When Lu Yuan was shoved into the palace, he still had half a piece of osmanthus cake his master had given him tucked against his chest.
He huddled at the end of the line, his three-year-old body swallowed by an oversized gray servant's uniform, like a little creature caught in the rain. But his eyes were too bright, his irises clearer than the gilded lamps in the corners of the hall. His skin was as pale as a dusting of snow, making him look like a white plum blossom fallen by mistake into a muddy bog among a crowd of gaunt children.
After a series of screenings, Lu Yuan was accepted into the palace. After a few months of indoctrination, he used his wits to find himself a godfather.
He worked in the palace for two years.
Then one recommendation made it even harder for him to leave...
“Go to the Eastern Palace as a study companion. The Crown Prince needs someone around his age.”
Lu Yuan's heart sank. He remembered his master's last warning: the two things you must never get involved with in the palace are the person on the Dragon Throne and the seat in the Eastern Palace. But now he was being forced to kowtow, his forehead striking the cold golden bricks with a dull thud.
It wasn't until he was led to the Crown Prince's bedchamber that he belatedly realized the dirt he'd deliberately smeared on his face to sneak in had been washed away with hot water, and his gray clothes had been replaced by a moon-white brocade jacket. They had clearly dressed him to stand out.
“Lu Yuan.”
A cool child's voice came from above. He looked up sharply and met a pair of eyes even colder than his own. The Crown Prince was only five, dressed in bright yellow robes and sitting on the couch with a book. In the quiet hall, the sound of his fingertip moving across the page was especially clear.
“This servant is here.” He hurriedly lowered his head, even the loose hairs at the back of it trembling.
