"Frown."
"Frown harder."
"Too much. Ease back a little. That's it!"
"Turn the corners of your mouth down. Don't twitch. Down, farther down-stop! Just like that! Hold it!"
"Remember what I taught you. I have faith in you! Go!"
The Son of Heaven was very satisfied.
Qian Ruo'er was very stiff.
And so, outside Cloud Dragon Gate, when Baoyue lifted the carriage curtain, she found Qian Ruo'er wearing precisely this stiff, contrived expression.
Baoyue was cold as frost:
"It seems Supervisor Qian has risen in the world and forgotten who he is..."
Qian Ruo'er was utterly terrified:
"I wouldn't dare! Even if I rose another ten ranks, I would never presume to put on airs before Your Ladyship! I truly never had a chance to get in-"
Baoyue interrupted him coolly:
"It doesn't matter if you've forgotten. Let me refresh your memory.
Qian Ruo'er, a native of Jurong County, Danyang Commandery."
(Danyang was the commandery of the Capital Region. Its two most important counties were those of the Capital: Jiankang in the north and Moling in the south. Jurong was much farther away.)
Qian Ruo'er froze for a moment. He had entered the palace ten years ago, and his family had long since moved. It had been a long time since he had heard the name Jurong.
Baoyue paused, seemingly giving Qian Ruo'er time to reminisce, before continuing:
"Your family lives in Taoshe Alley, Niupu Lane, Ni Tang."
(They had moved to the Capital's outskirts. Ni Tang lay a dozen or so kilometers from the city, right on the eastern boundary of Jiankang's metropolitan area, also called the "imperial district" at the time. Think of it as the fifth or sixth ring road. Remote though it was, its residents still counted as Capital dwellers. It was densely populated and