My name is Lục Văn Quân. Ever since I passed the xiucai examination at the age of twelve, my parents’ eyes—and those of every servant in the household—have changed.
At New Year, during the ancestral rites in the family shrine, Grandfather took my hand and stood before the ancestral tablets, tears streaming down his aged face.
“Our honored ancestors above, the Lục family finally has hope of being restored. There is hope at last.”
I stood quietly, gazing up at the ancestral tablets in the family shrine. In the second row, right in the middle, was a tablet of nanmu wood inlaid with gold. It belonged to the Lục family’s ancestor, Lục Quán Thư, who had once served as Chancellor—and was my great-great-grandfather.
My elders’ expectations were clear: since I had passed the xiucai examination at twelve, I naturally had to shoulder the responsibility of restoring the Lục family.
Father spoke to me softly:
“My son, our Lục family is steadily declining. Not just in the capital—even here in Vũ Châu, if things go on like this, in no more than twenty years we may have nowhere left to stand.”
I asked in surprise:
“Why would you say that, Father? The Lục family has passed down poetry and learning for generations, and our family has always been known for its clean conduct. We’re well respected in Vũ Châu. How could you say we have nowhere left to stand?”
Father sighed.
“Do you know why our Lục family has maintained its reputation in Vũ Châu for more than fifty years?”
“Isn’t it thanks to my great-great-grandfather?”
Father gave a bitter smile.
“How long do you think our ancestors can protect us? Even families in the capital with hereditary titles will inevitably decline and quietly disappear if no one of worth is born for a few generations. Once there’s no one left to inherit the title, what can they do? And our family doesn’t even have a title.”
Confused, I asked:
“Then what is the reason?”
Father replied:
“Our Lục family still has a name in Vũ Châu because of your grandfather. He never held office, but he grew up in the capital and made the acquaintance of many prominent people. He has considerable influence. People respect the Lục family because of the regard they have for him. But if one day your grandfather passes away, and people—who only fawn on the powerful and trample the weak—have no reason to respect us, then the family’s fate is plain to see. The Lục family has already declined this far. Without an heir to carry it on, its end is easy to predict.”
“My son, all the Lục family’s hopes rest on you. You must not let us down.”
Looking at Father’s face, at the hope shining in his eyes, I couldn’t help but take his words to heart. Under his intent gaze, I nodded solemnly.
“You can rest easy, Father. I will never disappoint you. I will bring the Lục family back to the capital.”
After speaking with Father, I returned to my own Bác Nhã viện. The moment I stepped inside, I realized the maids who usually attended me were gone.
When I asked Trương ma ma about it, she said it was Mother’s decision. From now on, only Trương Sinh, Trương ma ma, and two second-class maids in the front courtyard would remain to serve me. The other older servants and rough-serving maids had to stay in the rear courtyard and were not to come before me and disturb my studies.
I didn’t mind. I never liked being surrounded by too many people, and now I could enjoy even more peace and quiet.
Still, faced with the hopes of the entire household, the elders’ earnest expectations, and Mother’s wariness—as if she were confronting an enemy—it felt as though an invisible net were slowly closing around me, leaving me unable to smile.
I knew that from then on, I no longer had the right to indulge my whims.
I grew quieter and quieter, devoting all my attention to my books.
Only my younger brother occasionally came to talk with me. Sometimes he even teased me, saying I was like an old scholar despite being so young.
I used to think this was all life had in store for me: study, take the examinations, enter officialdom, marry a woman from a family of equal standing, and shoulder the burden of the Lục family.
But I never imagined someone would suddenly appear and catch my eye.
The first time I noticed her was in the garden. She hurried over, and when she saw Vương ma ma beside Mother, she looked as if she’d found her rescuer, completely overlooking both Mother and me. I assumed she was a new maid who hadn’t learned the rules yet. Thinking of how strict Mother was, I secretly worried for her.
But to my surprise, she was so innocent that even Mother couldn’t bring herself to punish her. That was when I learned she was a maid assigned to my courtyard—and yet she didn’t even know who I was.
She looked at my younger brother and me several times, then stood there blankly, unable to answer Mother’s question. Seeing how foolish she looked, my younger brother couldn’t help chuckling. He shot me a look, clearly eager to see how things would play out.
I suppressed my irritation and ignored my younger brother’s look, keeping a composed expression as I stood silently to one side.
After Vương ma ma and that foolish maid had left, my younger brother finally couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
“You don’t even recognize a maid from your own courtyard. You really are a ‘one-of-a-kind’ young master. Hahaha!”
Unable to hold back any longer, I glared at my younger brother and replied calmly:
“One of a kind? If I’m so unusual, then let me be a little more unusual. You can write the essay on statecraft for tomorrow’s lesson yourself.”
With that, I left with Trương Sinh without waiting for my younger brother to respond, not even looking back.
Back at Bác Nhã viện, I asked Trương ma ma to check on the sick older servant and see if she needed anything.
Trương ma ma replied with a smile:
“Young master, don’t worry. Tử Quy is looking after Old Madam Lý, so there’s no need for concern.”
“Tử Quy?” I asked in surprise. “Is that the maid who didn’t recognize me the other day?”
Thinking I was angry, Trương ma ma hurriedly replied:
“Please forgive her, young master. That girl is a bit slow and foolish, and she’s young and timid, but she’s very honest and knows her manners. She absolutely didn’t ignore you on purpose.”
Seeing Trương ma ma’s worried expression, I thought to myself, “This girl has both Vương ma ma, who serves Mother, and Trương ma ma, who serves me, speaking up for her. If she isn’t truly foolish, then she must be very clever.”
Ah, well. She’s only a maid, after all. I’ll let her be.
About half a year later, one day, Mother suddenly burst into my Bác Nhã Courtyard. While I was at school, without saying a word, she had a second-rank maid by my side bound and taken away. I remembered that maid’s name was Bích Đào. She was a girl who was never content to stay in her place.
I wasn’t unaware of the times she deliberately dressed in garish colors and put on heavy makeup. Her fondness for pairing red and green was impossible to ignore. I deliberately acted aloof and paid no mind to her outrageous antics, hoping she would come to her senses and mend her ways before Mother found out. Otherwise, I feared she would have no way out.
But who could have guessed she’d be so foolish as to secretly slip me an embroidered sachet with a pair of mandarin ducks on it? A pair of mandarin ducks swimming together? Ha! Even if they were real mandarin ducks, that still wouldn’t be appropriate with a maid like her. She truly had no sense of propriety and didn’t know her place.
I refused the sachet and gave her a scolding, warning her that if she didn’t mend her ways, she might lose her life.
Unfortunately, Mother’s senior maid happened to witness the scene.
When I returned to Bác Nhã Courtyard after lessons, Hồng Hạnh came to me with red-rimmed eyes and said:
“Young master, Bích Đào… Bích Đào was sold off by Madam.”
All I could do was sigh. “She brought it on herself. She had it coming.”
After Bích Đào was sold off, Mother promoted Tử Quy to serve at my side.
Still… was I really that frightening?
For an entire year, she did her best to keep out of my sight, sometimes disappearing for three or five days at a time.
I sighed. She really was a timid little thing. I could only imagine that what had happened to Bích Đào had left a wound in her heart that would never heal.
When Hồng Hạnh left the residence, there was no longer anyone diligent enough to step in and take on tasks for her. I thought that this time, the little thing wouldn’t be able to keep hiding like a turtle pulling into its shell.
But to my surprise, she managed to get Trương Sinh and Nanny Trương to do everything for her without a single complaint. She hardly ever even set foot in my room.
I couldn’t help finding it amusing. How could this girl be so timid? Oh, well. She was only a little maid. I’d let her be.
The examinations drew ever nearer, and I studied the classics day and night. Father’s solemn instructions still rang in my ears, and Grandfather’s hopeful gaze seemed to linger before my eyes. I had to shoulder the responsibility of restoring the Lục family.
Still, at some point, the bright flowers in my room had been replaced with pots of elegant orchids. Their faint, pure, gentle fragrance soothed and calmed the heart.
At some point, the incense in my room had also been replaced with the scent of herbs. That delicate fragrance held mint to clear the mind, spikenard to settle the thoughts, and, somewhere beneath it all, a fresh hint of lemon.
At some point, the snacks on my table had changed, too. They looked novel and came in a variety of flavors. Trương Sinh and Nanny Trương had served me for years, so they certainly weren’t the ones with such thoughtful ideas.
There was no need to say who was behind it.
I smiled faintly, picked up a piece of pastry, and returned my attention to my books.
My younger brother came to see me. Looking at me in surprise, he said:
“I thought all that hard studying would leave you exhausted and looking haggard. But you seem so full of energy. Looks like I was worrying for nothing.”
Without bothering to look up, I replied indifferently: