Chapter 10.1

After a sumptuous lunch of eight dishes and two soups at Ming’an Hall, Zhao Sui was about to return to Bamboo Courtyard. Before leaving, he told Yao Huang that he would come back in the evening.

Yao Huang stood up and said, “I’ll see you off, Your Highness.”

Zhao Sui replied, “No need for such ceremony.”

His words were polite, but his expression was undeniably cold.

Yao Huang understood this kind of emotion. Sometimes, when she visited other people’s homes, the elders would try to give her some food she didn’t want. Even though she would politely thank them, she felt extremely annoyed. If she were a princess, she could simply say, “I don’t want it, don’t force it on me,” and dismiss them.

Since the prince didn’t want her to see him off, Yao Huang stopped at the entrance of the hall and watched as Qing Ai pushed his wheelchair away.

When the figures of the master and servant disappeared completely, Yao Huang relaxed, and the five servants in the courtyard also felt more at ease.

Returning to the table, Yao Huang saw that out of the eight dishes, both meat and vegetarian, the Prince had only touched two. Yao Huang, on the other hand, had tasted all six other dishes. Even though she had a good appetite, she only ate a total of one and a half plates. She drank a bowl of both soups, while the Prince only tasted half a bowl.

Yao Huang asked Huamei, “What does the Imperial Concubine usually do with the dishes she doesn’t finish?”

The Yao family was small, so there was rarely any waste, with only a little leftover from each meal.

Huamei secretly scoffed in her heart, but she remained respectful on the surface. “Her Highness will give it to the palace servants to eat.”

The meat and vegetables sent to Yikun Palace were all the freshest. The Imperial Concubine could only eat so much, so most of the dishes would be left untouched and brought back down. After being reheated, they would become delicious meals for the palace maids and eunuchs.

Yao Huang looked at Bailing, who nodded to confirm that Huamei was telling the truth. Yao Huang then said, “Alright, take it away and eat it. Also, call the head chef from the kitchen to see me.”

Ah Ji said, “I’m not hungry. I’ll stay here and serve the Princess.”

Yao Huang waved her hand. “Go eat first. Come back after you’re full. I’m going to rest now, I don’t need you.”

There were also second-class maids assigned by the prince’s household and Yao Huang wanted to get acquainted with them.

Soon, the head chef from the kitchen arrived. There were actually two of them.

Kong Shifu was the head chef who usually served the Prince. He normally worked in the small kitchen at Bamboo Courtyard, but since the Prince had been eating at Ming’an Hall for the past three days, Kong Shifu had followed him back.  Gao Niangzi was chosen by the prince’s household specifically to serve the Princess and would stay at Ming’an Hall permanently.

Yao Huang asked Kong Shifu, “Is there any specific number of dishes for the Prince’s three meals a day?”

Kong Shifu replied, “Yes, unless there are special instructions, His Highness will eat two main dishes and two side dishes for breakfast, four dishes and one soup for lunch, and two dishes and one soup for dinner.”

Yao Huang asked, “How is the Prince’s appetite?”

Kong Shifu sighed, “His Highness hasn’t had a good appetite for the past year. If he eats three-tenths of what’s served, it’s already a lot.”

Yao Huang now had a better understanding. She instructed the two chefs, “The Prince dislikes extravagance, and I don’t have a large appetite either.  From now on, continue to prepare meals according to the Prince’s usual habits. Let’s change breakfast to four side dishes, and dinner to three dishes and one soup. If I have any special requests, I’ll let you know in advance.”

Both chefs nodded. Gao Niangzi took the opportunity to ask about the Princess’s preferred dishes.

With that settled, Yao Huang went to lie down on the couch in the side room. The sunlight outside was intense; it wasn’t a good time for a garden stroll.

After the five senior maids returned, Yao Huang had Huamei and Bailing stay by her side, while Ah Ji and the other two went to the back rooms to rest.

Huamei, who was always outspoken, noticed that Yao Huang’s eyelids were getting heavier and tentatively asked, “Princess, why didn’t His Highness stay to rest with you?”

Yao Huang glanced at her and said, “The Prince himself said that he likes quiet, and he’ll spend more time alone in the future. You should get used to it and stop asking unnecessary questions.”

Bailing nodded repeatedly.

Yao Huang turned over, facing away from the two maids, and said, “Go guard outside and call me in half an hour.”

Huamei: “…”

Bailing pulled her out.

After waking up, Yao Huang washed and refreshed herself, then took all five senior maids with her on a grand tour of the back garden, also to help them familiarize themselves with the grounds.

This time, Yao Huang started from the west.  She explored every path, every stone path leading to the pavilions – wherever there was a way to go, Yao Huang went to explore it.

This was her second time visiting. The first time, Ah Ji had been completely awestruck, following the Princess everywhere. Huamei had spent the entire time making sarcastic comments, until she was finally too tired to even bother. By the time Yao Huang and Ah Ji had climbed the northern hill, Cui Ping Shan, Huamei was completely breathless and exhausted.

Standing in the pavilion at the top of the hill, Yao Huang took off her shoes, stepped onto a daybed, leaned against a bright red lacquered pavilion pillar, and looked down at the entire garden to the south, exclaiming, “This is wonderful! You can see everything from here!”

Ah Ji’s mouth hung open; she was too shocked to speak.

Even Huamei, accustomed to the Imperial Gardens, was astonished.  People say that the Prince’s garden is larger than the Kang Prince’s garden, reflecting the Emperor’s favoritism, but the Emperor’s own Imperial Garden is only about half the size of this one.

Cui Ping Shan almost spans the entire northern side of the garden, and various rock formations, waterfalls, springs, and secluded pools – typical mountain scenery – have been created various places on the hill.

Yao Huang followed the scenery, sometimes going up the hill, sometimes down, and within half an hour, she had explored from the west side to the east side.

After descending the hill, Yao Huang retraced her steps a short distance and turned towards the central part of the garden.

As the red sun began to set in the west, Yao Huang finally made her way back to the foot of Cui Ping Shan, walking south along the stone path on the east side.

First, she passed by a neglected vegetable garden.

Yao Huang wandered around the vegetable garden, stepping in the yellow soil for a bit, and emerged feeling quite satisfied.

Continuing south, she reached the bamboo grove.

Though she was curious about what the Prince might do alone inside, she didn’t peek in and soon left the bamboo grove behind.

On this side of the bamboo garden, there were three main houses, a kitchen, a medical hall, and a servant’s quarters. The stone walls of the front and back courtyards were about ten feet high, and a circle of green bamboo had been planted tightly against the outer walls, making it completely secluded. The only entrance was the main gate to the south.

As Yao Huang and her maids stepped into the garden, they found Doctor Liao helping Zhao Sui with a leg massage on the kang bed in the east room of the main house after his afternoon nap.

For someone with leg disabilities, if they didn’t receive regular massages, their leg muscles would gradually atrophy. Ordinary citizens might not have the means for daily massages if they were disabled, but as a royal prince, Zhao Sui had been willing to accept the doctor’s close attention. Apart from the wedding yesterday when he had no time, he had not missed a single session of the thrice-daily massages, which was why his legs appeared normal.

The massage lasted for about fifteen minutes, during which Zhao Sui kept his eyes closed, and Doctor Liao remained silent in response, until it was over.

After placing the Prince’s legs down, Doctor Liao skillfully tidied up his belongings and bowed to take his leave.

At this moment, Zhao Sui was only wearing an inner garment and a pair of shorts that had been specially tailored for the massage, which barely covered his private areas.

It wasn’t that Doctor Liao was careless and left after finishing his work; rather, the Prince had established a rule on his first day in Bamboo Courtyard. He decreed that everyone must follow his instructions when given, but if he didn’t issue any commands, no one was allowed to assist him, even if he fell to the ground.

The only ones permitted to serve in Bamboo Courtyard were Qing Ai, Fei Quan, the two doctors, and Chef Kong. Chef Kong did not need to meet with the Prince directly, and the first four had learned to behave after a few infractions. As long as the Prince didn’t speak, they wouldn’t utter a word or do anything extra.

As Doctor Liao stepped out of the hall, he closed the door behind him, leaving it ajar.

Qing Ai continued to guard the courtyard, while Fei Quan escorted Doctor Liao out and then went to rest in the small doorway.

In an instant, the entire Bamboo Courtyard fell into silence.

In the east room, Zhao Sui propped himself up on the bed.

After the massage, there was still a layer of medicinal oil on his legs that needed to be washed off.

In the room, there was a washstand, with two rows of wooden handrails extending from the front of the bed to the washstand, allowing Zhao Sui to support himself as he moved. Once he reached the washstand, he could sit on a chair to wash his entire body, as the water bucket and basin had already been prepared by Qing Ai and Fei Quan.

Additionally, two rows of handrails extended from the east room, passing through the hall to the west room and the back courtyard.

The west room was Zhao Sui’s study. When he felt tired from reading or wanted to relax, he would support himself with the handrails and slowly make his way to the back courtyard, taking in the sky and the bamboo sea outside the walls before returning to his room.

Initially, Zhao Sui had no desire to read or relax; he preferred to lie in bed at Ming’an Hall, avoiding everyone and doing nothing at all.

However, his leg condition was not just about his legs, and he couldn’t simply lie in bed all day. He felt emotionally stagnant, but his body was still alive.

If he wanted to avoid skin ulcers, if he didn’t want his arms to become too weak to lift a bowl, if he didn’t want to require assistance every time he got in or out of bed, if he didn’t want to completely rely on others for washing or using the toilet, and if he didn’t want to lose all sense of dignity, he had to cooperate with the doctor’s advice. He could either entrust his care entirely to the doctor or find ways to exercise, ensuring that only his legs would ultimately become useless.

After Yao Huang returned to Ming’an Hall, she entered her own study.

The shelves were filled with a selection of books chosen by the Prince’s household, serving merely as decoration. Yao Huang would need to gradually fill them with books according to her own interests. However, the writing materials—brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—were all abundant and of high quality, suitable for the wealthy and noble.

Yao Zhenhu and his son were martial artists, and while Yao Huang studied under a female teacher, she never applied herself too diligently. She learned what her teacher taught but did not delve into subjects not covered in her lessons, at most perusing the novels her mother and she picked up from the bookshop.

As an ordinary person, no matter how fine the writing materials were, they only held practical value for Yao Huang; she wouldn’t hesitate to use expensive rice paper just because it was exquisite and beautiful.

“Huamei, grind the ink.”

After giving the instruction, Yao Huang glanced at Ah Ji, signaling her to pay attention to how Huamei ground the ink, as it might come in handy in the future.