Yao Huang had been a mischievous girl since she was little. When the other little girls in Changshou Alley sat in the courtyard playing the grass-fighting game, she was following her brother to climb over walls.
She loved climbing trees. Every year, she would climb the two persimmon trees in her maternal grandfather's courtyard several times.
Yao Huang also liked to swing high on the swings; perhaps she just enjoyed the thrill of being high up.
Because of this, Yao Huang also loved being lifted high up by her father. However, as she gradually grew older, even with the close bond between father and daughter, it was no longer appropriate to do such lifting poses. Her father wouldn't initiate lifting her, and the older Yao Huang wouldn't pester her father or brother to do it either. The only person who could conveniently play with her like this again would be her future husband.
By a twist of fate, Yao Huang married a husband with disabled legs. Three years ago, as soon as Emperor Yongchang's decree granting their marriage was issued, Yao Huang completely gave up the idea of ever playing around with her husband like that.
But just today, her disabled husband had completely healed his legs and effortlessly lifted her into his arms.
Making sure that the Crown Prince wasn't straining himself at all, Yao Huang excitedly cupped his face and kissed him several times on both cheeks.
Zhao Sui closed his eyes, only opening them when the Crown Princess's soft lips stopped falling on him, and then he met the Crown Princess's bright, smiling eyes that sparkled like stars.
Just then, Yun'er's tender voice called out "open" from the peony bushes ahead, having discovered another blooming flower bud.
The usually proper Crown Prince remembered the child and immediately went to put the Crown Princess down.
Yao Huang clung to his shoulder, wrapping her legs even tighter around him, and acted shamelessly, "I like being held like this, I haven't had enough yet."
Zhao Sui glanced at Yun'er, who was already staring at his royal father and mother, and said in a low voice, "We can talk about this when we get back to our room. What kind of decorum is it to let Yun'er see this?"
Yao Huang replied, "So what if he sees? He's only one year old, not ten."
Zhao Sui said, "A one-year-old can already remember things."
He remembered some scenes from around his own first birthday, such as Noble Consort Du's smile when his imperial father came, and her cold glare at him after his father left.
The Crown Prince naturally didn't give examples, and Yao Huang didn't quite believe him. However, she was also worried that the Crown Prince wouldn't be able to support her for so long all at once, so she cooperatively hopped back down to the ground.
The couple walked over to Yun'er. The little guy was enthusiastically looking for flower buds, but Yao Huang's gaze kept darting to the side.
The more she did this, the harder it was for Zhao Sui to remain composed. He asked helplessly, "Still not used to it?"
Over the past month or so, although the couple didn't see much of each other during the day, whenever they did meet, he was mostly standing. Logically, the Crown Princess should have gotten used to it by now.
Yao Huang replied, "Yes. Before, I didn't know Your Highness had recovered so well. I always felt that even if Your Highness was standing, you were only meant to be looked at, not touched."
Like an exquisite piece of porcelain placed on a curio shelf; beautiful to look at, but with the danger of falling to the floor and shattering at the slight push of a hand.
Zhao Sui was speechless.
Yao Huang smiled and took his arm, leaning in closely.
Zhao Sui glanced at Yun'er, who was entirely focused on the peony bushes, and did not emphasize etiquette again.
After a moment of silence, Yao Huang swept her gaze over the reviving spring garden and said reluctantly, "Now that Your Highness is completely healed, is it time for us to return to the palace?"
Zhao Sui replied, "Yes, I just submitted a memorial to Imperial Father, stating that we will return to the palace early tomorrow morning."
In two days, they would be celebrating Yun'er's first birthday. Celebrating his birthday in the palace would please his imperial father and be better for Yun'er as well.
Yao Huang asked in surprise, "Why not today?"
She had thought the Crown Prince would be eager to return to the palace to show Emperor Yongchang his fully recovered state. After all, when they parted at the palace gates last month, the Crown Prince's eyes had turned red from Emperor Yongchang's words.
Zhao Sui did not explain, only grasping the Crown Princess's hand.
After strolling leisurely through the garden with Yun'er for two hours, Zhao Sui had the wet nurse take Yun'er back to Ming'an Hall to be looked after, while he continued to tour the garden with the Crown Princess.
The swing that the Crown Princess used to only be able to sit and sway on by herself—Zhao Sui now stood beside it, pushing the ropes for her. The Cuiping Mountain that the Crown Princess once had to push him up in his wheelchair—Zhao Sui now accompanied the Crown Princess, walking up those long, winding steps once again. The fish they used to catch, which required the Crown Princess to carry him on her back from his wheelchair and place him on a felt mat—Zhao Sui now sat in the fishing chair himself, holding the Crown Princess in his arms as he fished with her.
As they did more things together, Yao Huang came to understand: the Crown Prince wanted to use today to do all the things he had once wished to accompany her in doing.
They spent the entire day in the back garden and only returned to Ming'an Hall at dusk.
After dinner, the wet nurse carried Yun'er away to sleep in the side room. Zhao Sui glanced at the Crown Princess and said, "I'll go to the front to bathe."
Yao Huang's face grew hot under the Crown Prince's seemingly meaningful gaze. She lowered her eyes and asked, "Do you still need a massage?"
Only the disabled Prince Hui or Crown Prince would insist on bathing separately from her. After all the companionship during the day, Yao Huang had thought the Crown Prince would accompany her to bathe together tonight.
Zhao Sui replied, "...No need. It's a habit."
With that, the Crown Prince walked away briskly.
Once the Crown Prince, who had a pair of long legs, recovered, even his speed in acting reserved and avoiding the Crown Princess became faster. It made Yao Huang feel both shy and annoyed, as if she were the one insisting on dragging him into a shared bath.
Not long after the Crown Prince left, Aji and a few other senior maids finished preparing the bathroom in the west room and invited the Crown Princess to bathe.
When Yao Huang went over, she found a set of bright red inner garments hanging on the nearby rosewood clothes rack.
Yao Huang was speechless.
She liked the color red, but she didn't have many bright red inner garments. Only the few sets from their newlywed period were this vibrant.
Aji smiled and said, "Feiquan delivered them this afternoon. He said it was His Highness's intention."
Yao Huang touched the water-like, silky texture of the red silk inner garments, finally understanding why the Crown Prince had gone to the front courtyard. What reserve? The thoughts in the Crown Prince's head were clearly bolder than hers. She was only thinking of sharing a bath, while the Crown Prince was thinking of having another wedding night!
After the Crown Princess finished washing and her hair was wrung out until it no longer dripped, Aji and the others tactfully retreated to a place where they would absolutely remain unseen when the Crown Prince arrived.
Yao Huang sat on the couch in the secondary room. A lamp was placed on the low table, its light warm and cozy.
In the lamplight, Yao Huang combed her hair stroke by stroke. She combed until her hair was almost dry and drowsiness quietly crept over her, yet there was still no sign of the bridegroom.
Yao Huang bit her lip, put down the comb, blew out the lamp, and went into the inner chamber by herself.
The inner chamber was filled with a festive red. It was the red bed curtains that Bailing had quickly swapped out while she was sitting in the bathtub. The Crown Prince was thin-skinned after all; he was too embarrassed to openly send over two wedding candles, but he was clearly telling the maids that he wanted to be a bridegroom once again.
Yao Huang sat in front of the dressing table. As she recalled that surely unconventional wedding night with Prince Hui three years ago, she picked out a ruby gold hairpin and pinned up her long hair.
The mirror reflected the twenty-year-old Crown Princess's bright eyes, red lips, snowy skin, and flower-like beauty. Yao Huang turned her head, examining herself carefully. No matter how she looked at it, she felt that there was no difference between her tonight and her from three years ago. Even if there was, it was only that she had become even more beautiful, and she felt less of a young girl's apprehension and fear toward what was about to happen tonight.
Just as she was admiring herself, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Yao Huang's heart tightened. She quickly left the dressing table and sat on the edge of the bed.
She certainly couldn't lie down with her freshly styled hair, but sitting there dryly felt a bit silly. As the footsteps drew closer, Yao Huang got nervous and, as if possessed, pulled down half of the red bed curtain and draped it over her head.
It was only after covering her head that Yao Huang realized the gauze curtain was too sheer. She could still see outside clearly, so...
Before she could pull down the red curtain, the Crown Prince entered.
Yao Huang only had time to catch a glimpse of his red robe before hurriedly lowering her eyelashes.
Zhao Sui had actually finished preparing a while ago. He came late because he could not decide whether to bring the pair of wedding candles. If he did not bring them, it would lack the proper etiquette for making up for their wedding night; if he did, he was afraid the Crown Princess would laugh at him.
After much hesitation, Zhao Sui finally brought them along. He was already prepared to be scrutinized and then teased by the Crown Princess, but he never expected to see her sitting there with her head covered by a red curtain acting as a bridal veil.
Realizing that the Crown Princess was also looking forward to this consummation, Zhao Sui relaxed. He walked past her to the long table by the south window, arranged the two gold-lacquered candle stands, inserted the two wedding candles, and lit them with a fire starter.
With the wedding candles lit, the other lamps could be extinguished. Only when the light in the inner chamber dimmed did Zhao Sui finally sit down beside the Crown Princess.
He looked at the Crown Princess beneath that layer of sheer gauze.
The Crown Princess's face was flushed, and her lips were even redder.
Yao Huang saw the Crown Prince's hands resting on his knees. His long, slender fingers twitched a few times, but they showed no intention of lifting to unveil her.
Already blushing with embarrassment, Yao Huang could not help but glare at him. Aren't you going to help me lift it?
A real bridal veil would be one thing, but what was the point of sitting here under a red curtain?
With his eyes lowered, Zhao Sui helped her lift it.
Yao Huang breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that the Crown Prince did not dare to look at her again. Finding it both amusing and novel, Yao Huang looked at the Crown Prince's handsome face and asked, I remember on the night I first married into your household, Your Highness dared to study me. Now that we even have Yun'er, how has Your Highness become more and more thin-skinned?
Zhao Sui said, You were the one who didn't dare to look at me that night.
Seventeen-year-old Yao Huang certainly would not have dared to look directly at a completely unfamiliar prince. Twenty-year-old Yao Huang even dared to boss the Crown Prince around, but she could always play the role of her seventeen-year-old self once more.
Alright, let's do it all over again then.
Yao Huang lowered her head, placing her hands nervously in her lap, not daring to look up again.
After waiting for a while without the groom opposite her making a move, Yao Huang felt wronged and asked softly, Does Your Highness not like me?
Zhao Sui replied, No.
Yao Huang asked, Then why are you ignoring me?
Zhao Sui answered, It is getting late, let us sleep.
He could make up for the Crown Princess with a wedding night that better fit what she had anticipated before marriage, but he could not bring himself to actually act as if they were meeting for the first time.
Still in character, the Crown Princess nodded and bashfully closed her eyes.
Zhao Sui thought, on a wedding night, shouldn't the husband undress his wife?
He raised his hand, and just as he touched the lapel of the Crown Princess's robe, she shyly turned to the side.
Zhao Sui's breathing grew heavy. With one arm, he pulled the Crown Princess into his embrace, while his other hand began to move with practiced skill.
When the couple fell back onto the bed, the Crown Prince directly nudged the Crown Princess's knees apart with his own.
Yao Huang clung to his neck, looking at him with eyes as soft as water. Your Highness, be gentle, I am scared.
At seventeen, she had also been panicked and afraid. It was only because she had to take care of her disabled husband that she cast aside the modesty of a new bride, throwing caution to the wind to accommodate the Prince of Hui in every way.
Zhao Sui remembered. He remembered every moment of tension and embarrassment hidden beneath her seemingly bold exterior that night.
Call me Prince.
Zhao Sui wanted to hear her call him by his old title for one more night.
Yao Huang began to call him Prince.
Perhaps the shyness in those first few cries of Prince was feigned, but by the end, when the Crown Princess was crying and begging, those repeated cries of Prince perfectly overlapped with the string of cries from three years ago. The seventeen-year-old Princess of Hui could not handle the Prince of Hui, whose legs were disabled but who deliberately restrained himself out of consideration for her youth. Now, the twenty-year-old Crown Princess still could not handle the Crown Prince, who was no longer disabled and would not hold back in the slightest.
This was probably a longer wedding night than any newlywed couple had ever experienced, so long that Yao Huang truly grew afraid of the Crown Prince.
Fortunately, the Prince of Hui she had just married back then was disabled. If the Prince of Hui had not been disabled, Yao Huang feared she would have been the one left disabled.
