Chapter 105

Chapter 105

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, Prince Kang got married.

On the carriage ride to Prince Kang's estate for the morning banquet, Yao Huang smiled and said to Prince Hui, "I’ll likely stay at Prince Kang’s estate all day today. If you want to head back to the palace to rest in between, feel free to leave without waiting for me."

Zhao Sui looked at his consort's radiant face and recalled the scene in the morning when she was counting her pouches and murmuring to herself.

Zhao Sui asked her why she was bringing the pouches.

His consort smiled and replied, "There’s a break of over an hour between the morning and noon banquets. It's too cold to enjoy the garden, so when I attended the wedding at Prince Qing's estate last time, the two consorts of the eldest prince discussed with me that we could play cards in the heated pavilion after the eldest prince's wedding. We could play in the morning and continue in the afternoon, as the bride would only arrive at dusk."

When they arrived at Prince Kang’s estate, Qing Ai took charge of Prince Hui’s wheelchair, while Yao Huang, accompanied by A Ji, headed straight to the female guests' area, giving Prince Hui a "see you tonight" look.

Zhao Sui watched his consort’s graceful figure and briefly glanced at the pouch at A Ji’s waist, which the consort had carefully counted.

When the consort first married into the household, her eyes were always sparkling and captivating when she looked at him. Encouraged by her gaze, Zhao Sui did things at night he’d never imagined doing. As they spent more time together, Zhao Sui realized that when the consort was in a good mood, her gaze would be equally tender whether she looked at him, Qing Ai and Fei Quan, unrelated passersby, or even the wheelchair, Jinbao, or the pouches, as if they were filled with infinite affection.

She was naturally beautiful.

Before and during the banquet, Yao Huang chit-chatted with the attending ladies. After the banquet, she sat briefly before the two side consorts of Prince Kang's estate asked if the high-ranking guests, led by Grand Princess Fucheng, Princess Hui, Prince Qing's consort, and the First and Second Princesses, would like to play cards.

Grand Princess Fucheng was not interested and decided to head back to her estate, planning to come back for the noon banquet.

Zheng Yuanzhen also wanted to leave with her mother but, after catching her mother’s glance, agreed to join the round of cards.

Thus, Gu the Side Consort joined Yao Huang, Zheng Yuanzhen, and the Second Princess for a game, while Ruan the Side Consort entertained other guests. The First Princess sat beside Yao Huang to watch.

When Zheng Yuanzhen got married, the two princesses, as her cousins, attended the wedding at the grand princess’s residence. To them, Chen Ying was just a sister-in-law by marriage, so they came directly to Prince Kang's estate. Chen Ying's grandparents, parents, and siblings finally moved into a residence granted by Emperor Yongchang at the beginning of the twelfth lunar month. Chen Ying was able to reunite with her family and await her wedding in the imperial residence.

Yao Huang was genuinely happy for Chen Ying, even though her family would have to return after the wedding. The short reunion was a happy occasion.

The Second Princess glanced at Yao Huang and said, "I heard that you and the eldest sister-in-law were close friends when you were both court ladies. Now that the eldest sister-inlaw is married, you can often come to the eldest prince's estate to play cards. With the two side consorts accompanying you, you won’t even need to look for card partners elsewhere."

Speaking of card partners, the Second Princess deliberately glanced at Zheng Yuanzhen.

Yao Huang chided her, "Do you think I’m dumb? The three of them are united. If I come alone, wouldn’t I be handing them silver to split?"

Gu the Side Consort and Ruan the Side Consort hurriedly said they wouldn’t dare.

The Second Princess said, "So, will you also invite the third sister-in-law?"

Yao Huang replied, "That depends on who organizes the card game. If I arrange it, not only will I invite the eldest and third sister-in-laws, but I will also send someone to fetch you two from the palace. If you arrange it, I will wait for your invitation. As for who else you invite, I won't interfere. Of course, if you invite others but not me, I will be heartbroken."

The Second Princess: "..."

As Zheng Yuanzhen played, she noticed that because Yao Huang seemed approachable, whether it was Gu the Side Consort, Ruan the Side Consort, or the two princesses, they all liked to chat with Yao Huang, whether joking or discussing fabrics and jewelry. Despite the crowd, Yao Huang became the center of attention, as if everyone else was her backdrop.

Zheng Yuanzhen stayed to play cards to observe the relationship between Yao Huang and the two side consorts of Prince Kang's estate. However, their conversations were all about trivial matters, and even the Second Princess's provocations were deftly deflected by Yao Huang.

By the end of the morning card game, Zheng Yuanzhen had not only failed to observe anything but also lost over thirty taels of silver.

After the noon banquet, Zheng Yuanzhen left directly with Grand Princess Fucheng.

Grand Princess Fucheng advised her daughter, "You should try to interact more with them. Many secrets are revealed through a few careless words."

Zheng Yuanzhen replied, "What secrets could they have? It all depends on the performance of the princes in the court."

Grand Princess Fucheng said, "That’s not always the case. Husband and wife rise and fall together. A wife's family can either be a prince's support or a burden that drags him down. If you can catch any of them in a compromising position, it might prove useful in the future, especially with Prince Kang's principal wife and two consorts. They’re bound to compete for favor and never be united."

Zheng Yuanzhen was annoyed. Ultimately, she believed Prince Qing was much better than Prince Kang. As long as Prince Qing didn't make any mistakes in court, the Emperor would eventually choose him. She didn’t need to stoop to fake niceties with Yao Huang, Chen Ying, and Prince Kang's two consorts.

By dusk, Prince Kang finally brought his bride home.

Yao Huang had already forgotten about the card game that ended half an hour ago. She eagerly led the Grand Princess to the ceremony. The Second Princess, seeing that Yao Huang didn’t reach out to her this time, stayed behind in frustration, sharing a silent look with Zheng Yuanzhen, who remained seated.

When the veil was lifted, Chen Ying’s eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying hard when she said goodbye to her parents.

Yao Huang didn’t shed a tear then because her family was in the capital, and she could visit them anytime. Chen Ying was different; she was saying goodbye to her parents, who she’d soon be separated from.

After the evening banquet, as Yao Huang and others were about to leave, Chen Ying looked at Yao Huang, anxious and nervous.

Yao Huang then asked A Ji to wait outside and accompanied Chen Ying into the inner chamber alone.

Chen Ying rushed over, her whole body trembling uncontrollably: "Yao Yao, I’m terrified."

Yao Huang laughed at her: "Scared of the wedding night? The palace must have taught you about that."

Chen Ying was too embarrassed to say that it was precisely because she had been taught that she was scared. She couldn’t bear the thought of the pain, especially since Prince Kang was a head taller and much more robust. Her mother had drilled into her to endure and obey, never to displease Prince Kang, which only made Chen Ying more nervous. Yao Huang, already married, was her last hope for help.

Yao Huang was all too familiar with Chen Ying's timidity. After a moment, she leaned in and whispered advice to Chen Ying, which she herself had discovered but attributed to her mother's teachings.

Yao Huang said, "In short, don’t think of him as a prince then, just as your husband. Discuss when you need to discuss, take initiative when you should, complain when you need to, and praise when it’s appropriate. The prince is also human; you can tell what he likes or dislikes. Just adjust based on his reactions."

Additionally, she told Chen Ying that once she got past the initial discomfort, it could bring her to tears of joy.

Chen Ying blushed.

She wasn’t looking for joy; she just hoped it wouldn’t hurt as much as she feared.

Chen Ying trusted Yao Huang deeply. If Yao Huang dared to talk to her about such embarrassing matters, it must be true.

By the first watch, Prince Kang finally arrived, reeking of alcohol and walking unsteadily.

Of course, the princess had to take care of the prince. Chen Ying temporarily forgot her nervousness and helped to bring Prince Kang inside.

Prince Kang staggered and collapsed onto the wedding bed.

He had too many relatives: brothers from the Duke of State Stabilization's family who were all skilled in martial arts, brothers of his two consorts, and the third brother who deliberately tried to get him drunk. Prince Kang had a robust build but was neither skilled in martial arts nor good at holding his liquor. Finally, his second brother glanced at the rowdy young men and simply said, "Enough," before they let him go.

A maid brought hot water.

Chen Ying wanted to wet a towel to take care of the prince, but the palace maid sent by the virtuous consort, Hibiscus, respectfully said, "Let me do it, Princess. You can watch from the side."

Chen Ying knew that both the palace and the prince's residence had strict rules. Perhaps these serving tasks were meant for the maids?

While she hesitated, Hibiscus had already wrung out the towel and was about to wipe Prince Kang's face.

Chen Ying stood by, looking worriedly at Prince Kang.

Prince Kang lay on the bed, his eyes open, clearly seeing the young princess's concern and hesitation, including the moment she reached for the towel but was blocked by Hibiscus, leaving her momentarily embarrassed and flustered.

Prince Kang felt uncomfortable.

His mother had told him her reasons for choosing Chen Ying. In her eyes, Chen Ying was an insignificant pawn, someone who wouldn’t make the Emperor suspect his greed and ambition, nor worry the Duke of State Stabilization about the heir's situation.

Prince Kang knew his mother meant well, but he couldn’t see this girl, ten years his junior, as a pawn. She was born in Shu, left her hometown to enter the palace for selection, and now could only rely on him, her prince husband.

"Step aside, let the Lady of the House take over."

Prince Kang gave a warning glance at Mujin.

Mujin's expression changed; she lowered her head, handed the towel to the Mistress beside her, and retreated with another maid.

Prince Kang then looked at Chen Ying, who seemed startled by his tone, and softened his voice. "You are the mistress of this household. As long as you are reasonable, you can do as you please in this household and care for me as you see fit. How can you let a maid take charge of your actions?"

Chen Ying understood, her face flushing as she approached the bed and leaned over to wipe Prince Kang's face.

Prince Kang noticed her red-rimmed eyes and asked, "Did you cry the whole way here?"

Chen Ying lowered her gaze, feeling guilty.

Prince Kang sat up, took her hand, and said, "I know you miss your parents. It's natural to cry, but try not to cry every day."

Chen Ying was distracted by the man's large hand and nodded, flustered.

Prince Kang was no stranger to marriage, and given Chen Ying's youth, he tried to be as considerate as possible. However, he had always followed the script in such matters, and his previous wife and two concubines were all well-mannered ladies from respectable families. They cooperated with whatever Prince Kang did, so in six years of marriage, Prince Kang had not mastered any advanced techniques.

Chen Ying, afraid of pain, had no choice but to follow Yao Huang's advice. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded with Prince Kang above her, "Please wait..."

Prince Kang stiffened. How could he wait?

Chen Ying hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him toward her neck. "Please kiss me again."

This was the first time Prince Kang had been asked this by his bedmate. Looking at Chen Ying's pale little face, he complied, kissing her until her face regained its rosy color, and even showed some subtle urging movements. Only then did Prince Kang fully release his strength.