunuch hurriedly said: "I know, I know, I will do it." ”

"I listen to them, they seem to be southerners, you go and check their backgrounds."

"Yes."

The big eunuch ran away immediately, Zhang Xiaowu carried the little fat man on his back, and the master and apprentice looked at the four little eunuchs who were sweating because of the wound healing after being cleansed, and they were embarrassed. Children from poor families, in order to survive, do not even have the opportunity to choose their gender.

The little fat man said, "Master, let's go out, I don't dare to look at it." ”

"Okay."

Not long after the master and apprentice walked out of the clean room, they saw the eunuch in charge of the clean room running over with his subordinates in a panic, and said apologetically: "Zhang Shaobao, His Royal Highness King Zhao, please bear with me, bear with me, it's the little slave's subordinates who are not sensible, I hope you Haihan." ”

Zhang Xiaowu said: "Have you checked the life history of these four little eunuchs?" ”

The steward of the net room stepped forward and said, "It's being investigated." ”

"Have you verified?"

"Verify—verifying."

The big eunuch ran over with the roster and handed it to Zhang Xiaowu to see, Zhang Xiaowu immediately found that something was wrong after taking a look, there was only one address about the life history of these four newly recruited little eunuchs, and there was no even who their parents were.

Most eunuchs entered the palace when they were very young, because the survival rate of boys at castration was greater than that of adults, and boys were castrated cleaner at castration, and adults often had to use a second or even a third knife if they were not clean. Therefore, the little eunuch must write down his family situation in detail, in addition to the address, but also the names of his parents, etc., and the palace will entrust Jin Yiwei to investigate the life history of the little eunuch.

Some eunuchs would choose to return to their hometowns in their later years, where they would be cared for by their children and nephews, and eventually die of old age by their parents' side. But because the eunuch is a eunuch, he cannot enter the ancestral tomb, and can only build a tomb outside the ancestral tomb. And the reason why many eunuchs were able to return to their roots was because of the detailed records in the archives. But the backgrounds of these four boys have obviously not been verified.

Zhang Xiaowu said: "Give me a copy of the life history information of these four people, and I will naturally verify it." ”

The steward eunuch hurriedly said: "Lord Shaobao, this- this is not in accordance with the rules, right?" We'll do the dirty work. ”

"Can you get out of the palace? Do you verify? As soon as I find out that you are out of the palace, I will cut off your heads myself! Keeping in mind the rules of the Holy Han, eunuchs are not allowed to leave the imperial city except for the elderly. Zhang Xiaowu said coldly, and at this time, the big eunuch hurriedly offered a piece of paper and said in a sycophancy: "Zhang Shaobao, the old slave has already copied a copy." ”

Zhang Xiaowu nodded, carried the little fat man on his back, and left with the list.

The eunuch in charge sent Zhang Xiaowu and the prince away with a smile, until Zhang Xiaowu's figure disappeared, the smile on his face condensed, and he turned around with a gloomy look, and suddenly a big mouth slapped on the big eunuch's face, and scolded: "Idiot! You've killed a bunch of us! ”

The big eunuch hurriedly asked, "Grandpa Wen, what's going on?" Isn't it just a list? ”

The steward eunuch said, "You know a fart! ”

He was worried that if someone really tracked it down, they would find out the fee for the net room, and the palace would call about 200 boys to be little eunuchs every year, and the cost of buying a boy would be 100 taels, so they would rob, plunder, steal, or look for Xiaohua Zi in various places through various illegal means, and a boy could earn 80 taels of silver. Even if there are not enough boys, they have their own reasons, after all, castration has a certain danger, and it is a big deal to report some more death lists, and the silver taels are not delayed in earning.

After the castrated boy is raised in the clean room, he will be intimidated and educated, and he will be brainwashed to tell him that he is innocent and disguise his life experience. Many sensible little eunuchs know their current situation, and even if they grow up, they don't dare to go back to their hometowns to recognize their relatives, and they are even more worried about dishonoring their ancestors, so they live a lifetime with a fake life experience.

"Grandpa Wen, you should be worried too much." The big eunuch smiled and said, "Who will check the things inside, our clean room is the least profitable place, if they check us, I'm afraid that we will be full of food and support, and we won't be able to find out what the name is." ”

Father-in-law Wen turned around and asked, "Where did you get these four children?" ”

The chief eunuch said: "I don't know, it was sent by You Dalang from Honghuafang, they are not the children of our Longdu, he said that it was because of the Jiangnan rebellion, and the puppet Wu army attacked everywhere to harass the people." The surrounding people fled one after another, and many people were displaced, and You Dalang's men met their parents outside, and their parents knew that they could be fed and clothed when they entered the palace as eunuchs, so they sent them. ”