Chapter 22

Prince Hui always woke up early, and the breakfast sent by Master Kong arrived even earlier.

After his usual breakfast, the Prince would either move to his study or to the back courtyard, with no other place to spend his time. This morning, however, the Prince suddenly felt like playing chess, and he instructed Qing Ai to push his wheelchair to the stone table in the courtyard. His wheelchair was placed to the north, and Qing Ai went to the kitchen to fetch a wooden stool and placed it to the south.

Because the Prince had come out, Fei Quan casually closed the south door of the main hall.

Fei Quan actually wanted to open the courtyard gate, so the Prince could see the Princess Consort’s graceful figure approaching along the path in the woods. But the Prince’s decision to play chess was already unusual, and doing more would only make the Princess Consort realize that he was expecting her, which might not please him.

Having served the Prince for over a decade, both Fei Quan and Qing Ai knew his temperament well. If the Prince liked a certain type of pastry, he would eat several pieces, and his servants, understanding this, would instruct the kitchen to continue sending that same type of pastry next time. If the servants were not as sharp and the kitchen sent a new variety, the Prince would simply eat less, never asking for the old kind. At least in these daily matters, the Prince seldom revealed his preferences.

Besides, it was better to be reserved. Opening the door wide and looking around expectantly, that was what the concubines in the palace did when they hoped for the Emperor’s favor. If word got out, it would be detrimental to the Prince’s dignity.

After pondering for a moment, Fei Quan returned to the gatehouse to do his duty. Standing by the small south window, he peered through the dense bamboo leaves growing along the wall, watching the path in the bamboo forest.

His eyes were getting tired from staring, but finally, Fei Quan saw that familiar figure.

Fei Quan smiled and moved to the front of the gatehouse, waiting to rush out as soon as the Princess Consort knocked. This time, he wouldn’t make her wait, she could just come right in.

Two soft knocks, barely audible, yet exceptionally clear in the tranquil bamboo courtyard.

Qing Ai turned his head, and at the same time, Zhao Sui looked up.

The previous year, when the bamboo courtyard was renovated, to prevent any ill-mannered servants from peeking through the cracks in the door, the two panels of the courtyard gate were made exceptionally tight. When closed, there was only a narrow gap, enough for Fei Quan to see outside by pressing his eye against the crack. But from the stone table, even with Zhao Sui’s excellent eyesight honed by years of archery practice, he could only barely make out a line of red outside the crack.

Before Qing Ai could turn his head fully, before Fei Quan could reach the door, Zhao Sui saw a piece of white paper being slipped through from the outside, and the line of red disappeared.

This was Yao Huang’s idea, conceived before she went to sleep last night. After all, she was just going to greet the Prince before leaving. Knowing that asking to see him would cause him trouble, why did she have to see him in person?

Sending a note would save the Prince trouble and save her time, a win-win situation!

Therefore, Yao Huang didn’t even look inside when she slipped the note through, afraid that if she was slow, Fei Quan would catch her and she would have to exchange pleasantries. She slipped the note in and ran away. By the time she heard Fei Quan open the door, Yao Huang was already in the middle of the path. Fei Quan called out to her, but Yao Huang pretended not to hear and disappeared in a flash.

Fei Quan: “…”

Those who knew would recognize that it was the Princess Consort, but those who didn’t might think a flower demon had appeared in the bamboo forest early in the morning!

The Prince was watching from behind, and Fei Quan, after a moment’s hesitation, chased after her. He ran out of the bamboo forest and looked south, meeting the Princess Consort’s gaze as she looked back. Fei Quan was about to speak, but the Princess Consort turned and ran again, waving dismissively as she ran.

Fei Quan didn’t dare to make the Prince wait, so he quickly glanced at the words on the paper and ran back to the courtyard. He presented the unfolded note with both hands, his face filled with shame, “This servant was a step too slow and didn’t catch up with the Princess Consort.”

Qing Ai lowered his head and looked at the chessboard. Fei Quan had run so fast and still couldn’t catch up, which only meant the Princess Consort ran even faster. Why did she come and then run away?

Zhao Sui took the paper and saw the words written on it: “Prince, I’m going back to Changshou Alley to tell my Mother to bring my Father, my Big Brother, and my maternal grandfather’s family to the Prince’s Mansion to visit the day after tomorrow. I’ll also stay with my Mother for a while, and then I’ll come back to the mansion after lunch.”

“I want to go fishing by the lake after it cools down in the afternoon. I’ve never fished before, so I don’t know if I can catch anything. If you’re interested, just come to the lake and find me. If not, that’s fine too. If I catch a big fish, I’ll send it to the Bamboo Courtyard to add to your meals. If I don’t send anything, it means I didn’t catch anything. Don’t wait for me, Prince.”

The Prince lowered his head to read the note. Fei Quan and Qing Ai exchanged a look, both worried that the Prince would be unhappy if he went through all the trouble and didn’t see the Princess Consort.

To their relief, the Prince folded the note and tucked it into his sleeve. Then he picked up a black chess piece and continued playing.

In Changshou Alley, Yao Zhenhu was at the military camp, and Yao Lin was studying martial arts. Only Luo Jinhua was at home, tidying up and preparing to go out.

She had to go out. Before her daughter got married, the Yao family had guards stationed at both the front and back gates, preventing neighbors from visiting. After her daughter married, the guards were withdrawn, and the neighbors, who had been pent up for so long, came in waves to visit. They would ask her about her daughter’s time as a showgirl in the palace, how she was chosen as the Princess Consort, and about her life in the Prince’s Mansion. They would ask about the Prince’s temperament, whether he treated her daughter well, and so on.

High-ranking families valued etiquette and didn’t dare to gather and discuss royal figures. Ordinary people, on the other hand, dared to talk about anything. It just so happened that the four members of the Yao family were all very amiable and had never treated their neighbors with an air of officialdom.

Luo Jinhua also dared to talk about other noble people with the neighbors, because even if she mentioned some royal secrets, she had heard them from others. If something happened and the officials came to arrest people, she could easily deny everything. It was unlikely that the officials would imprison an entire group of neighbors for a few rumors.

But if she really dared to reveal the details of the recent palace selection process and the Prince’s marriage to her daughter, if it reached the ears of the Emperor, the Empress, or the Prince, they wouldn’t need to think twice to know that the news had leaked from her. Luo Jinhua wouldn’t do anything so foolish as to harm her family for the sake of outsiders.

If you can’t beat them, join them. She would avoid the neighbors so they couldn’t catch her. Once the novelty wore off, they wouldn’t bother her with their nosy questions anymore.

Unexpectedly, before Luo Jinhua could leave, her daughter arrived, riding in a grand carriage from the Prince’s Mansion, with four guards in front and behind.

The neighbors heard the commotion and ran out to watch the spectacle.

Luo Jinhua was respectful in front of the neighbors, but as soon as she closed the door, she became anxious. She leaned close to her daughter and whispered, “Why did you suddenly come back?”

Yao Huang laughed, “I missed you, Mother. The time I spent at the mansion for the return visit was too short, and I didn’t get to have a good chat with you.”

Luo Jinhua said, “You’re not telling me something happened at the Prince’s Mansion, are you?”

Yao Huang replied, “No, really. The Prince and I are doing fine. Come on, let’s go inside and talk.”

She took the box that Ah Ji was carrying and told him to go and join Wu Shen and Qiao Niang. Then, Yao Huang affectionately took her mother’s arm and led her to the east room.

The box contained four boxes of face cream, four bottles of floral essence, and two pieces of jewelry that Yao Huang had given her mother.

The jewelry was a token of her daughter’s filial piety, and Luo Jinhua accepted it. But when she saw the face cream and floral essence, her face turned red. “You’re a young wife, it’s the time to take care of your skin. I’m almost a grandmother, ordinary stuff will do as long as it doesn’t make my face chapped. There’s no need to waste these good things on me. Take them back to the mansion when you return.”

Yao Huang said, “Nonsense, Mother, you’re only thirty-six, still young. Besides, you have good skin, if you take good care of it, even when you get older, you’ll still look ten years younger. I’m not saying you should compare yourself to the ladies in the palace, but at least you can look as good as the wives of high-ranking officials. And besides, the palace sends a batch of rouge and powder every year, and I can’t use it all by myself. It’s better to give it to you than to give it all to the maids.”

Luo Jinhua said, “You should give them some too. If they get something, they’ll be more loyal to you.”

Yao Huang said, “I know. This is specially for you.”

Luo Jinhua smiled and opened the boxes to smell each one. When she smelled the floral essence for bathing, she blushed in front of her daughter, remembering something.

Yao Huang, who had become a new wife, chuckled, “Thinking about Father, are you?”

Luo Jinhua glared at her daughter, “Don’t talk nonsense. By the way, when you went out, what was the Prince doing?”

Yao Huang quietly explained that the Prince stayed in the Bamboo Courtyard, as usual.

Luo Jinhua felt a pang of sympathy, “The Prince used to be so glorious. The more glorious he was, the more proud he became, and the more proud he became, the more he couldn’t bear other people’s pity. He couldn’t control other people’s eyes, so he could only shut himself away. His heart must be filled with bitterness.”

Yao Huang said, “Bitter or not, he clearly doesn’t want to be disturbed. If I keep going over there, it will annoy him. It will ruin the little bit of marital affection I’ve earned with my looks.”

A Prince and the daughter of a hundred-household leader, it was like an eagle flying in the sky and a fish swimming in the water, with no shared hobbies to bring them together. It was all thanks to her good looks and the Prince’s good temperament that they were able to get along relatively peacefully.

Luo Jinhua said, “You can’t run out all the time.”

Yao Huang said, “I’ve been cooped up for almost three months, I’m going crazy. Next month, I’ll only come out every few days. You won’t even be able to see me then.”

Luo Jinhua said, “I don’t want to see you. I’m just hoping you’ll give the Prince a son or daughter soon, so you can truly secure your position.”

The Prince was like a pie that fell from the sky for her daughter, and it could be taken back by Heaven at any time. Only when her daughter gave birth to the Prince’s flesh and blood would the pie truly be hers.

Luo Jinhua said, “It’s best to cultivate your relationship for a year or two, and then get pregnant. The Prince has just tasted the sweetness, if you get pregnant too soon, he might not be able to resist and find someone else.”

Yao Huang: “…” “You’re thinking way ahead.”

Luo Jinhua laughed smugly.

Yao Huang was silent for a moment, thinking that her mother made sense. The only problem was, “It’s not up to me when I get pregnant.”

Luo Jinhua rubbed her daughter’s head, “Let it happen naturally. What I said is the ideal situation. Besides, whether a woman can keep a man’s heart depends more on herself. A child is just the icing on the cake.”

Yao Huang understood, “I’ll be good to the Prince.”

Luo Jinhua said, “Be gentle when you need to be gentle, and be angry when you need to be angry. Don’t be so accommodating to him, what’s the difference between you and a maid? But your husband is a Prince, so you can’t be as harsh as I am with your father. You have to be more careful.”

Yao Huang laughed, “I won’t. The Prince is not as stupid as Father, he doesn’t often offend you.”

After lunch at her parents’ house, Yao Huang reminded her mother not to forget to visit the Prince’s Mansion the day after tomorrow, and then she returned to the mansion.

After a nap, Yao Huang took out a new novel to pass the time. When the sun wasn’t so scorching, around the early afternoon, she put on her veil hat with a peony silk flower and set off with Ah Ji.

When they arrived at the lake, the water shimmered, making it hard to keep her eyes open. The sun was still as harsh as at noon.

Eunuch Cao was already waiting there, with four young eunuchs carrying fishing rods, bait, buckets, chairs, and cushions. Seeing that the Princess Consort, wearing her veil hat, was still turning her head to avoid the sun, Eunuch Cao pointed to the willow shade on the west side of the lake, “This servant thinks that spot is quite suitable. It’s shaded from the sun, and you can enjoy the lake view while waiting for fish. I’ll have someone send tea and pastries later, I guarantee you’ll be comfortable.”

Yao Huang said, “Alright, let’s go there.”

Fishing took a long time. If she waited until it cooled down before coming out, when would she ever catch a fish? She had promised the Prince that she would add to his meals.

The group walked around to the west side of the lake. Eunuch Cao personally set up for the Princess Consort. He placed the chair, put the bait on the hook, and Yao Huang only had to sit down and take over the fishing rod.

Eunuch Cao also gave the Princess Consort some fishing tips before retreating with the young eunuchs. Soon, he sent someone to deliver tea and pastries.

Ah Ji looked at the other fishing rod with eagerness, “Princess Consort, is this one for me?”

Yao Huang said, “It’s for the Prince. You can use it first, and I’ll give it to him when he comes.”

Ah Ji said, “I wouldn’t dare. I’m afraid I’ll dirty the Prince’s hands.”

Yao Huang said, “What are you afraid of? The Prince may not even come.”

Ah Ji still shook his head and sat down next to the Princess Consort, staring expectantly at the lake.

After fifteen minutes, Yao Huang handed her fishing rod to Ah Ji, “You take it. I’m going to lie down for a bit.”

Fishing wasn’t as fun as she thought it would be.

Ah Ji was excited for a while after taking over, but when she started to get a sore bottom, Qing Ai appeared on the path across the lake, pushing the wheelchair.