With his rear poked up in the air and his face nearly touching the ground, the Fourth Prince huffed and puffed as he rolled a snowball across the garden. Even as sweat soaked his brow, he remained determined to create a gargantuan snowball that would crush the person he found so eyesore-inducing.
That eyesore was, of course, Ye Zhao.
An hour later, the Fourth Prince looked at his snowball. It was as high as his knees, perfectly round and massive. He lifted his head with a satisfied, triumphant grin. "Hahaha! Let’s see if I don't crush you with this!"
He turned around, only to see a mound of snow beside Ye Zhao that was taller than a grown man. His small, fleshy body froze; he was utterly dumbfounded.
"Hahaha..." Seeing the Fourth Prince's expression, Ye Zhao burst into laughter.
The Fourth Prince snapped out of it, jumping up and down in a rage. "You cheated! You used a shovel! That’s not a snowball you made by hand! It’s not even round!"
Only a child would seriously roll a ball of snow and fret over the minor detail of whether it was perfectly spherical.
Ye Zhao raised his hand, grandly gesturing toward his man-sized, pointed heap of snow. Without a hint of guilt, he said, "This is a snowball I made using snow! It might not be very round, but it’s still very effective for hitting people!"
"What do you make a snowball for? To hit people, obviously. Now, look at mine. Isn't it taller than yours, bigger than yours, and more powerful than yours?"
The Fourth Prince was frantic, stammering in conflict, "It is... but..." *But it’s not a round snowball!*
Before he could finish, Ye Zhao cut him off. "It either is or it isn't. There are no 'buts'! A real man doesn't make excuses for failure."
He spoke with such righteous conviction that the Fourth Prince felt himself wilting. The boy deflated, wanting to argue but not knowing what to say. He stood there with a crumpled little face, glaring at Ye Zhao with a mix of anger and grievance.
However, he had still underestimated Ye Zhao’s capacity for ruthlessness.
The person before him smiled and said, "Big Fat Gold, let us now begin the process of crushing each other with our respective snowballs!"
*What?*
The wind was a bit loud, and the onlookers didn't quite catch it at first.
"Big... What did you just call me?!" The Fourth Prince was shocked, stuttering for a long time before he could even process the name.
If Ye Zhao hadn't been looking directly at him when he shouted it, he would never have believed the name was meant for him.
Ye Zhao repeated it with a beaming smile: "Big Fat Gold."
He then continued, "You haven't forgotten our agreement before the match, have you? You agreed to it. Come on, call me Big Brother!"
Ye Zhao was gloating.
The Fourth Prince finally remembered the stakes and was instantly struck by horror. "Wait... Wait! I didn't agree! You never said you were going to call me Big Fat Gold!"
In his desperation, he blurted out those three words himself.
Ye Zhao scooped a clump of snow from his "snowball" and kneaded it in his hands. "You're the one who wouldn't let me finish, but a promise is a promise. A real man doesn't go back on his word."
"Watch out!"
With that, a snowball went flying toward the Fourth Prince.
"Waaah!" The little fatty jumped in fright, scrambling to dodge.
Seeing the snowball fly past him and thud into the ground behind him, the Fourth Prince realized he needed to counterattack. He began to hurl threats: "Just you wait! See if I don't pelt you to death!"
He reached down to pick up his massive snowball to throw at Ye Zhao, but... he heaved and heaved, and it didn't budge.
The Fourth Prince tried again, pushing and hugging the snowball with all his might, but the object remained stubbornly stationary. It was incredibly awkward.
Ye Zhao and the others couldn't help but laugh. "Pffft—hahahaha!"
Ye Zhao teased him intentionally, "Here it comes, here it comes! I'm going to hit you again! Big Fat Gold!"
In a panic, the Fourth Prince tried to claw chunks of snow off his perfectly rolled ball. However, perhaps because he had packed it too firmly while rolling, he couldn't scrape much off at once.
He was truly suffering the consequences of his own handiwork!
He cried out urgently, "Wait... wait a moment! I'm not ready yet!"
Ye Zhao didn't care if he was ready or not. A snowball landed right at the little fatty's feet, giving him another fright.
In the end, the Fourth Prince—who was slow at gathering snow and lacked the strength to throw—was chased by Ye Zhao until he fled in a panic, scurrying all over the garden with his head tucked in.
The chase was punctuated by Ye Zhao’s voice ringing out:
"Big Fat Gold, I'm going to hit you again!"
"Big Fat Gold, I've caught up to you!"
"Big Fat Gold, run faster..."
*Big Fat Gold, Big Fat Gold...*
The name echoed like a demonic chant, ensuring that everyone in the Plum Garden would have those three words burned into their memories, likely never to be forgotten.
"I'm not playing anymore! Stop chasing me...!"
"Stop chasing! I quit!"
"And stop calling me Big Fat Gold!!!!"
"..."
It was useless. Ye Zhao continued to chase and shout, laughing with unbridled joy. His laughter filled the garden, while the Fourth Prince’s plight was miserable. His cries were tragic, making him look like a poor little soul living under the reign of a demon king.
The Crown Prince and Prince Rong, who had goaded him into this, watched in silence. "..."
*We knew you were a child and couldn't beat him, but there is snow everywhere on the ground. Why did you insist on trying to claw pieces off your own ball?*
Their younger brother's stupidity exceeded their imagination; they had miscalculated.
Watching the Fourth Prince's ordeal, the Third Prince didn't know whether to feel more pity for himself or for his brother. This was too pathetic! It was hardly any better than his own situation.
"Sigh..." The Third Prince shook his head and sighed. Looking at his younger brother, he didn't even feel scared anymore.
After nearly an hour of cat-and-mouse, the Fourth Prince was leaning against a tree, panting like an ox. He had probably gotten a month's worth of exercise in a single day. Meanwhile, the person trailing behind him remained perfectly composed.
Ye Zhao stood behind him and smiled. "Big Fat Gold, quick, call me Big Brother!"
The Fourth Prince was too exhausted to run. Just as he was about to surrender to Ye Zhao's tyrannical might, he spotted someone standing next to Eunuch Babao. His eyes lit up with excitement and agitation.
"Imperial Father!!"
The Fourth Prince had no idea his father had arrived long ago and had been enjoying the show for quite some time.
His cry of "Imperial Father" was long and melodious, trailing off as if he had found his savior. Hope was rekindled in his heart. He moved his short legs and zipped past Ye Zhao, diving straight into Emperor Wei's embrace.
As his tearful, aggrieved youngest son slammed into his chest, Emperor Wei stumbled and nearly lost his footing. He cleared his throat. "Ahem... Little Fourth, what is the matter with you?"
The surrounding crowd watched the Emperor put on his act.
With tears welling in his eyes, the Fourth Prince suddenly regained his bravado. He pointed aggressively at Ye Zhao. "Imperial Father, Ye Zhao bullied me! You must punish him!"
The Fourth Prince lodged his complaint: "He even called me Big Fat Gold!"
His voice was incredibly piteous, clearly counting on his father, the Emperor, to be his backer.
"Pfft—"
Emperor Wei couldn't hold it in; a sliver of a laugh escaped his lips. The attendants around him were all visibly stifling their own laughter as well.
The Fourth Prince felt even more wronged, his face a mask of shock and anger. Then, he heard his father speak: "Little Fourth, Babao has already told me the whole story. Since you lost, you must accept it. A real man doesn't go back on his word."
Ye Zhao watched as the Prince's expression shifted from shock to a look of utter betrayal, as if his father had sold him out. Ye Zhao let out a loud, unprincipled roar of laughter.
The Crown Prince and the other two brothers walked over from another part of the Plum Garden, also offering "reasoning" to the Fourth Prince. The only person present with a cold reaction was likely the Duke of Zhen, Wei Xiyang.
He looked at the Fourth Prince with pity and sympathy, successfully prompting the boy to turn from the Emperor and throw himself into the Duke's arms. "Lord Duke..."
Before the Fourth Prince could say anything, the Duke of Zhen sighed. "Sigh... The Fourth Prince has been wronged."
*Yes, yes!* The Fourth Prince felt comforted. As expected, the Duke of Zhen was still on his side.
Unlike his father, who now seemed to treat Ye Zhao better than his own flesh and blood!
However, Eunuch Babao spoke up at that moment, praising, "Young Master Ye is indeed like Lord Shu; the nicknames he gives are truly unique. This servant remembers that Lord Shu also loved to call the Duke of Zhen... what was it again?"
As he spoke, a look of slight confusion crossed his face, as if he were sincerely trying to recall a compliment rather than a name that would make one's face turn green.
*Smelly Donkey Three!*
The name popped into everyone's mind simultaneously, though no one dared say it aloud, seeing the Duke's face turn ashen.
The Fourth Prince also remembered that bit of history. He looked up and gave the Duke a sympathetic, comforting gaze.
However, who wanted to be "fellow sufferers" with you?!
The Duke of Zhen let out a heavy, furious huff and glared fiercely at Eunuch Babao. "Hmph! If you can't remember, then don't! Who cares what ridiculous name that bastard came up with? What does it have to do with this old man!"
With that, he flicked his sleeves and stormed off, walking away with rapid strides and leaving the Fourth Prince alone, pitiful and helpless.
One had to admit, from Wei Xiyang's "Smelly Donkey Three" to the Fourth Prince's "Big Fat Gold," this father and son pair truly shared a similar talent for naming. The onlookers wondered: who was more miserable, Wei Xiyang or the Fourth Prince?
Feeling isolated and without help, the Fourth Prince recovered from his disappointment and heartbreak to hurl one last threat at Ye Zhao. "You just wait! Imperial Father is mine! I will definitely have my revenge for today!!"
Before the last word had even faded and before Ye Zhao could react, he turned and ran away as fast as his round body could carry him. The serving maids and eunuchs scrambled to follow.
Ye Zhao’s eyes curved into crescents as he waved cheerfully. "Alright, I'll be waiting for you to find me, Big Fat Goooold~~~"
In the distance, the Fourth Prince shuddered at the sound of those three words and ran even faster.
"Hahahaha..."
This trip had been extremely entertaining for Ye Zhao.
Of course, while Ye Zhao played, the Fourth Prince was the one being played with.
He hadn't felt this refreshed in a long time!
As expected, though "bratty" kids were a handful, they were exceptionally fun to mess with!
Ye Zhao refused to admit that his way of thinking was becoming warped.
Seeing that it was getting late, Emperor Wei sent people to escort Pei Shi'an and Ye Zhao out of the palace.
Before they left, the Emperor gave Ye Zhao a command medallion, telling him to come to the palace to play whenever he was free. Having just relaxed and had fun, Ye Zhao felt that the palace wasn't so terrifying after all, and even Emperor Wei didn't seem so distant. Thus, he accepted.
Ye Zhao’s visit today served as Emperor Wei’s formal recognition of his identity. The Crown Prince and the others understood this clearly.
It seemed the political landscape of the court was about to undergo a new shift...
***
