Chapter 22: Entering the Palace Quarters (Support the new book!)

Jade Screen Palace, Shufang Hall.

Li Xu and his makeshift master were waiting in the small cloister outside the hall, awaiting summons from the mistress of this side hall.

The cloister connected to a corner door of the side hall. Both sides had windows tightly shut to block the cold wind outside. A charcoal brazier burned warmly under Liu Fu's feet. The old eunuch sat at ease on a reclining chair, leisurely sipping tea, paying no attention to Li Xu standing beside him.

Li Xu maintained a smile, slightly bowing in apparent respect, but his eyes discreetly roved back and forth over the palace maids walking around. This scenario had been ongoing for quite some time.

A court banquet, even if initiated on short notice, couldn't just start immediately. Even with substantial manpower and resources, the staff below would need some time to prepare.

This was such a preparation now.

At the command of Consort Hua, the entire Shufang Hall, the whole Jade Screen Palace, and even the whole inner palace began bustling with activity. As the one directly decreed by the verbal command, the innocent and highly favored First Attendant Chun could not neglect her duties and naturally had to prepare carefully and make inquiries, hence the waiting for summons for this makeshift master and disciple.

"Master, please calm your anger. I've come all this way. You can't send me back now," Li Xu guessed the old eunuch had cooled down after a while and so spoke with a smile.

The old eunuch closed the teacup, looked up, and glared fiercely at Li Xu, whispering in a low tone, "Let me tell you the truth— that Mountain Cat had only just been sent to my hands. Many techniques have yet to be used on it, so its wildness remains and it barely understands human nature. Now, unexpectedly, it must be shown to the noble guests… If anything goes wrong, heads will roll!"

"Master, don't scare me. If it's that dangerous, how can you still be so at ease?"

"Hmph! You little fool, you know nothing of the world… Well, it's the path you chose for yourself…"

Li Xu's lips parted, but seeing the old eunuch had closed his eyes, he fell silent.

Of course, he knew the dangers. He wasn't ignorant or reckless, wanting to mingle with a group of women who could easily crush him.

But this was an opportunity, the most efficient and seemingly viable opportunity at the moment.

Speaking of danger, would avoiding this banquet keep him safe?

Wasn't being in this perilous court inherently dangerous?

Even in reality, who could guarantee that they wouldn't encounter any accidents?

Rather than fear danger, he feared returning to his previous life at the bottom of society, making hopeless efforts for a faint hope, growing increasingly despondent and degraded.

Danger wasn't a problem, as long as the benefits were substantial enough!

Danger is about probability, but opportunities, once in a lifetime.

Since becoming a broadcaster for Spirit Live Streaming Room, Li Xu had never thought he could easily accumulate from nothing and transform from weak to strong like a tour guide—that was a fairy tale, not reality.

In this first Plot World, he had to accumulate quickly, and right now, the most efficient shortcut was the videos left by the broadcasts.

With just the current broadcasting rate of live streams, it was simply too slow, far too slow!

Look at the current data: instant viewing number: 58,717 people, live room visitors: 13,088 people, members: 0, spiritual power collection: 5.1nt/minute, Power of Faith collection: 0.02nt/minute.

The visitor count indicates the people currently watching the live stream, and honestly, these numbers already thrilled Li Xu.

But even so, it pales in comparison with the instant viewing number. Why? It's because the live room's client is constrained by current modes of transmission, whereas the video left by the live stream can be freely disseminated across the internet.

Honestly, if you remove the gimmicks of "time travel" and "fantasy world of the drama," Li Xu's live content is quite bland, mostly filled with the daily minutiae and observations of a little eunuch.

There was no sound, no story, no editing...

Anyone watching a walking scene for several minutes would get bored and feel an impulse to click away.

Even if these two gimmicks were added, apart from organizations and forces that wanted to study it and benefit from it, how many times could the enthusiasm of ordinary people withstand consumption?

An old man and a young man were immersed in their thoughts. No palace maid lingered a glance at them as they passed by. It was not until Li Xu saw several palace maids carrying food boxes from a side door that the old eunuch ended his meditative state and stood up from his chair, resuming a respectful waiting posture.

A while later, a familiar face appeared—it was Mama Rong, whom they had met briefly before.

"Old Man Liu..."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare!"

Mama Rong looked at Li Xu with a questioning gaze. Upon seeing this, the old eunuch hurriedly smiled apologetically and explained, "This little rascal still has some spiritual energy. I have to thank you for your effort in making me, an old man near his grave, finally have a successor to my mantle."

Mama Rong nodded with a smile and no longer exchanged pleasantries with them, "Since that's the case, you two follow me."

Li Xu, with his head down and arms close to his knees, slightly bent his waist and followed at the back, step by step.

This was his first time entering this palace, entering the living quarters of a consort.

First Attendant Chun!

He remembered their astonishing first encounter!

A beauty, seemingly more remarkable than the actress in the TV drama.

More vivid, younger, and of course, more in line with the public's imagination and definition.

He was about to meet her, and one could foresee, this meeting was also a minor "highlight".

Upon entering, a warm fragrance immediately enveloped him.

The side door was naturally designed for the convenience of daily living and was generally located in a rather private area, so passing through a hall and then through an Embrace Summer, they entered the living space of First Attendant Chun.

The journey was utterly silent and solemn, with many pairs of eyes staring, Li Xu did not dare to look around haphazardly and kept his gaze on the ground, only catching glimpses of toes, hems, and stockings...

Here, the fragrance was somewhat fainter, replaced by bursts of refreshing herbal scents, as if suddenly walking into spring.

The two stopped at the edge of the carpet.

Li Xu quickly looked up and only saw layers of thin muslin blocking the view, with vague graceful figures beyond it, some standing, some walking, with arms slightly raised, or heads slightly bowed...

An indescribable charm, an ineffable elegance and rhythm, like a painting, like a poem, gently flowing, demure yet vivid.

The virtual live streaming interface was constantly behind him, offering more opportunities and better angles to observe and experience all this. At this moment, all visitors in the Spirit Live Streaming Room were holding their breath, waiting, anticipating, excited.

Li Xu did not notice; with unchanged data, the efficiency of spiritual power collection in the live streaming room had actually experienced a very slight increase.

............

A new week, asking for support, comrades!!!