The newly partnered people, Lou Ben and Qi Shuang arrived to where Qi Shuang lives.
It was not too different from what Lou Ben slept in last night.
It was a giant loft and similar small doorways that lead to other rooms.
Qi Shuang turned around to talk to Lou Ben "Our room is upstairs. It is not too different than the temporary room they had for you."
"Of course, the major difference is that this has more accommodations." Qi Shuang said as she lifted her arm to point towards an open kitchen and dining room."
"The belongings that steward Wen Guoliang provided are probably in the public space. Why don't you look around and tell me what you think."
Lou Ben found his rather large sack in an empty square just before a set of a staircase. This led to the bedroom.
Inside he took out the pile of books that were at the bottom of the sack.
Now that he understood that many of the mortals don't know how to read, he found this act a little suspicious.
"Why would they give us servants a pile of books?" he muttered under his breath, but Qi Shuang was close enough to hear his curious nature.
"That is to have specific older servants, so that they may give you a tour or answer your questions. You don't have to think to hard about it. It is like a token."
"Each book can be used to ask a question and be returned back steward Wen Guoliang over time."
Qi Shuang looked at these books as nothing more than decoration, in her eyes it was just a token and didn't have much value.
Lou Ben replied to Qi Shuang who seemed more interested in getting close to Lou Ben "If that's the case, then do you still have the books you were given?"
Lou Ben asked because it was a probe into the history of Qi Shuang, he wanted to know more about her and how she got here.
"No, the people like me that were born in the palace don't get this package. We have our parents teach us the ropes and learn from their experiences."
Lou Ben inwardly thought "seems like I was right to ask, I wouldn't have thought she was from this place. Does that mean she has never left? That would be no surprise. It is too dangerous outside."
Qi Shuang and Lou Ben rested in the public space talking about small things that Qi Shuang was able to answer.
Lou Ben asked things more about how Qi Shuang lived, the public places they were able to travel to, and among the various questions, how he can learn to read.
"There are no places we can learn to read. We don't need it. The only people who go to the library and have no strength are elders of the palace."
"I think that you only get better education when you become an elder. To be an elder is very hard, it takes many years of expressing your loyalty to master Xiao and steward Wen Guoliang."
Lou Ben learned a lot with this small interaction.
He was most interested in developing his awareness and view of the world.
It would best be said that although he can predict certain things, it is always best to get a firsthand experience from others.
Qi Shuang talked to Lou Ben for as long as he had questions, slowly trying to warm up to him and get him to feel closer to her.
"My dear Lou Ben, it is almost time to rest. I didn't think we would be together so soon, so I had no food prepared. Tomorrow after I teach you a few things to keep the library running, I will get us something to eat together."
"I also want to tell you, dear, that after watching you run around, I'm tired."
Qi Shuang was trying to tell Lou Ben to get in bed together.
In another room far into the center of the palace.
Xiao Weizhe was resting his body on a cushion.
Steward Wen Guoliang entered with his permission and seemed like a long unanswered question had finally had some hint towards the answer.
"Master Xiao, I believe I might have noticed something today that can help you with the emptiness of your ambitions."
"Oh, steward Wen Guoliang, it must be rather interesting for you to skip dinner with your wife in order to talk to old me."
"Nonsense, master Xiao, you are my benefactor, my life savior. If there was no master Xiao, there would be no steward, Wen Guoliang."
"The answer I found was rather interesting. I was with the new servant you purchased yesterday, and I took him to the library."
"There I saw the young library servant's eyes light up as she saw the handsome young fellow.'
"It made me decide to leave him in her hands. What really made me think further, as I went along through the day was her smile."
"The young servant librarian seemed as if all mysteries in life had been answered with the appearance of a single boy."
"If I am not wrong master Xiao, have you ever thought of eloping with any nearby family? If no women catch your eyes, have you tried taking in a disciple?"
Steward Wen Guoliang's explanation seemed to wake Xiao Weizhe up from a drunken stupor.
He picked his tired body up and looked at his steward in amazement.
"Yes!"
"Although it seems so simple, it's nothing I was focused on!"
"Steward Wen Guoliang, all these years we have gone through trials and tribulations. I have been solely focused on this palace that I failed to think of my own self as someone who needed such basic needs."
"haha, steward Wen Guoliang, who would have thought, that the further you rise the further you need to roam for the basic needs of human nature."
The two locked eyes in acknowledgement as this might be their answer.
Xiao Weizhe didn't think of this before because such things were beyond him.
He was focused on one thing and one thing only.
Xiao Weizhe only sought power and the goal to better his family palace.
It was the same as how many people live on earth under the sky, but focus on life in front of them, completely ignoring the clouds and radiating sun.
Only when the sun gets too hot or the clouds get too numerous, does one look up and contemplate such things.
For Xiao Weizhe to get to this point, the sense of not having a direction was exactly what he needed to have this realization.
"Well, steward Wen Guoliang, what are your thoughts on taking a disciple?"
"Master Xiao, I think it would be much easier to find a woman for you. You are the leader in power inside this village. All you need to say is that you are looking for a wife and the line of women would stretch from here to the capital city!"
Steward Wen Guoliang was clear on this, but Xiao Weizhe had other thoughts in mind.
"No, don't forget about our earlier talk. May I need to remind you about how ambitions might seem as easy as speaking a few words, but it might take a lifetime?"
"Steward Wen Guoliang, If I wanted to be happy in love then it would require extra conditions, to begin I would first have to want the woman beside me. Otherwise, what difference would it make if they loved me or not?"
It wasn't that Xiao Weizhe didn't think of this before, but no lady ever caught his eye. His heart was not there.
On the other hand, a disciple was completely different. All that this required was the right person to meet the requirements. It didn't matter if Xiao Weizhe felt love for them, it was all one sided.
If he could impart his knowledge and wisdom, then those conditions were all he needed.
He would spend time cultivating young talent, and over time see how to react to the youth.
"Alright, steward Wen Guoliang, find me a disciple. I have decided to take one in. I don't care who they are, what background, nor how many."
"Never mind, I only want one. I can't be bothered to take care of so many children. I do not run an orphanage."
Steward Wen Guoliang smiled and bowed "your wish is my command. I will start early in the morning."
Although this decision was not what steward Wen Guoliang expected, he was happy to see his master wide eyed and joyous to live life again.
He wanted to present a disciple to Xiao Weizhe in the most appropriate way, only the best unpolished jade would be worthy enough to be a gift.
One that had enough rough edges to pose a challenge and direct appropriate amounts of effort into smoothing out.
Wen Guoliang walked home thinking about the conditions about who this future disciple must be.
He thought many things but recalled his master's order of such small conditions.
It made him realize that although it was simple, this too would be difficult.
"The first thing I need to do is eliminate a large majority. I should focus on talents within the palace. If I posted an announcement in the village, it would gather the wrong crowd. If I can get this unpolished gem from the palace then they would even be more loyal to the Xiao name."
Wen Guoliang was getting excited. It's been too long since Xiao Weizhe gave him such an important and tedious task.