After returning to the prince’s manor from the palace, Prince Hui went to the Bamboo Courtyard while Yao Huang continued training Jinbao at the Ming’an Hall.

Jinbao was now jumping over the horizontal bar quite impressively. They would wait until its body grew larger before raising the bar higher. Today, Yao Huang wanted to train its ability to find things. She first let Jinbao smell its favorite meat bone, then hid the plate containing the meat bone in the study in the back courtyard to see if Jinbao could find it.

Jinbao circled around Yao Huang, clearly thinking the meat bone was still on its master.

Yao Huang sighed. Since coming to Prince Hui’s manor, the little creature had been eating better and better. Like her, it now lived the good life of having food brought to its mouth, making even its bones lazy. If it were still that little puppy in Lingshan Town that never got enough to eat, it would have surely followed the scent long ago to find food to fill its belly.

With no other choice, Yao Huang led Jinbao to the study. Only then did Jinbao discover another source of meat fragrance even stronger than what was on its master, and it bounded over joyfully to find it.

Yao Huang thought that with gradual teaching over multiple sessions, Jinbao would understand she was testing it.

Near noon, Prince Hui came to Ming’an Hall. Yao Huang smilingly recounted Jinbao’s small progress.

Zhao Sui looked toward the doorway. Jinbao had already eaten ahead of time and was now lying by the door where it could bask in the sunlight, tilting its head and watching them with two bright black eyes. Its golden fur had been nourished by the princess consort until it became increasingly glossy and lustrous.

Lunch ended amid the princess consort’s cheerful chatter. Zhao Sui spent two quarters of an hour reading in the study, underwent two quarters of an hour of massage and application, then proceeded to the back courtyard for his afternoon rest.

Yao Huang was already lying in bed. Because the couple’s afternoon rests were mostly not entirely innocent, Yao Huang uncontrollably recalled last night’s new variation.

Before the wedding, Yao Huang had worried that Prince Hui’s body wasn’t up to the task and everything would depend on her. Who would have thought that although Prince Hui’s legs were crippled, he could rely on a pair of strong arms…

Yao Huang counted on her fingers. If the arhat bed and the large wheelchair counted as one type of variation, they had actually accumulated a whole handful?

The sound of the wheelchair moving came from the outer room.

Yao Huang pulled up the quilt and turned toward the inner side with a flushed face.

After Qing Ai withdrew, Zhao Sui lifted himself onto the bed. Looking at his legs hanging down from the bed, Zhao Sui paused, then moved both legs up separately.

Once settled, Zhao Sui retrieved something from inside his robe and reached out to place it on the pillow where the princess consort could see it.

The pillowcases for the prince and princess consort were from the same set. Today’s set had a pale gold background—the prince’s was embroidered with intertwining branch patterns, while the princess consort’s had additional peony flowers.

Yao Huang first saw Prince Hui’s hand reaching over, then noticed an intensely green bracelet appear on her pillowcase. It was even greener than the green bracelet she had given Zheng Yuanzhen as a meeting gift—green in a rich yet fresh way, as if Prince Hui’s green paints had been mixed into concentrated water and then frozen into an icy shell, though the deep green inside still seemed to flow even without shaking it.

Yao Huang sat up in one motion, cradling the green bracelet in both hands and examining it carefully, delighted beyond measure. “The prince actually has such a treasure?”

In the princess consort’s eyes, Zhao Sui saw delight, but also a trace of suspicion, as if she wanted to reproach him for knowing she loved jewelry yet only now being willing to bring out his treasures for her.

Zhao Sui explained, “I selected it at a jewelry shop this morning.”

The manor’s storehouse did indeed contain various treasures that the Emperor had previously bestowed upon him, but at that time he wasn’t yet married, so the Emperor wouldn’t have rewarded him with jewelry and items for women.

Yao Huang was startled, finally fixing all her attention on Prince Hui’s face. “Just this morning? The prince personally selected it?”

Zhao Sui gave his tacit consent. The princess consort had said that only what he personally selected counted as a gift.

Yao Huang understood. Prince Hui was afraid she felt bad about giving away the bracelet, so he specially compensated her with a better one. It should be better, right?

“How much silver was this one?” Yao Huang asked casually while slipping the green bracelet onto her wrist.

After maintaining reserve for a while without hearing Prince Hui quote a figure, Yao Huang lifted her eyes and guessed while observing Prince Hui’s expression, “Three hundred taels?”

She didn’t believe what Prince Hui gave her would be cheaper than what she gave Zheng Yuanzhen.

Prince Hui averted his gaze and continued pressing his lips together.

Yao Huang pounced on him, face to face, and guessed, “More? Two hundred taels?”

Zhao Sui said with lowered eyes, “The bracelet weighs two taels, costs one thousand taels of silver, with an additional one hundred taels in craftsmanship fees.”

Yao Huang: “…”

After being thoroughly shocked, Yao Huang quickly sat upright, carefully removed the bracelet and placed it on the relatively soft pillowcase. She knelt with her knees together, head lowered, looking again and again, worried. “Is it really worth this price? Did the shopkeeper take advantage of the prince not knowing how to bargain?”

Zhao Sui: “…This is the finest grade emerald, currently priced at fifty silver per qian. It’s an old established shop in the capital—they deal honestly with all customers, young and old.”

With so many noble people in the capital, Prince Hui was fortunate to encounter this newly arrived bracelet; otherwise, even with silver he might not have been able to buy it.

That Prince Hui was so willing to spend money on her made Yao Huang both happy and troubled. “It’s so precious, I don’t even dare wear it out. If it gets knocked or bumped, I’ll be heartbroken to death.”

Zhao Sui: “You can wear it only when attending banquets, and change to other bracelets when going out of the city to play.”

He picked up the bracelet and put it back on the princess consort’s wrist. The fresh, verdant emerald bracelet made the princess consort’s wrist appear creamy white, outshining frost and snow.

Prince Hui stared in a daze for a moment, actually forgetting to release the princess consort’s hand.

Only after Yao Huang finished admiring her beautiful hand wearing the green bracelet did she notice Prince Hui wasn’t staring at the bracelet. Her face heated up, and she actively burrowed into his embrace.

Since Prince Hui no longer resisted going out, Yao Huang decided to properly take him to tour the outskirts of the capital.

There were also some beautiful sceneries within the capital, not just the prosperous four major commercial streets. Touring for a day and resting for a day, in the blink of an eye it was late August.

Early one morning, Yao Huang suggested, “Prince, today shall we ride horses to outside the city to enjoy autumn?”

Riding in a carriage had its conveniences, while riding horses had its own carefree ease.

Zhao Sui instinctively avoided the princess consort’s bright eyes. After he had grown accustomed to going out in a wheelchair, riding a horse might seem like a cover-up.

However, this concern only flashed by. Whether sitting in a wheelchair or riding a horse, these were his own affairs and had nothing to do with others.

“All right.”

Yao Huang had naturally also thought of other arrangements. “We’ll ride horses and have two carriages follow behind with pastries and tea. That way we can tour outside for a whole day.”

Zhao Sui nodded.

After giving instructions before the meal, by the time the meal was over, the fine horses, carriages, and other matters had all been prepared. Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui to the first courtyard of the prince’s manor. The常服 guard escorts were all waiting outside. On this side of the screen wall, there were only the prince and princess consort, Qing Ai and Fei Quan, as well as Prince Hui’s mount Jingwu, waiting obediently here.

Yao Huang released the wheelchair and said to Prince Hui, “I’ll go check first if anything was forgotten in the carriage!”

Zhao Sui watched the princess consort walk briskly around the screen wall and exit the manor’s main gate.

After several months of marriage, Zhao Sui had long since felt the princess consort’s consideration for his dignity. Just as she wouldn’t suddenly turn around when he was putting on or taking off his trousers, just as at this moment when Qing Ai and Fei Quan needed to assist him in mounting the horse, she also didn’t remain here to watch.

Qing Ai carried the prince on his back to the side of the recumbent Jingwu, and Fei Quan helped lift the prince’s legs across to sit astride the horse.

Once seated securely, Jingwu stood up.

Qing Ai and Fei Quan then helped the prince adjust the small mechanism connecting his boots to the stirrups, so that even slight jolting wouldn’t cause the prince’s feet to slip from the stirrups. It looked just like a normal person riding a horse. This was an improvement that the manor’s craftsmen had made on the spot when the prince decided to personally go to Changshou Alley to fetch his bride.

Ordinary horses were easily startled. Jingwu was a warhorse that had gone through life and death with the prince on the battlefield. Even if it meant injuring itself, it would protect the master on its back.

Zhao Sui stroked Jingwu’s mane and slightly tugged the reins. Jingwu then walked outward.

Outside the manor gate, Yao Huang had also just mounted her horse. Seeing Prince Hui riding out, Yao Huang smiled, urged her horse forward, and rode alongside him.

Given that Jingwu and Ni Guang were clearly fine horses at first glance, today the couple didn’t deliberately wear fine cloth clothing. When they rode to the south city gate and queued to wait to exit the city, some nearby common people curiously looked over. Yao Huang was wearing a dust-proof veiled hat so people couldn’t see clearly, but that man who looked like an immortal…

“Isn’t that Prince Hui? A few years ago when Prince Hui went on campaign, I watched the excitement from afar once.”

“Ah, Prince Hui isn’t he… Can riding a horse really be okay? I’m just afraid of suddenly falling off…”

The speaker’s voice wasn’t loud, but unfortunately the other people nearby heard and spread it outward wave after wave. In the buzzing discussion, the words “Prince Hui” became clearer.

Zhao Sui had expected this long ago. No one in Lingshan Town recognized him, but on the capital side, aside from possibly encountering civil and military officials and imperial relatives, he had led troops on campaign twice and the common people had seen him, he had gone to marry the princess consort and the common people had seen him—there would always be those with good memories.

Suddenly, the princess consort moved closer to him. Even through a layer of veil, Zhao Sui could feel the scrutiny from the princess consort.

Zhao Sui slightly tightened his grip on the reins, then heard the princess consort say, “Handsome people attract trouble. How about next time we go out, I also prepare a veiled hat for the prince?”

Zhao Sui: “…”

Looking at the white gauze constantly brushing past the princess consort’s cheek with the gentle autumn breeze, Zhao Sui couldn’t imagine himself also covered with white gauze, and had no desire to try.

Yao Huang: “Don’t like white gauze? Then I’ll have Chun Yan make you one with black gauze.”

Zhao Sui: “…Let’s go.”

Yao Huang turned her head and discovered the queue had moved forward.

When it was their turn to be inspected by the gate guards, Yao Huang produced Prince Hui’s waist token that she had collected in advance.

The gate guard’s expression changed drastically. He immediately led several gate guards behind him and knelt toward Prince Hui on the fine horse. “This humble officer pays respects to the prince!”

Zhao Sui said indifferently, “Rise. Continue your duties.”

Having said this, he led the princess consort out of the city.

Yao Huang turned her head and saw that the common people and travelers who had quietly speculated about Prince Hui’s identity nearby all revealed dumbstruck expressions.

Yao Huang smiled. She had done it deliberately—deliberately showing off Prince Hui’s identity, deliberately letting the gate guards or common people get accustomed early to the fact that Prince Hui would frequently leave the manor. Once accustomed, the next time Prince Hui showed his face, no one would need to make a big fuss anymore.

Withdrawing her gaze, Yao Huang kissed the waist token in her hand through the white gauze, then tucked the token into the side pocket on the saddle.

The sky was cloudlessly blue, and the sun wasn’t yet high.

Yao Huang hung the white gauze from the front of the veiled hat on the hat brim and asked Prince Hui, who had been watching her, “Does the prince want to try a slow trot?”

Zhao Sui didn’t answer directly. “You first.”

Yao Huang glanced at Jingwu and urged Ni Guang to take the lead.

She didn’t look back, but soon the sound of hoofbeats came from behind. Presently, Jingwu swept past her peripheral vision like a wisp of black mist as in Prince Hui’s paintings, proceeding forward at the normal galloping speed of an ordinary fine horse. The silhouette of Prince Hui on horseback was stable and relaxed, without any sign of strain.

Yao Huang gave chase with peace of mind.

Ahead was a straight official road drenched in brilliant autumn sunlight, stretching so far into the distance that no end could be seen.