With soft foot steps, the servants from the imperial kitchen uniformly approached the lake pavilion. In their hands are sweet and decorated pastries.
On their way, once the pavilion is within sight they were stopped by the empress' maidservant.
"This sister will take it from here." Tang Mei together with the assistance of a few lower handmaids of Xian Feng Palace, intercept and took over the trays.
The lake pavillion is heavily gaurded by Eunuch Yuan. With one last peak, the kitchen servants hold their tongue and walk away.
Inside, Wei Yi Yi and Jiang Liu look like they just braved a storm together. The empress' dress is dishaved while the sixth prince's hair look like a bird nest.
Both are pouting and contending on who looks more pitiful. But in actual fact, it looks like they are upping one another on who seems to be the true brat.
Tang Mei carefully lay down the food and observe the awkward silence. She looked over at the little prince who squeezed himself beside the empress and then search for Xiao Wang Xi. The young eunuch only shook his head and so Tang Mei decide against taking back the young prince.
The empress pretend that the sixth prince does not exist and only gave attention to the little prince. Seeing this, Jiang Liu began to fidget on his seat. If there's one thing that could kill him, it is silence.
Jiang Liu cannot take it anymore. "Royal brother must not know."
"Finally, a thing that we could agree on." Wei Yi Yi replied but her attention was not with him.
Silence still follows.
He looked over at Jiang Chen whose taking all the attention. Wei Yi Yi would reach for the pastries that he like and hold it for him while he nibble it.
Jiang Liu pettily change target. "Imperial nephew have good appetite these days. You look as fat as a pig right now compare to before. Last time this sixth uncle saw you, the first thing that came into mind is a starved puppy. Oh oh, but now you do looked like sister-in-law's good puppy."
In his defense, Jiang Liu does not mean any sarcasm. But as a child that has been use as a political piece, Jiang Chen easily trembles and once again hold his aunt, hoping she would hide him from his uncle.
The empress glares at the prince. He raise his hand up showing surrender.
"What are those?" Wei Yi Yi point out to the scrolls on the table. She finally decide to talk to this man who followed them.
She regrettably gave Jiang Liu an opening to talk.
"These are the drafts of the portraits I'm working on. Royal brother wanted to make a list of the ministers. As Cui Lu hall painter, it is this brother job to illustrate their portraits. And for sister-in-law's information this younger brother also draw the portraits of the ladies participating in the yearly beauty selection. I have withess all kinds of beauty! In fact, I know all of royal brother's preferences. He likes ladies in colorful garments like feathers to birds! And those who have abundant figure same as the monkey's but-----"
"Ok! Ok! Stop!"
You let him talk for a bit and he strays immediately. Wei Yi Yi remembered the scene that they caused. Even after Xiao Yuan Xi pulled them off, this guy is still shouting abuse. He's like that annoying brother who would cry and shout 'it hurts' even before you hit them. And with how he exaggerate things, your parents would of course take their side.
Luckily, Wei Yi Yi did not have such brother. And she'll never pick one of course.
"How about... I help you fix them a bit?" She offers. In her heart, she remembered the abuse that her books received by the hands of this brute.
"Sister-in-law knows how to paint?"
"A woman is train in the four arts. Of course this sister knows how to paint."
She don't. Remember how 'Wei Yi Yi' waste her time stalking the emperor? This bro could doodle, but paint? Ho Ho Ho. Jiang Liu cannot blame her for being petty.
"They say that fighting is a sign of closeness. Since this is the case, this sister will even help you finish them," she follow up to convince him.
Wei Yi Yi actually just hit a bullseye! Jiang Liu's dream is to be an idle prince. So of course, 'work' is his greatest weakness. Just hearing it could send him crying into a corner. But the emperor cannot let him be. All government post were rejected and in desperate attempt, Jiang Yu put him in charge of Cui Lu hall. It might just be paints and portraits but since they are to be submitted to the emperor, it is treated off as official documents.
Jiang Yu plan to slowly push some responsibility to this brother and 'promote' him. But nothing goes in the emperor's way. Just this and it already took an enormous effort and man power to make Jiang Lui finish one assignment without him running away.
This two person, one way or another, have so much in common. And Jiang Liu immediately saw the light in this. In his eyes, Wei Yi Yi is shinning like a god sent. After so long, he finally have a comrade that would shield him while he runs off!
"Big sister! Big sister is the best! Really! You're as bright as the scales of a fish and brilliant as a snake! This younger brother will forget the fact that you had thrown your shoes at me and won't talk to royal brother about it!" Jiang Liu swore, scrapping his initial plan.
So he actually still planning on tattling her later to boss! This liar!