From street beggar to high-ranking official

After the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, Consort Wu lavishly rewarded Lu Li.

Because of Lu Li's words, Consort Xian was actually overshadowed. Whenever Consort Wu thought of Consort Xian's cold and pale expression that even heavy makeup couldn't hide, she always had a special feeling.

Lu Li was naturally happy to accept the reward. Apart from the gold and silver, he was already calculating in his mind how much those precious jewels and jewelry were worth in silver.

Eunuchs loved money openly and vulgarly. They disliked antiques and calligraphy and paintings, and only silver and gold were truly appealing to them.

After dealing with the Imperial Household Department many times, Lu Li already knew the true extent of the premium on these jewelry and treasures. Those that could be sold could almost all be summed up in four words: inflated prices.

No matter how much the merchants boast about those jewels and treasures, they are ultimately just castles in the air. They may become more and more expensive after changing hands several times, but one day, this bubble platform will collapse.

Thinking about it this way, the situation of the Imperial Workshop is actually a return to basics. Regardless of the high prices these people sold them for outside, at least within the palace, these treasures have returned to their original prices.

Of course, these are all things that can be sold for gold and silver.

As for those that cannot be sold... even if you drive the price down to the lowest possible level within the palace, not a single eunuch will be willing to take them.

If you sell off the special favors bestowed upon your benefactors at a bargain price, will you one day also sell off those benefactors at a bargain price?

This approach is tantamount to completely angering a powerful figure. Once word gets out, retaliation will follow one after another, leaving you defenseless.

After fully understanding this, Lu Li was glad that he hadn't chosen to sell the ornament bestowed upon him by the Seventh Prince.

Perhaps selling it won't be a problem. The prince is young and might not remember this, but it's always better to be cautious. However, Lu Li is much more at ease now. It would be good to give that glass jewelry as a reward to the eunuchs under his command as encouragement someday.

For example, Consort Wu. Now that Lu Li has roughly figured out Consort Wu's likes and dislikes, if he were to bestow lavish rewards upon her, Consort Wu would probably not care about the things she could casually mention.

Those things that she cared about most didn't need to be guessed: the longevity gold lock on His Highness the Prince's body, the Qilin pine nut lamp by Consort Wu's pillow... and even Emperor Yongxi's own handwriting.

Even if you want these things, as soon as you utter a single word, you'll be killed on the spot!

Consort Wu merely tempered her temper; she didn't truly change her nature.

Inside the side room of Wendiao Palace, Lu Li was reading and sipping tea while listening to Xiao Yanzi's report.

Xiao Yanzi was a spy he planted among the eunuchs to keep an eye on the situation and prevent any secrets from being concealed from the emperor.

Hearing Xiao Yanzi talk about how Xiao Shizi and Xiao Qianzi were vying for favor, Lu Li couldn't help but smile slightly.

This is power. Now he finally understands why those talented women and beautiful women he had heard about from storytellers used to devise so many tests to make things difficult for honest and simple scholars.

In the past, I thought those talented women didn't deserve the word "talented" at all, because they couldn't distinguish between right and wrong. But now, Lu Li finally realized that all stories are indeed based on real-life texts.

The feeling of bewitching and manipulating people's hearts is exhilarating. Following Lu Li's logic, if you're given the best things directly, you can't handle it. You have to experience hardship, betrayal, and deception first, see the coldness of human relationships, understand the true nature of humanity, sever your innocence, and stifle your arrogance and prejudice...

Without experiencing these things, you will never be able to realize your true value, let alone cherish it.

What is this called? A transformation between wood and wild goose, a change from dragon to snake!

After listening to Xiao Yanzi's report, Lu Li slowly put down the Book of Changes in his hand: "Xiao Yanzi, what do you think of our adopted sons?"

Xiao Yanzi, sitting below, was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Our opportunity has finally arrived!"

Although he had to endure the arrogance and scolding of the other eunuchs on a daily basis, as Eunuch Lu's mole, he had to have the confidence to do this job well.

You colleagues are always scheming and backstabbing each other, but all I need to do is report to Eunuch Lu regularly, and I'll naturally gain his favor! Even though I haven't officially become his godfather yet, I'm already content to be with Xue'er every night!

Lu Li naturally had no idea what Xiao Yanzi was thinking, but looking at Xiao Yanzi's slightly shifting expression and listening to the subtle changes in her heartbeat, he knew without a doubt that Xiao Yanzi was about to play dirty tricks.

"In my opinion, among Eunuch Lu's five godchildren, Xiao Chuanzi is the most diligent."

Lu Li's face twitched slightly: "Most diligent? And most loyal?"

Xiao Yanzi said frankly, "That's me! I'm entrusted with great responsibilities by Eunuch Lu, but I never act recklessly. I work in secret without taking bribes or bullying my colleagues, all to fulfill Eunuch Lu's instructions!"

"Hehehe, that's quite an interesting way to put it." Lu Li was amused. He really didn't expect Xiao Yanzi to be so thick-skinned. No wonder she could say so many lewd things when she was with Xue Kui. She said she would touch him in private, but when she came out, she didn't change her expression at all, as if the touching had never happened. The contrast between her before and after was so great. She really deserves to be called thick-skinned.

Lu Li didn't treat his servants like slaves for nothing. Even in the palace, people knew to give slaves monthly stipends and rewards, yet they weren't treated like living slaves. He took out a glass pendant from his waist and waved it forward. The strange beast on the pendant changed color when it came into contact with the light: "I'm giving you this as a reward. Do you dare to accept it?"

"Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Lu!!" Xiao Yanzi immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly. After performing the grand ceremony, she carefully accepted the glass ornament with both hands raised above her head.

Lu Li grunted, "This is an item the prince bestowed upon me when I accompanied him on a trip last year. Perform your duties well in the future. If you are assassinated in the Imperial Guard, this item can easily save your life."

"I will do my best, even at the cost of my life!" Xiao Yanzi kowtowed again, his voice so loud that it could be heard even outside the side room. When he raised his head, his forehead was covered in bright red blood, without the slightest hint of pretense, truly sincere and genuine.

"Alright, get out of here," Lu Li said, waving his hand.

Xiao Yanzi was so excited that she trembled all over and rolled around on the ground as she left the side room.

Lu Li sat quietly in the side room for a while. Even though he could not read the Book of Changes completely, he could roughly understand its true meaning without needing anyone else to explain it.

Our family has been studying for almost two years and has made progress.

He casually spilled the tea on the ground and used his toes to wipe away the bloodstains from where Xiao Yanzi had kowtowed. Eunuch Lu liked blood, but there were some places where blood should not be left.

After waiting a while, another eunuch entered from outside the side room. As soon as he entered, he knelt down in front of Lu Li and kowtowed repeatedly, in the exact same position as Xiao Yanzi before him!

"Eunuch Lu, I have something to report," the young eunuch said.

There are definitely more than one hidden stakeout!