From street beggar to high-ranking official

Chapter 83 Following Desire

Xiao Qianzi was truly on the verge of tears. He had done his best to complete his duties at the Incense Purification Office and thought he was finally getting ahead, but then Zhou Gonggong appeared. Now, all his hard work had been for nothing, and he had even spent money on it without seeing any results.

Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities to embezzle money, and it can be made up for later.

Thinking this to comfort himself, Xiao Qianzi was about to reach the door to leave when he heard his godfather's voice behind him: "Xiao Qianzi, you dropped something."

Xiao Qianzi turned around in confusion and saw that there was now a letter where he had been kneeling.

"Thank you, godfather!"

Xiao Qianzi, who was originally dejected, immediately became excited. All the bitterness in his heart vanished instantly. He left the side room, kowtowing every three steps and bowing every five steps.

Lu Lijing watched as Xiao Qianzi left happily. He wasn't a particularly stingy person. It was true that he liked money, but he also knew that if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it.

If a godfather were to use his godchildren at will without giving them any benefits, even the most filial son would become an enemy. Even one's own godfather would teach one how to conduct oneself in the palace and how to acquire knowledge.

Lu Li naturally followed suit.

Learning means enlightenment, but it also means humility.

A person is someone who has formed a complete adult through all social relationships.

Lu Li went from being a greenhorn to a eunuch; if he hadn't learned the skills of those around him, he probably wouldn't have survived to this day.

His learning pace may have varied, but it never stopped. For example, the newly recruited Xiao Xizi was actually valued by Lu Li for his tea ceremony skills. If he mastered them, he could not only be filial to his godfather but also serve important people.

Of course, Lu Li wouldn't openly say that he wanted to learn. He had to maintain enough authority and dignity in front of his godson, even if it was just a child pretending to be an adult. This barrier couldn't be broken.

He had Xiao Xizi serve him tea every day, and Eunuch Lu naturally noticed and remembered this.

Now, he could learn from Eunuch Zhou's methods of spreading rumors and misleading the public. He was eager to know what Eunuch Zhou had said to make the eunuchs of the Jingxiang Division willingly comply.

The night patrols of the Palace Guard have become increasingly strict. Previously, they were just following the usual routes, but with the appointment of two eighth-rank eunuchs to the Palace Guard, Lu Li directly ordered a change in the rotation and routes of the night patrols.

A higher-ranking official can have absolute power, especially since he was the direct superior of two eighth-rank eunuchs. Naturally, they dared not say much, and having heard of Eunuch Lu's bloody methods, they willingly obeyed his orders.

Previously, the night patrols of the Palace Guard focused on the East and West Six Palaces, but now the focus has shifted to the Palace Guard's office. Anyone with eyes can see what Li Lu is up to.

Stimulated by this trend, the strange actions of the Night Palace Supervisor's Office became more and more frequent. Even so, relying on his extraordinary talent, Lu Li was like a nocturnal wandering fairy rat, leading a group of eunuchs to chase and intercept them.

Some people even asked Lu Li, whether it was a test or something else, why Lu Li was focusing on the Jingxiang Division. Eunuch Zhou had lost power and fallen from grace, so why was Eunuch Lu still relentlessly pursuing him and keeping an eye on others?

Lu, of course, blatantly lied: "We're doing this to protect the palace's security. Haven't you seen how many sneaky eunuchs we've caught every time we patrol near the Incense Chamber at night? We think they're just after the chamber pots in the Incense Chamber!"

Lu Li's sarcastic remarks and his reversal of cause and effect were so astonishing that they made one's jaw drop.

Who would remember the chamber pot's waste?

Eunuch Zhou was merely using Lu Li as a metaphor for a vicious dog, while Lu Li used Eunuch Zhou as a metaphor for excrement. This was practically blatantly offending people. Was Eunuch Lu really not afraid of being targeted by a group of people in the future?

In terms of strength, there are naturally many people in the palace who are better than Lu Li, but in terms of investigation and invisibility techniques, Lu Li is also a unique figure. Moreover, his cultivation is getting faster and faster. He previously obtained the "Ghost Shadow Tracking" ahead of time with the help of Consort Wu. Later, after the prince was born and everything was settled, Lu Li went to the Hidden Martial Arts Pavilion to retrieve the "Sunflower Manual".

The cultivation process of the Sunflower Manual was not fast at first, after all, the content of the manual was obscure and difficult to understand. Lu Li consulted his godfather several times and gradually opened up the key points before he could start cultivating.

With his unique talent, he has now stepped onto the threshold of entering the sixth rank.

Lu Li had also researched those with similar talents to himself in the Hidden Martial Pavilion. The Hidden Martial Pavilion only had a few words about this, the general idea being that they were top-tier physiques whose innate divine souls far surpassed those of ordinary people, driving the cultivation and circulation of true qi in a positive cycle.

This is one of the top-tier Qi gathering talents recognized in the martial arts world: Xuan Tai Transmits Qi Sea, commonly known as Transcending Realm Longevity. It roughly means that the higher the realm, the faster the progress, as if there is an inexhaustible source in the Qi Sea.

This is the complete opposite of the usual pattern where people get slower and slower as they practice.

The Miscellaneous Records of the Hidden Martial Pavilion state: Those with this kind of talent, as long as they don't die along the way, will eventually reach the threshold of the first rank and become inner disciples that sects are eager to recruit.

However, the old eunuch of the Imperial Household Department ignored the common saying about innate talent and only believed that Lu Li's extraordinary comprehension, his ability to improve with practice, and his unusually rapid progress were due to his naturally clear inner senses. This is why Lu Li was born with exceptional hearing.

Upon comparing the two versions, Lu Li discovered that the "Secret Court Inner Landscape Manual" perfectly matched his own situation.

Cut off external influences and guard the center; relinquish the physical form to refine the spirit; though the body is crippled, the pulse remains intact; the Qi does not follow the Yang Gate, but shines instead into the Dantian.

Our souls are inherently different from ordinary people. To abandon our physical bodies and cultivate supernatural powers is truly a stroke of great luck!

Even so, Lu Li still chose to cultivate the Sunflower Manual. After all, the difference between a fourth-grade and a second-grade cultivation technique was like heaven and earth. If the Sunflower Manual did not have strict requirements for eunuchs, Lu Li believed that this technique would definitely be a first-grade technique.

"Therefore, our best option right now is to retire gracefully." Having realized this, Lu Li understood the crucial point of the matter.

key.

"Given enough time, our family can gradually break through our limitations. By then, we'll be confident not only against Eunuch Zhou, but even against Eunuch Qian."

Strength is part of one's confidence.

"But we can't bear to part with it, and we can't back down!"

Lu Li originally entered the palace simply to live a good life, but as he continued to improve himself, his life got better and better, but he also encountered more and more troubles.

Moreover, he has not yet trampled others under his feet, has not yet taken the position he desires, and has not yet left the lowly office of the Palace Attendant. Even though the old ancestor, Eunuch Lü, once taught him to "think of danger, think of retreat, and think of change," he has not yet reached a high position, so what does it mean to think of retreat?

To step down voluntarily is simply to admit defeat and lose power.

Lu Li might understand, but he couldn't let go.

Without experiencing wealth, honor, and immense power, even if one understands, one cannot see through it and cannot bear to let go.

Perhaps self-preservation might allow him to make a comeback in the future, but Lu Li prefers to follow his own desires.