Chapter 5, unfortunately, he is a eunuch

Hearing Chu Yi say this, Liu Jin smiled and said, "That depends on who we are comparing with. At least with you helping the two of us, we are already much stronger than others"

Previously, the young eunuchs had been recuperating together, and while waiting for their assignments, they were taught by the chief eunuch Wei An to read and write. Unexpectedly, upon entering the Imperial Horse Bureau, their first task was still to read and write.

Chu Yi, Yu Huatian, and Liu Jin raised their heads, and Chu Yi once again saw the chief eunuch of the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office, who had effortlessly taken the life of that assassin with a single move.

In just half a year, Chu Yi stood out among more than a dozen young eunuchs. Even the two scholars who taught them were deeply regretful for Chu Yi, stating that he was a rare talent for learning. Had he not entered the palace to become an eunuch, he would undoubtedly have achieved the highest degree in the future.

Being able to enter the Imperial Horse Monitor is undoubtedly a great fortune for the three individuals

The best places for the newly appointed young eunuchs in the palace are the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and the Imperial Horse Department. However, these two places are not accessible to just anyone. Only Liu Jin and his two companions caught Fan Heng's attention; otherwise, if one were to have bad luck, they might never have the chance to enter the Imperial Horse Department in their lifetime

Chu Yi found that he had surprisingly managed to learn with patience. After all, having lived two lives, once he truly settled his temperament, learning these things was really nothing for Chu Yi.

Liu Jin, relying on his understanding of the palace and the support of his uncle, can be considered the leader among the three. Chu Yi, on the other hand, is low-key and conceals his talents, maintaining a stable second position due to his insights. As for Yu Huatian, it goes without saying that he is the youngest among the three.

This must be mentioned as a characteristic of the Ming Dynasty, where eunuchs held the power of seal authority, and the chief of the Imperial Sacrificial Office was even referred to as the Inner Minister. What is meant by Inner Minister? Naturally, it refers to a powerful figure who assists the Son of Heaven in governance alongside the ministers of the outer court. If one cannot even recognize characters, how could they possibly understand memorials, and how could they assist the Son of Heaven in governance

The Xichang, which briefly existed during the Ming Dynasty and was even renowned for overshadowing the Dongchang, was overseen by the Director of the Imperial Horse Monitoring Bureau, on par with the Dongchang, which was managed by the Director of the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau

Well, let me ask you, are the three of you willing to take me as your master

I initially thought that entering the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office would provide me with the opportunity to engage in martial arts training, but unexpectedly, I was assigned to study reading and writing. However, Chu Yi is very diligent in his efforts

In his two lifetimes as a human, he is very clear that all external possessions can be taken away by others, but knowledge cannot. Moreover, if he does not read or recognize characters, even if a book of cultivation methods were to be thrown in front of him in the future, he would probably just stare blankly at it.

Liu Jin reacted the fastest, immediately kneeling before Fan Heng and saying: "Liu Jin pays his respects to the Grand Commander, willing to face any peril, even if it means a thousand deaths."

Liu Jin, Yu Huatian, and Chu Yi were momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, while Wei An, who was nearby, couldn't help but cast an envious glance at the three of them. He quickly urged them, saying: "What are you three still standing there for? The Chief Steward has supported you; shouldn't you go forward and express your gratitude?"

Under the gaze of Fan Heng, even Chu Yi, who has lived two lives, could not help but feel a bit anxious. This individual, who is able to hold the position of the Chief of the Imperial Horse Supervisory Office, is clearly not an ordinary person. It cannot be said that he has stepped over countless corpses, but it is certain that the number of people who have died directly or indirectly at his hands is by no means small

In a room of moderate size, Chu Yi put down the brush in his hand and said with a wry smile to Liu Jin and Yu Huatian: "You both have no talent in the art of numerology; achieving this level is already commendable."

The young eunuch glanced at Chu Yi and said, "The chief steward summons you, follow me."

Chu Yi and Yu Huatian also realized the situation and hurriedly bowed down like Liu Jin

When it comes to the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty, many people first think of the Eastern Depot. However, the Eastern Depot is generally overseen by the eunuch in charge of the Grand Council, which means that the eunuchs in charge of the Grand Council are typically the heads of the Eastern Depot

With a creak, the door opened, and Chu Yi only saw a young eunuch, a regular attendant, standing at the entrance beside Fan Heng. He quickly bowed and said, "Chu Yi pays his respects to the esteemed lord!"

When there are many people, factions will inevitably form; this has always been the case. It goes without saying that Chu Yi, Liu Jin, and Yu Huatian are a small collective.

It is evident that Fan Heng places great importance on these young eunuchs of the Imperial Horse Monitoring Bureau, having invited two scholars from the Wenyuan Pavilion to provide instruction, and the breadth of the subjects covered is such that even Chu Yi is astonished

If one truly cannot recognize a single character and cannot write a word when picking up a pen, it is unlikely that one could become a significant faction of great importance during the Ming Dynasty

Although it was previously described as a fleeting glimpse, both the young eunuch and the skills displayed by Fan Heng left an indelible impression on Chu Yi

Upon entering the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office, arrangements were made by the chief eunuch. It was initially thought that they would be assigned to do menial tasks within the office, but unexpectedly, they were arranged to study and learn to read and write.

There is a faint excitement in my heart; if I wish to establish myself in this palace and wield great power, I must climb higher. Only when I am second to none, above all others, can I barely avoid worrying for my own life

Although the information revealed by the young eunuch was limited, it was sufficient to at least make Chu Yi understand the reason why Fan Heng summoned him

Without a doubt, Fan Heng cannot stand seeing Wang Yue flaunting in front of him, so he deliberately summoned himself to compete with that little eunuch.

If Wang Yue, who presides over the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, is regarded as the foremost eunuch in the palace, then Fan Heng, the chief supervisor of the Imperial Horse Department, holds a position of power only slightly inferior to that of Wang Yue

Feeling somewhat bewildered, I closely followed the young eunuch, quietly slipping a handful of scattered silver coins into his hand and whispering, "May I ask, esteemed eunuch, is there something that the chief steward has summoned me for?"

Therefore, every young eunuch who enters the palace will be arranged to learn to read and write. Those young eunuchs, such as Chu Yi and Liu Jin, who have been specially selected, will go even further, and may even be invited to receive instruction directly from the scholars of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Fan Heng is actually around fifty years old, but due to proper maintenance or perhaps the effects of his cultivation techniques, he appears to be in his forties. At this moment, a pair of soft, feminine eyes is scrutinizing the three individuals.

For Chu Yi, to be honest, he does not care much about power and influence; what truly occupies his mind is the method of cultivation.

The young eunuch skillfully tucked away the silver, glanced at Chu Yi, and said: "Remember to be clever later, Chief Steward Wang Yue is coming for a brief chat, and he has brought along a clever and astute young eunuch, praised as if he were a flower. Our master has instructed me to summon you..."

Astronomy, geography, arts, and even medicine; it is no wonder that many high-ranking eunuchs during the Ming Dynasty were able to wield significant power, assisting emperors in governing the realm and effectively managing territories without issue

Fan Heng nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very well, from now on you will be under my Horse Supervisory Office!"

A hurried sound of footsteps approached, followed by a voice from outside the door: "Is Chu Yi available? The chief steward requests an audience."

Having entered the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office for nearly half a year, Chu Yi had not seen Fan Heng again, and he did not expect the summons from Fan Heng to be so sudden

However, this does not mean that there were no court eunuchs capable of competing with them. The Director of the Court of Ceremonial held the authority to approve and affix seals, and could be considered as the equivalent of a prime minister.

In this era, there is hardly any talk of human rights; a single action or an ill-chosen word could inexplicably cost one their life

In contrast, there is the Imperial Horse Monitoring Office, which, along with the Ministry of War and the provincial governors, shares military authority, effectively serving as a central administrative body of the inner court. The Imperial Horse Monitoring Office and the Court of Imperial Ceremonies represent civil and military functions, respectively, and are nearly on equal footing.