The candlelight of the night possessed a tenderness like spring water, and also like the lightest, most weightless gauze draped over Yao Huang.
Yao Huang thought back to the days before the imperial selection. Her father, a military man, had treated her as his precious jewel. Whatever Yao Huang wanted or wished to play with, her father would buy it for her, even if it meant spending the hard-saved money from his secret stash. Her brother was a little less indulgent than her father—with his solid build, he really dared to let her climb on his back—but more often he would let her ride on his shoulders as her horse. When she wanted to pick persimmons from her grandfather's tree, she would often stand on her brother's shoulders, holding onto the trunk for support.
Her mother had been the strictest with her. When Yao Huang was little and played outside until dark without returning home, her anxious mother, on the verge of tears, would grab a fire poker to spank her bottom. Yet Yao Huang still dared to treat some of her mother's orders as empty words, sneaking out whenever she pleased. It wasn't until she gradually grew to understand reason and became a half-grown girl who knew not to worry her parents.
Such a headstrong girl, after getting married, found herself doing whatever her husband, the Prince, asked of her. The Prince neither used a stern, commanding tone, nor did he coax her softly like her parents did when urging her to take medicine. His words were brief, just two or three, spoken calmly and gently. Yet, precisely because of his legs, Yao Huang couldn't bring herself to refuse him.
When the Prince told her to move up, Yao Huang slowly inched upward until she touched the headboard. When he told her to lift her left leg, then her right, Yao Huang obediently lifted them. When he told her to put her hands down, Yao Huang no longer dared to cover her face. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her hands nervously clutched the bedding made of expensive silk. She played a little trick, deliberately twisting a corner of the sheet into a crumpled flower, hoping the Prince would see how difficult this was for her. If he had any conscience at all, wouldn't he stop tormenting her?
A large hand enveloped her fist that was clutching the 'flower,' startling her into letting go. The flower fell apart.
Yao Huang tried desperately to keep her legs together and said in a tearful voice, "Your Highness, what exactly are you trying to do?"
Zhao Sui's reply was still the same: "You brought this upon yourself."
For the past two nights, she had been constantly provoking him, and this morning in the courtyard, her words had been unrestrained. He had shown considerable restraint by not taking her directly to the Bamboo Courtyard.
Yao Huang felt utterly wronged and, unable to bear the torment any longer, curled her body like a shrimp. She ducked her head under the arm he was propped on, slipped behind him, and clung tightly to his back, using his body to hide herself. She pressed her legs together, folded to one side, trying to minimize what he could see. Safely hidden, Yao Huang began to reason with him in a small voice: "It was me who first cast flirtatious glances at Your Highness, enticing you to choose me as your Princess Consort. But you admitted yourself that you don't disdain my family's low official rank and that you like my appearance. We've been getting along just fine these past few days. I haven't offended you in any way. Why must you embarrass me like this?"
Zhao Sui looked down at the soft, white 'water snake' coiled around him. "I am not embarrassing you. I merely wish to examine my Princess Consort carefully."
Yao Huang: "...But not this carefully. If Your Highness truly wishes to look, you can look at my face."
Zhao Sui: "How do you know other couples don't examine each other this way?"
Yao Huang truly didn't know. Just as she was about to resort to being unreasonable, the Prince raised his right hand. His movement was so convenient and natural, it was as if Yao Huang had offered herself up on her own!
Yao Huang stared longingly at the edge of the bed, so close at hand. If only her courage were a little greater, she could slip out as smoothly as a loach.
But could she abandon the Prince, with his useless legs, on the bed? Could she take advantage of her own agility to bully him, who could not move easily?
Yao Huang couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. She could only grab the quilt on his side and pull it over her head. Let the Prince look all he wanted; as long as she couldn't see, it was fine.
.
In the adjoining room, Aji had laid out her own bedding. Glancing at the door to the inner chamber and remembering that last time she was on night duty, the Princess Consort had called for water after about half an hour, she first went to the main hall and sat on a chair to wait. The Princess Consort's sounds from last time, like a cat's tail tickling her heart, were better left unheard.
The Prince Hui's mansion was too vast. The Ming'an Hall was far from the neighbors on either side. Without the loud noises or dog barks from nearby households, the night seemed profoundly quiet.
Even with an extra wall in between, Aji could still surprisingly hear the Princess Consort's voice, though it was much fainter than in the adjoining room. Fortunately, Aji took out the cotton she had prepared in advance, rolled it tightly, and stuffed it into her ears, achieving basic peace and quiet.
The Prince's mansion had many small, convenient water clocks. Aji brought one out and placed it on the table.
It was still a little short of half an hour. Aji removed the cotton. Just as she took it out, a particularly clear sound came from within...
Aji stuck out her tongue and quickly stuffed the cotton back into her left ear. She left her right ear empty because she was afraid the Prince and Princess Consort might be nearing the end. What if she missed the Princess Consort's summons? The Princess Consort wouldn't get angry with her, but the Prince might not be so forgiving.
Aji waited like this for another half an hour.
Aji even began to feel sorry for the Princess Consort. She didn't know the specific sensations involved, but the Princess Consort's crying couldn't be faked. Even if it wasn't painful, it certainly couldn't be very comfortable, could it?
Aji quietly carried the water clock back to the adjoining room, preparing to enter when called.
In the inner chamber, Yao Huang was held captive in Prince Hui's embrace. By the time she could finally hear the sounds around her again, the Prince's breathing had already returned to normal.
Recalling all her various states of discomfiture, Yao Huang, unable to swallow her indignation, grabbed the Prince's arm and bit down on his wrist.
A muffled laugh came from above her head.
Yao Huang bit down even harder.
Zhao Sui didn't feel any pain, only that her lips were very soft. Suddenly, he realized she wasn't just biting him with her mouth at that moment.
Zhao Sui freed his wrist from her grasp, which held little strength to begin with.
Yao Huang indeed hadn't vented enough, but when the dignified Prince actually proactively offered his fingers for her to punish, Yao Huang felt embarrassed again. Pressing his fingers down, she snorted, "You wouldn't listen to me earlier. What's the use of pretending to be nice now?"
After hearing her complaint, Zhao Sui continued to offer his fingers.
Yao Huang turned her face away in disdain. "They're filthy. I won't bite them." Had he forgotten where this hand of his had been?
Zhao Sui was willing to wipe them clean for her, but there was no water prepared by this side of the bed. Even if there were water, he couldn't turn around at this moment.
It was almost May. Yao Huang was covered in sweat. Being held in Prince Hui's embrace was like one stove leaning against another. Just as Yao Huang was about to tell him to move away, she stiffened in disbelief. "You..."
Zhao Sui said nothing, only held her tighter with his right arm. The thought was there, but there was no hurry. It was fine just lying like this. They could rest a while and then continue.
If given the choice, Yao Huang truly wanted to clean up and go to sleep. But when she thought that starting tomorrow, the Prince wouldn't come for four nights in a row, Yao Huang felt she could persevere a little longer.
Aji, who had been standing outside the door for quite a while: "..."
.
It was nearly the second watch of the night by the time Aji finally carried the two buckets of warm water into the inner chamber. When he entered, the double-layered bed curtains of the canopy bed were drawn low. The Princess Consort was not standing outside as she had been on the night she first married into the household.
The heavy buckets landed on the floor with two dull thuds.
Inside the bed curtains, Yao Huang mustered her strength and told Aji he could leave and return to tidy up in the morning.
After Aji left, Yao Huang first put on her inner garment before sitting up weakly. Beside her, Prince Hui was already leaning against the headboard, having even picked up the book he had set aside earlier. His eyes were calm, his heart like still water as he read, as if he hadn't spent the last two hours making her do those embarrassing things, and hadn't made her cry over and over again!
Then she looked at herself—her hair was a complete mess, her inner garment crumpled, and even the undergarment meant to be worn beneath it had been... used in an emergency.
Yao Huang snatched the book from his hands, fuming.
Zhao Lui looked at her, his gaze gradually drifting downward. The sleeping garments for the Prince and Princess Consort were made of the finest silk. The summer ones were light and breathable. The Prince's were mostly white, while the Princess Consort's were more vibrant. Tonight, Yao Huang wore a bright red one, with trailing floral patterns embroidered around the collar and cuffs. Yao Huang wasn't very particular; thinking she would need to clean up later anyway, she had just tied it loosely. Snatching the book had been too forceful, and the collar had come loose.
Following Prince Hui's gaze downward, Yao Huang grew even more annoyed. She hurriedly shoved the book back at him, preferring his feigned reading over him looking at her.
Making sure the Prince wasn't looking improperly, Yao Huang turned her back to put on her trousers properly. It was during this process that she noticed several places on the silk bed sheet where threads had been pulled, and one spot was damp. Blushing, she checked the area while trying to recall, but couldn't quite determine whose doing it was.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Lui asked, putting his book down as he saw her sitting there motionless.
Still facing away from him, Yao Huang patted the frayed spot petulantly.
Zhao Lui looked, then glanced at her fingernails. "Next time, I'll give you a handkerchief to grip."
Yao Huang: "...If you'd be gentler, I wouldn't have to."
Zhao Lui went back to his book.
Yao Huang got off the bed and pointed to the wheelchair. "You get down first. I need to put on a new sheet."
Zhao Lui glanced at the wheelchair. "We can manage for one night. Let the maids change it in the morning."
Yao Huang: "Fine. Then you sleep on the damp side."
She didn't seem like someone so delicate she couldn't stand a few pulled threads. Zhao Lui checked the sheet on his side and finally discovered the damp stain.
The privileged Prince Hui had no desire to endure such discomfort, nor would he subject his Princess Consort to it. Addressing his book, he said, "You go wash first. Change it after."
Yao Huang: "I'll get you a cloth."
Zhao Lui gave silent consent.
After handing him the cloth and placing a bucket by the bed for him, Yao Huang took the other bucket to the inner part of the chamber.
She took longer. When she came out, Zhao Lui was already finished. Wearing his inner garment, which bore little sweat, he sat in his wheelchair. The quilt was piled in a corner, the sheet stripped off and even folded by him.
Yao Huang muttered under her breath, "The laundry maids won't know what to think..."
Zhao Lui: "They've all been taught the rules. They won't gossip."
Yao Huang shot him another glare, tossed the sheet into the bamboo basket, fetched a new one from the wardrobe and spread it out. Finally, they could extinguish the lamp and sleep.
Yao Huang slept deeply and soundly, though she had an embarrassing dream where the Prince drew close to her again.
When Yao Huang jolted awake, realizing it wasn't a dream, the Prince was nearly upon her.
Drowsy, she forgot her husband's royal status, pushing at him while trying to shrink away into the bed.
She escaped his powerless legs but not his strong arms. With a casual pull, Zhao Lui brought his cotton-soft Princess Consort tumbling back into his embrace.
"One last time," Zhao Lui whispered in her ear.
Yao Huang regained some sense, looking sleepily at the Prince's silhouette in the dark. She half-heartedly consented, but with a condition: "Not for so long this time."
The Prince agreed.
And then Yao Huang wept until the first rays of dawn filtered through the window paper.
When her sobs grew most intense, Zhao Lui coaxed her, "There won't be any for the next few nights. You can do whatever you like these next few days. I won't come over."
In her dazed, intermittent state, Yao Huang babbled, "Of course you don't need to come over, I'm about to di..."
Zhao Lui covered her mouth with his hand.
Daylight broke completely.
Zhao Lui tucked the quilt tightly around the Princess Consort, covering her from neck to toe, before calling Qingai in.
Leaving the inner chamber in his wheelchair, Zhao Lui addressed Aji and the other four maids with the second order he had given them since the wedding: "Unless summoned by the Princess Consort, no one is to enter and disturb her."
