Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Given Prince Hui's usual preference for light meals, Yao Huang ordered ten savory roasted skewers for him and asked the vendor to double-wrap them in oiled paper.

The weather was warm, and by the time they returned to the palace, the oiled paper was still warm to the touch.

The main gate was too far from the Bamboo Courtyard, so to get the skewers to the prince as quickly as possible, Yao Huang asked Zhang Yue to go ahead and fetch her Ni Guang from the stable. Yao Huang dismounted the carriage and immediately hopped onto the horse, gripping the reins with one hand and cradling the oiled paper package against her chest with the other. The stone-paved paths, wide and narrow alike, were smooth, and Yao Huang soon arrived outside the Bamboo Courtyard.

Fei Quan heard the sound of hooves and peeked through the crack in the door. He spotted the chestnut horse approaching along the dim, quiet path flanked by green bamboo. The princess, dressed in a white top and green skirt, sat on the horse with a smile, her full cheeks glowing like the Mid-Autumn moon, illuminating the surroundings.

Fei Quan was momentarily stunned until he noticed the princess tilting her head to look through the crack in the door. He snapped out of it, quietly opened the door, and slipped out, quick as an eel.

Yao Huang stopped the horse and nodded toward the courtyard, "Has the prince eaten yet?"

Fei Quan: "He ate some time ago."

Yao Huang: "Has he gone to bed?"

Fei Quan: "Not yet, he’s probably reading."

Qing Ai had served dinner, and the prince would take half an hour to digest his meal. What he did during that time was a mystery to them. Later, Physician Liao would come to massage the prince's legs. After the massage, the prince would clean himself and then go to sleep.

"Is there something you need, princess?"

"I brought some food for the prince. Should I hand it to him myself, or can I just give it to you?"

Yao Huang judged from Fei Quan's manner of exiting and his deliberately lowered voice when replying that the prince disliked being disturbed. She felt that she might not get to see the prince tonight.

Fei Quan looked at the oiled paper package in the princess's hand and said after some consideration, "Please hold on, princess. I’ll go let the prince know."

Yao Huang nodded with a smile, thinking how secretive the Bamboo Courtyard seemed. Even she had to wait outside, barred from entering the courtyard.

In the backyard, Zhao Sui sat on a rattan chair in the middle of the east railing, watching the warm sunlight play across the bamboo tips.

Fei Quan called out for the prince under the eaves of the east and west rooms, but got no reply. Guessing that the prince was in the backyard, he raised his voice, "Prince, the princess is here to see you!"

Zhao Sui looked toward the back door of the main hall, paused for a moment, and then said, "Come in."

Fei Quan pushed open the door, closed it, and then went to the backyard. Seeing that the prince was no longer in the sunlight, he said softly, "The princess brought you some food. She must’ve ridden Ni Guang here to keep it from getting cold. What do you think?"

Zhao Sui: "The wheelchair."

Fei Quan called Qing Ai to help him carry the heavy wheelchair over and then assisted the prince into it.

Yao Huang stood by the roadside observing the bamboo. After waiting for what felt like half a cup of tea’s worth of time, Fei Quan came to open the door and invited her in with a smile.

Yao Huang suddenly thought of her mother's loud voice. Whenever her father stayed too long at a neighbor's house and her mother needed him, she would stand in the yard and shout, "Old Yao, come back!" Her voice would echo, and her father would come running back, as obedient as could be.

The prince was different. Even the princess had to jump through hoops just to see him.

As she walked to the courtyard gate, Yao Huang saw Prince Hui sitting by a stone table with a set of tea utensils on it.

Yao Huang looked around. There were three main rooms to the north, with the door to the main hall tightly closed. The rooms to the east and west, whose purposes were unknown, were also closed.

The bamboo shaded the outside light, and the courtyard was only slightly brighter than the bamboo path outside. Add to that a pale, lifeless master and two eunuchs who barely dared to breathe, Yao Huang, who had just left the bustling streets, felt as if she had mistakenly entered a ghostly realm from a storybook.

Soon, Fei Quan and Qing Ai hid in the corners outside the side rooms, one to the south and one to the north, resembling little ghosts helping a big ghost block the path of the living.

Zhao Sui watched as his princess looked left and right, her small movements more numerous than those of Fei Quan and Qing Ai combined. During this time, Zhao Sui took the opportunity to examine his princess from head to toe. A few days ago, she had been dressed in luxurious attire, but now her simple appearance had a beauty like a lotus emerging from the water.

The evening light didn’t dim her face; instead, it gave her a soft, misty glow.

Zhao Sui's gaze returned to the stone table. It wasn’t until he married his consort that he realized such a woman could exist. By day, she shone like a pearl; by night, candlelight gave her a rosy glow. Wherever her hands touched, they left a trail of soft, supple skin, making Zhao Sui question whether his self-control was lacking or her beauty simply too much.

"Have a seat."

The stone table had stools only on the east and west sides. Prince Hui sat to the north, while Yao Huang sat to the east, at least giving her a view of the sunset in the west.

"Look, I brought you some grilled lamb skewers."

As she unwrapped the oiled paper, Yao Huang explained, "They’re from that stall on South Street. It’s been around since my father was a kid—a famous old spot in the capital. The lamb is freshly slaughtered every day, and they use a secret family marinade recipe. Here’s the thing: every year on my birthday, I go to Wangxian Tower at noon and have these skewers in the evening. You'll know how delicious they are."

Qing Ai, hidden in the shadows of the north wing, grew anxious again. The prince hadn’t eaten anything rich all year, much less street food. What if it upset his stomach?

Zhao Sui was met with his consort, smiling as she offered him a skewer.

Yao Huang took one herself, took a bite, and nodded in satisfaction. "Still warm, and the taste is just as good."

Zhao Sui took the skewer and began eating.

The lamb was perfectly balanced—crispy on the outside, tender inside—a sign of the stall owner’s expertise.

As soon as he finished one skewer, Yao Huang handed him another.

Zhao Sui said, "You eat too."

Yao Huang laughed. "I’m stuffed from Wangxian Tower. That skewer was just to indulge a craving. Please, eat as much as you like. Don’t think nine skewers is a lot—the meat wouldn’t even fill two buns. With your build, if I knew your taste better, I’d have brought you twenty skewers. Once, someone treated my brother, and he polished off fifty skewers!"

Zhao Sui glanced at her outstretched hands and smiled faintly, humoring her excitement.

"Did you only visit South Street?"

"Yes, with all the shops for food, clothes, and daily needs, I only got to a few jewelry stores today. I'll go back tomorrow."

Zhao Sui looked at her head. "Did you buy any jewelry?"

Yao Huang replied, "I picked out two pieces for my mother that she’d never been able to afford. The ones I liked were too pricey, and I didn’t have enough cash. I'll go back tomorrow to buy them. Oh, the five pieces I got totaled just over a hundred taels. Jewelry worth twenty or thirty taels should suit my status as a consort, don’t you think?"

She didn’t want the prince to think she had spent too much on jewelry.

Zhao Sui said, "As a main piece, it’s pretty plain; as an accessory, it’s passable."

Yao Huang fell silent.

Zhao Sui continued, "Next time, don’t bring money. Just pick the priciest jewelry and have the shop send it to the palace."

Yao Huang hesitated. "Wouldn’t that give me away? I don’t want any special favors. Besides, I like the twenty or thirty tael pieces—they look good, and I think the expensive ones aren’t worth it."

Zhao Sui explained, "Of course, you can use them when traveling incognito, but at banquets, people might misunderstand and think you're not content as a consort."

Yao Huang replied, "Let them think what they want. I know I’m happy. I buy jewelry to make myself happy. As long as it makes me look better, it's good jewelry. I don’t care what others think, unless you think wearing twenty tael jewelry would embarrass you."

Zhao Sui twirled the skewer he had just picked up and looked at his consort. "Are you truly content in the palace?"

Yao Huang answered without hesitation, "Of course."

She didn’t have to deal with in-laws, and her quiet, disabled husband only needed her attention six days a month. With such leisure and two generous allowances, if Yao Huang weren’t satisfied, it would be a betrayal of her conscience.

Zhao Sui could tell she was sincere, which was why, despite her complaints last night, she hadn’t held a grudge afterward.

Nine thin skewers, enjoyed with the princess's cheerful chatter, were slowly finished by Zhao Sui.

The light in the bamboo courtyard grew dimmer. Yao Huang glanced at the tightly closed door of the main hall and tactfully asked, "Your Highness, perhaps you should rest early? I’ll take my leave now."

Before Zhao Sui had a chance to reply, there was a soft knock on the door from outside.

Yao Huang turned her head in confusion, only to see Fei Quan slip out of the shadows like a ghost. He opened the door just a sliver, and before Yao Huang could glimpse the visitor, Fei Quan closed it again and turned to report, "It's Chef Kong. He left something behind and asked me to check if it's in the kitchen."

Zhao Sui knew it was Physician Liao and instructed, "See the princess back to Ming'an Hall."

Yao Huang: "No need to see me off, I ride fast."

She smiled at her husband seated in the wheelchair and got up to leave. Outside the door, except for the Ni Guang, there was no one else around.

As the sound of hoofbeats faded on the stone path beyond the bamboo grove, Physician Liao, with his medicine box, peeked out from the side of the courtyard wall. He exchanged a glance with Fei Quan, who appeared to be waiting, and then stepped out with relief.

Fei Quan muttered a complaint, "Didn’t you see the princess's horse?"

Physician Liao felt wronged—how was he to know the princess's horse? It was nearly time for the prince's massage, and he couldn’t afford to delay.

Fei Quan reminded him to be more alert next time and ushered him in.

Zhao Sui was still by the stone table.

Physician Liao noticed the oil paper on the table and caught the enticing scent of grilled meat.

Qing Ai was a bit worried: "This is what the princess brought back from South Street. Might it upset the prince's stomach?"

Physician Liao thought to himself—he wasn’t a mind reader, how could he be sure?

"As long as the meat is fresh and the ingredients are clean, it should be fine."

Qing Ai: "The prince just finished eating. Should we start now or give him some rest for another half an hour?"

Physician Liao bowed slightly and said, "It’s best to give him some rest."

Throughout it all, Prince Hui remained silent.

.

After her bath, Yao Huang lay down on the bed, every bone in her body sighing with relief. Since her marriage, she’d shared the bed, but tonight, it was hers alone.

After a busy day, Yao Huang rolled around on the bed a few times and soon drifted off.

In the bamboo courtyard, Physician Liao departed with his medicine box. Zhao Sui, leaning on the railing, made his way steadily but unhurriedly to the washstand. He untied his inner robe, took off his shorts, and picked up the towel from the bucket to wipe his body.

The room was so quiet that only the sound of the towel rubbing against his muscles and the occasional splash of water could be heard.

After drying off, he put on the inner robe hanging nearby and, leaning on the railing, returned the same way. Though his movements appeared practiced, each shift demanded great effort, and strength-driven actions lacked grace.

He extinguished the lamp beside him and moved into the bed.

The sound of frogs croaking came from the pond, harmonizing with the water frogs in the garden's west lake.

The roof was pitch black, and Zhao Sui closed his eyes.