Jinshi x OC

The Eunuch

"LOOK OUT!" A voice of a young girl called out as a startled horse pulling a cart was hurtling its way through the crowded palace grounds. The palace courtyard, adorned with intricate marble sculptures and vibrant flowers, became a chaotic tableau as the startled horse careened wildly. Among the scattering serving girls, you could see the colorful robes of eunuchs attempting to halt the impending disaster, their faces etched with a mix of determination and fear. The cart being dragged behind was crashing through the air, catching every divot in the stone road, looking as if it would topple on its side at a given moment, as both it and the growing speed of the horse was heading directly towards a group of unsuspecting eunuchs.
The sounds of the chaos quickly gained their attention, all quickly dispersing away but one who was oblivious to the scene around him. As the realisation struck him, he pivoted on the spot, his long, silky, dark-purple hair swaying in the breeze. With rose-pink eyes widened, he acknowledged the imminent danger, knowing the horse was mere feet away, ready to trample him. In a swift attempt to evade, he took a step to jump out of harm's way, but his footing betrayed him, sending him quickly to the ground.
Bracing for impact, he instinctively threw his arms up to shield his face. Just as the impending collision seemed inevitable, a courageous young girl leaped into action, positioning herself between him and the charging horse. Her arms stretched out, the horse skidded on its rear hooves, rearing its front legs, and finally came to a sudden halt, mere inches away from the girl standing protectively before the eunuch, releasing a resounding neigh that echoed through the air.
The courtyard fell into a stunned hush, the only sounds lingering were the agitated breaths of the eunuch and the rhythmic panting of the horse. The young girl, unyielding in the face of danger, maintained her protective stance, her eyes flickering with a mix of determination and relief. Mastering his shock, the eunuch slowly rose from the ground, his dark-purple hair tousled, and rose-pink eyes now reflecting gratitude towards his unexpected savior. "Master Jinshi!" Another eunuch called, running to check on his master. The onlookers, who had held their breath during the heart-stopping moment, began to murmur among themselves, the tension in the air slowly dissipating. "I'm fine Gaoshun" the young eunuch announced as he dusted himself off, his eyes still fixed on the girl calming the horse by stroking its nose. "It's okay" she calmly hushed in its ear.
"Seize that horse!" Gaoshun ordered, serval other men quickly gathered wrenching the horse from the girl's grasp, causing the horse to grow anxious once again. With worry in her eyes, the girl turned to the young master and his subordinate, bowing her head, "please! Don't hurt him." She pleaded. "Who are you?" The young master asked. "Mei, Mei-ling, sir" she responded still keeping her head low, "I'm nothing more than a laundry serving girl sir, but please I beg of you, don't hurt the horse, he was only scared.." her earnest plea hung in the air as the two eunuchs stared at her while two others dragged the horse away.
"Come with me." The young master commanded, turning on his heel, the older eunuch following on his heel. Anxiety crept through Mei's head. Oh crap.. I've done it now.. she thought as she followed the two men.
Mei was merely a serving girl for the rear palace, the lowest of ranks, the life of the serving girls were considered easily replaceable. A single mistake could cause them to see their heads detached from the necks. The majority of the serving girls in the rear palace had been either kidnapped and sold or sold by their family. In Mei's case, her father sold her to the service the day she turned 17, once she's completed the mandatory two year service, she would be free to go home or find work with another family or something. She'd so far has completed one-year of her service and was hoping to just keep her head down for the remainder of her term until she was free to leave.
The rear palace was considered the Emperor's flower garden, filled with many consorts all ready to bare their fruit for the emperor, who's waiting for an heir to be born. Consorts were ranked from low to high. The four high ranking consorts are the emperor's favourite, or their families had a strong political position. Lower ranking consorts are lucky to have the Emperors attention, many of them often find themselves being demoted or given as a wife to a military officer without even being granted a night with the Emperor himself.
Men in general were not allowed in the rear palace, they were only allowed to set foot into the 'flower garden' if they are related to the emperor or is a 'former man' who had lost a specific part of their anatomy.. they are the eunuchs, they are the guards of the rear palace. It was a twisted thought, but it makes sense, with many women waiting to get pregnant, it eliminates the chance of any of the consorts getting pregnant with another man's child, then trying to pass it off as the offspring of the emperor.