I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

All-knowing Supervisor.

The lanterns burned brightly, a sign of heightened alertness.

When the Imperial City Gate suffered an assault by the soldiers, Eunuch Zhu immediately relayed the message to his subordinates, congregating here awaiting further news.

A failed rebellion was naturally a good thing.

If someone had succeeded, Eunuch Zhu would have to lead his men in pledging loyalty.

The eunuchs cried loyalty to His Majesty every day, not referring to Emperor Hongwu, but to whoever sat on the dragon throne.

...

Around midnight.

The spy eunuch returned with good news, the second prince’s rebellion had failed, and he had been captured and taken to Yangxin Hall.

“This is truly excellent news!”

Eunuch Zhu, with a raised little finger and a smile on his face, said, “We even prepared a silver note, planning to send it to Eunuch Xu in a few days, but now we can save it.”

The adopted son at his side flattered, “It’s Prince of Chu’s turn next in line, so Eunuch Xu should be sending silver to godfather!”

“Foolish!”

Eunuch Zhu cackled, “If Eunuch Xu dies, all his silver will belong to us.”

Just as they spoke.

A voice came from outside the hall: “Little Yi, I come to pay my respects to Eunuch Zhu.”

“Oh my, there are indeed many clever people in this world!”

Eunuch Zhu waved his hand, instructing the guarding eunuch to open the doors and let Zhou Yi in, while he spoke in a deliberately eerie tone.

“Isn’t this Eunuch Yi? What brings you here so late?”

“Eunuch Zhu, I beg you to show me a way out.”

Zhou Yi knelt down with a thump, not beating around the bush, and took out a stack of silver notes from his robe: “I am at odds with Eunuch Xu and wish to join under Eunuch Zhu, ready to serve at your command!”

Eunuch Zhu nodded slightly, and the adopted son eagerly counted the silver notes, one by one.

“Godfather, three thousand five hundred taels.”

“Not bad, not bad, shows sincerity!”

Eunuch Zhu stuffed the silver notes into his sleeve, estimating them to be most of Zhou Yi’s savings, and pleased, he said, “You’re quite shrewd, boy. You were underused under Eunuch Xu. From now on, you’re my adopted son.”

“Thank you, godfather!”

Zhou Yi bowed repeatedly, a weight lifted from his heart.

He stood behind Eunuch Zhu, bending over and cautiously making nice with the other eunuchs, affectionately calling each ‘brother.’ Even among adopted sons, there’s an order of closeness and distance.

Later in the night.

The clamor within the palace gradually subsided.

News came from Yangxin Hall that Emperor Hongwu, furious with the second prince, fainted from anger and eventually stripped the prince of his title, demoting him to a commoner.

This seemed like the end of the turmoil, but in reality, it was just the beginning!

The second prince had been only a step away from the throne, and many supporters within the palace and the court would see their futures buried due to his folly.

In the outer court, they spent silver to curry favor; within the palace, they spent silver to save their lives.

“Indeed, silver is the most reliable thing!”

Zhou Yi thought this, and his hatred for the second prince grew. If it weren’t for his lunacy, there would have been no need to spend all those silver notes.

Others make mistakes, yet our house pays the price!

A deep grudge was etched in his heart, a debt he intended to reclaim tenfold someday.

Several days later.

Eunuch Xu, for falsifying accounts and defrauding the Internal Affairs Department of silver, was stripped of his official post and his family wealth confiscated. As the emperor’s servant, he avoided trial and sentencing by the Three Judicial Offices.

A white silk ended his life.

Eunuch Xu wasn’t the only casualty; Xiaoyunzi also met with an accident that same night, dying from drowning in a well,

The other adopted sons, one after another, either made mistakes while on duty or were caught in bribery scandals, some relegated to less desirable tasks like burning incense or cleaning latrines, others dragged out and executed by gunshot.

“Luckily, we were prepared in advance!”

Zhou Yi was quietly congratulating himself when a transfer order came, moving him from guard duty at the Imperial Garden to the Cold Palace.

“The Cold Palace? What’s going on?”

Zhou Yi, looking utterly baffled, received the reassignment and came to the Capital Patrol to seek an audience with his new patron, Eunuch Zhu.

“Little Yi, I did my best for you,”

Eunuch Zhu spoke in a tone neither warm nor cold, “You were the right-hand man of Eunuch Xu. It cost me quite a few favors to commute your sentence from execution to guarding the Cold Palace!”

“Thank you, patron.”

Zhou Yi repeatedly kowtowed, thanking the ancestors of Eunuch Zhu.

Eunuch Xu had nothing to do with conspiracy; his adopted son was even less implicated, a ripple of a ripple. A word from any eunuch of status could have averted revenge from other palace servants.

There were plenty in the palace who took money and did nothing. Eunuch Zhu, usually so meticulous, defied expectations by failing to keep his word this time.

Left with no choice, Zhou Yi accepted the reassignment.

He returned to his quarters, frustrated.

When Xiao Gui saw Zhou Yi packing his belongings, he asked in surprise, “Eunuch Yi, where are you planning to move to?”

“The Cold Palace!”

Zhou Yi replied irritably. The Cold Palace was the bottom of the bottom in the palace, usually devoid of living souls. Occasionally, it housed a noble person, but that was always a consort who had fallen out of favor.

A flash of smugness crossed Xiao Gui’s eyes. Using the excuse that Eunuch Wen was unhappy, he had sent silver to Eunuch Zhu. On the surface, he didn’t show the slightest sentiment, and comforted Zhou Yi, saying,

“Eunuch Yi is highly capable, and you will certainly come out of the Cold Palace one day.”

“Perhaps.”

Zhou Yi gave Xiao Gui a sidelong glance. He didn’t know who was sabotaging him from behind, so he made a mental note of all the palace servants he was acquainted with.

Once he gained power, whether or not Xiao Gui was involved, he would throw them all into a well to drown!

…

The Cold Palace.

It was not named for its chill, but rather a palace without a signboard on the west side of the Imperial Palace, specially meant for secretly investigating concubines and princes who had fallen from grace.

Zhou Yi, carrying his bag, approached the entrance of the Cold Palace.

An elderly eunuch stood at the door, his frame trembling as if he might collapse at any moment.

The old eunuch asked, “Are you the new guard?”

“Pleased to meet you, sir. You can just call me Little Yi,” said Zhou Yi as he adjusted his mindset, comforting himself with the prospect of a long life ahead and the eventual opportunity to rise. Bending forward, he inquired, “Could you tell me where I should stand guard?”

“I’m Little Deer, you can call me Old Deer, I’m not worthy of ‘sir,'” said the old eunuch, pointing towards the interior of the Cold Palace, “According to the rules, you’re supposed to stand at the entrance of the building to prevent anyone inside from sneaking out. Since there’s no one in the palace now, you can find your own spot to stand guard.”

The Cold Palace had six rooms, each capable of isolating six individuals, but all were currently empty.

Zhou Yi nodded in agreement, inquired about the living quarters of the palace servants within the Cold Palace, and upon entering, found the bedding covered in spider webs and discolored with rings of dingy stains.

If he had been a refugee back then, he wouldn’t have minded.

After years in the palace, he had gradually become fond of cleanliness and, covering his nose and mouth, he washed the bedding himself.

Normally the task of cleaning bedding belonged to the tailoring department’s helpers, but as the status of the Cold Palace’s eunuchs was so low, no one would condescend to help. Zhou Yi thus spared himself the humiliation of asking for assistance.

In the palace, the servants would either suck up or kick down, it was almost instinctive!

After drying the bedding, nightfall approached.

Zhou Yi had intended to go to the communal kitchen for a meal, but then a palace servant brought him a meal box, and only then did he realize that those in the Cold Palace needed to keep constant watch over the prisoners and could not afford any lapses in attention.

“Isn’t this just like being imprisoned myself? I must find a way to leave the Cold Palace,”

Zhou Yi thought to himself, determined to demonstrate his skills to the Emperor once the Epiphyllum Treasure Tome was perfected.

A degree of power won by one’s own fist was far more reliable than seeking patronage!

The next day.

Zhou Yi casually picked a room and stood outside the door for the entire day, only conversing with Old Deer when he swept and took naps, as well as with the palace servant who delivered his meals.

“Old Deer, how can you endure such tedium?”

“Young man, you are too impatient. What’s so bad about the Cold Palace?”

Old Deer spread the bedding on the steps, making a soft bed, and lay on it to bask in the sun.

“Everywhere else, people scheme and fight every day; only the Cold Palace is strife-free and peaceful—there is food, drink, and sleep; it’s surely the only pure land in the palace.”

“Living here securely for a lifetime is already a victory over ninety-nine percent of the world!”

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