Author's Note: A Quick Disclaimer on Ancient Etiquette
Hello, my lovely readers! Quick heads-up: I am definitely not Chinese, and I am definitely not a historian, *ba*.
If the imperial court etiquette, kneeling positions, or official titles aren't historically flawless, just remember—we are in a fantasy cultivation world with floating status screens and an offline, toaster-tier System. Let's just enjoy the drama and the pretty boys!
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The high-ranking old eunuch—whom I had internally dubbed "Sir Icicle"—led us deep into the heart of the inner palace, eventually halting outside a set of towering, pristine doors that opened into the Crown Prince's private courtyard.
The silence here was different. It wasn't just quiet; it felt heavy, suffocating, and entirely packed with high-level spiritual energy. My modern, civilian instincts were screaming at me to turn around and sprint back to the slums of Ye City, but my legs forced themselves to stay anchored to the floor.
Sir Icicle stepped forward, his rigid spine bending into a flawless, deeply respectful bow against the lacquered wood of the door.
"Your Highness," the eunuch announced, his sharp voice dropping into a reverent, submissive tone.
"This lowly servant has brought them."
For a second, there was nothing but a terrifying, ringing silence. Then, a voice drifted through the thick wood.
"Let them in."
The voice wasn't booming or aggressive. It was calm—as smooth and steady as a quiet river—but it carried an undercurrent that was completely cold as ice.
It was the kind of voice that sounded like it could sentence an entire clan to execution while casually sipping a cup of morning green tea.
The heavy doors groaned as they swung inward, revealing the vast, hidden space on the other side.
=====°°°°°
The Catastrophe of a Single Glance
The room didn't just open up; it stretched out into a massive, intimidatingly long hallway.
Lining both sides of the corridor were columns of palace servants, all perfectly fallen into rank, their heads bowed so low their noses were practically touching the pristine polished floors.
At the very end of this grand, terrifying gauntlet sat an enormous, magnificent throne. It was meticulously sculpted from dark imperial wood, with a sprawling dragon face carved into the backrest, its wooden jaws gaping open.
And sitting upon that throne was a man who looked utterly majestic. He radiated an elegant, dangerously cold, and deeply powerful aura that practically demanded submission from every living thing in his vicinity.
As we stepped through the threshold, my brain completely short-circuited.
Remember the old eunuch's strict, life-saving instructions from literally two minutes ago?
*'Don't look into the eyes of the prince. Don't speak without being told. Don't disrespect his highness.'*
Yeah. I forgot every single one of them. The absolute second I crossed the threshold, my eyes darted straight up. I didn't mean to do it! It was an involuntary reflex!
I had never seen a genuine, high-tier cultivation royal in my previous life, so I stared at him in a complete, slack-jawed daze.
Our gazes locked.
The Crown Prince possessed striking, brilliant blue eyes—but they weren't a comforting, clear sky blue.
They looked like a cold, bottomless abyss. Staring into them felt like being violently hypnotized, pulling me closer and forcing me to look at him without blinking. My brain went entirely numb.
Before I could completely seal my own death warrant by initiating a staring contest with the future emperor, a small, aggressive hand suddenly grabbed the fabric of my tunic.
*Yank!*
Xiaofan violently pulled me down beside her, forcing my knees to slam into the hard floor. She practically jammed my head downward, forcing me into a proper, submissive kneeling position before the guards could decapitate me.
The absolute second my forehead neared the polished wood, reality hit me like a bucket of glacial water. My complexion instantly drained, turning a ghostly, transparent shade of pale.
A wave of profound, liquid terror washed over my entire body.
*God. Oh my god. How did I forget the number one rule of survival?!*
I was physically shaking with fear, my fingers clutching at the rough fabric of my trousers.
*Stupid, stupid Xiu Liang!* I screamed at myself internally.
*Stupid anime eyes! What if he decides to kill me right here? What if he tortures me? What if I get thrown into a damp imperial dungeon for life imprisonment?! Waaa... I'm dead! The tutorial isn't even over and I'm already getting a bad ending!*
=====°°°°°
The Secret Agent Revealed
"Xiaofan," the Crown Prince spoke, his smooth, freezing voice cutting through my internal panic attack like a razor blade.
"One of the great spies of the Tang Family."
Beside me, I felt Xiaofan's small frame instantly stiffen. Her breathing hitched, but she managed to maintain her composure with the absolute grace of a seasoned operative.
On one hand, a tiny part of my brain was crying tears of immense gratitude that the Crown Prince was currently addressing her instead of immediately ordering his guards to chop off my head for looking at him.
On the other hand, a wave of genuine worry for Xiaofan washed over me. She was just a fourteen-year-old girl, and she was currently facing the most dangerous man in the kingdom.
"Y-yes, Your Highness," Xiaofan replied, her voice trembling slightly before settling into a respectful tone.
"This servant's name is Xiaofan."
"Hmm..." the prince hummed, a low sound that vibrated through the floorboards.
"You may arise. Where is the token?"
Xiaofan rose to her feet, and I hastily scrambled up right beside her, keeping my eyes firmly, aggressively glued to the grain of the floorboards.
I was not looking up again. Lesson learned.
Xiaofan held out the flawless violet jade medallion. Sir Icicle—Head Eunuch Mo—stepped forward with practiced, silent grace, carefully took the token from her hands, and walked up the dais to present it directly to His Imperial Highness.
The Crown Prince took the token, his sharp eyes flicking over the dragon engraving before he cast a cold glance over the crowded room.
"Everyone else," the prince commanded quietly, "leave us."
Head Eunuch Mo immediately turned around, gesturing sharply to the columns of attendants.
Within seconds, the servants moved in a synchronized, silent wave, filing out of the grand hallway like ghosts.
The heavy doors clicked shut behind them. The room was now completely empty, save for the Crown Prince, Head Eunuch Mo, Xiaofan, and my trembling, bishōnen self.
The Crown Prince leaned back against his dragon-carved chair, his voice echoing in the sudden, vast silence.
"Presenting this token means you have officially cut all ties with the Tang Family," he stated, a hint of calculating approval tracing his words.
"Good. From this day forward, you will be a spy operating under my banner within this kingdom."
Xiaofan's eyes widened beneath her silk mask—a flash of absolute shock passing through her features—but she quickly suppressed it, bowing deeply.
"This servant understands."
"You will be placed as an undercover maidservant within the inner palace," the Crown Prince continued smoothly.
He then glanced at the old official. "Head Eunuch Mo, handle her arrangements."
"By your command, Your Highness," the old man bowed.
=====°°°°°
Left Behind
Suddenly, the Crown Prince rose from his grand chair. The rustle of his heavy, gold-embroidered silk robes sounded like a death knell in my ears.
He stepped down from the dais, his regal, imposing figure drawing closer and closer until he stopped a few paces away from us.
"You two, follow us," the prince said, addressing the eunuch and Xiaofan.
Then, his cold, deep abyss of a gaze shifted slightly, pinning me to the spot like a butterfly on a display board.
"As for you... stay right here."
I stunned stiff. My heart literally omitted a beat.
I looked over at Xiaofan, my eyes filled with absolute, panicked dread.
*Oh no. He didn't forget. He definitely didn't forget me breaking the rules earlier! He just waited until the room was empty so he could send me to my gruesome, unscripted death without making a scene!*
Xiaofan looked back at me over her shoulder. Her eyes beneath her mask didn't hold pity; instead, she gave me a firm look of encouragement and reassurance, as if to say, *'Survive, Gege. You are a hidden master, remember?'*
*No, I'm not!* I wanted to scream after her.
*I'm a fraud! I'm a fake! Don't leave me with the ice prince!*
But before I could say a word, Xiaofan and Head Eunuch Mo turned the corner and exited through a side door, their footsteps fading into the distance.
The grand imperial room was dead silent. It was just me, the floorboards, and the terrifyingly majestic Crown Prince of the Yang Kingdom.
"Follow us," the prince said quietly, turning on his heel and walking toward a private, arched corridor behind the throne.
I kept my head bowed low, staring intently at the hem of his luxurious robes as they swept across the marble. I followed him, my legs trembling with pure, unadulterated fear.
*F*ck that System!* I screamed in the depths of my soul, tears metaphorically streaming down my face.
*Seriously! The one time I actually need a status screen, a cheat-code, or a snarky digital warning, that glorified toaster is nowhere to be found! Why did it have to go on an emergency maintenance check right now?!*
I honestly wanted to curl up into a ball and cry.
*Oh Allah, Buddha, Jesus, whatever divine entity is listening to me right now... please salvage my fragile, beautiful life! 😭😭😭😭😭 I haven't even finished my very first tutorial mission yet! I don't want to get executed in a clearance-rack tunic!*
As the Crown Prince led me deeper into his private quarters, the silence grew heavier, and I braced myself for whatever terrifying interrogation was about to begin.