The first meeting

"The spring is here..."

"The red flower is blowing..."

"I am eating my mother peonies cakes"

"It makes me happy..."

"under the beautiful sun, it will make me grow beautifully..."

Ni Qing is skipping around to the hill with her mother candies snack in her hand. she is happy and singing a small song while walking to the hill to pick up some wild berries and flower to make some cakes. the sun is shining warmly make the nearby icy frost melt and become the morning dew.

Along the way, she plucks the wild herb and edible flower and put them on the basket on her back. She actually is not allowed to do this kind of stuff but she always sneaks outside from the house. She loves to learn all the dessert made by her mother.

Ni Qing walked through to the hill when she bumped into a small boy who bawls his eyes off. The boys are squatting under the bush, it seems to hide from the world. He cries his eyes off and looks really sad. However, his clothes didn't seem as he is coming from a lowly family. Ni Qing comes closer to the boy who looks older than her.

"You are older than me but it seems that you are softer than me!!!" Ni Qing is standing in front of him and scolding him. The boy ignored her and keep in his own world.

"How about you sucked to these caramel candies? My mother told me if I am sad then I need to suck into something sweet to lessen the burden," Ni Qing hands out the small caramel candies to the boy. He looks at her with his puppy eyes.

In his eyes, she is the only one who ever dares to talk and instructed him the royal crown prince of Dayu Kingdom. He was so sad to see his mother passed away wither from sickness. He knows that his mother the royal empress is the victim of his father harem politic. He detested his royal father to let that dark scheme happen. His royal father can rule and protect the whole kingdom bravely and expand the Dayu Kingdom, but he cannot protect the women who helped him.

The eunuch and all the royal guard come out from the Palace to find the running away crown prince. He was supposed to join his grand teacher to learn about the confusion and nature when he decides to run away and hides in the bush to enjoy his sadness.

He really missed his royal mother and cried alone inside the bush to hide his real feeling. As the crown prince, everyone is looking at him and expect him to be the best.

Ni Qing is opening something from inside her pocket and open it up. there is a lotus caramel cake wrapped in the handkerchief. She was contemplating giving it out to the boy as it is her lunch. however, she decides to help the sad boy in front of her.

Ni Qing saw the weak boy in front of her and pinch his nose. He did not realise it and opened his mouth to gasp the air when Ni Qing stuff the cake into his mouth.

The flavour of the cake and the nice fragrant flower is enticing his happiness. He did not expect this slice of cake to reflect the enveloping warmest hug from his late royal mother inside his mouth and body.

He remembers his late royal mother who always makes him food with her own hand. His Late royal mother always went to the kitchen and make all his food regardless of her busy schedule. sometimes, His Royal father is jealous of his royal mother affection.

Jin Yu enjoy a slice of heaven inside his mouth and the tears flow out from his eyes while he chews the cakes. this cake makes him remember his late royal mother love when he was down after his royal father scolding.

"You have to be brave… no one can comfort you except yourself… we have to rely upon ourselves or else we will get crushed… only this time, I will comfort you," Ni Qing comes closer and hugged his body to comfort him. She patted his back to make him stop being sad.

"Young Miss Qing… where are you? Miss…. Let's go back or madame will punish us severely," The maid is calling her. there are his mother maid and her personal maid with their nanny who on feet calling her name on the hill. they always can find her on this hill as her favourite place to collect some herb and wildflower.

"I have to go… remember if anyone bullies you again, you can come and find me," Ni Qing releases him and handed him her name tag. The marble stone carves her name exquisitely beautiful. Her stone name tag shows that she is from a noble family.

Her kindness and beautiful eyes combine with her nice attitude make Jin Yu fallen in love with her. She is the only one who occupied his heart with her royal mother.

He stood up and keep her name tag inside his body close to his heart. He promised to marry her in the future. He walked back to find his eunuch and went back to the cold Palace.

He realised has to become the strongest and powerful emperor in the future. He has to be wisdom and rule the country as a benevolent ruler.

-------

Fifteen-year passed quickly when Jin Yu become the crown prince that rules the country with his brilliant brain. He helped his father, the emperor to rule the county as a benevolent ruler.

He follows his father footstep to become the ruler that his people love. Sometimes, he went out to check his people reality and compare it with his ministry report. He did not believe straight away his ministry report, whilst he has his own people in secret to help him. One thing as not to believes his minister one hundred per cent as they have their own agenda. Jin Yu perfected his royal father governs system to prosper his country and his people.

This time, his royal father called him to his study to discuss his marriages. The royal father gives a few candidates picture in front of him to choose from when one family name comes to his attention.

"Royal father, please let me be bold and ask you to marry me with the daughter of Ni family…" Jin Yu asked from his royal father.

"Why do you choose her?" The king is asking him this question.

"I have my own reason for that, royal father," The crown prince answers politely. However, The king is having a headache as his wife, the empress, wanted her niece to become the crown prince consort. This matter actually under his wife jurisdiction. But he loves all his child unconditionally.

The king got really a headache thinking about the harem. This time, his royal wife is making a lot of mistake as the mother of the nation. She only wanted the best for herself without thinking about the others. He only can give her advice in private as her husband.

"You can marry the Ni family girl as your consort if you accept the Chu family as your concubine," the king is giving him the counterattack of his request. Jin Yu is surprised by his father request. He is smiling for reading his royal father minds.

"Is the Royal mother asked about this? Does she blackmail you again if her niece is not married to the crown prince then she will create another problem?" Jin Yu smile at his father politely.

"you are the perfect person I have to choose to inherit this seat…" The king laughed to see his bright crown prince.

The crown prince bows down to the king from his study room and walked back to his palace. Her name tag is going everywhere with him as he wears it on his neck. now, his promise will come one step closer to the end. He will marry her as his consort.