Yao Huang could feel Prince Hui's fondness for her promise to compensate him.
They had been intimate a few times last month, but Prince Hui had always been rather cautious, as if he feared that the slightest misjudgment of his strength would hurt her. This time, Prince Hui finally let go of his restraint, only abruptly holding back when she habitually began to cry. This left Yao Huang feeling a wave of awkwardness, unsure whether she should praise him for being considerate or resent him for being so overly cautious.
The fierce storm turned into a gentle spring breeze. After the spring breeze faded, Prince Hui still held her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head.
Yao Huang's soles were pressed against Prince Hui's legs, which were much cooler than hers. After resting for a good while, she stroked the back of Prince Hui's hand as a thought came to her. Although Imperial Father ostensibly reprimanded Your Highness, with Magistrate Xu spreading the word like this, Imperial Father and all the civil and military officials now know of Your Highness's heart for the people and your talent for enriching them. I am naturally happy for Your Highness, but will the Eldest Prince...
Putting herself in his shoes, if she were Prince Kang, she would definitely feel stifled. He had painstakingly climbed mountains for a month, only to suddenly find out upon returning to the capital for rewards that his brother, who had stayed behind, had achieved even greater merits, instantly stealing all the limelight. Even if Yao Huang did not envy that brother, she would still feel miserable about her own situation.
Of course, Yao Huang was not sympathizing with Prince Kang. She was afraid that Prince Kang's mind was not broad enough, and that in the future, when he became Emperor, he would target Prince Hui because of today's events.
So it was true that people often did bad things with good intentions. Xu Dongyang told the absolute truth and had a clear conscience, but it introduced a variable into the relationship between Prince Hui and Prince Kang.
Zhao Sui squeezed his princess's hand. Last time, he had kept the matter of Di Xian from her because he feared she would get too excited. But now...
He leaned close to his princess's ear and said, Actually, when Xu Dongyang first submitted a memorial requesting to open up wastelands in April of last year, Imperial Father already knew that I was the one who instructed him.
Yao Huang was speechless.
Incomprehensibly, she tried to turn around.
Prince Hui pressed down on his princess's shoulders and fetched two towels from the side of the pillow, one for each of them.
After a brief cleanup, Yao Huang was finally able to face Prince Hui. However, Prince Hui had become reserved again; the quilt was pulled all the way up to his waist, and his inner garments were worn properly.
Prince Hui had always preferred to wear his inner garments during intimacy. Only when he was face-to-face with the princess would his inner garments be pulled down by her in the heat of the moment.
Yao Huang had asked him about it once. Prince Hui held it in for a long time before explaining that he didn't want the princess to touch the sweat on his body.
Fortunately, Yao Huang wasn't thinking about pulling off Prince Hui's inner garments right now. Resting her head on Prince Hui's arm, she looked up and asked him, How did Imperial Father know?
Zhao Sui then recounted how Yan Lun had openly acknowledged his merit in recommending talents in the grand hall.
Imperial Father is wise. With so many coincidences, he would naturally think of me.
Yao Huang was even more confused. Why didn't you tell me about Di Xian?
Zhao Sui was just about to explain when he heard his princess say, Never mind, Your Highness doesn't like to boast, so why would you show off to me?
Zhao Sui was speechless.
Yao Huang pondered for a while, still finding it strange. Why did Imperial Father put on such a show?
Prince Hui lowered his eyes.
Yao Huang thought of Prince Kang again. After the arranged marriage at the hunting grounds last year, Yao Huang was convinced that Emperor Yongchang favored Prince Kang as the Crown Prince. That was why she was worried Prince Kang would hold a grudge against Prince Hui over today's events. But if this was Emperor Yongchang deliberately praising Prince Hui, didn't Emperor Yongchang know that lavishly praising his second son would embarrass his eldest son standing right beside him?
Emperor Yongchang might not care about the feelings of a disfavored prince, but he would absolutely not ignore the feelings of Prince Kang, whom he viewed as the Crown Prince. Unless...
Unless Prince Kang was never Emperor Yongchang's favored choice for the Crown Prince at all!
Emperor Yongchang only had four sons. Prince Qing exuded an aura of death, so it definitely wasn't him. The seemingly upright and strong Prince Kang surprisingly wasn't the one either. That left only two...
The Fourth Prince's handsome but useless face had barely entered her mind before Yao Huang kicked it out. Fixing her gaze on the reserved and introverted Prince Hui in front of her, Yao Huang let out a cry and pounced on him, knocking Prince Hui flat on his back. She then sat up on her knees, pressing him down from above, and asked, Is it what I think it is? Is Imperial Father really going to...
Prince Hui thrust his waist and sat up, supporting himself on the bed with one hand to keep his balance, while covering the princess's mouth with the other. It is merely my guess. As long as Imperial Father does not issue an edict, there is another day of uncertainty. It is enough that you know. You must absolutely not speak of this to anyone, including Yun'er, lest walls have ears.
Had the princess not been worried that Prince Kang might hold a grudge against him, and had Zhao Sui not wanted his princess to fret over it, he would have continued to keep it a secret.
With her mouth covered, the princess, her round eyes brimming with pleasant surprise, nodded repeatedly.
Zhao Sui lowered his hand.
Yao Huang pounced on him again, hugging Prince Hui's shoulders and shaking him vigorously. It's true, right? I'm not dreaming, am I?
Prince Hui smiled and secretly switched to supporting himself on the bed with both hands. His legs had no strength, and the princess was shaking him so violently that he might not be able to stay steady with just one hand.
Yao Huang didn't shake him for long, as she belatedly realized that right now, between the two of them, they were only wearing one inner garment, and that inner garment was hanging on Prince Hui's body.
Realizing this, Yao Huang couldn't let go at all. At least by hugging Prince Hui like this, only her back could be seen.
But Yao Huang didn't think about those shameful things at all. After a moment of awkwardness, she hugged Prince Hui tightly and said, Your Highness, don't look at me as if I'm shocked and overjoyed by a sudden windfall. In truth, my pleasant surprise is merely that my husband is actually going to sit on that throne, not that Your Highness is capable of sitting on it. Because to me, Your Highness has long been Imperial Father's most formidable prince. In terms of literary and martial arts, as well as moral character, Your Highness is the best in every aspect.
It was only because Prince Hui sat in a wheelchair that Yao Huang had never dared to think in that direction.
Zhao Sui understood. The princess didn't even need to open her mouth; all the praise she had for him would first reveal itself in her eyes.
Are you so happy that you won't be able to hide it when we go out to visit? Zhao Sui stroked the princess's shoulder.
Yao Huang laughed and said, Rest assured, Your Highness. A cooked duck cannot fly away, but an uncooked one might still fly into someone else's pot. Until Your Highness truly feeds the fully cooked duck meat into my mouth, I will pretend this matter doesn't exist at all. Your Highness shouldn't forget, when it comes to putting on an act, I am much better at it than you.
Prince Hui did not reply to this.
By dusk, when Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui back from their stroll in the garden, she saw a square box sitting on the floor next to the couch in the inner chamber.
Yao Huang looked at Prince Hui. What is this?
Aji and her four senior maids would not place things haphazardly without her orders.
Zhao Sui replied, A reward from Imperial Father for my merit in recommending Di Xian to build the canal.
Upon hearing this, Yao Huang let go of the wheelchair and ran over to lift the lid of the box. The next moment, she was dazzled by the sight of it being filled to the brim with large fifty-tael silver ingots.
Not fearing Prince Hui's ridicule, Yao Huang stretched out her finger to count them. Exactly twenty of them, one thousand taels of silver!
To think that Prince Hui had kept such a large sum of silver a secret from her for half a year!
And here I trusted Your Highness so much, yet Your Highness didn't even tell me when you received a reward. Closing the lid, Yao Huang sat on the box and glared at Prince Hui.
Zhao Sui looked at the princess opposite him, whose sitting posture was ungraceful yet utterly adorable, and lowered his eyes, saying, At the time, I was afraid you would get too excited and disturb your pregnancy.
Yao Huang: I have worn five gemstone rings on my hands, would I still get that excited over a thousand taels of silver? Fine, first Your Highness hides a private stash of money behind my back, and now you look down on me!
Zhao Sui: ...I wasn't talking about the silver.
Yao Huang blinked. Thinking of the new title Prince Hui would have in the future, her anger vanished instantly. She leaned over with a smile and planted another kiss on Prince Hui's handsome face.
On the ninth day of the fifth lunar month, the Eldest Princess got married. Yao Huang and Prince Hui went to attend the wedding banquet. At the princess's estate, they also happened to see Prince Qing and his wife, who looked increasingly lifeless, as well as Prince Kang, who, although still willing to help push Prince Hui's wheelchair, no longer took the initiative to start a conversation.
On the twelfth day of the fifth month, Yao Huang's older brother, Yao Lin, married his bride, Li Fuwei, bringing her into the grand mansion bestowed by the emperor. Yao Huang took Prince Hui along to attend another wedding banquet.
On the fifteenth day of the fifth month, while Yao Lin accompanied Li Fuwei back to the Duke of Zhenguo's estate for her home visit, and Yao Huang invited the Eldest Princess to play cards at Prince Kang's estate, two prison carts, each holding a criminal, rumbled through the city gates under the curious gazes of the common people.
At the morning court the next day, Emperor Yongchang, with a dark expression, threw a memorial onto the floor of the great hall and ordered Prince Qing to pick it up and read it to the ministers.
The civil and military officials looked with varying expressions at Prince Qing, who had returned to the capital with Prince Kang long ago but had delayed attending court to resume his duties.
Prince Qing, his face as pale as paper, picked up the memorial. His imperial father had already hinted at what he should and should not do; Prince Qing could only comply.
It is... it is a memorial from Di Xian, the magistrate of Qingxia in Liangzhou...
Prince Kang frowned and looked at his second brother in the wheelchair beside him, only to see that his second brother was also frowning slightly, as if he could not figure out how Di Xian had offended their imperial father.
When Prince Qing read that Di Xian had caught two men digging up the canals in the middle of the night, Prince Kang, thinking of the canals he had personally inspected, clenched his fists with a livid face. When Prince Qing read that the two canal diggers, after being tortured, confessed that the mastermind behind the scenes was Princess Fucheng, Prince Kang loosened his fists in shock, while the civil and military officials behind him broke into an uproar.
Prince Qing collapsed to his knees in the hall.
Emperor Yongchang said coldly: Bring Princess Fucheng into the hall.
Since Emperor Yongchang intended to hold a court trial, the imperial guards had naturally escorted Princess Fucheng into the palace early on. When footsteps echoed from outside the great hall, everyone, including Prince Kang, turned to look back—except for Prince Hui in his wheelchair, who found it inconvenient to turn around, and the kneeling Prince Qing, who did not want to.
Princess Fucheng was dressed in plain clothes. Although fine lines were visible on her unpowdered face, she remained beautiful and luxurious.
With her chin slightly raised, she met Emperor Yongchang's gaze on the dragon throne and approached step by step with unhurried grace, finally coming to a stop beside Prince Qing.
Emperor Yongchang: The magistrate of Qingxia caught two canal diggers who claimed you sent them. Is this true?
Princess Fucheng lowered her long eyelashes and smiled bitterly: Yes.
She had been secretly escorted into the palace this morning and finally saw her imperial brother's face. Unfortunately, Prince Qing and her daughter were also present, which confirmed the bad news that her daughter had let the secret slip earlier.
Since the death-sworn operatives had betrayed her, they would naturally confess her other secrets as evidence. Therefore, continuing to quibble would only cost her the last shred of dignity.
Princess Fucheng did not want others to see her make a fool of herself.
She also did not blame her daughter for taking the initiative to distance herself. She was doomed to not escape this, and the less her daughter was implicated by her, the better.
Emperor Yongchang: Why did you want to destroy the canals?
Princess Fucheng swept her gaze over Prince Kang and Prince Hui. Everything was understood without being said.
Prince Kang felt a chill all over his body. This was his aunt! Just to help his third brother fight for the position of Crown Prince, she did not hesitate to destroy the canals and harm the people to suppress him and his second brother?
Emperor Yongchang then interrogated Prince Qing: Were you aware of this matter?
Prince Qing touched his forehead to the ground and said in tears: Before the Princess sent her people, your son did not know. Later, when the Princess let it slip in front of my wife, the Princess Consort told me out of fear. However, your son was also afraid of incurring Imperial Father's wrath, so I was foolish and did not dare to report it...
Emperor Yongchang sneered: What a fine foolishness. Do you know that because of this foolishness of yours, thousands of commoners in Qingxia were nearly flooded out of their fields and left destitute and homeless?
By the end of his words, Emperor Yongchang was seething with rage. He stood up and pointed at Prince Qing, cursing him loudly, which frightened the officials into kneeling and kowtowing again, begging the emperor to take care of his dragon body.
Emperor Yongchang had already been angry once before. After venting this fury, he sat back down on the dragon throne, leaned against the backrest, looked up, and stared blankly for a moment. Closing his eyes, he said: According to the laws of our Great Qi, those who intentionally breach embankments shall be sentenced based on the severity of the disaster. If no disaster occurs, the principal offender shall be exiled for three years. As a member of the imperial clan, the Princess can be stripped of her noble title to offset her crime. Today, she is reduced to a commoner, punished by being sent to the imperial temple to shave her head and cultivate her morality, and she shall never be allowed to leave for the rest of her life.
Tears finally fell down Princess Fucheng's face.
Emperor Yongchang continued: Prince Qing knew of her crime but did not report it, so his noble title is demoted by one rank. As an imperial prince, he disregarded the lives of the common people, so he is punished to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors for three years, and he shall never be allowed to serve in the court for the rest of his life.
Prince Qing wept endlessly, kowtowing repeatedly: Your son is unfilial, your son is unfilial...
Emperor Yongchang waved his hand, and imperial guards immediately took Princess Fucheng and Prince Qing away.
After the court was dismissed, Prince Kang was stopped by a young eunuch: Your Highness the Eldest Prince, the Emperor summons you to the imperial study.
