The rewards would be given out individually and not publicly, as that would endanger them. Ji Li told Rong Xi to give out the rewards as he invited Shanmao Luo into his tent, together with his friend. Shixuan and Qianyu naturally always followed Ji Li, so now there were five people in the tent, two of them nervous about the reward.
Ji Li took out a book out of his sleeves as he presented it to Luo, but he didn't hand it over but asked "If you want to accept the reward, you may take it. But I ask you, are you willing to take a risk and gain something even better than this?"
Shanmao Luo didn't need long to reply "Lord, I have already agreed to join the Ferrarius Town, so naturally, I am at your disposition and will act according to your will." Luo was smart and already understood from the first meeting that the town chief and Intermediate Eunuch were working together, seeing that Ji Li didn't deny, he was even more sure.
Satisfied about the smarts of another person, Ji Li threw the book towards Shixuan as he said "This prize might be attractive to those that would only hope to step into the Talent Refining Stage one day, but for you, it might be useless.
I want to formally recruit you to join not the Ferrarius Town, but to directly serve under me. The rewards will be depending on your work, so you should know what to do."
Ji Li turned towards Qianyu as he thought of something and said, "Bring Luo to Elder Hu and let him learn under him for some time. Luo, you can come with Rong Xi to the capital when I call him forth, that will be the day you show me how much you learned.
To make the comparison fair, repeat the medallion but make it better, how you do that, is up to you. You should use this time wisely, so do not play around with your little friend too much." Ji Li said as he looked at the other bobcat, also a male, but he was used to it because of his past life and also because his mentor was the same.
The friend blushed shortly but didn't say anything. Shanmao was less embarrassed and more proud about himself and his partner, so he simply replied he replied respectfully "Yes my lord, I will be presenting to you the highest I can reach."
Waving his hand, Ji Li send both away with a last comment "Don't spend your time on cultivation, smithing will be more important to you."
Having finished everything about the competition, Ji Li was more than satisfied with himself and just wanted to relax for the time being. Although it might have seemed that he didn't do much physically, the planning took a lot of time and he had to have the full picture in mind at all times.
He couldn't just fully relax till he was finished, and even now, there was one last thin to do. But afterwards, he could practically go back to the Eunuch Palace and report his contribution. He had several plans in mind but didn't say anything and just closed his eyes. Both his brothers attentively looked at the door, as they knew that their big brother wanted to rest shortly.
…
A few hours later, Rong Xi entered the tent. Seeing his lord sitting with closed eyes, he only stood before him a few steps away and waited. Minutes later Ji Li opened his eyes as he said, "Tell me".
Rong Xi naturally knew what he was asked, as he replied "Lord, like you said, nearly all the young masters tried to recruit me. Especially the Yi family was persistent and asked several times, even before the competition ended. I have made a list of all that was proposed.
The Yi family gave the highest bid as they promised to not only give the first place reward of the jewellers competition to me, which they now didn't receive, but they also promised to give me and my Elders the opportunity to grow in cultivation and smithing.
They were very vague and only hinted on being able to receive Nature's Gift, but it seemed that he wanted to give us the opportunity to compete. There were countless vassals under the Yi family, so I guessed that they proposed the same opportunity to many people, while only one would receive it.
Although the other young masters also proposed something, no one swore they would be able to present the opportunity, although some of them might be able to do so. So, my guess is that the Yi family has already received a few warning reports from the front line and are now preparing.
Since they have quite a few smiths too, they might have been given more weapon tasks, which brought them to this guess. Lord, I told them that I needed time to think, but they said that they would leave tomorrow and expect and answer by then. How should I act?"
Ji Li understood a lot from what Rong XI said, but he didn't care much, as in the end, the Yi family wasn't even a high noble family. Naturally, he didn't need to comment on them anymore and just nonchalantly said "Just reject them, there is no need to go deeper into this and burn our hands when there is no gold in the oven."
He didn't care much about this matter, but he made sure that Shanmao Luo's matter was settled, so he explained to him the expectations and plans he had for Luo. From that, Rong Xi understood that in the future, Shanmao Luo might very well be of higher position than him, but he didn't feel threatened as he knew that he would get rewards fitting for his work.
Shanmao Luo was just too promising and talented, and for a beast kin that lives longer than humans, he was far from being at his peak. Even Rong Xi was already 105 years old and barely reached the Talent Refining realm with the help of Nature's Gift.
Strictly speaking, the fruit was wasted on Rong Xi. If it wasn't because the town was truly at the verge of becoming a city and would provide more than enough resources and workers to make up a Nature's Gift, he would've never received it, which was also why he was already planning to expand the town further than a small city and make it worthy of a standing in the Servant Hall.
Shortly after, Ji Li left the tent and drove off with the carriage towards the Branch Yard, he wasn't interested anymore and knew that he would leave the town in just a few days, so he wanted to relax some more time and prepare to go back.
Even if he finished all that he had to do in the town, he would still need to make a short report before he could go back, and even then, he would have to explain fully in detail what had happened and what he did during the mission.
Before, he simply explained that the Steward was punished to death because of bribery, and the Eunuch Palace accepted the explanation temporary, as he still had the authority of an Intermediate Eunuch, no matter if it was temporary.
But now that he planned to go back, he would have to explain it fully and with a good reason, or else there might be unhappy people in the Mission Hall that would make life difficult for him, even if he was let go and didn't get punished.
The Mission Palace was still a major Palace part of the Eunuch Palace's Complex, and the Mission Hall, the core of said palace, had more authority than the Eunuch Ceremonial Hall. The cultural importance naturally couldn't denied, but that was only a shield and not a sword.
Ji Li had to fight on his own, and at most with his two elder brothers, if he had a conflict with the Mission Hall. His contribution might bring him good points, but the main palace generally didn't participate much in the inner fighting.
The inner fighting would only need the participation of the main palace if it went above High Eunuch and was about the Royal Eunuch, which rarely happened, especially in the current times when the royal family was very united.
The Main Palace was where the Imperial Eunuch's resided, and they often were old men that had many responsibilities, as they formed one of the highest councils inside of the empire. Their strength was unrivalled, and their mysterious abilities were feared and revered. They were the reason the Eunuch Palace as calm and steady as it was, as no one wanted to provoke them.
If the case happened that the Imperial Eunuch's became involved, then there would always be a clearing of all unruly Eunuchs, no matter their brotherly feelings for each other. That was also the reason why the Eunuch Palace was the least affected by bribery, and also why they thought that corruption was the highest sin.
Ji Li was thinking of ways to use his contribution well, so that he maybe got some more backing because of his potential and rose up the ranks easier and faster. Even though he wasn't ambitious in that he wanted to reign the empire, no, that was too much work for him.
What he wanted was to experience everything the world had to offer him, and he wasn't stupid to think that was possible with his little cultivation and authority. Contrary to that, an Imperial Eunuch could wander the whole empire and even smaller kingdoms under the pretext of making sure that the peace was kept all around.
If he eventually wanted to visit the empires on par with the Emerald Brilliance Empire, he could also attend as an envoy. He was sure that he would be the only enthusiastic and adventurous Eunuch among all the Imperial Eunuch's later on, so he was happy and gloating his future.