The Emperor's eyes suddenly focused on him. "What did you name him?"
Yao Ling tensed, his mind going on high alert as for the first time he was being brought up. Though he kept himself from downright glaring, he couldn't help but internally sneer. What type of father doesn't even know his own son's name? It's been three years, you asshole. You never asked the Empress in those three years about his health and the baby?!
"His name is A-Ling. Fourth Prince Jin Ling." Lang Wuying said flatly.
"He doesn't look as strong as A-Hua or A-Zhou." He noted.
He must be talking about the first Prince Jing Hua from Noble Consort Gao and the third Prince Jin Zhou from Consort Cheng. Noble Consort Gao, a man that had the Emperor's heart, or so it was said. While Consort Cheng is said to be a magnanimous woman who calms the Emperor's mind.
He wished he could be naive enough to believe that those two people weren't trouble, but... well, if they weren't, he probably wouldn't be in this body to begin with. It made something in Yao Ling's heart clench. Poor kid didn't deserve this.
The Empress holds his hand, which brings Yao Ling's thoughts back to the present. They stand a few feet away from the Emperor. The Emperor looks straight at him, displeasure clearly showing on his face, like man who did not get what he wanted but didn't outright say it.
The Emperor looked around the room one more time before turning and walking towards the doors. Before he opened it, he turned back.
"I will give you on last warning; I know your jealousy and distrust towards Noble Consort Gao and Noble Consort Chen due to them having children first but don't think just because you're Empress makes you powerful enough to punish them. They are under my protection, don't forget that." With a flourish of golden robes, he opened the door and left.
Silence reigned over the room once more.
Empress Xuefang let go of his hand and silently moved, he slowly sat on the bed. He looked all prim and proper, not a single emotion expressed on his face. But Yao Ling can tell that he was holding back. His hands tightly grasped on one another, and his hazel eyes were clouded and distant. It reminded him of the General when he couldn't sleep, quietly drinking in the dark, staring at shadows.
Yao Ling would've never thought he would experience this. He never had a father before, and he was sold by his mother to work as a servant boy at a brothel at six. What can he do?
Though he's unsure of what to do, his heart is aching seeing the Empress so..emotionless and unable to express whatever pain his feeling. He wants to see the man show something other than no emotion. Even anger is better than nothing! Anything is better than..this.
Mind decided he made a plan. It's called "Get the Empress Angry" because why not? Slowly, he walked up to the young man patting his knee.
"...Bah..Muu" Nothing. Not even a twitch.
"Bah! Umm...A-Niang!" Nothing.
Hmph! Yao Ling was known to be stubborn. He would not back down this easily!
The child climbed the bed and quickly stood up. At his three-year-old height, he only got to the man's chin. But it doesn't matter. He put his tiny hands on his shoulder and started shaking the man back and forth. He did it for a few seconds and nothing! Ugh!
He needed something that would shock him out of his mental cage. Usually something that should cause him to jolt, but not be too painful.
Yao Ling rubbed his chin in thought. Looking around the room. There were candles around he could use the wax and drip it on the Empress's hands, but they were all on top of tall furniture, and he was not about to test his terrible coordination skills.
He drops down back to the floor and looks up at the table. There's a bowl there, most likely the bitter medicine he drank from before. The liquid was slightly steaming before. He could use it, but he didn't want to make a mess of the Empres's clothes, and the liquid had probably gone cold already. Wait..cold...-!
He snaps at the window. Right! It's snowing! He could use that. Smiling widely, he opens the door to the hall and goes outside. Thankfully, there are no maids around to clean some of the snow that fell on the porch. He grabbed a handful and made a snowball.
He laughed quietly as he went back inside, climbed on the bed, and tried with very little success to open the robes with one hand to dump the snow in. Darn royal clothes!
"...A-Ling, what are you doing?"
....
"Ah...?"
The child's head snaps up, coming face to face with the narrowed eye glare of the Empress.
SPLAT!
Yao Ling, he can admit, may have panicked a little bit and may have accidentally thrown the snowball at the Empress's face.
BY MISTAKE! HE DIDN'T MEAN IT!
The snow crumbled, pieces of melting sludge fell to the bed, revealing the absolutely furious expression on the Empress.
" A-Ling.."
Fuck.
Well, at least the plan " Get The Empress Angry" was a success...?