The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

The day after Zhao Gao became Chen Ju's disciple, he began to formally cultivate the Pure Yang Qi Technique.

Chen Ju took great care of his newly adopted son, personally explaining the incantations of the cultivation method to him and guiding him step by step to circulate his first wisp of qi and blood.

In Chen Ju's estimation, Zhao Gao's talent was indeed outstanding, but after all, he was already thirteen years old, past the best age for Foundation Establishment. Being able to generate Qi Sensation and step into the first rank within half a year was already considered a rare talent.

It took him nine months to go from entry-level to first-rank, which was considered above average among his peers in the inner court.

Therefore, when instructing Zhao Gao, his tone carried the kindness and patience of an elder: "No rush, take your time. The most taboo thing in the path of martial arts is being impatient. You are a child with high comprehension. If you can reach the threshold of the first rank within half a year, I will be very satisfied."

Zhao Gao sat upright on the prayer mat, bowing his head in agreement.

His expression remained as respectful and calm as ever, without uttering a single word of rebuttal or showing any sign of impatience.

Chen Ju was very satisfied with the child, thinking that he was calm and composed and had potential.

Then, on the tenth day.

That morning, Chen Ju got up at 5 a.m. as usual, washed up, and prepared to go to his study to handle official business.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Zhao Gao already waiting outside.

He changed into a clean blue eunuch's robe and stood in the morning mist, his posture as straight as a pine tree.

Chen Ju was about to say, "Why are you here so early today?" when he suddenly stopped.

He stared at Zhao Gao for three breaths, then his pupils suddenly contracted.

Zhao Gao's aura changed.

It wasn't a subtle, almost imperceptible change, but a qualitative leap. His breathing was long and deep, and his qi and blood were calm and condensed, as if an invisible stream was slowly flowing through his body. It was a sign that his qi was flowing smoothly and his meridians were beginning to open.

Although the aura was still very faint, it was undoubtedly the mark of a first-grade martial artist.

Chen Ju stood there, speechless for a long time.

He stepped forward, grabbed Zhao Gao's wrist, closed his eyes, and examined his meridians.

A moment later, he opened his eyes and looked at Zhao Gao as if he were a monster.

"Ten days." His voice trembled slightly. "You took ten days."

Zhao Gao lowered his head, his tone as flat as if he were reporting the weather: "Your son is dull-witted and has kept my godfather waiting."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ju almost choked on his breath.

Slow-witted? Long wait?

Is breaking through to the first rank in ten days considered dull-witted?

What did it mean that he spent nine months back then?

The fastest record for cultivating the Pure Yang Qi Technique in the entire inner court is four months. The person who set this record is now the supervisor of the Imperial Horse Administration, a dignified seventh-rank master.

And this thirteen-year-old boy in front of me broke through that threshold in just ten days, and still felt that he wasn't fast enough?

Chen Ju took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and tried to make his voice sound calm: "You...have you cultivated before? Just never revealed it?"

"Father, I dare not lie. Before entering the palace, I only memorized the incantation and never truly practiced it. This time, I strictly followed the method taught by you, Father, and practiced for four hours every day. On the morning of the tenth day, I suddenly felt a heat in my dantian and the Qi sensation arose spontaneously."

Zhao Gao's tone remained calm, as if he were reporting a data point from an official document.

Chen Ju remained silent for a long time.

Then he laughed, his eyes reddening with laughter.

He served as the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department for ten years, spending half his life in the deep palace, witnessing too many mediocre young people wasting their lives on this path without achieving anything.

He had taken in two adopted sons, both of mediocre talent. One was stuck at the second rank and could not advance any further, while the other had not yet reached the first rank.

He originally thought that he might not be able to find a suitable successor to his mantle, but unexpectedly, God sent him a Zhao Gao at this age.

"Good, good, good." Chen Ju said "good" three times in a row, unable to suppress the excitement in his voice.

He patted Zhao Gao on the shoulder with great force, as if he wanted to instill all the hopes of his life into the young man's bones.

"To reach the first rank in ten days—such talent is among the best in the inner court for the past hundred years. From today onward, your daily cultivation time will be doubled. Put aside your official duties for now. I will personally protect you. I want to see where your limits are."

Zhao Gao bowed respectfully, and in that instant, a barely perceptible smile curved the corners of his mouth.

He certainly knew how talented he was.

This body has naturally unobstructed meridians and unimpeded blood and qi circulation, making it a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand.

Although he had never cultivated in his previous life, he had a deep understanding of the human body, including acupoints, meridians, and the pathways of qi and blood circulation.

He already knew it by heart when he served the First Emperor in the Qin Palace.

Qin Shi Huang gathered around him the most outstanding alchemists and physicians in the world at that time. As the head of the Imperial Carriage Office, he handled countless prescriptions and health preservation techniques.

Although that knowledge could not be directly converted into cultivation level, it gave him a far greater understanding of martial arts cultivation than any beginner in the world.

In his view, achieving the first rank in ten days was merely a normal performance.

Chen Ju kept his word.

From that day on, he personally protected Zhao Gao, spending two hours each day guiding his cultivation.

The duties of the Imperial Household Department were already heavy. Chen Ju was so busy during the day that he barely had time to breathe, and at night he still had to force himself to stay awake and practice martial arts with Zhao Gao. He was so tired that his eye sockets were sunken, but he enjoyed it.

Seeing Zhao Gao's cultivation improve day by day made him even happier than if he had broken through himself.

Then comes the last day of the first month.

That evening, Chen Ju was in his study reviewing a purchasing list for the palace banquet next month when he suddenly felt a surge of energy coming from the backyard.

The fluctuation wasn't strong, but it was extremely pure, as if someone was using their peak first-grade cultivation to break through to the second-grade threshold.

Chen Ju paused for a moment, and a drop of ink spread across the paper, but he was completely unaware of it.

He knew who it was.

He put down his pen, got up and walked to the door of the practice room in the backyard. Instead of pushing the door open and going in, he stood quietly outside the door.

A faint ripple of air emanated from the crack in the door, carrying a warm aura—a unique sign of the second level of the Pure Yang Qi Technique being activated.

A moment later, a long and steady breath came from inside the door, like a long dragon slowly retracting its claws.

Then the door opened, and Zhao Gao came out, his forehead covered with a fine layer of sweat, his face slightly flushed, but his breathing as steady as a rock.

He saw Chen Ju standing at the door, paused for a moment, then bowed and greeted him: "Godfather."

Chen Ju did not respond.

He reached out and checked Zhao Gao's pulse, feeling the blood and qi, which were twice as strong as yesterday, flowing steadily within the boy's body. After a while, he slowly withdrew his hand and looked up at the twilight sky.

He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, yet also brimming with an irrepressible sense of pride.

"Achieving a second-rank official position in a single month? I, Chen Ju, have been in the palace for thirty years and have never seen a talent like you."

He looked down at Zhao Gao with burning eyes, as if he were looking at a piece of jade that had been sealed for half a lifetime and whose outer layer had finally been worn away. "With your current progress, you will not encounter any bottlenecks before the third rank. You are expected to break through to the third rank within half a year. Before the age of eighteen, the fourth rank is within reach. Before the age of thirty-five, it is no exaggeration to say that you will catch up with my sixth rank cultivation."

What he didn't say was that a 35-year-old sixth-rank official was a rare find in the history of the inner court.

If Zhao Gao could reach the sixth rank at the age of thirty-five, it would mean that he had the potential to reach the seventh or even eighth rank in the future.

At that time, the position of Chief Steward of the Imperial Household Department would not be the end for Zhao Gao, but a beginning.

This young man was Chen Ju's most brilliant investment in his life, and the most dazzling mark he left in this courtly power arena.

That evening, Chen Ju unusually had a pot of wine prepared and drank three cups alone in his study.

He held his wine glass, gazed at the moonlight outside the window, and muttered something to himself.

"Heaven has been kind to me."

The next morning, Chen Ju announced a decision at the routine morning meeting of the Imperial Household Department in front of the stewards of each department.

"From today onwards, Zhao Gao will no longer serve as the clerk in the study." His gaze swept over everyone, his tone calm but unquestionable. "He will be transferred to the Procurement Department of the Imperial Household Department as the Inspector, in charge of verifying and accepting the procurement accounts of each department. All procurement documents that have not been verified and signed by Zhao Gao shall not be put into storage or reimbursed."

The room was completely silent.

The housekeepers looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.

The position of procurement inspector was a crucial and powerful post within the Imperial Household Department.

All the accounts for the procurement projects have to go through this person. If he says there is a problem with any account, then that account has to be investigated from the beginning.

This position is usually held by veteran eunuchs who have been working in the palace for one or two decades, because the situation there is very complicated.

Tricks, kickbacks, false reporting, and substituting inferior goods in the procurement process are all things that offend people. Without sufficient qualifications and connections, one simply cannot maintain order.

Now, Chen Ju has handed over this position to a thirteen-year-old boy who has been in the palace for less than four months.

"Steward..." a steward hesitated before speaking, "Zhao Gao is still young, and the procurement inspection involves a wide range of issues, so perhaps..."

"Are you questioning my decision?" Chen Ju's voice wasn't loud, but as soon as he released the pressure of a sixth-rank martial artist, the steward immediately swallowed the rest of his sentence, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"I wouldn't dare."

"Then we'll do it."

After the meeting, the news spread like wildfire throughout the Imperial Household Department.

Everyone is talking about it.

Zhao Gao, who was a servant sweeping the floor and emptying chamber pots in the dormitory just three months ago, is now the adopted son of the head of the Imperial Household Department, a second-rank martial artist, and the purchasing inspector.

He skipped so many grades that people couldn't even count them on their fingers.

After receiving the appointment, Zhao Gao calmly packed his personal belongings in his study and moved to the duty room of the purchasing department.

His new office wasn't large, but it was in an excellent location, right next to the warehouse and accounting office, and all purchasing documents had to pass through his hands first.

He sat in the chair in the new duty room, opened the first ledger to be checked in front of him, picked up a brush, and began to check it line by line.

His expression was calm, but he knew very well that this position was just the beginning.

The clerks in the study have access to information, while procurement auditors have access to money and interests.

Who is making money, who is making money under whose protection, who belongs to which faction, and who is connected to which merchant outside the palace—all this information will be revealed in the ins and outs of the accounts.

All he had to do was write them down one by one.