Sheng Li tasted the tart cherries before taking them for Ying Lili.
"Your Majesty, you should have called me. Why did you trouble yourself to come to the royal kitchen?" The royal chef asked humbly.
"Because the Empress wants me to bring the tart cherries for her," asserted Sheng Li. "I wanted to check myself these cherries," Sheng Li added. He picked the bowl and left for the Northern Palace.
The assistants came near the Royal chef. "Did the Royal Chef notice that our Emperor has turned so gentle and humble?" One of the assistants said.
"Thanks to the Empress," the Royal chef replied.
Sheng Li hastened towards the Northern Palace when he encountered the Princes, who had just returned to the Palace after hunting. "Brother Sheng," Lei Wanxi pronounced and came to him.
"Tart cherries!" Lei Wanxi outstretched his hand to take a few when Sheng Li slapped at the back of his palm.
"You cannot eat them," Sheng Li told him.
"Why?" Lei Wanxi asked him as he caressed his hand. The other Princes were also curious to know about it.
"Because these are for Lili. She wants to eat something sour," Sheng Li stated.
"Let me taste just one. Sister Lili will not scold me," Lei Wanxi said and again moved his hand up the bowl when Sheng Li again scolded him.
"Your hands are dirty. If you want to eat, then go to the Royal Kitchen," Sheng Li asserted and then looked at the other Princes. "Hope you all have enjoyed hunting. I will see you all later. Lili must be waiting for me." Sheng Li kept the conversation crisp and hurried towards his chamber.
"Brother Sheng is acting like a father, No?" Rong Zemin said and looked at Jian Guozhi.
"He is going to be the father of two kids. So, taking care of the Empress is indispensable for him," Jian Guozhi affirmed.
"Sister Lili's pregnancy changed Brother Sheng. I saw Brother Sheng getting lessons from the Court Lady Ki regarding the pregnancy so that Sister Lili will not suffer from any trouble. Brother Sheng has even made a chamber for the twins, who will soon come to this world," Nianzu explained to them.
"When did all this happen? I have limited knowledge about this," Lei Wanxi complained.
"Because you spend most of the day in the Capital Bureau's Office," Rong Zemin stated.
"Princess Zhu Lin!" Weng Yu saw her coming from the other side. Lei Wanxi turned back and found her coming to him. "Dear Brothers, I take my leave here. I enjoyed hunting with you all," Lei Wanxi said and ran towards Zhu Lin.
"I still have doubts that Lei Wanxi has grown up or not!" Rong Zemin chuckled as he saw him locking his arms around Princess Zhu Lin's head. He started to laugh. "He is treating his soon-to-be wife that way."
"Lei Wanxi and Princess Zhu Lin's relationship started in a similar fashion, Brother Zemin. That's the reason he behaves this way around her," Jian Guozhi affirmed. Nianzu put his arm around Weng Yu, who was curiously listening to their conversation.
"Brother Yu, what are you thinking about?" Nianzu finally asked him. Jian Guozhi and Rong Zemin glanced at the youngest prince.
"I was thinking whether I have to marry as well as you all brothers did," Weng Yu said.
"Little Yu, you have many years to enjoy," Jian Guozhi said with a smile.
"But I am shy around women. I can only talk to Sister Lili and Sister Xue comfortably," Weng Yu said with a low voice.
Rong Zemin laughed a little. "Even we used to get shy earlier," He said.
Nianzu and Jian Guozhi skeptically peered at him. "I accept that I was a player among the Princes," Rong Zemin said.
"You promised many women to get married to them," Jian Guozhi reminded him.
"I was only enjoying my days, Brother Jian. Now, look at me. I have changed so much. If I look back, I was such a naive man. How could I handle so many women as my wives when it's hard to handle one!" Rong Zemin affirmed.
"Princess Liao Jun might get upset if she hears this," Jian Guozhi pronounced.
"I did not mean that. I am happy to have Liao Jun. It's enough to have one wife. Luckily, Father did not force us to go for multiple marriages. However, if Empress Wei would be alive–" Rong Zemin paused and bit the tongue between his teeth.
"Forgive me, Brother Jian. That was a slip of tongue," Rong Zemin sincerely apologized.
"I understand," Jian Guozhi said. "Let's head back to our respective chambers. We will see each other in the morning," Jian Guozhi said and walked ahead.
"Is Brother Jian angry at me?" Rong Zemin asked.
"No," Nianzu said. "He recalled how his mother made the decision for him, thus forcing him to marry two women, and because of that reason, he suffered endlessly," he stated.
"Brother Jian suffered in marriage!?" Weng Yu asked with curiosity.
Both Nianzu and Rong Zemin nodded their heads. "Let's not discuss it in front of the First Brother ever again," Nianzu suggested to them. "It's that past which he doesn't want to remember," he added.
"I will never ask him," Weng Yu said. Nianzu patted his back and told Rong Zemin that he should return to his chamber.
"Where are you heading to?" Rong Zemin asked him.
"I will be with Brother Yu for some time," Nianzu asserted. Rong Zemin walked ahead of them while the two left after a few minutes.
"Brother Yu, what did you learn from today's hunting session?" Nianzu queried him.
"One needs to be swift, else others will beat you," Weng Yu replied.
Nianzu passed a tiny smile to him. "Hunting gives you many lessons at once. The first is to keep patience. Without patience, you will lose everything around him. Good things take time to get. So, be patient!
The second thing is the clarity and perspective of your aim. Whatever your goal is, be clear towards it and have clear perception, else you will keep deviating from your true path.
The third thing you learn from hunting is to learn to lose. Sometimes, you miss a shot, and it saddens you. But don't let your sadness overpower you, because losing is essential for winning the battles of your life," Nianzu pronounced. Weng Yu was a little enlightened to hear all those things.
"Brother Nianzu knows so many things," Weng Yu complimented him.
"Do you know who told me these three things?" Nianzu asked him.
Weng Yu immediately said a yes.
"Brother Sheng taught me when I went hunting for the first time with him," Nianzu answered.
"Really? But I heard that Brother Sheng was not good in studies," Weng Yu said with a bewildered expression.
"He learned everything from his life. At the age of 13, he went to the first battle of his life. He grasped these life lessons at a young age. For now, he has no time to impart these knowledgeable things to Brother Yu, that's why I am doing that part," Nianzu asserted.
Weng Yu was once again heavily influenced by the personality of Sheng Li. "I want to be like Brother Sheng.. Thank you, Brother Nianzu for sharing this with me," he expressed his gratitude.
