Prince Hui always woke up very early, so the breakfast prepared by Master Kong would also be delivered a bit early.
Usually, after eating, the prince would either move to the study or the backyard, with nowhere else to kill time. This morning, however, the prince suddenly felt like playing chess. He had Qingai push his wheelchair to the stone table in the courtyard. His wheelchair was on the north side, and Qingai went to the kitchen to fetch a wooden stool, placing it on the south side.
Since the prince had come out, Feiquan casually closed the south door of the main hall behind him.
Actually, Feiquan also wanted to go and leave the courtyard gates wide open so that the prince could see with his own eyes the graceful figure of the princess consort walking over along the forest path. However, the prince's decision to play chess was already unusual enough. If he did more and actually allowed the princess consort to see through the prince's intention of waiting to welcome her, the prince might not be pleased.
Having served by the prince's side for about a decade, both Feiquan and Qingai were very clear about the prince's temperament. If the prince liked a certain pastry, he would eat a few more pieces. If the servants understood, they would naturally instruct the kitchen to continue sending this kind next time. If the servants were not perceptive and the kitchen sent a new variety, the prince would rather eat less than open his mouth to ask for it. At least in these trivial matters of daily life, the prince rarely revealed his true feelings.
Furthermore, it was good to be a bit reserved. Leaving the doors wide open and gazing out eagerly was the behavior of concubines in the imperial harem yearning for the emperor's favor. If word got out, it would damage the prince's prestige.
After mulling it over to himself, Feiquan returned to his duties in the porter's lodge. Standing in front of the small south-facing window, he peered through the dense green bamboo leaves lining the base of the wall to keep an eye on the bamboo forest path.
Just as his eyes were about to blur from staring, Feiquan finally spotted a familiar figure.
Feiquan smiled and moved to the door of the lodge first, just waiting for the princess consort to knock so he could rush over. This time, he wouldn't make the princess consort wait; she could just come right in.
"Thump, thump." Two soft knocks, yet they were exceptionally distinct in this tranquil bamboo courtyard.
Qingai turned his head, and at the same time, Zhao Sui raised his eyes.
When the bamboo courtyard was renovated last year, to prevent any unruly servant from peeking through the crack in the door, the two door panels of the courtyard gate were made to fit extremely tightly. When closed, there was only a narrow slit. Someone like Feiquan had to press right up against the crack to see outside clearly. Over by the stone table, even with the excellent eyesight Zhao Sui had developed from years of archery, he could only barely make out a sliver of red outside the crack in the door.
Before Qingai could fully turn his head, and before Feiquan could rush to the door, Zhao Sui saw a piece of white paper being slipped in from the outside, and immediately after, that sliver of red disappeared.
This was a method Yao Huang had thought of before falling asleep last night. Anyway, she was just greeting the prince before going out. Knowing that asking to see him would cause him trouble, why did she insist on meeting face-to-face?
Sending a note saved the prince trouble and saved her time. It killed two birds with one stone!
Therefore, Yao Huang didn't even look inside when she slipped the note in. Afraid that if she was too slow, Feiquan would catch her and they would have to exchange pleasantries, Yao Huang ran off right after slipping it in. By the time she heard the sound of Feiquan opening the door, Yao Huang had already run to the middle of the path. When Feiquan called out to her, Yao Huang pretended not to hear, and in the blink of an eye, her figure vanished.
Feiquan: "..."
Those who knew would recognize that it was the princess consort; those who didn't would think a flower demon was haunting the bamboo forest bright and early in the morning!
With the prince watching from behind, Feiquan hesitated only slightly before chasing out. Exiting the bamboo forest and looking south, he happened to meet the princess consort's gaze as she looked back to check. Just as Feiquan was about to speak, the princess consort instantly started running again, waving her hand dismissively as she ran.
Not daring to keep the prince waiting, Feiquan glanced at the words on the paper, ran back into the courtyard, and offered the unsealed letter with both hands, saying ashamedly, "This servant was a step too late and couldn't catch up to the princess consort."
Qingai lowered his head toward the chessboard. If Feiquan ran that fast and still couldn't catch her, it only meant the princess consort ran even faster. This princess consort, why did she run away after coming?
Zhao Sui took the paper and saw written on it: "Your Highness, I'm taking a trip back to Changshou Alley to tell my mother to bring my father, my brother, and my maternal grandfather's family to the prince's estate as guests the day after tomorrow. I'll also spend some time chatting with my mother, and I'll return to the estate right after lunch."
"In the afternoon, when it cools down, I want to go fishing by the lake. I've never fished before, so I don't know if I can catch anything. If Your Highness is interested, you can come find me directly by the lake. If not, that's fine too. If I really catch a big fish, I will send it to the bamboo courtyard to add a dish to your meal. If I don't send one, it means I didn't catch anything, so Your Highness must not wait for it."
As the prince lowered his eyes to read the letter, Feiquan and Qingai exchanged a glance, both worried that the prince would be displeased after going through all this trouble for nothing and not even seeing the princess consort.
Amidst their apprehension, their prince folded the letter, tucked it into his sleeve, and then picked up a black chess piece to continue playing.
In Changshou Alley, Yao Zhenhu had gone to the military camp, Yao Lin was studying martial arts, and only Luo Jinhua was home alone, tidying up and getting ready to go out.
She had no choice but to go out. Before her daughter got married, there were guards stationed at both the front and back doors of the Yao family home, and the neighbors didn't dare come to visit. Once her daughter was married off, the guards withdrew, and the neighbors, who had been holding back for a long time, came running to her house wave after wave. One moment they were asking her about her daughter's days as a selected maiden in the palace and how she was chosen to be the princess consort; the next moment they were asking about her daughter's life in the prince's estate, what the prince's temper was like, whether he treated her daughter well, and so on.
Noble and prominent families valued rules and didn't dare gather to discuss royal figures, but ordinary commoners dared to chat about anything. It just so happened that all four members of the Yao family were very amiable and had never put on official airs with their neighbors.
Luo Jinhua also dared to chat with the neighbors about other nobles, because even if they mentioned some royal secrets, she had heard them all from others. If trouble arose and the authorities came to arrest people, she could wash her hands of it completely. Presumably, the authorities wouldn't convict and imprison this whole bunch of neighbors over a few rumors either.
But if she actually dared to spill the beans about this palace selection and her son-in-law the prince, and it reached the ears of the Emperor, the Empress, or the prince, they would know without a second thought that the information had leaked from her. Luo Jinhua wasn't about to do something so foolish as to benefit outsiders while implicating her own family.
She couldn't afford to offend them, but she could hide. By not letting the neighbors catch her, once this burst of novelty passed, they wouldn't keep chasing after her with blind inquiries anymore.
Unexpectedly, before Luo Jinhua could leave the house, her daughter actually arrived, riding in the prince's estate's imposing carriage, with four guards following in front and behind.
Hearing the commotion, the neighbors ran out to watch the spectacle.
In front of others, Luo Jinhua was respectful and deferential. But the moment the main gates were closed, she became anxious. Leaning close to her daughter, she asked in a low voice, "Why are you back so suddenly?"
Yao Huang smiled and said, "I missed you, of course. The time I spent during the bridal return visit was too short, and I didn't get to have a good chat with you, Mother."
Luo Jinhua asked, "Did something really not happen at the prince's estate?"
Yao Huang replied, "Really, nothing happened. The prince and I are doing perfectly fine. Come, let's go inside the house to talk."
Taking the box that Aji was holding, she told Aji to go reunite with Aunt Wu and Qiaoniang. Yao Huang affectionately linked arms with her mother and headed to the east room.
Inside the box were four containers of face cream, four bottles of floral water, and two pieces of jewelry that Yao Huang was gifting to her mother.
The jewelry was a token of her daughter's filial piety, so Luo Jinhua accepted it. However, looking at the facial creams and floral dews, she felt a wave of embarrassment. "You're a young wife, right at the age to cherish your complexion. I'm almost a grandmother. Ordinary products are fine for me as long as they keep my face from chapping. Why waste these good things? Make sure you take them all back with you when you return to the manor."
Yao Huang said, "Nonsense, Mother, you're only thirty-six. You're still young! Besides, you have a good foundation. If you take good care of your skin, you'll look ten years younger even when you really get old. Not to mention comparing with the consorts in the palace, keeping up with the wives of high-ranking officials is definitely achievable. Furthermore, the palace rewards me with a batch of rouge and cosmetics every year. I can't possibly use them all by myself. Isn't it better to honor you with them than to reward them all to the maids?"
Luo Jinhua replied, "You should still reward them when necessary. The servants will only be more loyal to you when they receive benefits."
Yao Huang said, "I know. This set was set aside specifically to honor you."
Luo Jinhua smiled and opened the boxes to smell them one by one. When she smelled the floral dew used for bathing, whatever came to mind actually made her blush in front of her daughter.
As a new bride, Yao Huang chuckled teasingly, "Thinking about my dad, aren't you?"
Luo Jinhua glared at her daughter. "Nonsense! By the way, since you're out, what is His Highness doing?"
Yao Huang softly explained that the Prince usually stayed in the Bamboo Courtyard.
Luo Jinhua's heart ached as she listened. "His Highness used to be so glorious. The more glorious he was, the prouder he became; and the prouder he is, the less he can stand others' pity. Since he can't control how others look at him, he can only lock himself away. In truth, who knows how much he's suffering inside."
Yao Huang said, "Whether he's suffering or not, he's made it clear he doesn't want to be disturbed. If I force myself on him and annoy him, it would only ruin this little bit of marital affection I've earned with my face."
One was a prince, and the other was the daughter of a Centurion—like an eagle soaring in the sky and a fish swimming in the water. They didn't have a single shared interest. It was entirely thanks to her good looks and the Prince's good temper that the two of them managed to get along somewhat amicably.
Luo Jinhua said, "Even so, you can't be running out every day."
Yao Huang replied, "Haven't I been cooped up for almost three months? I was going crazy! Starting next month, I'll only come out once every few days. By then, you won't be able to see me even if you want to."
Luo Jinhua said, "I don't want to see you anyway. I just hope you can bear His Highness a son or daughter sooner, so you can completely secure your footing."
To her daughter, the Prince was like a pie that had fallen from the sky—the heavens could take it back at any moment. Only when her daughter gave birth to the Prince's flesh and blood could this pie truly be considered to have been swallowed into her stomach.
Luo Jinhua added, "It would be best to cultivate your feelings for half a year to a year first, and then get pregnant. His Highness has just tasted the sweetness of intimacy; if you get pregnant too early, I'm afraid he won't be able to endure it and will look for someone else."
Yao Huang said, "...You really think far ahead."
Luo Jinhua smiled triumphantly.
Yao Huang remained silent for a moment, feeling that her mother's words made a lot of sense. The only problem was: "It's not up to me to decide when I get pregnant."
Luo Jinhua rubbed her daughter's head. "Let nature take its course. What I said is just the ideal situation. Besides, whether a woman can tie down a man's heart depends more on herself; a child is, at best, the icing on the cake."
Yao Huang understood. "I will treat His Highness well."
Luo Jinhua said, "Be gentle when you should be gentle, and lose your temper when you need to. If you just obey him in everything, how are you any different from a maid? However, your husband is a prince, so you can't be as fierce as I am with your dad. You have to take it easy."
Yao Huang laughed. "I won't. His Highness isn't as clumsy as my dad, who constantly offends you."
After having lunch at her maiden home and reminding her mother not to forget to visit the Prince's manor the day after tomorrow, Yao Huang returned to the manor.
After an afternoon nap, Yao Huang took out a newly bought storybook to pass the time. Seeing that the sun was no longer so scorching, around three in the afternoon, she put on her veil hat adorned with a silk peony flower and set out with Aji.
Arriving at the lakeside, the water was sparkling so brightly that it stung the eyes, making it hard to keep them open. The sun seemed just as fierce as it was at noon.
Eunuch Cao was already waiting there. Four young eunuchs were carrying fishing rods, bait, fish buckets, chair cushions, and other items. Seeing the Princess Consort, who was wearing a veil hat, turning her head to avoid the sunlight, Eunuch Cao pointed to the willow shade on the west side of the lake and said, "This old servant thinks that spot over there is quite suitable. Not only will you be out of the sun, but you can also enjoy the lake scenery while waiting for the fish. Later, this old servant will have someone bring tea, pastries, and fruits. I guarantee you will feel completely relaxed and comfortable."
Yao Huang said, "Alright, let's go over there."
Fishing took time. If she really waited until it cooled down to come out, when would she ever catch a fish? She had promised His Highness that she would add a dish to his meal.
The group detoured to the west side of the lake. Eunuch Cao personally set things up for the Princess Consort. The chair was placed, the bait was hooked, and Yao Huang only needed to sit down and take over the fishing rod.
Eunuch Cao explained some fishing techniques to the Princess Consort before withdrawing with the young eunuchs. Soon after, he sent someone to deliver tea, pastries, and fruits.
Looking at the other fishing rod, Aji was eager to try. "Princess Consort, is this one prepared for me?"
Yao Huang replied, "It's for His Highness. You can use it first, and give it to him when he comes."
Aji said, "Then I wouldn't dare. I'm afraid I'll dirty His Highness's hands."
Yao Huang said, "What are you afraid of? His Highness might not even come."
Aji still shook her head. She sat on the ground next to the Princess Consort, staring expectantly at the surface of the lake.
Fifteen minutes later, Yao Huang handed her own fishing rod to her. "You do it. I'm going to lie down for a while."
Fishing was not nearly as fun as she had imagined.
Aji, who had just taken over, was excited for a while. Just as she too started to feel her bottom growing restless, the figure of Qingai pushing a wheelchair appeared on a small path opposite them.
