Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Zhao Sui was over eight feet tall. Though he had slimmed down after the accident, he still looked more robust than some delicate scholars while sitting in his wheelchair.

The leg on Yao Huang's side was out of his control, causing his upper body to lean towards her. He had to press his left elbow against Yao Huang's neck to maintain his balance and free his right hand for other tasks.

Zhao Sui, a long-time martial artist, had broad shoulders that pressed tightly against Yao Huang. His right shoulder towered slightly above hers, allowing him to easily see her profile as he half-leaned over her, noticing her eyes tightly shut due to nervousness or shyness.

His gaze drifted down to her delicate, rounded shoulders and the arm folded across her chest.

In that quick glance, except for a small red silk garment, her skin was as smooth and fair as fresh snow.

Her face was strikingly beautiful, even among a group of chosen maidens.

Zhao Sui's gaze darkened, and the desire sparked by their contact faded.

If not for his injured legs, he could have rightfully claimed such beauty. But now, wasn't it like tarnishing a peony with mud?

Zhao Sui didn't want to continue.

But it was up to her to say it; he couldn't be a husband who coldly neglected his new wife without reason.

He reached to touch her face.

Yao Huang instinctively recoiled. Despite the female doctor's thorough instructions, it was all theoretical. Now, held by a strange man and possibly scrutinized head to toe, Yao Huang felt like she was in a sea of fire, her breath hot.

Her flushed face moved slightly away from his palm, but her back pressed closer to his chest. Through Zhao Sui's red silk undergarment, she could feel his strong heartbeat.

Now, she was torn between advancing and retreating.

Zhao Sui spoke, his tone softer than before: "If you're not ready yet, we can postpone the consummation. I'm in no hurry."

He wanted her to follow her heart, not to compromise out of fear of his royal status.

Yao Huang, stiff with tension, quickly thought.

What did "I'm in no hurry" mean? Was it literal, or a cover for his inability?

If the latter, his quick removal of his pants was a cover, and she had to play along, not revealing his weakness.

But as he leaned over her, she briefly felt something like the teaching tool the female doctor had shown her...

In that case, his question was a test, to see if she despised him.

Yao Huang softly replied, "Marrying you is my greatest fortune. I've been ready for a long time. The timing is entirely up to you."

If you can, go ahead; if not, I'll play along!

Though tactful, Yao Huang was genuinely willing, her soft voice steady, a shy invitation on their intimate wedding night.

Zhao Sui paused, then touched her face again. This time, Yao Huang did not shrink away.

The embers reignited. Zhao Sui lowered his head, his thin lips moving along her shoulder.

Yao Huang trembled lightly.

Zhao Sui's breathing grew heavier. He shifted his left elbow back and used his right hand to turn her around, fully exposing her upper body to him.

Only when Prince Hui buried his head did Yao Huang finally open her eyes.

Is this what being married is like?

After holding back for a while, she tried to hold Prince Hui's head, one palm pressed against his ear, the other delving into his black hair, while Prince Hui, unaware, busied himself, eventually pulling out the intimate garment she had deliberately left for him.

Yao Huang was mortified, and Prince Hui had already begun a new exploration with one hand.

Yao Huang panicked, wanting to push him away but not daring to, and just as she was about to cry, Prince Hui suddenly turned her into a side-lying position.

Yao Huang knew that Prince Hui was about to get down to business.

The doctor had repeatedly warned her that at this moment, she must not be shy and must fully cooperate, otherwise, the prince might become anxious and frustrated from repeated failures.

The start is always the hardest, and when both were drenched in sweat, it was over.

Because it was difficult, Prince Hui didn't pause, one wave not yet finished, another began.

Yao Huang had learned kung fu with her brother since childhood, not afraid of fatigue or hardship, only afraid of pain. The first time, Yao Huang continued to cry softly, unable to stop, and didn't care whether Prince Hui would be angry. Besides, he was being so rough with her, wasn't she allowed to cry?

This time was different, Prince Hui wasn't as rushed, and her whimpers changed in tone.

Yao Huang was deeply embarrassed, but Prince Hui behind her appeared to relish it. When she tried to cover her mouth, he seized her wrist.

Prince Hui was also very forceful, even when her pleas faltered in tone, he wouldn't stop.

Finally, Yao Huang could think of nothing else, half lying on the pillow, only left with the repeated cries of "Prince" he elicited from her.

When the bed curtains no longer swayed, Prince Hui was firmly pressed against her shoulder, his heavy breath brushed past her ear, mingling with hers.

Yao Huang realized that this man was also exhausted. She was heavier than the average girl, and Prince Hui could push her straight inside, lasting for so long, it was evident how much effort he used.

Just as Yao Huang felt she was about to be crushed by Prince Hui, the man's breathing returned to normal, and he moved back, causing Yao Huang to tremble again.

Zhao Sui paused slightly, seeing her bury her entire face in the pillow in embarrassment, then lifted his leg back, using his arms to lie flat, and untied his robe to cover his waist.

Both were very hot, and the quilt had long been thrown to a corner far from him.

Yao Huang was still in a state of complete relaxation and softness, but since the prince had lain down, was he looking at her?

Her appearance at this moment...

Yao Huang quickly grabbed the intimate garment thrown aside and stuffed it underneath, then hooked a corner of the wedding quilt with her foot and pulled it over to cover her body.

After she was done, Yao Huang slowly turned her head and saw Prince Hui with his eyes closed, which made her much more relaxed.

Her gaze swept over Prince Hui's broad shoulders and chest, and his straight long legs, and Yao Huang belatedly asked, "Prince, are you cold? Shall I cover you with the quilt?"

Zhao Sui had already regained his composure and said with closed eyes, "I need to cleanse myself. Have the maids bring in two buckets of hot water, one for each of us."

Yao Huang: "Yes, Prince, please wait, I'll get dressed first."

After tying her robe and putting on her sleeping pants, Yao Huang awkwardly climbed down from the bed, tidied the low-hanging curtains, walked to the side of the canopy bed, and called out, "A Ji?"

In the adjacent east chamber, not knowing if they would need to assist the prince later, A Ji and Thrush, along with four others, had stayed there initially.

As the guests from the front courtyard gradually left, the entire Prince Hui's residence quieted down. In the silence, the inner chamber suddenly emitted the low cries of the princess.

A Ji instinctively stepped forward.

Thrush grabbed her wrist and scolded in a low voice, "Do you dare to ruin the prince's good time?"

A Ji had been reminded by her mistress about what might happen tonight, so she didn’t rush in again unless she could determine that the princess was in extreme distress.

Fortunately, the princess only cried for a short while. When the princess's voice came again, the tone was enough to make one’s skin tingle.

A Ji reached out to usher Thrush and the others out: "I’ll stay here and keep an eye out, you all go wait in the courtyard."

She was closest to the princess, and the princess wouldn’t mind her listening in, but whether Thrush and the others could listen would need to be asked of the princess.

Thrush glared at her but didn’t insist on staying.

A Ji kept watch for as long as half an hour, and the princess’s voice was growing hoarse!

"I’m here!"

Yao Huang noticed A Ji’s urgency, but didn’t know what the girl was in a hurry about, forgetting to keep her voice down. Would it disturb the prince at this late hour?

Looking back, she saw the figure behind the curtain remained still, so Yao Huang instructed: "Tell the water room to bring two buckets of hot water."

Footsteps were heard outside, and Yao Huang, having nothing else to do for the moment, tried to retrieve her small garment, making sure there were no more leaks, she immediately threw it into the clothes basket.

Her legs still weak, Yao Huang sat down at the small dressing table by the floor, looking into the mirror at her disheveled hair and flushed cheeks.

Yao Huang tried to make the same expressions of crying and pleading she had earlier, which looked somewhat strange, but fortunately not ugly, otherwise being watched by Prince Hui the whole time would surely have led to disdain.

Lost in thought, the maids from the water room brought the water, which was then taken over by A Ji and Thrush, each taking a bucket to the inner chamber.

With Prince Hui present, Thrush followed protocol and kept her eyes down, while A Ji, concerned for the princess, peeked inside as soon as she entered.

Yao Huang gave her a look to remind her to follow protocol, watching as the two placed the water buckets by the washstand, Yao Huang said: "A Ji will stand guard tonight, everyone else go back to sleep."

Thrush left first.

Prince Hui had made it clear he valued silence, so Yao Huang told A Ji to leave as well.

As the door to the inner chamber closed again, Prince Hui inside spoke: "Soak a towel, wring it out, and hand it to me."

Yao Huang complied, bringing the towel to the curtain, from which a hand reached out: "I’ll handle it, you go and clean up."

Yao Huang reacted quickly, handed over the towel and said: "Yes, I’ll go to the private washroom, call me if you need anything, my prince."

"Mm."

Yao Huang then carried a bucket of water to the private washroom.

The prince was indeed noble, even the washroom was more spacious and clean than Yao Huang’s room at her parents’ home, and it was also lit with a faint, elegant incense.

Yao Huang gently closed the door, removed her clothes, and wiped herself down thoroughly with the wet towel. Feeling chilly after drying off, she hurriedly dressed again.

Returning to the inner chamber, the curtains were still drawn, but the red silk trousers that had been on the wheelchair earlier had disappeared.

Yao Huang didn’t know how Prince Hui had taken off and put on his trousers, and obviously, Prince Hui didn’t want her to see.

She told A Ji to take away the two buckets of hot water, and tonight they could finally rest.

The wedding quilt was large, and both the prince and princess had plenty of room on either side.

Yao Huang lay down and didn’t dare to move, silently listening to Prince Hui’s breathing, her mind constantly replaying the scenes from their consummation.

Compared to the intensity of that time, the silence behind the curtain now made her heart race with anxiety.

Now that they are married, it’s natural to try to grow closer. Since the prince has limited mobility, she should take the initiative.

With her mind made up, Yao Huang turned toward Prince Hui as naturally as she could, inching closer until she was right beside him. She gently wrapped her left arm around him, resting her face against his shoulder. "Prince Hui, are you sleepy?"

Zhao Sui: "What is it?"

Yao Huang: "No, it’s just that I’m new here and a little excited. If you’re not sleepy, could we talk for a bit?"

Zhao Sui: "What do you want to talk about?"

Yao Huang thought for a moment, then looked at his profile and asked, "Prince Hui is so handsome, which is why I wanted to marry you. But how did you decide to choose me as your princess? My father is a rough military man, and I’m not as good with etiquette as the other candidates. You probably didn’t know that, right?"

She decided to reveal her shortcomings first, so Prince Hui wouldn’t have overly high expectations of her manners.

Zhao Sui: "I’ve said it before—among all the candidates for marriage, you were the one who caught my eye the most."

Yao Huang smiled. "So, we both liked each other. That’s wonderful."

Zhao Sui’s attention was entirely on his left arm, where the sensation was surprisingly soft.

Yao Huang: "By the way, the Emperor gave our family a thousand taels of silver. The two banknotes you sent weren’t used, so I brought them back. I’ll return them to you tomorrow morning."

Zhao Sui: "No need. Keep them for yourself. I seldom leave the palace, so if you get bored, you can go out and explore the shops in the capital. If you run out of money, just go to the treasury and take more. You don’t need to ask for my permission."

He wouldn’t force himself to accompany her, nor would he confine her to the palace. Letting her live in luxury was his way of making up for it.

Yao Huang sat up in surprise. "A thousand taels of silver—all for me? How long would it take to spend all that?"

Zhao Sui: "A single high-quality gemstone could cost several hundred taels. If you find something you like, a thousand taels might only buy you two pieces of gemstone jewelry."

Yao Huang: "...I wouldn’t want to spend that much. The hairpins and jewelry from the betrothal gifts are enough for me."

Zhao Sui: "Only a few sets. If you wear them at this year’s banquets, you’ll be mocked if you wear them again next year. And if I recall correctly, there were no gemstone pieces in the betrothal gifts."

Yao Huang whispered, "My pearl and emerald headdress and phoenix crown are both adorned with various gemstones—about forty or fifty in total."

Zhao Sui: "...Those two crowns are for future grand ceremonies. They must not be damaged."

Yao Huang was deflated. She thought the pearl and emerald headdress and phoenix crown would be stored as keepsakes, like her wedding dress. That way, she could remove the gemstones and have them made into forty or fifty pieces of jewelry.

Zhao Sui: "Excluding other income from the palace’s estates and shops, a prince receives an annual stipend of five thousand taels, and a princess receives five hundred. That’s plenty for you to buy at least two pieces of gemstone jewelry each year. There’s no need to worry about it."

Hearing that, besides the generous betrothal gifts, she would also receive five hundred taels of silver every year, Yao Huang’s eyes sparkled brighter than pearls, and she couldn’t suppress her smile.

Zhao Sui suddenly understood—this girl might not really like him, but she certainly adored the wealth and luxury of the palace.

Among the three princes, given her background, she truly could only aspire to become his principal wife.

"Let’s sleep."

Zhao Sui closed his eyes. If it weren’t for the inconvenience, he would have preferred to turn his back to her.

Yao Huang couldn’t detect any change in Prince Hui’s mood, assuming he was just tired. But she was happy, so she clung to him for a while longer before obediently lying down.

.

Due to his legs, Zhao Sui’s sleeping posture was steady—he fell asleep lying flat and woke up the same way.

Before dawn, Zhao Sui decided to get up.

Since being confined to the wheelchair, his daily activities had become limited. The less he moved, the less sleep he needed. Lying in bed any longer would only torment his mind and cause physical discomfort.

Living alone, he could do as he wished, but looking at Yao Huang's sleeping face, Zhao Sui neither wanted to wake her nor wait uncomfortably.

As he expected, separate rooms were good for both of them.

After a moment, Zhao Sui lifted the blanket, pushed himself up, and sat up.

Yao Huang woke up, seeing his upright figure, she was momentarily taken aback.

Zhao Sui said directly, "Qing Ai should be coming soon. If you don’t mind, I’ll call him in now?"

Yao Huang pictured a young, handsome face. Qing Ai was indeed a eunuch, but he didn’t look much different from a regular man.

Yao Huang wasn’t used to having a man see her in bed, so she quickly sat up.

Zhao Sui said, "You can go to the washroom first, and sleep again after I leave."

Yao Huang asked, "Don’t I need to attend to you?"

Zhao Sui replied, "No need."

Yao Huang then slipped into the washroom in just her undergarments.

After Qing Ai entered, he efficiently helped Zhao Sui change clothes, tied his hair up in a bun, and after assisting him into the wheelchair, he left to wash up in the front courtyard.

By then, Yao Huang was wide awake. Glancing at the laundry basket with Zhao Sui’s clothes, she first slipped on a new undergarment and then called the maids in to help her.

Today, they were to go to the palace to pay their respects to Emperor Yongchang and the imperial concubines. Lark helped Yao Huang get dressed elaborately, and the newlyweds would meet up in the front courtyard for breakfast.

Zhao Sui changed into a red formal robe, looking quite well, though the usual lifelessness had returned.

Once the meal was ready, Qing Ai escorted a few maids out.

Seeing Zhao Sui engrossed in his meal, Yao Huang also ate at a leisurely pace.

After finishing, Zhao Sui outlined the day’s schedule for her: "First, we’ll head to the palace. After we return, I’ll go with you to meet the household staff."

Yao Huang nodded.

Zhao Sui shook a bell on his wheelchair, which had a small mechanism; it would only ring if you pressed and then shook it. Normally hanging on the wheelchair, it wouldn’t make a sound no matter how you moved it.

Qing Ai brought the maids in, and after the couple rinsed their mouths, they headed out.

The path from their quarters to the main gate of the prince’s residence was even. Outside the gate, the prince’s grand carriage was already waiting, with the rear door open and a sturdy ramp firmly attached to the side.

Another eunuch, Fei Quan, stood inside the carriage wearing only white socks. Qing Ai positioned the wheelchair with its back to the door and steadily pushed it up the ramp, where Fei Quan would grab it. The spacious carriage had no main seat; that spot was specifically designed to secure the wheelchair. Yao Huang, after boarding, could only sit on the left side seat, with a three-layer rosewood cabinet on the right.

Throughout the process, Prince Hui remained expressionless, Qing Ai and Fei Quan were silent and respectful, and the guards on duty, including Zhang Yue who was to accompany them, looked resolute and solemn.

A Ji was so intimidated that she held her breath and dared not look around. Yao Huang, however, was more curious about the various methods used to care for Prince Hui, and she made a mental note of the key points.

Fei Quan jumped down to let Yao Huang board.

Once seated, Yao Huang smiled at Prince Hui and then examined the device on the carriage used to secure the wheelchair.

Zhao Sui watched her.

Yao Huang understood and pointed to a button mechanism, "When you need to get off, I press here and the wheelchair can move, right?"

Zhao Sui nodded in agreement.

Yao Huang smiled, "When we reach the palace gate, I’ll push you down."

Zhao Sui said, "Better let Fei Quan do it."

With the wheelchair and his weight, she wouldn’t have the strength.

Yao Huang knew the prince underestimated her and decided to prove him wrong later.