Edited by Asa
In the next few days, Qi Mingyue did what most babies did, except for the fact that he was quiet most of the time and only cried to let others know when he needed something. But he'd always look around, seeing the servants come and go. He was always in his own thoughts.
Who wouldn't like this type of kid? Consort An would always hold him herself, singing songs to comfort him, while Qi Mingyue would always stare quietly at his mother, his soft lips curving into a smile.
As the days went by, with the servants and Consort An's thoughts out loud, Qi Mingyue understood his surroundings.
This place was called CangHe, one of the biggest countries. Surrounding it were multiple smaller countries and two other strong countries. In the north was AnChang and in the south was LianTong. Between the three countries, there were centuries of peace and with little to no conflicts.
His mother's name was An Ruolan, General An's daughter. Her beauty was famous in this time. Gentle, quiet, intelligent, beautiful and organized,she was one of the people who were most cared for under the Emperor. Because of the fact that the Empress was not able to give birth to a child, in the harem, her life was considered the best.
His father, Qi Xutian, on the other hand could be considered a good man. Apart from his unpredictable and loose temper, there was almost nothing else unusual about him. Even his military strategies were often praised.
Listening to other people talk about his father was like listening to a song. But there was something very odd about it. All these praises were after Qi Xutian acquired the throne; before that, everything from what he did or where he went was never mentioned.
Did no one know? Or is it because no one dares to talk about it?
Once, a quick-mouthed servant girl accidentally mentioned, "that year... the grandmaster..." making a few people turn pale as they remembered His Majesty's request for the grand-master. That was the reason for everyone's unsettling feeling.
Since then, he never saw that servant girl again, almost no one noticed either.
Qi Mingyue understood, no matter which Emperor it was, no matter if they were happy or upset, those people were merciless. Even each concubine from each estate would look gentle and kind, but that did not mean they didn't know how to be cruel. His mother for example...
He knew a lot, but he didn't really bother with it. Within the walls of the palace, survival was the only thing that mattered the most.
This day, Consort Ann put him down gently onto the bed, and slightly played with the hair on his forehead, her eyes were full of worry. "The hundredth day is within sight, and my son will meet the grand-master..." then, An Ruolan's voice softened, whispering: "I hope nothing bad happens..."
The grand-master again. This, however, made Qi Mingyue look forward to that hundredth day celebration.
"Your Highness, Chief Liu came with two people, they're waiting for you," Zhi Lan announced quietly. Everyone knew that Consort An loved the second prince very much and that anyone that entered the room must be very quiet, so as to not disturb the second prince's rest.
Chief Liu came with the people, meaning it was under the orders of the Emperor. Ann consort got up and tucked Qi Mingyue in, "bring them out, I'll be there soon."
The two servants that Liu brought were about the age of 10, Hong Xiu and Ying Ran. Hong Xiu had a very outgoing personality, and would always talk to Qi Mingyue nonstop. But when there were people around, she knew what to say and what not to say. On the other hand, Ying Ran was more introverted, and didn't talk much. But when it comes to taking care of Qi Mingyue, she puts out a gentle expression, never making a mistake.
