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

Eunuch Liu looked him up and down and nodded in satisfaction. This man was a good hand at chopping wood and carrying water.

He casually pointed to the corner of the dormitory-style bed: "You sleep over there."

Zheng He walked to the front of the dormitory and sat down in the only remaining empty seat, right next to Gao Lishi.

Four people, lined up in a row, slept on the four bunks closest to the wall in the shared room.

After Zheng He sat down, his gaze slowly swept over the faces of the three people beside him.

His eyes were calm, but an indescribable surge of emotion welled up in his chest.

The fleet of 27,000 people made seven voyages to the Western Ocean.

From Champa to Java, from Ceylon to Hormuz, from the east coast of Africa to the shores of the Red Sea.

He had seen far too many things: giant whales spouting water from the bow of the ship, storms tossing the treasure ship to the crest of waves tens of feet high, and foreign kings prostrating themselves in worship under the dragon flag of the Ming Dynasty.

Those magnificent memories are now condensed in this dilapidated and cramped dormitory room.

Zheng He was different from the other three; he was not a strategist, but a pragmatist.

His world wasn't about the power struggles in the imperial court, but about nautical charts, shipping routes, wind direction, supplies, diplomacy, and military affairs.

His proudest achievement in his previous life was not becoming the eunuch Sanbao or gaining the favor of the Yongle Emperor, but rather that wherever the Ming Dynasty's fleet went, all nations came to pay tribute.

When he learned the identity of his companion in his previous life, Zheng He frowned for a long time.

The names Zhao Gao and Wei Zhongxian made him uncomfortable; in his view, their actions were nothing short of wreaking havoc on the court.

But Zheng He was not the kind of person whose judgments were swayed by personal likes or dislikes.

He had been a commander and knew how to bring different people together and how to give everyone room to perform.

Because they now share a common master, the Ninth Prince Zhou Xing, a child who is only six years old.

Since we share the same goal, there's nothing to hesitate about.

He withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes slightly.

To him, this cramped dormitory room was like a ship that had not yet set sail.

It doesn't matter if the boat is small or dilapidated, as long as the helmsman is still there and the wind is right, it will eventually sail to the sea.

After assigning the tasks, the head eunuch left with the words, "Get up at 3:45 AM tomorrow for roll call."

The new eunuchs in the shared dormitory were packing their bedding and talking in hushed tones, creating a somber and oppressive atmosphere.

As night deepened and the lights went out, the sounds of snoring filled the air, but the four bunks in the corner remained unusually quiet.

No one snored, no one turned over, and all four pairs of eyes were open, each lost in their own thoughts in the darkness.

The silence lasted for a long time.

The first to speak was Wei Zhongxian.

His voice was low, with a warm, down-to-earth quality typical of people from the streets: "Gentlemen, since you're all awake, why don't you have a chat? We're all in the same boat now, so we should get to know each other, shouldn't we?"

There was a two-second silence in the darkness.

Zhao Gao's voice rang out, cold and desolate, like well water in winter: "What do you want to say?"

Wei Zhongxian chuckled, turned over, and lay on his side facing Zhao Gao: "Brother Zhao, don't be so formal. We all know each other's backgrounds, so there's no need to hide anything."

Let me be frank. My surname is Wei. Let's not talk about my past life. In short, in this life, I'm just a newly arrived palace servant, like you all. I have some ideas about what to do next, but I'd like to hear your suggestions first.

His words were delivered in a very humble manner, yet his attitude was so warm that it was hard to refuse.

That's Wei Zhongxian's skill; he can make anyone feel comfortable talking to him, and feel that he's on their side.

Gao Lishi sighed softly in the darkness and then spoke.

His voice was gentle and unhurried, like water for brewing tea: "Brother Wei is right. Since we're all in the same boat, there's no point in hiding anything."

However, let me make this clear from the beginning: the four of us had different paths and methods in our past lives, but our goal in this life is the same: if our master is well, then we are well. I think you all understand this principle.

When he said the word "master," his tone was very natural, as if he were saying something that was perfectly natural.

This is the biggest difference between Gao Lishi and the other three. Zhao Gao and Wei Zhongxian treated their masters as stepping stones, Zheng He treated his masters as a faith, while Gao Lishi treated serving his masters as a skill that required a lifetime of mastery.

Zheng He's voice rang out immediately, steady as an anchor sinking into water: "I agree with Brother Gao. We are currently of low status and our cultivation is not up to rank, so there is nothing we can do."

The most important thing is to gain a foothold in the Imperial Household Department and climb the ranks based on one's own abilities.

As for each other, you all surely know my character, Zheng He; I disdain playing dirty tricks.

We can compete, but let's not sabotage each other. Sabotage benefits no one.

Zhao Gao chuckled silently in the darkness.

Just as Zheng He had predicted, he was upright, open-minded, and a man you could trust.

But precisely because he is so upright and honest, there are some things he might not be able to do, or be willing to do, in the darker corners of life.

"You are all right," Zhao Gao finally spoke, his voice still cold and indifferent, but with a subtle hint in his tone.

"However, I would like to add that, in our current position, as menial eunuchs at the very bottom of the Imperial Household Department, we really can't do anything."

But precisely because we can't do anything, nobody pays attention to us. This is both a disadvantage and an advantage.

He paused, his slender eyes narrowing slightly in the darkness, like a hunter estimating the distance to his prey.

"The Imperial Household Department is the central institution of the Great Zhou court, in charge of all palace affairs. From the procurement of food and the management of the storerooms to the allocation of palace servants and the repair of utensils, everything passes through the Imperial Household Department. What does this mean?"

"This means that the Imperial Household Department is an essential route for the flow of supplies, personnel, and communication within the entire palace."

Zhao Gao lowered his voice even further, like a snake slithering through the grass, "We are now the lowest-ranking servants, but servants have their advantages. We can walk around without anyone giving us a second glance."

"Sweeping the floor can lead to the window of the Imperial Study; emptying the chamber pot can lead to the back of the concubines' side halls; chopping wood can lead to the conversations in the kitchen. These may seem insignificant, but they are all sources of information."

Wei Zhongxian understood, his eyes lit up, and he grinned: "Brother Zhao, do you mean we should first prick up our ears and open our eyes wide to figure out the ins and outs of this palace?"

"Not only that," Zhao Gao said. "Just listening and watching isn't enough; we also need to move to the key positions."

"Even servants are divided into different ranks. Kitchen servants can handle the oil and grease that are purchased, storeroom servants can handle the utensils of various palaces, and servants who serve the masters are no longer called servants, but close attendants."

"Our goal is not to be a menial servant for life, but to use menial jobs as a springboard to jump to a position where we can access the core."

Gao Lishi was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Brother Zhao's words hit the nail on the head. However, there are different paths to advancement for everyone, and there can be no one-size-fits-all approach."

"Different managers have different temperaments and will have different opportunities. I think Manager Liu likes to hear nice things, but he is cautious at heart. He will be wary of anyone who is too smart or outstanding."

"So one can't be too clever," Wei Zhongxian continued, a hint of smugness in his voice. "Did you gentlemen think my demeanor today was a bit too obsequious?"

"Flattery is the way to go. Under a manager who cares about his reputation, the more flattering you are, the more incompetent he will think you are, and the less he will see you as a threat."

"When you become his confidant and he is willing to entrust you with everything, that's when you'll truly start doing things."

Zhao Gao nodded slightly in the darkness.

Although Wei Zhongxian was a man of humble origins, he was truly adept at judging people and treating them accordingly.

In his previous life, he was able to climb from a street ruffian to the position of the Ninth Prince by virtue of his talent for speaking to people in a way that suited them.