Chapter 8, The Royal Secret Collection

With a faint glance at Chen Du, Chu Yi said: "Everyone else can disperse. Chen Du, take me on a tour of the Imperial Historical Archives and introduce me to the situation here."

As he walked in front of a row of bookshelves, Chu Yi's footsteps involuntarily came to a halt, and his gaze was unconsciously drawn to the books on the shelf

Rows of steel frames are densely arranged with various categorized scrolls.

The Imperial Historical Office, regardless of its size, is still a department, is it not? If one cannot even manage this small Imperial Historical Office, it is likely that Fan Heng would be greatly disappointed in him.

What?

The Imperial Historical Archives is not particularly large, typically staffed by only six eunuchs. Two of the older eunuchs appear to be around fifty or sixty years old, while the four younger eunuchs are in their teens.

As Chu Yi placed the secret manual on the bookshelf, Chen Du took out a yellowed scroll from a corner and said to Chu Yi, "If the person in charge is interested, you might as well practice this technique."

Chuyi paid a little attention to these, many of which are classics that ordinary people would definitely not have access to

One cannot help but notice that although the Imperial Archives may appear small, it houses a considerable number of secret scrolls

Taking a deep breath, Chu Yi looked at Yu Huatian with a serious expression and said: "Xiao Tianzi, Liu Jin has been valued by Lord Wang Yue and taken to the Imperial Ritual Office. I, Chief Steward Meng, have taken a liking to him and sent him to manage the Imperial Archives. You must take good care of yourself in the future."

For certain books that threaten their dominant position or are particularly rare, they often prohibit external circulation while allowing internal use

Yu Huatian looked at Chu Yi with gratitude

With a slight nod, Chu Yi entered the Imperial Archives, surveying his surroundings as he said, "Why don't each of you introduce yourselves?"

The Qin Dynasty constructed the Golden Treasury Stone Chamber, the Han Dynasty built the Tianlu Pavilion, the Shiqu Pavilion, and the Qilin Pavilion, and by the time of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court established the Wenyuan Pavilion to house books from around the world

The location of the Imperial Historical Archives is quite remote, with few buildings in the vicinity, and even the courtyards are considerably sparse

Chen Du pointed to a row of bookshelves in front of him and said, "Your Excellency, this area contains the royal secret archives. Without His Majesty's decree, no one is permitted to browse through them"

Chu Yi was taken aback. Looking at Chen Du's age, which was around fifty or sixty, it meant that Chen Du might have entered the Imperial Archives at around the age of ten, and had stayed there for a lifetime

However, Chu Yi need not worry, after all, he is the chief eunuch appointed by Fan Heng, and within the Imperial Archives, he holds the highest position

We respectfully welcome the esteemed person in charge

Han Chao led a few young eunuchs to quietly withdraw, and Chen Du said to Chu Yi: "Master in charge, please follow me."

Rain Huatian, who was standing by, was somewhat taken aback. After the two young eunuchs went out, he finally reacted, glancing at Chu Yi and then at his brand new attire, and suddenly screamed, "Chief Eunuch, you have actually become the Chief Eunuch!"

Chu Yi checked and found no issues with the clothes. He nodded at the two young eunuchs and said, "Thank you both for your efforts"

If a mere few individuals cannot be managed, then do not expect to fear even higher powers or to wield greater authority

Lord Chu, this is the standard attire for the eunuchs in charge assigned by the palace. Please take a look and see if there are any issues. If there are none, we shall take our leave.

Certainly, to subdue these eunuchs, it will depend on whether he possesses the necessary means

However, the collection held by the Imperial Archives is a royal secret that is not open to the public

Throughout history, emperors have placed great importance on the construction of libraries, acquiring secret collections extensively and gathering rare manuscripts. Regardless of whether they are extraordinary books, strange texts, unusual writings, secret books, or interesting works, as well as forgeries, all types of unofficial histories, legends, esoteric knowledge, and texts on health and wellness, as well as supernatural and fantastical tales, have been meticulously collected and kept for personal use

Chen Du led Chu Yi to an area where the Imperial Shrine was constructed from massive stones, with a steel framework inside. Unless there was a fire set within, it would be very difficult for a fire to occur given the location of the Imperial Shrine

Upon examining the bookshelf, there are at least forty to fifty types of the Seventy-Two Unique Skills of Shaolin, while the Wudang Sect boasts more than a dozen martial arts, including the "Taijiquan Classic"

There is no need to introduce Chu Yi; I believe that he has already been thoroughly investigated by these eunuchs since he was appointed to oversee the Imperial Archives. However, he knows nothing about these eunuchs.

Fan Heng sent him to the Imperial Historical Archives, and it was not without the intention of testing him. As for whether there are any other ulterior motives, at least for now, Chu Yi cannot discern them.

Chu Yi suppressed the excitement within him, casually took it over, flipped it open, and roughly scanned through it. As expected from what Chen Du had said, only a few pieces remained, including the Nine Yin Manual, the Muscle and Bone Transformation Technique, and the Great Demon Subduing Fist Technique.

Upon seeing these eunuchs, Chu Yi's face took on a solemn expression. He was not very old, with a youthful appearance that made it difficult to command respect. Therefore, he chose to speak as little as possible and observe more, for otherwise, it would be easy for others to see through him.

Continuing to the next section, this collection of scrolls appeared to have many imperfections. After a brief glance, Chu Yi could ascertain that what was stored here were secret scrolls on astronomy, numerology, craftsmanship, and military strategy

Upon taking office, Chu Yi arrived at the Imperial Archives, where he saw several eunuchs respectfully welcoming him at the entrance.

The "Water Classic Commentary", "Tai Gong's Secret Method", "The Art of War by Sun Tzu", "The Legacy of Wu Mu", "Xu Da's Military Treatise", "The Mechanisms of the Mohist School", and many other secret scrolls from the outside world that have long been lost.

Note down the names of several individuals, as it is evident that a few eunuchs are subtly led by the two elderly eunuchs, Chen Du and Han Chao

With a decree from Fan Heng, Chu Yirong was promoted to the chief eunuch in charge of the Imperial Historical Archives, making him the most significant figure in the archives.

Chen Du said calmly: "It has been fifty years and three months!"

As Chen Du casually picked up a scroll of scriptures, Chu Yi's eyes lit up; this was actually the "Nine Yin Manual".

Chu Yi patted Yu Huatian on the shoulder and said, "Rest assured, as long as there is an opportunity, I will definitely help you"

Unlike other buildings within the imperial palace, this Imperial Archives is constructed entirely of massive stones, built by the Ming Dynasty in imitation of the Qin and Han dynasties

It is evident that this garment is the attire of the chief eunuch. Although the style may appear similar, both the craftsmanship and the fabric are superior to the clothing they are currently wearing.

Chen Du glanced at Chu Yi and said: "What is collected here are the martial arts manuals of various sects in the martial world, many of which have been lost to the world for over a hundred years."

However, since Shaolin and Wudang are major sects in the world, they naturally do not dare to confront the imperial court. All it takes is an edict from the Son of Heaven, and regardless of their willingness, they must obediently present their own martial arts techniques.

Two elderly eunuchs exchanged glances, and one of them hoarsely said: "I am Chen Du, an old servant. This is Han Chao, and these are Wang Zheng, Zhao Ming, Chu Fang, and Du Qian."

Chu Yi glanced over and nodded slightly; it goes without saying that what is recorded here must be the royal secret history. As for these matters, Chu Yi truly had no interest.

On the shelves, there are rows filled with Buddhist scriptures, and even an entire set of the ancient Song Dynasty royal collection known as the "Daozang" is included among them

Chen Du said: "This is akin to this volume of the Nine Yin Manual, which is said to have been authored by Huang Chang of the early Song Dynasty; however, it is now incomplete, with only a portion of it remaining."

The secret scrolls of the genre of gods and demons indeed exist, encompassing various topics such as techniques of the bedroom and alchemy, which can be described as a diverse array of subjects

Chu Yi said: "Chen Du, how long have you been in the Imperial Archives?"

After spending more than half a year together, coupled with Chu Yi's conscious efforts to win him over, there is indeed some affection between them. Yu Huatian could not help but sigh, saying: "Both of you brothers are soaring to great heights, yet I do not know when I will be able to stand out myself"