Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zhao Sui was a man of few words, a prince who rarely spoke. After the accident that left him unable to walk, his temperament became even more aloof. Even when discussing his own marriage, his gaze towards Yao Huang was as calm and unreadable as still water, as if whatever answer Yao Huang gave would make no difference to him.

The hope in Yao Huang's heart, which had been on the verge of being extinguished, suddenly flared to life, flapping its wings in excitement, escaping the boiling pot.

It really happened!

She wouldn't have to remain in the palace to serve the aging emperor, nor would she have to become a concubine for the other two princes!

Shock mingled with ecstasy, Yao Huang was about to agree when a voice, both cool and alluring, came before hers: "Wait."

Yao Huang tilted her head to the other side.

The strikingly beautiful Noble Consort Du cast an indifferent glance her way and disapprovingly said to Zhao Sui, "The princess consort is the one who will share your life. There are still many candidates yet to be seen. How can you decide on a princess consort so hastily? If you truly favor this candidate, you can first give her a flower, and then select the true lady worthy of being your princess consort."

Zhao Sui was her foster son. Although Zhao Sui was no longer of use to her, in public, Noble Consort Du still displayed maternal concern for her son.

Emperor Yongchang nodded slightly. Yao Huang's earlier attempts to charm his son were indeed improper.

Empress Zhou, observing this, smiled and counseled Zhao Sui, "The noble consort is right. The selection has only just begun. Take your time and consider carefully; there's no need to hurry."

Given the elders' stance, Zhao Sui did not press the matter and instructed the eunuch at his side to present the silk flower to Yao Huang.

The princess consort position, almost within her grasp, was now uncertain once more. Yao Huang struggled to conceal her disappointment. As for Noble Consort Du's subtle critique that she was not a true lady, Yao Huang dismissed it without a second thought. The status gap was evident, and dwelling on it would only cause distress.

Clutching the delicate silk flower, Yao Huang and another chosen candidate exited through the west side door.

Including them, there were now seven candidates who could enter the second round of selection. With a nanny watching nearby, the seven maintained a proper standing posture, eyes downcast.

Not long after, two more candidates came in, one of whom was Chen Ying, her watery eyes half joyful and half worried.

Yao Huang smiled at her.

Out of fifty candidates, fourteen received flowers. Among them, three would become princess consorts, and four would become concubines for Prince Hui and Prince Qing.

Inside the pavilion, the indistinct discussions of the nobles could be heard. After about two quarters of an hour, Nanny Fang brought the fourteen candidates back in, arranged in two rows.

Yao Huang was placed in the second row, second from the right. Although she was relatively close to Prince Hui's wheelchair, her face was blocked by the candidate in front of her.

Recalling Nanny Fang's subtle look, Yao Huang knew that after Noble Consort Du's overt criticism, Nanny Fang did not dare to risk offending the noble consort by "promoting" her again.

With her eyes downcast, Yao Huang gently pinched the silk flower in her hand. The final selection was imminent, and she no longer had the time or energy to be anxious about the outcome.

With everyone in place, Emperor Yongchang looked at his son in the wheelchair. After seeing all fifty candidates, his son had only given out the initial flower, the meaning was clear.

Not wanting to let the noble consort trouble his son again, Emperor Yongchang said directly, "What, are you still inclined to choose Yao Huang as your princess consort?"

Zhao Sui: "Yes, the other candidates are also good, but I find Miss Yao the most congenial."

Noble Consort Du anxiously said, "Then you can..."

Emperor Yongchang: "I said, let the second prince choose for himself."

Noble Consort Du pursed her lips and, relying on her favor, muttered softly, "I'm only doing this for his own good."

Emperor Yongchang pretended not to hear and looked at Empress Zhou.

Empress Zhou smiled and called Yao Huang to stand alone to the side, then had Gentle Consort Shen choose a princess consort for Prince Qing.

Gentle Consort Shen exchanged a glance with Emperor Yongchang, her gaze filled with affection as she looked towards the middle of the first row, joyfully saying, "Among all the maidens in the capital, there is none I adore more than Yuanzhen. Thanks to the generosity of my two elder sisters, I shall decide on Yuanzhen for my son."

The maiden Zheng Yuanzhen, the beloved daughter of Grand Princess Fucheng, the sister of Emperor Yongchang, was also the most prestigious among the current group of maidens.

Zheng Yuanzhen, having grown up under the watchful eyes of the imperial consorts, did not blush when teased by Gentle Consort Shen and gracefully stood beside Yao Huang.

During their time in the palace, Zheng Yuanzhen resided in the main room to the north, always encircled by noble ladies during breaks. Yao Huang, aware of her lower status, always kept her distance, so the two were not familiar with each other.

Yao Huang caught Zheng Yuanzhen's eye, but Zheng Yuanzhen did not even glance her way.

Yao Huang understood that if she were to receive the marriage decree from Emperor Yongchang, she would also be getting a sister-in-law who might be hard to deal with.

After the two princes had chosen their principal consorts, it was Virtuous Consort Liu's turn to choose a new principal consort for Prince Kang.

Virtuous Consort Liu did not take long and chose Chen Ying.

Chen Ying stared blankly at Virtuous Consort Liu, clearly overwhelmed by this unexpected turn of events.

Virtuous Consort Liu smiled, "She might seem a bit slow, but she’s quite charming."

Noble Consort Du and Gentle Consort Shen looked puzzled. The original consort of Prince Kang was the daughter of a duke, and the position of the new consort was highly coveted by many noble ladies. Why did Virtuous Consort Liu pick the daughter of a minor county magistrate as her in-law?

Virtuous Consort Liu simply sat gracefully, admiring Chen Ying with her eyes.

Empress Zhou, deep in thought, continued to preside, "With the principal consorts chosen, it’s time to pick the secondary consorts."

She encouragingly looked at Zhao Sui.

Zhao Sui replied, "To my father and mother, given my physical limitations, one principal consort is enough. More might not be beneficial for my recovery."

Emperor Yongchang said, "Alright, marry the principal consort first. When you’re better, I’ll pick suitable secondary consorts for you."

Zhao Sui said, "Thank you, Father."

.

After the selection ended, Emperor Yongchang immediately issued several marriage decrees.

With everything settled, Yao Huang followed Nanny Fang back to the palace, feeling somewhat at ease. Chen Ying and the two maidens selected as secondary consorts for Prince Qing also returned. Only Zheng Yuanzhen, owing to her special status, went straight to her residence with the nobles.

The maidens who were not selected were quickly sent out of the palace, and the small courtyard fell silent.

Nanny Fang's attitude towards Yao Huang and the other three became respectful, explaining, "According to the rules, the chosen maidens from the capital will be sent home to await the grand ceremony, while those from outside will stay in the palace temporarily. So, Miss Yao and Miss Song, please wait here for a moment. Once the nobles pick the accompanying maids and arrange the carriages, someone will take you home."

Yao Huang couldn’t help smiling, and Miss Song, of noble birth, also sighed in relief.

Nanny Fang then gave instructions to Chen Ying and the other maiden who had to stay in the palace, and then let the four return to their rooms to pack. All the clothes and jewelry given to the maidens during their month in the palace, including the fancy outfits worn today, could be taken home. For those not chosen, these gifts were a mark of respect, and in the hands of the wise, they could serve as a useful asset.

Yao Huang and Chen Ying, hand in hand, went back to the southern room of the west wing.

The room was spacious and quiet. As soon as they stepped inside, Chen Ying couldn’t hold back her mixed feelings, tightly hugging Yao Huang, her face pressed against Yao Huang's shoulder.

For a girl far from home, this marriage decree could mean she’d never return to her homeland. Yao Huang could understand Chen Ying's tears and softly comforted her, "Cry now, while I’m still here, let it all out as if you can’t bear to leave me. Once you live in the palace alone, you must not grieve. You must seem happy and cheerful, eagerly looking forward to marrying Prince Kang."

Chen Ying sobbed, "I know, becoming Prince Kang’s principal consort is a blessing I’ve earned over many lifetimes. I'm just nervous. I've never met him, I don't know if he's easy to get along with, if he has a temper..."

After all, he is a prince, and Chen Ying feared she might unintentionally commit a grave mistake that could lead to execution or exile.

Yao Huang laughed, "What’s so special about a prince? He’s just a person, with two eyes and one mouth, like the rest of us. Like the emperor and empresses we just met, they also chat about everyday matters, just with a few more taboos in speech and behavior."

"With your gentle nature, after you marry, if you don't understand something, just ask more. You won't make any mistakes."

Yao Huang's embrace was soft, and her voice was gentle as she spoke. Chen Ying gradually stopped crying, released Yao Huang, and said with tears in her eyes, "Thankfully, I still have you..."

Before she could finish her sentence, recalling the image of His Highness Prince Hui sitting in a wheelchair, Chen Ying worried that Yao Huang might not be happy with this marriage and anxiously asked, "You, are you really willing?"

Yao Huang replied, "Not just willing—I’m absolutely thrilled. The Yao family’s ancestors must be smiling down from heaven for me to be chosen as the Princess Consort, allowing me to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor with the prince."

Everyone dreams of wealth, and small-time officials hope to climb the ladder, as money and power bring immense benefits.

The Yao family lived in a small inherited courtyard. Yao Huang's father earned only five taels of silver a month, supplemented by twenty acres of inherited fertile land, barely enough to keep four servants and two mules, and to buy one or two new outfits and accessories for Yao Huang and her mother during festivals—though they were nothing fancy, just basic items.

Once she becomes the Princess Consort, would the royal family ever let her go without in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities?

Moreover, while the Princess Consort holds no official power, she holds a noble position. In the past, her mother had to put on a smile and butter up Li Tingwang's mother to avoid Li Tingwang's father, a thousand-household commander, making things hard for her father, a hundred-household commander. Now that she is to become the Princess Consort of Prince Hui, backed by Prince Hui and the royal family, would the Li family dare to act high and mighty around her?

These are real perks.

During the selection process, Yao Huang had wanted to go home because she feared she wouldn’t secure a good future. Had she known earlier that she would become the Princess Consort of Prince Hui, she’d have woken up smiling every day.

Chen Ying could sense Yao Huang's genuine joy and naturally didn’t bring up Prince Hui's legs again, saying with relief, "That’s good. We’ll still get to see each other often in the future, and I’ll have a companion in the capital."

.

After packing their belongings, the two chatted for a while. Then, the maids gifted by the three consorts arrived.

Virtuous Consort Liu granted Chen Ying four maids, who would naturally serve as her senior maids once she married into Prince Kang's residence.

Noble Consort Du, being Prince Hui's foster mother, also gave Yao Huang four maids.

Gentle Consort Shen sent two maids each to the two concubines of Prince Qing. As for Princess Consort Zheng Yuanzhen, the princess’s household already had plenty of well-trained maids.

In addition to the maids, there were also gifts of gold, silver, jewelry, and silk.

Yao Huang quickly put the four maids to work, with two carrying a brocade box each and the other two carrying a bolt of silk each.

The carriages outside the palace were also ready. Yao Huang and Miss Song bid farewell to Chen Ying and the others who stayed behind, taking their gifts and following another nanny to the West Palace Gate they had entered through.

Following protocol, they stayed quiet the whole way. Once outside the palace gate, Miss Song congratulated Yao Huang once more and said her goodbyes before boarding her carriage.

It was nearly noon, and the sunlight was bright. Yao Huang looked at the eight guards standing in front of her carriage.

The eight sturdy men knelt on one knee, and the leader cupped his hands and said, "Your humble servant, Zhang Yue, has been sent by His Highness Prince Hui to protect you. From today until your wedding, you may call on me for anything you need, and I will do my utmost."

Yao Huang had been subtly informed by Nanny Fang that this special arrangement was because the Yao family, being of modest means, had no guards. This was to keep the future Princess Consort safe and to prevent any inappropriate interactions with men during her engagement period.

The guards could be provided by the palace, but Emperor Yongchang thought his son would feel more at ease if he arranged the guards himself, hence Zhang Yue and his seven men.

The royal family had many rules, and Yao Huang had grown accustomed to them over the past month. She politely said, "Rise. I’ll be relying on you all from now on."

Zhang Yue and the seven guards stood up straight, all respectfully lowering their eyes. Only after the future Princess Consort entered the carriage did the eight men stand tall and guard the carriage on all sides.

Inside the carriage, only Yao Huang was seated. The four maids walked outside, but the valuable gifts had been placed in the carriage beforehand.

The carriage moved steadily, and Yao Huang sat on the narrow couch on the north side, her body swaying slightly with the movement of the carriage.

She stared at the two brocade boxes placed on the small cabinet to the left. Peeking through the curtain at the guards and maids following the carriage, she noticed they were all focused on walking and not peeking into the carriage. Unable to contain her curiosity, Yao Huang leaned over and opened the first brocade box.

Inside, gleaming silver ingots were neatly arranged in two rows of ten on red silk padding.

Yao Huang's eyes sparkled. Just after the engagement, she had received a hundred taels of silver!

She opened the other brocade box, which contained a set of five gold jewelry pieces: a gold hairpin, a gold hair clasp, a gold hair ornament, gold earrings, and a gold necklace!

Golden light shimmered in Yao Huang's eyes as she picked up each piece to examine and admire, unable to bear putting them down.

On the other side of the carriage, there were two bolts of silk, one in bright red and the other in pale yellow, both in vibrant colors that young girls adore.

Yao Huang leaned back, exhaling contentedly. With these four gifts, her time in the Selection Pavilion was worth it.

.

The Yao family lived in Longevity Lane (Changshou Xiang) in the southeastern part of the capital. It was said that a centenarian had once lived here, and the neighbors had renamed the lane to soak up the old man’s good fortune.

On this pivotal day for their daughter, Yao Zhenhu had taken a day off from his duties to wait at home with his wife, Luo Jinhua, and their son, Yao Lin.

The Yao family lived in a small courtyard. After breakfast, the three of them lingered in the yard, sometimes sitting under the withering apricot tree chatting in hushed tones, and other times pacing around in circles.

The usually noisy neighbors were unusually quiet, all waiting anxiously for the outcome for the Yao family, wondering if their daughter would rise to great heights or return to being the daughter of a low-ranking sixth-grade official.

Finally, shortly after Yao Huang returned to the Selection Pavilion, Emperor Yongchang's imperial marriage decree arrived at the Yao household. Upon learning that their daughter had been named the Princess Consort to Prince Hui, Yao Zhenhu was about to lament that his precious daughter was to marry a prince with a disability when he felt a sharp pain in his muscular arm.

Turning his head, Yao Zhenhu saw his wife's eyes gleaming with excitement, her lips trembling as she stammered at the eunuch delivering the decree, "Princess Consort to Prince Hui? Did I hear that right?"

The eunuch smiled, "You heard correctly. Your daughter, with her exceptional beauty, was personally chosen by His Highness Prince Hui as his princess consort."

Luo Jinhua let out a shriek, startling the eunuch, and then hugged her husband tightly, bouncing with joy, "Our Yao Yao is going to be a princess consort, a princess consort!"

Yao Zhenhu hesitated, "But..."

Luo Jinhua pinched his right arm sharply, "Look at you, are you so happy you've gone dumb?"

Yao Zhenhu caught his wife's meaning and quickly pasted on a smile, "Yes, I'm so happy, so happy!"

The eunuch coughed, and Luo Jinhua, holding her husband with one hand and pulling her son with the other, knelt to receive the decree.

The eunuch glanced around the Yao family's tidy but modest courtyard, particularly noting the broom nearly worn to a stub under the eaves, and gave up any hope of a tip from the family. Even if the Yaos were clever enough to offer a few dozen coins or a tael of silver, it wouldn't be worth his while.

After a few words of congratulations, the eunuch left. Luo Jinhua suddenly remembered to fetch some silver but was too late.

After seeing the guest off and closing the gate, Luo Jinhua whispered regretfully, "I was so swept up in the excitement that I forgot to tip the eunuch. I hope he doesn't hold it against our Yao Yao and badmouth her in front of the nobles."

Yao Zhenhu was surprised, "Are you really happy?"

Luo Jinhua shot him a sharp look, "Being a princess consort is better than being a concubine or a side wife. What, you, a rough man, dare to look down on a prince?"

Yao Zhenhu retorted, "What's wrong with being rough? At least I can carry you on my back. The prince's legs are useless; what can he give Yao Yao?"

Luo Jinhua's eyes sparkled with dreams, "So much! Gold, silver, fine silks, and the respect of the noble ladies..."

Yao Lin, hearing this, was heartbroken, "Mother, I never thought you were like this. You always doted on my sister as if she were your eye, but now you value wealth and status more than her happiness! If it were up to me, I'd rather she marry a healthy farmer or a poor scholar than trade her marriage for riches!"

Yao Zhenhu nodded solemnly.

Luo Jinhua sighed, "I can't be bothered to argue with you two fools. Anyway, the Emperor has decreed it, and if you don't want to get our whole family executed, you better act happy. If anyone dares to complain or speak treasonously outside, I'll be the first to disown them and report them to the authorities!"

Yao Zhenhu and Yao Lin fell silent.

There was a knock at the door—neighbors had come to offer their congratulations. Luo Jinhua clenched her fists at her husband and son, then went to the door with a smile to greet the guests.

Yao Lin clutched his chest, feeling suffocated, "Father, how can Mother be like this?"

Yao Zhenhu, recalling his wife's deep love for their daughter, took a deep breath, "Your mother is not that kind of person. Let's pretend to be happy for now, and when your sister comes home, we'll talk. If she really doesn't want this, we'll restrain your mother and escape the capital with your sister!"