The official edict appointing the Crown Prince was to be proclaimed to the whole world, but since the capital was at the foot of the Emperor, its commoners were the first to catch wind of the news.
Imperial relatives residing outside the palace, such as Princess Consort Kang, Chen Ying, and the Eldest Princess, along with family and friends like Yao Zhenhu and Luo Jinhua, successively arrived to pay their respects and offer congratulations to the Crown Princess.
Yao Huang had to restrain her joy in front of others, but when she was alone with her mother, Luo Jinhua, the mother and daughter smiled at each other even more happily than when Yao Huang had earned five thousand taels of silver from the leather chairs.
Luo Jinhua held her daughter's delicate little hands, grinning from ear to ear as she recounted her, her husband's, and her son's shocked, dumbfounded, and overjoyed reactions when they first heard the news. "I was alright. Duke Zhenguo sent someone over to deliver the good news after court was dismissed, so only your sister-in-law saw my silly appearance. Your father was told personally by Duke Zhenguo. Fortunately, the Duke is approachable and easygoing; not only did he not mind your father's foolish reaction, but he also gave him various instructions and reminders."
Yao Huang asked, "What about my brother?"
Luo Jinhua replied, "The Heir Apparent went to tell your brother. Sigh, everyone knows how your father and brother are. Your sister-in-law's family has practically worried about them even more than I have."
Joyful as she was, she would never say anything foolish. Her husband and son, however, might have blurted out something like "How is this possible?" out of pure shock. Their own family would know the father and son meant nothing else by it, but she feared that people with ulterior motives might pass it on to her son-in-law, making him think his father-in-law and brother-in-law looked down on him because of his legs.
Accompanying a sovereign is like accompanying a tiger. Their son-in-law, now titled Crown Prince, was the future monarch. From now on, their family had to treat him with even more caution and respect. They didn't seek to flatter or curry favor for benefits, but at the very least, they couldn't allow their clumsiness with words to cause him displeasure and ultimately affect the relationship between him and their daughter.
Yao Huang smiled and said, "Now that my brother is married, it's as if he's gained three famous teachers. Mother can finally relax a bit."
Luo Jinhua looked at her daughter, suddenly feeling a pang of heartache. "The one Mother worries about most is still you. Speaking of which, your status is getting higher and higher, and who knows how many people outside envy you. But what kind of place is the imperial family? Living in the prince's estate, you could still be the master of your own house. Once you move into the Eastern Palace, you'll be close to the Emperor, Empress, and other noble personages. Dealing with them every day, how careful will you have to be with your words?"
Yao Huang rubbed her mother's furrowed brow, her expression as relaxed as ever. "Mother, don't think of life in the palace as too complicated. The Emperor is occupied with a myriad of state affairs every day and won't have much time to see this daughter-in-law of his. Her Majesty the Empress is as gentle as water. Being closer to her is just perfect for me to learn how to manage the affairs of the inner palace, much like how young ladies from noble families learn household management from their elders."
"The Noble Consort changed her temper a while ago and hasn't targeted the Crown Prince or me since. Now that the heir apparent has been decided, she won't do anything foolish. Besides, she has never gained the upper hand against me anyway."
"Consort Xian is dignified and reasonable. The Crown Prince and the First Prince are on fairly good terms, so she has no reason to target me."
"Consort Rou... After what happened to the Prince of Qing, it is already a great fortune that Consort Rou didn't suffer the Emperor's displaced anger. She has even less reason to cause trouble for me."
Yao Huang naturally held reverence for the imperial family, but she didn't want to live as cautiously as Chen Ying, nor did she want to adopt the Noble Consort's arrogant and domineering attitude just because her own status had become exalted. She also didn't want to emulate Empress Zhou's utterly impeccable demeanor as the mother of the nation. She preferred to live following her heart. As the saying goes, a straight foot does not fear a crooked shoe. Since she neither broke imperial rules nor violated any laws, why should she be timid in everything she did?
Besides, Yao Huang knew how to adapt. If one day she actually did something to displease Emperor Yongchang or the Crown Prince, it would only be trivial matters—for instance, if Emperor Yongchang completely disliked the cheap cucumbers she gifted him, or if the Crown Prince disliked her scratching and scolding him in bed. If that truly happened, there would be plenty of time for her to change.
"Mother, just set your mind at ease. I can live my life well."
.
Emperor Yongchang designating the Crown Prince was merely a matter of issuing an edict, but the Ministry of Rites' preparation for the conferment ceremony of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess was not so simple. At the same time, the Ministry of Works also had tasks to handle; they had to thoroughly repair the Eastern Palace, which had been uninhabited for over thirty years, inside and out. Furthermore, the current Crown Prince's leg disability added the construction work of altering the thresholds throughout the Eastern Palace. This included summoning the craftsmen who were used to working at the Crown Prince's former residence back into the palace, making them responsible for some of the bedroom renovations the Crown Prince required.
The Eastern Palace was a part of the Imperial Palace. Logically, any alterations required Emperor Yongchang's prior approval, but Emperor Yongchang had given an oral decree early on: the renovations of the Eastern Palace were entirely up to the Crown Prince to decide, and the Emperor would solely be responsible for providing the silver.
Thus, the map of the Eastern Palace was delivered into the Crown Prince's hands.
Zhao Sui brought the map back to the princely estate to look at it together with the Crown Princess.
Prince Hui's estate was a massive mansion with three axes and five courtyards deep, complete with a super-sized garden. The Eastern Palace only had one axis and was three courtyards deep. It was spacious enough, with each courtyard laid out with a five-room main hall and three-room side halls on the east and west.
Just as Zhao Sui was faintly worrying that the Crown Princess might disdain the Eastern Palace for not being as large as the princely estate, her pleasantly surprised voice rang in his ears: "It actually has three courtyards! I saw that the Noble Consort's Yikun Palace only has two."
How could Yao Huang possibly think it was too small?
The princely estate was built large because the Emperor father was sending the princes out to live on their own. The estate would be the princes' lifelong home, so of course, a large garden had to be built to give the prince's family a good place to stroll and enjoy the scenery.
Looking at the Crown Prince, on the other hand, the Eastern Palace might not be as large as the princely estate, but the Emperor father was leaving the entire realm's estate to the Crown Prince! His family had received such a massive benefit; if they still complained about the Eastern Palace being small, were they planning to move back to the princely estate and yield the inheritance of the entire world to another brother?
Yao Huang would rather live securely in the three-courtyard "small" Eastern Palace for a period of time. It was much more comfortable than living in a spacious princely estate but constantly having to worry whether some future new Emperor would make things difficult for her husband, or whether a future Empress would pick on her. Besides, although the Eastern Palace didn't have a garden, their family of three could always go admire the Imperial Garden.
"The front hall is where Your Highness will receive guests, study, and handle affairs. The middle hall is Your Highness's sleeping quarters. In the rear hall, I will live in the main room, and let Yun'er stay with his wet nurse in the side room. When it's time for him to begin his schooling, we can move him to the side hall on Your Highness's side?"
Zhao Sui nodded. In any case, he rarely slept alone; most of the time, he stayed with the Crown Princess.
Yao Huang pointed to the adjoining courtyards on the left and right of the rear hall, looking at the Crown Prince beside her and asked, "Are these two places reserved for Your Highness's future secondary consorts and concubines to live in?"
Zhao Sui said, "They can be converted into two small gardens. When the weather is scorching hot, or when it rains or snows and we don't want to walk too far, we can stroll in these two small gardens."
Yao Huang said, "Forget it. Tearing down the buildings will cost a lot of silver. Let's not make Imperial Father think that you and I are excessively pursuing pleasure."
Zhao Sui replied, "What does it have to do with pleasure? It is inconvenient for me to move around, and sitting in a wheelchair for long periods easily makes me irritable. Building two small gardens in the Eastern Palace will help me cultivate my mind and character."
Zhao Sui pointed to the room in the northeast corner of the eastern adjoining courtyard: "This place can be converted into a deer pen."
He then pointed to the western adjoining courtyard: "We'll build a doghouse here for Jinbao to live in."
Yao Huang asked in pleasant surprise, "We can even bring Jinbao over?"
There were imperial concubines who kept dogs, but they raised smaller breeds like Chow Chows. If they really went mad and bit someone, they were easy to subdue. Jinbao's appearance, however, was quite intimidating.
The Crown Prince was silent for a moment, looking at the map on the table as he spoke. "It is possible, but he must first undergo a neutering procedure."
Yao Huang heard a new word. "Which character? What does it mean?"
The Crown Prince could not bring himself to say it out loud.
Yao Huang stared at the Crown Prince, who refused to meet her eyes or explain. Thinking of the words some people in Changshou Alley used when scolding dogs, her expression changed rapidly, eventually turning into a helpless sigh. "It is a pity Jinbao cannot speak. We do not know if he is willing to follow us into the palace and become Eunuch Jinbao, or if he would rather part with us and stay here to continue being Young Master Jinbao."
Zhao Sui: "..."
Exactly how to remodel the garden was the Crown Prince's job. Yao Huang went to the backyard and drew two circles on the ground. In one circle, she placed the stroller where Yun'er was lying; in the other, she placed a bowl of Jinbao's favorite meaty bones.
Yao Huang decided to let Jinbao choose for himself. When Jinbao arrived, whichever circle he entered first would be his choice.
Unaware of what the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had been discussing, Qingai went and brought Jinbao over. Jinbao bounded happily into the courtyard and first went to rub against the Crown Princess.
Yao Huang stroked Jinbao's large head and pointed at the two circles, explaining the situation to him.
Qingai: "..."
No one knew if Jinbao actually understood, but he went over to the stroller to see his little master without any hesitation.
When the Crown Prince came out of the study, Yao Huang sighed, "I told Guo Shu to definitely find the most skilled master for Jinbao, and also asked Doctor Liao to prepare the strongest anesthetic."
Zhao Sui: "..."
.
While Jinbao lay in his doghouse with big, watery eyes, recuperating and eating the best nourishing dog food, Zhao Sui took his revised map of the Eastern Palace to request an audience with his imperial father.
Emperor Yongchang's only requirement for the Eastern Palace was that his second son could live comfortably after moving in. He did not want to manage anything else, but since his second son had made the trip, Emperor Yongchang opened the map and examined it carefully.
The renovations to the three-courtyard palace were all internal furnishings, which could not be seen on the map. Zhao Sui also did not think his imperial father would mind that he had installed rows of hardwood handrails in the inner chambers and bathing room of the middle hall. The most obvious change on the map was the two side courtyards that had been transformed into small eastern and western gardens.
Emperor Yongchang noticed it as expected. He frowned and looked at his son. "The Crown Princess is unwilling to let you take secondary consorts and concubines?"
Zhao Sui: "It is I, your son, who needs these two gardens more to cultivate my mind and character."
He explained that sitting in a wheelchair for long periods made him easily irritable, and returning to the Eastern Palace in the evening to admire the scenery in the garden would make it easier to calm his temper.
Emperor Yongchang suddenly felt a bit of regret for poking at his son's scars.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard his son continue: "Imperial Father, I am not as open-minded as you think. I also remember very clearly that during the draft the year before last, out of fifty beautiful and talented candidates, only the Crown Princess dared to look me in the eye. The other forty-nine avoided me like a plague. Moreover, even if they did not despise me, I could not bring myself to calmly display my current inconveniences in front of every woman. Therefore, having the Crown Princess alone is enough for me."
Hearing these words, Emperor Yongchang regretted it even more. If his second son wanted to change the gardens, he should just let him. Why did he have to run his mouth?
Picking up his teacup, Emperor Yongchang used the action of drinking water to soften his expression before saying, "I understand. Very well, change it according to your wishes."
Zhao Sui: "Thank you, Imperial Father. Furthermore, these two gardens are being built privately by me. The silver spent on the renovations, as well as the future maintenance of the flowers, plants, and the deer park, will all come out of my private treasury..."
Emperor Yongchang became displeased and glared at his son. "Do you think I would be stingy over this little bit of silver?"
Zhao Sui: "...It was the Crown Princess's idea. She said that the silver required to maintain a garden for decades adds up to no small sum. Since both she and I receive stipends for our noble titles, we should not make Imperial Father pay to maintain a garden for us."
Emperor Yongchang: "..."
Decades? He was already fifty-six. Did his daughter-in-law really think he could live to be a hundred?
Emperor Yongchang glared at his son, both angry and amused. "Just keep protecting her, why don't you!"
Having married a smooth-talking wife, his son had even learned to be glib with him.
