In the thirty-second year of the Taikang reign, on the eighteenth day of the ninth month, Prince Wu returned from his campaign in Suzhou.
The capital city emptied as crowds poured into the streets. People lined the roads to welcome him home.
His Majesty personally left the palace gates and rode out three li beyond the city to greet King Wu's return. A grand banquet was held in honor of the army.
During the banquet, someone brought up the assassination of Consort Qi. Prince Wu slammed the table in anger and said, "That was the work of petty schemers trying to drive a wedge between my mother and Noble Consort Lu. I have always seen Noble Consort Lu as a mother."
Back at the palace, the Empress Dowager heard what Prince Wu had said and praised him: "My imperial grandson truly has the gift of discernment."
That night, Prince Wu and the Emperor shared a bed and talked through the night.
The next morning at court, Prince Wu formally requested that since his father the Emperor had fully recovered, he should resume control of state affairs. The Empress Dowager approved the request and withdrew to the Cining Palace. After twenty years, Emperor Taikang once again took the reins of government.
With Chancellor Lu by his side, Emperor Taikang began to fully assert his authority.
In the thirty-fourth year of Taikang, His Majesty restored Consort Qi's title as a first-rank consort, giving her back the honorific title "Consort Qi the Virtuous."
In the thirty-fifth year, three years after returning power, the Empress Dowager suffered a sudden heart attack and briefly lost consciousness. The Emperor and Prince Wu personally attended to her bedside.
Chancellor Lu and all the court officials submitted a memorial praising His Majesty's filial devotion.
In the thirty-sixth year, Chancellor Lu and the court formally requested that Noble Consort Lu be made Empress, and that the Emperor's eldest son, Prince Wu, be named Crown Prince. The Emperor declined.
In the thirty-seventh year, His Majesty named Consort Qi the Virtuous as Empress Qi. She took up the duty of caring for the ailing Empress Dowager, while Noble Consort Lu assumed the role of overseeing the inner palace on behalf of the Empress. That same year, the Emperor officially appointed his eldest son, Qian Wu, as Crown Prince.
In the thirty-seventh year of the Taikang reign, the empire finally had a reigning Empress and a named heir.
The nation was at peace. The people looked to the future with confidence. The seas were calm. The rivers ran clear.
The Cold Palace.
On this day, it was eerily quiet.
Everyone stayed far away from the eunuchs' sleeping quarters.
Because today, the oldest person in the Cold Palace, forty-eight-year-old Li Qing, was there, breaking through the final major meridian. Once he succeeded, he'd officially step into the ranks of a first-tier expert.
In the Inner Court, a first-tier expert would usually be granted the rank of junior ninth-grade official.
If Li Qing made the breakthrough, he'd be considered a true court eunuch.
No one knew how much time had passed. The gathered eunuchs faintly sensed a wave of dense, mist-like energy rolling out from the room. Then came a soft, clear whistle.
And then...
Li Qing pushed open the door and stepped outside.
"Master Li, how did it go?" Gong Yue was the first to run up, voice tight with anticipation.
Li Qing gave a slight nod.
"Congratulations, Master Li!"
"Congratulations, Master Li!"
All eleven eunuchs of the Cold Palace offered their congratulations in unison.
It had been five years. Li Qing had become the oldest eunuch in the Cold Palace and had more than earned the title of "Master."
Zhang Bai, who was older than Li Qing, was still alive, but he had left the Cold Palace with Wei Yang. Now he held the position of junior seventh-grade steward eunuch.
As they say: when one man rises, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
After leaving the Cold Palace with Consort Qi, Wei Yang had quickly gained the favor of both the Emperor and Crown Prince Wu. For five years straight, he'd been promoted every year. Now he held the post of junior third-grade squad-leading chief eunuch.
The title "chief eunuch" was reserved for those at fifth grade and above.
Of the original twelve Cold Palace eunuchs, only Gong Yue and Li Qing were left. The rest had all risen with Wei Yang.
Li Qing preferred to play it safe, never seeking advancement. So staying in the Cold Palace suited him just fine. But Gong Yue choosing to stay; now that had caught Li Qing by surprise.
It was a case of hidden wisdom behind a simple face.
All the current Cold Palace eunuchs were new. The oldest among them wasn't even twenty.
I finally made it to first-tier…
Li Qing couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
A first-tier master, whether inside or outside the palace, held a respectable position.
He thought back to the past. Back then, Ming Wei had looked down on him, saying his aptitude was too low, that he'd never make it past second-tier in his entire life.
But now, Li Qing could barely remember what Ming Wei even looked like. He only recalled that she had been beautiful.
It had been thirty-two years.
Ming Wei and the Grand Empress Dowager were both long gone, turned to dust.
Time, like a white horse flashing past a crack in the wall, slips by in an instant.
I'm in a good mood today. Let's have a proper meal!
Feeling sentimental, Li Qing sent a bit of silver to the palace kitchens and had them prepare good wine and fine dishes.
As they ate and drank, a younger eunuch of the Cold Palace couldn't help but say, "I really don't get you, Master Li. You've got a bright future ahead of you, but you won't take the chance. No ambition, no desire, and yet you throw yourself into the martial path. And you're fine with staying here in the Cold Palace, just delivering meals and cleaning chamber pots."
Li Qing smiled. "Wait thirty years. Then think back and see how many old colleagues' names you can even remember. Then you'll understand."
It wasn't that Li Qing had no desires. What looked like no ambition now was just him biding his time. For something far greater.
For over thirty years, Li Qing had never let go of his dream of attaining immortality. But aside from the ramblings of Noble Consort Li, locked in the Dingyou Iron Wing back, he'd never heard a single reliable word about the immortal path.
And he certainly didn't believe Noble Consort Li's nonsense.
He wasn't in a rush. In a hundred lifetimes, this first one wasn't even over yet. He had plenty of time. Once he became unmatched in the mortal world, and could call upon the full strength of the nation, he believed he'd eventually find some trace of the immortal way.
The world was vast, and the Great Qian Empire was only a small corner of it.
Just as they finished the celebration feast and Li Qing was tidying up, getting ready to stroll through the Pear Garden, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the Cold Palace.
"Another consort being banished here?" Li Qing wondered aloud, curious.
Ever since Emperor Taikang resumed control of state affairs, he practically turned into a 9-9-7 worker, working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, with hardly a moment's rest. He buried himself in official documents, barely lifting his head, and seemed to have lost all interest in women. He hadn't taken a single new consort into the palace, and for nearly three years, no concubine had been sent to the Cold Palace.
Li Qing suspected the Emperor had developed some sort of work-induced mania. And from the look of it, he probably wouldn't live long.
Despite his timidity, Emperor Taikang was deeply filial.
Even after the Empress Dowager returned power to him, he continued to treat her with the utmost respect and honor.
Although the Emperor now held the reins of government, he was still constrained in many ways by the lingering influence of the Empress Dowager's old allies.
For instance, Chancellor Lu remained the most powerful figure among all court officials.
Creak…
The doors of the Cold Palace opened. Three eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department entered. There was no consort with them.
They were here for other matters.
Li Qing and the others quickly lined up at the entrance to greet them.
"Which one of you is Li Qing?" asked the lead eunuch, dressed in a purple robe.
"I am," Li Qing said, stepping forward. "May I ask what a brings chief eunuch here?"
The eunuch in the purple robe held the rank of senior fifth grade; high enough to be addressed as "chief eunuch."
He gave a slight smile. "First, congratulations. The Imperial Household Department has received word that you've successfully opened all twelve meridians and broken through to first-tier level. As per standard procedure, you're being promoted to junior ninth-grade eunuch. Here is your waist badge."
So that was it.
"Thank you, chief eunuch," Li Qing replied, accepting the badge. He also offered the purple-robed eunuch a silver note.
But the eunuch declined the gift and said politely, "There's more. I have another order to deliver. Just listen carefully."
He then pulled out a scroll bearing an imperial seal.
This was an imperial decree from the Empress or the Empress Dowager.
Everyone dropped to their knees on the spot. Li Qing was stunned.
This...
"By order of Her Majesty the Empress," the eunuch in the purple robe began, "Li Qing of the Cold Palace, known for his honesty, diligence, and loyal service…" He went on with a string of ceremonial praises that Li Qing didn't fully catch. He only clearly heard the final line: "…is hereby granted one Great Origin Pill. Thus decreed."
Li Qing was completely caught off guard.
The Empress had granted him a Great Origin Pill?
That was no ordinary gift. The Great Origin Pill was an elite martial arts pill, a treasure unique to the imperial Qian clan. Extremely rare and precious. A single pill could help a first-tier master break through one of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels.
A martial cultivator could take at most three in their lifetime.
If even one of these pills ended up in the martial world, it would spark a storm of bloodshed and chaos.
And now the Empress was giving one… to him?
And it happened to come on the very day he broke through to first-tier…
With this pill, all Li Qing needed was a few days of proper preparation, and he could open his Ren vessel. And step into the pinnacle.
The Empress. She was none other than Consort Qi.
Consort Qi had only recently been named Empress.
Li Qing had assumed she'd forgotten about him by now. After all, it had been some time since she'd been granted the title. If she'd meant to reward him, surely it would've happened earlier.
But no. She'd remembered.
Back when they had been both in the Cold Palace, Consort Qi had later been looked after by Wei Yang, but before that, Li Qing had cared for her for over ten years.
As he was just about to receive the decree, the purple-robed eunuch pulled out yet another scroll.
An imperial decree. This one was from the Crown Prince.
Another reward?
The eunuch continued reading: "By order of the Crown Prince: Li Qing of the Cold Palace, loyal and courageous, humble yet respectful, steadfast and virtuous… is hereby granted one Great Origin Pill."
"Truly, congratulations," said the purple-robed eunuch with a bright smile. "To earn the favor of both Her Majesty the Empress and the Crown Prince. Such a rare treasure as the Great Origin Pill, and you've been given two."
Another Great Origin Pill.
Li Qing felt a little dazed.
In that moment, he suddenly remembered something the Crown Prince had once said to him. Back when he had been still Prince Wu, just eight years old.
—"Take good care of her. If you do, I won't forget it!"
The memory felt so close, as if it had happened just yesterday.
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress!"
"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"
Li Qing accepted the decrees and gave his formal thanks.
It was truly unexpected.
Two imperial edicts, arriving on the very day he broke through to first-tier. It was clear now that he had never truly fallen out of sight from Empress Qi and the Crown Prince.
After a round of formal congratulations, the purple-robed eunuch departed. In Li Qing's hand were now two Great Origin Pills.
A joyful surprise on top of a joyful day, Li Qing thought to himself, heart full.
Two Great Origin Pills. They were enough to help him open both the Ren and Du Vessels.
The Eight Extraordinary Vessels were nothing like the twelve standard meridians. Li Qing had done the math: with his aptitude, opening even just the Ren vessel would have taken at least ten years of focused cultivation. But now, with these two pills, he'd save himself twenty years of effort.
I don't feel like I've really done anything to deserve this…
Back then, taking care of Consort Qi was just part of the job.
Life really is strange. All I ever wanted was to live quietly. With no ambitions, no competition. And I only managed to live a little longer than most. Yet surprises still find their way to me.
Fortunate, and joyful. Time for a walk through the Pear Garden…
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