The Yao and Luo families had their eyes opened in the gardens of the Prince of Hui's estate. When they reached the dining table, they were once again deeply impressed by the culinary skills of the estate's chefs.
Luo Yue: "Sister, you are living the life of an immortal right now! It makes me want to be a maidservant by your side!"
Yao Lin: "Sister, can your brother come and be a guard for the princely estate? I don't need any wages, just three full meals a day!"
Yao Zhenhu was just about to ask if they could have another jar of wine, when their maternal grandmother laughed and scolded from nearby, "Look at you all, acting like such good-for-nothings."
Yao Zhenhu quickly shut his mouth.
Yao Huang could tell that her father, uncle, and brothers were all craving the wine from today's banquet. She smiled and said, "This is tribute wine rewarded to His Highness by the Emperor. It comes every year, but His Highness doesn't usually drink much. There are hundreds of jars piled up in the wine cellar. When we send out the festival gifts for the Dragon Boat Festival, I will send two jars to each of your families."
Today, she would let it be. Visiting the princely estate and taking a bunch of gifts back would look too much like poor relatives coming to a wealthy household to sponge off them.
Maternal grandmother: "Send what? They are just a bunch of rough men. Giving them tribute wine to drink is a waste of good things."
The two aunts nodded in agreement.
Yao Huang did not insist further; she would just send the festival gifts over directly when the time came.
The estate's library pavilion was also located on the eastern side, in the very last courtyard. The courtyard was spacious and filled with ample sunlight. The young servants who managed the library would regularly bring the books out to air them in the sun.
The Prince was very generous. When Yao Huang brought her four brothers over to pick out books, she still invited Eunuch Cao over in advance. Firstly, it was to have Eunuch Cao serve as a witness to prove that her brothers were well-behaved. Secondly, some books might be the Prince's personal favorites or rare, solitary copies, and Yao Huang needed Eunuch Cao to give her a heads-up.
"Eunuch Cao, do you know which books might be useful for the military imperial examinations?"
Yao Huang humbly asked for advice.
Eunuch Cao was in his early fifties. Having spent decades in the palace, he was highly experienced and knowledgeable. Through constant exposure, he had gained an understanding of the civil and military imperial examinations held every three years. Moreover, he served a master who had been forced to study diligently as a child and grew up loving books. Whatever the master read, Eunuch Cao had to familiarize himself with it as well, lest the master wanted to discuss it and found him completely ignorant.
Eunuch Cao led the five of them toward a row of bookshelves, saying as they walked, "The written test of the military examination mainly tests military strategy and tactics. The four young masters have certainly read books like 'The Art of War by Sun Tzu,' 'The Art of War by Wu Qi,' and 'The Six Secret Teachings' at the martial academy. However, different teachers explain them to varying depths. His Highness has versions here that have been annotated by various famous scholars, and when the mood strikes him, His Highness also adds a few lines of his own. They are right over here."
The military examination on strategy did not require students to rote-memorize; it tested their comprehensive understanding and flexible application of military tactics. The policy questions involved the imperial court's defense and governance of the borderlands and areas plagued by bandits, which could not be answered simply by blindly studying books.
When Zhao Sui read, he did not just read the works of predecessors; he even read the examination papers of the top three candidates from previous civil and military examinations of the current dynasty.
Initially, it was the renowned tutors hired by Consort Du, who hoped for her son to become a dragon among men, that required him to read them. Later, when Consort Du had the Fourth Prince and stopped keeping a close eye on Zhao Sui's studies, Emperor Yongchang, who had already been pleasantly surprised by the Second Prince's intelligence, remained very attentive. Knowing that the Second Prince loved to read and had a wide range of interests, Emperor Yongchang had people continuously send books to him. If it was inconvenient to send the original, he would have someone make a copy.
While other princes and princesses had gold, silver, and jewels rewarded by their imperial father and mothers, Zhao Sui's place was filled entirely with books.
The library pavilion was very quiet. The four brothers sometimes gathered together and sometimes scattered to pick out books. Yao Huang found it boring to just wait around, so she also took a military book from a shelf.
It was filled with densely packed characters. She recognized every single word, but as she strung them together and carefully pondered their meaning, Yao Huang's head started to ache after just a few lines. It was not that she lacked interest in military strategy, but rather that the pages were full of archaic literary particles and the wording was too concise, making it far less easy to understand than popular fiction.
Yao Huang put this book down and started picking at random.
Suddenly, she found something tucked inside one of the books. Yao Huang flipped to that page and discovered a thin piece of paper slightly smaller than the book's pages. Drawn on the paper were little figures wearing armor. Some of the little figures held flags, some held bows, arrows, and long spears, and there were also some riding horses and beating drums.
Eunuch Cao chimed in at the right moment from the side, "This is a military formation map. His Highness drew it when he was eight years old, following the formations described in the book."
Yao Huang: "..."
He could draw such lifelike little figures at eight years old, and the little figures were doing such complex things?
Eunuch Cao recalled the scene from back then, his eyes full of affection. "Actually, His Highness was tired of reading but felt too embarrassed to slack off, so he drew little figures to kill time. Otherwise, if it were just a military formation map, he could have just used words, circles, and lines to mark it."
Yao Huang's interest was piqued. She specifically looked for books that might have things tucked inside, but unfortunately, she never found a second piece of paper with little figures.
Eunuch Cao: "Does the Princess Consort wish to see His Highness's paintings?"
Yao Huang: "Are there any?"
Eunuch Cao: "Please come this way."
Passing through several reading rooms, Eunuch Cao led the Princess Consort to a room specifically used to store paintings. Aside from a few that were hung up, most of the paintings were kept in the form of scrolls placed on painting racks or in painting tubes.
"These are all His Highness's paintings. His Highness began learning to paint at the age of four. Whenever there was a masterful stroke, this old servant would collect it. After he established his own estate, they were all moved over here."
Yao Huang thought of her own four-year-old self; she had still been playing in the mud.
The painting scrolls were arranged in order of the Prince's age when he painted them, from four to twenty years old. Every year had anywhere from two or three to four or five paintings. At the age of twenty, the situation in the north became critical, and the Prince went to the battlefield. Later, something happened to his legs, so he probably had no mood to paint anymore.
Yao Huang unrolled a painting the Prince did when he was four. It depicted a section of a covered corridor with a single palace lantern hanging from it.
Fearing that the Princess Consort might look down on the Prince's immature painting skills from his youth, Eunuch Cao explained, "Actually, His Highness didn't want to keep these practice pieces. It was this old servant who liked them and snatched a few to preserve. Our Prince has a good temper. After establishing his estate, seeing that this old servant had brought the collected paintings over, His Highness didn't get angry at this old servant for taking matters into his own hands."
Yao Huang had no ability to critique painting skills. She had never learned to paint at all because the pigments were too expensive, and her mother had never thought of living frugally just to raise her into a multi-talented daughter.
But she felt that this painting of the palace lantern was very well done. It was just that there was only a single palace lantern, making it look rather lonely.
She continued to look at the paintings.
The Prince of Hui mostly painted still lifes. Occasionally, a butterfly would appear on a flower, or a bird would perch on a treetop. It wasn't until he was eighteen that there was a majestic painting of a battlefield charge: robust warhorses with all four hooves off the ground, soldiers holding their long spears high, a grayish-blue sky in the distance, and wild grass bent by the wind in the foreground.
Through this painting, Yao Huang seemed to see a Prince of Hui stepping onto the battlefield for the first time, his heart filled with heroic passion.
The second and last painting from when he was eighteen depicted a swirling, heavy snowstorm. Under the eaves of the corridor, a young eunuch stood on a stool holding paste to put up spring couplets, while another young eunuch stood beside him, helping to smooth out the red couplets that had not yet fully adhered.
Yao Huang smiled. "This is Qingai and Feiquan, right?"
Although only their side profiles were visible, blurred by the falling snowflakes in the air, one could still recognize the silhouettes of Qingai and Feiquan.
"Indeed, this is the only portrait His Highness has ever painted of the people around him," Eunuch Cao said. "But look at how well His Highness painted it! Feiquan was still a bit chubby back then. This double chin looks exactly like the real person."
Yao Huang subconsciously mimicked Feiquan's slight head-bowing posture in the painting, then touched her own chin.
"...The Princess Consort is naturally beautiful with a face as lovely as a flower and the moon," Eunuch Cao added. "You look absolutely stunning from every angle, without the slightest flaw."
Yao Huang smiled. "You really know how to flatter someone."
Yao Lin and his three brothers picked out a total of four military strategy books and eight martial arts imperial examination files. The four of them would take turns reading them, and they agreed that Yao Lin would return them at the end of July.
"Keep this matter to ourselves," Yao Huang reminded them. "Don't tell outsiders, especially your classmates at the martial arts academy."
Yao Huang believed that prestigious and noble families could also collect military books annotated by famous masters, but copies of past martial arts imperial examination files were probably only available in the estates of Prince Kang and Prince Qing. With this opportunity, her brothers would be more confident in taking the martial arts imperial examination next year, but it would also easily incur the jealousy of their classmates.
On her cousins' side, with her steady eldest cousin keeping an eye on things, Yao Huang felt very reassured. As for her own foolish brother, Yao Huang would let her mother keep him in check.
"I at least have this much sense," Yao Lin said, hurt by his sister's look. "I won't even tell Li Tingwang."
Yao Huang and Luo Kun both controlled their expressions well, as if Yao Lin had merely mentioned his best friend outside the family. However, her second cousin Luo Peng and third cousin Luo Ze became a bit nervous, because they all knew that Li Tingwang liked their cousin. He liked her very, very much—so much so that in the six months since she became a candidate for the imperial draft, Li Tingwang had lost nearly twenty pounds.
Yao Huang didn't look at the shrewd Eunuch Cao, but she brought up Li Tingwang on her own initiative without feeling guilty. "You and Li Tingwang are as close as brothers, and he treats you with absolute sincerity. If he were doing poorly in his literary classes, it wouldn't hurt for you to lend him a look. However, Li Tingwang ranks in the top three in every martial arts academy quiz, so he doesn't need your help at all. In that case, it's better to avoid the trouble, lest his petty mother finds out and comes to our mother to make snide remarks."
Yao Lin nodded. He would never give Madam Li the chance to speak sarcastically to their mother.
After seeing her family off, it was the hottest time of the afternoon. Thinking that His Highness would come to Ming'an Hall in the evening, Yao Huang didn't make a special trip to the Bamboo Courtyard to thank him.
After resting for the afternoon, Yao Huang calculated the time and went to the Bamboo Courtyard an hour before dinnertime, knocking gently on the door.
Feiquan came over to open the door. Seeing through the crack that it was the Princess Consort, he immediately became anxious for himself and His Highness, as they would have to make the Princess Consort wait again.
Yao Huang was in a good mood. She glanced at Feiquan's chin and told him to go ahead and announce her arrival.
No one expected her to come at this time. Qingai and Feiquan once again had to carry the wheelchair into the study first, and then Qingai pushed His Highness to the courtyard gate.
As soon as the door opened, facing Prince Hui's inquiring gaze, Yao Huang smiled and said, "It has cooled down now. I want to accompany Your Highness for a stroll in the garden, and then we can head straight to Ming'an Hall. Are you free, Your Highness?"
Zhao Sui nodded.
Yao Huang took hold of the wheelchair and skillfully pushed him out of the Bamboo Courtyard.
When facing west, the brilliant setting sun shone dazzlingly on Prince Hui's pale face. Yao Huang tilted her head to look and teased him, "Your Highness reads books all day long. You've stayed indoors so much that you're even paler than I am."
Zhao Sui was speechless.
"By the way, my brother and the others borrowed a lot of books," Yao Huang continued. "I thank Your Highness on their behalf."
"Those books are just sitting idle in the estate anyway," Zhao Sui replied. "They only serve their purpose when someone reads them."
"I also came across Your Highness's paintings," Yao Huang said. "You are truly amazing to have been able to paint so well at such a young age."
"...I just painted them casually to pass the time," Zhao Sui said. "It's merely a case of cherishing my own meager works."
"I am genuinely praising you, so don't play the modesty card with me, Your Highness," Yao Huang said. "I saw the painting you did of Qingai and Feiquan, and I was thinking of asking you to paint one for me too. Your authentic work will surely be passed down for at least a thousand years. Then, future generations can also behold my beauty and know that although the Princess Consort Hui of the past did not come from a prominent family background, her looks were certainly worthy of His Highness."
The smile in Zhao Sui's eyes deepened. His Princess Consort indeed did not like to be modest.
After she finished speaking in one breath, Zhao Sui replied, "Alright, you pick a time."
"To paint for me? Then let's do it tomorrow, while it's still cool in the morning!" Yao Huang exclaimed.
Zhao Sui tacitly agreed.
Next, Yao Huang looked around the garden as they walked, scouting out several suitable spots for painting. As they were leaving the garden, she was still pondering, "Which spot does Your Highness think is the best?"
"Since you like them, we can paint one at each spot," Zhao Sui said.
"How long will that take?" Yao Huang asked.
"There is no need to rush it all in one day," Zhao Sui explained. "The scenery in the garden changes with the four seasons. Some views might be more suitable for other seasons."
"I see," Yao Huang said. "I don't know much about this, so please keep an eye out for me, Your Highness. We will paint whenever you say so."
Zhao Sui kept that in mind.
At nightfall, as soon as Yao Huang got into bed, she snuggled up next to Prince Hui, who was lying flat on his back. Resting her chin on one hand, she kept smiling at that handsome face.
"What are you smiling at?" Zhao Sui asked.
"I'm smiling because my prince is not only handsome and good-tempered, but also well-versed in military strategy and skilled at painting," Yao Huang replied.
If he were just an ordinary prince with average looks, a bad temper, and a disability, Yao Huang guessed she would be very resistant to their nighttime affairs.
But now...
Yao Huang took the initiative to pounce on him, kissing the side of his neck just the way he liked.
Prince Hui instantly tensed his arms.
