Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yao Huang's carriage turned into Longevity Alley, just as the neighbors were sitting down for lunch at home, and the alley was serene and empty.

The Yao family had forgotten to ask the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree when their daughter would return. When they received the decree, they were overwhelmed with emotions, and by the time they calmed down, the eunuch had probably already returned to the palace.

It was the gatekeeper, Ah Gui, who heard some commotion outside and peeked through the crack in the door, just in time to see two finely dressed palace maids helping Yao Huang out of the carriage!

Ah Gui was both surprised and delighted. He unlatched the door and shouted loudly inside, "Master, Mistress, the young lady is back!"

This shout spread quickly, and the Yao family in the main hall dropped their bowls. The neighbors on both sides also perked up their ears and rushed out in a hurry.

Amid the chaotic footsteps, Zhang Yue gave a glance to the seven guards, and the eight of them, armed with swords, stood guard around the future princess consort and her carriage. No one was allowed to approach the future princess consort without permission.

Among the four palace maids, Thrush and Lark were originally second-class maids in Noble Consort Du's palace. They were accustomed to the ways of the nobility and had already frowned at Ah Gui's loud voice.

Lark was just not yet accustomed, but Thrush, who had been entrusted with important tasks by Noble Consort Du, was full of sarcasm: Prince Hui, ignoring Noble Consort Du's advice, insisted on marrying the daughter of a minor official as his principal consort. He would surely regret it sooner or later!

As for Chun Yan and Qiu Chan, they were two maids randomly picked by Noble Consort Du from a new batch of palace maids. The maids around her, whether senior or junior, were all carefully trained and accustomed to her service, and it was impossible for her to give them all to Prince Hui.

After leaving the palace, Yao Huang no longer felt the urgency to rush home. She happily toyed with the ingots and jewelry on the way and returned home steadily.

Hearing Ah Gui's booming announcement, Yao Huang instinctively observed the four palace maids, thus catching all the changes in their expressions.

Finally, the door opened, and Yao Zhenhu, Luo Jinhua, and Yao Lin rushed out as if competing, followed by the equally excited cook, Wu-shi, and her two daughters, Qiao Niang and A Ji.

"Mother!"

Seeing her family after more than a month apart, Yao Huang's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She flung herself into her mother's arms, and tears streamed down her face.

Luo Jinhua glanced at the unfamiliar guards and palace maids and deliberately joked loudly, "The food in the palace must be good. Look at you, you've gained weight!"

Yao Huang: "..."

Thrush lowered her eyes to hide her disdain—what a vulgar woman!

Seeing Yao Zhenhu staring at the eight of them, Zhang Yue stepped forward to salute and introduced their identities. The Yao family's courtyard was small, so the eight guards would be split into day and night shifts, with two guards stationed at the front and back gates respectively.

Hearing this, Yao Zhenhu chuckled heartily, "The prince is thoughtful, but Longevity Alley hasn't had a thief for many years. It's a misuse of talent to have you guarding here. You should go back and attend to the prince's affairs."

Zhang Yue: "..."

Yao Huang was startled by her father's foolish words. She hastily wiped her tears and turned to say, "Father, the prince made these arrangements for my safety. I appreciate it, so please don't interfere."

Seeing her daughter's sweet smile, Yao Zhenhu immediately accepted the arrangement and kindly asked Zhang Yue, "Have you eaten yet? We just steamed some buns. Come in and have some?"

Zhang Yue: "Thank you, sir. We have already eaten. Please accompany the young lady inside to rest."

Afraid that her father might say something wrong, Yao Huang let Zhang Yue arrange the guard shifts and led her family into the courtyard.

The neighbors, intimidated by the eight guards, did not dare to follow the Yao family and returned to their homes.

In the Yao family's small courtyard, Yao Huang briefly introduced the origins of the four palace maids to her family. Looking at the southern room of the west wing, she told her maid A Ji, "Take them to clean up the southern room. They will stay there from now on. After cleaning, prepare some food."

A Ji nodded nervously, somewhat intimidated by the four palace maids dressed more luxuriously than the mistress.

Yao Huang then said to Thrush, "After the meal, you can rest first. There's no need to rush with the work."

Thrush responded indifferently.

A Ji took the four palace maids with her.

The Yao family headed to the main hall. After the kitchen added a pair of chopsticks and a bowl for Yao Huang and left, Luo Jinhua immediately closed the door. Tears in her eyes, she grabbed her daughter's hand and gave her a once-over: "It's been so long, did you suffer any grievances or bullying inside?"

Yao Huang smiled: "You're overthinking it. With the matrons watching, the atmosphere among the chosen girls was extremely harmonious. No one even uttered a harsh word."

Luo Jinhua: "Hmm, your complexion does look rosy, and you haven't lost weight."

Yao Huang: "Lose weight? No way! In such a small place, we weren't allowed to run or jump. Even if I had energy, there was nowhere to use it. Let's eat while we chat. This morning, all we got were steamed buns, and I'm already starving!"

Yao Zhenhu widened his eyes: "That's the imperial palace, the wealthiest place in the world, and they only gave you steamed buns?"

Yao Huang: "This morning, all we got were steamed buns. They're dry and tasteless, but they don't spoil easily."

Yao Huang, legs feeling weak, pushed her father aside and sat down at the redwood Eight Immortals table. She picked up a steaming white bun with her chopsticks. The familiar taste of her mom's cooking—thin skin, juicy filling, one bite and the stuffing was right there.

Yao Huang ate half of it in one go before giving her family, who were watching her from three sides, a glance.

Yao Lin: "Now you seem like my sister again. Just now outside, you seemed like a different person."

Luo Jinhua: "What would you know? Yao Yao is now the future princess consort. Every move she makes is watched by those guards and palace maids. She’s got to keep her cool."

Yao Huang: "Yes, in front of others, I still have to put on an act."

Yao Zhenhu was unhappy again: "With all these rules, and Prince Hui’s leg being disabled. Yao Yao, tell your father the truth, do you not want to be this princess consort?"

Yao Huang was shocked: "What are you saying? Of course I want to be the princess consort!"

Then, she talked about the benefits of marrying Prince Hui and the rewards she received today.

Luo Jinhua said with relief: "I knew it, Yao Yao is as smart as me."

Yao Zhenhu snorted and said to his daughter: "Don't just think about the good things. Fancy clothes and money don’t mean much. Life is long, and the person by your side is the most important. Look at me and your mother. When she's angry, I have to serve her tea, massage her shoulders and legs. When she's happy, I have to accompany her to shops and carry bags home. What about Prince Hui? He can't accompany you anywhere. Instead, you'll have to serve him tea and water, even help him with his bathroom needs. And we don't even know if he can have children!"

Yao Huang's bun was already at her mouth, but she suddenly found it hard to take a bite.

Luo Jinhua hit him with her chopsticks: "What are you talking about? A dog’s mouth doesn’t spit out pearls!"

Yao Lin also scolded his father: "Sis is still young, watch your mouth."

He spends every day with a group of rough men and has heard a lot of crude talk, but his sister is different.

Yao Zhenhu snatched his wife's chopsticks: "These are all hard truths. I’ve got to make Yao Yao think this through. Prince Hui was injured in battle. I respect him as a hero, but I can’t throw my daughter into the fire."

Yao Huang felt warm inside and no longer blamed her father for ruining her appetite with his nonsense. She smiled and said: "Dad, I understand all that. The problem is that at that time, I had no choice. Marrying Prince Hui was my best way out. I was the one who flirted with him first. He was willing to accept me, and I'm already very grateful to him. If I started disliking his leg now, wouldn’t that make me ungrateful? Does our Yao family have such people?"

Yao Zhenhu: "No, dad just..."

Yao Huang put down her chopsticks, looked at her mother and brother who were silently concerned for her, and said seriously: "I saw it with my own eyes. Prince Hui is extremely handsome, a prince with both looks and military achievements. If his legs were fine, would I have had the chance to take advantage of this? You’ve got to be grateful for what you’ve got. I have the benefits of being the princess consort, so I must bear the inconveniences brought by Prince Hui's leg disability. There’s give and take, it’s only fair."

"Dad, I am willing to marry him. The imperial decree of marriage has already been issued. If you really care about me, you should be just as excited as I am and get ready for the wedding. Moreover, Prince Hui will soon be your future son-in-law. If you continue to nitpick, speculate maliciously, or deliberately poke at his scars, you are intentionally embarrassing me. Whoever makes me unhappy, I will ignore them."

Her gaze was serious, first staring at her father, then at her brother.

Yao Lin was the first to surrender: "Okay, okay, I'll only say good things about him in the future. If anyone dares to make fun of the prince, I’ll take them down!"

Yao Huang: "Beating people is against the law. Just give them a good scare. Don’t let people think we’re throwing our weight around or that the prince can’t handle the truth."

Yao Lin nodded repeatedly.

Luo Jinhua sighed, "If the two of you combined had even half of Yao Yao's understanding of things, I wouldn't have grown white hair so early."

Yao Zhenhu retorted, "Not this again, it's just one white hair, you've been going on about it since New Year!"

Luo Jinhua replied, "One leads to more, I'm just getting old, worrying over the two of you!"

Yao Zhenhu fell silent.

Yao Huang was amused by the exchange, and when her father looked to her for help, she raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Did you take in everything I just said?"

Yao Zhenhu grumbled, "...I remember, Prince Hui is my son-in-law, he can criticize me, but I can't criticize him, right?"

Yao Huang said, "That depends on what he criticizes you for. If he's finding fault without reason, I'll definitely side with you."

Yao Zhenhu was satisfied, his own flesh and blood indeed!

.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Wu Shi and Qiao Niang cleared the dishes. Luo Jinhua had her husband and son keep watch over the front and back yards to prevent anyone from eavesdropping, while she and her daughter comfortably lay on the kang in the east room, basking in the sunlight and sharing private conversations. They talked about Yao Huang's experiences after entering the palace, involving the selection of palace ladies and consorts, which were not suitable for Yao Zhenhu and his son to hear.

Luo Jinhua was initially relaxed, but when she heard that Noble Consort Du looked down on her daughter, she sat up abruptly, frowning, "Oh no, the Noble Consort doesn't like you. Even ordinary mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships are prone to conflicts. She's a Noble Consort, won't she squash you like a bug in the future?"

Yao Huang had her own considerations, "When I was just a palace lady, she could indeed humiliate me like an ant. But once I become the Princess Consort, we'll be of comparable status, and she'll only have the elder's position. Even in the royal family, everything must be done with reason. If I don't provoke her and she dares to deliberately torment me, I'll ask the Empress to judge. If it escalates, she'll be the one to be embarrassed."

She was of humble origin, and no one expected too much from her character. It was normal for her to be a bit crude, but Noble Consort Du was different. She had been brought up as a noble lady since birth, and even a minor stain on her reputation would make her seethe for a long time.

Luo Jinhua nodded, "But we also need to see Prince Hui's attitude, whether he's close to the Noble Consort."

Yao Huang said, "Yes, I'll take my time observing after I marry him."

But she had a feeling that Prince Hui wasn't very close to Noble Consort Du, otherwise, he wouldn't have disregarded her suggestions during the selection.

The afternoon sun was too comfortable, and Yao Huang fell asleep next to her mother while chatting, waking up refreshed as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Luo Jinhua had A Ji fetch water for her daughter to freshen up.

When A Ji came in, she was accompanied by the palace maid Thrush.

Seeing Yao Huang's disheveled and drowsy face on the kang, Thrush frowned, "Miss, you've just left the palace, have you already forgotten all the etiquette and rules you were taught there?"

A Ji, who had just placed the copper basin on the washstand, was startled, and Luo Jinhua, who was holding a towel to wipe her daughter's face, raised an eyebrow.

Yao Huang smiled and asked Thrush calmly, "What did I do wrong?"

Thrush raised her chin and listed two points, "First, Miss is already seventeen, it's improper to sleep deeply in your parents' room. Second, in broad daylight, as a young lady from an official family, sleeping all afternoon is already a breach of etiquette, not to mention Miss's current status as a prospective Princess Consort."

Yao Huang nodded and said to A Ji, "Go and call Lark and the other two."

A Ji didn't dare to ask more, she just did as the young lady instructed.

Soon, Lark, Chun Yan, and Qiu Chan came in one after another. Yao Zhenhu and Yao Lin hid in the main room to eavesdrop, while Wu Shi and Qiao Niang stood under the eaves.

Yao Huang had Thrush repeat what she had just said.

Thrush remained stern and righteous.

Yao Lin gritted his teeth outside, and Yao Zhenhu stopped his son from rushing in, whispering, "Your mother hasn't called us, don't move."

Such a young girl, his wife could easily shut her up without the two of them needing to help.

Inside, Yao Huang ignored Thrush for the moment and asked Lark, "Before Noble Consort Du arranged for you to go to the Xiushu Pavilion, she must have given some instructions. Did she assign you to teach me etiquette as maids of the Yikun Palace, or did she take pity on me for having no one around and specially gifted you to me as maids, to serve me wholeheartedly from now on?"

The newcomers, Chun Yan and Qiu Chan, instinctively looked at Lark.

Lark felt inexplicably flustered and respectfully said, "Miss, Her Highness specially assigned the four of us to serve you. Before we left, she repeatedly told us to be loyal and serve you wholeheartedly."

In truth, Her Highness the Consort hadn’t said that much, but she had to embellish to uphold the Consort’s reputation.

Yao Huang then turned to Thrush, "Is Lark telling the truth?"

Thrush had no choice but to admit it.

Yao Huang, "Since I’m the master and you’re the servants, tell me, is there a rule that lets a servant lecture the master?"

Thrush protested, "I only mean well for you..."

Yao Huang, "I am the Princess Consort Hui, appointed by the Emperor. Am I so foolish that I can’t tell right from wrong, that I need a maid to teach me?"

Thrush, "..."

Yao Huang, "Since it’s your first offense, I’ll just punish you with three slaps. I hope you remember this mistake and in the future follow the rules and watch your words and actions, so you don’t drag Her Highness into gossip about her inability to discipline her maids."

Thrush, "..."

Yao Huang, "What, didn’t the matrons teach you how to slap yourself as a maid?"

Thrush knew she couldn’t escape this punishment. Glancing from the corner of her eye at Luo Jinhua and A Ji on her left and the three girls on her right, she gritted her teeth, endured the humiliation, and slapped herself three times, not too hard or too soft.

The slaps weren’t hard, but they were enough to humiliate her.

Maybe Lark and the others weren’t laughing at her, but the more arrogant you are, the harder it is to bear such humiliation.

Yao Huang, "A Ji, stay. The rest of you can go. Remember, unless there’s something to report, don’t come unless I call you."

Thrush left first, and Lark and the others quickly followed.

A Ji breathed a sigh of relief, and Luo Jinhua looked at her daughter with approval. That’s how it should be; she’s about to become the Princess Consort—how could she let a little maid boss her around?