"Thump!"
The wooden staff in Cao Mao's hands came crashing down, leaving Cheng Ji's hands tingling.
This surprised Cheng Ji considerably.
It was not simply an increase in strength; His Majesty was gradually mastering the technique of exerting force.
Cheng Ji could feel His Majesty improving faster and faster, his technique growing ever more polished. From crumbling at the first touch, to barely managing to parry, to now-Cheng Ji felt that even he would need to exert himself a little to subdue the emperor.
Cheng Ji showed no mercy. His long staff swept sideways, knocking Cao Mao's weapon clean out of his hands. Cao Mao felt his hands go numb, with a faint, lingering ache.
Old Eunuch Xu cried out in alarm and anger, "Cheng Ji!! What are you doing?!"
Several eunuchs hurried to the emperor's side and began massaging Cao Mao's hands.
Cheng Ji raised his head and said irritably, "I haven't even used my full strength yet."
Old Eunuch Xu was beside himself with fury. "How dare you! Do you mean to injure His Majesty?!"
He looked at Sima Hui, who was watching the spectacle from a distance, and demanded loudly, "Is this how a Yellow Gate does his job?"
These eunuchs had stopped pretending. They had laid their cards on the table: we belong to the emperor.
They simply could not fit into the Sima Family's circle.
No group formed by any scholar-official of the present day would allow a faction of eunuchs to join.
The emperor was the only one who could take them in.
He was even the only one who could save their lives.
They all understood now that no matter how meekly they behaved or how obediently they followed the Sima Family's orders, they could not escape death. Since that was the case,