Work Text:
Uyun was a truly beautiful country. Literally everything was great there: warlike history without great losses and an endless series of losses, foreign and domestic policy, economics, architecture... nature.
The flora and fauna, in particular the flowers, were especially magnificent. The majestic large forests were filled with coniferous and leafy trees, and among them were burrows and dens, nests of birds and reptiles, families of animals and solitary animals.
And yet, the flowers stood out most there. Is it worth talking about their diversity? I think this is unnecessary, so I’ll leave it up to your discretion.
However, there is (or was) one period of the year when they bloomed throughout the country in all residences, gardens and fields. Because of this, once a year the royal family organized fairs throughout the country, where a wide variety of flowers and bouquets were sold.
Some people in the capital might have been led and they would have bought flowers from the imperial palace, and sometimes collected by the crown prince themselves. On the innermost petals of the imperial flowers there was an imperial seal, and on those that Tian Qdi cut off there was also a vertical line, also known as a unit, and were randomly distributed to merchants.
As fate would have it, the flowering period fell on holiday 205, and therefore it was the most romantic period of the year. It was believed that people who received flowers of noble origin would have good luck in love affairs all year, and those who received them several times would get married successfully.
In addition to the fact that such a trick with flowers from the imperial garden made people happy and had fun, it also increased sales, which obviously did not empty the treasury.
Mei Nianqing himself loved this time of year very much, and the other three advisers could support him in this—these four and the Crown Prince of Wuyun would happily run around the garden and pick flowers every year.
Every year, these four wove wreaths for His Highness, which seemed to be placed on his head. Meanwhile, one day they also rallied and wove him a flower crown, meanwhile trying to put it on his tail.
At the height of the fair, the quintet also visited it in person, buying and giving flowers to whomever they wanted. Thus, first Tian Ji bought flowers that were no different in any way, which he handed to each of the advisers. When it got dark, he sent three of them away and allowed them to do whatever they wanted until the end of the festival, and invited Mei Nianqing with him.
Together with him, he headed to the imperial garden, where the dialogue took place:
-Your Highness, what are we doing here? It’s dark now, you can’t admire the flowers, and it’s cold, you might catch a cold.
-Mei Nianqing, do you want a trick?
“I will be happy with whatever Your Highness does.”
-No formalities, haha!
Having said this, he created a ball of light that illuminated all the nearby flowers.
-This is truly magnificent, Your Highness.
-That's not all!
Dividing the ball into smaller ones, he distributed them over the desired territory and lowered them closer to the buds. And, lo and behold, the flowers began to bloom!
Frozen in silence, Mei Nianqing could not describe the level of his shock, so surprised that he did not notice how Tian Ji took out scissors from his sleeves and began to pluck the unexpectedly blooming buds one by one, and then invited his companion to the swing in the center of the garden. Of course, the adviser, trained to carry out requests as orders, could not disobey him.
There, the Crown Prince began to weave a wreath, and when he finished weaving it, he put it on Mei Nianqing’s head. He, who all this time had been fascinated by both the beauty of the flowers of the imperial palace and the appearance of Tian Ji, illuminated in the warm and cold, practically did not notice how it landed on his hair. “Practically,” because at the moment when the wreath was on him, his gaze focused and acquired a loving meaning.
-Your Highness?
-Shh..
Without words, he lowered his head onto the adviser’s shoulder, Tian Ji gradually leveled his breathing, at the same time falling into sleep.
It is worth saying that Mei Nianqing most likely would have sat on the swing all night with the Crown Prince on his shoulder if he had not been worried about his health.
Carefully picking him up in his arms, he gradually walked the road to the palace, consistently extinguishing the lights created by the prince. Eventually, he reached his chambers, where he laid him on the bed. As he was about to leave the room, he suddenly remembered the wreath.
Having taken it off, Mei Nianqing placed the loosely tied flowers next to Tian Ji’s head, and he immediately hurried away, before asking the servants to “be attentive to His Highness’s health.”