The sky was nearly black when Qiu Ji hurriedly climbed down from his sedan, clutching a brocade box as he rushed toward the imperial treasury.
After the guards outside the first gate verified his identity, he quickened his pace and entered the inner chamber. From a distance, he began apologizing. "Lord Jiang, I'm truly sorry to have kept you waiting! I had to request permission and obtain the necessary documents in the palace, which took quite some time. I've only just arrived!"
He was one of the eight Drafting Eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial, and his standing in the palace was no lower than that of the eight Attendant Eunuchs. Only someone of such rank was qualified to carry the key to the imperial treasury.
He was no match for Han Ling, the Seal-Holding Eunuch, but he was still a high-ranking figure among the palace eunuchs.
Apologizing as soon as they met and explaining in just a few words why he had arrived late—he clearly knew how to handle things.
Strictly speaking, the palace eunuch system had nothing to do with the officials outside the palace, and he needn't have been so courteous to a Green Badge official of the fourth rank. But the title "Prodigy of the Nation" was hard to ignore; the man might rise to any position in the future.
The treasury guards had seen it all before. Whatever they thought, they kept to themselves.
Jiang Wang emerged from his visualization of the Fire Realm Art, free of any irritation from waiting all afternoon. Smiling, he said, "It's no trouble. I know these procedures can take quite a while."
The eunuch before him was somewhat slight in build, but his features were gentle and his complexion ruddy. His cultivation was likely impressive, and his standing in