Chapter 6.2

As the wedding procession made its way through most of the capital and arrived at Changshou Alley in the southeast, the sound of drums and music grew louder and more jubilant.

In front of the Yao family residence, two young servants dressed in red, veins bulging on their foreheads, held up two thick strings of red firecrackers, as wide as a person’s waist. Another attendant lit them with incense.

Thick plumes of white smoke rose into the air, accompanied by the deafening crackle of the firecrackers. The procession paused at a distance, waiting amid the noisy celebration.

Yao Lin should have been happy. But as he gazed from afar at his brother-in-law, the prince, sitting utterly still atop his horse, worry gnawed at him. He couldn’t help but wonder how the prince had mounted the horse in the first place, and how he would dismount later. If the movement looked awkward, would someone laugh? And if they did, would the prince, humiliated by the laughter, take his anger out on Yao Lin’s sister?

Turning his head, Yao Lin spotted his good friend, Li Tingwang. The man stood among a group of sturdy young men, looking as though he had lost his soul.

Yao Lin sighed inwardly. If it were up to him, he would much prefer his sister to marry Li Tingwang. Li Tingwang was full of vitality, and if he ever mistreated Yao Lin’s sister, Yao Lin could beat him up without hesitation to defend her. But with Prince Hui, even the thought of laying a hand on him made Yao Lin feel a pang of guilt.

Finally, the firecrackers finished, and the choking, eye-stinging white smoke dissipated. The wedding procession moved to the main entrance of the Yao residence.

Both the guests and the onlooking townsfolk fell silent at that moment, their gazes collectively fixed on Prince Hui, curious to see how he would dismount his horse.

Prince Hui leaned forward slightly, placing his left hand on the saddle while his right hand gently patted the horse’s sleek, dark coat.

The glossy, black-maned steed obediently knelt down.

At that moment, a guard brought forward an exquisite wheelchair made of purple sandalwood. Two other guards steadily supported Prince Hui by his shoulders and arms, transferring him into the wheelchair with care.

The crowd was still murmuring in awe when the ceremonial official began conducting the wedding rites.

The bride and groom needed to bid farewell to the bride’s parents, and Yao Huang was finally escorted out.

The phoenix crown, adorned with an abundance of jewels, was exceedingly heavy, and the bridal gown was overly elaborate and cumbersome. Yao Huang had to take small, slow steps, keeping her shoulders and neck tense, not daring to tilt even slightly.

With the red veil obstructing her vision, Yao Huang could only make out part of the wheelchair as she was guided to Prince Hui’s side.

Prince Hui, exempt from kneeling before the bride’s parents, performed four bows from his seated position. Yao Zhenhu and Luo Jinhua accepted two of these bows and returned the other two.

After Yao Huang completed her bows, it was time for Prince Hui and the Princess Consort to depart from the Yao family home. They still needed to enter the palace to pay respects to Emperor Yongchang and the imperial consorts.

Yao Huang walked beside Prince Hui’s wheelchair. After she had been helped into the bridal sedan chair, she didn’t see how Prince Hui mounted his horse. However, the silence outside painted a vivid picture in her mind—every pair of eyes was surely fixed solely on him. She could only imagine the scene and wondered what expression he wore.

He probably wasn’t happy, was he?

With his legs already disabled, he could have stayed in seclusion within the prince’s residence, avoiding the public eye. But now, because of this wedding, he was forced into the spotlight, exposing his vulnerability before everyone.

From once being a high-spirited and commanding prince to now becoming someone pitied or ridiculed as a cripple…

Yao Huang felt a wave of nervousness for herself. She worried that Prince Hui might take out the frustration and humiliation he endured on this journey on her, his bride. After all, she would be the only person who would face him for an extended period that evening.

Compared to the heavy anxiety she felt, the tedious formalities inside the palace seemed like nothing more than physical tasks to get through.

After completing the rounds in the imperial palace, the wedding procession finally returned to Prince Hui’s residence, just as the brilliant sunset bathed the sky in crimson hues.

Yao Huang was helped to the back courtyard, where Prince Kang, Prince Qing, and the Fourth Prince gathered around Prince Hui in his wheelchair. Looking at Zhao Sui’s handsome face, now tinged with the glow of the sunset, Prince Kang smiled and congratulated him, saying, “With the colorful clouds in the sky, this is a good omen. Second brother and the princess are truly a match made in heaven. After marriage, you two will surely have a loving relationship, and everything will go smoothly.”

Prince Qing and the Fourth Prince also offered their congratulations.

Zhao Sui finally smiled, accepting his brothers’ kind words.

Meanwhile, Yao Huang walked through the corridor to the back courtyard, noticing that the doors she passed through had no thresholds, likely designed to make it easier for Prince Hui to pass through in his wheelchair.

Once the bridal chamber was prepared, a eunuch wheeled Zhao Sui to the room.

Among the guests present in the bridal chamber were Princess Fucheng, the younger sister of Emperor Yongchang, and Lady Cheng’en, the wife of the late empress’s cousin, accompanied by their respective daughters-in-law. Prince Kang’s two concubines were also present, along with the Grand Princess from Empress Zhou’s family and the Second Princess from Concubine Du’s family.

These are the women Yao Huang will have to interact with frequently in the future.

Zhao Sui’s leg injury caused the smiles of the guests to fade somewhat. Fortunately, the ladies-in-waiting knew how to speak auspicious words, so the atmosphere in the bridal chamber remained celebratory.

Zhao Sui sat in his wheelchair as the veil was lifted.

Yao Huang had seen Prince Hui during the selection process, but this time, she only exchanged a quick glance without closely observing him. The look Zhao Sui gave her was equally detached, like water, devoid of any particular emotion. The unfamiliar couple drank the ceremonial wine amidst the polite and sincere congratulations of the female guests. After this ritual was completed, Zhao Sui returned to the front courtyard to entertain guests, while Yao Huang changed into a lighter ceremonial dress and was accompanied by Princess Fucheng and others to the evening banquet.

On such a joyous day, no one deliberately cast a shadow over the occasion, but Yao Huang still sensed that Princess Fucheng and the Second Princess shared some unspoken understanding in their gazes, likely related to Prince Hui.

They didn’t speak, and Yao Huang didn’t try to guess. She hadn’t had a proper meal in the morning or at noon, and now she was very hungry. Using the manners she had learned in the palace, she daintily finished a bowl of rice, and the two plates of dishes in front of her were soon emptied to the bottom.

Princess Fucheng: “…”

Since it was the newlywed couple’s big day, Yao Huang still had some preparations to make. The female guests, sensing the mood, only took a few bites and then courteously excused themselves. On the men’s side, even the most enthusiastic drinkers didn’t dare to pour wine for Prince Hui in his wheelchair. They only sipped lightly to express their congratulations, and then everyone focused on the banquet and lively conversation, letting the groom leave early.