Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Princesses, too, observe the custom of returning home after marriage. Thus, early on the tenth day of the month, Qingyang accompanied her mother, the Noble Consort, to her father’s Qianyuan Hall.

Soon after, the Crown Prince arrived from the Eastern Palace with his two younger brothers.

With all his children present, Emperor Xingwu seized the opportunity to inspect their studies. This was, after all, the time he had set aside on every day off to spend with them. In his younger days, conquering the empire left him no time or chance for such things. Now, with time on his hands, if he didn't intervene, how utterly useless would his three sons become?

As of now, Emperor Xingwu had found a litany of faults in each of his three sons—not one of them could truly set his mind at ease.

It was strange, he mused. He had lost his father young, and his mother, preoccupied with making a living, had little time for him. He’d snuck into a private school to eavesdrop on lessons. Upon learning that his playmate, Deng Chong, had been sent by his family to the Lü family to learn martial arts, Emperor Xingwu had shamelessly tagged along. By sheer luck, he earned the appreciation of the Lü family patriarch, who waived his tuition, allowing him to become proficient in both literary and martial arts. He, as a father, had achieved so much. Yet, his sons, meticulously cared for by their mothers and taught by dedicated tutors, wanting for nothing, seemed, each and every one of them, inferior to his childhood self.

"Look at me. Am I a monster, to make you so afraid?"

The Crown Prince was first, so Emperor Xingwu began by critiquing him.

The emperor’s tone was sharp. The timid Consort Li, sitting nearby, tensed as if she herself had been scolded, stealing glances at the Noble Consort.

The Noble Consort shook her head slightly, but dared not interfere with the emperor’s discipline of his son.

Qin Hong forced himself to meet his father’s eyes, but his mind was so consumed with maintaining composure that he stumbled over the next lines of the text. The more he stammered, the more stern his father’s gaze became, and the tighter the knot in Qin Hong’s mind grew. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and his hand, hanging at his side, trembled slightly.

Qingyang, nestled in her father’s arms, saw her elder brother’s apparent fear and turned her head to look back.

As his daughter fidgeted, Emperor Xingwu instinctively lowered his gaze to her.

Qin Hong seized the moment of reprieve and smoothly recited the rest of the passage.

Qingyang happily exclaimed, "Big Brother recited it so well!"

Emperor Xingwu replied, "What good is mere recitation? When interacting with others, one must be composed and forthright. If your eyes dart around evasively, you’ve already lost the battle of wills."

While Consort Li’s presence often sparked his playful side, his eldest son’s demeanor only ignited Emperor Xingwu’s fury.

Qin Hong humbly said, "Father’s lesson is profound. Your son will remember it."

The Noble Consort, feeling great pity for the Crown Prince, said gently, "Your Majesty’s imperial aura has grown increasingly formidable over the years. Even the most learned scholars and battle-hardened generals dare not look directly upon your imperial countenance. The Crown Prince is young and has spent little time with Your Majesty. Precisely because he has studied diligently and deeply understands the dignity and majesty of the Son of Heaven, he meticulously observes the rites between father and son, ruler and subject at all times. Your Majesty, please do not be too harsh."

Consort Li nodded silently in agreement; she understood the Crown Prince perfectly.

Emperor Xingwu, giving face to the Noble Consort, gestured for his second son to step forward.

Qin Bing, having learned from his elder brother’s mistake, stood firm and stared directly at his father. Even if he couldn’t answer, his gaze did not waver.

Emperor Xingwu: "Why are you just staring at me? Answer the question!"

Qin Bing: "...Your son didn’t mean to, it’s just that I haven’t seen Eldest Sister for a day. I miss her terribly, and all I can think about is whether the Imperial Son-in-law has bullied her."

Emperor Xingwu: "..."

Qingyang looked up again, asking pitifully, "Father, I miss Eldest Sister too. Will the Imperial Son-in-law bully her?"

Emperor Xingwu rubbed his daughter’s little head: "Don’t listen to your second brother’s nonsense. With your father here, even if I gave him a hundred guts, he wouldn’t dare bully your eldest sister."

The Noble Consort seized the opportunity to praise the Imperial Son-in-law’s appearance, and Consort Li chimed in agreement. The little princess interjected with a few innocent remarks, and Emperor Xingwu simply let off the clever but book-averse second son, and the diligent but less astute third son.

As they chatted and waited, the newlywed princess and Imperial Son-in-law arrived at the palace.

Yongkang was returning to her own home, so aside from a touch of shyness, she felt no constraint. It was the Imperial Son-in-law, Fu Kui, who was nervous and ill at ease. Although he had joined the army last year, his minor rank gave him few opportunities to discuss matters with Emperor Xingwu in the same tent. He had only appeared before the emperor a few times thanks to his father’s high standing. After arriving in the capital, he was unexpectedly granted an imperial marriage. Fu Kui was both shocked and delighted, but also afraid that Princess Yongkang would dislike him, which would in turn make Emperor Xingwu disapprove of him.

To this end, last night Fu Kui had done his utmost to please the princess multiple times, just as his former concubines had once worked hard to serve him. Of course, all those concubines had been sent away as soon as the marriage decree arrived. After three months of abstinence, he had finally married the princess and brought her home. Fu Kui was overjoyed and genuinely treated the princess well.

The young couple had been inseparable these past two days, their every glance full of affection—as the elders could plainly see.

Emperor Xingwu had never been particularly close with his eldest daughter, and he neither understood nor bothered with pleasantries toward the Imperial Son-in-law. Following convention, he gave each of them advice: he told his daughter to treat the Imperial Son-in-law well and instructed the Imperial Son-in-law to serve diligently and not betray his trust.

After Emperor Xingwu, it was the Noble Consort and Consort Li’s turn. Once the elders had all been offered tea, just as Fu Kui was beginning to relax slightly after completing the rituals, the little princess standing beside Consort Li suddenly glared at him and asked, "Have you bullied Eldest Sister?"

Fu Kui’s heart jumped. Noticing Emperor Xingwu slowly sipping tea while glancing his way, he quickly bowed and said, "Your servant would not dare."

Qingyang: "Then what did you and Eldest Sister do at the estate?" Why did it have to be at the princess’s estate? Couldn’t it have been done in the palace?

Her clear, childish voice directly made both Yongkang and Fu Kui blush deeply.

Consort Li, embarrassed, wanted to cover her daughter’s mouth, but it was too late now. In her panic, she pushed her daughter toward the third son: "Alright, we’ve already greeted the relatives. You take your little sister outside to play and don’t disturb the adults talking."

Qin Ren reached out, but Qingyang slipped away like an eel and ran to her eldest sister’s side, hugging her leg and saying, "I want to play with Eldest Sister."

Yongkang lowered her head to coax her sister, hiding her flushed face.

Emperor Xingwu decreed that Yongkang should take the Imperial Son-in-law for a stroll in the imperial garden. The four younger ones were to go along too, to get acquainted with the Imperial Son-in-law since they were now family.

As they walked to the imperial garden, Fu Kui gradually revealed his cheerful, good-humored nature. Qin Hong spoke little, while Qin Bing talked a lot. Fu Kui answered whatever Qin Bing asked, and when the little princess found him novel and came over to interject, Fu Kui patiently replied.

Qingyang: "You still haven’t told me what you and Eldest Sister did at the estate."

Fu Kui turned to look at Yongkang, who was walking alongside the Crown Prince. After receiving a glare, he rubbed his nose and explained solemnly, "As the Imperial Son-in-law, it is my duty to obey the princess’s commands and satisfy her preferences. So if the princess wishes to stroll in the garden, I accompany her. If the princess enjoys admiring flowers, I accompany her in admiring flowers."

Qingyang was puzzled. Pointing at Jie Yu, who was lingering far behind, she asked, "Jie Yu accompanies me like that too. Is he also my Imperial Son-in-law?"

Fu Kui laughed: "It’s not the same. Palace servants are only responsible for serving the princess’s daily care. Multiple attendants can serve one princess simultaneously, and if one makes a mistake, they can be replaced at any time. The Imperial Son-in-law is the husband carefully chosen by the emperor for the princess. There can only be one. The Imperial Son-in-law doesn’t handle trivial matters like daily needs but instead cares for the princess as his wife, having children and growing old together with her. At the same time, the Imperial Son-in-law must also perform duties for the emperor, fulfilling his responsibilities as a subject."

Qingyang finally understood what the Imperial Son-in-law truly meant, but a new doubt arose: "Father has the Empress, the Noble Consort, and my mother. Why can a princess only have one Imperial Son-in-law?"

Fu Kui: "..."

Yongkang: "..."

Qin Bing laughed heartily: "Because a woman can only have one husband. Unless the first husband dies, she can’t get a new one. If she already has a husband and still dallies with other men, that’s called unfaithfulness. At best, she’ll be scolded; at worst, she’ll be imprisoned."

Yongkang knew her second brother was stating facts, but she didn’t particularly like hearing it. Yet she couldn’t refute it, so she pulled her younger sister to her side and said to the Crown Prince, "You all accompany the Imperial Son-in-law for a walk. I’ll take Little Sister to the pavilion to sit for a while."

Qin Hong nodded and led away the three males—one big and two small.

In the pavilion, Qingyang sat close to her eldest sister and asked, "What is feminine virtue?"

Yongkang scoffed: "It’s a worthless concept men made up to control women. Women among commoners have to follow it, or they’ll face big trouble. But we’re princesses; we don’t need to learn those things."

Qingyang: "Then will Eldest Sister choose several Imperial Sons-in-Law?"

Yongkang: "...The Imperial Son-in-law is a husband. Whether wife or husband, there can only be one official spouse. Unless one dies, you can’t get a new one."

Qingyang had heard her mother explain the difference between "Empress" and "Consort"—essentially the distinction between wife and concubine. Understanding dawning, she said, "A princess has only one Imperial Son-in-Law, and then several concubines."

Yongkang felt a headache coming on. How could this little girl come up with such wild ideas? She really didn’t want to explain, but she was afraid her sister would latch onto this mistaken idea and later, if their father asked, say, "Eldest Sister said so!"

Helpless, Yongkang continued her lesson: "A princess doesn’t have concubines. Having concubines would ruin her reputation. You don’t need to know why it’s bad—just know that a princess can’t have concubines. At most, she might privately keep a few male consorts. Male consorts are like concubines without status. But if she has male consorts, the Imperial Son-in-law will be hurt. So only princesses who have a poor relationship with their Imperial Son-in-law keep male consorts."

The little princess stared unblinkingly ahead. After a moment, presumably having sorted through her eldest sister’s words, she asked, "Will Eldest Sister keep male consorts?"

Yong Kang looked towards the faintly visible figure of Fu Kui in the distance and smiled cryptically, "Not for now. Whether I will in the future, we'll see."

Her mother is a flawless, virtuous woman, a model of feminine virtue, but aside from a good reputation, what else did she get?

***

Due to the age gap, Qingyang didn’t often get to play with her eldest sister. When she witnessed her eldest sister leaving the palace, Qingyang would cry, but after a night’s sleep and not seeing her eldest sister, the three-year-old princess would quickly forget about it. She would go about her usual routine—studying at Chongwen Pavilion or wandering around the front court with the qilin waist token given by her father, stopping wherever something interesting caught her attention.

By the eleventh month, Qingyang heard news of another wedding.

It started when her half-hour reading lesson ended. Qingyang ran out to find her imperial brothers but didn’t see Zhang Su, so she naturally asked about him.

Qin Ren: "His eldest brother is getting married today. He took the day off and will return to the palace tomorrow morning."

Qingyang widened her eyes: "His eldest brother is getting married—why didn’t he tell me?"

Qin Bing teased: "Why should he tell you? You’re not his little—"

Qin Hong pushed him, cutting off Qin Bing’s nonsense.

Qingyang didn’t care. She skipped the next forty-five minutes of arithmetic lesson and ran off.

Her three imperial brothers didn’t dare leave Chongwen Pavilion without permission. They watched with worry or envy as Jie Yu chased after her.

Qingyang, accompanied by Jie Yu, ran all the way to Qianyuan Hall. The little princess was usually so doted on that she ignored He Yuanjing and charged straight in. He Yuanjing didn’t dare to actually stop her.

"Father!" The little princess tearfully threw herself into her father’s arms as he was going through petitions and complained indignantly, "Zhang Su’s eldest brother is getting married, and he didn’t even tell me!"

Emperor Xingwu: "…" Why would he tell you?

But seeing his daughter cry so sincerely, Emperor Xingwu naturally had to comfort her. As he picked her up and wiped her tears, he asked, "If he told you, what would you do?"

Qingyang: "I’d go to the Duke’s estate for the banquet, watch them set off firecrackers, and see the bride!"

Emperor Xingwu understood—his daughter simply wanted to see the fun.

While the emperor hesitated, the little princess spoke up herself: "Father, I want to leave the palace. Send a carriage to take me there. Since Big Sister left in the afternoon, Zhang Su’s eldest brother’s bride surely hasn’t been brought back yet."

At this, Emperor Xingwu had no way to fob her off. He instructed He Yuanjing to make arrangements and also prepared a congratulatory gift for the Zhang family in Consort Li’s name. Zhang Su was the third prince’s reading partner, so while Consort Li wasn’t obligated to send a gift for his eldest brother’s wedding, it wouldn’t raise eyebrows among the guests either.

The carriage was prepared, and Jie Yu carried the little princess, who had washed her face, into the vehicle.

Duke of Wei’s Residence.

Zhang Jie was a high-ranking official and a man of few words. For his eldest son’s wedding, he only invited a few Founding Meritorious Officials he had met after surrendering to Emperor Xingwu—and even that was out of courtesy. Normally, Zhang Jie rarely socialized with these few, earning a reputation as one of the new dynasty’s most reclusive figures. Even his heir, Zhang Jian, only invited a handful of low-ranking military officers he was close to in the Imperial Guard.

By the time the palace carriage arrived, all the guests at the Duke’s residence had already gathered, and the luncheon was about to begin.

Upon learning of Princess Qingyang’s arrival, Zhang Jie and his wife hurriedly led the guests out to welcome her.

Qingyang stood in the carriage, glanced at Zhang Jie, and without a word, held out her arms.

Zhang Jie cooperatively lifted the little princess down.

Qingyang: "Where’s Zhang Su?"

Zhang Jie: "My son has accompanied his elder brother to the bride’s family to bring her back. They will return at dusk."

Qingyang: "Which family is the bride from?"

Zhang Jie: "…"

The Duchess, Lady Xu, smilingly took over the conversation, exchanging pleasantries before guiding the little princess to the female guests’ banquet.

Though over forty, Lady Xu remained strikingly beautiful, and Qingyang liked her very much. At the banquet, Qingyang felt right at home, listening with great interest to the ladies talking. After eating and drinking her fill, Lady Xu personally escorted the little princess to the best guest room, coaxed the little princess to sleep, and left her in Jie Yu’s care before returning to socialize with the other female guests.

At dusk, the auspicious hour arrived, and the Zhang family’s wedding procession returned.

The little princess had already been awake for some time and, accompanied by Jie Yu, had come early to the front courtyard to watch the excitement. While there, she even made a few little playmates. As firecrackers began to crackle, Qingyang, held by two older children, ran toward the entrance—at a glance, indistinguishable from the children of any other noble family.

The exploding firecrackers sent up puffs of white smoke, filling the area with hazy smoke. Jie Yu had to crouch low to stay close to the little princess.

The wedding procession waited at the neighboring entrance until the firecrackers here had finished and the smoke partially cleared before proceeding with music and fanfare to the Duke’s residence gate.

Zhang Su dismounted alongside his second brother. Before he could find his footing, a small figure suddenly emerged through the smoke from the direction of his home and rushed toward him: "Zhang Su!"

Before the sound faded, the little princess had already hugged him, tilting her head up to gaze at him with her familiar, sparkling dark eyes.

Zhang Su was stunned, but the unusually silent surroundings quickly brought him back to his senses. Seeing that the whole wedding party—near and far, along with male and female guests—was watching him and the little princess, even his eldest brother the groom was looking his way, the nine-year-old third son of the Zhang family, who was already big on proper behavior, turned bright red. He instinctively wanted to push the little princess away but couldn’t bring himself to do so when he met her joyful eyes.

"I, we, let’s watch the ceremony together."

He couldn't push her away. For the first time, Zhang Su took hold of the little princess’s hand.

Qingyang nodded obediently and curiously looked toward the veiled bride. The wedding ceremony then continued.