The Employed Empress

"People are replaceable, Yi Yi."

"They"re fragile, flawed, and easy to turn ugly."

"Don"t touch one. Else, you"re small pretty world will shatter."

Her heart bleeding. Her pulse pounding loudly. The voice turned annoying as it gets louder. It didn"t take long before her mood flares up.

The h.e.l.l with it!

Basically, everyone is broken. So pick your favorite gla.s.s shard and go bleed with it!

Wei Yi Yi grabs the first thing she reaches and rubs it in annoyance. "Lil one, no matter what, only choose people who choose you!"

Jiang Chen, who innocently sat on her lap, had his head grabbed, and end up with a messy hair.

"What"s your answer? I"ll break your leg!"

The three servants jolted from their position. Xiao w.a.n.g Xi, Xiao Yuan Xi, and Tang Mei once again heard the empress telling the imperial nephew dubious matters and even resorted to threats!

Without batting an eye, Jiang Chen reply, "...En."

Xiao w.a.n.g Xi opened his mouth to speak, close it, and then open it again. Xiao Yuan Xi pinches him to stop.

How do they put it? Sometimes they have this strong feeling of a big child trying to raise a small child.

Watching this pair of aunt and nephew, they always feel on edge.

Someone save this pair of children from themselves!

Content with her lil sus.h.i.+"s answer, Wei Yi Yi grab him closer, and generously comb his hair. First, Wei Yi Yi braided them low on his back. Not content at how plain it is, she undid them and tied two high braids, loosing it a bit, then coils it at the root to replicate a flower.

"That"s for girls!"

Jiang Chen caught her act and struggle. Wei Yi Yi tugged on her lips. It"s not like people can tell, right? Everyone have long hair in here.

Having no choice but to undo it again, Wei Yi Yi starts on a different hairstyle. First, it was some buns and then a pony. She attempts to tie two ponies but Jiang Chen aggressively shook his head and won"t stay still.

Wei Yi Yi settled on just touching his hair.

"Auntie, how long till you"re done?"

"I"m not actually tying it. Doesn"t it feel nice having your hair touch?"

"...Hmmm."

They stayed like that for most of the day, giggling with each other.

In the afternoon, Su Mei Fan joined them for a visit. She sat there smiling, talking about trivial things. Unamused, Jiang Chen stared at the unwelcome concubine.

Both of them flanked Wei Yi Yi, refusing to budge and with face thicker than the other.

"Is there something good that happened?" Wei Yi Yi asked while she munch on a fresh mandarin. Jiang Chen tagged on her wide sleeves and turn his head forward. Wei Yi Yi fed him mandarins too.

Su Mei Fan curse under her breath.

"Hmmm?" Wei Yi Yi asked, returning her gaze back.

"Your majesty, there"s a thing that happened!" With the empress attention on her, Su Mei Fan immediately put on her best smile.

"You know---"

Su Mei Fan hesitates. She thought once and then twice. Recalling what happened, Su Mei Fan wonders if her empress would find it interesting. She tried to construct her words in a way that would sound normal.

When all she had written cannot be saved, Ye Ai Ning panicked. The tears ridden Imperial n.o.ble Consort was a beautiful sight to witness. Before she left her palace, Su Mei Fan encountered Eunuch Lin and exchange a few greetings.

Seeing that his majesty is not with him, Su Mei Fan put a stop on her ideas. She bid farewell and the eunuch proceeds towards the small study.

Thru close doors, she picks up on Ye Ai Ning"s low voice asking for the emperor. It was all murmurs after that. She proceeds to walk to the gates but before she could pa.s.s, a few shrieks and cries of desperation sounded inside Zhu Yu Palace.

Something fun must happened! Su Mei Fan forgot to further inquire about it and swiftly run towards Xian Feng Palace.

Showing how happy she is while the inner palace is a mess, her Majesty might be put off. In the end, Su Mei Fan invaded talking about it.

"Empress, do you recognize what Fan"er is wearing?" A blush show on Su Mei Fan"s cheeks as she shyly asks.

Wei Yi Yi looked at her from head to toe. She then smiles and said, "They are his majesty"s "gifts". It"s amazing seeing it turn into a beautiful dress. The color compliments your skin and it was skillfully made to fit you."

"The empress praise me too much. It was thru big sister"s effort that Fan"er was able to receive such gifts." Su Mei Fan redirected the merit back to Wei Yi Yi.

Su Mei Fan fantasies on the fact her majesty personally brought them. She spent days, carefully embroidering them herself until it turned into a beautiful dress. With all that bolt of fabric, she end up with three sets of new robes. She flaunts it to others in every chance she gets.

Jiang Chen does not like the attention that Su Mei Fan can easily gather and called out on his aunt"s attention. "Imperial Aunt, my hair tie is loose."

"Really?" Hasn"t she done it properly?

"Empress!" Su Mei Fan felt the imperial nephew"s plan on sending her out. She looked around and then point out at the mandarins. "Did you made this too? Big sister really likes rabbits. Fan"er finds them cute and would like to learn from the empress if she is allowed."

The mandarins were already cut and prepared. The skin is peeled open in the middle and curved to look like a rabbit on its hind legs. Its front legs hug its fruits acting like a bowl for it. The mandarin rabbit"s ears perk up in a cute manner.

"Oh that, I didn"t make it. Imperial Concubine Feng"s maidservant, Shen Ying brought them."

From Feng Lei?!

Shock s.h.i.+ftly overwrote Su Mei Fan"s adorable face. Mist gathering on her peach blossom eyes and her tone worried. "Why did your majesty ate them?! What if she poisoned them?"

"Aren"t I fine? And I don"t think someone will directly poison me."

Speechless could be an understatement for what Su Mei Fan is feeling right now. If they knew that the empress will eat anything directly sent to her because "no one will poison" her in a straight forward matter, wouldn"t they start picking out sacrificial lambs that will personally bring her poisoned food?

Her Majesty, the empress, is too innocent!

Su Mei Fan discovered a new type of fear.