CHAPTER 4

The intricacies of royal protocol are like memorizing the Three Hundred Tang Poems.

Exquisite and unique, yet impossible to fully master.

Constitutional monarchy has been in place for many years, blending Western and traditional cultures. Inside the palace, there are established customs for hosting relatives, and different rules for entertaining foreign friends.

There are six or seven types of forks and spoons, each used differently. The sequence of courses in French and Chinese meals is also quite different.

Yet, Yue Yiwan spent some effort, crafted rhymes to grasp the essentials, and managed to remember them all.

This is at least faster than memorizing fabric swatches as before.

Whether it’s taffeta, chiffon, silk, or leather, he used to dream about them and wipe his face on his clothes at midnight.

Nowadays, the palace rules are considerably fewer—outside, commoners wear whatever colors they like, while inside, the nobles stubbornly stick to traditions that seem absurd.

But the hierarchy among servants remains strict.

They are all outstanding individuals selected through layers of screening. Even if they spend just a year in the palace in the lowest position, wealthy families outside compete to hire them as stewards.

Lindu even established a steward academy specifically to cultivate professional talents.

Yue Yiwan spent half an hour familiarizing himself with the royal genealogy, then went through all the patterns and titles meticulously, and mastered dining etiquette clearly.

Ms. Feng seemed somewhat bewildered, and her pace quickened in the latter part of the session.

Having been a etiquette teacher for over twenty years, she had taught many noble children, most of whom listened reluctantly, wishing she could spoon-feed them the key points directly into their mouths, with no guarantee they would chew.

This new Mr. Yue, though he looked like a modern youth with dyed hair and ear studs, surprisingly adhered to the rules and cooperated well.

It seemed like he was learning too quickly.

There was no need to explain things twice; he even asked questions proactively.

Ms. Feng was tempted to award him a certificate for being an exemplary student.

His notes were indeed neat and beautiful, organized meticulously for every subject. This child was truly easy to manage!

By the time they walked out of the Abaodian, Yue Yiwan had already settled into a more confident state.

The unfamiliar new world that seemed alien before now appeared with various explanations and icons, clear and distinct taboos and boundaries.

Every servant in every corner now had titles like NPCs, and their roles were apparent from their robes.

“He glanced at old Steward carrying a tray of clothes, seems temporary rush out of the new clothes.

Yue Yiwu recognized the old steward who received him in the morning at a glance, did not rush to bow, just nodded with a smile.

The old steward stood in front of the Morning Palace, and after bowing, he explained his intention unhurriedly.

As he is going to attend an audience with the emperor and empress tomorrow, the palace has hastily made a decent ceremonial gown for him, which needs to be tried on for size and adjusted promptly.

Yue Yiwu responded with a sound, and the two attendants behind Cao Steward stepped forward with the tray: “Please change clothes here.”

They went to the side of the screen in the side bedroom, helped him take off his T-shirt, and even untied his shoes themselves.”

Yue Yiwu felt in that moment as if four hands were touching him simultaneously, trying to dodge a bit: “Can I… can I take it off by myself?”

Although his family conditions were not bad, he didn’t think he needed help to undress.

“You’ll get used to it.” The fair-faced young attendant smiled. “Just spread your arms, we’ll take care of the rest.”

Nowadays, equality and human rights are emphasized in the palace, so there’s no need for derogatory terms anymore.

—But what’s the difference?

Yue Yiwu felt almost on edge due to nervousness, his whole body almost about to explode with tension. Nevertheless, he spread his arms like a scarecrow, allowing the two attendants to dress him in the inner garment and fasten the ties.

He didn’t even have to put on his own socks—just lift his foot and let it fall.

This was the beginning of decadence, he silently told himself.

In the moments following, you’re about to descend from a wicked capitalist descendant to the heir apparent of feudalism.

Once the robe was fully adorned and the various ties concealed within the folds of the spacious attire, both the crotch and shoulders felt remarkably breathable and loose.

Yue Yiwu tested it with a few movements and found that the trousers wouldn’t slide down, which visibly relieved him.

Beside him, the attendant knelt halfway, holding a tray with a peculiar pair of shoes.

“These are…”

“They are Tangmu brocade clogs,” the attendant patiently explained. “When you wear them, mind your balance; both clog teeth are positioned towards the rear.”

He nodded, then lifted his foot to put on the wooden clogs and, with assistance, stepped out from behind the folding screen.

When he vaguely found his bearings, he tentatively loosened the sleeve of the attendant, walking towards the full-length mirror, swaying like a little white goose.

The robe he wore was in the color of sakura grass embroidered with white peacock feathers, made of remarkably light and soft fabric.

The sensation against his skin was quite pleasant, perhaps due to the inner lining being genuine silk.

Yue Yiwu looked at the young man in the mirror, extending his arms and turning halfway around.

The voluminous hem of the robe swirled with his movement, the long feathers of the peacock rippling like an unfolding fan.

Childishly, he swung the large sleeves, flapping his arms like a sparrow learning to fly, dragging the sleeves like wings, swaying up and down.

As he played around, he glanced at the mirror and suddenly saw Hua Muzhi standing at the doorway. The latter had just come to escort him upstairs for dinner.

“Ahem.” Someone started observing the antique vase beside them. “I didn’t see a thing.”

Yue Yiwu, not yet satisfied, flapped his arms a couple more times, the cloudsleeves swaying in the wind, the embroidered wings gaining even more depth.

“It wouldn’t matter even if you did see,” he said slightly unsteadily, turning towards Hua Muzhi’s direction.

Normally walking with his weight forward, he now had to suddenly adjust to a weight shift backward, feeling like he might stumble at any moment.

Without paying attention, he stumbled a bit, and Huamu Zhi hurried over to support him, catching him just in time.

In that moment of closeness, a light, delicate scent of pear blossoms wafted into the air.

It was subtly fragrant with a hint of sweetness, elusive yet enticing, making one yearn to smell more.

Yue Yiwu snapped out of his distraction to find himself almost leaning into Hua Muzhi’s arms. With a serious expression, he defended himself, “I’m very serious.”

Hua Muzhi nodded with a smile, “Hmm, very serious.”

He allowed the other to support his arm, teaching him how to adjust his steps.

Yue Yiwu instinctively gripped his wrist, finding it somewhat difficult to walk.

Today, he hadn’t noticed Hua Muzhi’s shoes and had assumed he wore sneakers under his robe.

“What about going upstairs…” Yue Yiwu held onto him, not daring to let go, thinking it required quite some skill. “Stepping forward might lose balance, and stepping backward might fall.”

Huamu Zhi didn’t reply but continued guiding him up the staircase to the second floor.

Two imperial attendants quietly followed behind with keen eyes.

“Find your angle,” he said briefly. “Step firmly when you’re going up the stairs.”

Yue Yiwu focused intensely, allowing him to support his back as he nervously climbed.

Wearing these clogs, he felt like one misstep would send him and the crown prince rolling down like two balls.

That would definitely be disrespectful.

“Keep your posture straight, mind your center of gravity.”

Yue Yiwu gripped his wrist tightly. However, as he turned the corner, his right foot slipped and nearly missed a step, causing him to gasp involuntarily, “Mu Zhi——”

The latter’s hand gently steadied him at the waist in an instant.

“I’m fine,” the man whispered softly. “Keep going.”

Yue Yiwu thought he was about to fall and hastily thanked him, then struggled to ascend the stairs for dinner.

These wooden clogs had been popular in China for thousands of years, and they were truly terrifying to wear… Not something just anyone could manage.

After finally getting settled, a phone rang in the distance.

The attendants had already cleaned it thoroughly with alcohol and even applied a screen protector for him.

Yue Yiwu instinctively thanked them again as he answered the phone.

“… Are you still alive?” Yue Zhi’s familiar voice came through. “You haven’t been kicked out yet, have you?”

“Thanks to your blessings, I’m eating and sleeping fine,” Yue Yiwu took a deep breath. “Everything’s good, and everyone’s been taking good care of me.”

“Before Big Brother could say a word, Dad snatched the phone and asked, ‘Yi? What are you up to?'”

“Can you exude a bit of a CEO’s aura?”

Yue Yiwǎn couldn’t help but laugh and explained, “I was just learning to walk with His Highness.”

Hua Muzhi, drinking tea, almost choked.

Her brother beside her asked uncertainly, “Did you really go to practice walking properly? Is that really popular in the palace?”

“I’ve packed up the sewing machine and everything. It’ll be delivered tomorrow,” Yue Pin said in a raised voice, “Should we bring those plush models over too?”

“Dad, those are called mannequins… bring them over.”

After a long and winding phone call, Yue Yiwǎn finally breathed a sigh of relief and handed it over to the attendant nearby.

Accompanied by a slight nod from Hua Muzhi, the nearby staff began serving dishes.

The long table between the two seemed like it could stretch into a galaxy, adorned with over a dozen small plates and four or five bowls of soup and porridge.

“When I was on my way here, I secretly searched you up on Baidu,” Yue Yiwǎn sat obediently beside him, letting the attendants arrange the utensils and napkins.

Hua Muzhi raised an eyebrow and asked, “What did you find?”

He had been under media and public scrutiny since childhood, known for his erudition, good manners, and exceptional handsomeness, once ranked among Asia’s top 50 most charming men.

In this era of flourishing social media, even the royal family had their own fandoms and idol-chasers, with many young women openly stating he was their ideal spouse.

Since birth, he had been caught on camera and photographed secretly everywhere, even during secretive vacations abroad. Later, for safety reasons, he completed his university education within the palace under the guidance of professors.

“Not only did he earn dual degrees in literature and history, his equestrian skills are also quite impressive,” Yue Yiwǎn nodded approvingly as she scooped up clam and egg soup, affirming, “He’s a very typical nobleman.”

Hua Muzhi smiled with lowered eyes, about to say something when suddenly, footsteps approached from a distance.

Yue Yiwǎn set down her silver spoon and looked towards the staircase, subconsciously rubbing her eyes.

Did she just feel like a sheep was happily bounding up the stairs—

Hua Muzhi hadn’t expected it to return so quickly either, gesturing casually.

The fluffy creature immediately sat obediently not far away, its head held high with a soft “woof.”

“Is this… a dog?!” Yue Yiwǎn was stunned for a moment. “Really, it’s a dog?!”

“It’s a Hungarian Kuvasz, an ivory-colored shepherd dog,” Hua Muzhi explained. “It just got bathed and groomed today, and its name is Toto.”

The sheep-like big white dog barked again and wagged its tail rapidly.

“Toto, that’s quite a common name…” Yue Yiwǎn remarked as she looked at the dog.The dog glanced at the new guest, seeming eager to come over and nuzzle his palm.However, Hua Muzhi sat smiling at the table without giving a signal, and it obediently sat at the edge of the carpet, wagging its tail but not coming in.“What kind of name do you like?” Hua Muzhi leaned over and poured him half a glass of cherry wine.“Um…” Yue Yiwǎn pondered for a moment and said, “Dala beng ba ban de bei di buo duo bi lu weng.”

“……?”