Servant was a middle-aged man with a peculiar name, one he'd had no say in choosing. When he was sold to Golden Peng Fortress, the steward had named the slaves in order using the Thousand Character Classic, and the character "Servant" had come up. At the time, Servant couldn't speak Central Plains Chinese. He accepted his new name, taking the laughter around him as a sign of kindness.
After he learned to speak Central Plains Chinese and understood what kind of place Golden Peng Fortress was, he was even less inclined to ask for a correction.
Like most servants, Servant struggled through life in lowly circumstances. He was past forty before he managed to land a somewhat decent position: buying long-out-of-fashion cosmetics down the mountain for several elderly women in the inner quarters.
There was hardly any money to be made in this job. Its one advantage was that he could go down the mountain once a month, spend his paltry wages in South City, and find a little comfort in cheap wine.
So when five gleaming silver ingots were placed before him, he immediately decided to sell everything he knew. Besides, what the other man wanted to buy didn't seem secret at all to him. "H-how much is this?"
"Ten taels each, fifty taels in all." Little Xu Yi smiled. He was playing the part of a wealthy merchant with a keen curiosity, spending a little money just to hear some interesting inside stories.
Servant swallowed. His mind struggled to convert the enormous sum into his favorite kind of wine. It took him a while to come around. Lowering his head so he wouldn't look at the silver, he said bashfully, "I saw Moonlight Hall attack the inner quarters with my own eyes. They killed everyone they came across.