An imperial audience, the East Depot's new director

The East Depot, West Depot, and Embroidered Uniform Guard-the two depots and one guard-were all the emperor's personal forces. Though they held positions within the court, they took orders directly from the emperor and fell under no other court institution's jurisdiction.

But this also had a drawback: since they answered only to the emperor, whoever enjoyed more of his favor wielded greater power.

Wan Yulou, for instance, had served the emperor since childhood and was no slouch himself, so he had enjoyed immense imperial favor. After dismissing Wei Zhongxian, the emperor had appointed him directly as director of the East Depot, placing him in charge.

Although the emperor had later realized the East Depot had become too powerful and deliberately established the West Depot to curb its influence, Wan Yulou had remained deeply trusted. He visited the imperial palace as often as he would his own home.

Yu Huatian, by contrast, had only become director of the West Depot through his connection to Consort Wan. He was not particularly familiar with the emperor and had only met him a handful of times.

Still, over the past six months, he had entered the palace each month to report on his duties as required, so the place was hardly unfamiliar.

Declining the young eunuch's offer to guide him, Yu Huatian took the imperial decree and headed to the palace alone.

It was roughly the hour of the dragon, and the morning court session had already ended. At this time, the emperor usually handled state affairs in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, so Yu Huatian headed straight there.

The Palace of Heavenly Purity stood behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the officials attended court. Security was extremely tight, with two imperial guards stationed at regular intervals. Along the way, many young palace maids in colorful clothes moved through the palace grounds.

Yu Huatian passed through the covered corridors, automatically tuning out the maids' astonished, infatuated gazes and the whispers around him. Soon, he reached the entrance to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

An elderly eunuch had already been waiting before the magnificent, gilded hall. He looked about sixty. Seeing Yu Huatian approach, he hurried forward and bowed respectfully. "This servant greets Eunuch Yu."

The old eunuch was named Cao Feng and handled the receipt and dispatch of case documents in the palace. Yu Huatian knew him, but had never paid him much attention. This time, after deliberately studying him, Yu Huatian could not help feeling surprised.

He discovered that the old eunuch was far from weak. His true qi actually seemed to have reached the Grandmaster level. Yet a man like him was still handling such low-level work in the palace. That was rather strange.

Perhaps because his martial cultivation had been too low before, Yu Huatian had felt little awe toward the imperial palace. But since cultivating the Sunflower Manual, both his strength and his perspective had changed beyond recognition. Returning now, he immediately noticed details he had previously overlooked.

No wonder that, no matter how chaotic the martial world had become over the years, the Ming imperial palace had remained as steady as Mount Tai, regarded by martial artists as forbidden ground.

Hidden tigers and crouching dragons truly lurked within this palace!

Yu Huatian gave the old eunuch a searching look and asked, "May I ask whether His Majesty is here?"

Cao Feng replied respectfully, "His Majesty is attending to state affairs. Please wait a moment, Eunuch Yu. This servant will announce you."

Yu Huatian nodded slightly. "Sorry for the trouble."

"You are too kind, Eunuch Yu."

With that, Cao Feng turned and hurried into the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Before long, Cao Feng trotted back out and said quietly, "Eunuch Yu, His Majesty summons you inside."

Yu Huatian nodded, straightened his clothes, and headed in.

Just then, Cao Feng hesitated beside him before suddenly offering a quiet warning. "Eunuch Yu, His Majesty seems to be in a poor mood."

Yu Huatian paused, then nodded. "Thank you."

With that, he stepped straight into the hall.

The hall was vast and open, its floor as clean as a mirror.

Yellow and red dominated the hall. Quietly burning palace lamps and the eunuchs and maids standing in attendance lent a little life to the otherwise lonely space.

Yu Huatian looked up. The first thing that met his eyes was a broad imperial desk piled high with memorials.

Behind that desk sat a majestic figure clad in a bright yellow robe embroidered with golden dragons, a tasselled imperial crown upon his head. Beside him stood a eunuch wearing a black-and-red python robe.

The eunuch looked to be in his forties, yet rather than the soft, affected manner of other eunuchs, he had a ruddy complexion and an extraordinary bearing.

Yu Huatian carefully sensed his aura and discovered that he could not see through the old eunuch's cultivation at all. His heart tightened slightly.

What puzzled Yu Huatian most, however, was the faintly familiar aura he sensed from him.

But there was no time to ponder it. After a brief glance, he shifted his gaze to the infinitely majestic figure behind the imperial desk. He walked forward slowly, knelt before the desk, and saluted with clasped hands. "Your servant Yu Huatian pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Although he was director of the West Depot and held an official rank of senior third grade, such was a eunuch's status. Put bluntly, he was the emperor's household slave. When meeting the emperor, eunuchs all referred to themselves as servants. Never mind calling themselves "your subject"-they were not even entitled to say "I."

Silence filled the hall.

Behind the broad imperial desk, the dragon-robed figure made not a single unnecessary movement. He continued carefully reading the memorial in his hands, as though he had not heard Yu Huatian at all.

The old eunuch beside him likewise kept his eyes straight ahead, watching coldly.

Yu Huatian maintained a respectful expression, without the slightest unnecessary movement or change of expression, and waited quietly.

But unnoticed by anyone, his pale hands beneath his sleeves tightened slightly, while a nameless fire burned within his heart.

So this was imperial power!

Outside, he was the director of the West Depot whom everyone scrambled to avoid. Even when facing the Iron Gallant Divine Marquis of the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa, he could refuse to show deference.

But before the emperor who ruled the Ming, he could only kneel obediently, not daring to show even the slightest dissatisfaction.

Everything he possessed had been bestowed upon him by this Ming emperor. If he dared reveal the smallest trace of displeasure now, the old eunuch beside the emperor would likely cripple him at once-and the emperor would not so much as blink.

To this emperor, all he wanted was a dog that obediently carried out his orders.

Who that dog happened to be did not matter to him.

But one day, he would shatter these shackles and never again let anyone hold his life and death in their hands!

At that moment, Yu Huatian's hunger for power and strength surged to its peak.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Zhu Youxiao set down the memorial in his hands, seemingly only then noticing someone kneeling before him. He glanced at Yu Huatian beyond the imperial desk and said indifferently, "Rise."

The tense atmosphere in the hall instantly dissipated.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Yu Huatian saluted again before rising. At the same time, he studied the Tianqi Emperor, who presently held his fate in his hands.

Zhu Youxiao looked to be only in his twenties, yet he already possessed the majestic bearing unique to an emperor. Still, a trace of sickliness and pallor lingered between his brows, out of place for someone his age.

Yu Huatian knew that the Tianqi Emperor had suffered poor health since childhood and had never stopped taking medicine over the years.

But every medicine carried some poison. For the Tianqi Emperor to have lasted until now, he was likely already strong only on the outside and hollow within. No one could say how much longer he would live.

Otherwise, he would not have been planning to leave the palace for recreation and relaxation while the court was in such turmoil.

Yu Huatian withdrew his gaze, lowered his head, and quietly looked at the imperial desk before him, waiting for Emperor Tianqi to question him.

Zhu Youxiao studied him for a while before saying, "You know why I summoned you to the palace, do you not?"

Yu Huatian fell silent briefly, then nodded. "Yes. Because of the East Depot."

Zhu Youxiao said indifferently, "You must have known about Wan Yulou's death for some time, correct?"

Yu Huatian nodded. "Yes."

Zhu Youxiao's gaze instantly sharpened. "Then why did you not come to the palace to report it sooner?"

Yu Huatian explained, "Your subject learned by chance that, after killing Eunuch Wan, several of the assassins from the martial world had secretly entered the capital and continued assassinating East Depot personnel. To avoid stirring the grass and startling the snake, this servant kept the matter quiet, intending to catch all those martial-world villains in one net before reporting to Your Majesty."

"And are those martial-world villains dead now?"

"They are!"

Yu Huatian answered.

Zhu Youxiao gazed deeply at Yu Huatian without speaking, but he did not doubt the truth of the matter.

These things could all be investigated, and he was confident Yu Huatian would not dare deceive him.

After a moment, Zhu Youxiao asked again, "You secretly orchestrated the East Depot's internal strife, did you not?"

Yu Huatian immediately dropped to his knees again. With a solemn expression, he clasped his hands and said, "This servant would not dare! If this servant had wanted to strike at the East Depot, I could have killed its deputy director, Li Zhong, when dealing with those martial-world assassins at the Great Enlightenment Temple. I would never have waited until its internal strife to act!"

Zhu Youxiao sneered. "So you mean to say that the East Depot's internal strife, and the deaths of all its principal officers, were entirely their own doing?"

Yu Huatian said gravely, "The East Depot's deputy director, Li Zhong, chief officer Zhao Jingzhong, and second officer Liu Xi fought over the director's position, causing the internal strife. Li Zhong was killed by Zhao Jingzhong. Although Liu Xi and Zhao Jingzhong died at this servant's hands, there were reasons for that as well."

"By the time this servant received word and led men to the East Depot, they had already killed Li Zhong."

"Under Ming law, murdering one's superior is a capital offense!"

"To prevent word from getting out, they tried to kill this servant to silence me when I arrived at the East Depot. This servant only killed them accidentally while acting in self-defense."

Zhu Youxiao said coldly, "And how did you learn about the East Depot's internal strife? Do not tell me that was merely a coincidence as well!"

Yu Huatian fell silent briefly before replying, "This servant was ordered to take charge of the West Depot, taking over some of the East Depot's authority. Its director, Wan Yulou, had long resented this servant and had planted agents in the West Depot. To protect myself, this servant could only place informants in the East Depot as well. It was through one of those informants that I learned of its internal strife."

Zhu Youxiao sneered. "Wonderful! I established the East and West Depots and granted you the authority to execute first and report afterward. Yet the authority I bestowed has become a tool for your struggles over power?"

"Yu Huatian, do you admit your guilt?!" Zhu Youxiao thundered.

Yu Huatian did not argue. He calmly clasped his hands. "This servant admits his guilt."

Zhu Youxiao stared at him coldly. Only after a long while did he say, "Do not think that because my beloved consort values you, you can abuse the authority I granted you and run wild. I can raise you to your position, and I can just as easily trample you back down!"

"Do not forget that your authority comes from me!"

A trace of coldness flashed through Yu Huatian's eyes. He lowered his head. "Your subject understands."

Zhu Youxiao said coldly, "This matter ends here. I will handle the East Depot's affairs."

As he spoke, Zhu Youxiao glanced at the old eunuch standing beside him and instructed, "Cao Zhengchun, you will temporarily assume the position of director and take charge of the East Depot."

Cao Zhengchun?!

At those words, Yu Huatian abruptly raised his head to look at the old eunuch, his pupils contracting sharply.

No wonder!

He finally understood where that familiar aura he had sensed earlier came from.

If he remembered correctly, the martial art Cao Zhengchun cultivated was the Heavenly Gang Boy Skill!

Had the incomplete version of the Boy Skill his predecessor cultivated been passed down by Cao Zhengchun?

Cao Zhengchun did not notice Yu Huatian's expression. Hearing the order, he hurried forward to stand beside him, then bowed and saluted. "This old servant accepts Your Majesty's decree."

Then Zhu Youxiao glanced at Yu Huatian and said indifferently, "Cao Zhengchun was the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial who served the late emperor. He has been cultivating in seclusion within the palace. The Boy Skill practiced by you seal-bearing eunuchs was passed down by him."

Just as he thought!

Yu Huatian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Zhu Youxiao continued, "Each of you commands a bureau. You must work together to oversee the realm on my behalf and safeguard the Ming. If another incident of comrades slaughtering one another occurs, do not blame me for showing no mercy!"

"This servant obeys!"

Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian saluted together.

Then Cao Zhengchun turned to Yu Huatian with a gentle expression and clasped his hands. "Eunuch Yu, from now on, we will both be serving His Majesty. I hope you will look kindly upon me."

Yu Huatian gave Cao Zhengchun a searching look and returned the salute. "You are too kind, Eunuch Cao. As my senior, you are someone this junior should learn much from."

Cao Zhengchun smiled faintly, modest and courteous.

Zhu Youxiao said indifferently, "Next month, I will leave the palace on a tour. I leave the palace in your hands. When I return, I do not wish to find any unrest here."

Both hurriedly saluted. "This servant obeys!"

Then, as though recalling something, Zhu Youxiao suddenly asked, "I hear the martial world has been rather unsettled lately. Quite a few martial artists from other dynasties have even slipped into Ming territory. Yu Huatian, do you know the reason for this?"

Yu Huatian frowned slightly at the question.

He had remained in the capital recently and had paid little attention to the martial world. He had heard nothing of this.

Where had the emperor learned of it?

Zhu Youxiao glanced at him. "There is no need to overthink it. My imperial uncle, the Iron Gallant Divine Marquis, visited the palace today. He told me about this."

The Iron Gallant Divine Marquis?

Yu Huatian immediately understood. Though the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa's duties were much the same as those of the East and West Depots, it did indeed know more about certain matters in the martial world.

That was because Zhu Wushi had sent the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa's First-Class Xuan Agent, Shangguan Haitang, out to establish a martial-world organization called the "Number One Manor." She had gathered various extraordinary people specifically to collect intelligence on the martial world.

The East and West Depots, meanwhile, were primarily responsible for monitoring officials and handling matters the emperor could not conveniently deal with himself.

After considering it briefly, Yu Huatian clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this servant has heard nothing of this."

Zhu Youxiao nodded without reproaching him and merely instructed, "Then send men to investigate. These martial-world factions have grown increasingly rampant lately. I do not want anything unpleasant happening to spoil my mood during my tour."

"This servant obeys."

Yu Huatian clasped his hands.

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly. Compared with the Dragon Guard Mountain Villa established by the late emperor, he preferred using the East and West Depots.

There was no other reason: they were obedient!

After all, the Iron Gallant Divine Marquis was, at least in name, his imperial uncle. For ordinary matters, he could hardly order him here and there at will.

"Enough. You may both leave. Complete the task I assigned you as soon as possible. And Cao Zhengchun, stabilize the East Depot quickly. Do not give the officials any more excuses to attack you and leave me with a headache."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand.

"Yes. This servant takes his leave."

The two saluted again, then withdrew from the hall together. After nodding to each other, they turned in different directions and left the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Nothing could be read from Cao Zhengchun's face. He remained all smiles, warm and courteous.

But as soon as Yu Huatian turned away, his expression darkened.

He had just eliminated every threat that could hinder his secret control of the East Depot, only for Cao Zhengchun to appear!

As expected of an emperor. He played this balancing game beautifully!

This chapter may feel a little oppressive, but its main purpose is to show the change in the protagonist's mindset.

To outsiders, he is the director of the West Depot, beneath one man and above ten thousand. He does not even fear the Iron Gallant Divine Marquis. Yet there is still someone above him who holds power over his life and death.

With his current strength, the protagonist cannot yet break free of this situation. However dissatisfied he may be, he can only endure it.

Volume one, "The Ming Depot Director," mainly follows the protagonist's growth from a man beneath one and above ten thousand into the uncrowned king of the Ming.

(End of chapter)