Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Yao Huang had her own plans. She told her parents and brother to continue living as they always had. They shouldn't have to live in their own home and be dictated by a few maids.

After dinner, as the sunset painted the sky with brilliant colors, Yao Huang took A Ji for a walk in the backyard to aid digestion.

A Ji, only fourteen years old, couldn't keep her thoughts to herself. Finally having the chance to be alone with her lady, she immediately asked the big question that was most on her mind: "Miss, when you get married, will you leave me at home or take me with you to the prince's mansion?"

The Yao family had only four servants, and she and her mother made up three of them. Her mother and sister did almost everything from washing clothes to cooking and cleaning the rooms. Since she was a child, she had been assigned by the lady to serve Yao Huang wholeheartedly.

If Yao Huang were to marry an ordinary person or even someone like Li Tingwang, the son of a thousand-household, A Ji was confident that she would be taken along. But now that Yao Huang was to become a princess consort and had better maids around her, A Ji felt that Yao Huang might leave her, a rustic girl, behind to avoid her clumsiness embarrassing Yao Huang in the prince's mansion.

Yao Huang smiled and asked, "What about you? Do you want to go to the prince's mansion?"

A Ji's eyes reddened: "I do, and I don't. I can't bear to part with you, but I'm afraid I haven't learned the palace rules and might make mistakes in the prince's mansion."

Yao Huang said, "There's still a month before the wedding. You can have Thrush and the others teach you."

The selection was for the three princes, and the Ministry of Rites had long been ordered to prepare for the three weddings. The auspicious days had been chosen: Prince Hui was set for late April, Prince Qing for August, and Prince Kang, who was marrying for the second time, would complete his wedding at the beginning of December.

A Ji happily asked, "So, I can go too?"

Yao Huang replied, "Of course, Thrush and the others are outsiders. Only you are truly loyal to me. I'm counting on you to keep an eye on them for me."

A Ji felt reassured: "Good, I promise not to let them steal a single needle or thread from you!"

Yao Huang wasn't in a hurry to explain the true meaning of "keeping an eye on" to A Ji, but emphasized, "No matter how well they learn the rules and etiquette, or what talents they have that you don't, as long as you do the tasks I assign you well, you will always be my head maid, and no one can surpass you. What you need to do next is to stand tall and act the part of the head maid in front of them. You can order them around, but they can't order you. Don't let them look down on you."

A Ji, thinking of Thrush's arrogance, even daring to manage when Yao Huang took a nap, angrily said, "Miss, don't worry. I was intimidated by their demeanor before, so I let them be. If there's another like Thrush, I'll slap her first!"

It was truly a joke. Yao Huang had never been bullied growing up, and there was no reason for her to become timid after being honored as a princess consort.

As the sunset faded and night fell, Yao Huang finally returned to the west wing.

Thrush and the other three came out to greet her.

Yao Huang said, "The kitchen is over there. There's water left in the pot. Each of you fetch water to wash up and rest early."

Lark, Chun Yan, and Qiu Chan dared not speak. Thrush, calm as if she had forgotten the punishment from the afternoon, respectfully said, "Let us serve you first, miss."

Yao Huang looked at A Ji.

A Ji, emboldened, scolded Thrush, "It's you again, why so talkative? Do as the lady tells you, don't be so verbose!"

Thrush's chest heaved, glaring at A Ji's somewhat worn cloth shoes for a while before gritting her teeth and saying, "I know my mistake, I won't dare again."

She was indeed a bit afraid of Yao Huang now, afraid that Yao Huang, coming from a humble background and not knowing the heights of heaven and the depths of the earth, would punish her arbitrarily in her own home.

Thrush decided to endure for now. Once Yao Huang married into the prince's mansion and went to the palace to pay respects to the noble consort and learned her lesson, she would use the noble consort's authority to control her.

Yao Huang seemed not to take her second offense to heart and smiled, "It's alright, you're just anxious to serve me well for fear of failing the noble consort's trust. But I'm not familiar with you all yet. Tomorrow morning, I'll talk to each of you separately and assign tasks according to your strengths."

After saying that, she went directly to the north room.

A Ji went to the kitchen to fetch water, not giving the four maids a single glance.

Thrush, noticing her completely different demeanor from the afternoon, whispered to Lark, "Clearly, someone has backed her up. Are we supposed to listen to a little maid like her from now on?"

She was a second-class maid from the Yikun Palace, and even noble ladies attending flower banquets in the palace wouldn't dare to look down on her!

The Imperial Concubine's intentions are crystal clear: to have her mold Yao Huang into an obedient Princess Hui who follows the Imperial Concubine's commands.

Lark is straightforward and diligent, the type who works hard but isn’t quick with words, and thus not favored by her master. So, she wasn’t given any secret instructions from the Imperial Concubine when leaving the palace this time.

Lark doesn’t dare to argue with the future princess, nor does she dare to offend Thrush. When Thrush whispers to her, she stammers for a while, unsure how to respond.

Thrush: "..."

A Ji comes back with a copper kettle, walking right past them without a look.

In the north room, Yao Huang loosens her hair herself, first standing at the washstand to rinse her mouth and wash her face, then sitting on the edge of the heated bed (kang) to wash her feet with another copper basin.

A Ji sits on a stool, cradling her lady’s soft, fair feet, massaging them while whispering, "When you’re not here, I can’t get a good night’s sleep. I went to my mother, but she snores in her sleep, and it gives me a headache."

No wonder my sister’s health improved so much after marrying Ah Gui—it turns out it was all because she escaped our mother’s snoring.

Yao Huang smiles, "I miss you too."

She moved out of her parents’ room to the west wing at the age of four, first sharing a room with Qiao Niang, and then switching to A Ji at seven. Every night, they’d chat endlessly before falling asleep.

After Yao Huang gets into bed, A Ji quickly tidies up herself. Once the lamp is blown out, she skillfully slips into the quilt next to Yao Huang, her almond eyes blinking as she looks at her lady, whispering, "In the more than a month you were gone, Mr. Li never came to visit the young master, which proves he only came so often to see you."

My sister had long said that Li Tingwang likes our lady, but neither the lady nor I believed it. I didn’t expect my sister to find evidence.

Yao Huang’s mind flashes to the image of Li Tingwang’s tall and straight figure, and a teasing face that still managed to grin after being hit by her.

If it were Yao Huang, being struck by someone she dislikes would make her furious and hateful. Li Tingwang’s reaction probably means he really likes her?

So what? Yao Huang has no interest in marrying someone who spends all day thinking of ways to annoy her.

"Forget what he thinks. I’m going to marry Prince Hui, and from now on, whether in public or private, he is not to be mentioned again. He’s just my brother’s good friend."

.

After a restful night, Yao Huang first accompanies her family for breakfast.

After the meal, Yao Zhenhu takes a mule to the East Camp, Yao Lin rides another mule to the martial arts school in the west of the city to study and practice martial arts, while Luo Jinhua takes Qiao Niang to the silk shop to buy some good fabric for her daughter to make clothes to wear as everyday attire after marrying into the palace. Additionally, she needs to buy two presentable pieces of jewelry for her daughter.

With their family’s condition, even if they dug up the burial items from the Yao family’s ancestral tomb, they couldn’t gather a dowry fit for a princess. The couple decided not to pretend to be wealthy beyond their means and just buy as much as they can for their daughter.

Thrush and the other three stand in the courtyard, awaiting Yao Huang’s orders.

But Yao Huang takes A Ji to the backyard. Shortly after, A Ji comes to the front yard, looks at the four women, and says to Chun Yan, "The lady calls you over for a talk. Come with me."

Chun Yan is flustered. Why is she the first to be called?

Nervously passing through the main hall, as she steps over the threshold of the back door, Chun Yan looks up and is stunned.

She sees the future princess wearing a fine cloth dress, sleeves rolled up, squatting in a vegetable patch. The tender green cabbage seedlings are only half a finger high. The future princess bares a soft, fair arm, her slender and beautiful hand reaching into the seedlings, skillfully pulling out weeds.

Such a scene, Chun Yan remembers, was something her grandmother, aunts, and sisters often did back home before she entered the palace.

But Yao Huang is a lady from an official’s family, a future princess. How could she do such dirty work?

A Ji looks back, "Come on, what are you standing there for?"

Chun Yan quickly suppresses her surprise and continues to follow A Ji forward.

A small stool is placed by the vegetable patch. Yao Huang sits on it, looking at the nervous and restrained Chun Yan, she smiles, "What, are you afraid of me?"

Chun Yan shakes her head repeatedly.

Yao Huang twirled the wild grass she had just plucked in her hand and said in a relaxed tone, "Don't be afraid, I'm actually quite approachable. As long as those around me perform their duties well and don't ruin my mood, that's fine. As for the whole business of hitting and scolding, A Ji has been with me for over a decade, and I've never once hit her."

A Ji: "That's right, Miss is the kindest, she's never even scolded me."

Chun Yan: "Yes, I will definitely fulfill my duties and never upset Miss."

Yao Huang: "You should all be aware of my family's situation. Now, tell me about yourself, starting from your hometown and when you entered the palace, up until you were bestowed upon me by Her Highness. Just focus on the important points."

Chun Yan gathered her thoughts and began to speak softly.

The palace periodically selects maids from the common folk, requiring them to be of good background and decent looks.

Chun Yan was born into a farming family and participated in the selection at the age of thirteen. After entering the palace, she spent half a year learning the rules before being assigned to the Clothing Bureau to learn needlework. This year, she was ready to complete her training, just in time for the concubines to bestow maids upon the future royal bride, and Chun Yan was chosen by Noble Consort Du.

Yao Huang: "Can you make clothes?"

Chun Yan: "Yes, I specialize in Su embroidery and Shu embroidery, mastering twenty-four needlework techniques, with over thirty more still being refined."

A Ji: "..."

Yao Huang smiled: "Good, I have two bolts of cloth here. Later, A Ji will give them to you to cut and make a summer dress for her. I want to see how skilled you really are."

Chun Yan felt relieved to finally have something to do.

The second one called over was Qiu Chan, who had learned accounting in the palace. Yao Huang gave her a few problems, and Qiu Chan answered them effortlessly, naturally taking on the task of managing accounts for Yao Huang.

Returning to the front courtyard, Qiu Chan felt just as relieved as Chun Yan.

Watching A Ji take Lark away, Thrush questioned Qiu Chan again, and seeing that Qiu Chan's answers were similar to Chun Yan's, she felt more confident.

Unexpectedly, Lark stayed in the backyard for almost two quarters of an hour, nearly the combined time of Chun Yan and Qiu Chan.

When A Ji brought Lark back, Thrush stared intently at Lark, making her feel uneasy even without any secrets, avoiding her gaze several times until Thrush disappeared through the back door, and Lark finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Thrush, Yao Huang also made a routine inquiry. Thrush answered simply, and Yao Huang didn't dig deeper: "Lark is skilled in makeup and dressing, what are you good at?"

Thrush, appearing humble but actually proud: "I have no talent in needlework or techniques, but I have a sharp memory and am well-versed in etiquette and rules. In Yikun Palace, I often assisted the aunts in handling palace affairs and disciplining the maids and eunuchs. Her Highness also liked to take me along when she went out, because I'm quite clever and can remember the maids and eunuchs from other palaces after just one meeting."

Yao Huang: "Her Highness is very kind to me, willing to give me such a clever and capable maid."

Thrush: "Prince Hui is Her Highness's eldest son. Now that His Highness is unwell, Her Highness hopes that after you marry into the royal family, you can quickly take charge of the palace's internal affairs. That's why she specifically chose me to serve you."

Yao Huang: "Her Highness is very considerate. Alright, you start by teaching A Ji the palace's etiquette and rules, so that by the time I marry into the royal family, A Ji will look like she came from the palace."

Thrush: "..."

Yao Huang: "If you teach her well, she won't make a fool of me. Otherwise, if my maid makes a fool of herself, it will also bring shame upon Her Highness."

Thrush: "...Yes."

.

After Yao Huang's arrangements, the four maids got busy. Chun Yan focused on making new clothes for Yao Huang, Qiu Chan assisted Luo Jinhua in recording the congratulatory gifts and favors from neighbors and relatives, Lark thought of ways to utilize the existing jewelry of Yao Huang and her mother to dress them up in a noble and dignified manner, while Thrush was busy teaching A Ji, though she couldn't lose her temper with A Ji, because A Ji would talk back, and if things escalated, Thrush wouldn't gain anything.

Yao Huang wanted to go out for some fresh air, having been confined to the palace for over a month, she was really feeling stifled.

But outside the gate were guards sent by Prince Hui's mansion. If the future princess consort tried to run out, it might give Prince Hui a bad impression.

Before figuring out Prince Hui's temperament and preferences, Yao Huang didn't dare to act rashly.

Fortunately, she wasn't idle during this month of waiting for the wedding.

First, the matron from the Shangyi Workshop brought seamstresses to take her measurements, and they quickly began making the wedding dress and several formal gowns for the princess consort.

Next, representatives from the Ministry of Rites came on behalf of the royal family to deliver the betrothal gifts. There were two ceremonies: the Na Cai and Na Zheng. The betrothal gifts included a pearl and jade crown, everyday attire, and luxurious garments for all seasons, all of which only the princess consort could wear. There were also boxes of gold, silver, jewelry, silk, satin, cosmetics, and practical yet festive items like pigs, sheep, rice, flour, wine, tea, fruits, and cakes...

Box after box, chest after chest, they filled every available space in the Yao family's residence. After the guests left, Yao Huang spent four or five days going through the betrothal list to check each item. If it weren't for the four new maids, including Thrush, keeping an eye on things, Yao Huang would have wanted to scatter the jewelry on her bed, waking up every day surrounded by a glittering array of treasures.

Living like this, even without leaving the house, was utterly comfortable!

Comfort made time fly, and with only three days left before the wedding, another envoy from the palace arrived. This time, it was something new: a fifty-year-old female physician, sent on the oral decree of Empress Zhou.

The Yao family respectfully welcomed the female physician into their home.

The physician, kind and gentle, exchanged pleasantries with Yao Zhenhu and his wife before taking Yao Huang alone to her room. Two palace maids who accompanied her stood guard outside the door, ensuring no one could eavesdrop, including the four maids gifted by Noble Consort Du.

Inside the room, the physician looked at Yao Huang with soft eyes: "With the grand ceremony approaching, I shall address you directly as the princess consort."

Yao Huang nodded.

The physician said, "Princess Consort, there's no need to be nervous. Her Majesty sent me here because of His Highness Prince Hui's leg condition. His Highness has limited mobility, and on the wedding night and in married life, you will need to fully cooperate to ensure a harmonious relationship and avoid unnecessary troubles."

Yao Huang sincerely expressed her gratitude: "Thank you for Her Majesty's kindness. Rest assured, I will study diligently."

The physician moved a chair to the edge of the kang, imitating someone with a leg disability, and had Yao Huang practice helping her onto the kang and lying down.

It was Yao Huang's first time doing this, so she was naturally clumsy. It took her seven or eight attempts to complete the task smoothly without causing the physician any discomfort.

The physician whispered, "His Highness is heavier than I am. When you are with him, Princess Consort, you must use more strength."

She could only help up to this point; the rest would require the princess consort to figure out on her own.

Yao Huang glanced at her arms and smiled, "It's fine. I'm strong; I won't let His Highness fall."

Her smile was genuine and innocent, not forced, and the physician felt even more optimistic about this princess consort. She continued to instruct Yao Huang on how to assist a groom with limited mobility in consummating the marriage, starting with helping him undress, focusing on removing his pants.

At the most critical step, even Yao Huang, with her thick skin, blushed deeply as she knelt face-to-face at the physician's waist.

The physician, however, remained calm, maintaining a professional demeanor: "If this succeeds, Princess Consort, as long as you take good care of His Highness, there will be nothing to worry about."

Yao Huang moved to the side, glanced at the physician's waist, and, suppressing her shyness, asked, "Are there any techniques I need to ensure it will definitely succeed?"

The physician sat up, leaning close to Yao Huang: "Since His Highness returned to the capital after his injury, he has been in a somber mood. The imperial physicians, when they come to examine him, only dare to ask about his legs and avoid prying further. However, among those with leg disabilities, some can still perform normally, some require their wives to assist with techniques, and in the most severe cases, they are completely unable to perform."

"What His Highness's condition is, the imperial physicians dare not ask, and His Highness would not mention it without reason."

Yao Huang fell silent.

The physician took something from her medical kit and taught Yao Huang techniques and oral skills to assist the groom.

Yao Huang: "..."

Once Yao Huang had learned to a decent level, the physician compassionately advised: "First, test His Highness's attitude. If he agrees, you may try these techniques. If they prove ineffective, or if His Highness shows no interest, Princess Consort, you must not force it, lest you anger him."

Yao Huang forced herself to remain composed and agreed.

The physician's task was now complete. As for how His Highness Prince Hui truly was, it would be up to the princess consort to discover. How the couple's life would unfold would also depend on the princess consort overcoming the challenges herself.