Long Aotian’s Beautiful Butler Has Run Away chapter 79

Chapter 79: Displaying Talent

“What conditions are required to apply as a retainer?” Rong Xie asked.

Hermit Baishui smiled slightly, his short mustache tilting upward. “Confidence.”

Rong Xie froze, not expecting such an answer.

Confidence? What kind of condition was that?

“Don’t worry, Junior Brother Rong. As long as you boldly display yourself, Grand Secretary Wang’s household won’t lack a meal for you,” Hermit Baishui said.

“But… what specifically does a retainer do? What if I can’t do it? I’d still like to prepare in advance,” Rong Xie hesitated.

“You don’t need to do anything. Just offer ideas when Grand Secretary Wang encounters a difficult problem,” Hermit Baishui laughed.

“Offer ideas?” Rong Xie felt even more troubled. “If Grand Secretary Wang can’t solve a problem, can I solve it?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Singing. Singing can solve all problems!”

Saying this, Hermit Baishui hummed a couple of lines. His vigorous and resonant voice lifted the spirit, as if escaping from narrow shackles into the vast wilderness.

“…The Hermit is truly enlightened.” Rong Xie felt respect rise in his heart. This confidence, this voice—it was indeed a realm ordinary people couldn’t reach. No wonder Grand Secretary Wang was willing to take Hermit Baishui as a retainer. If he were Grand Secretary Wang, he would want Hermit Baishui too.

But what about Rong Xie? what strengths did he have that could make Grand Secretary Wang, who had seen all the world’s extraordinary talents, light up and deem him worth keeping?

“Why the troubled look?” Hermit Baishui was surprised. “If I were you, I would be very confident. If Grand Secretary Wang loses me, that is his loss.”

Sponsored

Rong Xie was amused by Hermit Baishui’s statement.

“Or perhaps you look down on the profession of retainer? For an all-around talent like you, being a retainer is indeed a bit of a grievance,” Hermit Baishui stroked the beard under his chin, pondering.

“No, no, I very much want to be a retainer,” Rong Xie hurriedly defended himself. “The Hermit might misunderstand me. I just need a livelihood close to home that can feed me. Being a retainer for Grand Secretary Wang is more than enough. As long as Grand Secretary Wang doesn’t disdain me, I am of course willing.”

“Good!” Hermit Baishui clapped his hands. “No day is better than today. Grand Secretary Wang happens to be at the villa today. Come along, I’ll recommend you!”

“S-so fast?” Rong Xie’s scalp tingled.

“It’s your good luck that Grand Secretary Wang happens to be visiting,” Hermit Baishui laughed. “Go, go, go, let’s go now. We’ll be colleagues in the future. Hahahaha, how delightful!”

Rong Xie completely hadn’t expected that just by coming out to see Hermit Baishui sing, he would be dragged into the Lanyuan Villa District to attend Grand Secretary Wang’s retainer interview.

There were several others interviewing at the same time. These people either wore strange clothes or held strange props. Each looked unconventional and outstanding, just as Hermit Baishui said—very confident.

Grand Secretary Wang sat in a water pavilion by the lake, blinds lowered, his true face hidden. A steward stood before the blinds, responsible for relaying Grand Secretary Wang’s words. He called the candidate retainers forward one by one to introduce themselves, display their talents, and answer Grand Secretary Wang’s questions.

Rong Xie was a last-minute addition and was placed at the end of the line. When the steward saw him, he smiled and nodded at him. Rong Xie recognized the steward; when he toured the Lanyuan Villa District with Shen Bingsi, this was the steward who received them. Suddenly, a sliver of confidence rose in Rong Xie.

The candidate retainers ahead danced, played the flute, recited poetry, or performed talents Rong Xie couldn’t even understand. Grand Secretary Wang watched them all patiently and asked detailed questions based on their performances.

Listening from the side, Rong Xie discovered that Grand Secretary Wang was the true all-around talent. No matter how obscure the talent performed, he could ask questions from a professional angle, filling Rong Xie with admiration.

Finally, it was Rong Xie’s turn.

The previous candidates hadn’t left; they still gathered on the lawn in front of the water pavilion. However, they were much more relaxed now and had the leisure to pay attention to their competitor’s performance. Scrutinizing, critical, and amused gazes fell upon Rong Xie, doubling his pressure.

The steward looked at Rong Xie with a smile. “Young Master Rong, what will you perform? Please.”

Sponsored

Rong Xie froze slightly. “No self-introduction?”

“Young Master Rong can introduce himself if he wishes, but the Master already knows you,” the steward smiled.

As soon as the steward said this, those critical and amused gazes turned into astonishment. They hadn’t expected this beauty who came in last and looked somewhat reserved and shy to be so famous that even Grand Secretary Wang recognized him. What amazing skill did he possess?

Rong Xie hesitated a moment, remembering Hermit Baishui’s reminder: be confident. No matter what you display, be confident.

Hermit Baishui didn’t know that confidence was the hardest thing for Rong Xie. He envied those candidate retainers. Even if their skills weren’t perfect or they made mistakes answering questions, they could still lift their chins and speak arrogantly. What they said didn’t matter; their cadenced enunciation alone was fascinating enough.

Perhaps Rong Xie paused for too long, as people on the lawn began to whisper, and Grand Secretary Wang behind the blinds adjusted his sitting posture slightly.

The smile on the steward’s face wavered. Just as he was about to remind Rong Xie to start, he saw Rong Xie purse his lips as if making a decision, looking firmly toward the blinds.

“I am Rong Xie, from Heyang, currently living in Zhuli Lane, Lanyuan,” Rong Xie said.

“Good, Young Master Rong, please begin your performance.” The steward breathed a sigh of relief. Actually, keeping Rong Xie was already decided internally. After all, Rong Xie was Shen Bingsi’s good friend. Even if Rong Xie knew nothing, they had to give Shen Bingsi face. It was just one mouth to feed, nothing to their Master, but maintaining a relationship with Shen Bingsi this way was extremely cost-effective.

However, thinking this privately didn’t mean they could operate this way openly. At least Rong Xie’s performance had to be passable. Also, a retainer’s “backbone” was most important; Grand Secretary Wang wouldn’t want a yes-man. Rong Xie’s current performance was still unsatisfactory. Hopefully, he would reveal some means in the formal performance later, even if it was just chanting a spell or drawing a talisman.

“Actually…” Rong Xie didn’t take out a talisman as the steward hoped. He maintained his reserved attitude, hands clasped in front of him. “What I excel at isn’t easily performed. If the Grand Secretary is willing to give me a chance to demonstrate, please entrust one or two villa management tasks to me. I will give the Grand Secretary an answer before the next holiday.”

“Huh?” “Haha, what kind of talent is this?” “So he’s applying to be a steward?” The candidate retainers laughed. They had never heard of such a thing—someone treating garden management as a talent? Didn’t that mean the sweepers and pruners could all apply as retainers?

Hearing Rong Xie say this, the steward’s expression became subtle. He thought he had recruited a favor for the Master, but unexpectedly, he had recruited a competitor for himself?

The surrounding reactions didn’t affect Rong Xie. He continued to gaze at the blinds, waiting for Grand Secretary Wang’s answer.

This answer was the result of deep deliberation. While waiting in line, Rong Xie had reviewed all his talents. He found he indeed knew many things, but none made him feel confident. He felt those talents couldn’t help Grand Secretary Wang solve problems, so he wouldn’t feel at ease. But if it was managing the garden, he had confidence he could make Grand Secretary Wang feel hiring him was worth it.

Sponsored

“Oh?” Grand Secretary Wang’s voice came from behind the curtain, sounding amused. “You say your talent is managing gardens?”

“Exactly.” Rong Xie’s voice grew a bit louder.

Grand Secretary Wang laughed twice and said, “That is truly a remarkable talent.”

Hearing Grand Secretary Wang give garden management such high praise, the lawn fell silent. The candidate retainers dared not laugh anymore; they shut their mouths and looked at the sky, resuming their unruly poses as if they hadn’t been the ones laughing just now.

“Giving you a chance to demonstrate is no problem, of course. However, this garden is my painstaking creation; I cannot casually entrust it to others. You can understand my feelings, right?” Grand Secretary Wang laughed. “I will ask you a few questions. If you can answer them, then we’ll talk about performing.”

Rong Xie breathed a sigh of relief. “Please ask, Grand Secretary.”

In the time that followed, Grand Secretary Wang asked about everything: from what woods were commonly used in Capital-style architecture and how to maintain them, to the Feng Shui hexagrams and taboos to consider in garden layout, to how to plan and calculate incoming and outgoing accounts. Questions covered every aspect.

Although there were points of emphasis, these questions covered astronomy, geography, Feng Shui, folklore, craftsmanship, and arithmetic. Even the erudite scholars of the Imperial College might not have such a comprehensive and complex knowledge system. Asking through it all took quite a bit of time.

Rong Xie answered every question fluently.

The steward had initially worried about bringing in a competitor, but now he saw there was no need. The man’s level was far above his own, even able to go back and forth with the vastly knowledgeable Grand Secretary Wang without distinguishing high or low. It was only human nature for a lowly steward like him to be outclassed.

The candidate retainers were dumbfounded, their haughty postures faltering. Was this the lowly garden management work they knew of? Why did it sound more thrilling than the Palace Examination, with categories even more complex and detailed? How many books must one have read, how rich must one’s memory and practical experience be, to achieve this level?

No wonder Grand Secretary Wang said, “That is truly a remarkable talent”!

Only Hermit Baishui, who had recommended Rong Xie, seemed to have expected this. Twirling his goatee, he smiled proudly. The talent he discovered first was finally known by others. This sense of accomplishment was similar to having his new song sung everywhere—perhaps even better.

“Mm, not bad,” said Grand Secretary Wang, who was rarely satisfied with anything. “However, theory is one thing, practice is another. Wang Yuandu, you assign tasks to Young Master Rong.”

“Yes.” The steward bowed respectfully to the blinds, then cupped his hands to Rong Xie, saying humbly, “The villa’s affairs are complex. Please give us your guidance, Young Master Rong.”

Sponsored

“I wouldn’t dare. As a newcomer, if there is anything I misunderstand, I ask Steward Wang for your care.” Rong Xie returned the bow.

The heavy stone in his heart dropped. His interview seemed to have gone quite well? Although he didn’t become a retainer, perhaps he could do what he truly wanted to do.