The Yao and Luo families had their eyes opened at Prince Hui’s residence garden. At the dining table, they were deeply impressed by the culinary skills of the princely residence’s cooks.
Luo Yue said, “Sister, you’re living like an immortal now. I want to be a maid at your side!”
Yao Lin said, “Little sister, can your brother come serve as a guard at the princely residence? No wages needed—just three full meals a day!”
Yao Zhenhu was about to ask if they could bring out another jar of wine when Maternal Grandmother laughed and scolded from not far away, “Look at how unpromising you all are.”
Yao Zhenhu quickly shut his mouth.
Yao Huang could tell that her father, uncles, and brothers were all craving the wine at today’s banquet. She smiled and said, “This is tribute wine His Majesty bestowed upon the prince. It comes every year. However, the prince doesn’t drink much ordinarily, so over a hundred jars have piled up in the wine cellar. When we send festival gifts at the Dragon Boat Festival, I’ll send two jars to each of your families.”
Not today though. Coming to the princely residence for a visit and then taking back a pile of gifts would be too much like poor relatives going to rich people’s homes to mooch.
Maternal Grandmother said, “Don’t send anything. A bunch of rough men—giving them tribute wine to drink is wasting good stuff.”
The two maternal aunts nodded in agreement.
Yao Huang didn’t insist further. When the time came, she would just send the festival gifts over directly.
The princely residence’s library pavilion was also on the eastern route, in the last courtyard. The yard was spacious with abundant light. The young servant who managed the library pavilion would regularly move the books inside out to air them in the sun.
The prince was very generous. When Yao Huang brought her four brothers to select books, she still had Eunuch Cao come over in advance. First, to have Eunuch Cao serve as a witness to prove the brothers were all well-mannered. Second, some books might be the prince’s favorites or precious rare editions—Yao Huang needed Eunuch Cao to give her a heads-up.
“Eunuch, do you know which books might be useful for the military imperial examinations?”
Yao Huang humbly sought guidance.
Eunuch Cao was in his early fifties. Having spent decades in the palace and seen much of the world, through exposure and influence he understood the civil and military imperial examinations held once every three years. Moreover, he had a master who was forced to study diligently as a child and loved reading as an adult. Whatever the master read, Eunuch Cao had to understand as well, lest the master want to discuss something and he knew nothing about it.
Eunuch Cao led the five people toward a row of bookshelves. As they walked, he said, “The written portion of the military imperial examinations mainly tests military strategy and tactics. The young masters have surely already read books like ‘The Art of War by Sun Tzu,’ ‘The Art of War by Wu Qi,’ and ‘Six Secret Teachings’ at the martial academy. But different teachers explain things with varying depth. The prince has versions here annotated by various renowned scholars, and when the prince is inspired, he also adds a few comments. They’re right here.”
The military imperial examinations on military strategy didn’t require students to memorize by rote. They tested students’ thorough understanding and flexible application of military strategy. The tactics section involved the court’s defense and governance of border regions and areas with frequent bandit troubles—matters that couldn’t be answered through dead book-learning alone.
When Zhao Sui read books, he didn’t just read works by predecessors. He also read the top three examination papers from all past civil and military imperial examinations of the current dynasty.
Initially, it was at the request of the renowned teachers hired by Noble Consort Du, who hoped her son would become a dragon. Later, after Noble Consort Du had the Fourth Prince and no longer supervised Zhao Sui’s studies, Emperor Yongchang, who had already been delighted by the Second Prince’s intelligence, remained very attentive. Knowing the Second Prince loved reading and had broad interests, Emperor Yongchang kept having people continuously send things to the Second Prince. When they couldn’t send originals, he had people make copies.
Other princes and princesses received gold, silver, and jewels bestowed by their imperial father and imperial mothers. For Zhao Sui, it was all books.
The library pavilion was very quiet. The four brothers sometimes gathered together, sometimes dispersed as they selected books. Finding it boring to just wait, Yao Huang also took down a military text from the bookshelf.
Densely packed characters—she recognized every single one. But when she connected them and carefully pondered their meaning, after reading just a few lines Yao Huang’s head began to ache. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in military strategy, but rather that the page was full of too many classical particles and the wording was overly concise, far less accessible than story books.
Yao Huang put down this book and began browsing randomly.
Suddenly, one book had something tucked inside. Yao Huang turned to that page and discovered it was a thin sheet of paper slightly smaller than the book page. On the paper were drawn little figures in armor. Some held flags, some held bows and arrows or long spears, and there were also figures riding horses and beating drums.
Eunuch Cao promptly said nearby, “This is a military formation diagram. The prince drew it according to the formation described in the book when he was eight years old.”
Yao Huang: “…”
At eight years old he could already draw such lifelike little figures, and the figures were doing such complex things?
Eunuch Cao recalled the scene from back then, his eyes full of affection: “Actually, the prince was tired from reading and felt embarrassed to slack off, so he drew little figures to pass the time. Otherwise, for just a military formation diagram, he could have directly used characters, circles, and lines to mark it.”
Yao Huang became interested and specifically searched for books that might have things tucked inside. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find a second sheet with little figures on it.
Eunuch Cao asked, “Does the princess consort want to see the prince’s paintings?”
Yao Huang replied, “Are there some?”
Eunuch Cao said, “This way, please.”
Passing through several book rooms, Eunuch Cao brought the princess consort to a room specifically for storing paintings. Aside from a few hung up, most paintings were stored as scrolls on painting racks or in painting tubes.
“These are all the prince’s paintings. The prince began learning to paint at age four. Whenever there was an excellent work, this old servant would preserve it. After establishing his household, everything was moved here.”
Yao Huang thought about herself at age four—she was still playing in the mud.
The painting scrolls were arranged according to the prince’s age when he created them, from age four to age twenty. Each year had anywhere from two or three paintings to four or five. At age twenty, the northern border became tense. The prince went to the battlefield, and later his legs were injured. He probably had no mood for painting after that.
Yao Huang opened one of the prince’s paintings from when he was four years old. Inside was a section of corridor with a palace lantern hanging from it.
Eunuch Cao, worried the princess consort would look down on the prince’s immature painting skills from childhood, explained, “Actually, the prince didn’t want to keep these practice works. It was this old servant who liked them and snatched a few to preserve. Our prince has such a good temperament—when he saw this old servant had moved the stored paintings over after establishing his household, the prince wasn’t angry at this old servant for taking such initiative.”
Yao Huang had no ability to critique painting techniques. She had never studied painting at all, because those pigments were all too expensive, and her mother had never thought to scrimp and save to raise her as a daughter with many talents and skills.
But she thought this palace lantern painting was very good. It was just that there was only one palace lantern—it looked lonely.
She continued looking at the paintings.
Prince Hui mostly painted still life. Occasionally butterflies would appear on flowers, or birds would perch on treetops. It wasn’t until age eighteen that there was a magnificent battlefield charge scene—vigorous warhorses with all four hooves off the ground, soldiers raising long spears high, gray-blue sky in the distance, wild grass blown askew in the foreground.
Through this painting, Yao Huang seemed to see Prince Hui’s first time on the battlefield, filled with fervent passion.
The second painting from when he was eighteen, also his last, showed Prince Hui painting a scene of flying heavy snow. Under the corridor eaves, a young eunuch stood on a stool holding paste, pasting up Spring Festival couplets, while another young eunuch stood beside him helping to smooth out the red couplet that hadn’t yet adhered properly.
Yao Huang smiled: “That’s Qing Ai and Fei Quan, right?”
Although only their profiles were visible and they were blurred by the snowflakes falling from the sky, one could still recognize the shadows of Qing Ai and Fei Quan.
Eunuch Cao said, “Indeed. This is the only portrait of people around him that the prince has painted. But look how well the prince painted it. Back then Fei Quan was still a bit plump. This double chin is exactly like the real person.”
Yao Huang unconsciously made the slightly lowered head gesture Fei Quan had in the picture and touched her own chin.
Eunuch Cao said, “…The princess consort is naturally beautiful with a flower-like countenance. From any angle, you are beautiful to the extreme, absolutely without the slightest flaw.”
Yao Huang laughed: “You’re quite good at flattery.”
The four brothers—Yao Lin, Luo Kun, Luo Peng, and Luo Ze—selected a total of four military strategy books and eight sets of military imperial examination papers. The four would take turns reading them, agreeing that Yao Lin would return them at the end of the seventh month.
Yao Huang instructed them, “Keep this matter within the family. Don’t tell outsiders, especially classmates at the martial academy.”
Yao Huang believed that prominent noble families could also collect military texts annotated by renowned scholars. But the transcripts of past military imperial examination papers that the princely residence had were probably only available in Prince Kang’s and Prince Qing’s residences. Her brothers had obtained this opportunity, making them more confident about next year’s military imperial examinations. But it could also easily provoke jealousy and resentment from their classmates.
With steady eldest cousin watching over the cousins, Yao Huang was at ease. As for her foolish brother, Yao Huang would have her mother keep an eye on him.
Yao Lin was hurt by his sister’s look: “I still have that much sense. I won’t even tell Li Tingwang.”
Yao Huang and Luo Kun controlled their expressions well, as if Yao Lin had merely mentioned his best friend from his maternal family. Second cousin Luo Peng and third cousin Luo Ze were somewhat nervous, because they all knew that Li Tingwang liked their cousin, liked her very very much—so much so that in the half year after their cousin became a candidate for the imperial selection, Li Tingwang had lost nearly twenty jin.
Yao Huang didn’t look at the shrewd Eunuch Cao, but without any guilt she voluntarily brought up Li Tingwang: “Brother and Li Tingwang are as close as brothers. He treats brother with complete sincerity. If his literary courses aren’t good, brother can lend him these to look at—it’s fine. However, Li Tingwang always places in the top three in the martial academy on every minor examination. He doesn’t need brother’s help at all. So better to avoid this matter, lest his petty mother find out and go say sarcastic things to our mother.”
Yao Lin nodded. He absolutely would not give Madam Li the opportunity to make passive-aggressive remarks to his mother.
After seeing off her family, it was the hottest time of the afternoon. Thinking that the prince would come to Mingantang in the evening, Yao Huang didn’t make a special trip to the bamboo courtyard to express thanks.
After her midday rest, Yao Huang timed it right and went to the bamboo courtyard half a shichen before dinner, knocking lightly on the door.
Fei Quan walked over to open the door. Through the door crack, seeing it was the princess consort, he immediately grew anxious for himself and the prince—they were going to make the princess consort wait again.
Yao Huang was in a good mood. She glanced at Fei Quan’s chin and told him to go ahead and announce her.
No one had expected her to come at this hour. Qing Ai and Fei Quan first carried the wheelchair to the study, then Qing Ai pushed the prince to the courtyard gate.
As the door opened, facing Prince Hui’s inquiring gaze, Yao Huang smiled and said, “It’s cooler now. I want to accompany the prince for a stroll in the garden. After strolling, we’ll go directly to Mingantang. Does the prince have time?”
Zhao Sui nodded.
Yao Huang took over the wheelchair and skillfully pushed him away from the bamboo courtyard.
Heading west, the brilliant setting sun shone brightly on Prince Hui’s pale face. Yao Huang tilted her head to look and teased him: “The prince reads books all day and has become even paler than me.”
Zhao Sui: “…”
Yao Huang said, “By the way, my brother and the others borrowed many books. I thank the prince on their behalf.”
Zhao Sui replied, “Those books just sit idle in the residence. Having someone read them is putting them to proper use.”
Yao Huang continued, “I also came across the prince’s paintings. The prince is truly amazing—you could paint so well even as a child.”
Zhao Sui said, “…Just casual paintings to pass the time. Treasuring one’s own broom, that’s all.”
Yao Huang protested, “I’m genuinely praising you. Prince, don’t give me that false modesty. I saw the one you painted of Qing Ai and Fei Quan, and I was thinking of asking the prince to paint me too. The prince’s authentic work could surely be passed down for a thousand years. Then future generations can also see my beauty and know that although Princess Consort Hui’s family background wasn’t prominent, her appearance was worthy of matching the prince.”
The smile in Zhao Sui’s eyes grew deeper. His princess consort indeed did not like false modesty.
After she finished speaking in one breath, Zhao Sui replied, “Alright, you pick a time.”
Yao Huang asked, “Paint me? Then let’s do it tomorrow, while it’s cool in the morning!”
Zhao Sui tacitly agreed.
Next, Yao Huang walked while examining the garden, scouting out several places suitable for painting. When leaving the garden, she was still fretting: “Which place does the prince think is best?”
Zhao Sui said, “Since you like them, we can paint one at each location.”
Yao Huang asked, “How long would that take?”
Zhao Sui replied, “No need to rush to complete them in one day. The garden has different scenery in all four seasons. Some scenes might be more suitable for other seasons.”
Yao Huang said, “I see. I don’t really understand. Prince, you keep an eye out for me. Whatever you say about when to paint, we’ll paint then.”
Zhao Sui made note of it.
That night, after getting into bed, Yao Huang snuggled up to Prince Hui who was lying flat, propping her chin up with one hand, smiling directly at that handsome face.
Zhao Sui asked, “What are you smiling about?”
Yao Huang replied, “Smiling because my prince is not only handsome with a good temperament, but also proficient in military strategy and skilled at painting.”
If he were just an ordinary prince—average-looking, bad-tempered, and disabled—Yao Huang estimated she would be very resistant to nighttime activities.
But now…
Yao Huang actively pounced over, kissing his neck the way he liked.
Prince Hui’s arms instantly tensed.