The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

Life in the palace was like grinding beans with a stone mill, passing by day by day.

The twenty or so new servants in the servants' quarters were subjected to constant torment by the head eunuch in the first few days.

Today they complain that the floor isn't swept clean enough, tomorrow they scold them for chopping firewood too finely, and the day after tomorrow they say that a drop of toilet paper was spilled on the path when they were emptying the chamber pot, so they're punished by not being allowed to eat for three days.

The twenty or so people were exhausted and complained endlessly. Lying on the communal beds at night, they were all like broken pieces, without even the strength to turn over.

But there are exceptions.

The people in the four bunks in the corner never complained.

Zhao Gao swept the floor meticulously, Wei Zhongxian ran errands with lightning speed, Gao Lishi picked vegetables quickly and cleanly, and Zheng He chopped firewood more skillfully than an experienced hand.

The four of them never had less work than anyone else, yet they never made mistakes, never complained, and even seemed quite comfortable doing these rough jobs.

Manager Liu started paying attention to them from a small incident.

That was the seventh day after the new concubine entered the palace.

According to regulations, the servants' quarters must take inventory of the storeroom's items every seven days, register them, investigate any missing or damaged items, and report any damage for repair.

This work used to be done by Manager Liu himself, because he was literate.

Among all the servants in the entire servants' quarters, you couldn't find more than two who could read.

Manager Liu himself was only half-baked. He knew a few characters, but he couldn't write them well. Every time he registered, he would take a long time to write, and his writing was crooked and messy. When he took it to the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department for review, he was often given the cold shoulder.

That day, he was hunched over the table, worrying about the account books, when Zhao Gao came in with a basin of water to mop the floor. As Zhao Gao mopped the edge of the table, he glanced at the account books out of the corner of his eye.

With just one glance, he could tell that the accounts were a complete mess, the numbers didn't match, and many of the item names were misspelled.

He didn't say anything and continued wiping the floor.

As he wiped the doorway, he straightened up and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "Eunuch Liu, the character '缠' (chán, meaning 'entwined' or 'twisted') in the 'Blue and White Lotus Pattern Vase' in this account book seems to be missing a stroke."

Manager Liu looked up, first startled, then his expression changed several times.

He looked down at the words he had written, then looked up at Zhao Gao, his eyes full of suspicion: "You can read?"

"I know a few." Zhao Gao lowered his eyes, his tone respectful but not humble. "I studied with the old scholar in the village for two years when I was at home."

Manager Liu squinted and sized him up.

This kid is usually quiet, but he's hardworking. I didn't expect him to be literate.

He hesitated for a moment, then handed the brush to Zhao Gao: "Then write two for me to see."

Zhao Gao took the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a few words on a blank sheet of paper.

"A pair of blue and white porcelain vases with lotus scroll design, each two feet three inches tall, are placed on the third shelf in the East Warehouse."

His handwriting was neat and clear, far superior to his scrawled, dog-like handwriting.

Manager Liu gasped, and his gaze toward Zhao Gao immediately changed.

From that day on, Zhao Gao stopped sweeping.

He was transferred to Steward Liu's side to help organize account books and transcribe documents.

There were about twenty new employees in the servants' quarters, and he was the first to be freed from the rough work.

Everyone else thought the kid had gotten incredibly lucky, but Wei Zhongxian and Gao Lishi exchanged a glance, each understanding the other's intentions.

Wei Zhongxian's methods of exerting power were completely different from Zhao Gao's.

Zhao Gao followed a "technical" approach, relying on genuine skills and taking things one step at a time.

Wei Zhongxian didn't have Zhao Gao's calligraphy skills, but he had one thing Zhao Gao lacked: he was extremely good at making friends.

Within ten days of entering the palace, Wei Zhongxian had already thoroughly investigated the backgrounds of everyone in the servants' quarters.

He memorized every detail of information: whose hometown was in which county, how many people were in their family, who was sold into the palace, who voluntarily underwent castration, who had a good temper and who had a bad temper, who worked diligently and who was lazy and cunning.

He also has a clever way of making friends.

It's not the kind of deliberate flattery, but a kind of easygoing warmth that makes you feel like he's either trying to curry favor with you or that you just click with him.

Today I helped Old Zhang carry two loads of water, tomorrow I'll cover a night shift for Little Li, and the day after tomorrow I somehow got half a pot of wine and pulled a few fellow villagers to have a couple of drinks in the corner.

He has a natural talent for talking; he can make people laugh with just a few words. Being with him is always a comfortable experience.

In just over ten days, half of the people in the servants' quarters started calling him "Brother Wei".

Manager Liu also noticed him and thought that this kid was sweet-talking, good at handling things, and had good interpersonal relationships. He was someone who could help manage people.

Thus, Wei Zhongxian inexplicably became the "invisible deputy steward" of the servants' quarters.

When Manager Liu was not around, he was the one who arranged the work and maintained order.

As for Gao Lishi...

Gao Lishi kept a low profile, but he didn't waste his time.

He worked as an assistant in the kitchen, getting up before dawn every day to light the fire, prepare vegetables, and wash dishes, busy from morning till night.

But he was never impatient or anxious, and he always did his job perfectly.

They pick vegetables cleaner than anyone else, stoke fires brighter than anyone else, and wash dishes shinier than anyone else.

The head chef in the kitchen, surnamed Sun, had a fiery temper and would often hit people on the head with a spoon, but he never hit Gao Lishi.

Because this kid is so easy to work with, Chef Sun once remarked to someone in casual conversation that he was so easy to work with.

"Of the new recruits, only the one surnamed Gao is capable of getting things done."

This single sentence was overheard by the others in the kitchen and reached the ears of Manager Liu.

Only Zheng He continued to chop wood every day.

He chopped firewood for a month without ever complaining of being tired or slacking off.

The firewood he chopped filled an entire wall of the woodshed, each piece neatly split and stacked in a square, like a wooden city wall.

Every time Chef Sun went to the woodshed to get firewood, he couldn't help but take a second look, then shake his head and mutter "this kid," whether in praise or in admiration, it was hard to tell.

……

On the ninth day of the tenth month, Emperor Wu of Zhou held a grand banquet for his officials in the Qianyuan Hall to celebrate the autumn harvest.

The Imperial Household Department was the busiest at these palace banquets, with hundreds of people coming and going, serving dishes and wine, moving tables and chairs, keeping them extremely busy.

The newcomers from the servants' quarters were also reassigned to help out, doing rough work such as moving and lifting things around the banquet area.

Because Zhao Gao was literate, Steward Liu assigned him to the tea room behind the banquet hall, where he was responsible for recording the tea and snacks ordered by the ladies of the palace.

The job wasn't physically demanding, but the location was crucial. The tea room was right next to the back corridor of the banquet hall, where people from all the palaces came and went, and information was readily available.

Zhao Gaoduan sat upright in the tea room, with a booklet spread out in front of him, every note written clearly.

He remained outwardly calm, but his ears were constantly perked up.

He silently absorbed and analyzed the words, tones, and expressions of the palace maids, eunuchs, and head maids who came and went.

The accident happened halfway through the banquet.