Chapter 9.1

When Zhao Sui was eighteen, he volunteered to go to the battlefield, where he achieved

remarkable military success. Emperor Yongchang, overjoyed by his accomplishments,

broke precedent and granted him the title of Prince two years ahead of schedule,

bestowing upon him the Prince Hui’s residence.

At that time, the eldest prince, Prince Kang, had already been titled. During the  construction of the Prince Hui’s residence, in accordance with Emperor Yongchang’s  instructions, its main structures matched Prince Kang’s estate in scale, with five courtyards and three pathways.

However, the garden of the Prince Hui’s residence was twice the size of the garden at Prince Kang’s. Emperor Yongchang even personally took part in designing  the landscaping of the Prince Hui’s garden.

This sparked widespread speculation among officials. Some believed the emperor

intended to name Prince Hui as the crown prince, given his clear favoritism. Others argued

that the emperor’s enthusiasm was merely a result of his good mood following the

victorious campaign, allowing him the leisure to guide the garden’s design. In contrast,

when Prince Kang received his title, the south was suffering from a severe flood, and

Emperor Yongchang had been preoccupied with managing the Ministry of Revenue, leaving

him no time for such indulgence.

Regardless of the underlying motives, the Prince Hui’s residence was undoubtedly the

largest and most extravagantly constructed of the three princely estates.

A grand estate inevitably attracted envy, but a larger residence and garden also demanded

a correspondingly larger staff of maids and servants.

The entire Prince Hui’s Mansion had over a hundred servants, and this was only counting those

who weren’t part of Prince Hui’s personal guard of fifty.  He was known to be frugal and

disliked extravagance.

Prince Hui’s residence was located in the fourth courtyard of the mansion, named Mingantang. The first two courtyards were where he received foreign officials and guests, and dealt with official business. Since Prince Hui had been dismissed from his post and was

living in seclusion, refusing visitors, those two courtyards had not seen his footsteps in a

long time.

Back at Mingantang, Qing’ai and Fei Quan waited on Zhao Sui in the front courtyard while

Yao Huang, accompanied by Ah Ji, went to the back courtyard to change clothes.

After taking off her heavy ceremonial robes, Yao Huang dismissed Huamei and the others,

then threw herself onto the bed, seeking relief from her fatigue.

Ah Ji knelt beside the bed, concerned, “Are you very tired, Madam?”

Yao Huang sighed, “Walking the long palace path wasn’t so bad, but it was mainly the need

to maintain a proper demeanor in front of the Prince. There are even more rules to follow in

the palace. You know how I am at home. Making me sit and socialize with the Emperor and

his consorts, chatting and laughing, was more excruciating than having me run errands

outside.”

Ah Ji said, “It’s true that it’s not as comfortable as being in Changshou Alley. But think about

the Prince. You at least get to walk around and stretch your legs. He has to sit all day or lie

down. Compared to him, wouldn’t you say you have it easier?”

Yao Huang: “…”

Yes, Prince Hui had been sitting since he got up.  Wouldn’t his bottom go numb after sitting

for so long?

Just now, the Prince had told her to rest properly before going to see him to interview the

servants. Perhaps he also wanted to lie in bed a little longer!

Now Yao Huang could relax and lie down even more comfortably.

Ah Ji peered outside, whispering, “Madam, how about I take over night watch duty from now

on?  I can sleep outside your room after you and the Prince are asleep.  Continuous duty

won’t tire me out.”

Yao Huang asked curiously, “Why?”

The maidservant on night watch duty must always be ready to respond to calls from inside.

While they could sleep soundly if nothing happened, they would have to get up in the

middle of the night if needed. It’s definitely not easy, and Yao Huang didn’t want Ah Ji to bear

the burden alone.

Ah Ji covered her mouth with one hand and explained that the sounds from the inner room

could be heard in the adjacent room.

Yao Huang’s face flushed, “You can really hear?  Everything?”

Those tsk tsk bo bo and pa pa sounds the Prince made…

Ah Ji quickly shook her head, “I couldn’t hear what you and the Prince were saying.  Just… just

heard you calling out.”

Yao Huang: “…”

How did she not know her calls were so loud?

Turning her head, Yao Huang lay for a while before ultimately deciding, “Let’s take turns on

night watch. I’ll be more mindful next time.”

The days are long, and Ah Ji couldn’t handle it all alone. Besides, she needed to gradually

train other trusted maidservants as well.

After lying down for a quarter of an hour and spending another quarter on changing clothes

and fixing her hair, Yao Huang finally made her way to the front courtyard.

Fei Quan stood in the courtyard and immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing the

Princess.

As Yao Huang walked, she observed Fei Quan. Among the two eunuchs by Prince Hui’s side,

Qing’ai had a more composed and dignified appearance, while Fei Quan had bright,

expressive eyes that sparkled, making him seem more playful. However, he was also

constrained by the rules of the palace and the mansion, appearing more formal than his

looks suggested. Perhaps one should not judge a book by its cover; Fei Quan was indeed

quite serious by nature.

“Is the Prince resting inside?” Yao Huang casually asked.

Fei Quan glanced toward the main hall.

At this moment, Yao Huang arrived at the entrance of the main hall. Turning her head, she

saw Prince Hui dressed in a new dark red brocade robe, sitting upright in the north.

In a typical household, the main hall would have two main chairs placed in the north,

separated by a square table.

However, Prince Hui’s wheelchair was present, and moving it to the main seat was

unnecessary. While the servants might not mind the trouble, Prince Hui’s could be displeased.

Yet, placing a normal chair beside the main seat would disrupt the overall arrangement of

the hall, and if a regular chair was used when the Prince was absent, it would serve as a

constant reminder of his condition when he arrived.

What Yao Huang saw was a long table positioned at a suitable height for Prince Hui to reach

the tea. Prince Hui sat alone in the north with his wheelchair, while on either end of the long

table were guest chairs facing the tea table. This setup ensured that regardless of

Prince Hui’s presence, the arrangement of tables and chairs would remain neat. Even if

another prince came, sitting at either end of the long table would still be in line with

Prince Hui, avoiding any appearance of neglect.

With Prince Hui’s condition, no other prince would fuss over such minor details.

Yao Huang couldn’t hide the fact that she’d noticed the unusual seating arrangement.  She

wasn’t going to pretend she wasn’t impressed.

Under Prince Hui’s impassive gaze, Yao Huang instructed Ah Ji to remain outside, then entered

with a smile, offering a slight bow to Prince Hui.