Chapter 11.1

Ever since she was a child, Yao Huang had imagined a loving couple to be like her parents, where they could discuss everything together instead of one person making decisions while the other just followed.

So, when she felt like she was about to burst, she twisted her wrist, which was being held, and tried to negotiate: “Your Highness, can you let go of me?”

Zhao Sui paused: “Are you uncomfortable?”

Yao Huang was so embarrassed. It was the opposite of uncomfortable that made her unable to hold it in.

The pink blush on her face faded like mist into her surrounding skin. She didn’t look like she was resisting in any way. Zhao Sui continued.

It was like a ferocious beast shaking a tree, causing the tender branches at the top to tremble. The warbling birds perched there cried out in alarm.

Yao Huang couldn’t move her hands. She could only bury her face in the pillow: “Don’t do this, Your Highness. People outside can hear.”

Zhao Sui finally understood her concern.

But he was a prince. He had already exhausted his patience in the past six months by controlling his temper and not taking it out on the servants around him. Did he have to be sneaky and worry about what the maids thought when he did something with his legally married wife at night?

Yao Huang hadn’t mentioned it before. Now that she did, Zhao Sui felt a surge of unreasoning anger. At this moment, it was all directed at Yao Huang.

Poor Yao Huang. In the morning, she had whispered to Ah Ji about being careful in the future. Now she was powerless to stop it.

When the storm subsided, Prince Hui’s chin rested on top of Yao Huang’s head. She was completely trapped in his arms. Behind her was his strong left arm, and in front of her was his hand, which had finally relaxed its grip. With the rise and fall of his breathing, Yao Huang could even feel the thick, hard calluses on his palm.

Her upper body was hot like a furnace, but her lower body was cool like dew.

Yao Huang’s heart raced. She felt a faint dread about the six long nights that would come each month. Prince Hui was too fierce at night. Yao Huang was worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

This man must have been confined to his wheelchair all day. He was using all the energy he had saved up on her!

Suddenly, his hand touched her face.

Yao Huang’s heartstrings tightened. She was afraid he would repeat last night. Why hadn’t they separated yet?

Zhao Sui felt a wet, hot cheek. It was her lingering tears.

Thinking of her tearful appearance, Zhao Sui reminded her: “This is your own doing.”

He wanted to sleep. She insisted on provoking him. Don’t blame him for losing control.

If she didn’t want to cry anymore, she should behave in the future. When it was time to share a bed, he would be considerate of her young age and restrain himself.

Yao Huang bit her lip. It was her own doing. She had rushed to entice him to choose her so that she wouldn’t have to be a concubine to another prince.

“I know. I didn’t blame Your Highness. Crying doesn’t mean I don’t like it. Don’t misunderstand, Your Highness.”

Prince Hui’s “Hmm” came from above her head, ambiguous in meaning. Then he moved to the side.

Yao Huang continued to tuck in her undershirt. She secretly decided to have the embroidery shop make some soft cloths to use at night. She couldn’t keep ruining her undergarments.

They called for water and wiped themselves separately. They returned to the bed. Yao Huang still remembered the Prince’s misunderstanding earlier, so she hugged him again.

It must be said that the Prince’s shoulders were broad and his arms were strong. It was quite comfortable to hug him.

Now that she had truly shared a bed with him, she was truly the princess. She had the right to act like the mistress of the Prince’s Household.

Zhao Sui: “… Aren’t you going to sleep?”

It was late at night, and Yao Huang’s voice was soft: “I am. I just want to hug you. I don’t dare to talk to you during the day. Only at this moment do I feel like you are truly my husband.”

Zhao Sui: “… I’m just not used to idle chatter. If you have anything you want to tell me, you can speak up anytime. I won’t ignore you.”

Yao Huang laughed: “I can see that. Your Highness looks cold, but you actually have a good temper.”

Zhao Sui silently looked at the canopy.

Good temper?

He had also thrown medicine and smashed bowls before. She just hadn’t seen it. Otherwise, she would have become like Qing Ai and the others and never dared to speak to him again.

Prince Hui didn’t speak again. Yao Huang had something important on her mind. She had to figure it out tonight. Only then would she have time to prepare tomorrow.

Taking advantage of their current intimacy, Yao Huang rubbed against Prince Hui’s strong shoulder: “Your Highness, commoners have a custom of returning to their parents’ home three days after the wedding. Do princes follow this custom when they get married?”

None of her neighbors had ever had a princess, and no official from the Ministry of Rites had told her about this. Yao Huang really didn’t know. Plus, Prince Hui had difficulty moving around, which made Yao Huang even more worried.

Zhao Sui thought to himself: It’s up to the princes whether they want to follow the custom or not, or whether the wife’s family is worthy of the princes’ courtesy.

After his legs were disabled, Zhao Sui could refuse nine out of ten of his father’s daily summons. What wife’s family could make him go against his will?

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Yao Huang’s heart sank. But she couldn’t blame him. The Prince’s Household was flat and smooth everywhere. Once they went out, it was a real hassle to move the wheelchair back and forth.

Nestling against his shoulder, Yao Huang pretended to be relaxed: “I guess not. It’s a good thing. My father and mother are both rough people. I was afraid they would be disrespectful and offend Your Highness.”

Zhao Sui remained silent.

Yao Huang knew she had said something that would dampen Prince Hui’s spirits. She yawned and said: “Well, it’s gettingg late. Let’s go to sleep.”

She let go of his hand, turned over, and lay facing the inside. Her open eyes were filled with worry. Without returning home, her parents wouldn’t see her. They would definitely be wondering how she was doing in the Prince’s Household.

Zhao Sui really didn’t want to go out, but he hadn’t even avoided personally welcoming his bride, which could have been avoided. He had done it to give the princess enough respect to make up for neglecting her most of the time after the wedding. So, he didn’t mind accompanying her on this final courtesy to complete the formalities before and after the wedding.

“I’ll accompany you back to your parents’ home. You can discuss the gifts with Guo Shu. You can also handle all the future social interactions between the prince’s residence and other places. You don’t need to ask me.”

Yao Huang turned around in surprise: “Really? I was talking about returning home…”

Zhao Sui: “Hmm.”

Yao Huang was so happy. She jumped up and threw herself at him, hugging him tightly to his chest: “Your Highness is so kind. I thought you didn’t want to go.”

Zhao Sui knew that her earlier indifference was all an act.

“Alright, go to sleep.”

Yao Huang was still excited and couldn’t sleep. She moved back to Prince Hui’s side and hugged him: “It’s still early. Are you really sleepy?”

Before, she and Ah Ji slept in the same room. Sometimes they would chat until late at night.

Zhao Sui: “… What if I don’t sleep?”

Yao Huang: “I’ll tell you about my family. You’ve seen our courtyard. It’s not as big as Ming’an Hall. It’s nothing compared to the prince’s household, but it’s already very good for a sixth-rank official in the capital. Especially those sixth-rank officials who came from other places, many of the younger ones live in government guesthouses. They can’t afford to buy a house.”

“The local hundred households in the military camp are even worse. Many of them live directly in the camp. They send their salaries back to their parents and wives in their hometowns. Or they buy houses in towns or small counties near the capital.”

“My father was lucky. He was born into a local family in the capital. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to afford a house. My mother was also lucky. Other girls from small towns could only marry people from the surrounding area. She met my father when she was at a market. He was going to the town to buy wine. Haha, they both fell in love at first sight. Not long after, my mother became the envy of everyone in the town, the wife of a capital official.”

So, even though Yao Zhenhu was unremarkable among the capital officials, his family was one of the wealthiest among his hundred household colleagues. Yao Huang had grown up surrounded by people’s envy. She lived a very comfortable life. Only the family of Yao Zhenhu’s direct superior, Li Qianhu, would show off when they came to visit.

Yao Huang talked endlessly. After talking about her parents and brother, she started talking about her maternal grandfather’s side of the family.

She didn’t say anything that required Zhao Sui to respond, so he just listened. Until Yao Huang said she was sleepy, she snuggled up to him and fell asleep.

They slept in the same bed at night. In the morning, one was in a wheelchair and the other was standing. The distance between them naturally widened.

Prince Hui went to the front courtyard to change and wash up. The senior maids came in to attend to the princess.

Bailing had been on night duty last night. As soon as Yao Huang knocked on her door, Bailing’s ears turned red.

After getting ready, Yao Huang told the others to leave first. She kept Bailing behind and asked: “When you were with the Imperial Concubine, did you ever do night duty?”

Bailing shook her head. Night duty was the job of the senior maids.

Yao Huang: “Then when the Emperor went to see the Imperial Concubine, did she arrange for the senior maids to do night duty?”