From street beggar to high-ranking official

First grade of junior high school.

The sound of firecrackers in Chengdu Prefecture lasted until dawn.

Qian Gonggong's adopted son has compiled a list of the驸马's crimes of embezzlement, smuggling, and collusion with the enemy, and is preparing to return to the capital after the holiday.

The entire city seemed to be shrouded in some kind of atmosphere; Chengdu, which should have been welcoming the new year with a fresh start, was instead filled with a sense of oppression.

The Prince Consort's mansion was heavily guarded by soldiers, seemingly protecting it but actually surrounding it, making it almost impenetrable, not even a fly could get in.

"When does Eunuch Qian plan to return to the capital?" Inside the prefectural government office, Prefect Wen inquired about Eunuch Qian's plans.

"After the holiday," Eunuch Qian said, giving a rough estimate. "Our mission was to investigate, but we never expected to uncover a treason case. Without Prefect Wen's assistance, this matter wouldn't have been resolved so quickly."

Prefect Wen's smile remained unchanged, as did Eunuch Qian's.

A fourth-rank prefect and a second-rank admiral—once an official reaches this level, composure is second nature to him. Even if they are fighting fiercely in private, they can still maintain proper etiquette in public.

"It's all thanks to Eunuch Qian. I never imagined that the tea tax in Chengdu Prefecture had become so heavy. As for Prince Consort Ouyang... sigh."

Prefect Wen sighed, "It's a pity I can't directly intervene in the tea tax; otherwise, the prince consort might not have ended up like this."

Eunuch Qian would not say much about this.

Being ordered by His Majesty to investigate tea taxes does not mean one can interfere with the bureaucratic system, especially since it involves someone like the imperial son-in-law.

It's better to remain silent than to be completely safe. As long as you don't speak, you won't go wrong. If you don't say something, you become the master of that word. Once you speak it, it becomes a pretext for others to criticize you, and you become the slave of that word.

Lu Li listened in, not understanding why Eunuch Qian had suddenly stopped talking, but he decided to learn first and think later, since he could ponder every word of the important figure.

"Adding the tea confiscated from the Prince Consort's private treasury, and the portion purchased from local aristocratic families, last year's deficit is now fully covered. The Zhou family is indeed a loyal and virtuous family of the nation; this time, the purchase price was even 20% lower than the market price," Eunuch Qian chuckled.

Although the negotiated price was reduced by 20%, the extent to which money was embezzled due to the existence of dual contracts remains unknown.

Lu Li himself couldn't estimate it, but the silver notes that ended up on him amounted to two thousand taels, and the lion's share of it must have been taken by Eunuch Qian.

Sure enough, only by becoming an official can one amass wealth; only by becoming an official can one get rich.

Lu, tempted by the money, grew increasingly eager for an official position.

That afternoon.

Lu Li, along with his godsons Xiao Hu Zi and Xiao Yu Zi, were ordered by Eunuch Qian to keep a close watch on the Prince Consort's residence. With their return to the capital imminent, no one wanted anything to go wrong.

Inside the Prince Consort's residence.

Ouyang Luntai sat on a large mahogany chair in his bedroom, his face ashen, muttering to himself without ceasing: "A mere fourth-rank prefect, a mere eunuch, dares to imprison me. Once I get out, once I get out, I will personally plead guilty to His Majesty. So many officials, so much evidence of corruption, enough to kill them several times over."

"Your Highness, please wash your face." A servant brought hot water and knocked on the door, but Ouyang Luntai opened the door and kicked it open.

"Get out! No one is allowed in my room without my permission!"

The servants and maids in the mansion dared not respond; even the most foolish person could see that their powerful patron was about to fall.

Some clever servants tried to report the crime, but ended up with the same fate as the servant Zhou Bao, and their families had already been arrested by the government soldiers.

These family members angrily cursed the servants working in the prince consort's mansion. They had enjoyed the prince consort's prestige and the neighbors' flattery, but the family members who were already moderately wealthy were now facing imprisonment. Unless they dragged others into the mess, they would implicate more and more people.

The premise of "misfortune not extending to family members" is that good fortune not extending to family members!

Those who embezzle money and power will eventually have to pay it back.

The fifth day of the lunar new year.

More and more people were roaming the streets and alleys of Chengdu. Escort agencies, post stations, peddlers, and merchants brought a new atmosphere to the strange city. The number of beggars who had been driven away by the city's soldiers also increased.

"Where did all these beggars come from? How come there are so many of them? Why doesn't Prefect Wen do anything about it?" the bearded man cursed angrily.

As the crowds grew larger, they had no choice but to block off the streets to prevent anyone with malicious intent from approaching the Prince Consort's residence.

Lu Li, however, could not comment on the matter.

He himself was born a beggar and knew where beggars came from. He simply said, "The prince consort is so greedy for money that he has caused the people to become homeless. He deserves this calamity."

"Does Little Lu mean that Heaven is going to take away the prince consort?" the little mustache asked in surprise.

Upon hearing this, Lu Li smiled slightly, bowed, and headed towards the capital: "Naturally, it is Heaven's will to take away the imperial son-in-law."

He learned this trick from his godfather: regardless of whether anyone sees it, he first makes sure to show proper respect and courtesy to His Majesty and the noblemen before thinking about anything else.

Even though Lu Li didn't fully understand the purpose of doing so.

The man with the small mustache cursed inwardly, "Little Lu, are you putting on a show for thin air?" Eunuch Qian wasn't there, but he couldn't very well criticize Little Lu's act, so he simply said in a lukewarm tone, "It seems that compared to the Imperial Son-in-Law, Little Lu is the true loyalist to the nation."

Apart from the eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Administration, the main guards near the Prince Consort's residence were the garrison soldiers of the government office. However, Lu Li was puzzled as to why there were no centurions or commanders.

Just by using the Listening Ear Technique to confirm, I can tell that these soldiers are no different from ordinary people. If they were unarmed, I am confident that I could kill or injure more than a dozen of them.

They've imprisoned a high-ranking imperial son-in-law; isn't this level of security far too rudimentary?

Lu Li didn't know what Eunuch Qian's plan was. Since he had figured it out, Eunuch Qian must have figured it out earlier than him. However, since Eunuch Qian didn't say it outright, Lu Li didn't say anything more.

Did the other eunuchs notice this?

As evening approached, the guards delivered food again, which was stored in the same food containers. After the eunuchs confirmed that the food was non-toxic and harmless, it was sent into the mansion.

That night, the wind was biting cold.

Lu Li used his Listening to Sound technique to check the surrounding situation. Apart from the whistling wind, he could hear all sorts of unfamiliar voices coming from the restaurant where he was staying, and even from the surrounding buildings.

"How much longer?"

"We'll make our move in another half hour. These thugs don't look like they can hold out much longer."

"The Grand Elder has been murdered; our family swears revenge!"

"As long as the prince consort is rescued, we're not afraid of killing that damned eunuch."

Lu Li, who was lying in bed and had not yet fallen asleep, suddenly woke up with a start.

The Beggars' Sect.

He suddenly moved, his feet touching the ground silently. The walking technique he had practiced in the palace yielded unexpected results at this moment. He moved his right foot first, using his true energy, and walked step by step by releasing the force with his toes. Advancing was yang, retreating was yin. Lu Li walked step by step on the path of yin and yang in balance, moving between advancing, retreating, walking and stopping.

No one noticed the little eunuch who had run out of the restaurant until they left.

"What should we do now?"

Lu Li thought to himself, "I wonder where Eunuch Qian is. Maybe he's in the government office, maybe he's in the post station, or maybe he's already noticed the anomaly and is waiting in the shadows."

Should he proactively remind the guards to keep a close watch? He'd probably become the target of everyone's criticism in half an hour.

"The Beggars' Sect wanted to force their way into the Prince Consort's mansion to rescue someone, but with the Emperor's authority above all else, what difference would saving one person make?" Lu Li walked step by step toward the Prince Consort's mansion, avoiding the snow-covered areas to avoid making a sound.

After thinking about it, I realized that doing nothing might solve everything.

Once you decide to do something, you have to take risks, and taking risks always involves risks.

A wise person does not stand under a dangerous wall, and a petty person does not want to venture into dangerous situations.

"Let the Zhou family and the Jianmen do it." After making up his mind, Lu Li immediately took action. He knew that Eunuch Qian had told him before that it was time to make a move on the Zhou family.

Perhaps this is the hint given at this moment.