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Yao Huang nodded, scanning the stone path ahead, confirming that it was flat and smooth,
before confidently pushing the wheelchair forward while admiring the surrounding scenery.
The garden’s landscaping was quite exquisite, every flower, tree, and rock exuded elegance.
As they walked, Yao Huang saw two elm trees on the edge of the wall, perfectly spaced.
Her eyes lit up, and she pointed to the trunks, “We can tie a rope here to make a swing. The
shade of the trees is perfect for blocking the sun.”
Zhao Sui: “If you like swings, we can have the craftsmen build several swing frames. You
can place them wherever you like. It’s safer than tying ropes.”
Yao Huang looked at the man’s head, “I’ve only seen swing frames in paintings. At home,
we always used ropes to play.”
Zhao Sui didn’t comment.
Ahead was a pond, with a winding wooden bridge in the middle. The bridge was slightly
wider than the wheelchair, barely enough for two people to walk side by side, with no
railings on either side.
Qing’ai, who was following from a distance, felt his heart sink again. He had noticed that
the Princess was constantly looking around at the scenery, and he was worried she might
accidentally push the Prince into the water!
Just as he was considering running over, Yao Huang looked at the shimmering water and
said longingly to Prince Hui, “Prince, I love the view here. Can we stay a little longer?”
Zhao Sui nodded.
Yao Huang was delighted. She pushed the wheelchair to the shade of a willow tree by the
pond, lowered the wheelchair’s locking mechanism, and then leaned forward to observe
the surface of the water.
Several red koi swam leisurely in the center of the pond, and small finger-length fish darted
happily through the clear water.
The clear water reflected the azure sky, and Yao Huang was increasingly captivated. “When
I was learning etiquette at the Chuxiu Palace, I regretted missing this year’s spring scenery
in the countryside. Now that I’ve come to the Prince’s garden, I realize my good fortune is
yet to come.”
Going on a spring outing to the countryside required riding a horse for a long distance,
which was a lot of effort and expense. Coming to the Prince’s garden was much more
convenient, and they didn’t have to compete with other visitors for space!
However, in Zhao Sui’s eyes, these were all sights he had grown accustomed to, so his
expression was indifferent.
Yao Huang noticed this and, having had her fill of the view, quickly pushed Prince Hui forward
again.
A grove of verdant bamboo appeared in their field of vision. A stone path led through the
grove, and a small courtyard could be faintly seen inside.
Yao Huang stood at the entrance, peering curiously inside, “Prince, what’s that place?”
Zhao Sui: “The bamboo garden. I’ve been living here since I fell ill.”
Yao Huang: “…Then now…”
Zhao Sui didn’t turn around, his tone as calm as if they were simply having a casual
conversation, “For the first three days of our marriage, I’ll stay with you. On the fifth, tenth,
or fifteenth of each month, or during festivals, I’ll also spend the night with you in
Mingantang. The rest of the time, I’ll still be staying here. If you need anything, you can
come find me, otherwise, don’t bother.”
“It’s not directed at you. It’s just that I prefer to be alone now, even Qing’ai and Fei Quan
don’t serve me closely very often.”
“Everyone knows this, so they won’t gossip about it.”
Yao Huang understood. Looking at the small courtyard deep within the bamboo grove, she
pushed the wheelchair forward, confused, “What am I supposed to do when the Prince
isn’t in Mingantang?”
Zhao Sui: “Tour the garden or go out, as you please.”
Yao Huang suddenly didn’t know whether to be happy or worried.
The Prince didn’t care about her, so she seemed to have more freedom than she did at her
parents’ home, but the Prince was secluded in the bamboo garden, and she felt like she
was going to be a widow.
No, that wasn’t right. The Prince would come to spend the night with her every few days.
The fifth, the tenth, the fifteenth, the twentieth, the twenty-fifth, the third… Well, the Prince
would spend six nights with her every month, and even more during festivals.
Romance novels often said that men were prone to injury from excessive indulgence.
Perhaps six times a month was just right? The Prince was disabled, so he needed to be
even more restrained than ordinary men.
Not far from the bamboo garden, a half-acre plot of vacant land appeared by the road.
Yao Huang had just slowed down when Zhao Sui already knew what she was going to ask,
and explained, “This is the vegetable patch.”
A vegetable patch, naturally, was a place for growing vegetables. Wealthy people would
put in a little effort to cultivate some vegetables, as a way of showing their connection to
agriculture and experiencing the joys of the countryside.
Zhao Sui would personally plant some vegetables every year when he was healthy. After
his accident, he didn’t come or go, and without his word, the servants didn’t dare to change
this half-acre of land.
Yao Huang could guess the story behind this piece of land, but since the Prince continued
to keep it, it meant that he wasn’t so petty.
She said happily, “My family’s backyard also has two vegetable patches. I helped my
mother take care of them since I was little, and I know how to grow seven or eight kinds of
vegetables. If the Prince is willing, I can take care of this patch?”
Zhao Sui: “As you wish. Except for the bamboo garden, you can make any changes you
want to the entire garden.”
That sounded a bit like a sarcastic remark, and Yao Huang cleverly didn’t respond.
The north side of the garden was a series of rolling hills. The couple had passed four paths
leading to the top of the hill, two paved with stone steps and two with stone slabs.
The further Yao Huang walked, the more she felt the same anxiety that the mansion’s
servants felt when serving Prince Hui. If they removed the stone steps, they feared the
Prince would be angry. If they didn’t remove them, it would be difficult for the wheelchair,
and the Prince would be even more upset.
Even enjoying the scenery was like this. If they were together every day, how much effort
would she have to put into just taking care of Prince Hui’s mood!
Quickly leaving the hill area, they arrived at the west side of the garden. The view was
expansive, dominated by a vast, clear lake. Peach and willow trees were planted along the
banks, and a pavilion was built on an island in the lake. A covered bridge connected it to a
water pavilion.
Yao Huang’s mood brightened again. She would definitely go boating and fishing on the
lake in a couple of days.
It was almost noon, and Yao Huang didn’t want to tour the center of the garden anymore.
She would wait until her next visit to explore the entire place thoroughly, not missing a
single rockery or cave.