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

Physician Li wrote out a prescription, instructing the Imperial Household Department to prepare the medicine according to the prescription. He also gave a few instructions on daily diet and rest before taking his medicine box and bidding farewell.

As he walked out of the side hall, he encountered a man in the corridor: Zhao Gao, the purchasing inspector of the Imperial Household Department.

The two exchanged glances. Physician Li nodded slightly as a greeting, and Zhao Gao stepped aside to make way, bowing respectfully as always.

The two did not exchange any further words, but after watching Physician Li walk away, Zhao Gao's lips curled into a very faint, almost imperceptible smile.

That very evening, Zhou Xing's list of Foundation Establishment Pills appeared on Zhao Gao's desk.

Zhao Gao checked each item one by one, then went to the storeroom himself and took out a batch of the best quality Tongmai Dan and Peiyuan San from the very back of the medicine cabinet.

This batch of goods was purchased last month from Huichuntang, the most famous pharmacy in Beijing. The quality is excellent. Only the regular batches are listed in the books, but the best ones were taken from the deepest part of the pharmacy.

The reason he was able to hide these valuable items in the warehouse was entirely due to the "dual-track accounting" system he had established in the purchasing department over the past few months—one set for his superiors and one set for his own use.

The servant responsible for delivering the pills was a trusted confidant of Wei Zhongxian, known for his shrewdness and tight-lipped nature.

Wei Zhongxian now holds absolute power in the servants' quarters, and Steward Liu is basically a hands-off manager, with Wei Zhongxian handling all the servants' assignments.

When it came to delivering the elixirs, Wei Zhongxian meticulously planned everything, from the storehouse to the side hall, including passing through several palace gates and checkpoints, choosing the least conspicuous route, and the best time to deliver them to minimize the chance of encountering outsiders.

The foundation-building ceremony is scheduled for three days from now.

Over the past three days, Chunlan has thoroughly cleaned up the side hall, inside and out.

The meditation cushions used for practicing were newly delivered by the Imperial Household Department; they were thick and soft, and had a faint scent of mugwort.

A small medicine cabinet had been added to the corner of the wall, neatly filled with Tongmai Dan, Peiyuan San, and Xugu Gao, each with a seal from the Imperial Household Department.

A new copper lamp has appeared on the table. The lamp oil is mixed with a little calming herb juice, and when lit, it emits a refreshing medicinal fragrance that helps to calm the mind.

The night before he was to begin his foundation-building practice, Zhou Xing had an unusual insomnia.

It wasn't because he was nervous. In his previous life, he had worked countless all-nighters before project launches at major internet companies, so he was no longer bothered by the idea of ​​being "nervous."

He couldn't sleep because of anticipation.

For over five hundred days and nights after transmigrating to this world, he remained a helpless child.

He laid out so many schemes and wove such a dense net, but he was always the weakest link.

Now, this weakness is finally going to be addressed.

He turned over, stretched his hand out from under the covers, opened his palm, and looked at his small hand in the moonlight.

The seven-year-old child's hands had short, chubby fingers, fair and delicate skin, and not a single callus.

What can hands like that hold?

Before dawn, the lights in the side hall were already on.

Chunlan and Qiuju were waiting outside the door early, one carrying a basin of warm water and the other holding a stack of clean cotton cloth.

The foundation-building ceremony requires burning incense and bathing, which is a rule in the palace.

Zhou Xing was made to take a bath by them and changed into a brand new white training uniform. His hair was tied up on top of his head with a green jade hairpin, and he looked much more energetic.

At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), a series of steady footsteps sounded outside the palace.

The door was pushed open, and a eunuch in his fifties entered. He was fair-skinned and beardless, with a slender figure. He wore an indigo-blue inner court martial uniform with a dark belt around his waist. He walked with a brisk pace, clearly a person with cultivation.

His features were regular, and his eyes carried an imposing aura, but when he saw Zhou Xing, a perfectly timed smile appeared on his face.

"This old servant, Liu Quan, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, has been ordered to preside over the foundation-building ceremony for His Highness the Ninth Prince." He bowed slightly, performing a half-bow.

Zhou Xing stood up, returned the greeting respectfully, and said in a childish but clear voice, "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Liu."

Liu Quan raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had seen many princes and princesses in the palace. Most seven-year-old children were spoiled and either shy or arrogant when they met strangers. Few were as dignified and courteous as the Ninth Prince.

Although the child looks timid, he is actually quite composed.

Liu Quan had Zhou Xing sit cross-legged on the practice cushion, then sat down opposite him and placed one hand on Zhou Xing's back.

His palms were warm and dry, and a gentle internal energy slowly seeped through his skin into his body, traveling slowly along the meridians, as if performing a comprehensive "system check".

A moment later, Liu Quan withdrew his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness's meridians are naturally clear, and your blood and qi circulate without any obstruction."

His tone was more serious than before, "Physician Li is right, he is indeed a fine prospect. With Your Highness's natural talent, Foundation Establishment should be a natural progression, without any risks."

He paused, then took out a thin booklet from his sleeve. The cover had three neat characters in regular script: "The Secret of Nourishing Qi".

"This is the foundation-building technique commonly used in the inner court. All princes and princesses use this method to build their foundation. The 'Qi Cultivation Technique' is moderate and peaceful, suitable for beginners. After Your Highness has built your foundation, His Majesty or the Grand Commandant's Office will choose a subsequent technique for Your Highness based on your physique and talent."

Zhou Xing took the booklet with both hands and turned to the first page.

He already knew the text by heart, but he still read it carefully, as if he were reading it for the first time.

Liu Quan explained the key points of breathing techniques to the side: how to inhale into the dantian, how to circulate qi through the meridians, and how to focus the mind on the dantian and guide the qi back to its origin.

Zhou Xing closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing according to Liu Quan's guidance, slowly inhaling the first breath and feeling the faint airflow slowly gathering in his body.

At first, I didn't feel anything.

There was only darkness, and the sound of my own heartbeat within it.

Then, deep in my lower abdomen, something stirred slightly, like a sleeping seed suddenly awakened by spring thunder, cracking open a tiny, almost imperceptible fissure.

Zhou Xing caught that barely perceptible pulse and carefully guided it with his breathing.

His breathing was very slow, so slow that Chunlan, who was watching from the side, wondered if His Highness had fallen asleep, but his consciousness was clearer than ever before.

Under his guidance, that tiny pulse slowly gathered, from a wisp to a strand, from a strand to a stream, and finally converged into a small vortex deep within his dantian, slowly rotating and radiating warm energy.

An hour later, Zhou Xing opened his eyes.

His eyes were brighter than before, and there seemed to be a faint glimmer deep in his pupils, a sign that his Qi was beginning to emerge.

The vortex of energy in my dantian was still slowly rotating, weak but stable, like an engine idling after starting.

"It's done." Liu Quan's voice was filled with undisguised admiration. "One hour to enter a meditative state, half an hour to gather Qi, your talent is exceptional. Your Highness's innate talent is truly rare."

He shook his head slightly, seemingly with some emotion, "This old servant has presided over the foundation building for the palace no less than dozens of times, and those who can achieve this speed can be counted on one hand."

Chunlan's eyes welled up with tears of emotion, while Qiuju kept chanting "Amitabha" over and over again.

Zhou Xing stood up and stretched his limbs. There were no earth-shattering changes, no surge in internal energy, and no opening of meridians, but he could clearly feel that his body was different.

His senses were much sharper than before. He could hear the rustling of leaves rubbing against each other in the wind outside the window, smell the mixed scent of soil and osmanthus in the yard, and even vaguely sense the rhythm of spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums breathing.

More importantly, he felt that there was a new "path" inside his body. The path was narrow and dark, but it was open.

As long as you keep walking along this road, you can go further.

Liu Quan then gave some instructions on precautions after Foundation Establishment: practice Qi cultivation for one hour every day at Mao Shi (5-7 AM), avoid raw, cold, and spicy foods, and refrain from fighting with others within seven days of Foundation Establishment, as well as from being exposed to cold or fright.

Chunlan nodded like a chick pecking at rice, wishing she could engrave every word in her mind.

Zhou Xing listened attentively, then bowed respectfully to Liu Quan: "Thank you for your guidance, Eunuch Liu."

Liu Quan slightly turned aside to avoid the greeting. Although the Ninth Prince was not favored, there was still a distinction between ruler and subject.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture: "It is this old servant's duty. Your Highness has already established a solid foundation; from now on, you only need to diligently cultivate. With Your Highness's talent, you are expected to reach the first rank within a year."