Emperor Yongchang's arrangement at the palace banquet was naturally to build momentum for the Crown Prince's recovery after the New Year. After all, the Crown Prince had been sitting in a wheelchair for over three years. If he were to suddenly walk into the court looking elegant and graceful without any warning, what would the ministers think? When things are unusually abnormal, there must be a demon at work.
Putting on a simple act tonight would not only allow the civil and military officials of the court to prepare in advance, but also promote the Crown Prince's utmost filial piety, spreading a beautiful tale of a loving royal father and filial son among the people. Regardless of how much the ministers believed it, the uneducated commoners would easily believe and happily spread such a beautiful story. Thus, the Crown Prince of the Great Qi Dynasty must be a heaven-chosen heir, which was why he could fully recover after three years of disability.
To put on a show, one must go all the way. After the Crown Prince sat down in his wheelchair, Emperor Yongchang stopped his sword dance and excitedly summoned the imperial physicians to check the Crown Prince's pulse and legs.
The ones who came were two of the most senior old imperial physicians. The old physicians were unaware of the situation beforehand. Now, as they massaged the Crown Prince's legs and watched him lift his legs to walk, they looked as if they had witnessed a medical miracle, each more shocked than the last. At first, they conservatively stated that the Crown Prince had a chance of recovery, and then they attributed this turning point to the Crown Prince's great filial piety.
With such joyous news, Emperor Yongchang naturally had to send someone to inform Empress Zhou and the Crown Princess in the central palace.
The eunuch from Qianyuan Hall came to report the good news. Standing in the center of the rear palace hall, in front of all the officials' wives, he recounted the entire story of the Crown Prince standing up, as if he were a storyteller.
Yao Huang was speechless.
She never expected that one day she would hear someone tell a story about her own husband and father-in-law!
Noticing everyone looking at her, Yao Huang quickly adjusted her emotions and asked with a trembling voice, "Is... is this true?"
The messenger eunuch smiled and said, "It is absolutely true. This servant saw it with his own eyes, and the imperial physicians have also diagnosed His Highness the Crown Prince, saying that there is an eighty percent chance he can fully recover!"
Yao Huang then happily knelt beside Empress Zhou, leaning on her lap and weeping tears of joy.
Empress Zhou used a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes, her eyes turning red as she repeatedly said "good." The Eldest Princess, Princess Consort Kang Chen Ying, and the newly titled Countess of Chengfu Luo Jinhua were genuinely happy for their second brother or Yao Huang, shedding tears of joy.
Only Zheng Yuanzhen kept her head down, as if her soul had been sucked away again.
The crippled second cousin she had once despised was made Crown Prince even while sitting in a wheelchair, and now, his legs were going to heal.
She and her mother had plotted and schemed several times, only to end up making themselves the laughingstock of all the officials and subjects in the capital.
On the sixth day of the first lunar month, the officials resumed their duties for the new year. At this court session, Emperor Yongchang specially granted the Crown Prince a "recovery leave," allowing him to temporarily move back to his former residence at the Prince Hui Manor to rest until his legs fully recovered. During this period, if the gunpowder workshop had matters requiring the Crown Prince's attention, he could review official documents or summon the workshop officials at the manor.
In the months before the New Year, the muscles and bones in the Crown Prince's legs lacked strength, so he couldn't do intense training. Working at the Ministry of Works didn't interfere with his leg exercises. Now that his legs had enough strength, he needed to practice large movements like walking, going up and down stairs, and even running and jumping. In Emperor Yongchang's eyes, the Crown Prince's legs were naturally more important, and it didn't matter if his official duties slowed down.
The two gardens in the Eastern Palace were too small. The Imperial Garden was large enough, but the imperial concubines loved to go there, making it crowded with too many prying eyes. Banning the concubines from the Imperial Garden just to accommodate the Crown Prince would definitely burden him.
After much thought, Emperor Yongchang felt his son's former princely residence was perfect. Once spring arrived and the weather improved, the Crown Prince could ride horses and train his legs whenever he wanted without needing to ask for permission.
After issuing the decree, Emperor Yongchang had the Ministry of Works send a group of craftsmen to the Crown Prince's former residence. Together with the manor's original craftsmen, they rebuilt all the thresholds and stairs in the Prince Hui Manor. With all the wood and stone materials readily available, the craftsmen worked enthusiastically for two days and finished the renovations. After letting it air dry for another two days, the Crown Prince's family could leave the palace on the tenth day of the first lunar month.
Emperor Yongchang, who happened to be on his day off, personally saw the Crown Prince's family out of the Xihua Gate.
Zhao Sui wanted to stand up from his wheelchair to bid farewell to his imperial father, but Emperor Yongchang pressed him down as soon as he noticed the movement. He smiled and said, "What's the use of standing for just a moment? Practice well over there. Wait until you're completely healed before coming to the palace. I want to see you moving freely."
He felt pained that his second son's legs were ruined, but when designating the heir, he didn't care about it. However, Emperor Yongchang had always missed his second son's upright posture, wishing for his flawless jade-like son to return to him sooner.
The Crown Prince, who couldn't lift his eyes to look directly at his imperial father at the New Year's Eve banquet, still kept his eyes lowered now.
But that night, the Crown Prince's face had flushed red; now, the corners of his eyes were red.
Emperor Yongchang felt very gratified. At least in his second son's heart at this moment, he should still be considered a loving imperial father, right?
Hugging his little imperial grandson again, Emperor Yongchang looked at his daughter-in-law. "Take good care of the Crown Prince. On his days off, he can continue his leg exercises, but don't forget to bring Yun'er into the palace to pay respects to me."
Yao Huang smiled and said, "Since Imperial Father is so reluctant to part with Yun'er, why not leave him in the palace? Imperial Father and Imperial Mother can spend more effort helping us look after him, and it will also allow Yun'er to fulfill filial duties to you on behalf of His Highness and me."
Emperor Yongchang pretended to carry Yun'er back toward the palace.
Yao Huang also pretended to push the Crown Prince's wheelchair toward the carriage.
Yun'er was smiling at first, but as he smiled, he realized his father and mother were leaving, and he suddenly grew anxious.
Emperor Yongchang, who liked his little imperial grandson very much but had neither the free time nor the patience to coax a child, walked back to the carriage and personally handed Yun'er to his daughter-in-law, who had already boarded.
After saying their goodbyes once more, the carriage set off.
As a dignified emperor, Emperor Yongchang couldn't possibly stand at the palace gates foolishly seeing his son off. He put his hands behind his back, turned around, and prepared to head back.
Suddenly, a familiar crying sound came from ahead. Emperor Yongchang's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head and saw Yun'er leaning against the carriage window, stretching his little head out to look for his imperial grandfather. His daughter-in-law was holding the little guy from behind, revealing half of her face.
Emperor Yongchang grew anxious watching this. "Hurry up and sit inside!" Don't let his Yun'er fall!
Yao Huang replied, "Your daughter-in-law obeys the decree!"
Holding Yun'er's little hand to wave at Emperor Yongchang, Yao Huang ruthlessly pulled Yun'er away from the window and placed him directly on the Crown Prince's legs, which were no longer so afraid of pressure.
Zhao Sui then handed the pre-prepared jade pendant to Yun'er.
With the jade pendant, Yun'er, though still having two pools of tears in his eyes, smiled with his little mouth.
In front of the palace gates, Emperor Yongchang felt quite pleased. He hadn't doted on this grandson in vain!
The carriage soon arrived at the former Prince Hui Manor. Before the carriage even came to a complete stop, Yao Huang lifted the curtain and noticed that the plaque hanging high above the main gate had been changed to a brand new "Crown Prince Manor." Below the plaque, there were several new steps and a red-painted threshold.
Yao Huang moved aside a little to let the Crown Prince in the wheelchair in the middle see outside. She teased, "Imperial Father really sent Your Highness back to train your legs. He didn't even miss the opportunity to exercise Your Highness right at the front gate."
Zhao Sui looked out the window, and what he saw was the scene of him moving into the Prince Hui Manor for the first time at the age of eighteen.
Yao Huang first handed Yun'er to the wet nurse, then worked with Qingai to help the Crown Prince down from the carriage in his wheelchair. If all went well, today should be the last time the Crown Prince would use a wheelchair to get on and off a carriage.
The wet nurse placed Yun'er into his stroller and fastened the straps. In the brief moment it took for Yao Huang to take hold of the stroller, the Crown Prince had actually already left his wheelchair.
Since the Crown Prince dared to stand, Yao Huang believed he could walk this stretch of the road well. However, while the Crown Prince could walk, Yun'er's stroller ran into trouble when it reached the steps.
Smiling, Qingai and Feiquan lifted the young master's stroller through the first gate of the princely estate.
Yao Huang walked up to the Crown Prince's side. Keeping her eyes facing forward, she quietly slipped her hand into his.
The Crown Prince's footsteps paused slightly. Just as Yao Huang began to worry whether this man was going to be reserved and strictly adhere to propriety again, he broke free from her grasp only to firmly hold her hand in return.
Having just set the stroller steadily on the ground, Qingai and Feiquan saw this and quickly lowered their heads. They waited for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to walk past them before Qingai pushed the young master, following at a respectful distance, with Feiquan guarding by the side.
Yun'er could see the backs of his royal father and mother. Knowing that his parents were both there, the little guy felt at ease and began to look around in all directions. Compared to the young master, Jinbao, who had jumped down from another carriage, was exceedingly steady, guarding closely by his little master's stroller without leaving for a single step, looking completely uninterested in anything else.
On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month last year, the Crown Prince could only let go of the handrails to walk a mere dozen steps. Today, he actually accompanied the Crown Princess all the way to the front courtyard of Ming'an Hall, even stepping over several thresholds along the way. However, this was also his current limit. Noticing the fine sweat on the Crown Prince's forehead, Yao Huang smiled and took Yun'er into her own arms.
.
The Crown Prince liked to practice walking alone in the garden, but the Crown Princess also liked to take Yun'er for strolls there. The couple thus divided the back garden into two. If the Crown Prince was in the East Garden today, the Crown Princess would relax in the West Garden; if the Crown Prince chose the West Garden tomorrow, the Crown Princess and her son would go play in the East Garden.
The Crown Prince specifically chose secluded and hidden areas to practice, and Yao Huang would not deliberately go looking for him. This meant the couple basically only saw each other during their three daily meals and at night.
At night, the Crown Prince would pull the Crown Princess along to continue his leg exercises. It was only at these times that Yao Huang could personally feel that the strength in the Crown Prince's legs was growing more and more robust.
By mid-February, the sunlight in the capital had noticeably warmed up.
The peonies at the Crown Prince's former residence were cultivated in the area with the best sunlight. Yao Huang had recently been bringing Yun'er to the peony garden often, especially loving to observe the buds of those twelve Yao Huang peonies. According to Yao Huang's understanding of these Yao Huang peonies, they would bloom most vibrantly in mid-March, but every year one or two flower buds would bloom early, competing to win their masters' favor.
On the twenty-third of February, Yao Huang came to see the peonies again.
Even Yun'er, who had just learned to walk, knew which plant his mother liked to look at the most. After being placed on the ground by his mother, the little guy immediately wobbled forward along the garden path, eventually stopping accurately in front of a Yao Huang peony. Looking at the flower bud that was slightly taller than him, the little guy excitedly spun in a half-circle on the spot, pointing at the bud and calling out to his mother, "Bloom! Bloom!"
Yao Huang caught up and saw that this flower bud had indeed opened its first pale yellow petal.
As the mother and son were engrossed in the sight, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from behind them—somewhat unfamiliar, yet somewhat familiar.
Yao Huang turned her head and saw the Crown Prince, dressed in a tea-white brocade robe, walking toward them along the same path the mother and son had taken. He was not walking fast, but neither was he as slow as before when practicing his legs. It was as if he were simply the master of the house taking a leisurely stroll to admire the flowers—a master who had never been injured and had never sat in a wheelchair for three years.
Squatting before the peony bushes to support Yun'er, Yao Huang once again found herself having to look high up at the Crown Prince.
Yun'er did not feel there was anything unusual about his father being like this. Leaving his mother's side, he wobbled toward his father.
The little guy walked a bit too hastily, and when he was still a few steps away from his father, he suddenly tripped forward.
Zhao Sui took a few quick steps forward, steadily caught Yun'er, and smoothly scooped the little guy up into his arms.
Yao Huang: "..."
She slowly stood up straight, staring in astonishment at the approaching Crown Prince.
Zhao Sui avoided the overly bright eyes of the Crown Princess. Although he stopped beside her, he only lowered his head to tease Yun'er.
Yun'er was right at the age where he loved to walk. He twisted his little body, making his father put him down, and went off on his own to look at other peony buds.
Zhao Sui, worried about him, wanted to follow.
The Crown Princess suddenly spread her arms wide, blocking his path.
Only then did Zhao Sui meet the Crown Princess's gaze. Lowering his eyes, he asked, "What is it?"
Yao Huang huffed, "So you can carry people now?"
Zhao Sui silently acquiesced.
Yao Huang asked, "Then can Your Highness carry me?"
The Crown Prince did not answer. He merely took two steps forward, lifted the Crown Princess by her underarms high into the air just as he had carried Yun'er, and then firmly caught her legs.
Even though she had been lifted like this countless times by her father when she was little, Yao Huang's heart still raced. She hastily steadied herself by gripping the Crown Prince's shoulders, wrapped her legs around his waist, and looked at him nervously. "I was just joking, put me down quickly, don't force yourself..."
Zhao Sui smiled, looking back into the eyes of his Crown Princess, and said, "I'm not forcing myself."
From now on, he could hold her like this every day, until he was too old and could hold her no longer.
