chapter 28

Chapter 28: Who is the prince's?

The child's eyes shone brightly.

For a moment, the cousin felt a bit shy under his intense gaze.

This was the first time he had shared his secret with someone. He had always kept it hidden.

He knew his younger cousin wouldn't tell anyone, but he hadn't expected such a reaction from him.

A face full of admiration.

Every inch of the child's chubby cheeks seemed to exclaim, "Wow, that's amazing!"

Shen He glanced at his cousin and then at the fully packed elongated box.

Liu Zheng asked, "You can choose any, or even take several. I can give them to you. Do you have a toy in mind? I can craft it for you."

His tone carried a hint of pride.

Impossible to hide.

Shen He nodded enthusiastically, "Yes!"

There were so many!

Let's start with the fan for now!

It's a must-have! It's too hot in the summer! By next summer, perhaps I could use a fan made by cousin in the Eastern Palace.

Clenching his tiny chubby hand in anticipation, he asked, "Can you craft it for me? I'll draw it, and you make it!"

The toys his cousin crafted were indeed fascinating. Shen He noticed a bamboo dragonfly in the corner and couldn't resist touching it.

Liu Zheng took the bamboo dragonfly and placed it in Shen He's palm, saying, "It's yours. If you sketch it, I can make it."

Noticing the child's dwindling interest in the other items, Liu Zheng carefully closed the cover and secured it with a concealed latch.

It was only then that Shen He realized there was a hidden latch, so well concealed.

Had he not heard the soft click, he wouldn't have noticed.

Gently holding the bamboo dragonfly, he said joyfully, "I'll draw it tomorrow!"

Liu Zheng lifted him and placed him beside the bed, helping him remove his shoes. From outside, Lian Qiao softly inquired, "Young master, have you finished looking?"

Shen He replied excitedly, "All done! Lian Qiao, look!"

He proudly showed her the bamboo dragonfly.

The room was only occupied by Lian Qiao and He Ling, and no one else.

Since Lian Qiao and He Ling were from the palace, other servants in the courtyard treated them with particular respect.

Lian Qiao looked surprised, "It's beautiful. Did Young Master Liu gift it to you?"

Shen He nodded and handed the bamboo dragonfly to Lian Qiao, "Keep it safe for me and don't tell anyone else, okay?"

We must protect the childhood growth phase of our crafting prodigy!

Lian Qiao nodded with a smile, carefully accepting the bamboo dragonfly and praised, "Master Liu is truly talented to craft such a delicate piece. It's the first time I've seen such craftsmanship."

He Ling leaned in, "Let me see. Wow, it's beautiful!"

Young Master Liu shyly pressed his lips together, blinking as he asked, "Would you both like one? I can make two more for you as gifts."

With Lian Qiao and He Ling safeguarding the small house, he could craft two more dragonflies as tokens of gratitude if they fancied.

Lian Qiao considered for a moment before responding, "Thank you, Master Liu."

He Ling also chimed in with a smile, "This servant is also grateful to Master Liu."

Young Master Liu's lips tightened further.

He was still excited. Sharing this secret for the first time made him eager to converse.

He even felt a tinge of understanding towards Qi Yanbing, sometimes words simply bubbled up, yearning for expression.

Then he turned and saw the tiny tot, who had just taken off his shoes, slumping and dozing off on the bed.

Sound asleep.

The group remembered that the little bun had been tired on the way back and had mustered all his energy just to visit the small house.

Liu Zheng looked at his younger cousin, wishing Shen He could always reside with the Liu family.

It would have been nice if he grew up with the Lius.

Then, he heard the sleeping child mumble softly, "Mmm... Brother..."

Liu Zheng didn't assume the child was addressing him.

He recollected how the child had sleepily inquired about the Crown Prince's whereabouts from the palace maid on the road, evident yearning in his tone.

The Crown Prince treated little Shen He very kindly.

Reflecting upon this, Liu Zheng reconsidered his earlier wishes.

It's better he doesn't reside with the Liu family.

In the Eastern Palace, there's only one child, allowing everyone to dote solely on Shen He.

That's ideal.

……

When Shen He woke up the next day, he gazed at the unfamiliar canopy above the bed, slightly dazed.

After a moment, seeing the face of a young boy, he recalled he was at the Liu residence.

As he woke up, Lian Qiao came to draw the curtains, "Ah, Young Master is awake? Did you sleep well? Come, I'll have He Ling fetch water to freshen you up."

She lifted the child from the bed and placed him, barefooted, onto a small couch.

Liu Zheng, stirred by the noise, awoke and began dressing himself.

The Liu family was strict about manners; Young Master Liu never had servants dress him. He always managed on his own.

By the time he was ready to head out, a servant had already brought water for washing.

Observing his older cousin's self-sufficiency, an 18-year-old's sense of modesty belatedly arose in Shen He.

While half-dressed, the child exclaimed, "Lian Qiao, Lian Qiao, let me dress myself!"

Lian Qiao didn’t protest but eyed the boy's chubby fingers, saying, "Alright, Young Master, go ahead."

Shen He didn’t quite grasp the implication.

Nonetheless, he successfully put on his clothes.

The current attire was light, consisting of two layers: an inner garment and an outer robe. For added flair, one could wear a thin gauze layer.

He wasn't fond of the extra layer, and most of the time, Lian Qiao didn’t make him wear it.

After donning his robe, the child squatted to grab his boots, tugging at the openings and pushing his feet in.

Then, hopping onto his feet, he attempted to fasten his robe.

Shen He tried once, but failed.

Patiently, he undid his poor attempt and tried tying it again.

Half a quarter of an hour later…

"Ah!" Frustration overtook Shen He!

He felt like knotting the troublesome robe into a permanent bind!

However, this robe was personally crafted by Lian Qiao.

The child pouted, his cheeks puffing out like a freshly steamed, fluffy white bun, "Lian Qiao, can you help me?"

Some tasks are best left to the experts.

He'll practice more in the future.

Lian Qiao had been waiting for this moment.

Upon hearing him, she immediately responded, beaming, "Young Master, you did well, managing your boots on your own."

Shen He: "You might as well not have praised me. It makes me feel even more worthless."

After someone helped him get dressed, Shen He stepped outside to find Liu Zheng, who had already finished washing up and was waiting to have breakfast together.

He Líng cleaned the child's face and hands, handed him a willow twig to brush his teeth and rinse his mouth, and then skillfully tied his hair with her slender fingers.

Shen He's hair was jet black and silky, feeling as smooth as satin to the touch.

She used a thick red cord to tie the child's hair.

When he's a little older, she can use a hairpin to pin it up for the young master.

He's too young now. She always worries that the active child might lose the hairpin halfway, leaving his hair tousled and loose.

After tying his hair, a delighted Shen He went to find Liu Zheng to have a meal together.

On the way to the school, Shen He kept peering out of the carriage, looking from side to side.

He glanced at the pancakes on this side of the street and the tempting dumplings on the other.

By the time they reached the school, Liu Zheng remembered a question he hadn't had the chance to ask his younger cousin the day before.

He whispered, "Xiao He, what would you like your brother to make for you?"

He had impulsively agreed the day before. Now thinking about it, if Xiao He wanted something too peculiar, he might not be able to make it.

After all, a child's imagination can be boundless.

Reminded of this, Shen He forgot all about the pancakes and dumplings. He energetically turned to his elder cousin and gestured in the air, "Make a fan that spins and can cool people off when it turns! It's so refreshing!"

Liu Zheng, curious, asked, "What's that? Have you seen it, Xiao He? Is it something from the Eastern Palace?"

Shen He tried to describe it to his cousin, but finally gave up, "I'll draw it for you to see!"

Liu Zheng nodded in agreement.

At school that day, Qi Yan Bing curiously asked, "Little brother, did you enjoy staying with Liu Zheng yesterday? Is your elder cousin too boring? Do you want to come play at my place?"

Liu Zheng: "..."

Zheng Xue arrived a bit late today, rushing into the school just as Professor Min was about to start.

He sat down, panting heavily.

Moments later, the fifth prince hurried in as well.

Great, it's the ever-punctual fifth prince.

After entering, the fifth prince inexplicably stared at Shen He several times.

His chubby face frowned slightly.

The young lad bore a face as if he had been grievously wronged.

The way he was being stared at sent chills down Shen He's spine.

Why was he being scrutinized so intently out of the blue?

He quickly cast the thought aside because he was about to start drafting for his craftsman mastermind!

Shen He couldn’t create formal design diagrams or engineering blueprints.

But he did know how to make isometric drawings.

He diligently immersed himself all morning, trying hard to recall the appearance of an old-fashioned hand-cranked fan from his memory.

He remembered learning in school that fans had been introduced quite early in history, but their use for cooling came a bit later.

Shen He believed that a rough sketch would suffice. Given his cousin's intelligence and the wisdom of the master craftsman, they would surely understand!

The child drew with such focus that he barely lifted his head the entire time.

Liu Zheng remembered Shen He's drawing demeanor from a few days ago.

Shen He would often lift his head to look around, occasionally shaking his short little legs in delight. He'd even switch pencils midway and sneakily borrow Liu Zheng's.

None of those small actions were present today.

Liu Zheng occasionally glanced at the child, multitasking between his own work and observing Shen He.

Then he caught a glimpse of the drawing on the paper.

...A waterwheel?

It bore some resemblance, but it didn't seem quite right.

However, one thing was certain: his concerns did not come to pass.

The boy hadn't whimsically doodled and then claimed he wanted the fantastical object he'd sketched.

Instead, he was genuinely focused on illustrating the structure of what he desired.

In Liu Zheng's mind, it seemed the boy truly longed for it.

By midday, Shen He still hadn't finished his drawing.

He would draw for a while, then pause to think. He strained to recall the corresponding structures using his modern knowledge. If he couldn't remember, he'd set it aside, trying to make the design as straightforward as possible for his cousin.

When he finally set down his pen, there was still a hint of unfinished business.

Liu Zheng gently touched the back of the child's neck, "Xiao He, let's resume drawing after lunch. Let's go."

He rolled up the drawing and carefully handed it to his young attendant, "Hold onto this for me."

Better safe than having some curious child smudge the drawing that Shen He had painstakingly worked on all morning.

As he lifted the child from the high chair, before they could step out, they were stopped by a chubby little figure.

The Fifth Prince stared at Shen He, puffing out his cheeks, "I'm asking you, have you been expelled from the Eastern Palace? Are you never allowed back inside the palace again?"

Shen He: "..."

Shen He: "...?"

Who!? Who would dare send me away?

Apart from the main protagonist, no one else would dare make such a decision!

The protagonist surely wouldn't make such a move. Shen He was quite satisfied with his years of diligent service.

Besides, he's currently just a four-year-old child, entirely harmless, yet to inherit any property. Why would they send him out of the Eastern Palace?

Shen He asked the little one, "Who told you this?"

Just look at this! He's been out of the palace for just a day, and what tales have they spun inside?

The Fifth Prince: "..."

His initially solemn expression shifted. His eyes widened in surprise, then turned to anger, "How could I possibly be deceived? You must've been expelled! You aren’t even a prince, nor the heir's child. How could you stay in the Eastern Palace?"

This pesky kid, daring to look down on him.

He is the Fifth Prince! How could he be fooled?

The little Fifth Prince, visibly upset, turned on his heel and left.

Leaving behind a bewildered Shen He.

Shen He touched his cheeks, innocently remarking, "I do live in the Eastern Palace, and I haven't been expelled?"

What's wrong, is it because he's too adorable?

Hee-hee.

Zheng Xue got to Shen He before Liu Zheng, scooping up the child and silently walking ahead, saying, "You're right."

Liu Zheng, whose young cousin was unexpectedly taken again, thought, "..."

He's now realizing that Zheng Xue might be more annoying than Qi Yan Bing.

What kind of friends has he been associating with!?