"For the King of Yan to grace Our halls so soon after ascension is high courtesy indeed."

In the palace sat a king dressed in radiant gold on an elevated throne. Before him stood his ministers, heads bowed like stalks of wheat as their ears strained to hear every word.

"We have heard of your father's passing and offer Our condolences. Nevertheless, Yan is blessed to see calm restored to its people after the scourge of his reign."

The three princes standing at the base of the throne all exchanged knowing looks before glancing at the figure half crouched in the middle of the hall. The so-called King of Yan wasn't much older than themselves. Yet in the same week he became king, he cast off all status to be a hostage at the Yue court for the next three years to guarantee the peace of his nation.

"This humble one is also gratified for my people, but dare not wear such titles for myself." The voice that spoke was low and melodious as its owner kowtowed. Long ripples of rich black hair pooled past the shoulders of his white robes—well tailored, but too plain for a king—to frame the fair forehead pressed to the ground. And that was no wonder, for he would be serving as little better than a slave in Yue.

"From this moment on, Huangfu Rongjin is merely a provisional ward of Your Majesty, to do with as Your Majesty pleases."

Nobility without arrogance. Humility without subservience.

An admirable attitude under the circumstances, and Huangfu Rongjin played it to perfection without making it seem like an act. Pleased, the king stroked his graying beard and nodded.

"We are touched by your sincerity," he intoned. "As matters of state occupy Our time, We would leave you in the care of Our royal sons. Princes, who amongst you shall accept the task of showing this slave his place?"

A tricky question. Although Huangfu Rongjin (皇甫榕勁) ranked worse than a commoner in their country, he was still a former king. Taking him in could be seen as an act of merciful kindness—or intentional humiliation. It would depend on how their king wanted the man treated, but his vague attitude kept the court guessing.

Praising the man one minute, demeaning his status the next...

The three princes exchanged looks again. Already, the crown prince had decided to distance himself from the matter—he was next in line to the throne, and if the king found it beneath him to entertain such a "guest," he should follow in his father's footsteps. The second and third princes were more hesitant. Such an important hostage would only give face to their palaces and perhaps gain the king's attention. After all, the position of crown prince wasn't set in stone, so if they could earn some merit from the task...

The second prince was a subtle, scheming sadist already plotting ways to torment the ex-king in secret while presenting an image of conscientious care. In this way, he could appeal to his father no matter how the king felt towards Huangfu Rongjin.

The third prince was more straightforward and had led the frontlines on the battlefield. He planned to simply toss Huangfu Rongjin into the army camp and let him atone for the lives he took during the war.

Before either of them could speak up however, another voice entered the fray.

"I'll take him."

Like a breeze on stagnant waters, it caused ripples through the court. At once, all eyes turned toward the source and saw a figure stepping over the threshold of the door.

"Fourth prince?" The king's voice softened.

The title seemed like a farce in light of the arrival's appearance. Although he was dressed in rich brocade robes, they hung off one shoulder and were messily tied at the waist. His hair was similarly rumpled, done up in a half-bun like a crow's nest and stabbed firmly in place by a shiny gold hairpin. The only respite from the gaudy getup was his face: innocent and fresh, his cheeks faintly flushed as amber irises gleaned from a pair of bright, doe-like eyes.

The ministers politely averted their gaze from the youth as if used to ignoring his oddities. Huangfu Rongjin still had his forehead pressed to the floor and only heard soft, shuffling footsteps approaching. They stopped next to him, allowing him a glimpse of dusty black shoes before the same clear voice spoke up again.

"Royal Father."

Murmurs rose among the ministers even as the king's tone shook with excitement. "Xue-er...!"

If Huangfu Rongjin recalled correctly, rumors abound about the Fourth Prince Leng Qinxue (冷沁雪). He was the 19 year-old son of the king's beloved concubine and famous for being spoiled until a riding accident a few years ago caused him to lose his wits. He was prone to fits of incoherent rambling, temper tantrums, and even memory loss, having forgotten about his royal heritage beyond snatches of clarity. Though he lost all prestige as a prince, his status in the court was unshakable and tolerated without exception—all because his late mother had been the king's favorite.

For Leng Qinxue to even recognize his father was a rare thing.

Fingers brushed against his skin, jolting Huangfu Rongjin out of his thoughts. He clearly felt the cool digits curling around his wrist.

"Up, up."

Huangfu Rongjin stiffened until the king spoke next, his voice stern. "Does a mere slave dare disobey the summons of a royal prince?"

Huangfu Rongjin recalled that the fourth prince had mentioned "taking" him when he arrived. Hesitantly, he allowed the hand to pull up his arm, then his entire person, until he was standing over the shorter prince.

"Your Highness...?" he tried before being rendered mute by the...remarkably slovenly teen. He bowed in the direction of the throne. "Your Royal Majesty."

"From this day on, you shall serve in the Jadefrost Palace of the fourth prince," the king said crisply. "Hurry and acknowledge your new master."

Huangfu Rongjin's brain was still playing catch-up when he bowed and turned towards Leng Qinxue. Obviously he'd missed something crucial while lost in his thoughts. "This slave is at the mercy of Your Fourth Highness."

It was a testament to his mental acuity that he could adapt to his new changes so quickly. Yet the surrounding murmurs intensified, the voices tinged with mockery.

"How fitting for the former King of Yan—wasn't his father a fool as well? He should feel right at home."

"The son of a lunatic serving our own Fourth Highness...you can't say he lacks experience."

"I pity the man. His Fourth Highness's temper is strange and unpredictable, but the king will have his head if anything hurts his beloved child."

"Pah, what use is there pitying a slave? Save it for when he survives the three years..."

These whispers were too soft to reach the throne, but Huangfu Rongjin heard them easily. Yet insulting as they were, he didn't pay them any mind.

Because the instant he met eyes with Leng Qinxue, the other had winked at him.

Huangfu Rongjin was still in a daze when Leng Qinxue took his hand and led him out of the hall.

—

"I'm not actually crazy."

Back at Jadefrost Palace, the beautiful youth in purple brocade robes lounged across a chaise while sucking on a freshly peeled lychee. There were no servants around—the fourth prince had made clear his distaste for them during the day, so they always kept their distance.

Huangfu Rongjin only felt numb as he sat by the table peeling more fruit.

"It's just that this world's a book and I fell into it somehow. I expected a System or something to guide me, but it's been two years with nothing. I figured I'd be stuck here for the rest of my life until you showed up! Bro, let's make a deal. I'll treat you well so three years later, take me with you to Yan."

That got his attention, and Huangfu Rongjin looked up in bewilderment. "Why do you want to go to Yan?"

Leng Qinxue sighed and flung his head over the armrest. "Because I'm tired of being a prince. I don't want to fight for the throne but they won't let me leave either, and I'm not smart enough to scheme against these foxy old geniuses into letting me go. At most I've only gotten them to leave me alone."

"And what will you do...after you leave?" Huangfu Rongjin asked next.

"Ah? Probably retire to the countryside or something," Leng Qinxue shrugged. "The natural environment in ancient China is really good, so I should be able to survive in the wild. Plant some crops, raise some chickens, maybe a dog or cat too—that sounds about right. I'll even pay taxes so you won't suffer any losses harboring a refugee."

If Huangfu Rongjin had any doubts before, he was now convinced.

Leng Qinxue had truly lost his mind.

Half the words he said didn't make sense, while the rest defied all common logic. His claims of a fantastical world with even wilder technology were more colorful than the ravings of the most imaginative storyteller at the teahouse. But amidst the insanity, two facts held true.

One, Leng Qinxue felt no familiarity with the Yue Kingdom and its royal court.

Two, the youth had taken him in out of genuine goodwill. Of course, his motive was to leave Yue—but that kind of request could only give Huangfu Rongjin advantages in the long run. Even an idiot prince was a respected personage, to say nothing of one so beloved by his father.

Walking into enemy territory willingly, he's truly...foolish. He debated lecturing him, but ultimately kept quiet. Ignorance was its own source of bliss.

At the very least, he would repay Leng Qinxue's kindness with the same during his servitude.

—

When Leng Qinxue woke up the next morning, he saw Huangfu Rongjin sitting by the bed, a tray of toiletries arranged next to him. Amber eyes skimmed over the towels, comb, and bottles of cream before blinking owlishly.

"You don't really need to serve me, you know. I've done well enough myself the past two years."

Huangfu Rongjin simply turned to check the temperature of the water in the washbasin before shaking his head. "Your Highness, a prince must project an aura of dignity."

Leng Qinxue frowned. "They leave me alone more when I look insane. Besides, even the king doesn't care, so why should you?"

"The king spoils you as his son, while your brothers would rather you embarrass yourself to highlight their own merits in comparison," Huangfu Rongjin was very direct. He doubted anything but blunt honesty could reach someone so straightforward. "But it would reflect badly on this slave, your appointed servant, if I allowed you to walk about with a mass of brambles for your hair."

Leng Qinxue tugged at his hair, frowning. "It's all knots by now, I don't want—"

"Your Highness's words to treat me well, were they true?"

"Yeah, of course!" He had to be sincere, or else what if Huangfu Rongjin left him behind three years later?

"Then please allow me to do my duties. His Royal Majesty would expect this much," Huangfu Rongjin said as he picked up the comb. "And I promise, I'll be gentle."

The end result was Leng Qinxue sitting in a chair for three hours while Huangfu Rongjin sorted out his hair and dressed him up like a doll. The prince was a couple months short of his capping ceremony at the age of 20 and had naturally refined features. When tidied up, he radiated an aura of clean jade even when wearing his usual gold hairpin and ostentatious purple robes.

A handsome young man, Huangfu Rongjin decided, just as an eunuch outside announced the sudden visit of the crown prince.

—

"Royal Brother, your favorite pastries," the crown prince waved imperiously for his attendant to set a box on the table. "They were freshly made by the kitchens this morning, so have a taste."

He sat in one chair while Leng Qinxue sat in the other. Meanwhile, Huangfu Rongjin could only stand in attendance behind them while the crown prince treated him as air.

"Mm," Leng Qinxue nodded absently and leaned back to look at his newest servant. "Ah-Jin, open."

It took Huangfu Rongjin a second to realize Leng Qinxue was referring to himself before he gracefully moved to lift the lid. Even the crown prince was surprised, glancing between them with a complex expression.

"It seems that Royal Brother likes your new slave very much," he smiled slowly. "You've even allowed him to dress you this morning."

"Ah-Jin does what he likes," Leng Qinxue said airily, then paused to add, "Of course, it's what I like too."

"Is that so." The crown prince's eyes grew cold, but before he could speak again, Leng Qinxue had stuffed one of the flaky pastries into his mouth, nearly choking him.

"You eat too," Leng Qinxue insisted and gave him a childish grin.

The crown prince's eye twitched. This brat...!

—

"I don't like these," Leng Qinxue declared at the box of mung bean pastries after the crown prince left with his dignity in tatters. "I mean, maybe the original host did, but it's too sweet for me. I like savory stuff instead—what about you?"

Huangfu Rongjin was carefully cleaning off crumbs on the table and didn't look up when he spoke. "This slave never ate snacks while growing up."

How could he when he was busy struggling to survive? His father was truly a madman, whose violent rampages and irrational rule caused the fall of Yan to Yue in the first place before Huangfu Rongjin had seized the throne.

A bloody seat he'd earned by killing his father with his own hands.

Even if his ministers had urged him on, even if he'd taught himself to be a perfect gentleman despite the shadows of his childhood, patricide made him no better than a murderer.

"Don't call yourself that."

Huangfu Rongjin's heart lurched. "What?"

He looked up in confusion, wondering if Leng Qinxue had read his mind. But the prince was only picking up another pastry from the box.

"I said, don't call yourself 'this slave,' at least when we're alone. You're actual royalty while I'm playacting, and you're much better at it too," Leng Qinxue said. "Here, try one."

He took Huangfu Rongjin's hand and deposited the fresh mung bean pastry into his palm. Again Huangfu Rongjin looked lost, so Leng Qinxue poked his forehead.

"Whatcha staring for? It's just food. If you've never eaten snacks before, you can start now," he grimaced slightly, "Everyone keeps sending me them. You can eat them all if you want."

A strange flutter rose in Huangfu Rongjin's chest. "Your Highness—"

"Don't call me that either," Leng Qinxue frowned. "Haven't I already used Ah-Jin? You can call me Ah-Xue. My soul might be different but at least my name's still the same. Do you know, transmigrators are always..."

The prince is rambling again, Huangfu Rongjin thought blankly as he bit down on the pastry.

Soft and sweet.