Reincarnated As The Unloved Empress's Son

A walk in the Garden

It's been a few days, and Yao Ling has used those days for reconnaissance.

After serving his punishment, forced to apologize and not given any sweet fruit puree for lunch, as if he cared, Yao Ling was given to a new old nanny and two maids for his daily schedule.

The older maid, named Sun momo, looked at him wearily but was attentive enough. She wore a dark shade of green, her hair empty of any adornments except one simple silver hair pin. The other two maids wore light green dresses, hairs tied up and adorned with little adornments.

They are quiet and meek, pretty much non-existent if Yao Ling wasn't looking at them.

He took his time walking among the lavish green gardens watching the few eunuchs and maids, all wearing shades of green walk along the raised bridges and pavilions connecting them.

Through his daily walks, he noticed that the palace was beautiful, though oddly…empty. He's not sure, since he's not really versed in royalty customs and whatnot, but shouldn't an Empress have more servants than the same ten faces he keeps seeing?

The place was grand, built with dark wood, and had two ponds with walks ways to cross above them. One of the ponds had beautiful pink lotus and lily pads on the top. There was also an amazingly crafted table with only one bench on it.

Yao Ling can clearly imagine the Empress sitting by his lonesome staring at the pond. It made for a lonely ghostly figure.

He's also noticed the quietness, no one speaking, or talking to each other, unless to give directions or orders. It's grating on his nerves from the lack of any human speaking.

The more days that pass, the more annoying the quietness gets. Yao Ling huffs standing in front of a small pond filled with three large carps, peacefully swimming around. Too peacefully.

Tch.

He grabs a small pebble and throws it in the middle of the pond, disturbing the fish's peace and splashing loudly around getting away from the disruption. Yao Ling smiles, feeling much better after causing a disturbance. Honestly, everything is too calm and quiet. His life has always been filled with chatter, yelling, fighting, and music. Everything around him had noise. As short as the disruption was, it unraveled a bit of tension he felt. Yet it was still mostly there.

“Fourth Prince!” Sun Momo, who had stood a few steps behind him, came up to his vision. “ Why would disturb the poor fish's peace? That is not nice.”

Yao Ling raised his head, looking at Sun Momo. He flatly said “They're fish.”

“Yes, they are fishes, but still living beings who shouldn't be disturbed.” She said wisely.

Yao Ling blinked. They're just fishes. One pebble won't kill them. “It's too quiet.” He answered back.

Sun Momo eyebrows rise, “ That is the way Empress Xuefang prefers it. We must all keep a docurum of quietness and tranquility, young Prince” She said proudly. She continues to babble and speak about palace rules despite Yao Ling clearly having stopped listening.

‘Ah. So the Empress lives like a monk in the mountains. And everyone should adhere to it.’

Honestly, this resembles a shrine more than a palace. It makes Yao Ling's hands itch to do something.

Now that he realizes it, he hasn't seen the Empress. Well, he has for the meals, which if he were in his original body would have been super awkward. The Empress doesn't say a word throughout those meals, yet he does stare a lot, and Yao Ling  has to act like the mindless three year old that he is now. It was embarrassing acting like he didn't know how to eat, the fact that he still managed to get his food everywhere.