Chapter 1024: The First Signs Unfold
As Chen Jianchou stepped out of the tunnel, he was stunned by what lay before him.
It was a vast underground hall, carved from a natural cavern and later refined into a circular floor, with seven separate tunnels leading into it, including the one he had just exited.
Chen Jianchou’s heart pulsed in alarm.
The case file had been explicit that the seven chief eunuchs had died suddenly. Now, there were seven tunnels. Thus, he had reason to believe that the other six tunnels must each lead to the tombs of the other six eunuchs.
Unlike the Great Xuan Court, the Yu Kingdom had inherited the old Wei Dynasty system in full, retaining the complete eunuch hierarchy of the inner court. The eunuchs were divided into 24 departments. Those who held the seals of these departments were known as chief eunuchs. Subordinate to them were their deputies, scribes, and those working in the Maritime Offices and Weaving Bureaus.
Within these departments, the chief eunuch of the Ceremonial Office held supreme authority. Though it was only an upper-fourth-rank position, the chief eunuch could wield considerable power, oftentimes balancing that of the Grand Chancellor. This earned him the informal title of Inner Chancellor. This chief eunuch also commanded the Green Phoenix Guard, earning him another name so he was known colloquially as the Eunuch Lord.
The Ceremonial Office handled all imperial decrees, matching the Cabinet’s seals. Thus, it truly served as the Inner Chancellor’s office. Meanwhile, the Imperial Stables Office shared military command with the Ministry of War and the Regional Governors, commanding the palace guards. Beyond that, it also managed pastures and royal estates, operated shops owned by the royal family, and shared fiscal duties with the Ministry of Revenue.
Typically, the hierarchy was clear. The chief eunuch of the Ceremonial Office ranked first, followed by its chief scribe. The chief eunuch of the Imperial Stables Office ranked third.
The seven dead eunuchs comprised two chief eunuchs, two chief scribes, and one scribe from the Ceremonial Office, as well as two chief eunuchs from the Imperial Stables Office.
The one Chen Jianchou had investigated was Wu Fu, the scribe of the Ceremonial Office. He was the last to die and the lowest-ranking among the seven.
It felt as though, after six powerful eunuchs had perished in succession, there was no one left, so they had included a lesser scribe merely to make up the numbers.
But why seven? Did the number hold some deeper meaning?