The early summer sunset was breathtaking. Having finished discussing the upcoming palace banquet, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui out to stroll through the gardens.
The luxurious wheelchair, crafted from heavy red sandalwood, was quite a weight to move, especially with a man over six feet tall sitting in it. Yao Huang’s efforts were not nearly as effortless as she tried to make them seem. To compensate, she slowed her pace and continued to spin her fabricated version of Pan Xuniang’s story to break the silence.
"Pan Xuniang spent a period of peaceful days living at the blacksmith’s home. Because of her beauty, matchmakers eventually began to call on her. Pan Xuniang had no desire to remarry, but her neighbors teased her, asking if she had fallen for her sworn brother, the blacksmith. That was impossible, of course. Not wanting to give rise to idle gossip, she had no choice but to agree to meet the men the matchmakers suggested."
Zhao Sui listened to her nonsense with his eyes closed. In the actual storybook, the blacksmith had been infatuated with Pan Xuniang and had cornered her while he was drunk. Pan Xuniang had eventually yielded to his advances, and after their trysts were overheard by neighbors several times, she only agreed to the matchmakers to cover up the scandal.
"To her surprise, the first man she met for a prospective match was the scarred bailiff from the county magistrate's office. Pan Xuniang had heard her late husband curse this bailiff while he was in prison, so she was convinced he was a villain. She gave him a piece of her mind, refusing to listen to his explanations. Later, when the blacksmith became entangled in a lawsuit... the bailiff found evidence proving the blacksmith’s innocence. Only then did Pan Xuniang believe he was a good man."
Zhao Sui mocked her story in his heart. In the book, there were hardly any good men; they all lusted after Pan Xuniang’s beauty. The bailiff’s condition for clearing the blacksmith’s name was for Pan Xuniang to spend the night with him.
"Through her connection with the bailiff, Pan Xuniang met the newly appointed county magistrate. He was young, handsome, and loved his subjects like his own children. After hearing Pan Xuniang’s tearful plea for justice, the new magistrate reopened her husband’s case... and finally, justice was restored to Pan Xuniang and her late husband."
As they rounded a bend and the bamboo grove came into view, Yao Huang concluded her tale.
Zhao Sui recalled the final passage of the actual book, which stated that although Pan Xuniang married the new magistrate and they lived in harmony, her story was far from over. If one wished to know what happened next, they would have to wait for the next installment.
Accompanied by the rhythmic sound of the wheelchair rolling over the stone path, Yao Huang reached the entrance of the bamboo courtyard. Qingai and Feiquan were both waiting there.
Once Qingai took hold of the wheelchair, Yao Huang prepared to take her leave. Today was only the second day of the month, not a day the Prince was scheduled to spend with her.
"I will attend the palace banquet," Zhao Sui said suddenly.
Yao Huang looked at him in surprise.
Zhao Sui did not see joy in the Princess’s eyes; he saw only unexpectedness. Did she not want him to go?
Just as Zhao Sui was beginning to regret his decision, the Princess, standing a few paces away, broke into a smile. Her round, dark eyes gazed at him with anticipation. "That’s wonderful. I was actually hoping to spend the festival with you, Your Highness."
Zhao Sui lowered his gaze. Standing behind him, Qingai and Feiquan also did not dare look directly at the Princess’s smiling face. She was too beautiful; they feared they might not be able to stop themselves from smiling back, which would be a breach of etiquette.
Leaving the three men who were all avoiding her gaze, Yao Huang departed the bamboo grove alone. As she walked along the quiet stone path of the garden, the smile in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep thought.
Even though he always seemed somewhat lifeless, the aura she had sensed from the Prince during their first few days of marriage felt like it had only been accumulating for a year or so. However, after their visit to the palace, the deathly gloom on his face seemed as though it had been building for over a decade.
People are always more at ease on their own turf. In the Hui Estate, the Prince could move freely in his wheelchair. But in the palace? First, there were several high thresholds along the long palace corridors. Every time they encountered one, Qingai and Feiquan had to stop and use all their strength to lift the wheelchair over. Such scenes were surely witnessed by the surrounding palace servants.
Whether the banquet was held in a grand hall or the Imperial Garden, there would undoubtedly be even more thresholds waiting for the Prince. At those times, the crowd surrounding him would be even larger—the Emperor, the Empress, the concubines, and the Prince’s own brothers and sisters...
The Prince had never gone before, yet he was going this year. Yao Huang could think of no reason other than to preserve her dignity and social standing.
For the first time, Yao Huang felt the weight of the injustice dealt to Prince Hui. How could such a fine man—a prince brave enough to abandon the luxuries of the capital to risk his life on the battlefield—be confined to a wheelchair?
By the time she returned to Mingan Hall, Yao Huang had made up her mind. Since the Prince was being good to her, she would return the favor. She didn't have the skill to heal his legs, but she could help him bear the burden of being "pitied" by others.
Yao Huang summoned Eunuch Cao and dismissed her four head maidservants. Sitting on a rattan chair in the courtyard, she asked him privately, "Eunuch, I’ve looked through the household registers. There is a Master Deng in the carpentry shop who is paid per task, while the other carpenters are paid monthly. Why is that?"
Eunuch Cao’s expression turned wistful as he explained, "Master Deng is the finest civilian carpenter in the capital. It was he who crafted His Highness’s wheelchair. Since the wheelchair is sturdy and doesn’t need replacing often, and Master Deng didn't want to sit idle in the estate, they agreed he would be called in whenever the Prince needed a new chair or repairs. The other carpenters are kept on staff to maintain the estate’s woodwork."
Yao Huang said, "I have a question for Master Deng. Can he be brought here now?"
"Rest assured, Princess," Eunuch Cao replied. "I will send someone to fetch Master Deng immediately."
It took some time for the round trip. Yao Huang finished her dinner, and once Master Deng arrived, she went with Eunuch Cao to meet him.
Master Deng was nearly fifty, and perhaps from working with wood for so many years, his back was slightly hunched.
After exchanging greetings, Yao Huang said apologetically, "I apologize for troubling you at this hour. I want to have something made urgently for use on the fifth. I wanted to consult with you early so you would have more time to consider if it can be done."
Master Deng had no intention of complaining about being summoned by the Prince’s estate in the evening. Seeing that Princess Hui was even more approachable than the stewards of other noble houses, his heart felt a surge of warmth. "The Princess is too kind. Please, tell me your requirements. I will do my utmost to assist you."
Yao Huang thanked him and walked to the doorway of the hall. Pointing to the non-existent threshold there, she said, "You built the Prince’s wheelchair, so you know how heavy it is. Whenever the Prince leaves the estate and encounters a threshold, people have to lift the chair to pass. It is time-consuming and laborious. I was thinking: if we could attach a foldable wooden board to the Prince’s wheelchair—one that doesn’t take up space normally but can be unfolded and laid over a threshold to act as a bridge—it would make things much easier, wouldn't it?"
Master Deng’s eyes lit up. "What a brilliant idea, Princess! It’s something most people wouldn't think of, yet it isn't difficult to make. I shall return and start work immediately. I guarantee it will be delivered to the estate before the fifth. However, given the limited time, I fear I cannot guarantee it will be exquisite. Carving and lacquering take time..."
Yao Huang smiled and said, "It’s just a board for temporary paths; there's no need for such trouble. As long as the wood is sturdy, that will be enough."
Having said that, she gave Eunuch Cao a meaningful look.
Eunuch Cao immediately pressed a coin purse into Master Deng’s hand and had a servant escort him out.
Once they were alone, Eunuch Cao looked at the Princess again, his eyes welling with tears. "The Princess cares so much for His Highness... I could pass away this moment and rest in peace..."
Years ago, when the four-year-old Second Prince was moved into his own separate courtyard, Noble Consort Du had arranged for Eunuch Cao and Nanny Liu to manage his daily life. She had ordered them to keep a close eye on him, partly to ensure he did not become lazy or playful, and partly to monitor whether he harbored any resentment toward her, lest she raise an ungrateful ingrate.
At that time, Eunuch Cao was merely a young eunuch who followed orders for the sake of rewards. Naturally, he did not dare to disobey Noble Consort Du’s demands. Fortunately, the Noble Consort had not asked them to frame the Second Prince; they could fulfill their duty simply by monitoring his every word and action.
Subsequently, Eunuch Cao and Nanny Liu watched with their own eyes as the Second Prince grew up day by day. They saw other princes frolicking and playing in the Imperial Garden, while the Second Prince sat obediently in his study, reading and practicing his calligraphy. Could a child only a few years old truly enjoy being cooped up in a study all day? It was nothing more than the fact that he knew Noble Consort Du was not his biological mother; he did not dare to act spoiled, and there was no one for him to act spoiled with anyway.
A master who was brilliant, handsome, sensible, and kind, who never made things difficult for them; a child who would drag himself out of bed even when ill to finish his lessons; a Prince who, even after gaining the Emperor’s favor, would still ask if they were willing to follow him out of the palace—Qingai and Feiquan were willing to pledge their lives to him, and Eunuch Cao and Nanny Liu were equally willing to serve him loyally until they grew old and died.
Now, the Prince had finally found someone who truly held him in her heart, a Princess Consort who could take better care of him than they ever could.
Yao Huang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The festival is almost here, why are you saying such things? Please, stop. I cannot possibly live up to such praise.
Choking back a sob, Eunuch Cao raised his sleeve to wipe his tears.
Yao Huang instructed, Do not tell the Prince about this yet. Once the items are delivered, I will take them to show him.
Master Deng worked at the most famous woodworking shop in the capital. After leaving the Prince’s manor, he went directly to the owner to request several pieces of red sandalwood boards that had already been lacquered and were ready for use. They are for Prince Hui. Here is the deposit.
The owner replied, Take them, take whatever you need!
Master Deng selected the boards and did not even go home that night. He stayed alone in the workshop, measuring, drawing, cutting, drilling, polishing, and hammering away.
On the morning of the fourth, Master Deng, sporting two dark circles under his eyes, delivered a set of boards to Yao Huang.
They were four layers of stacked red sandalwood boards. Each layer was about a foot and a half wide and five feet long, with a total thickness of about half a foot. The outer edges of the two outermost boards had been specially tapered. This way, when used as a bridge, both ends could be firmly supported on the ground, making it easy for a wheelchair to slide up and down while reducing jolts.
Master Deng explained, Your Highness’s wheelchair has a total length of seven feet and a width of four feet. I previously built a narrow compartment under the wheelchair for the Prince to store blankets, cloaks, and other items. You can slide this set of boards vertically into that compartment. Later, I will build a new wheelchair for the Prince with a dedicated rack just for these boards.
Yao Huang looked at Eunuch Cao in shock. There was actually a narrow compartment under the wheelchair?
Eunuch Cao felt another pang of heartache. The Prince had lived in the Bamboo Courtyard for so long that the compartment had never been used.
After Master Deng left, Yao Huang tried to lift the four layers of boards. They were about half as heavy as Aji, but when spread across the four wheels of the wheelchair, they would not add too much of a burden.
Now that the gift was ready, Yao Huang asked Eunuch Cao, Are there any door sills left in the manor for the Prince to test this on?
Eunuch Cao replied, The servants' quarters?
Yao Huang stared at Eunuch Cao for a moment and then laughed.
In the Bamboo Courtyard, Feiquan knew nothing of what was happening outside. When the Princess Consort came to knock on the door again, he called out through the crack in the door to save time, Please wait a moment, Princess Consort.
Yao Huang said, You come out first!
Feiquan obediently came out, received his instructions, and then went back inside. Once Qingai had pushed the wheelchair to the inside of the courtyard gate, Yao Huang stepped forward a couple of paces. Her expression was full of concern as she looked at Prince Hui. Your Highness, Eunuch Cao took a tumble while running an errand for me just now. His face has swollen up like a steamed bun. He says he is fine, but he must be blaming me in his heart. Why don't you come with me to see him? He respects Your Highness the most. If I can get you to visit him, he might be so happy that his face won't even hurt anymore.
Zhao Sui replied, Very well.
Yao Huang smiled. I also brought a gift. It is quite heavy, is it alright if I put it under your wheelchair?
Zhao Sui nodded.
Yao Huang then walked behind the wheelchair and reached out to cover his eyes. It is a very clumsy gift. I am afraid Your Highness will laugh if you see it.
With her doing this, Prince Hui naturally could not see what Feiquan was sliding into the wheelchair, but the corners of his lips still curved upward slightly.
