"His Highness rewarding you with silver means he values you, Brother Zhou. You must work even harder from now on and not let down his high regard."
The head steward of Prince Lu's Residence happened to be at the accounts office. He personally handed over an ingot of capital silver weighing ten taels, its base pale and deeply indented, its edges frosted-clearly official silver of ninety-eight percent purity-and offered a few words of encouragement.
Steward Zhou immediately broke into a broad smile. Bowing, he agreed repeatedly. "You're absolutely right. We all depend on His Highness for our livelihood and enjoy his favor. How could we not give our all?"
Steward Zhou had handled this task well. He had received silver and won His Highness's regard, and even the head steward treated him much more warmly. It truly lifted his spirits.
It would have been even better if he had not overheard those words earlier.
He tossed the silver ingot in his hand for a while before finally tucking it into his robes, then strolled off elsewhere, humming a little tune.
Walking along the corridor, he could still hear the rain pattering against the roof overhead. The drizzle rustled softly, while Steward Zhou's heart burned with excitement. Once he returned, he would finish the work at hand, then have the kitchen prepare a few dishes for him at noon and warm a small pot of wine. That would feel wonderful!
He had only rounded a corridor and taken a few steps when he noticed something on the ground ahead. Even on this gloomy, rainy day, it gave off a faint gleam, like silver.
Having just received a reward in silver, he was particularly alert to it. The moment the object entered his sight, Steward Zhou's heart leaped.
*Oh-ho, could it really