Chapter 138

Chapter 138

After the palace banquet, it was time for a nap upon returning to Cloud Mountain Hall, but Yao Huang, who had been sleeping a lot recently, wasn't sleepy at all.

From the time she returned from the hunting grounds until before the banquet, Yao Huang had been worried that her brother might incur the resentment of Prince Kang and the Duke of State Stabilization's household, and concerned about the attitude of another innocent girl towards this arranged marriage. However, when she actually sat down at the banquet, Yao Huang noticed that the Duchess of State Stabilization's household still wore her usual amiable expression, and Li Fuwei remained calm, without any shyness or resistance when their eyes met.

Yao Huang breathed a sigh of relief. Even if a single glance didn't mean much, Li Fuwei's calm demeanor was far better than the open contempt for the Yao family's background that the Second Princess or Zheng Yuanzhen had shown in the past.

But then Yao Huang noticed that Noble Consort Xian, Prince Kang's mother, and Noble Consort Rou and Grand Princess Fucheng were looking at her more frequently, their complex gazes evident. Even other official wives seemed unusually cautious, choosing to speak less to avoid offending anyone important. The atmosphere was so complicated that Yao Huang lost her usual good mood and appetite for the banquet for the first time.

Noble Consort Xian, being Prince Kang's mother and the in-law of the Duke of State Stabilization's household, naturally harbored resentment towards the Yao family over the arranged marriage. But why were Noble Consort Rou and Grand Princess Fucheng, who were aligned with Prince Qing, getting involved?

For that position, Noble Consort Xian, Noble Consort Rou, and Noble Consort Du were rivals. If one family suffered a loss or embarrassment, the other two would gloat. Today, Prince Kang had been reprimanded by Emperor Yongchang, so Noble Consort Rou and Grand Princess Fucheng should have been pleased. Why did they still look so gloomy?

Because both Prince Kang and Prince Qing's families were involved, Yao Huang finally began to think about the struggle for the position of Crown Prince.

Her husband, Prince Hui, had long been out of the running for the Crown Prince position, but Emperor Yongchang still doted on him, even replacing the palace threshold!

Although Emperor Yongchang had used her brother, who had volunteered himself, to reprimand Prince Kang and the Duke of State Stabilization's household, the Emperor had also promoted her brother by two ranks. At twenty years old, her brother had jumped from a sixth-rank centurion to a fifth-rank officer, which was quite an achievement for someone so young. Moreover, as Prince Hui's brother-in-law, this arrangement didn't overly humiliate the Duke of State Stabilization's household...

But once the marriage was finalized, both Prince Kang and Prince Hui would become in-laws of the Duke of State Stabilization's household, making the two brothers even closer!

Among the four brothers competing for the family inheritance, the second son was disabled, and the fourth son was young and unpromising. When the family patriarch had to choose between the eldest and the third son to be the heir, he suddenly pushed his beloved second son to side with the eldest...

Yao Huang sat up suddenly, first shocked, then overjoyed!

Prince Qing had shown disrespect towards Prince Hui, and Zheng Yuanzhen had looked down on her. Yao Huang wasn't stupid; she certainly hoped that Prince Kang would inherit the throne.

If she wasn't mistaken, and Emperor Yongchang had indeed chosen Prince Kang, then her straightforward brother would become the brother-in-law of the future emperor!

Moreover, if Noble Consort Xian and Noble Consort Rou could see this, and she could see it, then the Duke of State Stabilization's household should also be able to see it. They would realize that Emperor Yongchang wasn't truly reprimanding them but was hinting that Prince Kang would ascend to the throne. In that case, Prince Kang and the Duke of State Stabilization's household would be overjoyed, not resentful towards her brother.

With such a joyous event that benefited the entire Duke of State Stabilization's household, Li Fuwei probably wouldn't be too opposed to the Yao family's background, at most finding her brother a bit uncouth?

After this analysis, Yao Huang felt doubly reassured. She no longer needed to worry about the family inheritance dispute within her husband's family or her brother's marriage on her own side.

In her joy, Yao Huang felt even more awake. She hummed a little tune and picked up a storybook.

The emperor's banquet ended late. As Yao Huang's mood calmed and she began to feel drowsy while reading the storybook, Prince Hui finally returned. After bathing and changing, he came to the backyard.

Sitting in his three-wheeled wheelchair, he wheeled himself into the bedchamber. Seeing his wife lying with her back to him, well-covered by the quilt, he guessed she was already asleep. Zhao Sui hoisted himself onto the bed, took off his shoes, and adjusted his legs. Just as he lay down on his back, his wife suddenly turned over, snuggled up to him, and looked at him with bright, smiling eyes.

Zhao Sui: "...Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Yao Huang smiled: "I was waiting for you, my lord."

Zhao Sui: "...Why are you so happy?"

Before the banquet, she had been worried about the arranged marriage.

Yao Huang became excited again. She sat up and, with a radiant expression, said to Prince Hui: "I have a new thought about the arranged marriage His Majesty has decreed. Would you like to hear it?"

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang then lowered her voice and carefully recounted her observations at the banquet and the deductions she had made afterward.

Of course, she didn't mention Prince Hui's legs or the fourth prince's mediocrity, focusing only on the competition between Prince Kang and Prince Qing.

Zhao Sui loved seeing his wife so relaxed and happy. Not only did she need to maintain a cheerful and relaxed mood during her pregnancy, but even if she weren't pregnant, Zhao Sui wished for her to always be happy, rather than constantly worrying about being resented or retaliated against by others.

Moreover, the Emperor might indeed have intended it that way.

Therefore, he held the Princess Consort's hand and advised, "Just keep it to yourself; don't let it show."

Yao Huang got it. While Prince Kang and the Virtuous Consort were satisfied, the Gentle Consort and Grand Princess Fucheng were in a sour mood. If she were to openly curry favor with the Virtuous Consort and Chen Ying, she would become a thorn in the side of the Gentle Consort and Grand Princess Fucheng. So Yao Huang played dumb, neither pleasing nor offending either side, to avoid stirring up Prince Qing's faction's resentment, who might not dare to act against Prince Kang but would vent their anger on her and Prince Hui, the easy targets.

After the hunt, there was a three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

Early on the 14th, Yao Huang took Prince Hui to the north lake shore for fishing. They arrived by carriage, spread a felt mat on the grass, and set up a canopy, making it very comfortable to sit or lie down.

Though the Eldest Princess and the Second Princess loved hanging out with their second sister-in-law, they guessed from the setup that today was for her to accompany her second brother, so they didn't come to disturb.

Not long after, Fei Quan, following the Princess Consort's orders, brought Yao Lin over from the Imperial Guard.

At that moment, Prince Hui was fishing by the shore, while the Princess Consort sat on the felt mat, enjoying the view.

Yao Lin, trying to keep his nerves in check, first bowed to the Prince and Princess Consort as protocol demanded.

Zhao Sui: "We're family, no need to stand on ceremony. Keep the Princess Consort company."

The implied meaning: don't disturb his fishing.

Yao Lin glanced at his sister.

Yao Huang patted the felt mat next to her, signaling her brother to sit.

Yao Lin, not wanting to dirty the mat that the Prince might sit on later, sat cross-legged opposite his sister. After glancing around and seeing that A Ji, Qing Ai, Fei Quan, and the two accompanying guards were all far away, Yao Lin immediately whispered his grievances to his sister: "I didn't know you couldn't just shoot the Red Fox. When I ran into it in the mountains, all I could think about was the hundred-tael reward... Oh, and this is for you."

Yao Huang watched as her brother pulled a five-tael silver ingot from each sleeve and quickly shoved them into her hand.

Yao Huang: "..."

Yao Lin: "I know you don't care much for ten taels now, but it's the first time I've earned such a large sum, so I have to share some with you to make you happy too."

Of the remaining ninety taels, fifty would be saved for their mother, and the forty would be split into two parts: one for treating his soldiers to drinks after returning to the capital, and the other for treating Li Guantang to drinks. Of course, if Li Guantang got angry and refused, that would be even better, saving him some money.

Thinking of the Li family, Yao Lin glanced at Prince Hui's back and asked his sister, "Did you hear anything? Did the Emperor revoke his decree?"

Yao Huang grabbed a silver ingot and lightly tapped her brother's forehead: "The Emperor's word is law. He bestowed the marriage in front of so many people; how could he revoke it? What, are you unwilling to marry the Li girl?"

Yao Lin rubbed the spot where his sister had tapped him: "Does it matter if I'm willing or not? The Li girl will definitely look down on me. Rather than bringing her home to be despised, it's better to cancel the marriage before we even meet, saving face for everyone."

Yao Huang: "Then forget it. An imperial marriage is set in stone once it's set. Don't dwell on it anymore, and don't talk nonsense to others."

Yao Lin: "Who would I talk to? The Li family is already going to look down on me. If I say something wrong and they think I don't fancy the Li girl, the Li brothers might really come after me."

Yao Huang comforted her brother: "Don't worry, this afternoon I'll invite the Li girl for a garden tour. I'll test her attitude towards you first. If she really doesn't look down on you, I'll let you know, so you don't overthink it."

As an imperial marriage, it was only right for her, as the Princess Consort, to invite her future sister-in-law over for a chat, showing her satisfaction with the marriage.

Yao Lin: "What if she looks down on me?"

Yao Huang: "Then it depends on your performance after marriage. Change all the things that mother and I usually pick on you about, treat her well, and make sure there's nothing for her to look down on. What else could she dislike?"

Yao Lin: "Even if I do my best, my family background still doesn't match hers."

Yao Huang: "If she really picks on that, just follow her lead. Go when she calls, stay away when she doesn't. That's how the Prince and I started, getting closer only after getting familiar."

Prince Hui, who was not far away and could hear the siblings' conversation: "..."

After discussing the marriage arrangement, Yao Lin wanted to leave. The nobles and officials at the palace were on Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, but the duty of the Imperial Guard to protect the palace could not be delayed.

Yao Huang glanced at her brother, coughed, and asked, "Since you came here, have you written home?"

Yao Lin said, "No, we're so close, what's there to write about?"

Being in the Imperial Guard, it's risky to correspond with outsiders right now.

Yao Huang held out her hand to her brother.

Yao Lin instinctively took his sister's hand and helped her up.

Yao Huang twirled in front of her brother, "Notice anything different about me?"

She had only written to her mother about the pregnancy, and as for her unmarried brother, sending someone to congratulate him seemed a bit awkward.

Yao Lin said, "Living well with Prince Hui, you're looking more beautiful than ever."

Prince Hui, distracted from his fishing, thought: "..."

Yao Huang deliberately tightened the skirt at her waist, "Still can't tell?"

Yao Lin said, "Tell what?"

Seeing Prince Hui turn his head towards them, Yao Huang immediately loosened her skirt and smiled at her brother, "Next year, you'll be an uncle!"

Yao Lin's eyes widened, then he grinned. He wanted to pick her up and spin her around but held back, afraid of hurting her, though the joy was almost too much to contain!

Yao Huang watched her brother, hands flailing, speechless and looking a bit silly.

Yao Huang said, "Are you happy?"

Yao Lin nodded repeatedly.

Yao Huang said, "Do you want to drink?"

Yao Lin still nodded.

Yao Huang pointed in the direction he came from, "Go, go on duty first, and in the evening, let Prince Hui treat you to a drink."

Yao Lin dashed off, his joy propelling him forward!