Chapter 96

Chapter 96

At today's morning court, after Emperor Yongchang took his seat on the dragon throne, he first announced that Prince Hui had finally healed from all his leg injuries and could return to duty. Therefore, he appointed Prince Hui as an assistant in the Ministry of Works, similar to Prince Kang and Prince Qing. Although the assistant position was low-ranking, Emperor Yongchang specially granted Prince Hui the privilege to attend all future court meetings.

The implication was that although Prince Hui had lost the use of his legs, Emperor Yongchang had never considered letting Prince Hui retire at home. It was only because Prince Hui had not fully recovered that it had been delayed until now.

The ministers collectively congratulated Prince Hui on his recovery.

Zhao Sui nodded and said that they would serve the court together from now on, and there was no need for formalities when they met in the palace.

After this announcement, the court meeting officially began.

After all, it was Prince Hui's first court appearance since his injury, so the officials paid attention to his back or side profile in the wheelchair. They then noticed that the current Prince Hui, apart from changing from a standing posture to a sitting posture, was not much different from the previous Prince Hui. He remained as taciturn, only speaking a few words when a minister or the Emperor mentioned him.

Emperor Yongchang often asked the princes for their opinions on political matters during court meetings. This morning, he asked each of the three princes once.

Prince Kang answered in a standard manner, preferring not to be praised rather than to be scolded for a wrong answer.

Prince Hui hit the mark, but his overly calm expression left Emperor Yongchang unable to praise him much, making it seem as if he had never seen capable ministers.

Prince Qing spoke eloquently, appearing to analyze everything meticulously, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that his words made little difference.

An hour later, with no further matters presented, Eunuch Wang announced the adjournment of the court.

Emperor Yongchang left first, glancing at Prince Kang standing beside Prince Hui's wheelchair as he departed. It was obvious that Prince Hui had been pushed in by Prince Kang, but he should not forget to help push him out.

Prince Kang did not forget, but his respectful posture in seeing off his father was so devout that when he remembered to push his second brother, Prince Qing had already taken a step forward and grabbed the handle at the back of the wheelchair.

Prince Kang's expression changed.

Prince Qing smiled and said, "Big brother, take a rest. It's my turn, as the younger brother, to take care of second brother."

Prince Kang said unhappily, "You've never been good at taking care of people. Let me do it. I'm afraid you won't hold it steady when we go down the steps."

With that, he tried to grab the wheelchair.

Prince Qing avoided his hand and pushed the wheelchair forward. Seeing that two prime ministers, six ministers, and several military dukes and marquises were watching, Prince Kang, considering the dignity of the eldest prince, did not try to grab it from Prince Qing again.

Zhao Sui remained composed.

Qing Ai was waiting outside the palace hall. Seeing Prince Qing pushing his master out, Qing Ai immediately stepped forward to take over the wheelchair.

Prince Qing said casually, "Step aside."

Zhao Sui said, "Let Qing Ai handle it."

Prince Qing looked at the two sloping paths in front of the hall, still holding the wheelchair, and said in a hurt tone, "Second brother trusts big brother but worries I might clumsily drop you?"

Zhao Sui said, "I appreciate the kindness of big brother and third brother. To avoid further disputes over my care, I will let Qing Ai and the others assist me in the palace from now on. I hope big brother and third brother will understand."

At this, Prince Qing finally let go.

Qing Ai lowered his head and moved to the back of the wheelchair, inviting Prince Kang to go first.

As the eldest, Prince Kang walked in front. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Qing Ai pushing his second brother towards the right slope, so he also came this way. When the wheelchair started to descend, he reached out and held the side of the wheelchair to prevent it from rushing too fast and flying out.

However, the slope was deliberately built with ridges, so both the wheelchair and the person pushing it would be hindered. Unless Qing Ai suddenly fainted, it was absolutely impossible for him to lose control.

To maintain his balance, Zhao Sui gripped the armrests on both sides, not looking to the side.

After coming down the steps, Prince Kang and Prince Qing flanked the wheelchair once more.

Once outside the Cheng'an Gate of the inner city, Prince Kang and Prince Qing needed to go south on the main road to reach the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, while Prince Hui could turn east near the Zongzheng Office to head to the Ministry of Works.

Zhao Sui signaled Qing Ai to stop and said goodbye to his brothers.

Prince Kang looked taken aback, while Prince Qing gave a knowing smile: "Second Brother, you still like your peace and quiet, don’t you?"

Prince Hui nodded silently and motioned Qing Ai to go east.

Noticing this, Minister Yan Lun hurried to catch up with Prince Hui’s wheelchair. The two Vice Ministers and several officials followed his lead. No matter which prince they supported, they had to at least show respect to Prince Hui.

Prince Hui, in his wheelchair, led a quiet procession to the Ministry of Works.

Yan Lun requested Prince Hui to wait a moment. He called out to the duty rooms, summoning low-ranking officials and clerks who hadn’t attended court. He had them approach Prince Hui by rank to pay their respects.

This way, Prince Hui might not remember every name or face, but he’d get a sense of the Ministry’s structure.

After introductions, Yan Lun asked, "We hold morning meetings on the 1st and 5th to assign tasks and report progress. Would Your Highness like to join?"

Prince Hui nodded.

Yan Lun then guided him to his office.

Prince Hui, as a newcomer, listened quietly. He noticed Yan Lun always stressed one thing: getting funds from the Ministry of Revenue was a struggle.

After the meeting, Yan Lun dismissed the other officials first. He stayed behind respectfully to consult Prince Hui. "Which department would Your Highness like to oversee first?"

The Ministry of Works had four main departments: construction, manufacturing, waterworks, and tomb repairs. But all departments dealt with budgets, audits, and payments, often clashing with the Ministry of Revenue over funds.

Yan Lun watched Prince Hui expectantly, ready to suggest a major project if needed.

Prince Hui said, "I’ll first learn the Ministry’s workflow. Send me last year’s completed and archived projects, including accounts. I’ll review them and get back to you."

Yan Lun: "...All of last year’s archives?"

Prince Hui: "Yes."

Yan Lun: "That’s too much. Your Highness might not finish reading them until the end of the year."

Prince Hui: "I am in no hurry."

After saying this, he looked at Qing Ai, who immediately pushed Prince Hui away.

Yan Lun: "..."

Prince Hui's office soon had two empty, brand-new red sandalwood bookshelves filled with stacks of documents and ledgers brought by the clerks from the Ministry of Works.

Yan Lun occasionally sent his clerks to check on Prince Hui. Each time they returned, the clerks reported the same thing: no movement.

At noon, the officials of the Ministry of Works gradually arrived at the dining hall for lunch. Prince Hui did not appear, only sending Qing Ai to fetch lunch for the three of them.

The two Vice Ministers sat beside Yan Lun, watching Qing Ai leave. The Left Vice Minister whispered, "Is His Highness simply familiarizing himself with the workflow of the Ministry of Works, or is he planning to review our past projects for any mistakes?"

The Right Vice Minister: "Unlikely."

What superior would immediately look for faults in their subordinates?

Even if Prince Hui is not in a hurry to perform his duties and impress the Emperor, he is not foolish enough to actively make enemies.

Yan Lun shot them each a glare: "Mind your own business. If you don't make any mistakes, even the Emperor won't be an issue."

In the quietest room of the Ministry of Works, Zhao Sui finished his lunch and spent half an hour leaning on the handrails in the restroom before summoning Fei Quan for a massage.

Fei Quan had picked up the skill from Physician Liao after the prince decided to take up his duties. Physician Liao had personally taught him while massaging Prince Hui, and Fei Quan had been very diligent in his studies. Having grown up serving the prince, and now that the prince was no longer gloomy, the naturally lively Fei Quan felt comfortable massaging the prince's legs.

Zhao Sui closed his eyes, having spent the entire morning reviewing files, and finally let himself think about his wife.

By dusk, to beat the rush of officials clocking out, Zhao Sui left two quarters of an hour early.

The Ministry of Works officials who had been keeping an eye out breathed a sigh of relief, worried Prince Hui might pull a Prince Kang, arriving early and leaving late, forcing most officials to keep up with his pace.

Back at Prince Hui's place.

Yao Huang had gone to Longevity Alley early in the morning to chat with her mom about Prince Hui's new job and wheelchair, and to hear her mom dish about the family and neighborhood gossip.

Having spent too much time with Prince Hui, Yao Huang hadn't experienced such pure relaxation in a long time, not having to worry about whether the prince was feeling lonely or whether he was happy when she was by his side.

She hung out in Longevity Alley until sunset before reluctantly heading back to the prince's place.

With her dad being a military officer, Yao Huang knew court officials usually clocked out at You hour. However, just as You hour arrived, the gatekeeper announced that Prince Hui was back.

As she went to meet him, Yao Huang wondered whether the prince just left early or if he was wiped out from his first day.

Since it was a hassle for Prince Hui to get out of the carriage, by the time Yao Huang got there, Qing Ai had just wheeled the prince in.

Seeing the prince didn't seem upset, Yao Huang smiled and took the wheelchair.

Zhao Sui looked at the shadow on the ground belonging to his wife and said, "You don't have to come out to meet me next time."

But I missed you," Yao Huang replied without hesitation. "Since we got back from Ling Mountain, this is the first whole day I haven't seen you."

Zhao Sui thought to himself that his princess consort's memory wasn't very good. There was the time she went to Prince Qing's residence for a wedding banquet and the time she attended the chrysanthemum banquet at the palace, both times they hadn't seen each other for an entire day.

But these were minor matters, and Zhao Sui didn't correct his princess consort.

Dinner would be served soon, so Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui to the main hall in the front courtyard, parked the wheelchair, and sat on the left side of the long table, tilting her head to carefully observe the prince she hadn't seen for a day.

Zhao Sui still wasn't used to such enthusiastic attention from his princess consort and lowered his gaze.

Yao Huang smiled and asked, "How was your first day at the Ministry of Works? Were you busy?"

Zhao Sui shook his head.

Yao Huang asked, "Did you take on any duties?"

Zhao Sui replied, "The duties can wait. I'm first reviewing last year's construction files to familiarize myself with the process."

Yao Huang understood that Prince Hui had spent another day "reading," essentially moving his study from the residence to the Ministry of Works.

"What did you do today?" Zhao Sui asked, looking at the hem of his princess consort's skirt.

The princess consort said with a hint of melancholy, "With you gone, I was so bored that I had to go to Longevity Alley to spend time with my mother."

Zhao Sui didn't know how to respond.

Today was the eleventh, but if his princess consort insisted on his company, he wouldn't refuse.

Author's note:

This introduces Suiri's first day back at work. The story will continue with daily life, and we'll get to the duties when the time comes.