"This is my student. He will stay here and be personally trained by me for the entrance exam to become an official of the ministry. He is not from this province, as you can see, but you will show him the same respect you show me. Understood?"
That was the first thing the servants heard as they filed into the hall.
A greeting worthy of an experienced general, I suppose.
Renshu gave a subtle signal for me to speak. Straightening my back and holding my head high, I attempted to imitate his commanding manner.
"My name is Aryan. I hope there will be no prejudice against me during my stay."
My Chinese wasn't the most formal, but with the right tone a person can still project authority.
Unfortunately, instead of sounding powerful, I probably came across as a solemn, emotionless youth. The kind of voice one expects at a funeral speech rather than in a palace introduction.
"You may return to your work. Clean my room first, then prepare breakfast," Renshu ordered.
His servants bowed and dispersed without a word.
I reminded myself that although I wasn't training to be a military general, here among soldiers and officials I would have to learn to wield authority with my voice—or be dismissed as a young foreign man.
As we walked toward the dining hall, I noticed that this palace was smaller than the grand Lanxuan Pavilion. Perhaps that was because his servants and maids did not stay here after dusk.
Dark wood spread through the corridors, and the helpers wore simple gray uniforms with no distinction between male and female attire. The muted colors matched the quiet discipline of the place.
Morning light streamed through the windows, shading the dark interior with soft gold. It must have been nearly midday.
After breakfast, Renshu tugged at my sleeve and led me to his chamber. Bao Qin was nowhere to be found.
His room, which had been scattered with clothing and loose scrolls at dawn, was now immaculate. The books I had studied were neatly shelved.
"Sit," he instructed, gesturing to the desk. From a cabinet he drew a book I had never seen before.
"The entrance exam will test your strategic skill—how to lead a military unit and make decisive plans. It will also challenge your defense, combat ability, and mathematics. Unfortunately for you, they may also test your loyalty."
He placed the book before me. Its cover was a deep forest green, the color of leaves at summer
Golden characters shimmered on the surface, and the binding was so precise that even a casual glance revealed it was a made and sold for the wealthy and powerful.
"This manual is used by high-ranking officials and generals to measure loyalty. Read it carefully. I will test you by dusk."
He turned to leave. Before he could reach the door, I finally asked the question that had nagged at me all morning.
"Are you going to speak with the Consort and the maids of the Lanxuan Pavilion?"
"Yes," he sighed. "Not that they will care. Many maids secretly leave the Forbidden Palace each year. Why else do you think we suffer such shortages?"
He shut the door with a firm slam.
His words lingered like smoke. Why would so many maids risk leaving? Was it boredom? Desperation? I had long dreamed of escape myself, but surely those girls didn't have companions like Lianyu, Ariya, or Yichen to help them survive outside.
I shook the thoughts away and opened the book. Inside were lists of phrases, subtle signs of body language, and an entire section titled "A Hundred Ways a Soldier Reveals His Disloyalty."
It was surprisingly detailed—how a liar often adds unnecessary details, how his eyes betray him, how a shift in posture can betray treachery.
The afternoon passed in a blur of memorization: the phrases of loyalty, the exact angle of a respectful bow, the precise modulation of a trustworthy voice.
It felt like etiquette class all over again—except now I had to perform masculinity instead of gracefulness.
A knock broke my concentration near dusk.
I opened the door to find Bao Qin smiling, her presence as bright as ever.
"Ah, it seems I am the one with the secret today!" she teased. "Well, Meili—no, Aryan, did you learn well? Renshu asked me to check on you before evening. You can take that makeup off now."
Before I could reply, she grabbed a bowl of water and practically shoved my face into it, laughing as I sputtered and tried to keep water from my nose.
"All the servants are gone. Dinner is being prepared. Once Ren—"
"Why did you take my makeup off?" I interrupted, unable to hide my irritation.
"There's no particular reason," she said lightly.
She was lying. After hours of reading about the tells of deception, I could feel it in the slight quirk of her lips and the forced brightness in her tone.
Perhaps that book was already proving useful.
The palace door opened with a slow creak, loud enough to be heard even from Renshu's room. I realized how that sound was never fixed as it was valuable for detecting intruders.
Bao Qin's smile only widened as the three of us sat down for dinner. For some reason she seemed unusually cheerful, while Renshu's mood was stormy.
After the meal she left, still beaming.
The moment the door closed, Renshu locked it and strode toward me.
"Why aren't you dressed as a man?" he demanded, his voice sharp.
"Bao Qin made me wash my face—" I began.
"Then don't let her do that again!"
His brows drew together in a fierce scowl. He stepped closer, gripping my shoulders until his face was only inches from mine.
I fought the urge to shrink back. His expression made it clear he would tolerate no defiance.
At last he released a long breath and let his hands fall.
"Sit on the bed. Let your hair down."
I hesitated, sliding the hairpin free until my hair fell around my shoulders. He watched every motion, eyes unreadable.
Was this another test of intimidation? He did say he would test me when he came back.
"This will be your home from now on," he said quietly. "You should be able to live freely here."
"Tell me, Meilina," he continued, deliberately using my real name. "What did you learn today?"
I recited the lessons from the book—the subtle signs of lying, the cracks in a traitor's voice, the postures of loyalty, the calculations of trust.
He listened silently, but his eyes never left my face.
When I finished, he finally spoke, words that I could never predict.
"Tomorrow you will meet the commander."
.