20demayo Chapter 259 Time in the Imperial Garden
Chapter 259 Time in the Imperial Garden
The Imperial Garden of the Western Jing Kingdom's Palace, caressed by the warm sun, resembled a magnificent painting. Flowers of vibrant colors vied for attention—red as fiery as fire, pink as the sunset, and white as snow. A gentle breeze stirred, causing the petals to dance like colorful butterflies, filling the air with a rich fragrance that soothed the soul. Along the winding pebble paths, lush green grass carpeted the ground, interspersed with uniquely shaped artificial hills and crystal-clear ponds where fish swam merrily, occasionally leaping out of the water and splashing up strings of sparkling droplets.
Jiang Youan wore a sky-blue brocade robe with delicate cloud patterns embroidered on the hem. A bright yellow jade belt was tied around his waist, from which hung a warm jade pendant that jingled melodiously with his light steps. He carefully pushed a beautifully crafted baby carriage. Inside, his newborn brother lay quietly, his little face rosy like a ripe apple, his eyes closed, long eyelashes casting soft shadows on his eyelids, and his little mouth occasionally twitching, as if he were having a sweet dream.
“Little brother, look, this is the Imperial Garden of our palace, isn’t it beautiful!” Jiang Youan said softly, his voice full of tenderness and pride, as if introducing an incomparably precious treasure to his little brother. As he spoke, he slowly stopped, bent down slightly, and gently pointed to a blooming peony. “This flower is called a peony, the king of flowers. It’s so beautiful. When you grow up, you will definitely like it too.”
The little brother seemed to sense his older brother's voice. His brow furrowed slightly, his little mouth twitched, and he made a soft "woof" sound. Jiang Youan immediately tensed up, quickly straightened up, and gently rocked the stroller, murmuring, "Good boy, don't cry, don't cry, big brother's here. Is the sun a bit too strong?" As he spoke, he took a small sun hat from a nearby bag and carefully put it on the little brother, his movements as gentle as if he were touching a rare treasure.
Perhaps sensing his older brother's love and comfort, the little brother gradually calmed down and fell into a sweet sleep again. Jiang Youan looked at his adorable little brother, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He continued pushing the stroller, slowly moving along the pebbled path, stopping every now and then to introduce the beautiful scenery of the Imperial Garden to his little brother.
"Little brother, listen, those are birds singing. Their songs are so beautiful!" Jiang Youan looked up at the birds singing merrily in the branches, his face beaming with an innocent smile. Although his little brother couldn't understand what his older brother was saying, Jiang Youan spoke with great interest, as if there was a special understanding between them.
As Jiang Youan walked, he arrived at the pond. The lotus flowers in the pond stood tall and graceful, some with their petals fully open, revealing tender yellow lotus pods; others were still buds, looking so full they seemed about to burst open. The lotus leaves were crowded together, like large, round, emerald-green plates. "Little brother, look at those lotus flowers, don't they look like little fairies in pink dresses dancing?" Jiang Youan said excitedly, his eyes sparkling.
Just then, a dragonfly flew over and landed lightly on a lotus flower. Jiang Youan's eyes lit up immediately: "Little brother, look! A dragonfly! It's resting on the lotus flower." As he spoke, he gently reached out his hand, as if wanting to touch the dragonfly, but then withdrew his hand halfway out, afraid of disturbing it.
The sunlight in the Imperial Garden grew increasingly warm, bathing Jiang Youan and his little brother in its glow, creating a heartwarming and beautiful scene. Jiang Youan pushed the stroller to a lawn, where the soft, green grass felt like a carpet. He gently parked the stroller, then sat down on the grass, gazing at his little brother with eyes full of affection.
“Little brother, when you grow up, we can play together on this lawn and fly kites. I’m sure you’ll love it.” Jiang Youan said, gently stroking his little brother’s hand. The little brother’s hand was small and soft, and when held in Jiang Youan’s big hand, it seemed to contain endless possibilities.
After resting for a while, Jiang Youan continued on his way, pushing his little brother in a wheelchair. Along the way, he encountered many palace maids and eunuchs, who all bowed and greeted him. Jiang Youan responded politely, always with a smile on his face.
"Young Prince, you've taken your little brother out for a walk? The young master looks so adorable," a palace maid said with a smile.
Jiang Youan said proudly, "Yes, I'm showing my younger brother the beautiful scenery of the Imperial Garden. He'll definitely love it here in the future."
Before they knew it, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and the sky was dyed orange-red, making the scenery in the Imperial Garden even more enchanting. Jiang Youan knew it was time to return to the palace, so he gently pushed the stroller and slowly walked back along the path he had come from.
"Little brother, that's all for today. If the weather's nice tomorrow, I'll bring you back to play," Jiang Youan said softly, a hint of reluctance in his voice. The little boy shifted in his stroller, as if responding to his older brother's words.
Back at the palace, Jiang Youan carefully lifted his little brother out of the stroller and handed him to the wet nurse who was waiting nearby. Looking at his little brother, his heart was filled with warmth and happiness.
Jiang Youan watched as the wet nurse carried his little brother into the inner room, his heart still filled with the warm memories of the Imperial Garden. He turned and walked to the window, gazing at the gradually darkening sky, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips as the image of his adorable little brother floated into his mind. At that moment, Jia Xiaoyan entered with gentle steps, and seeing Jiang Youan standing by the window in a daze, a tender smile appeared on her face.
"You'an, did you have fun playing with your brother in the Imperial Garden?" Jia Xiaoyan asked softly, her voice as warm and gentle as a spring breeze.
Jiang Youan quickly turned around, ran to Jia Xiaoyan's side, and said excitedly, "Mommy, I'm so happy! My little brother is so well-behaved. I introduced him to many things in the Imperial Garden. Although he can't talk yet, I feel that he really likes it!"
Jia Xiaoyan gently patted Jiang Youan's head: "You are such a good brother. Your little brother will definitely rely on you a lot in the future."
Jiang Youan's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he said, "Mother, when my little brother grows up, I want to teach him many things, take him horseback riding and archery, and read and write with him."
Jia Xiaoyan smiled and nodded: "Okay, but your little brother is still young, so you have to be patient."
Jiang Youan nodded vigorously: "I will, Mother. I also want to go outside the palace with my younger brother, eat delicious food at the market, and watch folk acrobatic performances."
Looking at Jiang Youan's innocent face, Jia Xiaoyan felt a surge of joy: "When your little brother is a bit older, we'll go together. But the world outside the palace is very complicated, so you must protect him, okay?"
"Yes, I definitely will!" Jiang Youan said firmly, his small chest puffed out high, as if he had become the most solid support for his little brother.
In the days that followed, Jiang Youan looked forward to going to the Imperial Garden with his little brother every day. As long as the weather was fine, he would get up early, urge the nanny to prepare the stroller, and then happily take his little brother out.
That day, Jiang Youan pushed his little brother in his stroller to the Imperial Garden as usual. As soon as they entered the garden, they saw a group of colorful butterflies fluttering among the flowers. Jiang Youan excitedly stopped and said, "Little brother, look, so many butterflies!" He gently put the stroller aside and carefully walked into the flower bushes, wanting to catch a butterfly to show his little brother.
The butterfly flitted among the flowers, sometimes landing on one blossom, sometimes on another. Jiang Youan chased after it, sweating profusely, but couldn't catch it. Just as he was about to give up, a butterfly gently landed on his shoulder. Jiang Youan held his breath in surprise and slowly reached out, gently pinching the butterfly's wings.
"Little brother, I caught it!" Jiang Youan happily ran back to the stroller and carefully placed the butterfly in front of his little brother. "Look, isn't this butterfly pretty?" The little brother opened his round eyes and looked at the butterfly curiously, waving his little hands and making "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds.
Jiang Youan smiled even more brightly at his little brother's adorable reaction. He watched the butterfly with his brother for a while, then gently let go of his hand, allowing the butterfly to fly away. "Little brother, the butterfly is going home to find its mother; we can't keep it here."
They continued their stroll in the Imperial Garden, where Jiang Youan introduced many new flowers, plants, and small animals to his younger brother. As they walked, Jiang Youan discovered a patch of dandelions. His eyes lit up, and he picked a dandelion, put it to his lips, and gently blew on it. The white fluffy seeds drifted away in the wind, like tiny umbrellas flying into the distance.
“Little brother, look, these little fluffy things can fly!” Jiang Youan said with a smile. The little brother was also attracted by this magical sight and stared intently at the drifting dandelions.
Tired from playing, Jiang Youan took his little brother to a pavilion to rest. He took out some snacks from his bag, ate one himself, then broke off a small piece and put it to his little brother's lips: "Little brother, try this, it's delicious." The little brother stuck out his little tongue and licked it, a satisfied expression on his face.