Chapter 12: Food Box

After Wu Guanshi left, the atmosphere among Zheng Fa and the other two became strange.

Gao Yuan turned his face away from Zheng Fa, his right hand tightly gripping the corner of his robe, posture tense.

Although Zheng Fa's expression remained calm, he too felt a flicker of unease inside.

On the contrary, Han Cheng, who had been most despondent moments ago, now seemed to have given up entirely, his gaze constantly shifting between Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan with an expression of eager anticipation.

No one spoke.

Silence was the most unbearable thing; Zheng Fa didn't know how long it lasted before Wu Guanshi hurried back.

Zheng Fa clearly saw Gao Yuan's Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

"I have already reported to Lady," Wu Guanshi said upon arriving. "Lady has decided on the two attendants for the Seventh Young Master:"

He glanced at the three of them, paused slightly, then said:

"Gao Yuan."

Gao Yuan beside him couldn't help but sway slightly.

"And Zheng Fa."

"Two?" Xu Zheng asked, surprised.

"Two."

Wu Guanshi affirmed.

He himself was puzzled—Lady had originally only intended to find one more attendant for the Seventh Young Master, perhaps even already favored Gao Yuan. But when he reported Zheng Fa's exceptional talent to Lady, she changed her mind.

He still remembered the faint voice that had drifted from behind the curtain as he left:

"Interesting!"

Zheng Fa couldn't help but glance at Han Cheng's face.

Indeed, it was hard to describe.

Of the three, two had been chosen.

Who wasn't awkward now?

Zheng Fa could imagine how Han Cheng's emotions had exploded.

"The two of you go home today, pack your things, and return to the mansion tomorrow."

With that, he signaled Zheng Fa and the other two to leave.

As they left, Han Cheng walked away quickly, clearly resentful.

Gao Yuan, however, deliberately walked beside Zheng Fa; Zheng Fa felt he had something to say.

Sure enough, once Han Cheng had faded into the distance and could no longer hear them, Gao Yuan spoke: "Brother Zheng, from now on, we must work together."

The tone of those words carried deep meaning.

Zheng Fa turned to look at Gao Yuan and saw only sincerity on his face—none of the wariness and caution from before.

This shift in attitude was too sudden.

Even if the position of Seventh Young Master's attendant was especially unique within the Zhao household.

But now Gao Yuan was also an attendant—why such a drastic change from arrogance to humility?

"Brother Zheng, you probably don't know—we aren't the Seventh Young Master's first attendants."

"I know. The son of Wang Guanshi from Tianzhuang was his previous attendant. He was beaten and sent back."

"No, not just him." Zheng Fa watched Gao Yuan extend all five fingers straight: "Five. Since the Seventh Young Master began his studies, five have served as his attendants—all driven away by Lady. The unlucky ones, like the son of the Tianzhuang Guanshi you mentioned, were beaten as well."

Zheng Fa couldn't help but grin.

He now understood why Gao Yuan wanted to win him over.

Before the difficult Seventh Young Master, their status had shifted from rivals to allies.

As for intrigue among colleagues:

We haven't even sat down yet—what's the point of fighting?

Thinking of this, Zheng Fa asked the question he'd wanted to ask earlier: "Brother Gao, I heard you have a scholarly degree?"

"By luck, I passed the Tongsheng exam three years ago."

"A degree isn't supposed to qualify you for an official post?" Remembering his history lessons, Zheng Fa couldn't understand why Gao Yuan was here: "Why compete for such a lowly attendant position?"

"Official?" Gao Yuan looked as if he didn't understand Zheng Fa's question: "Who said being a Tongsheng qualifies you for office? A Tongsheng must take the Xiucai exam, and a Xiucai must take the Jinshi exam. Yes, once you pass the Jinshi, you may be appointed as a clerk—but that's still not an official."

"Clerk?"

"Brother Zheng, don't you truly know? In our imperial court, from county magistrates to prefectural governors—all are disciples of immortal sects. They're too lazy to handle mundane affairs, so they rely on us Confucian Method scholars as clerks to serve them."

"As for this 'lowly' attendant position—the Zhao household has deep ties to immortal sects. Besides, the Seventh Young Master's elder sister is a disciple of an immortal sect. What right do I, a mere Tongsheng, have to look down on this post?"

Watching Gao Yuan's retreating back, Zheng Fa still pondered what he had just said.

Even passing the Jinshi exam only made one a clerk? And only because those disciples of the immortal sects looked down on mundane affairs and delegated minor authority to people like them.

Only now did he understand the difference between the Xuanwei Realm and ancient history.

In history books, ancient dynasties had power structured like a great pyramid—imperial authority, ministers, subjects—with power flowing downward.

But in the Xuanwei Realm, everything revolved around immortal sects, like concentric circles.

The immortal sect was the largest circle; its disciples became local lords, controlling nearly all power, answerable only to the sect, not to higher-ranking lords.

When they formed families, those became smaller circles, which then extended outward into clerks, servants, and even smaller circles.

It resembled more closely the feudal lords of Western textbooks.

Thus, for people like Gao Yuan, serving a powerful clan like the Zhao family was already an excellent opportunity.

At this moment, he truly understood how precious his position as attendant was.

Yet his understanding of this world was still shallow—he wasn't sure if his conclusions were correct—but he was certain: in the Xuanwei Realm, immortal sects reigned supreme; there was no room for imperial authority.

He exited through the back gate and found the old driver who had brought him still waiting there.

But he did not see Huang Yu's figure.

"Has the Young Master arrived?" Seeing Zheng Fa's figure, the old driver immediately jumped down, pulled out a low stool from behind him, extended his hand, and tried to help Zheng Fa onto the cart.

One look at Zheng Fa made it clear: this man had probably heard about him becoming the Seventh Young Master's page.

The Zhao family had established their clan for a thousand years; to speak of it, the relationships among the servants were deeply entangled. Sometimes the household news could be hidden from the masters, but not from drivers like this old man.

He hurriedly waved his hand, supported himself on the cart handle, and jumped onto the ox cart.

The ox cart had also changed. When Zheng Fa had come before, the cart was covered with ordinary wooden planks, still bearing a few vegetable leaves.

Now, on these wooden planks, a thick black woolen blanket had been spread.

Looking again at the old driver, he was smiling at him with reverence.

"Young Master, shall we depart?"

After waiting patiently for him to sit firmly, the old man spoke in a tone of seeking permission.

"Grandpa, just call me however you called me before," Zheng Fa finally could not hold back: "Just call me Xiao Zheng. Let's go."

The ox cart returned quickly. Amidst the sound of the wind, Zheng Fa suddenly heard the old man speaking to him:

"Young... Xiao Zheng, the food box by your hand is some food I bought for myself at Juxing Tower in the city. Xiao Zheng, take it back."

Zheng Fa had seen this food box long ago. It was black lacquered wood, sealed tightly, and looked somewhat valuable.

"Grandpa, one should not accept a gift without merit..."

"What merit or no merit! Today, didn't I also receive your mother's cured meat and cakes? Don't be afraid of Xiao Zheng laughing at me; your mother's cooking is excellent, not inferior to the chefs at Juxing Tower! Taking this food as a return gift, it is I, the old man, who gained the advantage!"

Zheng Fa could swear that when he came, he did not feel this old man liked their family's cured meat so much.

"That was just something made at home."

"Xiao Zheng, do not decline. Coming to Jingzhou City, you must bring something back for your own sister, right?"

Remembering the reluctant look on Zheng Shan's face, Zheng Fa said nothing more.

At dusk, when smoke began to rise from the small houses by the fields along the road, Zheng Fa finally returned to the farm.

Before even getting off the cart, he heard his younger sister Zheng Shan's voice under the great Sun Da Yu tree in front of the village:

"Wait for my brother to return! See if you still dare to bully me!"

Zheng Fa's heart tightened. Although his younger sister Zheng Shan was a little crybaby at home,

she did not like to cry outside.

Yet now, her voice carried a hint of a crying tone.