Long Yue's social mesh widened. Apprentices who once only bowed at the edges of the nursery now came with small requests: patterns to copy, marginalia to fix, lines of poetry to recite. The Empress, having noticed how goodwill was being crafted through minor ceremonies, encouraged Scholar Zhao to expand these sessions.
[Empress Wu:] "Invite more apprentices. Let him be watched by those who will remember him for kindness, not only for silk."
[Scholar Zhao:] "An education in humility and charity will make a man both feared and beloved."
The apprentices arrived with eager faces. They learned calligraphy and, more importantly, how to be seen doing it in front of the little prince. Long Yue, who had moved from crawling to purposeful toddling, loved the attention and the small duties he could award: a nod for a neat line, a ribbon for endurance.
SYSTEM: Apprentice engagement program active. Reward: increased grassroots support within palace service cadre. KPI: 10 engaged apprentices in 90 days.
One evening an apprentice named Li Wei brought a small problem. His master had reprimanded him publicly for a stolen quill he did not take. The boy's eyes were hollowed by fear of punishment. Long Yue, still small but already practicing the exchange of tokens, decided to intervene in the only way he knew: with a ribbon and a loud proclamation.
[MC / Long Yue:] (spoken, emphatic) "Not steal! Li Wei good!"
He handed over a ribbon, placed it around the boy's neck like a small medal, and then banged his tiny hands to draw attention. The room's eyes pivoted. Scholar Zhao, who often taught lessons through example, allowed it—using the moment as a public correction to the unfair rebuke.
[Scholar Zhao:] "We must judge by proof, not rumor. Let apprenticeship be kind."
The boy's master, taken aback by the Empress' sanctioned environment and the prince's sudden interest, apologized in a grudged formal way. The system recorded this as a small victory: social capital spent to reduce injustice, which bred gratitude among the service class.
SYSTEM: Micro-justice event logged. Grassroots loyalty +8. Reputation impact: +10 among apprentices.
That night, as the lamp burned lower, Aunty Lin smoothed Li Wei's blanket and whispered secrets older than any politic.
[Aunty Lin:] "Remember faces of those who love you. Keep them close. They will matter in cold times."
[MC / Long Yue:] (thought) "Faces, dumplings, favors. Noted."
But palace life remains a stew of contradictions. While Long Yue practiced benevolence, he also had to watch older houses. A visiting envoy's child—a pampered overseer's son—mocked the apprentices' attire. The taunt was childish but it stung. Long Yue felt the sharp physics of insult and decided to answer not with words but with action.
He organized a small performance: apprentices recited lines they had worked on for weeks. The Empress graciously allowed it; the hall filled with low-ranked servants and minor officials who would later become the memory-keepers of a child's kindness.
[Empress Wu:] "Let them speak."
The apprentices recited. Their voices, trained by Scholar Zhao, were uneven but sincere. The pampered son's smirk faded, replaced by a look of measuring. He realized, perhaps for the first time, that there were other metrics than the shine of clothing.
SYSTEM: Public uplift event: boosted morale among service cadre +12. Social perception among minor officials improved.
Afterwards, Li Wei's master muttered a private thanks to Aunty Lin; the stable master offered Bodyguard Shen a favored ration. The chain of small favors tightened. Long Yue's teacher smiled at him with pride that was more than scholarly.
[Scholar Zhao:] "Good teaching makes small people into big memories."
[MC / Long Yue:] (thought) "Make them remember dumplings. Make them remember kindness. Then they will tell others."
The system, quietly pleased, marked the evening as a success and suggested a small logical expansion: schedule a monthly apprentice recital and couple it with a communal meal. The Empress approved, amused and strategic.
[Empress Wu:] "Culture binds. Let us bind them with poetry and bread."
Long Yue, cradled between lullaby and strategy, practiced being benevolent as if it were a sport. He learned that honor could be taught in the smallest gestures—and that those gestures built a lattice of support stronger than mere silk.
SYSTEM: Long-term effect: social anchors strengthened. Side quest progress: 'Dumpling Diplomacy' +15%.
He slept that night with the comfort that small people could do large things, especially when they were given knots of gratitude to carry.
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