Chapter 9

Chapter 9

At the age of eighteen, Zhao Sui volunteered to go to the front lines and later achieved remarkable feats, which greatly pleased Emperor Yongchang. As a result, the emperor granted him the title of prince two years earlier than usual and bestowed upon him the Prince Hui's residence.

At that time, the eldest prince, Prince Kang, had already been granted his title. When the Ministry of Works was constructing the Prince Hui's residence, following Emperor Yongchang's instructions, the main part of the residence was designed to be the same size as Prince Kang's residence, both following the five-courtyard and three-pathway layout. However, the garden of Prince Hui's residence was twice as large as that of Prince Kang's residence, and Emperor Yongchang even personally participated in the layout of the garden's landscape.

The officials were abuzz with discussions. Some speculated that the emperor intended to make Prince Hui the heir apparent, hence the favoritism. Others believed that the emperor was simply in a good mood after the victory and thus had the leisure to guide Prince Hui in garden design. When Prince Kang was granted his title, it coincided with a flood in the southern region, and Emperor Yongchang was busy overseeing the Ministry of Revenue daily, leaving him no time for leisure.

Regardless of the underlying reasons, Prince Hui's residence was currently the largest and most expensive among the three prince's residences.

A large residence easily invites envy, but the larger the residence and garden, the more maids and servants are required.

The entire Prince Hui's residence had over a hundred servants in total, and this was considering Prince Hui's dislike for extravagance, not even counting his fifty personal guards.

Prince Hui's residence was located in the fourth courtyard of the central path of the residence, called Ming'an Hall. The first two courtyards were where Prince Hui received external officials and guests and conducted official business. Since Prince Hui's incident and his subsequent seclusion at home, refusing visitors, those two courtyards had never again seen Prince Hui's presence.

Returning to Ming'an Hall, Qing Ai and Fei Quan attended to Zhao Sui in the front courtyard to rest, while Yao Huang took A Ji to the rear courtyard to change into fresh clothes.

After removing the heavy ceremonial robes, Yao Huang asked Thrush and the others to leave temporarily, then collapsed onto the bed to relieve her fatigue.

A Ji squatted in front of the bed and asked with concern, "Is the princess very tired?"

Yao Huang sighed, "Walking such a long palace pathway is manageable, but the main thing is that I have to maintain a proper demeanor in front of the prince constantly. After entering the palace, there are even more rules to adhere to. Think about how I am at home, and then imagine me sitting properly, entertaining the emperor and his consorts, chatting and smiling along with them. It's more exhausting than running around outdoors."

A Ji said, "It's not as comfortable as in Longevity Lane was. But think about the prince, you can still walk and stretch your legs out, while the prince has to sit all day or lie down. Compared to that, isn't it easier for you to bear?"

Yao Huang: "..."

Yes, Prince Hui has been sitting since he got up. Sitting for so long, wouldn't his legs go numb?

Just now, the prince told her to rest well before summoning the servants, perhaps he also wanted to lie down on the bed for a while longer!

With this thought, Yao Huang felt more at ease lying down.

A Ji glanced outside and whispered, "Princess, how about I take charge of the night watch from now on? After all, once you and the prince are asleep, I can sleep outside, and it won't be tiring to keep watch continuously."

Yao Huang asked curiously, "Why?"

The night watch maid must always be ready to be summoned from inside. If nothing happens, she can sleep through the night, but if something comes up, she has to get up in the middle of the night, which is not easy. Yao Huang didn't want to burden only A Ji.

A Ji covered her mouth with one hand and mentioned that the adjacent room could hear the sounds from the inner chamber.

Yao Huang's face turned red, "Can they really hear? Everything?"

Those sounds made by the prince, the smacking and slapping noises...

A Ji quickly shook her head, "They can't hear you and the prince talking, just, just heard you calling out."

Yao Huang: "..."

She didn't know she had been calling out so loudly.

Turning her head, Yao Huang lay face down for a while, then finally decided, "Let's take turns for the night watch. I'll be more careful next time."

There are still many days ahead, and A Ji can't handle it alone. Besides, she needs to gradually train other trusted maids.

.

After lying down for a quarter of an hour and taking another quarter of an hour to change clothes and comb her hair, Yao Huang finally arrived at the front courtyard.

Fei Quan stood in the courtyard and immediately greeted the princess respectfully upon seeing her.

Yao Huang walked, eyeing Fei Quan.

The two eunuchs attending Prince Hui, Qing Ai, with his well-proportioned features, seemed more composed, while Fei Quan had lively, round, and bright eyes, appearing more inclined to jest with the master, yet he was also bound by the strict palace and princely residence rules. Or perhaps looks were deceiving, and Fei Quan was inherently disciplined and serious.

"Is the prince inside resting?" Yao Huang asked casually.

Fei Quan glanced toward the main hall.

Just then, Yao Huang reached the main hall entrance, turned her head to see Prince Hui, now in a crimson brocade robe, seated upright in the north.

In a typical household's main room, the north side would feature two main chairs separated by a small square table.

Now that Prince Hui had his own wheelchair, moving him to the main seat was unnecessary. The servants might not mind the effort, but the prince might find it irksome. Yet placing the wheelchair beside the main seat would also disrupt the room's orderly layout. And placing normal chairs when the prince was absent, only to move them when he arrived, would constantly remind him of his limitations.

Yao Huang noticed that the north side of the room had a long table at a suitable height for Prince Hui to take tea, with Prince Hui seated alone in his wheelchair in the north, and guest chairs facing the tea table at both ends of the long table. So the arrangement of tables and chairs wouldn't disrupt the room's orderliness, whether the prince was present or not. And even if another prince visited, sitting at either end of the long table would still be seen as sharing the seat with Prince Hui, without any disrespect.

Prince Hui is already disabled; which prince would fuss over such a minor detail?

Yao Huang couldn't conceal her notice of the unique seating arrangement, nor did she wish to feign disinterest.

Meeting Prince Hui's steady gaze, Yao Huang instructed A Ji to stay outside, smiled as she entered, and offered a slight bow to Prince Hui.

Zhao Sui: "We're husband and wife; let's skip the formalities from now on."

Yao Huang: "Alright, I agree that feels too formal."

Her tone was casual, and Zhao Sui, for some reason, recalled last night's intimacy, lowered his eyes, and said: "Sit down. Here's the roster of servants from around the residence; take a look."

Qing Ai promptly produced a booklet, bent over, and placed it with both hands in front of the guest seat to the prince's left.

Yao Huang lifted her skirt slightly and sat down, glanced at the prince on the main seat, and smiled in praise: "This seating arrangement is great; it's much easier for me to see the prince or for him to see me. If we sat side by side, we'd have to turn our heads to talk, and our necks would ache over time."

Qing Ai: "..."

He glanced nervously at the prince.

Zhao Sui: "Go see if everyone has arrived."

Qing Ai bowed and left.

Yao Huang sensed that the prince seemed eager to get this matter over with quickly, so she didn't delay, picked up the roster, and started flipping through it.

The first page only listed three names: Guo Shu, the steward in charge of the residence's internal and external affairs; Cao, the eunuch overseeing the male servants; and Liu, the nanny managing the female servants.

Zhao Sui: "There are many servants in the residence. You're new and not yet familiar. If you need anything, you can directly summon these three. You're the princess; unless what you ask for is too unreasonable, they will all listen to you."

Yao Huang understood. Like spending money, with Prince Hui's generosity, she could withdraw hundreds or thousands of taels of silver from the treasury at once without any issue. But if she wanted to take all of Prince Hui's five thousand taels of salary at once, Steward Guo would definitely have to ask the highest authority in the residence, Prince Hui.

Yao Huang continued to flip through.

The roster was recorded according to the rank of the servants. The three sections of the residence and the back garden each had a steward who supervised the maintenance of the buildings, daily cleaning, and care of the flowers and trees.

Following that was a list according to specific duties, such as the kitchen, embroidery room, flower room, storeroom, craftsman's room, stables, laundry room, etc. Each place was listed clearly, from the stewards to the young maids and servants.

Besides the majority of servants who had signed indentures, the residence also hired two resident physicians, both renowned for their excellent medical skills.

Yao Huang read while roughly counting and calculated that there were actually over a hundred servants in the residence. Yao Huang was shocked, closed the roster, and quietly asked Prince Hui: "Prince, with so many people, the monthly wages must be quite a sum?"

Zhao Sui: "...If we can afford it, we can support it. No need to worry."

Yao Huang quickly ran a rough calculation. Prince Hui's annual stipend was five thousand taels, averaging a little over four hundred taels per month. With the monthly stipends, food costs, and daily upkeep of the mansion and gardens for the servants totaling about one hundred taels, Prince Hui's monthly income would be reduced to three hundred taels. Deducting another one hundred taels for the couple's food, clothing, and medical expenses...

From Yao Huang's perspective, as the daughter of a hundred-household family, having a surplus of two hundred taels per month in the prince's mansion was certainly ample. However, considering Prince Hui's promise last night that she could spend as she pleased and the fact that a single gemstone hairpin could cost several hundred taels, if she, as the princess, dared to splurge, the mansion would soon be broke!

Zhao Sui watched as his princess furrowed her brows slightly, then quickly relaxed, and earnestly said to him, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will be thrifty and will not spend money recklessly."

She loved jewelry and accessories, but she wouldn't buy new and expensive pieces every month. As long as the prince didn't mind, she would happily continue wearing affordable, everyday jewelry.

Zhao Sui: "..."

Qing Ai returned: "Your Highness, everyone has arrived."

Zhao Sui: "Have Fei Quan bring them over."

The people were waiting outside the Ming'an Hall, and soon over a hundred of them were led over in an orderly fashion by the three chief stewards.

Qing Ai pushed Zhao Sui out, with Yao Huang walking beside them.

Chief Steward Guo Shu announced loudly: "Greetings to the Prince and Princess!"

Everyone then knelt down in unison to show their respect.

Zhao Sui glanced at Yao Huang.

Yao Huang understood and instructed everyone to rise.

After standing up straight again, everyone respectfully admired the princess's appearance, recognized her face, and then politely averted their gaze.

Zhao Sui said, "As you respect me, so shall you respect the princess henceforth. Anyone who dares to defy will be punished according to the mansion's rules."

Everyone knelt down to acknowledge the order.

After establishing Yao Huang's authority, Zhao Sui dismissed everyone and said to Yao Huang, "I will accompany you to tour the various parts of the estate."

This was the courtesy a newlywed husband should extend to his wife.

Yao Huang was very eager, as this was her new home, and of course, she wanted to explore it thoroughly.

But she thought that touring alone with her husband would be more conducive to building their relationship and allow for more open conversation. So without hesitation, she walked behind the wheelchair and said to Qing Ai, "You all stay here, I will take care of the prince."

Qing Ai: "..."

He didn't even dare to ask the prince for his opinion, and because he was standing behind the wheelchair, he couldn't receive the prince's gaze.

Seeing the princess reach out to take over the prince, Qing Ai's hand was still holding the handle at the back of the wheelchair, unsure whether to let go.

Yao Huang saw this, bent down, and tilted her head to ask the principal, "Your Highness, is this okay?"

Zhao Sui: "Yes, Qing Ai and A Ji follow from a distance."

Qing Ai breathed a sigh of relief.

Yao Huang smiled and took over the wheelchair: "Your Highness, please guide the way. Don't worry, I will push steadily."

Zhao Sui pointed in a direction.

The mansions on the east and west roads each had their uses, whether for receiving guests, hosting banquets, or serving as storerooms and libraries. After a brief tour, the master and servants finally arrived at the back garden.

In late April, the garden was filled with dense shade and blooming flowers, with artificial hills, stacked stones, pavilions, and towers hidden in the serene scenery. Even the air inhaled in the garden was fresher than that on the road.

Yao Huang let out a relaxed sigh and exclaimed with joy, "This garden is truly beautiful. If I hadn’t married the prince, I might never have seen such a wonderful scenery in my lifetime."

Zhao Sui pointed to the east, "Let’s start over here."

Yao Huang nodded, checked the smooth stone path ahead, and then pushed the wheelchair, enjoying the scenery without a care.

The landscaping of the prince’s residence was quite exquisite; every flower, tree, and stone radiated elegance.

As they walked, Yao Huang noticed two elm trees by the courtyard wall, perfectly spaced. Her eyes lit up, and she pointed at the trees, "We could hang a swing here. The shade would block the sun perfectly."

Zhao Sui replied, "If you like swinging, we can have the craftsmen make a few swing frames. You can place them wherever you like; it’s much safer than using a rope."

Yao Huang glanced up at him, "I’ve only seen swing frames in picture books. At home, we always tied ropes to play."

Zhao Sui didn’t respond.

Ahead was a pond with a winding wooden bridge in the middle. The bridge was just wide enough for two people to walk side by side, and it had no railings on either side.

Qing Ai, following from a distance, felt anxious once more. He saw the princess constantly admiring the scenery. He feared she might get distracted and accidentally push the prince into the water!

Just as he hesitated whether to run over, Yao Huang looked at the shimmering water and said wistfully to Prince Hui, "Your Highness, I love the scenery here. Can we stay a bit longer?"

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang was delighted. She pushed the wheelchair to the shade of a willow tree by the pond, locked the wheelchair’s brakes, and then stepped forward to gaze at the water.

In the middle of the pond, a few red koi fish swam leisurely, and small fish about the length of a finger darted playfully through the clear water.

The crystal-clear water reflected the blue sky, and the more she looked, the more she loved it, "When I was learning etiquette at the Xiuge Pavilion, I was sad to miss the spring scenery in the countryside this year. But now that I’ve come to the prince’s garden, I realize my good fortune lies ahead."

Going to the countryside for a spring outing required a long horseback ride, which took a lot of time. Coming to the prince’s garden was much more convenient, and there was no need to fight for space with other visitors!

However, in Zhao Sui’s eyes, these sights were all too familiar, so his expression remained indifferent.

Yao Huang noticed this and, after enjoying the view, quickly started pushing Prince Hui again.

In their view appeared a lush bamboo grove with a stone path inside, hinting at a small courtyard.

Yao Huang stood at the entrance, peering inside curiously, "Your Highness, what is that place?"

Zhao Sui replied, "The bamboo garden. Since I fell ill, I usually live here."

Yao Huang asked, "...And now..."

Zhao Sui didn’t turn his head, speaking as if it were just casual conversation, "For the first three days of our marriage, I will accompany you. On the fifth, tenth, and during festivals, I will also spend the night with you in Ming'an Hall. Otherwise, I’ll stay here. If you need anything, you can come to me; otherwise, it’s fine."

"It’s not directed at you; it’s just that I prefer to be alone now. Even Qing Ai and Fei Quan rarely attend to me closely."

"The servants know this and won’t gossip about it."

Yao Huang understood. She glanced at the small courtyard deep in the bamboo grove and pushed the wheelchair forward, puzzled, "Then what should I do when Your Highness is not in Ming'an Hall?"

Zhao Sui said, "You can stroll in the garden or go out, as you wish."

Yao Huang suddenly didn’t know whether to be happy or worried.

The prince didn’t control her, so it seemed she could live more freely than she did at her parents’ home. But with the prince secluded in the bamboo garden, she felt like she was destined for a lonely life.

But that wasn’t quite right either, as the prince would spend the night with her periodically.

On the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, twentieth, twenty-fifth, and thirtieth of each month… Prince Hui spent six nights with her each month, and even more during holidays.

It’s often said in stories that overindulgence can harm a man’s health, so perhaps six times a month is just right? Prince Hui’s mobility is limited, so he needs to be even more cautious than the average man.

Not far from the bamboo garden, half an acre of unused land appeared by the roadside.

As Yao Huang slowed her pace, Zhao Sui already knew what she was going to ask and explained, “This is a vegetable plot.”

A vegetable plot is, of course, for growing vegetables. The wealthy might cultivate it as a gesture of closeness to farming and to enjoy the pleasures of rural life.

When Zhao Sui’s legs were still healthy, he would personally plant some vegetables here every year. After the accident, he stopped coming, but since he never said anything, the servants didn’t dare to alter this half-acre of land.

Yao Huang could piece together the story behind this plot, but since Prince Hui had kept it, it showed he wasn’t that petty.

She inquired, “My family’s backyard also has two vegetable plots. I’ve been helping my mother tend to them since I was young and know how to grow seven or eight types of vegetables. If Prince Hui agrees, could I tend to this plot?”

Zhao Sui replied, “As you wish. Apart from the bamboo garden, you can make changes to the entire garden.”

This came off as a bit of a retort, and Yao Huang wisely chose not to respond.

To the north of the garden was a series of rolling hills, lush with greenery. The couple walked along the foot of the hills, passing four paths leading to the summit—two made of stone steps and two of stone slabs.

As Yao Huang walked, she increasingly sensed the servants’ anxiety in serving Prince Hui. Removing the stone steps would anger him, but not removing them would make it difficult for his wheelchair, so they had to lay down two new paths.

Even enjoying the scenery was this complicated. If they were to spend day and night together, she would have to put in a lot more effort just to manage Prince Hui’s moods!

Quickly leaving the hilly area, the two arrived at the western part of the garden, where the view opened up to a vast, clear lake. Peach and willow trees were planted along the shore, and in the middle of the lake stood a pavilion connected by a covered bridge and a waterside pavilion.

Yao Huang’s mood lightened again. In a few days, she was determined to come here to row a boat and fish.

As it approached noon, Yao Huang didn’t feel like exploring the central part of the garden anymore, deciding to save it for another time when she could thoroughly explore every nook and cranny, not missing a single cave in the rockeries.