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

The second stop was the Imperial Kitchen.

The atmosphere at the Imperial Kitchen was completely different from that at the Imperial Horse Stable.

There's no dust or horse manure smell here, only the aroma of cooking oil and food from the stove.

Meng Gonggong, the chief steward of the Imperial Kitchen, was standing in front of the stove, personally overseeing the preparation of the imperial dishes. When he saw Wei Zhongxian and his men enter, he quickly put down his ladle and came to greet them.

Eunuch Meng was a kind-hearted man who had worked in the Imperial Kitchen for most of his life. He only wanted to live a peaceful life until he retired and returned to his hometown. What he feared most was that the storms in the palace would blow into his kitchen.

Wei Zhongxian's attitude towards Eunuch Meng was completely different from his attitude towards Hai Dafu.

When it comes to Hai Dafu, he strikes a balance between "rules" and "human relationships".

He played the "You can relax, leave the chores to me" card with Grandpa Meng.

He didn't even look at the roster; he simply had his men check the number of people against the list in the Imperial Kitchen.

He then pulled Eunuch Meng to sit on the stone bench outside the kitchen, where they drank tea and chatted idly.

They talked about trivial matters: the market prices for ingredients, the changing tastes of the empresses, and the need to take precautions against heatstroke in the recent hot weather.

In the end, Grandpa Meng brought up a few cooks who had been temporarily transferred out, saying that they should have been transferred back long ago, but he was too old to urge them.

Wei Zhongxian immediately patted his chest and said that he would take care of it and that he would urge Meng Gonggong to do so later.

Before leaving, Eunuch Meng insisted on giving him a packet of newly made osmanthus sugar, saying it was a new recipe from the kitchen and he should try it.

Wei Zhongxian accepted the candy with a smile, and as soon as he left, he distributed the osmanthus candy to his subordinates, keeping only one piece for himself and squinting his eyes from the sweetness.

The third stop was the Directorate of Palace Attendants.

The Directorate of Palace Attendants was located on the east side of the Imperial City, right next to the Donghua Gate. It was in charge of the palace's personnel files and records of rewards and punishments, and its functions largely overlapped with those of Wei Zhongxian's Personnel Department.

Wang Dehai, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, was an old eunuch in his early sixties. He was very senior, but he was soft-hearted and had a low profile among the Twelve Directorates.

His subordinates have been arguing with each other for a long time over staffing issues.

Several chief eunuchs each established their own factions, and Wang Dehai wanted to manage them but couldn't control them. The chaotic organizational structure had been a problem for quite some time.

Wei Zhongxian's strategy towards Wang Dehai differed from that of the previous two.

He treated Hai Dafu as a friend, Meng Gonggong as a thoughtful gift, and Wang Dehai as someone who first showed kindness and then established his authority.

After entering the duty room, he didn't rush to look through the roster. Instead, he dismissed everyone around him, leaving only himself and Wang Dehai. Then, he lowered his voice and said something that sent chills down Wang Dehai's spine.

"Eunuch Wang, while I was sorting out the records of the various palace guards, I discovered that there are several palace servants on the register of the Palace Guards who have actually been released from the palace long ago, but their names are still on the register."

"It was one thing that these things weren't investigated strictly before, but now the personnel review is being personally overseen by Chief Steward Chen. What do you suggest we do about this?"

Wei Zhongxian paused deliberately at this point, causing Wang Dehai's smile to gradually freeze, and his fingers to tremble slightly on the armrest of the chair.

He picked up his teacup and took a slow sip, his tone shifting from sharp to warm, "But don't worry, Eunuch Wang, I'm here today to help you solve your problem, not to cause trouble."

"Let's first investigate how much salary is involved in those vacant positions, and then fill the gap."

"As for how to fill the vacancy, I do have some connections. Listen to my advice: go back and dismiss the person, and fill the vacancy through proper channels. As long as you fill it well, this matter will be over and we can move on."

Wang Dehai remained silent for a long time.

His white eyebrows trembled slightly, and a hint of hesitation, followed by a hint of gratitude, flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

He knew that Wei Zhongxian was giving him a way out.

The act of receiving a salary without actually working can be a serious matter or a minor one. On a major scale, it is considered deceiving the emperor; on a minor scale, it is considered mismanagement.

Wei Zhongxian offered to help him cover up his losses, which was essentially giving him a way out.

"Steward Wei, I will remember this favor. If you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Wang Dehai's voice was hoarse, but he spoke each word with solemnity.

Wei Zhongxian quickly stood up and took his arm, saying things like, "No, no, it's what I should do," his words filled with warmth.

His eyes, however, drifted to the clumps of bamboo in the courtyard outside the window. The swaying bamboo shadows reflected in his eyes like a game of chess that was slowly coming to an end.

As I stepped out of the palace gates, it was already dark.

After a long day of work, Wei Zhongxian's legs ached and his throat was parched.

On his way back to his duty room, he ran into Zhao Gao, who was walking towards him. The two met face to face in the corridor.

Zhao, holding the tea tray, glanced at him briefly, then continued walking, only muttering as they passed each other, "After the Directorate of Palace Attendants, is the next one the Director of the Imperial Household Department?"

Wei Zhongxian paused slightly, but without turning around, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

He told Zhao Gao that the chief supervisor was the most difficult to deal with, so he should leave him for last.

Zhao Gao replied, "I'll wait for your good news," in a flat tone, but with a short pause.

Wei Zhongxian could tell that it meant the director had already investigated the matter.

He stepped down the brick path, secretly thinking to himself: This kid always seems indifferent on the surface, but he always manages to provide the most crucial clues when I need them most.

The tacit understanding among these four people in the Twelve Directorates of the Inner Court was gradually seeping in, like water seeping into sand, silently and imperceptibly, yet pervasively.

Back in his duty room, Wei Zhongxian didn't rush to rest.

He lit the oil lamp, spread out the Xuan paper covered with diagrams of relationships, made a checkmark next to the Directorate of Palace Attendants, and then drew a heavy circle around the three characters "Director of the Directorate of Palace Attendants".

In his previous life, when he was a high-ranking official, all the civil and military officials in the court had to bow their heads before him. In this life, he has to start all over again.

He wanted to draw this circle one by one until everyone knew that besides Zhao Gao, there was another person surnamed Wei in the inner court.