Having just confirmed they would go to Lingshan Town, how could Yao Huang possibly calm down and just focus on eating?

Sitting back on the stone stool, Yao Huang gazed happily at the prince across from her and emphasized once more: “To me, Your Highness is not only the best husband in the capital, but also the best husband under heaven.”

Although she had thought of this solution entirely for the prince’s sake, he didn’t know that, and Yao Huang didn’t dare let him know. She feared the prince would be too resistant and adamantly refuse to go. Moreover, Yao Huang didn’t want the prince to feel she was treating him as a patient in need of treatment.

Prince Hui’s leg condition had already been declared incurable by the imperial physicians. His legs had become like two small missing pieces in an otherwise perfect jade—medicine was useless, and without medicine they neither hurt nor itched nor affected his other daily activities. Since this was the case, the disability in Prince Hui’s legs could no longer be called an illness.

Prince Hui was not sick, and Yao Huang had no intention of curing his legs. She simply wanted to take him outside to see the world, to let him gradually adapt, to let the vitality that had sunk down along with his legs slowly float back up bit by bit.

So then, a disabled prince who wouldn’t even leave the Bamboo Courtyard suddenly changing his mind to go to Lingshan over one hundred and sixty li away to escape the summer heat must be because his newly married princess consort wanted to go there. Thus Prince Hui would rather overcome all the inconveniences of traveling, rather endure the shabby simplicity of a remote small town, just to fulfill his princess consort’s wish and make her happy.

The more Yao Huang thought about it, the warmer her heart felt. When someone racks their brains thinking of another person, what they fear most is having their good intentions treated like garbage.

Since Prince Hui treated her this way, on the journey there and back and after arriving in Lingshan Town, Yao Huang would certainly take even more thorough and meticulous care of the prince.

The princess consort’s dark, bright eyes kept looking at him, looking at him—sincere and open, as if wanting to use such enthusiasm to tell him that all her praise was heartfelt, absolutely not flattery or obsequious pandering.

Zhao Sui believed her. At least in this moment she thought this way. He had given her what she wanted, and the princess consort was so delighted that of course she would think he was a good husband.

To divert the princess consort’s attention, Zhao Sui said: “I will arrange for the carriages, horses, tents, and house selection and purchase. However, since we’re traveling incognito for an extended stay, we need to fabricate an identity that the townspeople will find credible. Also, which people should accompany us? Have you thought about it?”

Yao Huang’s expression indeed changed: “If I say I have thought about it, Your Highness will be angry that everything I said to coax you last night was false.”

Zhao Sui looked at the buns in his bowl that she had made with her own hands: “I don’t get angry that easily. Since we’ve decided to go, just speak truthfully.”

Yao Huang: “Then I’ll really say it?”

Zhao Sui picked up a bun and took a leisurely bite, adopting an attitude of the princess consort could say it or not.

Yao Huang watched him raise the bun high then lower it, thinking that a prince was indeed a prince—even eating a bun he ate with an elegance that common folk didn’t possess. It was just like in storybooks where rough men always spouted coarse words when holding women, while Prince Hui always stayed silent and just exerted his strength.

Zhao Sui raised his eyes and found his princess consort smiling rather strangely.

Their gazes met, and Yao Huang quickly suppressed that untimely praise which the prince probably wouldn’t want to hear anyway. She first took a bite of her bun, and while eating most of it she also organized her words. Then she took a sip of the clear tea already prepared on the stone table and said cheerfully: “Your Highness, let me tell you, the common people in small towns love gossiping about other families’ affairs the most. If we’re going to pretend, we must pretend very convincingly. Otherwise, once people hear any inconsistency somewhere, those people will imagine even more absurd things.”

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang: “As for servants, I’ll just bring A’Ji. Which ones does Your Highness want to bring?”

Zhao Sui: “I need Qing Ai and Fei Quan to take care of daily needs. Lingshan Town is remote, and you and I might not be accustomed to the water and soil, so Physician Liao must also come. For washing clothes, if it’s all left to A’Ji, can she manage alone?”

Zhao Sui wasn’t clear on how many garments one maid could wash in a day. Moreover, A’Ji was the princess consort’s trusted personal maid. If the princess consort couldn’t bear to let A’Ji work so hard, they could bring one more laundry maid.

Yao Huang: “She can manage. Summer is cool, washing clothes isn’t as miserable as in winter. Our group won’t be doing physical labor either, so the clothes won’t get too dirty—just rinse them to remove the sweat.”

Zhao Sui: “We still need a cook. Should we bring Chef Kong or the one from Mingtan Hall?”

Either was fine with him. It depended on which chef’s cooking she preferred more.

Yao Huang quickly thought through all these people and said with a smile: “Let’s bring Gao Niangzi. It’ll be convenient for us to pretend to be one big family. Physician Liao and Gao Niangzi can pretend to be a married couple. Qing Ai and A’Ji can pretend to be their eldest son and daughter-in-law. This also saves the neighbors from constantly thinking of introducing marriage prospects to them—after all, both their appearances and bearing would be quite outstanding in the town.”

“Fei Quan has a youthful face, so he can pretend to be their younger son. If anyone asks about marriage prospects, we can put them off saying there’s no rush. Your Highness can pretend to be the couple’s nephew—well, a clever and handsome scholar who accidentally injured his legs. I’ll naturally be the beautiful wife they married for you as their nephew-in-law.”

Zhao Sui glanced at the princess consort’s face. Indeed, she could be called beautiful.

Yao Huang: “Physician Liao can continue practicing medicine in the town, making it appear our family has a means of livelihood. If we have any headaches or fevers, he’ll take care of us. When we’re fine, he can treat the townspeople’s ailments. This both occupies his time and benefits the local people, and it can also earn goodwill for our family.”

“Gao Niangzi will be responsible for cooking. A’Ji can assist her. When not cooking, she and A’Ji can wash clothes together, coming and going together—more like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.”

“Qing Ai and Fei Quan are accustomed to being eunuchs, so going out could easily expose their identities. We’ll say they need to stay home drying medicinal herbs and only occasionally go out.”

“We should bring guards too, right? Just bring the two most skilled martial artists from the prince’s manor, disguised as apprentices who signed death contracts with Physician Liao. At night they’ll stay with us to watch the house, and during the day let them work at Physician Liao’s place. The small town probably isn’t large—if we ever need the guards, they can rush over quickly if we shoot off a signal arrow. There are such things as signal arrows, right?”

Zhao Sui: “Yes.”

Yao Huang: “But this is just as a precaution. Lingshan is only about one hundred li from the capital, so I imagine there aren’t any major evildoers who burn, kill, and plunder. As for ordinary small thieves, I alone can handle two of them.”

Zhao Sui: “I’ll arrange another team of plainclothes guards. Have them disguise themselves as traveling merchants staying at an inn, with one of them pretending to be sick and bedridden. The merchant guards can wander around town during the day, maintaining distance while secretly protecting you.”

Yao Huang: “…”

An entire team of guards!

Right, this person was after all a prince who couldn’t walk by himself. What if, just what if the couple were really so unlucky as to encounter several major evildoers or a gang of local ruffians, and if the prince were injured or even met with harm, Yao Huang, the princess consort who had encouraged him to leave home, would have to bear the consequences. In the lightest case, she’d be neglected or divorced by the injured prince. In the worst case, she’d be beheaded by the enraged Emperor Yongchang, her family property confiscated and nine generations of relatives implicated!

Thinking of this, Yao Huang shivered and said uneasily: “Your Highness, how about we don’t go after all? I’m suddenly a bit scared.”

It was her fault for only thinking about helping the prince feel better, forgetting how precious the prince was. Yao Huang luring him on a distant journey was like borrowing a treasured egg personally laid down by Emperor Yongchang—any mishap and Yao Huang would be doomed.

Zhao Sui looked at her and said: “What’s there to fear? Since Father Emperor ascended the throne, there hasn’t been a single bandit incident involving more than ten people in the entire capital region. Before we depart, I’ll also send people to thoroughly investigate the situation around Lingshan. If there’s a real threat, I won’t take you there.”

Only then did Yao Huang feel relieved.

After finishing lunch, the major and minor matters regarding the Lingshan Town trip had all been considered. As she pushed Prince Hui back to his courtyard, Yao Huang finally said: “Once we really go, Your Highness will have to wear cotton cloth like me. Cotton cloth isn’t as smooth as silk. Let me have people make you an outfit first to try on?”

If Prince Hui couldn’t even wear cotton cloth, all the previous plans would be for nothing.

Zhao Sui: “Just have them make the finished garments.”

He had indeed worn brocade and fine clothes since childhood, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t endure hardship. Compared to sleeping rough on battlefields amid flashing blades and swords, wearing cotton cloth was hardly any hardship at all.

The embroidery room had Prince Hui’s body measurements. Moreover, sewing common people’s cotton garments was much simpler than sewing brocade and fine clothes. In just five short days, the embroidery room delivered ten sets of cotton clothes, shoes, and socks for Prince Hui. At the same time, they also made five or six sets of fine cotton new clothes for Yao Huang and A’Ji, and sent several sets each to Physician Liao, Gao Niangzi, Qing Ai, and Fei Quan.

This was enough. Yao Huang told the embroidery room not to make any more cotton clothes.

After waiting another two days, Prince Hui came to Mingtan Hall and informed the princess consort that the residence and medical clinic shop in Lingshan Town had all been arranged.

While receiving the scroll he handed her, Yao Huang said in surprise: “So fast?”

Zhao Sui: “Physician Liao took Zhang Yue and Wang Dong to handle it. They’ve already moved in there. You and I can depart at any time.”

Yao Huang was already looking at the scroll, which showed a floor plan of the new residence in Lingshan Town—two residential compounds, each with two courtyards, their front gates facing a river. The eastern residence was for the prince and princess consort to live in, the western one for Physician Liao’s “family.” The walls between the two houses’ front and back courtyards were all opened up.

Although they would only live there for about two months, Yao Huang still felt a homey fondness for and anticipation of this residence. Sitting beside Prince Hui, Yao Huang pointed to the eastern compound and said: “Ostensibly we have three married couples, so why don’t we let Qing Ai and A’Ji live in the front courtyard while you and I live in the back courtyard, Your Highness? This way the western compound will also have more space.”

Zhao Sui: “There are enough rooms, they won’t be crowded. The eastern compound will be like Mingtan Hall—I’ll live in the front courtyard and you in the back courtyard.”

Yao Huang didn’t understand: “We’re already pretending to be commoners, so why still live separately? My father and mother have always lived together.”

Prince Hui’s tone was indifferent: “I prefer quiet.”

Yao Huang: “…I don’t have to pester Your Highness to talk every single night.”

Zhao Sui didn’t respond further.

Yao Huang didn’t continue insisting either. That the prince was willing to go to Lingshan Town was already very good—what kind of major flaw was living in separate courtyards?

With food, clothing, housing, and transportation all properly arranged, Yao Huang reminded Prince Hui: “We’re going on a distant journey. I’ve already informed my family, saying Your Highness is taking me to the northern garden villa to escape the summer heat. Should Your Highness also let Father Emperor know? Otherwise, if one day Father Emperor and Mother Empress want to see us and a eunuch comes with an imperial decree only to find we’re not here, the two elders will worry.”

Prince Hui: “Yes.”

The next day, Emperor Yongchang, having concluded the morning court session, received a long-absent memorial from his second son.

Imperial princes’ memorials fell into two categories: one type could follow the normal procedure of being submitted to the Secretariat for review and organization before being reported to the emperor; the other type could be submitted directly to the emperor. The latter typically concerned imperial family matters or important confidential reports.

Prince Hui’s memorial was one submitted directly to Eunuch Wang for presentation to Emperor Yongchang.

Emperor Yongchang excitedly opened the memorial and saw written on it: “Reporting to Father Emperor: The summer heat is oppressive. Your son, confined to a wheelchair, finds it unbearably stifling. Thus I am taking the princess consort out to escape the summer heat. We departed the capital this morning and will return before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Servants, guards, and physicians are all prepared. May Father Emperor take care of his health and not worry.”

Emperor Yongchang was stunned. His second son had gone out to escape the summer heat?

Looking at the bright sun outside the window, Emperor Yongchang suddenly felt heartache. His second son’s legs were crippled, and he could only sit in a wheelchair for long periods. Even if there was ice in the room, his bottom would still be hot!

Last summer, when his son’s bones broken and fractured all over his body hadn’t yet healed, he had no choice but to lie bedridden. This year he could move, so naturally he would want to find a cooler place to escape the heat, wouldn’t he?

Go then. As long as his son lived comfortably, it didn’t matter where he was.