From street beggar to high-ranking official

The new batch of eunuchs who had just entered the palace from the martial arts academy were already reciting the "Shuowen Jiezi" in class, swaying their heads. Listening to their clear reading voices, Lu Li suddenly realized that it had only been about twenty days since he entered the palace.

He followed Eunuch Chen into the study, where Eunuch Chen pulled out a government gazette and, while reading it, said to Lu, "What kind of 'secret teachings' are you hoping to gain from our household, young man?"

Previously, no matter how much Eunuch Chen thought highly of Lu Li, he only called him "Little Lu" or "Good Godfather." Now, he calls him "You Kid," which shows that their relationship has progressed further.

Lu Li, who was serving by the side, bowed and said, "Things are different now than before, Godfather. I would like to ask you about the way of being an official."

"Indeed, it seems your trip out of the palace has benefited you greatly." Eunuch Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Has Little Lu seen any of my other godchildren?"

Lu Li recalled carefully and realized that he had indeed seen them, but apart from the few times he had seen them at the martial arts school, he had never seen them come to pay his respects every morning since.

"This is a rare sight, Godfather, please enlighten me!"

"Any official can never remain untainted; the first thing to do is to clearly distinguish right from wrong! Not only must there be a clear distinction between left and right, but also between superiors and subordinates!"

Lu Li knew that there was a clear distinction between left and right. Behind every important person was another important person. For example, behind Xiao Luozi was Eunuch Zhao, and behind Eunuch Zhao was Eunuch Xie. But some people were not like that, such as himself. Thus, they were divided into different factions.

Even the lowly eunuchs under his command, who seemed to have no rank, no power, and no influence, were actually connected to some powerful eunuch behind the scenes.

Is it possible to clearly distinguish between upper and lower sections? What secret is there in Eunuch Chen deliberately revealing this?

Lu Li couldn't figure it out; his godfather's words were not simply about belittling the weak and praising the strong, but contained a profound truth that he couldn't have imagined.

He bowed and brewed a pot of tea for Eunuch Chen, saying, "I am dull-witted, please enlighten me, Godfather."

Eunuch Chen chuckled and wrote a character on the Xuan paper on the table with his brush: "Little Lu, what do you think of this character 'official'?"

Without hesitation, Lu Li replied: "The Shuowen Jiezi (a dictionary of Chinese characters) says that an official is an official who serves his ruler. It is composed of the radical 宀 (roof) and 𠂊 (a type of roof). 宀 means a deep, covered house, and also has the meaning of gathering a large group of people."

"Therefore, officials are ranked, with varying degrees of authority and status."

"That's right. I didn't read the 'Shuowen Jiezi' for nothing. When it comes to the character '官' (guan, official), it means that the person above is an official and the people below are the masses. The character '官' has two mouths, which means that one must tell the truth to superiors and lie to subordinates."

You can turn a deaf ear to the needs of those below, but you must listen carefully to the whims of those above!

This is the proper way to be an official!

So this is how officials are made. A look of realization flashed in Lu Li's eyes.

Just like my godfather said before, it all boils down to being responsible to superiors.

To those below...

Of course, Lu Li had to ask.

Eunuch Chen sipped his tea: "Well, Little Lu, do you even consider eunuchs to be human?"

Lu Li shook his head. Of course not. In fact, Lu Li felt that he wasn't even a proper person before he became an official.

Perhaps this is self-deprecation, or perhaps it reflects a good sense of self.

"Since it's not considered a person, there's no need to treat it as one," Eunuch Chen waved his hand and said. "It might be a table and chair, a bowl and chopsticks, a sword, or even numbers; it's definitely not a person."

Lu Li pondered carefully. He understood the first few things, but what did it mean to treat them as numbers?

Eunuch Chen didn't say much more, and Lu Li didn't ask any more questions either. Some things can only be learned and understood by oneself. A godfather is not a biological father and will not take care of one's excrement and urine.

Just before leaving, Lu was suddenly stopped by Eunuch Chen.

"Good boy, you forgot something." Eunuch Chen patted the silver ingot on the table.

"Thank you, godfather!"

After bidding farewell to Eunuch Chen, Lu Li went to the Directorate of Ceremonial to take the exam. The process was incredibly fast, and everything was arranged before noon.

The answers were already written on the exam paper, and all he had to do was sign and put his fingerprint on it. As for the old eunuch who was supposed to fight him in the last match, Lu Li didn't even get to see him.

……

At Shenshi (3-5 PM), Lu Li found the Imperial Physician's duty room in Wenhua Hall.

After obtaining an official position, one could actually invite a physician to come in person, but Lu Li was not yet officially in office. Moreover, ordinary eunuchs and palace maids would need medical treatment if they were injured or sick, as long as they had money. Therefore, imperial physicians were quite popular among the lower classes.

Lu Li spent some money to share a room with a young physician, and then took out a white pill.

It was the death-preventing medicine given to him by the Zhou family.

"What is this?" Doctor Zhang was taken aback.

Physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy do not have official ranks. They are apprentices who have recently entered the palace and have not yet passed the examination. They are considered as candidates for advancement. However, once they pass the examination, they will be ranked from the ninth rank. Climbing to the eighth rank, they will become imperial physicians, who can diagnose and treat the emperor, empress, nobles, and important officials. Although the highest rank in the Imperial Medical Academy is only the fifth rank, imperial physicians have great power and influence. Although their numbers are small, they are highly sought-after by all parties in the palace.

"Please take a look, Physician Zhang," said Lu Li.

Physician Zhang did not take out a knife from his medicine box to scrape off the powder from the pills; as an imperial physician, one must have a keen sense of smell.

"This medicine from Eunuch Lu is extraordinary."

Seeing that the official Lu agreed, Physician Zhang boldly dissected the wound to examine it.

"Its nature is as cold as ice, capable of abruptly suppressing the heart's yang energy and stagnating the blood vessels. The heart is the monarch of the organs, governing the circulation of blood. When this medicine enters the body, it is like dark clouds obscuring the sun; the heart's yang energy is suppressed, the pulse channels are constricted, and qi and blood suddenly stop. After taking it, one's breath ceases and all vitality is lost..."

As for the inner layer, I can only make a rough judgment. It should contain extremely potent medicines, like oil cooked over a blazing fire, including aconite, dried ginger, and musk. It is pungent, hot, and penetrating, directly targeting the crown of the head. Aconite can restore yang and reverse collapse, dried ginger helps to warm and unblock, and musk opens the orifices and awakens the mind…”

"Ordinarily, both cold and hot medicines are potent; if used alone, the cold will cause death or the heat will burn the body to death. However, this medicine is formulated according to the principles of monarch, minister, assistant, and guide. The outer layer is the 'minister,' which uses cold to induce a state of suspended animation; the inner layer is the 'monarch,' which uses warmth to break the deadly state and bring the patient back to life; and then a milder medicine is added to harmonize the cold and heat, so that the two medicines work together without conflict..."

Lu Li was completely confused. He didn't know how to diagnose or prescribe medicine, but he was good at understanding people's hearts. Judging from the way Doctor Zhang was analyzing the situation, the medicine should be genuine.

"Then can I take this medicine?" Lu Li asked.

"Of course it can be taken, but ordinary people will still die if they swallow it. This white pill is too potent. If an ordinary person takes it, they will die on the spot before the medicine takes effect. Even if they can be saved, the aftereffects will be quite serious."

Physician Zhang solemnly wrapped the opened white pill and returned it to Li Lu: "Those who do not possess true qi and unblock their meridians should not take this; doing so will result in death."

"I've long heard that the Imperial Medical Academy is full of hidden talents, and seeing it today confirms it," said Lu Li with a beaming smile, pulling out a red envelope. "This is the consultation fee."

Doctor Zhang accepted it without much hesitation.

Seeing that Physician Zhang had accepted the consultation fee, Lu Li suddenly asked, "Physician Zhang, could you prescribe some medicines specifically for martial arts practitioners?"

Lu Li was no longer the little kid he used to be. With thousands of martial arts techniques in the Hidden Martial Pavilion, he had gained a deeper understanding of martial arts techniques from the Zhou family. He also learned about pills and medicines specifically for martial artists to strengthen their bodies and cultivate their true qi.

"This... is not within my duties." Physician Zhang did not hide anything: "Since ancient times, medicine and martial arts have been inseparable. The twelve regular meridians and eight extraordinary meridians for cultivating true qi are the orthodox methods of traditional Chinese medicine, but in the palace they are still counted separately. The Imperial Medical Academy can test and administer medicines, but when it comes to martial arts, it is the responsibility of the Pill Refining Department."

Dan Ding Si...

Lu Li did not insist further, and instead chatted as if it were a normal conversation.

Physician Zhang was of course willing. Although the Imperial Medical Academy was not as well-informed as the Inner Palace Attendants, they could still figure out some things.

The eunuch Lu in front of me will soon be an eighth-rank eunuch. If I study medicine more in the future, I may be able to seek his help.

So the two chatted about their experiences, mentors, and even rumors in the martial arts world.