Chapter 3: Checking into the residence of the elder brother

Yinzuo slapped his forehead, realizing that he was confused again. Not to mention that these two brothers were no longer considered proper imperial guards, even if they were still guards, entering the inner palace without an order was a grave offense that could lead to the extermination of nine generations. It would be impossible for him to take them in himself. With no other choice, Yinzuo had to call the young eunuch Li Da to accompany him to Yuqing Palace.

Liu and Hai were immediately taken aback, stammering, "In response to our master, we are not permitted to enter the inner palace."

The West Fifth Courtyard consists of a three-entry courtyard, with a main room at the innermost part, three side rooms, and a fairly spacious study. Additionally, there is a not overly large courtyard, adorned with various flowers and plants, and furnished with several stone tables and chairs, creating an atmosphere of elegance. The only drawback is the absence of large trees in the courtyard; of course, there are no large trees throughout the entire palace, likely due to concerns that skilled martial artists might exploit them for nefarious purposes. Despite this, Yingzuo felt completely satisfied, reminiscing about his past life when he struggled for many years without acquiring a single house, let alone the fact that he currently held a stack of silver notes in his arms. Standing in the courtyard, he nearly broke into a cheerful tune, though he could only hum it in his heart, as there was a group of people before him waiting for his instructions.

"My lord, please feel free to point out any shortcomings of mhetushu.com, and we shall make the necessary corrections." Upon hearing the word 'master,' the two immediately knelt down on the ground. How could it be that these two big men became so submissive? After a moment of thought, Yinzuo realized he had been somewhat reckless: during the Qing Dynasty, the hierarchy was clearly defined; he was an elder brother, a master, and the term 'master' was not to be used casually. These two must have thought he looked down on them and was mocking them. Alas, false politeness can be deadly. With no other choice, he had to adopt a master's demeanor: "You two need not be so formal; please rise! I have something to inquire about." Liu and Hai exchanged glances, hesitatingly agreeing to stand up, their minds unable to determine what this young master was really up to.

Two young eunuchs, three palace maids, and two third-class shrimp (third-class imperial guards), this is all the personnel that Yin Zuo has. In his previous life, Yin Zuo had never held an official position; during his student days, he was at most a class representative, merely responsible for collecting assignments. Faced with the gazes of those looking up to him, he truly did not know what to say. After a long pause, he finally blurted out: "Everyone, disperse; go do what you need to do." This statement lacked any authority, and even he felt somewhat embarrassed about it.

Ha, there is a way. Just thinking that I might learn those high and mighty skills, perhaps in the future I could become a masked hero or something similar, made Yingzuo's heart bloom with joy. He wished he could rush straight to the Imperial Guard. However, this matter cannot be rushed; if I go there without reason, they might not welcome me. I need to think of a way for Zizi to let Chen Tianyuan refuse. This matter is not urgent, but how to resolve the Crown Prince's resentment towards me is the pressing issue. Yingzuo pondered for a moment and said to Liu and Hai, "You two come with me to the Yuqing Palace for a stroll."

The child has grown up and is about to fly solo, which leaves Uya feeling a complex mix of emotions—some joy, some worry, and some sadness intertwined. She held onto Yinzuo for a long time, offering gentle reminders and advice. In the end, she gave him over five thousand taels in silver notes, which included his monthly allowance over the years and a considerable amount of her own savings, and then tearfully watched him leave. Although Yinzuo is of Western origin, Uya's meticulous care over the past six months has deeply touched him, and he has genuinely accepted her as his mother. Even though he can still come to pay his respects after moving into the elder brother's residence, the time they can spend together has significantly decreased. Reflecting on this, he feels an overwhelming sense of sadness.

Hmm, why are these two standing still? Yingzuo paused for a moment before realizing: these two have no other tasks, just the work of two bodyguards. Since their master hasn't given them any orders, they are naturally waiting for him to speak. Although these third-rank guards are the lowest tier among the imperial guards, their rank is still equivalent to a sixth-grade official, which is considerably higher than a seventh-grade county magistrate. Even though I am the master, I shouldn't be too haughty, right? "Master Liu, Master Hai..."

Liu and Hai are both descendants of distinguished families, yet neither is the legitimate eldest son and thus lacks a title to inherit. Their entry into the palace as imperial guards is largely due to the glory of their ancestors, along with considerable connections. Of course, they have proven their skills by passing the entrance examination for the imperial guards. They have been in the palace for about three to five years, but first, all the imperial guards come from notable backgrounds, and the backgrounds of the two of them are not particularly deep. Second, their skills are only average among the many experts in the imperial guards, which is why they have not received promotions. Being assigned to serve beside Yinzuo is a good opportunity for them—starting today, they will nominally still belong to the imperial guards and will receive the salary of the imperial guards. However, from now on, they only need to follow Yinzuo's orders and will no longer participate in the rotation of the imperial guards. If they can become part of Yinzuo's inner circle, they will have a solid backing for the rest of their lives.

Two eunuchs and three palace maids busily cleaned and organized their respective duties, leaving only two third-class attendants standing still in place. One of them was named Liu Shuangcheng, a Han military banner man, tall and robust, with a dark complexion, resembling a wild man from the frontier, yet his appearance was quite honest; the other, with a fair complexion and a moderate build, was Haida, a genuine member of the Yellow Banner, his face full of cheerfulness. This pair, one named Liu Shuangcheng, a Han military banner man, tall and robust, with a dark complexion, resembling a wild man from the frontier, yet his appearance was quite honest; the other, with a fair complexion and a moderate build, was Haida, a genuine member of the Yellow Banner, his face full of cheerfulness.

Hmm, moving? After listening to the long-winded words of the old eunuch, Yinzuo finally understood that his carefree days beside Uya were coming to an end—during the Qing dynasty, once a prince entered school, he had to leave the imperial harem and move into the prince's residence. The residences of the princes were divided into the Five Western Residences and Five Eastern Residences of Qianxi, as well as the Three Southern Residences. Yinzuo was to move into the Western Residence of Qianxi, specifically the fifth one, located to the west of the Qianqing Palace and north of the Baizi Gate.

Whenever martial arts were mentioned, Yin Zuo became excited. In his previous life, he had read numerous martial arts novels and watched many action films, harboring a deep yearning for martial skills. He often fantasized about being able to leap across rooftops and sneak a peek at a young lady bathing. Upon hearing that Liu and Hai possessed martial arts skills, he immediately inquired, "Do you both know internal and light skills? Can you fly? Can you teach me, your humble servant?" This left Liu and Hai blushing, and after a lengthy explanation, Yin Zuo finally understood: the two only practiced external martial arts, which were sufficient to deal with a dozen ordinary men, but they were not adept at the mysterious internal and light skills. Not to mention them, even among the talented imperial guards, few possessed internal cultivation. While there were indeed experts capable of leaping across rooftops in the world, they were certainly not many. However, they did mention that Chen Tianyuan, the deputy commander of the imperial guards, hailed from Wudang and was the foremost expert among the guards. He might possess some light and internal skills, but he had never demonstrated them in public. If Yin Zuo wished to learn, he could seek guidance from him.

It has been over half a year since Yinzuo arrived here, but most of that time has been spent in a sickbed. His understanding of the Kangxi era comes almost entirely from the films and television dramas of his previous life, along with some fragmented historical knowledge. He is quite curious about everything related to the Kangxi era. Seizing the opportunity, he adopts a commanding demeanor to assert his authority over Liu and Hai, interrogating them extensively. After a while, he has learned some things.