seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years II

- Age Two to Three -

[Funfact: I wrote this chapter listening to Opera (Carmen - Habenara)]

Hua Jing continued to teach Ji Li more and more, but it became apparent that simple language classes were not enough. He started teaching more and more about other affairs of general knowledge.

To start off, there were the seven classical arts in the Emerald Brilliance Empire, all of them were very respected and had their own standing in the political and cultural world.

1. History, as important as it could be. The only reason one can learn from the past is by looking into it, and without learning history, how is one supposed to learn? The history in the eunuch is slightly different than one would expect from the usual history class. They were mainly about important historical figures and their achievements – but additionally in the textbooks there were explanations to their inclinations in the imperial court, their degree of loyalty to the empire and deeper historical knowledge about their economical-status and lastly there was a binding to their current lineage. 

Truly this history class was meant to not only teach one history but also the political standing of all the royals, nobles, officials, and generals of those in the past to analyse their potential danger to the current politic, yet they also analysed all the wealth and such of those groups, in case any negotiations are taking place in the future, or an alliance is being made.

2. Etiquette is one of the classes which every eunuch finds in every exam. For servants of the imperial palaces, it is only natural to see but only those who behave based on their status. Although eunuchs are above the servants, they still in the end serve the empire and not knowing how to behave could shine a very bad light on all of them – especially the trainee's yard and the inspection palace. 

The inspection palace is divided into three yards: disciplinary yard, examination yard and audit yard. For every promotion, one must visit the yard. In case of misconduct, one also must visit the yard. Lastly, for anyone making audits about their role in the imperial capital, they also must request an audience with the current high eunuchs residing there.

…

As Ji Li was still very young and both Etiquette and History are classes with a vastness of knowledge, he didn't manage to learn anything else during that time. Just the bit he learned throughout the year was not worth mentioning for a eunuch if it wasn't for his age.

Hua Jing became more and more proud towards this protégé of his. Today, at the end of their month-long teaching sessions, he took him again to the Eunuch Ceremonial Palace. The guarding eunuchs were used to seeing them and so was Ji Li. He went hand in hand with Jing that walked intentionally slower and bowed down a bit. If one was honest, it really looked unsightly, but most onlookers were focused on the small child walking around. It had short snow-white hair and shining green eyes that made one lose focus shortly. If they didn't know that every child moving around in the Eunuch Ceremonial Palace was most likely a young eunuch themselves, they would've guessed the child to be a young prince or duke from one of the clans… which wouldn't be far off anyways.

Ji Li followed Hua Jing along the garden path till they arrived in the spacious and humbly yet noble looking hall. This time Hua Jing let go of his hands and let him go in front while he himself stood 5 meters behind always. Ji Li knew that Jing wanted him to present his progress in etiquette, so this time he didn't walk boldly like he did in the first time but went along the path steadily and calmly while pressing his hands together as fists in front of him. When he was just 10 meters away from the pond, he knelt while muttering words "May the Emerald Tree shine forever upon your blessed land, as you shine so shall we serve. I beseech the Nature's Spirit for a blessing, so I may serve you with an everlasting determination and sincerity."

These words were supposed to be said by everyone who arrived at the tree as a formality, which wasn't followed last time Ji Li, Hua Jing and the other eunuchs followed. It wasn't reprimanded at that time because it is but a formality to ensure the seriousness and dignity of every place that possesses an Emerald Tree, as they are the imperial symbol and foundation of the empire.

At this time, while Ji Li continued to kneel shortly after muttering and was about to get up, the tree suddenly shook and rattled. Three pieces of leaves fell, the wind streamed around the hall which didn't have any windows at all, yet it came and helped these three leaves to land in front of Ji Li. Once again, the two high eunuchs who didn't seem to have switched at all the past two years, and Hua Jing couldn't help but be astonished.

This is what was meant to happen when the tree truly blessed a person. Usually this only happened those people that had remarkable achievements, such as defending the borders for prolonged time or officials that worked for the empire their whole life. Even then it only happened to high-ranked personnel as the leaves themselves were one of the most precious treasures. When it happened, it was usual for only one or two leaves to fall. For three to fall at a time meant that the emerald tree wasn't rewarding someone after hearing about their achievements, no it was truly blessing someone with the intention of having them serve in the future.

The Emerald Tree's leaves are a wonderful and miraculous Essence Plant. Essence Plants are one of the classifications under Essence Allure – the Umbrella Term for every and all natural resources that absorbed essence and don't have a sentience. The Emerald Tree's leaves are of course much less potent that Nature's gift, yet they do have the same element – Nature. It's one of the most unique elements that encompasses all seven natural elements of the world. It does not mean that it's above those elements, as all elements are inherently of the same grade, with just different uses. One might think that Nature is a sub-element of the Wood element, based on the fact that the Emerald Tree is of the wood element, yet that's wrong. The Nature's element can be seen in all and every form, the Tree form just being more popular, as the Emerald Brilliance Empire never stopped praising it.

The effect of the leaves is divided in two:

- The first being that it can help you absorb one of the seven natural elements. It would transform itself into a tool when one puts their specific energy inside of it. It itself works as an absorber of said element and at the same time would purify and gather the elemental energy outside the stem. 

- The second being the usage as a tool in the various fields, not as the usual absorption for cultivation but for many fields, ranging from using metal energy to change properties of metals or fire energy to strengthen a smelting process or wood energy to vitalize a planting field.

Because of all these uses, it has been ranked as a rank 8 Essence Allure, being on the level of Peak Essence Awakening stage. It's uses encompasses many fields and normally it could even go above rank 10 Essence Allure's, but it's effect would dwindle starting from there and it would surely not reach the next checkpoint of peak level. Peak-level Essence Allure's are always stronger than their respective Cultivation Stage, and usually have a variety of benefits for the consumer and user, making it not unreasonable to be rank 8 and not higher, as many rank 9 to 11 are essentially worse and putting them on the same ranking would not do them justice. 

...

As Ji Li left after a short talk in the Eunuch Ceremonial Palace, the high eunuchs looked at each other. The previously very passionate eunuch spoke to the other "Yu Wei, didn't I tell you that we have a blessed? You didn't believe me. You thought that he was just another child that was send to us from some clan and that it was lucky to have inherited the clan's bloodline, making the Emerald Tree more inclined to him. Now what is this, if not a blessed child?"

Yu Wei continued, not in the least upset but with some small elation even "You're right. Yu Bao is always better in seeing things properly, how else could we be High Eunuch's at our young age of 82? If it wasn't for younger brother's bright mind, we would need at least double the time! Look at us, having to stay guard in this ceremonial hall. If it wasn't for these old stubborn minds, we would have been able to serve in a palace or lay down everyday without having to do anything!"

Yu Bao frowned and replied "All those old men who barely hung on their life and never have a chance to go further, yet they also stop the younger generation. We clearly have enough of a cultivation to even be generals at the frontline, yet they try to suppress us!" 

Both looked again at each other shortly before resuming their previous positions and quietly meditated with open eyes, clearly still benefitting from the presence of the Emerald Tree.