Although Xiao Tang was accustomed to lower-ranking servants from the various courtyards bowing submissively before him, Ning Xuan’s salute now made him feel as though he were sitting upon needles. Ning Xuan had barely begun bending at the waist when Xiao Tang hurried forward and pulled him upright, repeatedly insisting, “I could never accept such courtesy! I could never!”
“Quickly gather your things and come with me. The master is still waiting. It would be terrible to keep him waiting too long.” As he spoke, Xiao Tang kept his waist half bent, every inch the obsequious lackey.
“The master? Which master?” Ning Xuan was baffled. He had nothing to do with any of these important people, nor did he dream of someday soaring onto a high branch as others described. He was not a crow, and he had no desire to become a phoenix. He wanted only enough food and drink and a peaceful, stable life. Naturally, if he could find a way to return to his own time, leaving silently without disturbing anyone would be even better.
“Oh, my little ancestor, what other master could there be? Please stop delaying. I’ve spent half the day searching for you. If we waste any more time—” Sweat poured down Xiao Tang’s face. He was accustomed to servants and maids racking their brains for any opportunity to climb upward. Now that he had encountered someone like Ning Xuan, he could not tell whether the boy was genuinely foolish or merely pretending. He raised his sleeve and repeatedly wiped his forehead. “An order came from above today. They said the master needs someone nimble at his side, so you’re being transferred to serve as his personal attendant.”
In truth, the excuse itself did not matter. What sort of servant could not be found within the residence? Whether they wanted someone quick-handed, quiet and honest, or clever and obedient, such explanations were merely for public consumption. Everyone could guess seven or eight parts of the truth, but they could only pretend to be deaf and ignorant. Naturally, people wanted to remain close to the master, skim a few benefits, borrow a little authority to throw their weight around, and enjoy a better life than other servants. But one first had to remain alive long enough to enjoy those advantages. Anyone living within a princely residence could be foolish, slow, or even stubbornly single-minded. Those capable enough to make others obey with nothing more than a few words were even more formidable. But no one could afford to be completely thoughtless.
Becoming Prince Rong’s personal attendant was an excellent position countless people watched, coveted, and yearned for but could never obtain. As long as one remained careful, made no mistakes, and honestly performed one’s duties, fine food and drink would arrive in abundance. That was not even counting the benefits secretly offered by the young gentlemen and madams of the other courtyards whenever they tried to curry favor with the prince or obtain information. Before servants from other courtyards—even those of equal rank—a personal attendant could strut with his nose in the air and his eyes toward the heavens. No matter how well another servant ordinarily performed, if the prince never saw it and someone beside him happened to exaggerate matters with a few timely remarks, that servant could be punished without receiving so much as an opportunity to defend himself.
As for the servants and maids who attended the prince personally, he could clearly see even the smallest sign of diligence and ambition. There were not only rewards but countless opportunities for advancement. If someone happened to possess a little beauty or a special talent capable of capturing the prince’s interest, they might soar into the heavens, escape their status as a slave, and become a madam or young gentleman who enjoyed wealth and luxury.
This enormous pastry that everyone else had desperately plotted and schemed to obtain had somehow fallen directly upon Ning Xuan’s head. Heaven knew how many people envied him, yet Ning Xuan felt so wronged that he wanted to cry out against the injustice. Whom had he offended? A transfer was one thing, but why did it have to occur at the very height of the rumors? Everyone had already been talking about him. Now, even if he leaped into the Yellow River, he would never wash himself clean! Most importantly, after working the entire day, he had not even eaten his fill. Yet he was now being transferred to the front to serve with his heart in his throat. He could barely concentrate on an empty stomach. What if he did something so earth-shattering that they locked him away before he even had the chance to proclaim his innocence?
Thinking this, Ning Xuan pressed a hand against his completely empty, loudly protesting stomach and nodded with a miserable expression.
When Ning Xuan finally put down his work and followed him, Xiao Tang nearly wept with relief. He eagerly hurried ahead to lead the way.
After completing the handover with Xiao Tang, Ning Xuan returned to the servants’ room he shared with Mo Qi to retrieve his pitifully few possessions. Along the way, servants and maids watched him with envy, jealousy, confusion, resentment, and ingratiating smiles. Whispers constantly buzzed around his ears, yet whenever Ning Xuan raised his head toward them, everyone—willingly or otherwise—uniformly replaced their expressions with beaming smiles. Several even rushed forward as though afraid that carrying a few garments might exhaust Ning Xuan to death, offering to take his bundle and escort him the entire way. Xiao Jiu and Hexiang were the most enthusiastic of all.
These were people Ning Xuan rarely interacted with—or rather, people who generally avoided him. At noon, they had still mocked him coldly and treated him with contempt. Only a few hours later, they behaved like lifelong brothers who could not possibly be more familiar. Ning Xuan exhausted every ounce of strength trying to escape them, sweat gathering across his forehead. Had Xiao Tang not feared further delay would invite blame from above and stepped forward to drive them away, Ning Xuan had no idea how long they might have continued clinging to him.
Everything concerning Prince Rong, no matter how large or small, was personally managed by the residence’s steward, Mo Yan, who permitted no one else to interfere. Xiao Tang brought Ning Xuan before Mo Yan and handed him over, then departed reluctantly, looking back three times with every step. Mo Yan led Ning Xuan to a side room within the courtyard containing the prince’s bedchamber.
Ning Xuan lowered his eyes and discreetly surveyed his surroundings. He could not help marveling that although all people were supposedly human, even servants were divided into countless grades. The closer one stood to the master, the better the treatment became. He was still merely an ordinary servant attending someone else, but because that someone was Prince Rong, not only was his room larger, its conditions had improved by an unknown number of levels. Each servant even received a private room. It was not extravagant or magnificent, but although the sparrow was small, it possessed every organ.
“Once you finish putting away your things, report to the study. His Highness has just returned from hunting and is considerably fatigued. This is your first time serving him personally, so keep your head tucked securely beneath your arm and learn to read the situation. If you make even the slightest mistake, no one will be able to save you.” With that, Mo Yan turned and left.
Ning Xuan shuddered. His guess had indeed been correct: accompanying a ruler was like accompanying a tiger. Any occupation offering great rewards also carried equally great risks. Ning Xuan, who had kept his brows and eyes lowered, inadvertently glanced upward and caught Mo Yan’s profile as the man turned away. His heart jolted. Damn it! Isn’t this the fellow who called me bewitching the moment I first entered the residence? What a narrow road enemies walk! If he hadn’t said I looked bewitching, perhaps I wouldn’t actually have grown so bewitching! (What kind of twisted reasoning is that?)
Ning Xuan swiftly arranged his possessions as though injected with chicken blood, changed into the short working clothes Mo Yan had prepared, and hurried toward the study to serve.
He carried a cup of tea in both hands. The cup itself was made of superior celadon with colored glaze and gold inlay; merely smelling it made Ning Xuan wonder how much silver it had cost. The tea inside was fresh Longjing from this spring’s harvest before Grain Rain, while the water had been boiled from dew gathered that very morning. Every object was exquisite, and every detail carefully considered. As expected of a legitimate-born imperial prince. Ning Xuan kept his eyes fixed upon the cup, terrified of making the slightest mistake, while his feet carried him swiftly yet steadily toward the study. The servant responsible for preparing tea had said that every degree of heat added another measure of fragrance, and only when the tea remained eight parts hot was its aroma richest and its taste most suitable. Not even half a moment could be wasted.
The effort left Ning Xuan covered in sweat. He practically ran toward the study while watching in every direction and listening for the slightest disturbance, terrified that one careless step might cost him his life.