Chapter 14: The dawn at the river

Her new found nephew have chubby cheeks and round eyes. His lips are thin as if they were carefully drawn. He have a fluffy hair just like a sheep. It was curly and smooth.

He will definitely grow up to be a fine handsome man. Well, if only he would stop slitting his eyes just to glare at her.

Hey, older bro swear even 'Wei Yi Yi' never saw you!

"Here, have some."

After cutting the apple into a bunny, she passed the whole plate to Jiang Chen. Tang Mei only stare at her mistress that still like cutting the apple the same way as always.

Wei Yi Yi continue to urge the child. "Go on. Eat."

The child looked at her like she was bullying him into stuffing his mouth. He finally pick one but the looked in his face only worsen. If someone sees, it's like an adult forcing the child and the child grieving but choose to endure. His chewing motion are slow and careful.

"You know, I have Tang Mei poison the apples before she brought them."

A coughing fit could be heared all over the lake pavillion, followed by a hearty laughter.

"Pfft, it was joke! a joke! Hahaha lil' one don't die choking!"

Tang Mei also join Jiang Chen on glaring Wei Yi yi.

"Don't be mad. Here, this auntie will pour you some tea." she poured a whole cup for him, blew on it and then passed it when it was warm enough for a child.

'Ah kids are so easy to troll.'

"Stop looking at me like that. It's your fault for being a good child. If you don't want something then say, ah! Don't let someone force you or you'll really die of food poisoning."

She was teaching a child bad things! And she does not even bat an eye! Tang Mei felt alarm. It sounded so wrong yet so right at the same time.

Jiang Chen looked at his sketchy imperial aunt. Slowly, he refused all the fruits and push them to the side. When he saw that Wei Yi Yi only continue to smile lightly at him, he carefully pulled his own snacks, it was then that Wei Yi Yi's eyes lit up and pounced at him.

He was scared out of his wits!

"Woah lil' one! You have snacks with you! This is actually smart ah! Why did I not think of this. This heavy and thick robes could hide wonders!"

That whole afternoon, a pair of aunt and nephew spend time together.

As for outsiders such as Tang Mei, she almost die a few times just from her nerves.

The empress force the emperial nephew to make a kite and paint it. Not only they were close to being poke by the sticks, the paint tainted the mistress' robes. When she felt like it was on the way, she pulled it up all the way pass her elbows. Everyone dive to stop her.

After finishing the kite, Wei Yi Yi put the string into Jiang Chen's hands.

"Now run!" she said with both hands on her hips.

Jiang Chen felt she was a questionable adult.

"You need to run lil' one! This way the wind will pick up and our kite will fly! I'm not lying. I'm very truthful! Have you never fly a kite?"

Wei Yi Yi tried to find a chicken on the vicinity and plan to flock it's feathers. When she did not saw one, she decided for the brush.

"Hold the string tightly. If you don't start running, I will tickle you."

Jiang Chen, "....."

"...You're so not cute. Tang mei! Chase him and throw him in the lake if you catch him!"

Jiang Chen, "...."

The others, "...."

Tang Mei, 'How is this alright mistress?!'

------

The conclusion that afternoon is that this nephew of hers is so boring!

He put this face all day like he was just enduring your existence. He won't take a joke and will ignore you. It's like if you beat him, that was not the worse case scenario yet.

"He lives at the moon palace right? Have his servants dismissed, then make him pack up his things and send them here at Xiang Feng Palace."

Having someone to tease is better than being a troll by yourself. Even if that child have a poker face!

"Your ladyship, how could this be proper?"

"Then how could him staying inside the palace be proper? Children should be with their mother."

He's not even older than five and he's already living far away from home. Also, whenever he touch him or carry him, he would flinch. That kid definitely have bruises under his garments. The inner palace is scary, alright. They dare not stave him nor injure his face. Meanwhile they must have torment the child in places no one could see.

"Empress it was the emperor that decide to take and raise imperial nephew inside the palace. His majesty wish to educate the young prince since the emperor has yet to have a heir of his own."

At that time, the second prince, Jiang Cheng, marry early and produce the first imperial grandson, Jiang Chen. It was so he could gain more support for claiming the throne.

Producing heirs and continuing the line has always been a sign of great filial piety.

The new emperor just claim the throne and have yet to establish absolute domain. When he got his chance, he snatched the imperial nephew out of prince Jiang Cheng hands and confined him inside the palace walls.