From street beggar to high-ranking official

Newly arrived eunuchs only had a few days to rest and recuperate.

On the third day at dawn, Lu Li, along with Xiao Fengzi and the other two, ate porridge in the kitchen and then headed to the martial arts school.

Lu Li's eyes were still blurry; he hadn't slept very well. He had always had exceptional hearing, and if he slept with someone, even the softest snoring could keep him awake. He would only fall asleep when he was extremely tired, but even then, Lu Li was easily awakened from his dreams.

When he slept while begging with his father, he was often woken up by his father's sleep talking. If his father hadn't found a eunuch to send him to the palace, Lu Li would probably still be sleeping in a dilapidated temple.

Moreover, the loss of the silver left him with a lingering unease, and it wasn't until he recalled his father's last words before sending him to the palace that Lu Li finally gave up on his futile efforts.

Listen to your father and live a good life. Eat well, live well, and sleep well. In the middle of the night, Lu Li used his finger to poke a hole in the seam of the quilt, twisted some cotton into a thin strip, and stuffed it into his ear before he could fall asleep.

Together with Xiao Fengzi, we walked in the opposite direction from the kitchen, and soon arrived at the martial arts school.

Upon arriving, Lu Li followed Xiao Yuzi to a secluded spot, in the back row by the window, where he could see the martial arts arena outside the hall.

Inside the school, a group of young eunuchs surrounded one of the boys, flattering him. Even Xiao Fengzi went up to greet him. Last night, Xiao Fengzi had been enjoying massages from Lu Li and the others in his room, but today he was already rubbing their legs and shoulders.

A young eunuch who had been pulled away by Xiao Fengzi was about to reprimand someone, but after seeing who it was, he swallowed his words.

Even though they haven't taken up their posts yet, the hierarchy has already been clearly defined.

After a thorough shoulder and back massage, the boy who was being fawned over only praised Xiao Fengzi once, and Xiao Fengzi, whose face had been pale, blushed with happiness upon hearing it.

This scene left Lu Li speechless; the eunuchs' snobbishness was truly remarkable.

They seemed to be not far apart, and even Lu Li could roughly hear some of the flattery. He had lived for so long and all he knew were to say things like "good fortune and happiness," "may you have a son soon," "may you grow old together," "may you be blessed with good fortune," and "may your wealth increase." Unlike these little eunuchs, who could turn black into red and white into black!

Lu Li only listened from afar and learned that the boy was called Xiao Jizi. Not only was he quite handsome, but his knowledge and martial arts skills were also top-notch. Everyone said that when Xiao Jizi took his turn to work, he would be going to the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Lu Li thought of what Xiao Shunzi had said the other day about climbing the social ladder, no wonder Xiao Jizi was so popular.

He looked at Xiao Fengzi with envy. If he didn't know nothing at the moment, he probably would have squeezed in to fawn over Xiao Jizi as well.

However, this lively scene did not last long. An old eunuch walked in from outside the martial arts hall. He was white-faced and beardless, with wrinkles like ravines on his face. He walked slowly and steadily, but his eyes were sharp. As his gaze swept over them, the young eunuchs who had been gathered together returned to their seats.

The young eunuchs in the martial arts school and training ground dared not disobey the teaching eunuchs, listening to Xiao Fengzi say that the dynasty was based on etiquette and filial piety.

Xiao Shunzi also said, "As the ancients said, 'A teacher for a day is a father for life.'"

Disciples showing respect to their teachers is an act of courtesy and filial piety.

If someone is disrespectful or unfilial, no one will say anything even if the teaching eunuch beats them to death on the spot.

The eunuch, Ji, began to mumble, "First, recite the 'Shuowen Jiezi' (a dictionary of Chinese characters), repeat after me..."

"One, the very beginning... all things belonging to the category of 'one' follow 'one'."

"Yuan means beginning..."

"Heavens, utterly chaotic..."

The young eunuchs in the school began to recite.

Lu Li hurriedly opened the book on the table that had been read by countless people. He could recognize the first few words, but as he read on, he could only stare at the horizontal and vertical lines and read along with the teaching eunuch's recitation.

Even if you can't read, you should read it until you're familiar with it!

Ji Gonggong's voice wasn't loud, but every word he uttered reached everyone's ears. The more Lu Li listened, the more familiar it became, and the more dizzy he felt. In a daze, he suddenly remembered that the eunuch who had signed and sealed the document for his family had a similarly strange voice.

In that brief moment of distraction, by the time Lu Li came to his senses, Eunuch Ji had already closed the book.

That's it? It hasn't even been that long.

Lu Li couldn't help but ask, but when he looked at the book, he was surprised to find that he had already read several hundred words, and at least four or five incense sticks' worth of time had passed.

As for how much he remembered?

He flipped through the pages, but he could probably only read about one-tenth of the words. If he took a nap, he would probably forget them all!

Eunuch Ji didn't care. After dealing with the matter, he opened another book, "The Secret of the Inner Landscape of the Netherworld": "Sever external influences and guard the center, abandon the physical body to refine the spirit. Though the body is crippled, the pulse remains intact; the Qi does not follow the Yang Gate, but shines back on the Dantian..."

Lu Li could recite the "Shuowen Jiezi" (a dictionary of Chinese characters), but he couldn't even recognize all the characters in another book. After reading it once with the teaching eunuch, he could only stare blankly at the small characters and wait anxiously.

"After reciting and contemplating, go to a quiet room to practice meditation."

Lu Li wanted to ask for advice, but after Eunuch Ji recited the text, a young eunuch led by Xiao Jizi ran up to ask questions, while the other boys who were subordinate to Xiao Jizi stayed by his side. Lu Li didn't have a chance to ask until Eunuch Ji left.

He wanted to ask Xiaoyuzi, who sat at the table in front of him, but when he went to ask her with his books in hand, Xiaoyuzi only gave a curt reply:

"have no idea!"

Lu Li's eyes widened immediately. They were sharing a room, how could this be?

He wanted to ask Xiao Fengzi and Xiao Shunzi, but then he saw that the two of them had already gathered around Xiao Jizi to ask for advice.

"Perhaps we can ask them after Xiao Fengzi and Xiao Shunzi have finished asking them," Lu Li thought to himself.

But when Lu Lizhen went to ask, Xiao Fengzi still smiled and said, "We haven't learned it well either, what if we taught it wrong?"

Before Lu Li could ask any more questions, Xiao Fengzi led Xiao Shunzi to the quiet room, with a nameplate hanging on the door to indicate that someone was there.

Lu Li stared wide-eyed, as if he were meeting Xiao Fengzi for the first time, as if their friendship from the previous days had never existed.

"What should we do?" Lu Li looked at the remaining eunuchs in the school who had not yet entered the quiet room.

Even Xiao Fengzi refused, let alone the others.

"Since that's the case, then we can only learn it by stealing it." Lu Li did not sit idly by and wait for his fate. Instead, he grabbed the manual, hung up the nameplate, and went into the quiet room, right next to Xiao Fengzi.

The quiet room was cramped, containing only a table, a candle, incense, and a futon.

After entering, Lu Li did not sit down to meditate, but instead pressed his ear against the wall to the side, listening to the conversation between Xiao Fengzi and Xiao Shunzi.

"Are we really not going to teach Lu Zi? We see each other all the time."

"Ha! I've always taken care of Little Lu so he wouldn't be bullied, and I'm indebted to him for massaging my legs, teaching me to read, and imparting martial arts techniques. This is a great kindness of imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving doubts. How could a dirty, poor boy like me possibly deserve it?!"

"If he were useful, we would have taught him. But that kid is clearly destined to be a chamber pot cleaner. If it weren't for his sweet way of calling me 'father-in-law' when he first arrived, we wouldn't even bother with him."

"That's right, thanks to you, Xiao Fengzi, otherwise Xiao Luzi would have been bullied as soon as he arrived."

The two men joked about Lu Li a few times, seemingly worried that they might disturb the other eunuchs practicing their skills, so they chuckled softly, sounding like rats stealing oil in the middle of the night.

Lu Li's guilt about eavesdropping on the teaching of martial arts completely vanished. He felt half angry and half depressed after hearing Xiao Fengzi's words, but this depressed mood was quickly dispelled by Xiao Fengzi's words.

"This 'Inner Landscape Technique of the Hidden Court' is said to have been created by a certain naive eunuch in the palace. He did not fixate on the incomplete form, but instead focused on refining the essence of the spirit, using the true energy of the inner landscape to harmonize the body and mind, nurturing life force in the extreme yin, and maintaining the balance of the true energy in the body and the mind, without bias or arrogance."

"I see. No wonder Xiao Ji once said that this skill can be practiced faster when the hands and feet are broken. I heard that this skill was originally from human slave traders..." Xiao Shunzi was interrupted before he could finish speaking.

"Watch your words! If we say it was created by the Grand Eunuch of the Palace, then it is so, just say it." Xiao Fengzi immediately interrupted.

"Sit cross-legged, eyes slightly closed, tongue tip lightly touching the upper palate, hands folded on the lower abdomen, breathing following the three methods of slow, even, and gentle breathing. The true qi does not travel through the Yangguan acupoint, but is guided to travel three inches below the navel, circulating the true qi throughout the body..."

Lu Li listened intently, completely absorbed, and immediately lit incense, then sat down on the futon as Xiao Fengzi had instructed.

At first, he didn't feel any airflow, but soon he felt a wisp of air flowing through his body. At first, it was sluggish, but later the airflow became faster and faster until it circulated for a full cycle, and Lu Li slowly opened his eyes.

The incense had not burned out completely; there was still 52 left.

"Hiccup~!"

A long burp.

At this moment, Lu Li sat upright, his mind unusually calm, but he thought of the past.

Lu Li was not born a beggar. He came to the capital with his father from his hometown of Qing County, Hejian Prefecture, by begging. Although they were still hungry and cold, it was much better than being bullied and looked down upon.

We don't want to be bullied for the rest of our lives, not only outside the palace but also inside; we certainly don't want to spend our lives emptying chamber pots and washing chamber pots.

Our father always told us that our family must live well.

We want to eat better and sleep better.

If we can't learn from them, then we'll learn from the Beggars' Gang, who steal our stale steamed buns and gang up to take advantage of others.

If you can't get what you want, steal it; if you can't steal it, rob it; if you can't rob it, resort to underhanded tactics!