Emperor Yongchang was not becoming a royal grandfather for the first time.
Emperor Yongchang still remembered his joy when the first piece of good news was reported from his eldest son's side.
The ministers kept their mouths shut and dared not discuss it, but Emperor Yongchang knew in his heart that he probably had some issues with having children. Otherwise, being strong and healthy, he wouldn't have only had a total of six princes and two princesses by this age, with two of the princes having died young.
When his eldest son got married, Emperor Yongchang had worries in this regard, afraid that his eldest son would have as much difficulty with heirs as he did. Fortunately, three grandchildren were born one after another, which completely put Emperor Yongchang's mind at ease.
When it was the second son's turn to take a wife, Emperor Yongchang was both heartbroken and worried. As for whether his second son's legs had affected his ability to have children, the imperial physicians dared not ask, and Emperor Yongchang couldn't bring himself to ask either. He thought that if his second son really couldn't do it, his asking would be like rubbing salt into his second son's wounds.
Emperor Yongchang dared not ask his second son, nor did he ever think of letting Empress Zhou ask his second son's wife, for fear that the wife would tell the second son as soon as she returned to the manor, indirectly rubbing that handful of salt for him.
Emperor Yongchang held it in like this for over a year, until today, when the young couple directly gave him a huge surprise!
Emperor Yongchang was more than just happy; he was so happy he wanted to cry. It turned out that apart from not being able to walk, his second son was perfectly fine in all other aspects, and neither his domestic life nor his official duties outside would be delayed!
"Good, you have also shared in the joyous atmosphere from Prince Hui's side. Have you received your reward money?"
Half of the young eunuch's shoulders were soaked by the rain, but his face was full of joy. He said, "I have received it. To tell the truth to Your Majesty, this is the first time this servant has seen His Highness Prince Hui smile so obviously. He and the Princess Consort were looking at each other; the Princess Consort smiled and the Prince smiled too, as if we servants were not even around."
Imagining that scene, Emperor Yongchang also smiled along. He stroked his beard and said, "Alright, you brought me the good news, so I have a reward for you here too."
With that, he ordered someone to bring two five-tael gold ingots to reward the young eunuch.
After the young eunuch left, Emperor Yongchang walked to the window with his hands behind his back. The rain in the courtyard poured down like threads. Not long ago, Emperor Yongchang was still annoyed that this rain had come at the wrong time, but now he felt it was a joyous rain. And that loud clap of thunder before dawn was clearly the little dragon cub of his second son's family greeting him.
In a good mood, Emperor Yongchang gave an order to Eunuch Wang; he wanted to go out.
Eunuch Wang quickly prepared the Emperor's oilcloth raincoat, leather boots, umbrella, and a long brocade box that could be put into a sleeve.
Emperor Yongchang put on the raincoat and leather boots, held the umbrella himself, and went out taking only Eunuch Wang and two guards.
Yunshan Hall.
After the imperial physician left and the rewards were given to the accompanying Eunuch Cao and the other servants of the Prince's manor, Yao Huang and Prince Hui sat on the couch in the east secondary room of the backyard.
Prince Hui leaned against the west wall, and the Princess Consort leaned in his arms.
The pattering sound of the rain outside the window made the room seem even quieter. Yao Huang took Prince Hui's hand and placed it on her still flat and soft lower abdomen. She looked up at him: "Although I guessed a few days ago that I was definitely pregnant, hearing the confirmation from the imperial physician today, I still feel amazed that we really have one."
Being watched by the Princess Consort's dark and curious eyes, Prince Hui silently looked toward the window next to them.
He could understand the Princess Consort's joy, because he felt the same joy, but why was the Princess Consort surprised?
He gave, she received, and it naturally came to fruition.
Yao Huang: "...What is Your Highness thinking about? Why are you not looking at me again?"
Zhao Sui looked back, hugged her and said, "I was thinking that it would have been better if you had gotten pregnant after we returned to the capital, to spare you the suffering of a bumpy ride on the way back to the city."
Yao Huang laughed: "If Your Highness really thought so, you shouldn't have slept with me after we arrived at the Northern Park. If we didn't sleep together, I guarantee I wouldn't have gotten pregnant while at the Northern Park."
Not long after her menstrual period ended in mid-May, the couple left the capital with the imperial entourage. They had been abstaining on the road, so this child must have been conceived after they arrived at the Northern Park.
Prince Hui covered the Princess Consort's eyes that were laughing at him.
But the Princess Consort's lips were still smiling: "Your Highness couldn't bear it for a few days, and now you have to abstain for several months. What will Your Highness do?"
Even though the Princess Consort couldn't see, Prince Hui still said sternly: "When it's convenient for you, sleeping together brings marital harmony. Now that it's inconvenient for you, I won't think about those things."
Yao Huang: "The First Prince has a secondary consort, and the Third Prince has bedchamber maids, and his secondary consort is also about to enter his doors. If Your Highness doesn't want to wrong yourself, you can also..."
Zhao Sui's hand moved down and covered the Princess Consort's mouth: "I don't need to."
Yao Huang glared at him with her eyes and said indistinctly: "This is what Your Highness said. If one day you really dare to mess around behind my back, don't blame me for getting angry with you."
Back when they first got married, neither of them knew what the other's temperament was like. Yao Huang absolutely would not have dared to, nor would she have, opposed Prince Hui selecting a secondary consort or taking in bedchamber maids. Now she knew how good Prince Hui was, and it was exactly when she was extremely satisfied with him. If Prince Hui dared to cause her grief, Yao Huang would dare to never let him into her room again.
Zhao Sui: "Focus on nourishing the pregnancy, and stop letting your imagination run wild."
Yao Huang: "Isn't it because Your Highness is usually too much like that? If you were pure-hearted and had few desires, I wouldn't think wildly."
Zhao Sui looked at the window again. Before their grand wedding, he had indeed been pure-hearted with few desires.
Seeing him feel guilty, Yao Huang knew that Prince Hui was thin-skinned, so she considerately changed the subject: "Can I write a letter to my mother? Let them be happy along with us."
Zhao Sui: "You can. Once it's written, I will have someone send it out."
Yao Huang immediately sat up from Prince Hui's embrace. Zhao Sui supported her in time and instructed: "Do everything slower from now on, and don't make your movements too big."
Yao Huang: "Don't worry. On the night of the thirteenth, Your Highness kept ramming the house doors for nearly half an hour and the child was fine. What does it matter if I twist my waist and lift a leg out here?"
Zhao Sui: "..."
Yao Huang turned her head and saw that Prince Hui had turned away again. She smiled, put on her shoes, and went outside to ask Aji to prepare a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Just as she wrote the beginning, Qingai ran over from the covered corridor and said that the Emperor had arrived.
Zhao Sui immediately shifted into his four-wheeled wheelchair. After he sat properly, Yao Huang came in to push him out.
Emperor Yongchang stood at the entrance of his son's front courtyard, took off the oilcloth raincoat that was rolling with a layer of raindrops, took off the leather boots over his soft-soled shoes, and went in looking refreshed.
There was no main seat on the north side of the long table, so Emperor Yongchang sat directly in the side seat on the east side of the long table.
"Why does Imperial Father always like to come over without giving notice? Every time, it makes the Prince and me fail in our etiquette."
Pushing Prince Hui around the corner into the main room, Yao Huang glanced inside, met Emperor Yongchang's gaze, and complained with a smile.
Emperor Yongchang: "If I gave notice every time, and made you go out early to respectfully welcome me for half the day every time, you would be hoping that I came less often."
Yao Huang: "Of course not. When Imperial Father comes to see us, I am as happy as if I were welcoming the God of Wealth anyway."
Emperor Yongchang: "..."
Yao Huang stopped Prince Hui's wheelchair on the left side of the long table, letting the father and son face each other. She moved the guest chair to the side, and then looked at Emperor Yongchang for instructions.
Emperor Yongchang waved his hand: "Sit down. How could I let you tire yourself out now?"
Yao Huang finally blushed and lowered her head shyly.
Emperor Yongchang looked at his second son, observed him for a moment, and asked doubtfully, "The person who came to deliver the message just now said you were smiling as brightly as the Princess Consort. Why can't I see it now? Were you only happy for that little while?"
After such teasing, Zhao Sui's face also slightly reddened, and the corners of his lips curled up.
Emperor Yongchang was heartened by his son's heartfelt joy and instructed, You two are still young, and this is your first child. It is better to be overly cautious than careless. Especially you, you absolutely must not ride horses galloping up and down hills anymore.
The latter sentence was naturally directed at Yao Huang. Recalling his daughter-in-law's wild behavior of riding a horse down the hillside and sliding down on a wooden board, Emperor Yongchang still felt waves of lingering fear in his heart.
Yao Huang lowered her head and muttered softly, I didn't know back then. I definitely won't ride horses from now on.
The Northern Park was so large with so many fun places; she could still find plenty of amusement regardless.
Emperor Yongchang paused, pulled a long box from his sleeve, placed it on the long table, pushed it toward the couple across from him, and said casually, I know you love to play, but resting for the pregnancy is important. Take this as compensation for the boredom of your confinement. When you are unhappy, take it out and look at it.
Yao Huang knew the box was for her. She picked it up and opened it. Inside the seemingly small box lay four gold rings, each inlaid with a gemstone the size of a longan. From farthest to nearest, they were a ruby, an amethyst, a sapphire, and an emerald!
Yao Huang was now someone who knew her goods. She knew that Prince Hui's annual salary might not even be enough to buy these four tribute-quality gemstones!
Reluctantly looking away from the box, Yao Huang looked at Emperor Yongchang with a gaze even more affectionate than if she were looking at her own biological father. Imperial Father, are you really acting as my God of Wealth?
Emperor Yongchang replied, ...Stop being so glib. Take it to the back and play. I will play a few games of chess with my second son.
Yao Huang couldn't suppress her excitement. She agreed readily, grabbed the box, and ran out.
Zhao Sui's brow twitched. Just as he was about to speak, Emperor Yongchang shouted first, Why are you running? Slow down!
.
Emperor Yongchang played three games of chess with his son and then left. Although his second son didn't talk much, his chess skills were excellent. Even though Emperor Yongchang won one and lost two, he thoroughly enjoyed himself.
His Imperial Father didn't let him see him off, so Zhao Sui had to sit at the door of the main hall and watch his father leave.
When the front door closed again, Zhao Sui returned to the backyard and saw his princess consort sitting by the window. She had a gemstone ring on each of the four fingers of her right hand and was gazing at them in utter fascination.
Zhao Sui pushed his wheelchair next to his wife. He stopped for quite a while before the princess consort glanced at him and said faintly, Imperial Father is so generous as a father-in-law. Hasn't Your Highness given me a gift yet?
Zhao Sui replied, ...I will buy you one when we return to the capital.
Yao Huang raised her empty little finger. I want a ring, with a gemstone about the same size as these four, but in a new color.
Zhao Sui said, As long as the jewelry shops in the capital have it, I will definitely buy it for you.
Yao Huang was satisfied. As she switched the rings to her left hand, she suddenly asked in confusion, Why did Imperial Father bring a box of rings to the temporary palace?
The imperial concubines wore them to dress up and show off their nobility. These four were obviously for women, and Emperor Yongchang's thick fingers couldn't fit into them anyway.
Zhao Sui explained, They were probably prepared for Imperial Mother and the others.
Empress Zhou, Consort Xian, Consort Rou, and Princess Fucheng—exactly one for each of them.
Yao Huang muttered, ...I hope Imperial Father didn't leak the news beforehand, otherwise I am going to draw a lot of hatred.
Even if the concubines had other gemstone jewelry, who would complain about having too many gemstones like these?
Zhao Sui said, Imperial Father will definitely send someone back to the palace to choose other gifts to make up for it. Your pregnancy was out of his expectations, and wanting to reward you today, he had to repurpose them temporarily.
Yao Huang wrapped her ring-adorned hand around Prince Hui's neck and sighed, In the end, it is because Imperial Father favors you that he gave me such an exceptional reward for carrying your child.
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes.
It was because of his princess consort first that they now had a child.
It was because of his princess consort first that he was able to return to his Imperial Father's presence and receive his partiality.
Therefore, everything the princess consort received was exactly what she deserved.
