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The carriage was quiet, with only Yao Huang inside. The four palace maids walked alongside the carriage, but the valuable rewards had already been placed inside the compartment.
The carriage moved steadily, and Yao Huang sat on the narrow divan on the north side, her body gently swaying with the motion of the carriage.
Her eyes were fixed on the two brocade boxes placed on the small cabinet to her left. Through the gap in the curtains, she glanced at the guards and palace maids walking alongside the carriage, noticing that they were all focused on their path and not peering into the carriage. Unable to suppress her curiosity any longer, Yao Huang leaned forward and opened the first brocade box.
The dazzling silver gleamed in the light. On a red silk lining, two neat rows of ten freshly minted silver ingots lay in perfect order.
Yao Huang’s eyes lit up. Just after her engagement, she had already received a hundred taels of silver!
She lifted the lid of the other brocade box. Inside were five pieces of jewelry: a gold hairpin, a gold hairpin with a clasp, a gold forehead ornament, gold earrings, and a gold necklace.
The dazzling golden light filled Yao Huang’s eyes as she picked up each piece, admiring them carefully. She couldn’t help but hold them with affection, reluctant to put them down once she finished admiring them.
There were also two bolts of silk placed on the other side of the carriage—one in bright red and the other in a soft yellow. Both were the vibrant colors favored by young girls.
Leaning back against the carriage’s backrest, Yao Huang let out a satisfied sigh. With these four gifts, her time spent in the Imperial Chuxiu Pavilion hadn’t been wasted.
Yao’s family lived in the southeastern part of the capital, in Changshou Alley. It was said that a centenarian once lived there, and the locals, hoping to share in his good fortune, had changed the name of the alley to honor him.
Yao Zhenhu, knowing that today was his daughter’s big day, had taken the day off from the barracks, waiting at home with his wife, Luo Jinhua, and their son, Yao Lin, for news of her selection.
The Yao family also lived in a small courtyard. After breakfast, the three of them stayed in the yard, sometimes murmuring under the apricot tree that was about to lose its blossoms, and sometimes standing up to walk in circles as a group.
The usually noisy neighbors were all unusually quiet, waiting in anticipation for the result of the Yao family’s situation. Would their daughter soar to great heights, or would she be sent back to continue living as the daughter of a sixth-rank official?
Finally, not long after Yao Huang returned to the Chuxiu Pavilion, the Imperial edict of marriage arrived at the Yao household. Upon learning that his daughter had been appointed as the wife of Prince Hui, Yao Zhenhu was about to feel heartache for his daughter, who was to marry a disabled prince. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his muscular arm.
Turning around, he saw his wife, Luo Jinhua, with shining eyes and trembling red lips, full of excitement. Stammering, he asked the eunuch who had delivered the edict, “The wife of Prince Hui? Did I… did I hear that right?”
The eunuch delivering the edict laughed and said, “You didn’t hear wrong. Your daughter is a beauty of unparalleled grace, personally chosen by His Royal Highness, Prince Hui, to be his wife.”
Luo Jinhua let out a high-pitched scream, startling the eunuch, and then immediately threw herself into her husband’s arms, joyfully jumping up and down, “Our Yao Yao is going to be a princess, a princess!”
Yao Zhenhu stammered, “But…”
Luo Jinhua, gripping her husband’s right arm, suddenly switched to pinching him, “Look at you, are you so happy you’re losing your mind?”
Yao Zhenhu understood his wife’s look and quickly forced a smile, “Yes, I’m so happy, really happy!”
The eunuch cleared his throat, and only then did Luo Jinhua, holding her husband with one hand and pulling their son with the other, kneel down to accept the edict.
The eunuch delivering the edict glanced around at the tidy but humble courtyard of the Yao family, taking particular note of the worn-out broom under the eaves, which made him lose interest in the idea of taking any reward money from them. Even if the Yao family were clever enough, he wouldn’t be impressed by a few dozen coins or a single silver tael.
After exchanging a few auspicious words, the eunuch completed his task and withdrew. Luo Jinhua, however, remembered she had to go back inside to get some money, but it was already too late.
Once the guest was gone and the door was closed, Luo Jinhua murmured with some regret, “I got so caught up in the joy, I forgot to properly reward the eunuch. I hope he doesn’t hold it against us or speak ill of Yao Yao in front of the nobles.”
Yao Zhenhu was surprised, “You’re really that happy?”
Luo Jinhua shot him a sharp look, “Of course! Being the main wife is far better than being a concubine or a secondary wife. What, are you, a rough man, really going to complain about a grand prince?”
Yao Zhenhu retorted, “What’s wrong with being a rough man? At least I can carry you if need be, but the prince can hardly even walk. What can he offer Yao Yao?”
Luo Jinhua’s eyes shone with longing. “Oh, there’s so much he can offer—gold, silver, silk, and satin, and the respectful admiration of all the noble ladies…”
Yao Lin, deeply upset, exclaimed, “Mother, I can’t believe you’re like this. You always treat my sister like she’s your precious jewel, yet you value wealth and status more than Yao Yao’s happiness! If it were up to me, I’d rather have her marry a healthy farmer or a poor scholar than trade her future for riches!”
Yao Zhenhu nodded gravely, his expression serious.
Luo Jinhua scoffed, “I’m not wasting my time arguing with two fools. The emperor has already given his decree, so unless you want to get us all executed, you’d better behave like you’re happy about it. Anyone who dares complain or speak treasonous words will find themselves cut off from the family, and I’ll report them to the authorities!”
Yao Zhenhu and Yao Lin both sat in stunned silence.
There was a knock at the door. It was the neighbors coming to offer their congratulations. Luo Jinhua, smiling widely, made a fist gesture toward the father and son before heading to the door to greet the guests.
Yao Lin clutched his chest, feeling frustrated and uncomfortable. “Father, how could Mother be like this?”
Yao Zhenhu thought back to how much his wife had always doted on their daughter and took a deep breath. “Your mother isn’t a bad person. We just need to pretend to be happy for now. Once your sister returns home, we’ll talk. If she truly doesn’t want this, we’ll just have to tie your mother and your sister up and escape the capital together!”