Two days later, news that the Emperor had ordered the Armory to forge a new wheelchair for the Prince of Hui spread among the imperial concubines in the palace and the households of various officials.
Consort Xian said to the Prince of Kang, who had come to pay his respects, "Previously, when the Prince of Hui shut himself away, it was not appropriate for you, as his elder brother, to disturb him. Now that he is becoming more cheerful day by day, if you have free time, you can visit the Prince of Hui's manor to play chess and discuss official duties with him. You don't need to go too often; once a month is enough to fulfill your brotherly duty. Any more would seem unnatural and deliberate."
The Prince of Kang replied, "It is easy for me to do so, but I am just afraid he might not want to see me."
His second younger brother had been a bookworm since childhood, only showing his face at the study hall, imperial banquets, or when summoned by their imperial father. Even though they were blood brothers, the Prince of Kang felt he was not familiar with his second brother at all. If he didn't take the initiative to strike up a conversation, his second brother would probably never say a single extra word to him in this lifetime.
If his second brother hated him, the Prince of Kang could just pretend he didn't have this brother. But his second brother harbored no resentment towards him; he was purely solitary and kept to himself. Thus, when their imperial father praised his second brother, the Prince of Kang couldn't even muster any jealousy. When his second brother's legs were crippled, the Prince of Kang felt even more pity for this younger brother. Helping push his second brother's wheelchair was not entirely just to show off in front of their imperial father.
Consort Xian said, "Bonds are built through interaction. As long as you are sincere, the Prince of Hui will naturally feel it."
The Prince of Kang understood.
Consort Xian looked at her son's long, square face, which showed more loyalty and honesty than resourcefulness, and silently sighed in her heart. With the Prince of Hui crippled, if only her son had half of her shrewdness, coupled with his status as the eldest son, would they still need to fight for the position of the Crown Prince?
Now, lacking the literary and martial talents, as well as the appearance and bearing of the third prince, her son could only play the emotional card steadily, hoping that the Emperor would leave that position to him out of consideration for his generous and benevolent treatment of his younger brothers.
Over at Consort Rou's place, the mother and son also mentioned the Prince of Hui.
The Prince of Qing said, "Second Brother used to be so quiet, but this year he has stolen the spotlight quite a few times."
First, their imperial father ordered all the palace gates to prepare wooden ramps just to facilitate his second brother's wheelchair access, and then he personally led the officials of the Armory to his second brother's manor to prepare for a new wheelchair.
Consort Rou smiled and said, "His accident happened on the battlefield. The Emperor feels both pain and guilt, so he can only try to make it up to him through these small matters. You absolutely cannot be jealous of him over this. Otherwise, even if you are in the right, just seeing him sitting in a wheelchair while you stand perfectly fine will cause the Emperor to blame you."
The Prince of Qing said, "Rest assured, Mother, your son is not that foolish."
Consort Rou asked, "The grand wedding is the day after tomorrow. How are the preparations coming along at the manor?"
The Prince of Qing revealed an incredibly genuine smile. "Everything is ready. All that's left is for Cousin to marry in."
Consort Rou said, "Look at your hopeless appearance. Since you like Yuanzhen so much, once she marries in, you must rein in your previous philandering ways. The late emperor was diligent in governance, and when your imperial father was young, he also devoted himself entirely to state affairs. A monarch's lust for beauty is a weakness. You finally managed to become the most outstanding among the princes, so you absolutely must not let your imperial father dislike you over a few women."
The Prince of Qing replied, "I know. Mother, please stop worrying about these things, or you'll turn your hair white."
On the twenty-third of August, the Prince of Qing's grand wedding took place.
The banquets at the Prince of Qing's manor started in the morning. Aside from the imperial family members that Yao Huang was already familiar with, the attendees also included Consort Rou's maiden family, the family of Minister Shen of the Ministry of Personnel.
After arriving, Yao Huang separated from the Prince of Hui and squeezed into the crowd of female guests. The female guests brought along unmarried young ladies and little boys who were just a few years old.
Yao Huang simply loved this kind of liveliness. The Prince of Hui was certainly handsome and quite capable at night, but during the day, he was far too quiet and definitely not suitable for helping her pass the time. These officials' wives were different. Yao Huang loved listening to whatever they chatted about. The best part was that basically none of them dared to offend her. If Yao Huang heard something interesting and asked a couple of follow-up questions, they had to cooperatively provide answers.
Breakfast was eaten quickly. Just as Yao Huang was chatting with someone, Aji came over, leaned in, and whispered, "The Prince has finished eating over there and is ready to leave."
The banquets at the Prince of Qing's manor today would last all day. The manor had guest rooms for male and female guests to rest, and the female guests could also go to the garden to enjoy the scenery and stroll around. However, there were also people like the Prince of Hui who would return to their own manors to rest after eating, only to come back before the lunch and dinner banquets.
Yao Huang also whispered back, "Tell Feiquan to let the Prince go back by himself. I've made an appointment with someone to admire the flowers together."
Aji saw the sparkle in the Princess Consort's eyes and retreated with a smile.
She passed the message to Feiquan, and Feiquan went to report it to the Prince.
Zhao Sui thought about the Princess Consort's temperament and figured there was no need to worry about her suffering any hidden losses if she stayed here.
The Prince of Kang, who was at the same table, saw that his second brother was leaving and helped push the wheelchair all the way up to the carriage of the Prince of Hui's manor.
Zhao Sui: "..."
The Eldest Princess and the Second Princess took Chen Ying to the household of Princess Fucheng's husband, the Marquis of Jining's manor, to send off Zheng Yuanzhen for her marriage. They stayed there for half the morning before coming to the Prince of Qing's manor.
By this time, Yao Huang had already become well-acquainted with the Prince of Kang's two secondary consorts. When Chen Ying arrived, she smiled and introduced the two sides. Although the three of them had met in the palace before, they had all adhered strictly to the rules and had no time for private interaction.
Secondary Consort Gu and Secondary Consort Ruan were both in their early twenties. They treated Chen Ying as amiably as a younger sister. Secondary Consort Gu was also very good at teasing, "While you are still Miss Chen, let us take advantage by calling you 'younger sister' a few more times. Once your good deed with the eldest prince is accomplished, the next time we meet, we will have to bring out the proper etiquette for treating a Princess Consort."
Chen Ying's cheeks flushed bright red from their teasing.
From a distance, the Second Princess let out a soft scoff. The Eldest Princess heard it, and a trace of sympathy quietly appeared in her eyes as she looked at Chen Ying.
After the draft selection, her mother had specifically tested her, asking if she knew why Consort Xian had chosen the daughter of a county magistrate from a remote area to be her eldest brother's second wife.
The Eldest Princess originally hadn't thought much about it, but when her mother asked, she pondered over it and subsequently understood.
The maiden families of her eldest brother's two secondary consorts either held high positions or had extensive networks. Although her eldest sister-in-law had passed away from illness, she had left behind a young heir. With the young heir present, her eldest sister-in-law's maiden family, the Duke of Zhenguo's manor, would continue to support her eldest brother. At this time, rather than picking the daughter of a high-ranking official and drawing their imperial father's suspicion of being "ambitious," Consort Xian figured it would be better to marry a new Princess Consort who was helpless and absolutely could not pose a threat to the young heir or the two secondary consorts, thus stabilizing their current power.
If her eldest brother remained a prince forever, Chen Ying could at least keep her position as the legitimate principal wife, the Princess Consort. But if her eldest brother truly ascended to that position one day, would the two secondary consorts really not fight for it?
Thinking of this, the Eldest Princess looked at her second sister-in-law, the Princess Consort of Hui, who, despite conversing happily with the two secondary consorts, was tactful and smooth in every sentence. She actually felt that her second sister-in-law was the one among her three sisters-in-law who could live the most relaxed and comfortable life.
When dusk fell, the Prince of Qing finally brought his Princess Consort back.
Yao Huang held Chen Ying's hand with her left hand and the Eldest Princess's hand with her right as they went to the front to watch the excitement. Her gaze swept over the male guests waiting in the front courtyard, but she didn't see her own Prince. Turning back to look toward the main hall to the north, she finally spotted the Prince of Hui sitting properly beside the main table. Their eyes met, and Yao Huang smiled at him before continuing to walk outside.
The Prince of Qing was dressed in a bright red ceremonial robe. He spoke in a way that asked for a beating, but he had a handsome face. When he led the bride out of the sedan chair, he smiled with a hint of foolishness, just like a groom from an ordinary commoner's family.
Seeing this, Yao Huang quietly asked the Eldest Princess, "When your second brother received me from the sedan chair, did he smile like this?"
The Eldest Princess: "...We were waiting in the backyard the whole time and didn't go to the front to watch the ceremony."
Yao Huang: "...Then are you happy that I brought you over to join the fun today?"
The Eldest Princess quickly glanced at the surrounding guests. She didn't say anything, but her face turned red.
The Second Princess stood behind the three of them, watching Yao Huang tightly hold Chen Ying's and the Eldest Princess's hands. She gritted her teeth in anger. Leaving her out made it seem as if she were incredibly unlikable!
Prince Qing and his bride had already performed the wedding bows in the palace, so the couple could head straight to the bridal chamber. Yao Huang and the others followed along, watching Prince Qing joyfully lift the bridal veil.
Prince Qing could hardly conceal his joy, while the bride, Zheng Yuanzhen, was shy and reserved.
Once Prince Qing left, Yao Huang, Chen Ying, the two princesses, and the Minister's wife and her daughter-in-law would accompany the bride for the banquet.
Yao Huang served Chen Ying food a few times, feeling sorry for her having to endure the long wait in the deep palace for her marriage. However, the betrothal gifts for the princes were too numerous and complex. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Works needed time to prepare, so holding a wedding every three or four months was already fast enough.
Seeing their intimacy, the Second Princess deliberately asked, "Tonight we are here to accompany Third Sister-in-law. Why is Second Sister-in-law only serving food to Sister Chen?"
Yao Huang smiled and said, "Although we are keeping her company, Third Sister-in-law is the genuine hostess here. Why would she need me to urge her to make herself at home? Don't you agree, Third Sister-in-law?"
Zheng Yuanzhen smiled.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was time for the newlyweds to consummate their marriage. Yao Huang took her leave along with the Eldest Princess and the others.
Waiting for a moment in the first courtyard of the prince's estate, Prince Kang came out pushing Prince Hui in his wheelchair. Besides taking care of his younger brother, he also had to escort his sister and fiancée back to the palace.
Yao Huang boarded the carriage with Prince Hui. As soon as the carriage doors closed and the curtains fell, Yao Huang sniffed the air and caught only a faint scent of alcohol. It seemed the male guests didn't dare force drinks on the wheelchair-bound Prince Hui.
Zhao Sui saw his princess consort's rosy face, a clear sign that she had thoroughly enjoyed the evening banquet.
"Sigh, I really envy Third Sister-in-law."
The princess consort suddenly sighed in a low voice, looking at him with a hint of grievance.
Zhao Sui: "...Why?"
Yao Huang: "When Prince Qing welcomed her through the door and lifted her veil, he smiled like a fool. It was obvious he was extremely satisfied with his bride. On the day Your Highness married me, you definitely didn't smile much, did you?"
Zhao Sui: "...I am not used to showing my emotions."
Yao Huang: "So you're saying you smiled in your heart?"
Prince Hui, who had no desire to lie, said, "Prince Qing and his princess consort have known each other since childhood. You and I only met once before we got married, and at that time, I didn't know your temperament."
Yao Huang: "And now? If Your Highness were to lift my veil again, how would you smile?"
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes.
Yao Huang took out her handkerchief, pressed one corner to the top of her head with one hand, and let the rest drape down to cover most of her face. "Come on, Your Highness, lift it one more time."
Zhao Sui looked at the corners of his princess consort's lips curling up, which the handkerchief failed to hide, and at her cheeks flushed with rouge. He paused, grasped her wrist, and pulled the still-veiled princess onto his lap.
Just when Yao Huang thought Prince Hui was finally going to lift the handkerchief, he leaned down and pressed his slightly cool lips against the side of her neck.
Yao Huang's hand loosened, and the handkerchief fluttered down beneath the wheelchair as the carriage bumped along.
Yao Huang was forced to tilt her head back. She grabbed the edge of his collar at the back of his neck with one hand and bit her lip tightly.
Prince Hui's estate was located to the west of the Imperial City, while Prince Qing's estate was right to the east. The carriage swayed and rattled for over three-quarters of an hour before turning into the alley where Prince Hui's estate was located.
Yao Huang was still leaning softly against Prince Hui's shoulder.
Zhao Sui held his princess consort with one hand and lifted the corner of the curtain with the other, saying in a low voice, "It's time to get off."
Yao Huang: "I have no strength and don't want to move. Just let them wheel me inside along with you."
Zhao Sui: "..."
He insisted on helping the princess consort stand up, ensuring that her dress was properly straightened out before pressing her down to sit in the side seat.
