Yao Huang's elm wood wheelchair was not only shabbier than Prince Hui's red sandalwood wheelchair, but it was also surprisingly shorter. Sitting on it and looking at Prince Hui, the stark contrast actually made Yao Huang think of an ugly imitation of a beauty.
She patted the armrest and instructed Feiquan, "Let's walk a little faster."
Feiquan did not dare to move at all. Mustering all his courage, he looked at Prince Hui. What if the prince thought the princess consort was intentionally mocking him? In that case, not only could Feiquan not push her, but he would also have to quickly coax the princess consort down.
Zhao Sui: "...Let's go."
With his mood going through wild ups and downs, Feiquan pushed forcefully with both arms, and the elm wood wheelchair slid forward a large distance.
Feiquan: "..." What a light wheelchair!
The two wheelchairs, one small and one large, turned out of the bamboo forest one after the other.
Yao Huang could not see behind her, but Qingai could see Feiquan's relaxed pace and the sleeves and skirt hem of the princess consort exposed on the wheelchair. Even the sound of the small wheelchair's four wheels rolling on the stone slab path carried a kind of lightness, like a newly grown foal walking carefreely in front of an old horse dragging its steps under a heavy burden.
Qingai did not know what the prince was thinking, but he felt that if he, Qingai, were really an old horse, seeing such a cheerful little foal would make him feel comfortable too. It was just like how he had been pushing the prince's large red sandalwood wheelchair for over half a year, yet pushing it at this very moment felt like the easiest time ever, as if he had also been inspired with more motivation by the little foal in front.
Upon arriving at Ming'an Hall, Zhao Sui stayed directly in the front courtyard. Yao Huang first went to the back to wash her hands and face before coming over to accompany him for the meal.
The Yao family did not have the rule of remaining silent during meals and sleep, and Yao Huang was not used to not speaking when two people sat at the same table, which made it seem as if neither wanted to pay attention to the other.
"Does Your Highness really not find the wooden seat too hard?" Yao Huang asked while picking up some food for Prince Hui.
Zhao Sui understood: "Is that wheelchair uncomfortable for you to sit in?"
Yao Huang: "It's fine when I first sit on it, but it feels hard after sitting for a long time. If Your Highness is also uncomfortable, I will weave a cattail cushion for you, just to use within the manor."
Zhao Sui: "You know how to weave?"
Yao Huang: "Yes, I learned from my maternal grandmother. In past years, the cattail cushions our family used in summer were all made by ourselves. Buying one outside costs ten copper coins, which is not as good as weaving it ourselves. How about this, I will weave one first, and when it's done, Your Highness can try it?"
After a while, Zhao Sui said, "Alright, take it to the bamboo forest to weave. Let me see your technique."
Yao Huang: "Okay, I will go find you there once I have prepared the cattail grass."
After the meal, the two bathed separately. It was not until Yao Huang had changed into her nightgown, dried her hair, and leaned against the head of the bed to read a few pages of a proper storybook that Prince Hui finally arrived.
Yao Huang sat inside the canopy bed with the curtains drawn. Seeing Qingai park the wheelchair by the luohan bed and then leave, Yao Huang finally put down her storybook.
Zhao Sui was looking at the ivory mat and gold ingots on the luohan bed. Hearing footsteps, he casually glanced over, and his gaze was immediately glued to the princess consort's brand-new nightgown that he had never seen before. He looked her up and down, his eyes finally settling on the chest-high upper edge of the nightgown. It looked very similar to the waistband of an outerwear chest-high long skirt, but it was not tightly bound. The smooth and delicate gauze naturally clung to the princess consort's fair skin.
The entire nightgown was made of lightweight and breathable gauze, letting the scenery underneath show faintly like a curtain.
Seeing him staring straight at her, Yao Huang felt quite embarrassed. She had never worn such clothes in her maiden home—who told her family to be poor? Now that the embroidery room had delivered such a cool nightgown into her hands, it would be a reckless waste of good things for Yao Huang to leave it unused.
Since she would have to wear it sooner or later, Yao Huang naturally wanted to enjoy it early. The only thing she had not expected was that Prince Hui would be so undisguised.
Yao Huang stopped in her tracks, looked at him, and forcibly concealing her shyness, asked, "Why hasn't Your Highness changed into summer inner garments?"
Zhao Sui: "I did."
In winter, inner garments were made of cotton; in spring and autumn, silk; and in summer, damask.
Yao Huang let out an "ah," quickly walked to the wheelchair, pinched his collar edge and rubbed it, asking in confusion, "This piece of yours is damask, right? Didn't the embroidery room make gauze ones for you?"
Zhao Sui kept his gaze level and explained, "They made them in earlier years, but I'm not used to wearing them."
Gauze was too sheer, and he did not have the habit of exposing too much of his body in front of Qingai and Feiquan.
Perhaps his eye hint was too obvious, Yao Huang instantly understood Prince Hui's meaning. It turned out that even someone as noble as a prince minded the sheerness of this material and would rather give up comfort, yet she, a newly rich person and a young woman, actually dared to swagger out wearing it!
Yao Huang covered her chest and was about to run off to change into a set of damask inner garments.
However, her wrist was tightly grasped by Prince Hui, forcefully pulling her onto his spacious red sandalwood wheelchair.
Yao Huang embarrassedly buried herself into the hollow of his shoulder: "I thought you royal family members all dressed like this!"
Zhao Sui: "It's just me who doesn't wear it; there are definitely those who like to wear it."
Yao Huang: "I don't care about others. I am your princess consort. If you don't wear it, I won't wear it either. Don't look, I want to change back."
She still wanted to run, but Zhao Sui directly lifted her up, forcing Yao Huang to sit on him.
Yao Huang looked up in panic.
Zhao Sui pressed her back and leaned back into the wheelchair, frightening Yao Huang so much that she hurriedly supported herself with one hand on his shoulder and the other on the wheelchair armrest beside her, to avoid crashing into His Highness Prince Hui in front.
However, since she didn't press down, Prince Hui took the initiative to lean up instead.
Yao Huang looked down and finally understood Prince Hui's intention. She said in shy annoyance, "I still have something to tell you!"
"No rush."
The wheelchair carefully crafted by Master Deng could support His Highness Prince Hui's waist and back better than the luohan bed rails and welcoming pillows from last time combined. The broad and thick backrest also played a concealing role. Even if Chunyan, who was keeping the night watch tonight, came close to the crack of the inner room's door, she would not be able to see Prince Hui at all. At most, she would see the face of the princess consort kneeling towards the backrest, and occasionally a bit more of her shoulders.
Prince Hui's sudden rise in interest only made Yao Huang suffer. Trapped in the wheelchair, she had nowhere to hide. She could only stare fixedly at the door crack a few steps away directly facing her, covering her mouth tightly, while at the same time preparing to immediately shout away anyone she noticed approaching.
When Qingai left, he did not lock the wheelchair in place, knowing that the princess consort would soon push the prince to the bedside.
Such a heavy wheelchair that required Yao Huang to exert some effort to push, a large red sandalwood wheelchair that logically speaking the prince could not budge on his own no matter how strong his arms were, was now showing slight movements even though no one was pushing it.
The people in the wheelchair did not notice, but Chunyan, who had closed the main hall door and lifted the curtain to step into the side room, suddenly heard some sounds.
She looked at the door of the inner room in disbelief.
The distance was far enough, the door crack was narrow, and coupled with a thin silk curtain hanging outside the door, Chunyan could see nothing. But she knew that the prince and princess consort were right next to the door.
Chunyan quietly retreated.
Inside, Prince Hui sat up straight, hugged his princess consort tightly, brushed aside the hair she had tossed to her cheek that was wet with tears, and asked into the hollow of her ear, "Is it thrilling?"
Yao Huang: "..."
Yao Huang really wanted to throw a tantrum, keep a straight face and just go clean herself up, leaving her bad husband who intentionally bullied her alone in the wheelchair, making him unable to go anywhere, and see if he still dared to ask her if it was thrilling in the future.
But the moment her husband pulled his trousers back up, he immediately reverted to his usual self—the intimidating Prince Hui, who commanded reverence just by sitting in his wheelchair and casting a single emotionless glance.
Whether out of awe for his princely status or an inability to abandon her disabled husband, Yao Huang ultimately yielded to his silent gaze. Haphazardly wrapping herself in the nightdress that was now unwearable, she walked to the wardrobe, dug out a set of inner garments, and hid inside the canopy bed to put them on. She grabbed a comb to casually tidy her messy long hair, then came back out to push him to the bedside and called for Chunyan to prepare water.
Chunyan was both surprised and delighted. The Prince and Princess Consort had finished busying themselves so quickly tonight? It was good that they were done; she could go to sleep earlier too.
When the water was brought in, Yao Huang wrung out a cloth and handed it to Prince Hui. Just as she turned to leave, Prince Hui gave an unprecedented instruction: When you are done washing, wipe down the wheelchair as well.
Yao Huang's body stiffened.
Zhao Sui lowered his voice. Or we can call the maids waiting outside to come in...
Yao Huang finally could not hold back and turned around to glare at him.
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes to untie his inner robe. Only after hearing her angry, retreating footsteps did he look at the red sandalwood wheelchair by the bed.
When Yao Huang came out, His Highness Prince Hui had already changed into a fresh set of inner garments and was leaning against the headboard, casually flipping through her storybook as if nothing had happened.
Yao Huang placed the water bucket next to the wheelchair, snatched the storybook from Prince Hui's hands, and tossed it onto the dressing table. Without even checking his expression, she wet the cloth and looked at the wheelchair seat, which was wide enough to fit two people.
As she looked at it, Yao Huang chuckled. Handing the damp cloth to the prince on the bed, she said, This is your doing, and it is your mess. You wipe it.
His legs might not move, but his hands surely did. The wheelchair was right beside the bed. With Prince Hui's arm strength, supporting himself on the bed with one hand while wiping the seat with the other was entirely doable.
Zhao Sui: ...
Although Yao Huang looked fierce, she was actually watching him closely. The moment Prince Hui showed any sign of displeasure, she would immediately pull her hand back and obediently do the work.
One breath, two breaths. Just as Yao Huang was about to yield, Prince Hui took the cloth from her hand, shifted to the edge of the bed, and leaned over to wipe the wheelchair.
Yao Huang's heart pounded wildly. Looking at herself standing there like an overseer, and then at Prince Hui sitting with his eyes lowered in a rather submissive posture, she suddenly panicked. I, I was just joking. Your Highness, quickly put it down. I will do it.
She tried to grab the cloth back, but Zhao Sui dodged her. Glancing at the arhat bed, he continued wiping and asked, Why are all these piled up outside?
Since he insisted on working, Yao Huang had no choice but to wet another cloth and wipe the armrests he could not reach. Although there was nothing on them, her sweaty hands had gripped them earlier.
For no reason at all, why did Your Highness give me so many gold ingots? Yao Huang asked softly. I do like them, but I feel somewhat undeserving.
Zhao Sui: They are of no use to me.
Yao Huang: I have no use for them either. The monthly allowance of a Princess Consort is more than enough for my monthly expenses.
Zhao Sui: Then put them away, and use them when you need to.
Yao Huang: ...Alright then, I will keep them on my side for now. If Your Highness needs them, feel free to take them.
Prince Hui went silent. Yao Huang stole a glance at him and caught a fleeting smile on his lips.
Yao Huang hummed, And what about the ivory mat? Has Your Highness used one before?
Zhao Sui explained the rarity of the ivory mat to her: Since Imperial Father ascended the throne, he had only obtained three in total. One was given to the Empress Dowager as a sign of filial piety... Judging by what Imperial Father said during the day, he must have acquired two new ones. He rewarded you with one, and likely kept the other for himself.
Yao Huang was so shocked she forgot to work. Only five? Heavens, no wonder the Noble Consort and the Eldest Princess both glared at me!
Zhao Sui finished wiping, rinsed the cloth in the bucket, fished it out to wring it dry with one hand, and proceeded to wipe a second time.
There was other water in the room, so Yao Huang did a third wipe before considering the job done.
Sitting by the bed, Yao Huang offered modestly, Such a good item, Your Highness should take it to use. I think Imperial Father originally intended to reward it to you anyway.
Zhao Sui: The Bamboo Courtyard is cool enough. Laying this down would make it too easy to catch a cold.
Yao Huang lowered her head, barely concealing her smile.
