On the twenty-seventh of September, around mid-morning, Emperor Yongchang's verbal edict arrived, summoning Prince Hui to the palace to visit the Ministry of Works.
Yao Huang pushed the wheelchair, escorting His Highness Prince Hui all the way out of the mansion's main gates.
This was the first time since Yao Huang had married into the prince's mansion that Prince Hui was entering the palace alone.
It was strange to say; Prince Hui was a prince who had grown up in the palace and was far more familiar with it than she was, yet Yao Huang still felt a bit worried about whether he would encounter any trouble navigating the paths there, or if he would be able to adapt to the curious and suspicious gazes of the officials at the Ministry of Works.
But Yao Huang could not show it. She only looked at Prince Hui with regret: I really wish I could go with Your Highness, so I could see something new too.
Zhao Sui avoided the princess consort's gaze, because even the inner palace was not allowed to interfere in politics, and he had even less reason to bring his wife to the equally strictly regulated offices of the Six Ministries.
Alright, hurry and get into the carriage. I will wait for Your Highness to come back so we can have lunch together.
Yao Huang smiled and patted Prince Hui on the shoulder, handing the wheelchair over to Qingai.
Watching Prince Hui get into the carriage and the carriage depart, Yao Huang continued to stand at the door for a while before going inside. By this time, the only thing left in her eyes was the relaxed joy of knowing she could do whatever she wanted while Prince Hui was not at home!
In the carriage that had already turned out of the long alley, Zhao Sui looked at the python robe and jade belt he was wearing, no longer having the time to dwell on the regret that his wife could not accompany him.
Whether in the current dynasty or the previous one, those with obvious physical disabilities were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations. If civil or military officials who already held degrees or official positions became disabled due to accidents or illness, the imperial court would grant them a pension, but their official careers would essentially be over. They could only resign and return home, unless the person possessed extraordinary talent, in which case the court would make an exception and continue to employ them.
Zhao Sui indeed had military merits, but he knew very well that if he were not a prince, and if he did not have such an open-minded imperial father, even if he were a son of a noble military family, it would be very difficult for him to ever have the opportunity to participate in political affairs again.
Being able to come to the Ministry of Works this time was entirely due to taking advantage of his status.
Without his princess consort, Zhao Sui would never have opened his mouth to ask his imperial father for an assignment. But since his wife had begged his imperial father for a chance for him to serve, Zhao Sui could not go against his heart and refuse.
He wanted to serve; he wanted to do everything in his power to do what he could for his imperial father, the court, and the common people. He wanted to make the countless days of the future more meaningful, and he also wanted to let his wife know that her husband was not just an idle man who only knew how to read and paint.
The carriage stopped in front of the Duanmen, directly south of the Imperial City.
Zhang Yue set up the wooden planks, and working in tandem with Qingai from front to back, they pushed Prince Hui's red sandalwood wheelchair down from the carriage.
During the day, the palace gates of the outer court were open, guarded by the imperial guards, to facilitate the entry and exit of officials.
As soon as Zhao Sui got off the carriage, he saw the Minister of Works, Yan Lun, wearing a purple robe, hurriedly coming forward to greet him. With a respectful expression, he bowed to him: This humble official, Yan Lun, pays his respects to Prince Hui.
Zhao Sui: Lord Yan, please dispense with the formalities.
Yan Lun smiled and said: The Emperor ordered this humble official to lead the way for Your Highness. Please, Your Highness.
Qingai pushed the wheelchair, and Feiquan followed on the side, as the group walked forward.
The threshold of Duanmen was very high. The two palace servants guarding inside had already laid down wooden planks in advance. Yan Lun watched Prince Hui's wheelchair pass over, and then lifted his foot to step across.
Inside Duanmen was a spacious avenue that led straight to Chengtianmen of the inner city. The area between these two gates and the two circles of palace walls was called the outer city of the Imperial City, where various government offices were distributed. On the left side of the avenue, from south to north, were the Court of Judicature and Revision, the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. On the right side, from south to north, were the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Imperial Clan Court which managed the imperial relatives. Further to the right of the Imperial Clan Court, from north to south, were the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, the Court of State Ceremonial, the Directorate of Astronomy, and the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
In other words, Prince Hui had two paths to choose from to get to the Ministry of Works: one was to go straight north along the avenue and then turn into the alleyway between the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue to reach the Ministry of Works; the other was to first turn east, and then cut through the small path between the two rows of government offices to go directly to the Ministry of Works.
Taking the main avenue was grand and made it easy to encounter many officials, while taking the small path was quiet but seemed somewhat shabby. Yan Lun could not figure out Prince Hui's temperament, so he asked Prince Hui to choose.
Zhao Sui: Let us go according to Your Excellency's habit.
Yan Lun then led Prince Hui down the small path, because the small path could avoid the main entrance of the Ministry of Revenue, and he certainly did not like bumping into that bunch from the Ministry of Revenue.
On the way, they encountered some low-ranking officials walking about. Recognizing the princely python robe on Prince Hui, these people stepped aside to the side of the road from afar and bowed in greeting.
There were too many officials, so Zhao Sui let them be and did not call out to dispense with formalities one by one.
When they arrived at the Ministry of Works, temporary wooden planks had also been laid over the threshold at the main gate here. Yan Lun looked at Prince Hui in the wheelchair, whose joy or anger was hard to discern. He did not mention that the Emperor had also assigned him a new task the night before last, ordering him to modify all the thresholds along the route of Prince Hui's entry and exit from the Ministry of Works, the various buildings within the Ministry of Works, the path from the Ministry of Works to the inner city audience hall, as well as the paths leading to Qianyuan Palace, the Central Palace, Yikun Palace, and the Imperial Garden—anywhere Prince Hui might pass through—into a form convenient for a wheelchair to pass. Only a few palace gates symbolizing the majesty of the imperial city, such as Duanmen and Donghuamen, were to remain unchanged, but fixed hard planks that did not need to be moved were to be laid before and after these thresholds.
When encountering stone steps, regardless of how many tiers, non-slip ramps convenient for a wheelchair to pass had to be built and paved on the left and right sides of the stone steps.
The Emperor also said that he was to finish the work before Prince Hui finished repairing his own office.
Yan Lun thought that if he told Prince Hui now, Prince Hui might be overwhelmed by the favor and might consider whether to go and persuade the Emperor against it. So it was better to keep it a secret for now. Once the thresholds were all modified, the next time Prince Hui came to the Ministry of Works to serve, he would see it directly with his own eyes, and Prince Hui would be better able to feel the Emperor's deep fatherly love for him.
Your Highness, shall I go and call the officials from various departments out to pay their respects to you? Yan Lun asked politely.
Zhao Sui: There is no need. The court's official business is more important. Your Excellency can just take me directly to see that empty room.
Yan Lun had indeed only said it casually. If Prince Hui was really going to be so unreasonably particular, he would instead have to worry that the days ahead at the Ministry of Works would become even worse.
Soon, Yan Lun brought Prince Hui to the empty room that had just been forced to leak rain the night before last.
The threshold was still there, covered with wooden planks. Zhao Sui did not have Qingai push him inside, but only observed from the outside.
This empty room was originally a storeroom. The space was spacious and the lighting was bright.
Afraid that Prince Hui could not see clearly, Yan Lun specially walked in and pointed out three places on the roof that were obviously leaking light for Prince Hui to see, and then pointed to a section of wooden flooring that he had ordered people to meticulously make look old and damaged.
Zhao Sui: ...
After Yan Lun finished demonstrating, Zhao Sui said: At the end of the month, I will send craftsmen over. We will strive to complete the work in one day, and it will not disturb the other officials of the Ministry of Works in their duties.
The corner of Yan Lun's eye twitched. Today was already the twenty-seventh; counting up to the end of the month, there were only four days in total. The craftsmen of Prince Hui's mansion might be quick enough to renovate this storeroom in a single day, but what about all his thresholds and steps?
Yan Lun said earnestly: Would the end of the month be too rushed? In this humble official's opinion, Your Highness could send craftsmen over once at the end of the month, and then send craftsmen over again on the tenth of October. Slow work yields fine results, don't you agree?
Zhao Sui gave him a look and agreed.
.
Knowing that his imperial father was very busy in the morning, Zhao Sui asked Yan Lun to convey his gratitude on his behalf when reporting back to his imperial father, and with that, he left the imperial palace.
Yao Huang was playing hide-and-seek with Jinbao. Hearing that the Prince had returned, she brought Jinbao along and hurried to the front courtyard. She was as excited as if she would also get to use the official office Prince Hui was about to receive. "Is the room big? Is the lighting good? Will it be expensive to renovate?"
While the Princess Consort spoke from above, down below, Jinbao circled Prince Hui's chair a few times and even leaned in to sniff the blue-ground python robe that the Prince rarely wore.
Zhao Sui said to his Princess Consort, "It is more spacious than the main hall. It can be partitioned into an inner and an outer room. The outer room will serve as the office, and the inner room as a lounge."
Since his imperial father had given him such a large room, Zhao Sui did not want to treat himself poorly. The lounge would be a bit smaller. By the south window, he would set up a narrow couch where Feiquan could give him a massage after lunch. On the north side, a screen would partition off a washroom, with two handrails installed along the wall, and a small door opened on the north wall to make it convenient for Feiquan to empty the chamber pot.
Of course, Zhao Sui did not mention the specific arrangements for the massages and the washroom to the Princess Consort.
He sketched out the rough layout on a piece of paper.
Yao Huang stared at the narrow couch by the window and harrumphed. "Making it so comfortable, you aren't planning to pick a pretty little palace maid to accompany you for your afternoon naps, are you, Your Highness?"
Zhao Sui: "...No. Furthermore, the odd-job servants used in the Six Ministries' offices are all eunuchs; there are no palace maids."
After saying this, he lowered his eyes and added, "I am also not the kind of man who lusts after beauty."
Yao Huang scrutinized Prince Hui's handsome face and deliberately teased, "If Your Highness doesn't count as lustful, then why do you often drag me to take afternoon naps with you?"
Zhao Sui: "..."
There was no one else outside. Looking at the plum blossoms embroidered on the Princess Consort's skirt and listening to her turning the tables on him, Zhao Sui suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.
Feeling guilty, Yao Huang buried her face into the crook of his shoulder.
Zhao Sui straightened the Princess Consort's shoulders and forcefully tipped her chin up.
Yao Huang closed her eyes in anticipation, her face turning bright red.
Zhao Sui looked at this charming face that repeatedly tempted him to forget all rules and etiquette, and questioned in a deep voice, "Tell me yourself, who was the one who first suggested taking afternoon naps together?"
Yao Huang: "I've had a bad memory since I was a child. I forgot long ago."
Zhao Sui: "Since you've forgotten, the afternoon naps are canceled from now on."
Yao Huang: "It doesn't matter if they are canceled or not. Once Your Highness goes to work, are you really going to run all the way back just to nap with me?"
Zhao Sui: "..."
At the mention of this, Yao Huang's eyelashes fluttered. Opening her eyes just a slit, she asked Prince Hui, "Since there are no more afternoon naps, why don't you change the rule of only doing it on days ending in five and ten? How about days ending in three, six, and nine?"
Nine times a month wasn't a small amount, and considering Prince Hui would probably be quite tired from working during the day, waiting only two or three nights in between shouldn't leave him starving too badly, right?
Zhao Sui: "If I really change it, wouldn't that confirm your claim that I'm lustful?"
Yao Huang: "..."
After a brief standoff, Yao Huang hugged the man, buried her face in his shoulder, and said in a super soft voice, "Your Highness isn't lustful, I am the one lusting after Your Highness's beauty. I'm the one who thinks days ending in five and ten aren't enough, okay?"
Zhao Sui closed his eyes.
After lunch, Zhao Sui prepared to take the office dimensions given to him by Yan Lun to the study to draw a detailed modification plan. The sooner he finished drawing it, the sooner he could give it to the estate's craftsmen to calculate the various materials needed and purchase them in time.
Yao Huang knew this was serious business, but she was also afraid that Prince Hui was still pretending to be prudish with her. Before Prince Hui could call Qingai to push his wheelchair, Yao Huang lowered her head, tugged at her cuff, and asked, "After you finish drawing the plans, will Your Highness still come to the backyard?"
Zhao Sui: "...It depends on the time. If it's too late, I won't go."
Yao Huang took this as a tactful rejection. She glared at him in humiliation and anger, then ran off like the wind.
Prince Hui looked at the empty doorway and decided to finish drawing earlier.
The outer office was very simple, with furnishings similar to a study: a desk, two bookcases, plus two guest chairs and a tea table reserved for summoned officials, along with small items like calligraphy, paintings, potted plants, and flower stands.
As for the inner lounge...
When he drew the narrow couch by the window, the couch unexpectedly became a real scene in his mind, only with an additional Princess Consort looking at him with resentful eyes.
A moment later, Zhao Sui put down his brush and called out for Qingai.
It was only after the Princess Consort tearfully chased him away that Prince Hui continued to delay for another half an hour before returning to draw his plans.
