Emperor Yongchang's oral decree arrived at Prince Hui's manor just as Yao Huang and Prince Hui had finished their breakfast!
Of course, if Prince Hui hadn't waited to dine with the princess consort, given his habit of waking early, he would have finished eating about half an hour ago.
The one who came to deliver the decree was a young eunuch serving in the Qianyuan Hall, who was usually under the supervision of Eunuch Wang, Emperor Yongchang's head eunuch.
Waiting in the first courtyard along the central axis of Prince Hui's manor, in front of Guo Shu and Eunuch Cao, the young eunuch stood tall with his chest out and back straight, displaying the majesty of the Qianyuan Hall.
When the sound of a wheelchair rolling forward came from inside, the young eunuch bent his waist, preparing to bow to Prince Hui. However, when His Highness Prince Hui in the wheelchair finally revealed his face, the young eunuch froze for a moment before quickly lowering his gaze, hiding the astonishment deep in his eyes.
Since Prince Hui had mobility issues, Emperor Yongchang had long exempted him from the formality of kneeling. As the princess consort, Yao Huang would normally have to kneel to receive the decree. Fortunately, this time it was only an oral decree, and on their way out, the prince had already reminded her that she didn't need to kneel.
With Prince Hui seated and his wife standing, the young eunuch repeated Emperor Yongchang's exact words, then added, "There was a morning court assembly today, so the Emperor had a late breakfast. Lunch is set for five quarters past noon. The Emperor said that Your Highnesses need not rush; arriving at Qianyuan Hall at the beginning of the noon hour will be fine."
Zhao Sui nodded.
Eunuch Cao led the young eunuch to the reverse-facing rooms to drink tea. Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui back inside. Only when they were far enough from the front did Yao Huang ask, "I heard the morning court starts at the mao hour and lasts for about an hour. Is that true?"
Zhao Sui replied, "Most of the time, yes."
Yao Huang sighed with emotion, "Then Imperial Father works very hard. When it's not the busy farming season, even ordinary commoners can sleep until dawn before getting up."
Hearing this from behind, Qingai thought to himself that his own prince worked even harder. Ever since he began his early education, he woke up before dawn every day to study. The Emperor only held about nine court assemblies a month, leaving him with some twenty nights of good sleep.
Zhao Sui was heading to the Bamboo Courtyard for a massage and motioned for Qingai to push the wheelchair.
While he was still there, Yao Huang asked, "Does Your Highness think Imperial Father only invited us for lunch today, or did he invite the other princes as well?"
Zhao Sui said, "...It should just be you and me."
Yao Huang asked, "With so few people, do I not need to dress up too grandly?"
Yao Huang didn't like using rouge and powder, nor did she want to wear layers upon layers of clothing that would only get in the way when picking up food with chopsticks.
Zhao Sui replied, "That is fine."
Yao Huang then stepped aside, smiling as she watched Qingai push Prince Hui away.
Zhao Sui spent the entire morning in the Bamboo Courtyard. When it was almost time to leave, Qingai brought over the large red sandalwood wheelchair the prince used to take when entering the palace, which was also the one he started using last year when he finally became willing to get out of bed.
Zhao Sui took a glance at it and said, "Swap it for the red sandalwood chair I normally use."
Whether standing or sitting, he was still a prince. He didn't need a luxurious wheelchair with elaborate carvings to show off his status.
Whether it was the first oversized wheelchair with a footrest or the new red sandalwood one Master Deng had built—which lacked a footrest but still featured a fully carved backrest—they were both too bulky as chairs. The princess consort was treating this lunch as an ordinary family meal, and Imperial Father would be sitting in a regular horseshoe-back armchair when eating. Why should he look out of place?
Qingai immediately went to fetch it.
At Ming'an Hall, Yao Huang was already prepared. She wore a green blouse and a white skirt. In her hair, aside from gold and jade ornaments, she also pinned a delicate pink silk begonia flower. It added the bright and lovely charm of a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old newlywed to her otherwise elegant and understated look.
Seeing Prince Hui sitting in the lightweight red sandalwood wheelchair from afar, even though it wasn't as eye-catching as the large one, Yao Huang felt that His Highness Prince Hui looked even more noble at this moment. It was a living, breathing nobility, rather than one artificially propped up by others.
.
In the palace, Noble Consort Du, having dressed up meticulously, walked with a graceful gait to the Western Warm Pavilion behind the Qianyuan Hall. This was where Emperor Yongchang usually rested and had his meals.
Emperor Yongchang was currently preparing for this lunch.
As a fairly diligent emperor who had to worry about border conflicts or natural disasters every two or three years, Emperor Yongchang rarely thought of calling his children over to dine with him when he was younger. If he had free time, it was better to stay alone and clear his mind, or call for beautiful concubines to alleviate his boredom. The children were all afraid of him. Sitting around the dining table, he would have to be the one to initiate conversation and coax them to speak. What was the point of eating a meal like that?
At that time, Emperor Yongchang's care for his children was shown by occasionally calling them over to test their studies and martial arts, or taking them along to tour the gardens, hunt, and listen to operas.
It wasn't until he grew older, became accustomed to the mental and physical toll of being an emperor, lost interest in new beauties, and needed to consider candidates for the crown prince, that Emperor Yongchang finally devoted a portion of his attention to his six children. The two princesses were still young and didn't require much of his effort. As for his four sons, the eldest was just like that—he had no mind of his own and liked to run to Consort Xian whenever something happened. What prospects could he possibly have?
The fourth son was still young. The second and third sons in the middle were three years apart, so Emperor Yongchang naturally paid attention to the second son first.
Then Emperor Yongchang discovered that not only did his second son possess extraordinary talent in studying—able to absorb and master history books, military strategies, and imperial examination records—but his martial arts were also on par with the young talents meticulously cultivated by military families. This included the second son's calligraphy and paintings. The boy didn't fight or compete normally and was as silent as a mute, but when put to the test, he excelled in everything!
Just as Emperor Yongchang was worrying that although his second son was skilled in both pen and sword, his overly quiet and non-competitive nature might just make him an impractical scholar or martial arts fanatic who couldn't manage affairs, a war broke out in the south. His quiet, handsome second son, who looked like a porcelain doll meant only for a display cabinet, stepped forward and stated concisely that he wanted to lead the troops.
Not to mention him, the jaws of all the civil and military officials in the court dropped in shock.
With a mindset of giving it a try, Emperor Yongchang approved his second son's self-recommendation.
Subsequently, the second son won a great victory on his very first military campaign. The accompanying generals all returned and praised the Second Prince to him, saying that although the Second Prince spoke little, every word hit the crucial point. Moreover, the Second Prince possessed an imposing aura without being angry; despite his young age, he could command the room. Even the most impulsive and reckless military officers couldn't act arrogantly in front of the Second Prince.
Emperor Yongchang was both surprised and delighted. Only then did he realize that while he saw his second son as quiet and taciturn, in the eyes of the civil and military officials, the Second Prince was aloof, majestic, and a natural-born nobleman.
For such an excellent son, Emperor Yongchang conferred him the title of prince early on, sent him to the Ministry of War for experience, and allowed him to go to war again whenever he wished.
Recalling the scene back then when he personally sent his son off to the north to resist the iron cavalry of the Wu Kingdom, Emperor Yongchang felt regret for the umpteenth time. He should have stopped him back then!
Sighing, Emperor Yongchang's attention returned to today's family banquet.
Although he had appreciated his second son in previous years, he had never called him for a private meal. None of his sons had ever received such a grace. This led to Emperor Yongchang having no idea what topics to discuss when dining with a son who had already been made a prince, gotten married, and suffered crippled legs, in order to make the second son feel his imperial father's care.
Eunuch Wang suddenly spoke from outside the curtain, "Your Majesty, Her Ladyship the Noble Consort has arrived."
Emperor Yongchang subconsciously frowned, "What is she doing here?"
Eunuch Wang: "...It looks like she wants to accompany Your Majesty and His Highness for the meal."
Emperor Yongchang: "...Just say that I only wish to dine alone with Prince Hui and his wife, and do not need her company."
If Noble Consort Du were his second son's biological mother, or an adoptive mother like Empress Zhou who was gentle, amiable, and genuinely cared for him, Emperor Yongchang would definitely have called her over. However, Noble Consort Du purely used his second son as a tool, treating him merely as a "prince." When she did not have a son, she scrambled to claim him; but once she had her own biological son, she even wanted his second son to abandon his studies. Fortunately, Emperor Yongchang knew his second son loved to read, so he specifically selected new tutors for him and continued to send boxes upon boxes of books to his residence, ensuring his second son's talents were not delayed halfway.
If the Noble Consort really joined them for the meal, how would his second son have any mood to eat?
Standing outside, Noble Consort Du never expected that after coming all this way under the blazing midday sun, she would be sent away without even catching a glimpse of the Emperor. Feeling instantly wronged, she said to Eunuch Wang, "Please, Eunuch, go tell His Majesty again. Just say I haven't seen Prince Hui in a long time and miss him dearly..."
Eunuch Wang, who understood the Emperor's intentions perfectly, smiled bitterly. "Your Ladyship, please do not make things difficult for this old servant. How could I possibly change His Majesty's mind?"
Since Eunuch Wang would not help and she did not dare barge in herself, Noble Consort Du had no choice but to leave awkwardly.
Eunuch Wang continued waiting outside. When he finally caught sight of Prince Hui and his wife, he hurried inside to announce their arrival.
Emperor Yongchang took a deep breath and walked out wearing the loving fatherly smile he had specially practiced in front of the mirror.
Arriving at the door of the warm pavilion's main room, Emperor Yongchang looked outside. In the corridor to the right, he saw his second son actually sitting in a simple, small wheelchair, being pushed by his princess consort, who was dressed in a white skirt.
Accustomed to the large wheelchair his second son usually used, one that could almost block the entire corridor, Emperor Yongchang was momentarily unaccustomed to this sight. This was immediately followed by a wave of sorrow. Was his second son giving up on himself even more now, to the point of making do with such a perfunctory wheelchair to replace his legs?
The heartache made Emperor Yongchang look away for a moment. Once the sour feeling passed, he looked back at the wheelchair and truly saw his second son's face clearly, a handsome, jade-like face just as he remembered, completely devoid of the lifeless aura of someone nearing the grave!
Emperor Yongchang took a shocked step forward. Right at that moment, a familiar and natural "Imperial Father," even more affectionate than how his two princesses called him, reached his ears.
Emperor Yongchang raised his gaze in surprise.
Yao Huang smiled in greeting as she pushed the wheelchair around. "It has been so long since we last saw you. How is it that Imperial Father looks even more radiant than at the Dragon Boat Festival banquet? And to think we were worried you would be suffering from the heat in the capital while we were away escaping the summer."
Prince Hui in the wheelchair: "..."
Emperor Yongchang under the eaves: "..."
Restraining the urge to raise a hand and touch his face, and shaking off the strange feeling stirred up by such unfamiliar and exaggerated praise, Emperor Yongchang smiled as naturally as possible. "You do not need to worry about me. I used ice basins all summer and did not feel hot at all."
As he spoke, Emperor Yongchang's gaze fell in astonishment on his second son's lap, where there was actually a tray being held by his son's hands.
Seeing this, Yao Huang explained, "Imperial Father has seen all the good things in the world, so the Prince and I brought back some local specialties from our summer retreat. We also picked a bunch of grapes and two cucumbers from the manor's own vegetable garden for Imperial Father to eat and quench your thirst in your free time. Especially these cucumbers, they are sweet and crisp, and can absolutely be eaten like fruit."
Emperor Yongchang looked at his son with mixed feelings. Were there no servants left in the princely manor? Why did his daughter-in-law have to push the wheelchair herself, and his son carry the tray himself?
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes.
Originally, it was Qingai pushing and Feiquan carrying the tray. But upon entering Qianyuan Hall, the Princess Consort said they did not need to bring too many people when dining with Imperial Father, so she handed the tray to him.
