Chapter 2.3

Concubine Xian Liu was one of the oldest in the palace, second only to Empress Zhou. Now nearing fifty, her once striking beauty had faded, but she had grown increasingly dignified and virtuous.

Upon hearing Empress Zhou’s words, Concubine Xian smiled modestly and said, “Prince Kang has already chosen a consort once. This time, it is more important to select proper wives for his two younger brothers. I believe it is better to let them choose first.”

Emperor Yongchang nodded. “That’s reasonable. Then let the second son go first.”

Since he had spoken, the three concubines no longer needed to be modest.

Emperor Yongchang then turned to his son, who sat in the wheelchair to the right, and said, “I am making the decision. You don’t need to hold back. Choose whoever you like, and I will support your choice.”

Emperor Yongchang had four sons, but he had never shown such affection to any of them, not even to Prince Hui, Zhao Sui, before his legs were injured.

Everyone understood that the current favor Emperor Yongchang showed to Prince Hui was simply out of pity.

Zhao Sui lowered his head and expressed his gratitude.

The head eunuch beside Empress Zhou walked to the door and signaled Matron Fang to bring the ladies in.

Five ladies entered at once. If any of the noblewomen liked a particular lady, they would send a silk flower. Those who received a flower could participate in the next round of selection, while those who didn’t would be completely dismissed from the selection.

The five ladies in the first row, upon hearing that Prince Hui would choose first, lowered their eyelids as though they were frozen in place, afraid to even glance in Prince Hui’s direction, fearing that a single look might cause him to take interest in them.

Fortunately, Prince Hui merely scanned their faces briefly, motionless and silent.

Seeing that he was not interested in any of them, Concubine Xian Liu, Concubine Gui Du, and Concubine Shen Rou each sent a silk flower.

The five ladies, depending on whether they received a flower, exited through the side doors on the east and west sides.

Yao Huang watched as the second row of ladies was called into the room, her heartbeat reaching its peak at this moment.

Which noblewoman would choose her to be a concubine or a common mistress for their son? Or perhaps, could she be chosen by Emperor Yongchang himself?

The Emperor was the most esteemed, but he was even older than her own father!

In the blink of an eye, her thoughts raced, and before she knew it, it was their turn!

Yao Huang still felt flustered, but fortunately, a month of training had ingrained the proper manners into her, so despite her quickened heartbeat causing a flush on her face, she appeared composed on the outside.

She stopped and stood in front of the Emperor, in the center, directly facing the Emperor and Empress.

The first to notice her were the Empress and the consorts. Whether she was beautiful or not, her round face and figure stood out in the palace, giving her an air of someone who seemed destined for a life of fortune.

Empress Zhou was intrigued, glancing at the roster of ladies arranged by their ranking. She looked at Yao Huang and said, “Yao Huang, is it? Lift your head so I can have a look.”

Yao Huang obediently complied.

Empress Zhou immediately noticed a pair of eyes like black grapes, beautiful and lively.

She liked what she saw, but since she had no sons, she only nodded and didn’t offer further commentary, motioning for Prince Hui to choose first.

Yao Huang finally realized that Prince Hui could select first!

Prince Hui…

When the empress chose a son’s consort, they valued family background and character, emphasizing a noble and steady upbringing. Unfortunately, Yao Huang didn’t meet these criteria, so it was more likely that she would be chosen for her beauty to serve as a concubine.

Yao Huang’s heart raced for another reason.

Today, it seemed she couldn’t escape the fate of becoming a concubine or a low-ranking consort. In that case, rather than being a concubine, why not strive to become a legitimate wife of a prince?

Prince Hui’s disability was a problem, but the healthy Prince Qing was out of her reach.

With only Prince Hui as her choice, Yao Huang suddenly realized that the wheelchair was not such a big issue after all. After all, the prince’s residence had so many servants, and she wouldn’t need to personally attend to him!

With her resolve firm, Yao Huang glanced subtly toward the only wheelchair in the room.

Yao Huang’s heart skipped a beat when she realized that Prince Hui was still staring at her. Her thoughts rushed as she quickly averted her gaze again, but she couldn’t help but wonder if her actions would make him think she was rejecting him, which she certainly didn’t want.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and then dared to glance up again. This time, she could feel his gaze lingering on her, sharp and intense.

Her pulse quickened, and she struggled to keep her composure, uncertain whether the prince was simply observing her or had noticed her subtle attempts to look at him.

Yao Huang, though anxious, held her ground and continued to meet Prince Hui’s gaze. She subtly smiled, the gesture small but meaningful, as if to silently convey that she wasn’t opposed to the idea, though she still felt a deep uncertainty. She hoped her gesture might signal to him her openness, yet she couldn’t help but wonder if she was truly making the right move.

The small interaction, however, didn’t escape the notice of those present. Emperor Yongchang, observing the exchange, seemed to approve of Yao Huang’s appearance. He thought she would be a suitable choice for his second son.

The two other concubines, Concubine Liu and Concubine Shen Rou, showed no particular reaction. But Concubine Du, Prince Hui’s adoptive mother, couldn’t suppress a small, cynical laugh. She felt pity for Prince Hui—crippled as he was, even a girl of humble birth dared to think about taking her place as a side consort.

In the seemingly long but actually brief silence and observation, Zhao Sui picked up a silk flower from the tray held by the eunuch beside him, looked at Yao Huang, and asked, “I want to choose you as my princess. Will you accept?”

He didn’t know why this particular lady had been secretly watching him, so he asked, just to avoid any misunderstanding.

He had no intention of marrying, but his father insisted on arranging a marriage. Zhao Sui could only go along with it, though he didn’t want to marry a princess who would secretly weep because of her husband’s disability.