Chapter 21: Summoned to the Palace
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
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After listening to Zhu Jin, the Emperor nodded slightly. “Unafraid of power, with a kind heart, this child is indeed different from the other noble children in the Capital.”
Zhu Jin also sighed. “No wonder the Zhao family is willing to honor the marriage agreement. Some of the other children in the Capital are truly outrageous…”
The Emperor just chuckled. “Do you really think the Zhao family would marry their prized daughter to him just because of his good character? This is his way of telling me that the Zhao family will not participate in the power struggles of the Capital. Some people’s influence is already large enough. If they were to marry the Zhao family’s phoenix, heh, I’m afraid even I would be wary…”
…
In the Lin Manor, inside a room, Lin Xiu and Zhao Lingyin were cultivating.
Zhao Lingyin’s method of helping him cultivate was to subject him to extreme cold. Lin Xiu wore only a shirt, his body enveloped in cold air, frost forming on his eyebrows and hair.
Within his body, a force was resisting the external cold. In this persistent struggle, the force within Lin Xiu was slowly, almost imperceptibly, growing.
Today, they hadn’t been cultivating for long when a knock came from outside.
When they were cultivating in the room, no one would disturb them unless something urgent happened.
Lin Xiu quickly dressed and opened the door. Baron Ping’an and his wife were standing there, and in the courtyard, three more figures stood.
All three were clean-shaven, wearing robes that resembled official uniforms yet were somewhat different. The man standing at the front spoke in a high-pitched voice, “Lin Xiu, son of Baron Ping’an, His Majesty summons you. Come with me to the palace immediately. Do not delay.”
Lin Xiu was startled. “His Majesty summons me? What for?!”
The eunuch delivering the decree said indifferently, “We do not know. You should come with us quickly, lest you miss the appointed time and incur His Majesty’s displeasure.”
Lin Xiu followed the three eunuchs in a daze. Baron Ping’an and his wife looked worried. Zhao Lingyin seemed to understand something, comforting them, “Don’t worry, Uncle and Aunt. Nothing serious will happen to Lin Xiu in the palace.”
As Lin Xiu stepped through the palace gates, he had a vague guess about the Emperor’s intentions.
As the son of a Third-Rank Baron, a minor clerk in the Clear Judicial Department, how could he possibly catch the Emperor’s eye? To the Emperor, his only value lay in his ice-making ability.
He had heard the Dean of the Arcana Academy say that in the entire Great Xia Capital, only two people possessed the Ice Arcana.
One was Lingyin, the other was Lin Xiu.
The reason Heaven-Rank Arcana were Heaven-Rank wasn’t just because of their power, but also because of their low probability of awakening. Those who awakened Heaven-Rank Arcana and also possessed cultivation talent were even rarer.
As for why they didn’t invite the more powerful Lingyin but instead summoned him, whose ability had just awakened, there was nothing strange about it. A daughter of a First-Rank Marquis, a genius of the Heaven’s Courtyard in the Arcana Academy, if she were invited to the palace to do such a thing, news of the Emperor’s disrespect for talent would quickly spread.
Lin Xiu was different. He was just a nobody in the Capital. He could be summoned at any time.
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Lin Xiu’s guess was correct. As soon as he entered the palace, a head eunuch informed him that the imperial icehouse was empty and they needed his help to make ice for the palace.
Lin Xiu couldn’t refuse, nor was he allowed to refuse.
Firstly, it was a direct summon from the Emperor, leaving no room for refusal.
Secondly, to a certain extent, it was his duty.
He was a student of the Arcana Academy, after all, and students of the Arcana Academy had another identity: specially recruited talents of the imperial court. Whenever the court needed them, they had to be ready to serve.
These individuals received training from the court, enjoyed the resources of the Arcana Academy, and received a high salary of ten taels of silver per month. They were obligated to fulfill this duty.
Since it was a conscription, there was naturally no payment.
He had been earning hundreds of taels of silver in minutes these past few days. Working for free for the palace meant losing real money. Thinking of this, Lin Xiu couldn’t help but sigh.
The head eunuch frowned. “What? Are you unwilling to work for the palace?”
Lin Xiu shook his head. “You misunderstand, Eunuch. It’s just that my ability has just awakened, my Yuanli is weak, and I’ll exhaust it quickly. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make much ice…”
The eunuch glanced at him. “Naturally, you don’t need to worry about that. Come with me. Once we enter the inner palace, be sharp. Don’t look at what you shouldn’t, don’t ask what you shouldn’t. If you violate the palace rules, don’t blame me for not warning you beforehand.”
The Great Xia court had twenty-four departments, each with its own responsibilities. The imperial palace also had twenty departments, managing various affairs within the palace.
Within the imperial city, the front palace housed the government offices and the three academies of the Capital. The middle palace was where the Emperor discussed matters with his ministers. Therefore, the twenty departments were located in the inner palace, managed by palace officials and eunuchs.
That was why the head eunuch had specifically reminded Lin Xiu not to look or ask about anything unnecessary along the way. After all, those residing in the inner palace were either the Emperor’s consorts or unmarried princesses. Even glancing at them would be considered disrespectful.
Lin Xiu followed the eunuchs, walking through several long palace corridors, finally entering the legendary inner palace.
The inner palace was a different world compared to the middle and front palaces.
Various flowers and plants were planted along both sides of the palace paths. It was early morning, and the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. Many young and beautiful palace maids were tending to the plants. Several colorful palanquins passed by Lin Xiu. As the three eunuchs and he stood by the roadside to bow, Lin Xiu discreetly glanced over. Those sitting in the palanquins were all stunning beauties, or rather, women of various types. Some were glamorous, some pure, each with their own unique charm.
Lin Xiu hadn’t met the Emperor and didn’t know his personality, but one thing was certain: the man had excellent taste, his aesthetic sense rivaling even Lin Xiu’s.
Compared to those youthful maidens, these were true women.
The eunuch beside him whispered to Lin Xiu, “I told you not to look around. Be careful not to bring disaster upon yourself.”
Lin Xiu immediately lowered his head, fixing his gaze on his nose and his nose on his heart, no longer glancing around.
This was, after all, an era of feudal imperial power, and the inner palace was a place of intrigue. As the son of a mere Third-Rank Baron, it was best to be cautious.
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Soon, Lin Xiu was brought to a palace courtyard by the three eunuchs.
A plaque reading “Department of Ice” hung above the courtyard gate. The Department of Ice was one of the twenty-four departments of the inner palace, its main responsibility being to store ice during winter and provide it to the various palaces for cooling during the hot summer months.
Entering the Department of Ice, Chief Eunuch Li explained their purpose. The eunuch in charge of the department looked worried. “What should we do? For some reason, the water drawn from our well these past few days has been exceptionally murky. How can it be used to make ice for the consorts?”
Chief Eunuch Li frowned, personally going to the well to draw a bucket of water. Indeed, the well water was very murky, unsuitable for drinking.
He thought for a moment. “I’ll report to His Majesty. You wait here.”
Chief Eunuch Li left the Department of Ice, returning shortly after. He said to Lin Xiu, “Come with me.”
Because of the problem with the well water in the Department of Ice, the Emperor had issued an imperial decree for Lin Xiu to go to the various consorts’ palaces to make ice according to their rank.
This would prevent the palaces from fighting over ice and maintain order in the inner palace.
After retrieving the ice-making tools from the Department of Ice, Lin Xiu followed them and was soon led to a palace courtyard.
A plaque reading “Palace of Eternal Peace” hung above the grand palace gate.
This palace courtyard was much more imposing. Before entering, Chief Eunuch Li reminded him again, “This is the Empress’s residence. Do not make noise or look around after you enter. Make the ice quickly and leave immediately.”
Lin Xiu entered the courtyard and saw several palace maids and eunuchs bustling about. He was led to the well in the corner of the courtyard, where a eunuch had already drawn water and was waiting.
The ice molds used in the palace were from the Department of Ice. These molds were square, each capable of making one block of ice.
The inner palace wasn’t Zhaiyue Restaurant. Lin Xiu couldn’t directly place his hand on the water’s surface to make ice. He could only place it on the outside of the mold.
This made the ice-making process much slower and consumed more Yuanli. Lin Xiu had no choice. Even if his hands were clean, the eunuchs wouldn’t allow it.
He didn’t know how many consorts the Emperor had. At this rate, Lin Xiu’s Yuanli would definitely be drained dry by these consorts today.
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