Chapter 23

Under the willow shade, a ten-foot square felt rug had been laid out. In the middle of the rug was a red sandalwood low table, with fruit, tea, and snacks on it.

Yao Huang took off her embroidered shoes and lay down facing the lake. When she opened her eyes, she saw the blue sky and the green lake; when she closed them, she could feel the dappled sunlight filtering through the branches overhead. It was so pleasant that whether or not she caught any fish was no longer important.

“Princess Consort, the Prince has arrived!”

Hearing Ah Ji’s hushed warning, Yao Huang sat up abruptly. Sure enough, she saw the wheelchair slowly approaching from the opposite side.

Yao Huang quickly moved to the edge of the felt rug to put on her shoes.

Ah Ji put down his fishing rod, nervously asking, “Princess Consort, should I return to Ming’an Hall?”

The Prince didn’t like having maidservants around. Every time the Prince came to Ming’an Hall, Ah Ji and the others would keep a distance.

Yao Huang said, “Go ahead.”

Qing Ai pushed the wheelchair around from the north, while Ah Ji left from the south.

According to the rules of serving the princes that she had learned from Old Nurse Fang in the palace, Yao Huang should have gone to greet the Prince. But the sun on the west side was too strong, and she didn’t want to wear the veil hat again, so she stood in the shade, smiling as she watched the Prince approach.

In Qing Ai’s eyes, the Princess Consort was wearing a white under-robe and a light yellow qi-xiong long dress. Although the sun was still high, a gentle breeze was blowing by the lake. The Princess Consort’s long dress was as light as smoke, and the hem swayed gently in the wind, like the soft, thin petals of a peony.

The Princess Consort didn’t need to do anything; just standing there was enough to fill one’s heart with light. And when she smiled, one’s heart would melt along with it.

Knowing that the Prince must be in a good mood, Qing Ai tried to say, “Prince, look, the Princess Consort is so happy to see you.”

The Prince ignored him.

Qing Ai was too used to this silence and quickened his pace.

When the wheelchair came closer, Yao Huang’s gaze seemed to be glued to Prince Hui’s face, following his every movement. She said sweetly, “It’s such a sunny day, I thought you wouldn’t come.”

Zhao Sui looked at the fishing rod beside the chair, “How long have you been fishing? What’s your catch?”

As Qing Ai’s footsteps faded, Yao Huang sighed, “It’s been two quarters of an hour, and I haven’t caught a single fish. Prince, there must not be any big fish in this lake.”

There were dozens of koi carp raised in the pond east of the garden. This lake was large, but there weren’t many fish visible at a glance. Occasionally, a few wild ducks would emerge from the reeds.

Zhao Sui said, “There are. Some adult fish and fry were released when the mansion was first established. However, fishing requires patience.”

Yao Huang said, “Then may I fish with you for a while?”

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair next to her chair, making sure it was in the shade before securing it. Then she helped him bait his hook. The bait was prepared by Eunuch Cao—dough mixed with white sugar and honey and steamed.  It looked good and smelled sweet, even arousing Yao Huang’s appetite.

After baiting the hook, Zhao Sui cast his line. After the float stabilized, he leaned back in his chair, appearing very relaxed.

Yao Huang’s fishing chair also had a backrest, but she could only lean on the back; her shoulders and head were exposed above the backrest.

The pear wood chair was hard. Yao Huang found her bottom aching after sitting for a while. During her years of studying at home, she would always put a soft cushion on her chair. In summer, she used a clump of cattails wrapped in coarse cloth, soft and breathable; in winter, she used a cotton cushion, which would become warm after sitting on it for a long time.

“Prince, aren’t you bothered by the hardness of the chair?”

After enduring it for a while, Yao Huang whispered.

Zhao Sui: “…I’m used to it.”

In the palace, the study halls where the princes studied, all had identical hard wooden chairs and desks. The writing classes lasted half a day. While it was hard at first, no prince would say anything about it, nor would they bring their own soft cushions. All scholars went through this, and after passing the imperial examination and becoming officials, they continued to sit on such hard chairs in their offices.

Zhao Sui understood what the Princess Consort meant; she was uncomfortable.

He could understand her discomfort.  Her whole body, except for her bones, was soft. How could such softness withstand the pressure of hard wood for a long time?

“Move the felt rug to the shore. You can sit on it to fish.”

Yao Huang immediately moved the felt rug. Looking at the Prince, who was much taller than her in his wheelchair, she invited, “Prince, come over here too. You can lie down when you’re tired.”

Zhao Sui didn’t respond.

Yao Huang quickly added, “I’ll carry you.”

After a moment of silence, Zhao Sui agreed. At least when she carried him, she wouldn’t see his helplessness.

Yao Huang first put down his fishing rod, then, as before, helped the Prince out of the wheelchair. She kicked off her embroidered shoes and stepped onto the felt rug, suddenly realizing a problem. Before, there had been Jing Wu, Qing Ai, and Fei Quan to help. But now she had to put the Prince on the low rug, which made the process much more difficult.

After visualizing a few poses in her mind, Yao Huang said towards the lake, “Prince, I’ll slowly squat down. You just hold my shoulders firmly.”

Zhao Sui hummed in response and tried to move his legs, but they remained motionless, as if they were not part of his body.

Yao Huang hugged his waist with both hands.  Looking down, she could see that the Prince’s feet had reached the rug, but they couldn’t get a firm grip, so she couldn’t lessen the weight she was bearing. Her knees bent lower and lower, until she could no longer hold on. Her left shin suddenly knelt on the rug. At the same time, Zhao Sui used his left hand to support the rug, helping her maintain her balance.

When Yao Huang looked up, Zhao Sui was already using both hands to support his upper body.

Yao Huang instinctively wanted to help him move his legs. Zhao Sui waved his hand, using one hand to support himself while moving his legs forward, finally settling into a cross-legged position.

Before Zhao Sui could stand upright and move using only the strength of his arms to hold onto the railing, he had first practiced how to sit steadily.

Yao Huang didn’t know this. She only saw the Prince’s smooth movements, a sense of calm composure.

Only after Zhao Sui sat down did he look over. Seeing her flushed face and the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, he asked, “Are you tired?”

Qing Ai and Fei Quan were probably guarding the entrance to the back garden at this moment, preventing servants from unintentionally intruding.

Yao Huang smiled, “A little. But now it’s easier for us to talk. The effort was worth it.”

Zhao Sui wanted to remind her that it’s best not to chat idly while fishing.

Yao Huang fetched the bait, the bucket, and both their fishing rods. When they cast their lines, hers was angled south, and his was angled north, avoiding interference.

Yao Huang couldn’t stay quiet for long. After a while, she softly asked, “Did you often go fishing before, Prince?”

Zhao Sui said,  “When I lived in the Prince’s Mansion, about two or three times a month.”

Before the age of eighteen, he lived in the palace. Although the imperial palace was his home, the rules were strict, more mistakes were made by doing more than by doing less. When he wasn’t studying or practicing martial arts, Zhao Sui would stay in his own courtyard to read and practice calligraphy. After being granted the title of Prince and establishing his own mansion, Zhao Sui would work during the day and, on days off, he wouldn’t socialize with officials or friends. So, he would find things to do in his own mansion to pass the time.

There were many wars during those years, and he had only lived in the Prince’s Mansion for less than three years in total, including the year after his legs were injured.

Yao Huang felt that this frequency could be considered a hobby. “Since you like it, I’ll accompany you fishing more often in the future?”

She would kill two birds with one stone—fishing and letting the Prince bask in the sun.

Zhao Sui said, “It depends on whether you like it. No need to force yourself.”

Suddenly, Yao Huang’s float dipped. Yao Huang, who had just found fishing uninteresting, immediately became energetic. She quickly pulled up the fishing rod, and a fish about the size of her palm was flung out of the water.

Only after Yao Huang threw the fish ashore did she realize it was a small fish, at most enough for a light soup.

“Forget it, let’s put it in the bucket. We’ll put it back later if we catch a bigger one.”

Regardless, with her first catch, Yao Huang felt more motivated.

“Why did you slip the note in this morning?” Zhao Sui asked, looking at the float in the water.

Yao Huang glanced at him and explained, “I was afraid of disturbing you while you were reading or resting. It wasn’t important anyway. It’s more convenient to send a message by letter.”

If he weren’t a Prince, she could have skipped even the morning greeting and just gone out.

Zhao Sui said, “You can write letters to send messages. But if you have gifts to bring back, you can give them to me personally. I also want to know where you’ve been.”

Yao Huang said, “Alright, I’ll remember that.”

It was good to get instructions. If there were things the Prince wasn’t happy about, she could correct them in time.

By dusk, they had caught eight fish. Yao Huang even caught a large carp weighing over ten jin. She had to drag it out of the water along the riverbank for a long distance, turning red in the face from the effort. When she took it off the hook, she was splashed with water, and she had to turn her head and spit several times.

While she was spitting out water, the carp thrashed its tail and jumped onto the lake bank. Yao Huang lunged to grab it, but the carp jumped again and plunged back into the water. Yao Huang was so furious that she yelled!

Zhao Sui watched her the entire time.

At the entrance to the back garden, Qing Ai and Fei Quan were startled by the sudden scream. Qing Ai rushed forward, and then they heard the Princess Consort’s exasperated voice from the lakeside, “I remember it! I’m coming back to fish tomorrow. If I can’t catch it, I’ll keep fishing until I do. I’ll stew it and eat it eventually!”

Qing Ai: “…”

Since neither the Prince nor the Princess Consort was in danger, the two eunuchs continued guarding the gate.

By the lake, Yao Huang angrily returned to the felt rug. She looked at the Prince, who was calmly sitting with his rod, and then at her wet clothes and skirt. She hated that fish even more.

Zhao Sui said, “Give me your hand.”

Yao Huang unknowingly extended her left hand.

Zhao Sui said, “Both hands.”

Yao Huang had to extend her right hand as well.

Her hands were wet, and there were red marks on her wrists where the fish’s tail had slapped her. Zhao Sui turned her palms over. They were dirty with grass and mud. Luckily, she hadn’t been scratched by the fish scales.

Zhao Sui took out a handkerchief – a clean, snow-white silk handkerchief.

Yao Huang quickly withdrew her hands, “I can just wash them at the lake. Don’t waste such a beautiful handkerchief.”

Saying this, she squatted by the lake and washed her hands and wrists.

The lake water was cool and refreshing. Yao Huang’s agitated and disappointed heart calmed down. Looking at the golden ripples in the center of the lake, she turned to Prince Hui and smiled, “Such a good place, no wonder the fish here are so fat.”

Zhao Sui returned a faint smile.

Shaking the water off her hands, Yao Huang returned to the bucket, threw two small fish back into the lake, and arranged, “Six fish. Prince, you have one, Fei Quan and Qing Ai each have one, I have one, the four senior maidservants share one, and the remaining two will be served to my father and the others at noon the day after tomorrow. What do you think, Prince?”

Zhao Sui said, “I can’t finish one whole fish. Why don’t we share one?”

Yao Huang said, “That’s fine. My father and the others are big eaters; two may not be enough for them.”

Zhao Sui said, “Leave everything here. Fei Quan and the others will clean up.”

Yao Huang then went to push the wheelchair.

Zhao Sui said, “Let’s go to Ming’an Hall. You should change your clothes as soon as possible to avoid catching a cold.”