From street beggar to high-ranking official

After practicing, we ate lunch, and then it was time to learn the rules.

Xiao Fengzi glanced sideways at Lu Li, who was following behind them, and felt a sense of satisfaction.

Xiao Luzi understood hierarchy and followed behind Xiao Yuzi.

Our family doesn't need to do anything to Xiao Luzi. To protect himself, Xiao Luzi will naturally fawn over him.

"Little Lu," Xiao Fengzi suddenly said.

"Yes! What are your instructions, Eunuch Feng?" Lu Li, who followed closely behind, immediately responded.

Xiao Fengzi remained silent, feeling increasingly pleased with himself. No wonder Xiao Jizi was always so smug; this feeling of being surrounded by admirers was truly wonderful!

Originally, Xiao Fengzi was walking along the main road with Xiao Shunzi, Xiao Yuzi, and Xiao Luzi, feeling quite pleased with themselves. But soon, other eunuchs pushed them aside, and the main road was opened to Xiao Jizi, who had finished his meal.

Xiao Fengzi, who was originally quite smug, immediately joined the crowd.

Lu Li looked at the scene before him. Although he understood everything clearly, he was still young and couldn't help but fantasize about when his family would receive such treatment.

Upon arriving at the training ground, all the eunuchs stood respectfully in their positions, even the most arrogant Xiao Jizi stood silently in the middle of the line.

Lu Li followed suit, putting his feet together, bowing, hunching his shoulders, hunching his chest, lowering his head, and remaining motionless and silent.

Even the most powerful person would appear humble in such a posture.

Lu Li didn't know why this was happening. After standing for half a cup of tea, his legs unconsciously twisted, trying to relieve the numbness in his legs. But a cold air came from behind him.

"Heh heh... what are you doing?"

A sharp, shrill voice blew into Lu Li's ear. Lu Li was startled by the noise, but before he could get up, the voice reached out and pinched his limbs.

His limbs stiffened instantly, and his muscles began to twitch under his skin. The pain brought tears to Lu Li's eyes, but he couldn't make a sound.

An old, yet iron-like hand gripped Lu Li's throat.

"If you make a sound, we'll twist your neck."

The old man released him, and Lu Li cried out in pain, but he managed to stifle his voice.

It was only at this moment that Lu Li personally experienced the cruelty of the palace. Before, whether he had heard or seen, it was all superficial, and he could even make a few comments. But when it really happened to him, Lu Li couldn't say a word.

After a long time, the feeling of stiffness in his limbs slowly subsided, but Lu Li still dared not move an inch.

It wasn't that the eunuch was targeting anyone in particular; any eunuch who made a mistake would be dealt with by the eunuch, and some who cried out in pain would have their necks twisted immediately.

Although there was no blood, the purplish-blue stain on the neck would probably not fade for three to five days.

After the eunuch had taken care of about half of them, he leisurely sat down in the mahogany armchair at the front.

Standing properly, the neglected Xiao Jizi knelt down and began to kowtow:

"Greetings, Eunuch Chen."

The others followed suit, and Lu, the clerk, hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Greetings, Eunuch Chen."

"No need for formalities," Eunuch Chen chuckled. "Come up one by one and kowtow. If you do a good job, you can go back and wait."

Led by Xiao Jizi, they stood in front of Eunuch Chen, bent their knees tightly, knelt down firmly, stuck out their buttocks, leaned their upper bodies forward, and bowed their heads in worship.

Boom!

"Little Ji pays his respects to Eunuch Chen."

Lu Li heard a solid sound, and saw that Xiao Jizi's movements looked familiar, just like a dog sticking its butt out and wagging its tail to beg for food on the street.

"See? Everyone should follow Xiao Ji's example. They should be willing to kneel down and even kowtow to gain the mercy of the nobleman before they pass the test." Eunuch Chen was clearly quite satisfied. He waved for Xiao Ji to leave, and the people behind him continued to kowtow.

Boom!

The boy was too weak to kowtow, so Eunuch Chen simply reached out as if to help him up. The boy trembled in pain, his eyes filled with tears, and he went back to line up again.

......

When it was Lu Li's turn, he had already prepared his speech in his mind. However, when he knelt down, his feet unconsciously moved one in front of the other. He hardened his heart and immediately kowtowed heavily.

"Thump!"

"Young Lu pays his respects to Eunuch Chen!"

His forehead pressed heavily against the blue bricks, and only then did Lu Li notice a small patch of pebbles where his knees were kneeling.

My knees and forehead were stinging, and even my head was slightly dizzy.

"Not bad, someone who's willing to kowtow. Go back and kneel again."

Eunuch Chen was ruthless towards all the eunuchs who didn't kowtow well, but when he saw that Lu Li kowtowed loudly and well, he was immediately in a good mood and simply waved his hand to let Lu Li go for the time being.

Lu Li dared not delay. Enduring the dizziness and stinging pain, he got up, bowed, hunched his shoulders, shrugged his chest, and went back to queue.

Those eunuchs who kowtowed well went back to stand, while those who didn't, like Lu Li, lined up in a long queue to continue respectfully kowtowing to Eunuch Chen.

Lu Li repeated this process over and over again: queuing, kneeling, and kowtowing. His kowtowing posture was perfect, but he would hesitate for a moment each time he knelt down.

Previously, my legs bent unconsciously, but now I know there will be pebbles where I kneel.

After going through this cycle repeatedly, Lu Li was already numb, his knees were bleeding, and his head was bruised from kowtowing. Until the last time, he seemed to be completely exhausted, and he knelt down with a thud, his thighs not moving, and his upper body kowtowing in the process.

"Young Lu pays his respects to Eunuch Chen."

"Hehehe, that's more in line with regulations. Go back and wait." Eunuch Chen laughed coldly.

As if granted a pardon, Lu Li dared not make the slightest mistake and returned to his previous position.

Only then did Lu Li dare to glance at the remaining long queue out of the corner of his eye, not out of curiosity, but to learn.

Learn from their mistakes so that you won't repeat them.

But as the sun set, Lu Li couldn't find a single fault with them. He couldn't tell if they were kneeling improperly, kowtowing improperly, or walking improperly. Eunuch Chen still only said one thing:

"Let's try again!"

After the mealtime in the kitchen, Eunuch Chen remained silent with a cold expression.

Without Eunuch Chen's orders, the remaining dozen or so people dared not complain and continued to line up, kowtow, line up, kowtow... until the line of kowtows turned into a bloody path.

"That's enough!"

Without even glancing at the dozen or so people who had collapsed from exhaustion, Eunuch Chen sat down and looked at the little eunuchs who had been standing all afternoon: "Kowtowing is our skill for making a living and asking for favors in the palace. Trying to use your inner energy to cheat? Hehehe, I'll make you kowtow until you faint."

At this moment, Eunuch Chen's laughter was like that of a night owl, but many people, including Lu Li, suddenly understood because of this.

Numerous resentful gazes fell upon the dozen or so people.

Lu Li first realized what was happening, then felt relieved that he hadn't used the few drops of true energy in his dantian. It wasn't until everyone's attention focused on those dozen or so people that Lu Li, who had seen the coldness and warmth of human relationships, was truly amazed at how skillful Eunuch Chen was in managing people.

The kitchen doesn't open after mealtimes, so everyone will go hungry all night. With just this one sentence, Eunuch Chen shifted his resentment to the dozen or so eunuchs who used their inner energy to cheat.

Eunuch Chen remains the same Eunuch Chen who imparts knowledge, teaches skills, and instructs people on proper conduct!

Perhaps it wasn't just Lu Li who realized this, but even if he did, he couldn't help but feel some resentment towards them.

Too much cunning and scheming can backfire and cost you your life!

......

Back in the main room, everyone, including Xiaofengzi, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

After standing in the rules all afternoon, my legs were already numb and swollen, not to mention there was no dinner, so I was exhausted both physically and mentally.

Lu Li, however, took out his own flatbread.

These were the three flatbreads that Lu Li took when he first went to the kitchen for lunch a few days ago, but because he always ate very full, he ended up leaving them behind.

Lu Li couldn't bear to throw it away, so he left it under his pillow for a few days. It seemed that because the room was dry and well-ventilated, it hadn't gone moldy when Lu Li took it out, and a wheat fragrance filled the air.

"Would the three gentlemen like some?" Lu Li generously took out two flatbreads.

"Oh! Eunuch Lu is really thoughtful." Xiao Fengzi reacted the fastest, taking the half-bread and bowing repeatedly to express his gratitude: "If Eunuch Lu has any questions someday, he can ask us. Perhaps we know the answer too."

Lu Li responded repeatedly, smiling broadly, as if nothing had happened during the day at the martial arts academy.

Xiao Shunzi, with his dark eyes, and Xiao Yuzi, who had no particular features, also thanked them. The four of them ate half a pancake and drank some well water.

Lu Li taught that chewing in small bites makes one feel fuller.

Listening to the voices of the eunuchs, Lu Li felt a strange sense of satisfaction despite his physical and mental exhaustion. This feeling was not like the happiness of having a full meal, but rather a feeling that Lu Li had never experienced in the past ten years.

After finishing his meal, Lu Li went to the well outside the main room to fetch water. Usually, he would just wash his face and rub his hands, but this time Lu Li fetched water for a quick wash, even picking at the gaps between his teeth with his fingers.

Reflected in the water bucket, Lu Li began to seriously examine his own appearance for the first time under the moonlight.

Perhaps due to long-term wandering and hunger, Lu Li had dark eyebrows, gray eyes, and prominent cheekbones, making him look unlike a good person.

It's said in the martial arts world that the eunuch faction in the capital is a menace to the court, and they're all evil people.

"It's only right that my family becomes eunuchs."

Lu Li chuckled lightly, glanced around, and seeing that no one was around, quickly ate the last piece of bread he had hidden on his person.

That night, Lu Li slept exceptionally well.