Chapter 50: Chapter 50 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 50: Two Chapters Combined

As the bridal veil was lifted, the woman's face beneath instantly came alive. Li Ju found her unlike any woman he had imagined. She usually wore only a touch of rouge, but today, in full wedding regalia, she appeared exquisitely radiant. A mere glance and a soft smile from her felt like a thousand pear trees bursting into bloom.

Li Ju couldn't help but smile in return, his spirits lifting considerably.

Servants tied the hems of their robes together—a ritual known as the "sitting ceremony." She Niang, who had been veiled and sightless until now, finally regained her vision. Seeing Li Ju beside her, so stately and refined, she felt a measure of satisfaction. Then she noticed several women standing opposite, all adorned in brocade and pearl crowns, clearly women of noble lineage.

At this moment, it was best to remain silent; a dignified silence lent an air of mystery and authority.

After the sitting ceremony, Li Ju had to excuse himself. Many guests awaited him outside for greetings and toasts. A middle-aged woman at the forefront said, "Go ahead, Young Prince. I'll take care of things here."

"I appreciate it, sisters," Li Ju replied with a smile, casting a lingering look at She Niang. It was not the time for lengthy conversation.

Yet, marrying She Niang gave him a comforting sense that he wouldn't have to worry much about domestic affairs. Though he believed in the unity of husband and wife, a wife's domain was largely the inner quarters, a sphere men were not meant to intrude upon.

After Li Ju departed, several women approached, chatting and laughing. A young boy went straight to a nearby cabinet to snatch some sweets, much to Xia Mama's annoyance, though she held her tongue given the wedding occasion.

She Niang tilted her head slightly, glancing at the boy, and said to Furong, "Give him a handful of wedding candy. Don't let him take it from the cabinet—the candy there is stored with camphor balls."

She neither blamed the boy nor anyone else, simply warning them against rummaging and risking accidental poisoning.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wei immediately pulled her son back. "Quick, spit it out!"

The child, usually spoiled and thus daring, began to wail when he saw his mother's panic. She Niang then said to Madam Wei, "Sister-in-law, please indulge me this once and don't let the child cry in the bridal chamber. Xia Mama, this child must be hungry. Take him to have some fruit."

Xia Mama promptly stepped forward, but Madam Wei, unwilling to let anyone else take her son, hurriedly excused herself.

The other women commented, "How disgraceful! Causing a scene in the bridal chamber—so uncouth, like common folk."

She Niang ignored their remarks and instead said, "Thank you all for your trouble today, sisters."

With just a few words, they realized She Niang was a woman of impeccable discretion; nothing she said could be used against her, no matter who heard it.

Some remarked pointedly, "I heard the Princess Consort is highly educated and comes from a distinguished family. Truly enviable."

They began to speak with veiled sarcasm, but She Niang merely replied, "I only know a few characters. Please don't flatter me too much, sisters."

Just then, the Princess sent over a meal. Seeing that the two were about to eat, the women gradually dispersed. Once they were gone, the Princess sneered, "So noisy."

She Niang removed her crown and ceremonial robes before sitting down. "Thank heavens you came. Who were those people? I've never seen them before."

The Princess said, "They're from the household of the Prince of Chongning."

The Prince of Chongning was the elder brother of the Prince of Qing. So it was his family—a princely household, yet they behaved so petty and vulgar, truly disgraceful.

The Princess had only come to deliver the meal. Seeing She Niang about to eat, she smiled and said, "I'll take my leave now. Brother will be back soon."

She Niang held her hand. "Thank you so much. I'd have been quite troubled otherwise."

"It's nothing. You're my savior, sister-in-law," the Princess said brightly.

She Niang noticed that since her marriage to Li Ju, the Princess had become even closer to her. After the Princess left, She Niang looked at the dishes on the table—six dishes and one soup, perfectly arranged.

Furong smiled. "I know the Princess Consort loves this, so I specially had the kitchen prepare it."

Fortunately, having stayed at the Prince of Qing's residence before, she was much luckier than other brides. Her sister-in-law got along well with her, she had interacted with Li Ju before the wedding, and she even knew the preferences of the Princess of Qing and the Dowager Consort.

Truth be told, she was quite hungry today. She ate a roasted young pigeon, drank a bowl of fish ball soup, and had a few bites of steamed eel. After finishing, the servants had already brought water for her bath.

While she bathed, Furong filled her in on the layout of the residence. Before marriage, Li Ju lived in the east wing. Now, after the wedding, the Prince of Qing's residence had specially renovated a nine-acre area into the Prince's own residence. To the north were the inner kitchen, the main chamber, and a small storeroom.

Entering through the small north gate, the west side featured a bamboo grove—lush green bamboos, sculpted rocks, and scenic views at every turn. The east side had a pond beside which stood the Rain Flower Pavilion, connected by a covered walkway leading to the front gate. Inside the gate, the northwest corner housed the study—five rooms in total. The northeast corner was her main chamber, also called the lady's chamber, consisting of five large rooms. The central area was the rear hall, used for receiving guests. The west wing had six rooms for maids, while the east wing was divided into four heated rooms.

The heated rooms were for winter use, providing warmth against the cold. In the Pei family, only the Pei family matriarch had such rooms.

Moving forward to the entrance, there were storerooms on both the east and west sides. Furong mentioned that her dowry was kept there.

The main gate had three doors. Beyond it was an alley, and ahead lay mostly the Prince's domain, including the Bright Hall for official meetings, the west heated room, the east study, and so on.

Having worked up a sweat that day, She Niang applied plenty of scented bath beans and even washed her hair. But when she stepped out, she felt chilly due to the many ice pots placed inside.

She wore a scarlet perfumed chemise inside, covered with a silver-threaded gauze jacket, and a silver-white pleated skirt with bamboo leaf patterns, revealing curves usually hidden under heavy clothing.

Though slender, she was far from bony—instead, she had a curvaceous figure. Her freshly washed hair cascaded down, and free of makeup, her face revealed a stunning, natural beauty. Her charming smile could even enrapture women.

"Princess Consort, the bed has been tidied up," Xia Mama said, then signaled to the others with a glance. "You may wait outside."

The matter of conjugal relations had been vaguely mentioned by Yu Shi the previous day, but She Niang, having lived a second life, was well aware—though she pretended otherwise. Worried, Xia Mama imparted many pointers to her.

Marital harmony greatly depended on intimacy.

"Just yield to him. If it hurts, ask him to be gentler. As the saying goes, even the hardest steel can be softened. You need to relax."

"Understood, Mama."

Xia Mama was still uneasy, but word came that the Prince had returned. She urged once more, "Remember what I said."

"Alright, you may go now," She Niang waved her off.

Li Ju felt like he had to face it sooner or later, so he entered with a sense of resignation, as if facing his destiny. But the moment he saw She Niang, he couldn’t help lowering his head.

Despite spending much time together on the boat, she had always been veiled and fully covered. He never expected her to look like this.

But both were quite composed, especially Li Ju. Seeing She Niang silent and bowed, he said, "I’ll go bathe first."

"Where are your clothes?" She Niang quickly stood up.

Li Ju smiled. "It’s fine. Cui Lan usually handles them. I’ll ring for her."

Soon, he rang the bell, and Cui Lan entered. She seemed reliable, pointing to the three sandalwood wardrobes and fetching seven or eight sets of sleepwear.

Li Ju never cared for lavish clothing but insisted on comfort. Noticing these were all new but too slippery for his liking, he hesitated.

Then he remembered and said to She Niang, "The outfit you gave me during the engagement is at the front courtyard."

"No matter, I made two more sets. They’re right there. Would you like to wear them?" She Niang preferred cotton and linen for undergarments, beaten with a pestle after making, sun-dried, and then ironed smooth.

Seeing Li Ju nod, she easily found them. Li Ju felt the fabric and said, "This is perfect. I’ll go bathe. Wait for me, and if you’re too tired, rest first."

Touched by his consideration, She Niang felt sweeter than honey. "Go ahead."

In less than fifteen minutes, Li Ju was back, and almost everyone in the room had dispersed.

The candle flame flickered alone, occasionally crackling with sparks, sounding like sudden thunder in the quiet night.

"Are you hungry? I have some snowflake cakes here," She Niang offered, returning his earlier consideration with her own thoughtfulness.

Li Ju gestured dismissively: "I already ate before coming. Are you hungry, though?"

"The Princess sent over some food, and I ate quite a lot." As for the people from the Prince of Chongning's household making a scene here, she didn’t mention it. On their wedding night, why bring up those who would only dampen the mood?

Seeing that she indeed looked well, Li Ju felt reassured. She Niang smoothed her hair, wanting to say something but feeling that no words seemed quite right at this moment.

Suddenly, the world spun around her. Li Ju laid her on the bed, lowering the bed curtain with one hand. Inside the mandarin duck bed curtains, their shadows intertwined, soft moans continuing until a long, relieved sigh escaped She Niang. She felt assured—he likely had no prior bed companions.

Li Ju was a natural martial arts prodigy, with an exceptionally strong physique. Now that he had discovered the mysteries of intimacy and found She Niang responsive, soft as water, his passion only grew stronger...

They requested water twice during the night, nearly a third time, but She Niang said, "We have to wake up early tomorrow; we can’t afford to look improper." Only then did they stop.

Outside, Xia Mama, hearing the room fall silent, chuckled quietly and led everyone away. As long as the Prince and our young lady were on good terms, she felt sweeter than if she had drunk honey water.

The maids who usually attended to Li Ju, seeing Xia Mama signal for them to withdraw, didn’t dare linger. Of course, many among them hoped to become concubines.

But having ambitions didn’t mean they intended to confront the principal wife head-on. Instead, they hoped She Niang would soon become pregnant. Once she was unable to attend to the Prince, arrangements would naturally be made for others to serve. As long as they behaved obediently and discreetly, they would secure their place in the future.

Thus, for now, these two factions coexisted peacefully.

The Prince's residence had six servant rooms in total, much more spacious than in the Pei family. Those on night duty usually rested in the antechambers, where bells were connected. If the main room rang a bell, the antechambers would chime, and the maids would rise to serve tea or water.

Two people typically took night duty, and they retired early to be ready to serve in the morning.

After a good night’s sleep, She Niang woke up feeling somewhat unaccustomed to having someone beside her. Li Ju, hearing movement, also awoke. The intimacy between a man and a woman naturally brings them closer once they’ve shared a bed.

As now, they exchanged a smile. She Niang, noticing she was naked, hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself, slightly embarrassed. Neither felt comfortable casually getting out of bed in front of the other, especially without any cover.

But Li Ju, being a man, picked up the clothes from the floor and put them on first. He then turned to She Niang: "Shall I call someone to help you?"

"You go behind the screen first. I’ll put on my undergarments, then we can call them in," She Niang said.

Seeing her shyness, Li Ju felt even more inclined to tease her: "We’re husband and wife now; why still avoid each other?"

With that, he deliberately walked closer to her. She Niang glared at him: "Hurry up and go over."

Seeing she was genuinely annoyed, Li Ju slowly moved behind the screen. She Niang, wrapped in a thin quilt, got out of bed, found her undergarments and inner robe, and put them on. She then picked up the rest of her clothes from the floor and placed them on the bench. Seeing the disarray, her face flushed slightly.

Once both were dressed in their inner robes, She Niang rang the bell to call the servants in. Today, she had to wear the seven-phoenix headdress, which was very heavy, so she had to arrange her hair and clothes first before putting it on.

Li Ju’s preparations were much simpler. He only needed to dress properly and put on his winged crown.

Sitting not too far apart, they chatted idly. She Niang asked: "Should we first pay respects to the Dowager Consort, the Prince, and the Princess?"

"Yes, we’ll go directly to Yin'an Hall. That’s where Grandmother lives, and Father and Mother will be there," Li Ju said, growing slightly impatient as the eunuch fumbled with his jade belt.

She Niang stood up and personally secured his jade belt, smoothing it down with her hand. Only then did his frown ease.

There was no time for breakfast now. She thought to herself, thankfully, she had eaten well last night. They probably wouldn’t eat until after paying their respects.

Once they were ready, She Niang had her needlework placed on several large red peony-patterned trays with gold edges. These were gifts for the elders and couldn’t be treated lightly.

Back in her family home, everyone knew her needlework was excellent, perfected through practice.

Li Ju glanced at them approvingly and thought her quite capable.

Leaving the main room, she took in the surroundings. Li Ju, accustomed to walking quickly, only after a while realized he was moving too fast. But She Niang kept pace half a step behind, without complaint.

He couldn’t help but say: "Am I walking too fast?"

"A little, but I can keep up," She Niang replied.

Li Ju thought to himself that his wife was quite resilient. She didn’t complain or act coy, but if there was a problem, she would speak up rather than endure silently.

Naturally, this was She Niang’s habit. She believed men were people too. Perhaps they might indulge and accommodate you at first, but that wouldn’t last. To stand side by side with someone, you couldn’t start off too weak.

Playing dumb to deceive might work temporarily, but if others truly thought you were foolish, anyone would dare to disrespect you.

Hearing her response, Li Ju didn’t press further, only saying: "If you get tired, just let me know."

Sensing his concern, She Niang whispered: "If I acted frail and delicate, who knows how many would laugh about the wedding night."

Li Ju hadn’t considered that, but he said: "Well, on the wedding night, that’s quite normal."

Somehow, they ended up discussing such matters. She Niang could only say: "In the early days of marriage, if we make even the slightest mistake and someone catches it, both our reputations will face loss. You don’t know—yesterday in the bridal chamber, after you left, they let a child rummage through the cabinets, howling like ghosts and wolves without restraint, as if waiting to see me lose my temper. I probably shouldn’t speculate, but I thought in these first few days, we should start off well to ensure peace and a long life together."

Li Ju recalled that when he left, many of the women from the imperial clan present were from the Prince of Chongning's household. That explained it. He added: "You’re the Princess Consort. If anything is amiss, just speak up. If there’s trouble, come to me."

"Alright, but since I’ve already handled this matter, let’s leave it at that," She Niang said, looking at him.

Li Ju couldn’t help but say: "It’s also because you’re too gentle."

After saying it, he himself was startled. The She Niang he had imagined was entirely different from the dignified and gentle woman before him now.

If others didn’t provoke her, she would never strike first.

They walked out through a bamboo grove path, reached a lane, took a horse-drawn carriage, which took them to a gate, walked a bit further, and finally arrived at Yin'an Hall.

The servants there had already come out to greet them, smiling: "The Prince and Princess Consort are finally here. The Dowager Consort has mentioned you three times already."

Li Ju laughed: "Our place is too far from Grandmother’s. Tomorrow we’ll definitely come earlier."

She Niang followed Li Ju inside. The Dowager Consort was dining in the side hall. Seeing them, she dispensed with pleasantries, saying: "Just in time, we have freshly steamed yam cakes, pheasant porridge, and steamed lamb. You two sit down and have some."

This was Li Ju’s home, so he sat down as usual. She Niang wouldn't dare sit—even in an ordinary family, she wouldn't have such audacity. Her parents-in-law hadn't arrived yet; sitting down boldly on the first day of marriage required at least a pretense of propriety.

"Which would you like? I’ll serve a dish for you," She Niang asked him cheerfully.

Then she remembered—the Dowager Consort was there too. She should have asked her first. But since it was already done, she steeled herself and first served the Dowager Consort.

The Dowager Consort loved soup. The small kitchen always had several soup chefs. She Niang served a bowl of soup for the Dowager Consort.

The Dowager Consort patted her hand: "Sit down and have a bite. Were you tired yesterday?"

Only then did She Niang sit down, saying she wasn’t tired.

After she sat, a maid brought food. She Niang ate a few bites without tasting much before word came that the Prince of Qing and his wife had arrived. Li Ju and she knelt on the prepared cushions to pay their respects.

She Niang had heard that some mothers-in-law would make things difficult during the tea-serving ritual, but clearly, the Princess of Qing had no such habit. She drank the tea quickly and presented them with a pair of jade Ruyi ornaments as meeting gifts.

She Niang also presented the embroidery she had made for her parents-in-law. The Princess of Qing nodded appreciatively and asked: "I heard Chang’er caused a commotion in your room yesterday?"

"He’s just a child; it wasn’t really a commotion. After the sitting ceremony, I had my maid distribute wedding sweets. But the child was quick and had already rummaged through several cabinets. It wouldn’t matter if things were damaged, but my wardrobe has mothballs—you know they look like milk candies. I was afraid he might mistake them. Madam Wei was alarmed too and rushed to check his mouth, which made the child cry. I thought it was my oversight, so I had my nanny give her a basket of sweets. I’m afraid Madam Wei might be upset. Could you help mediate, Mother?" She Niang knew that in large families, small matters could easily escalate.

So she explained everything thoroughly. Her eloquence was such that anyone listening would naturally side with her.

However, before the Princess Consort of Qing could say anything, the Prince of Qing interjected, "What is there to mediate? The children of the imperial clan have no sense of propriety whatsoever—they are even less disciplined than the children of local gentry and landowners. How dare they even ask for an explanation?"

She Niang had never interacted with the Prince of Qing before, as men and women were typically kept separate. She hadn't expected him to be so cutting.

Of course, the Prince of Qing was not yet forty, still in his prime and indeed quite young.

Seeing that those around her seemed unperturbed, as if accustomed to such remarks, She Niang decided not to say anything more. It was only after Li Ju waited for the atmosphere to settle that he spoke up, "The theater pavilion at the back is still under construction. I will go later to oversee the work."

The Princess Consort of Qing chuckled, "You’ve just gotten married—you should spend more time together. There will be a banquet in the evening, and people from the Commandery Prince’s household and the Duke of Fuguo’s residence will be attending."

"Mother, you flatter me. I am not one to be overly sentimental. Since the theater pavilion isn’t finished yet, we won’t be able to invite them to enjoy a play," Li Ju replied.

They discussed a few more family matters, and She Niang listened quietly, fighting back a yawn. Finally, the Prince of Qing stood up to leave, and Li Ju also excused himself to take his leave on account of business.

Just before stepping out, he turned to She Niang and said, "Stay here and attend to Mother." Then he gently squeezed her hand.

She Niang smiled and said, "Go ahead, my husband."

After the men had left, She Niang followed the Princess Consort of Qing to keep the Dowager Consort company. The Dowager Consort said to her with a smile, "This is wonderful—we finally have another person to talk to. Usually, it’s just the few of us, and it always feels too quiet around here."

"It is my honor to converse with the Dowager Consort and the Princess Consort," She Niang replied with a smile.

Though she spoke little, her words were always appropriate, and she remained patient and cheerful even after standing for an hour, her attitude impeccable.

Both the Dowager Consort and the Princess Consort of Qing nodded in approval. Then the Princess Consort of Qing said, "It’s almost noon—our son will likely be having lunch soon. You may return now and come to my place again for the evening banquet."

"Then this daughter-in-law will take her leave," She Niang said, performing a curtsey and backing away a few steps before turning to exit.

Once she was gone, the Princess Consort of Qing asked the Dowager Consort, "What do you think of our heir apparent’s consort?"

"Her eloquence is first-rate, her character refined and dignified, and she is exceedingly proper," the Dowager Consort replied, recalling what the female attendants, court ladies, and servants from the princely residence who had accompanied her to the Pei family had reported. They all said she handled household affairs thoughtfully, was kind-natured, and never abused her status to bully others.

They also mentioned that although Pei Sixth Master was born of a concubine, he was filial to his legal mother, had a good relationship with his legitimate elder brother, and treated his clansmen well—all of which spoke highly of his reputation.

Hearing this, the Princess Consort of Qing breathed a sigh of relief. A person can only pretend for so long, but the princely residence’s staff who had been observing her for years had only praise for her. There wasn’t a single incident they could criticize, proving that her character was truly admirable.