There were many Guilds in the empire, but all of them had to have either a contract with a specific Palace or were owned by an official. The minimum requirement was for an Official of the country to be the reigning Country Guild Master of the countries’ branch.
The Courtier’s Guild was one of them, in truth it could have been called an empire institution, as it was truly full of officials and others that were from inside the empire, barely a few that came from outside. The only benefit the Main Guild got was the right to import packages from outside.
The empire wasn’t the only one that acted as such, all of the strongest territories acted as such, surprisingly, the Guilds acted like that because they would gain enormously just from the right to import and export a tiny bit, while the empire would benefit from the infrastructure of the guilds.
…
Ji Li soon arrived at the Main Palace, where he had to once again go to a receptionist. Honestly, at this point, he was very tired. He had just come from the Branch, then experienced an emotional shock in the market, then had an audit for his mission, an early examination application and now again.
He had a specific reason to come to the Main Palace, a place he had never visited yet. The reason being that he really had nothing to do at the Main Palace, and unlike some overly curious trainee eunuchs, he was more interested in sleeping during his free time.
Ji Li looked at the gigantic palace a few metres away, standing tall and wide in the centre of the Eunuch Palace Complex, it was surrounded by many yards that were used as the residency of many eunuchs, while the top floors were where the high eunuchs and above resides, if they were not assigned to any other palace.
Walking down the large road, Ji Li went to the left when he was in front of the staircase that went up into the Main Hall. This wasn’t where he was going to go, as it was a place which had ceremonial uses, as well as strategic and management facilities.
To the left were several different offices that were working daily and at every hour. The Main Palace was not a single Palace, although it had a large entrance. It was more like a stretched building that had several Halls, offices and rooms for all purposes. To the right there was a large garden stretched across the landscape for all to wander around and relax in as much as they wanted. It was also the event place where any and all eunuchs can rent some small area to hold an event or meeting.
Ji Li had studied the whole map of the empire vaguely, but he spends a lot of time to intensely memorize the Imperial Capital City’s map. The trainee yard only had the map for the Eunuch Palace Complex and the general map of the other Palace Complex’, but that was more than enough for now.
Shixuan and Monkey only followed, curiously looking all around, as it was their first time entering the area of the Main Palace, which was truly gigantic. None of the eunuchs took a second glance at them, they knew too well the feeling they felt when they were here for the first time. To be honest, none of the Eunuchs truly welt awkward with each other.
Even those that weren’t on good terms, were more like distant relatives you see now and then but you have a feud with them so you don’t talk with them too much besides greetings and eating together now and then, and it would be weird if you didn’t have that one cousin you don’t really like, or that one uncle that is always weird so you don’t want to sit too close with them.
The familial atmosphere was very assuring and comfortable with the orphan Eunuchs, well, all of them were orphans. Some rare have family, but it is normal to not feel close to them even after reconnecting with them. After all, just because they carried you inside of them for 9 months and then gave birth to you, it was nothing in comparison to 16 years of close training and caregiving, which they all experienced in the trainee yard.
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So, who were those so-called blood relatives, if not people that are just a little closer than strangers? If even the random off the mill eunuch feels more comfortable to talk to, then there really is not much to feel about family you reconnected with.
Given the reasons, even Ji Li felt much less cold and indifferent inside the Eunuch Palace, although his expression barely changed, his younger brothers that always spent time with his knew very well even the minute change, so they naturally came to feel the same way and thought of the Eunuch Palace as their home and safe place, the only place where they didn’t need to act too much.
Soon they arrived at an administrative office, which was also pretty large, still smaller than the Eunuch Mission Hall, but compared to the trainee yard, it was truly larger. To be fair, there were several trainings yards, so it wasn’t fair to just say it like that.
Ji Li once again entered the large building that seemed to be part of the Main Palace but also separate. He once again saw a large separating to the right of the room, behind which were receptionist after much space. The reception seemed very peaceful, unlike the Mission Hall’s reception, which was always full and loud.
This place was important, and the usual quiet eunuchs were the only ones inside, so without outside disturbance, a place such as an administrative building would be much quieter. The people that visited this building all had more than enough time to wait a bit, no one was in a hurry at all.
Ji Li simply went to the table and sitting area to his right, which was facing away from the reception and was rather spectating the mirrors and several interesting decorations as well as some books. Sitting down, Ji Li soon saw a servant come over towards him.
The servant showcased several kinds of tea, carrying a place full of them. The tea was still hot, and air was visibly rising from it, so it must have been just prepared. Ji Li looked at the teas, and without hesitation took the dark-purple one.
He didn’t only take it because purple was his favourite colour, although that was a fact that didn’t change from before his reincarnation. No, the purple tea was actually a tea that he had tasted in his previous world too, although it was probably under a different name and the taste was slightly deeper, he still remembered the name it he knew ‘Jingmai Purple Bud’.
It was a less known tea, but it had still many enjoyers. Ji Li took a sip and smiled slightly, thinking ‘Like I remembered, it tastes like half dry red wine. Although the real tea is more like dry red wine, I prefer the half dried more. It gives off a fresher taste, more like a chic lady than an elegant madam.’
They didn’t need to wait long, so by the time the tea was finished, it was already Ji Li’s turn. It seemed the receptionist had waited for Ji Li to finish before calling for him, as he asked, “I hope the esteemed senior enjoyed our Purple Butterfly tea, it is grown in the east wing.”
Ji Li was satisfied with the tea, so he wasn’t reluctant with his praise “It is very well done, I have tasted it before, so naturally I am enjoying it very much. A pity, if it was only a little lighter then it would taste like a soft breeze drunk on a spring day.”
The receptionist was happy about the praise he received from his senior, so he continued the small talk “There are some such varieties, but I heard it is very difficult to plant, and most experienced tea herbalists are either making it for themselves or the seniors, so I hope senior can forgive me.
May I know how I can help the senior?”
Ji Li thought a bit ‘Plant the tea yourself? Yeah, I did that too once, in like high school, right? These were times, when everyone was busy having a girlfriend or searching for one, I had spent my time in the school’s garden, which was basically my own, and planted some tea sorts, the Jing… Purple Butterfly tea too. Maybe I should do it again? But I will be doing it with my methods and make it a totally new tea sort, sparkling wine isn’t a thing here, right?
The purple bud they do is probably just mild or semi-sweet, but I will make it sparkle, although it will also be a little sweeter, for the older men it will be something new and they might feel good and reward me for it. I already have a name for it!’
After being slightly spaced out, Ji Li only looked at the receptionist that was patient, and said, “I have just returned from my mission and don’t have a residence yet, but with the authority of an Intermediate Eunuch, I would like to ask for a medium sized yard. Is that possible?”
The receptionist was very amiable and easy to talk to, much unlike the previous one at the Mission Hall that seemed to be complaining internally the whole time.