"What do you think of this wheelchair, Your Highness?"
Actually pushing the elm wood wheelchair in front of the Prince's luxurious large red sandalwood wheelchair, Yao Huang felt her confidence wane.
Zhao Sui waved his hand.
Qingai and Feiquan immediately retreated into the bamboo courtyard, backing away until they were out of earshot of the Prince and Princess.
At this point, Zhao Sui looked at his wife and asked, "Why make a new wheelchair?"
Hearing this, Yao Huang quickly explained, "I bought this on South Street this afternoon; it wasn't made by Master Deng. Originally, I wanted to call Master Deng over directly to discuss making a new wheelchair, but today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and he is spending the holiday with his family. I didn't send for him, but I couldn't hold back my impatience, so I went to see if there were any wheelchairs in the capital's shops that caught my fancy."
Seeing that Prince Hui looked calm and didn't seem angered by the simple new wheelchair, Yao Huang smiled and pushed it in a circle in front of him. "Look, Your Highness, how lightweight this wheelchair is. I could push you around the garden for several laps without even breaking a sweat. Moreover, when you sit here, I can see your face just by looking down, and you can see me with a slight turn or tilt of your head. With the one you are sitting in now, the backrest is so high and thick that it's inconvenient for either of us to see the other."
Zhao Sui remained silent.
Yao Huang simply sat down on the elm wood wheelchair, looking at him face to face. "Your Highness, this is what I was thinking. Since we rarely go out and only move around our own home, the most important thing is that the wheelchair is comfortable and convenient for you to sit in. The appearance doesn't need to be too grand or elaborate. Look at this one; the backrest only has a middle section, and the sides are empty. This way, when you move, the breeze can blow past your waist. How perfect for summer! The one you have now doesn't let any air through; you'll definitely find it too hot in a little while."
She turned sideways to show the backrest, and Zhao Sui looked at it.
Yao Huang then patted the two large wheels of the wheelchair. "What I want most is a wheelchair that you can push yourself, Your Highness. That way, it would be convenient for you to go wherever you want. But my thoughts were too simple; the shops don't have this kind at all, and they say it's very difficult to make. I'll have Master Deng think of a way later to see if he can figure it out."
If he could push himself around, it wouldn't have been so strenuous for him to move from the easel to the arhat bed last night. If he was thirsty and wanted to pour tea or water, he could do it himself instead of having to call Qingai and Feiquan to serve him for everything. This also included the Prince entering and leaving her inner chamber. With the summer heat, Yao Huang was wearing less and less, and she didn't want to have to hide from Qingai and Feiquan every time. Especially in the early morning, the Prince always woke up earlier than she did, and afraid that Qingai might see something, he would always cover her up tightly with the quilt.
Zhao Sui looked at the large wheels that were well within reach from where she sat.
Yao Huang continued, "Oh, right, I know this wheelchair isn't pretty. I brought it back today just to let you have a look first. If you like this lightweight style, I'll have Master Deng make a few replicas using better wood, tailored to your measurements. We can add carvings and such, ensuring it's both beautiful and comfortable, perfect for use at home or outside."
How could she really let a dignified Prince sit in a simple wheelchair that cost only five mace of silver? There were many things that needed to be changed.
Having said so much in one breath, Yao Huang looked expectantly at Prince Hui, whose expression hadn't changed from beginning to end.
Zhao Sui said, "Let's try it first."
Yao Huang was about to carry him on her back to change wheelchairs, but Zhao Sui, noticing that the new wheelchair lacked a stabilizing mechanism, refused and called Qingai and Feiquan over.
Qingai carried him on his back, while Feiquan held the backrest of the elm wood wheelchair. When Qingai steadily squatted down with his back to the elm wheelchair, and the distance was sufficient, Zhao Sui supported himself on the wheelchair's armrests with both hands and sat down on his own.
Yao Huang had tested it beforehand. Zhang Yue and Wang Dong were both tall and sturdy; if the elm wood wheelchair could bear their weight, it could certainly bear Prince Hui's weight of about one hundred and forty catties.
Qingai and Feiquan secretly broke a sweat. It wasn't until the Prince sat securely, and the wheelchair remained perfectly steady without wobbling or making any strange creaking sounds under the heavy load, that the two finally let out a sigh of relief.
As Qingai stepped aside, Zhao Sui saw the Princess smiling—the kind of secret smile one has when finding something funny but not wanting others to know. The moment her eyes met his, it morphed into the bright, obedient, and somewhat fawning smile she usually wore in front of him. "Shall I accompany Your Highness to the garden to test it out some more?"
Zhao Sui nodded.
Leaving behind the luxurious but heavy red sandalwood wheelchair, Yao Huang pushed the elm wood wheelchair away. It felt so light in her hands that she had to take a moment to readjust.
Exiting the bamboo-lined path, Yao Huang asked, "Does Your Highness find it bumpy?"
The bumpiness Zhao Sui felt from the chair was indeed more noticeable than with the red sandalwood wheelchair, but it was not unbearable. Just as the Princess had said, it was indeed much more convenient for them to talk. When she stopped and looked down to ask him a question, the back of Zhao Sui's head, resting against the wheelchair, actually brushed against her lapel. However, she reacted quickly, and the brief pressure ended swiftly.
Looking straight ahead, he replied, "It's fine."
Yao Huang stood up straight and continued pushing the wheelchair, deliberately maintaining a distance between her body and the Prince.
Arriving at the foot of Mount Cuiping to the north, Yao Huang pointed to a paved stone ramp specially built by the Prince's estate and asked, "Has Your Highness ever been up this path?"
Zhao Sui shook his head.
The servants had built the ramp to prepare for the day he might suddenly have the elegant desire to climb the mountain. Zhao Sui had indeed had the thought of climbing the mountain countless times, but in those thoughts, he was always relying on his own two feet to stroll through the garden, climb the mountain, and ride horses. When the thoughts came, they were like a surging tide, driving him to the brink of madness. When the tide receded, Zhao Sui could continue to stay peacefully in the bamboo courtyard.
Yao Huang was eager to try. "Shall I push Your Highness up to take a look?"
The artisans of the estate were capable people. Mount Cuiping wasn't very high to begin with, and the newly built ramp deliberately wound past several scenic spots on the mountain before extending all the way to the pavilion at the summit. Although it lengthened the journey, it reduced the incline for the wheelchair, saving the pusher's strength.
Zhao Sui cast a glance at the mountaintop and asked, "Will it be too strenuous for you?"
Yao Huang tilted her head and smiled at him. "Is Your Highness afraid that I won't have enough strength and will accidentally drop you?"
Zhao Sui pursed his lips slightly.
Yao Huang huffed, "Don't worry. If I really can't push it anymore, I'll retreat back down the same way. No matter what, I won't let Your Highness fall."
After saying this, she headed toward the ramp ahead.
Zhao Sui asked about her secret smile at the entrance of the bamboo courtyard.
Yao Huang said, "You must promise not to be angry, Your Highness."
Zhao Sui replied, "Alright."
Yao Huang burst into laughter. "Isn't there a saying that clothes make the man and saddles make the horse? I was laughing because when Your Highness first moved to this wheelchair, your noble aura seemed to diminish by half. It looked as though Your Highness was being terribly wronged."
Zhao Sui: "..."
A smiling face suddenly leaned over beside him, her large, dark, and watery eyes looking him up and down.
Zhao Sui looked back at her.
Yao Huang asked nervously, "You aren't angry, are you?"
Zhao Sui said, "...Don't laugh while pushing the wheelchair."
This meant he wasn't angry. The Prince's magnanimity made Yao Huang even bolder. Looking at his serious appearance, she suddenly let go of her hands.
On the uphill slope, the wheelchair lost its pushing force, and all four wheels immediately began to roll backward.
Zhao Sui suddenly gripped the armrests tightly. At the same time, Yao Huang grabbed the wheelchair again. Looking at the veins bulging on Prince Hui's hands, Yao Huang bent down and deliberately whispered in his ear, Was Your Highness's heart beating exceptionally fast just now? Did you find it thrilling?
Zhao Sui relaxed his grip while turning his head, meeting the princess consort's audacious eyes.
In that moment, Zhao Sui could only hear his own breathing. It was so rapid that he couldn't deny he had indeed panicked a moment ago.
Zhao Sui turned his head to the other side.
Yao Huang suddenly pushed the wheelchair and started running forward. The wooden wheels quickly rolled over the stone-paved ramp, and their running stirred up a cool breeze that soon blew away the cold sweat Prince Hui had just broken into from the scare. The more the wind blew, the more comfortable he felt. However, right above his head, the princess consort's breathing grew heavier, and her running pace gradually slowed down.
Zhao Sui finally looked up at her flushed face and advised, Stop running.
Yao Huang panted, I like running.
Running for a long time was tiring. To be precise, Yao Huang liked the wind when she ran. In the past, her older brother would often take her and Aji out to play wildly. Her brother liked this kind of wind, Aji liked this kind of wind, and Yao Huang guessed that His Highness probably liked it too.
But His Highness could no longer feel this wind on his own; he could only rely on Yao Huang to help him.
Running all the way into the pavilion at the top of the hill in one breath, Yao Huang parked the wheelchair right in front of a curved bench. Then, she sat on the bench, panting heavily.
Bead-sized drops of sweat rolled down her flushed cheeks. She wiped some away, while others trailed down her soft neck to her collarbones, disappearing into the collar of her jacket.
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes, took a handkerchief from his sleeve, and handed it to her.
Yao Huang wiped herself for quite a while before she finally stopped sweating.
She glanced at the other sloping path down the hill and teased the prince in front of her, If we run down like this, would Your Highness dare?
Zhao Sui looked at her and said, I would dare, but if you really dropped me, I might get very angry.
If he wasn't dropped, anything was fine. But if he was, Zhao Sui didn't know what kind of him she would see.
Yao Huang didn't answer immediately. She blinked and brought up a childhood memory. My father loved to scare me the most. He would stand behind me, grab me by the armpits, and spin me around in circles, swinging me up high. It was so much fun. As he spun, my father would say he was going to throw me. I knew he was just scaring me, but when he actually loosened his grip, I would still scream in fear. Afterward, I always felt it was super thrilling.
Zhao Sui had never played like that and couldn't imagine it.
But the princess consort had indeed let him experience a similar thrill.
Yao Huang pointed to the west and turned his wheelchair in that direction.
Zhao Sui saw the setting sun outside the high walls of the princely estate, drowning out rows upon rows of houses. This was a magnificent sight he could never see from the Bamboo Courtyard.
Seeing him so engrossed, Yao Huang also leaned on the curved bench. There were many places in the estate that she liked, and the pavilion on Cuiping Hill was one of them.
As they watched, curling smoke from cooking fires rose above more and more rooftops.
Shall we head back?
Mhm.
Pushing the wheelchair to the ramp, Yao Huang first gave Prince Hui a wicked smile.
Zhao Sui silently gripped the armrests of the wheelchair.
But Yao Huang just slowly and steadily pushed him down until they reached the flat path at the bottom of the hill.
Zhao Sui knew then that his princess consort wasn't truly that audacious.
As if guessing what he was thinking, Yao Huang explained, I wasn't afraid of Your Highness getting angry. I was afraid that if I really dropped and hurt Your Highness, my heart would ache.
Zhao Sui remained silent.
Ahead was the moon gate leading to the front courtyard. Yao Huang asked, Are we going straight there, or returning to the Bamboo Courtyard to change the wheelchair?
Change, Zhao Sui said.
The back of this wheelchair couldn't move, making it inconvenient for him to get into bed.
Arriving at the Bamboo Courtyard, Yao Huang watched Prince Hui transfer back to the large red sandalwood wheelchair. Struck by a sudden thought, she sat in the small wheelchair and said to Feiquan, You push me. I'll go together with His Highness.
After being busy pushing and running for so long, it was time for her to enjoy herself too.
