The Employed Empress

In this kind of temperature, bodies of water in the palace are unconsciously avoided in fear of "accidents". 

Especially the Imperial Lake, which held the highest record of who knows how many consorts falling in and bodies floating.

Still, there are ones whose problem is that they are attracted to these red flags.

Such as the young prince that insisted on playing at the lake pavilion. Being fished out from the lake once did not earn him a lesson. 

With his chin on the table and feet swaying, Jiang Chen ignored the table full of childish pastries.

"Are these not to his highness" likings?" Feng Lei asked, her eyes twitching and teeth gritting, trying her best to rail in her temper.

Jiang Chen gave her a pa.s.sing look, as if seeing air, before turning his head in the opposite direction.

"How about some manners, your highness?" Feng Lei glared with wide eyes, thinking she"s intimidating in this way. Her creativity on threats being challenged as she cannot whip Jiang Chen to shape like before. "The empress indeed had an amazing talent in raising rude piglets."

"Hmp! See?! Just a few days and you are back at bullying this prince! Only ghosts will believe that you"re truly afraid of Imperial Aunt!" 

Jiang Chen jumped on his feet and stood on the stool to gain a few heights. His eunuch, Xiao w.a.n.g Zi immediately opened his arms while going "ahhh", having his soul scared out of him.

"Haven"t I been trying to please you these days? I gave you an inch and you dare to want a mile! It is not my fault that you would not accept a toss when offered."

Remembering something, Feng Lei sneered, "Before you could not even make a sound of dissatisfaction but at least you would pretend to have a straight back and pride. What about now? Throwing your weight around, showing your elder an ugly face, giving a sloppy att.i.tude, are you sure the empress is taking care of you with good intentions? Just how is she educating a prince?"

"My aunt said not to feel guilty when demanding justice! Not to endure when being bullied nor give face to villains. You have a nasty personality! How is it that you deserve to be this prince"s elder?"

"Nasty?! This is being direct! If your highness thinks that"s me being mean, then aren"t you just weak?"

"The empress told this prince that kindness and respect should not equate to weakness and being easily pushed around. This prince wants to be nice but you"re annoying!"

"I am merely educating our naive young prince that useless toys are eventually thrown away!"

Seeing that they are steadily walking towards violence, their servants throw themselves to stop the two. Shen Ying embraced Feng Lei, not letting her touch the whip while Xiao w.a.n.g Zi put down Jiang Chen, almost carrying him away.

Without both of their natural counterparts, the palace was expected to have peaceful time. Who knew these two would actually find each other to cause trouble, creating new waves of headache?!

Just in time, the Empress" head eunuch stepped inside the warzone. Unable to retreat in time, he received countless eyes begging and blinking pitifully.

"Niang Niang, Imperial Concubine Feng. Your Highness, Prince Chen. This servant---"

The two snapped their gaze, turning their burning stare to the new target. 

Xiao Yuan Zi shuddered.

"Cough… This servant is here to inform that both His Majesty and Her Majesty have returned to the capital and will be soon entering the palace..."

Jiang Chen"s expression lit up. In a beat, he threw Feng Lei, this mob character, to the least of his priority and ran out.

"My young prince, a person"s heart is the most hidden!" Feng Lei shouted at his back.  "Do not build your home in someone else"s palm nor treat them as your salvation. Attachment is nothing but a result of slow acting poison. Regardless of sweetness, a poison is a poison."  

The child staggered on his step before steadying himself and walking back. 

Thinking her words reached the prince"s inner heart, Feng Lei held a proud smile. It has yet to solidify when she heard Jiang Chen saying, "Xiao w.a.n.g, don"t dally here and hurry to dress me accordingly. This prince will welcome the empress at the main hall!"

Feng Lei was then left to brew on her anger alone.

"That brat is so stubborn!"

"Niang Niang, the prince is still a child. You cannot be too hard on him." Shen Ying tried to appease her mistress.  

"What child? At his age, bengong has swung her sword enough to break the practice pole!"

Feng Lei felt some bitterness. 

Although raised as a faithful soldier, Feng Lei gained a rebellious heart. She slowly came to an understanding, that the start of suffering is attachment. It is an illusion. A strange kind of slavery.

That is why, it would be better if one could easily abandon his shackles. 

---

A cl.u.s.ter of servants busied themselves around the prince, serving him at his beck and call, awaiting at his feet. Xiao w.a.n.g Xi dressed the young prince in a complicated pile of imperial robes. The vibrant colors and lifelike embroideries was something unfamiliar to his touch.

The sun was s.h.i.+ning warmly when he escorted Jiang Chen to the sedan. They pa.s.sed countless of towering gates un.o.bstructed.

Receiving the unusual reverence, Jiang Chen remained steady. He remembered his aunt saying, "there are times that you can be "Jiang Chen" and also times that you must be "Chen w.a.n.gye". Knowing when and where is something you must naturally know."

In any case, they will not come near him without his consent. Unlike before where he feared stepping out of his palace, this time, it must be them fearing his dissatisfaction.

a.s.suring himself the same way Wei Yi Yi a.s.sured herself, Jiang Chen found more confidence and appeared even calmer and his back firmer.

Where is he uneducated? Maybe Jiang Chen wasn"t raised and taught like most n.o.ble sons, but in Wei Yi Yi"s guarantee review, her little sus.h.i.+ has more common sense than greenhouse radishes.

"Your Highness," a royal guard greeted him, followed by the eunuch who wanted to announce his presence.

Jiang Chen gestured for him to stop. "This prince will wait here for Imperial Aunt."

The servants sound an agreement before retreating, leaving the young prince alone.

Inside, m.u.f.fled sounds escaped to the hall and reached his ears. He thanked his instincts right then and there. It was the right decision to wait outside.

Then the argument turned heated which caused Jiang Chen to widen his eyes and his heart thudded by the emperor"s voice.