When Emperor Yongchang was reviewing the victory report memorial sent by his third son in the Imperial Study, Yao Huang had just woken up.

The Northern Garden was less than two hundred li from the capital. Unfortunately, the imperial procession and the accompanying ten thousand Imperial Guards and twenty thousand Capital Battalion troops traveled slowly, taking six days to arrive.

During these six days, Yao Huang and Prince Hui each rode in separate carriages. At night they also slept in different tents. Due to summons from Emperor Yongchang or Empress Zhou, the couple couldn’t necessarily eat all three daily meals together. Exchanging glances from afar, clearly in the same place yet feeling separated by distance.

Yao Huang considered herself fairly tranquil in desire. As for Prince Hui, he had a face that looked tranquil in desire, but actually his desires were heavy. After only five abstinent nights, last night he disregarded the fatigue of travel and entangled with her twice in succession.

“Reporting to the Princess Consort, the Prince went to the front court early this morning to attend to duties.”

The traveling palace was built imitating the Imperial City, divided into front court and rear palace. The difference was that the front court at the traveling palace had arranged lodging quarters for accompanying officials, while princes, princesses, and their family members were all assigned palace courtyards in the rear palace.

Emperor Yongchang’s sleeping chamber was located in the middle of the rear palace. The palace courtyards on the west side were allocated to imperial consorts and princesses, while the east side was allocated to the three princes: Prince Kang’s family lived in Qinghui Hall, Prince Hui and his wife lived in Yunshan Hall, Prince Qing and his wife lived in Songfeng Hall. The fourth prince, still far from marrying a wife, also lived on this side in Chengguan Hall.

Still lying down, Yao Huang admired Prince Hui even more.

After the First Princess and Second Princess successively had their prince consorts decided, Prince Hui had voluntarily taken on the task of renovating princess manors for his two sisters. Compared to those projects directly involving people’s livelihood, building residences for princesses sounded quite simple, but disputes could easily arise here too. For instance, Prince Hui had to calculate the silver carefully and couldn’t build the princess manors too lavishly extravagant. Empress Zhou and the First Princess were reasonable—as long as the timber and stone materials matched the princess’s status and the garden was built elegantly and beautifully, that was fine. The Second Princess wouldn’t agree, personally seeking out her second brother to complain about this and that. Prince Hui had a good temper—he wouldn’t increase the silver, but was willing to try his best to satisfy the Second Princess’s other requests.

In Yao Huang’s opinion, this kind of laborious and thankless task was something she would avoid if possible. Not only did Prince Hui accept it, he actually did it diligently and conscientiously without complaint.

Fortunately, last month Consort Du fell ill. After recuperating for so long, her spirits still hadn’t improved. Not only did she not cause trouble for Prince Hui over the Second Princess’s manor, Consort Du didn’t even come to the Northern Garden summer retreat this time, remaining in the capital with the dignity of an imperial consort.

After washing, grooming, and eating breakfast, Yao Huang took out the Northern Garden scenery map that Prince Hui had personally drawn for her.

The traveling palace couldn’t be drawn, as that would be taboo. Prince Hui could only draw from memory for his Princess Consort the mountains, lakes, grasslands around the Northern Garden, as well as several gardens and the rare beast garden carefully tended by palace servants.

Yao Huang pointed to the location of the rare beast garden and took A’Ji out the door.

Standing at her own doorway, Yao Huang had A’Ji go to Songfeng Hall on the east side to ask if Princess Consort Qing had left yet. If not, tell her that she invited Princess Consort Qing to go together to the western palace to pay respects.

Zheng Yuanzhen had woken up long ago. Although in her own manor she occasionally slept in, now residing in the traveling palace together with the Emperor and Empress, Zheng Yuanzhen naturally wouldn’t be negligent in propriety.

According to Zheng Yuanzhen’s temperament, she should have long since gone to pay respects to the imperial consorts. But her mother had repeatedly instructed her to maintain superficial harmony with her two sisters-in-law. So Zheng Yuanzhen had little maids watch for movements from Princess Consort Kang and Princess Consort Hui ahead. Once those two were about to go out, she would set out. Then those two would naturally wait for her to go together.

Zheng Yuanzhen waited and waited for a full hour—it was almost the hour of Si!

Thinking that Yao Huang at the Chuxiu Pavilion also always got up last, Zheng Yuanzhen continued to endure.

“Princess Consort, Princess Consort Hui is going to the western palace. She’s asking if you want to go together.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuanzhen directly walked out.

Yao Huang was talking with Chen Ying and Prince Kang’s two side consorts. These three had risen early and were also waiting for Yao Huang, but had been waiting ahead. As soon as Yao Huang appeared, they came out leading the children.

“Second Aunt, why did you get up so late?” Little heir apparent Dun’er stood beside his gentle stepmother Chen Ying, asking curiously.

Chen Ying looked toward Yao Huang quite awkwardly. If it were her own child, she would remind Dun’er that he couldn’t ask such an impolite question. But Dun’er was the flesh and blood of the former Princess Consort, and moreover was the second most honored heir apparent of Prince Kang’s manor.

Yao Huang smiled. “Because Imperial Grandmother was considerate that we worked hard on the journey. Yesterday she specifically said to let us sleep a bit longer.”

A young person who liked activity like her felt her waist aching after sitting in a carriage for six consecutive days. Empress Zhou was fifty-one—she definitely also wanted to sleep late and rise later.

Dun’er looked resentfully toward the wet nurse behind him.

The wet nurse: “…”

Zheng Yuanzhen, who happened to hear this exchange: “…”

The group walked and chatted on their way to the western palace. From east to west was a long stretch of road, and it was a summer morning. The foreheads of Chen Ying, Zheng Yuanzhen, and the two side consorts all showed faint traces of sweat.

Yao Huang’s face wasn’t red and her breathing wasn’t labored. If not for accommodating the four women’s gentle lotus steps, she could have walked even faster.

On Empress Zhou’s side, Consort Liu, Consort Shen, Princess Imperial Fucheng, the First Princess, and Second Princess were all present, smiling and chatting about something.

When the three young princess consorts arrived before them, the Noble Consort looked at her daughter-in-law and asked strangely, “Why did you come so late this morning?”

Difficulty had just arisen in Chen Ying’s heart when Yao Huang beside her smiled and explained, “I was the one who got up late and dragged down Eldest Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law—they kept waiting for me.”

The Noble Consort smiled amiably. “It doesn’t matter. I was just asking casually.”

Consort柔, Princess Imperial Fucheng had also figured out Yao Huang’s temperament. She could speak well, so no one picked on this small fault of sleeping late. After all, picking on it wouldn’t gain any benefits.

Empress Zhou said, “Today is the first day. You’ve come to pay respects, so that’s sufficient. In the future, come once on mornings of days ending in five. Usually just go enjoy the scenery and tour the Northern Garden. It’s rare that this year the Emperor has the leisure to bring us all out. Don’t disappoint the beautiful mountains and waters here.”

The princess consorts and side consorts all responded in unison.

After taking their seats, Princess Imperial Fucheng looked toward her daughter and smiled. “A victory report came from Prince Qing’s side. The Tanzhou mountain bandits have already been eliminated. Right now Prince Qing should be rushing back. In ten days or so he’ll be able to reach the Northern Garden.”

Zheng Yuanzhen was genuinely surprised. “So fast?”

The Noble Consort teased, “Prince Qing is accomplished in both civil and military arts. We all knew this trip would inevitably bring immediate success. You, as Princess Consort Qing, spend day and night with him—you should understand his capabilities even better than us.”

Zheng Yuanzhen shyly lowered her head. She did understand Prince Qing quite well—his literary talent was there, his riding and archery martial skills were also not bad. She understood Prince Qing’s arrogance and self-importance even better. The bandit group that Tanzhou prefectural troops had failed several times to catch—she had speculated Prince Qing would need at least a month to deploy. Calculating now, excluding the days delayed by travel and the days for the victory report to arrive, Prince Qing had finished fighting in just half a month?

Surprise aside, Prince Qing establishing merit also gave her face. Zheng Yuanzhen was still very happy.

Yao Huang, together with Chen Ying, promptly offered congratulations.

The Noble Consort secretly nodded. Even if she was uncomfortable that Prince Qing had established merit, right now she and her daughter-in-law both had to appear happy.

After the idle chat was about done and Empress Zhou was releasing the young people to go play, Yao Huang said she wanted to go to the rare beast garden and asked who wanted to go along.

Dun’er and the other two children were the first to show longing. Then Chen Ying and the other two mothers naturally had to follow.

The Second Princess looked toward the First Princess.

The First Princess: “The rare beast garden is four or five li away on foot. Shall I have people arrange carriages?”

Yao Huang smiled. “That’s fine, but I want to ride a horse. I’ve really had enough of sitting in carriages.”

The First Princess and Second Princess then also chose to ride horses.

Zheng Yuanzhen wanted to learn more about Prince Qing’s victory report from her mother and Consort Shen, so she didn’t speak up.

Unfortunately, Consort Shen didn’t know much either. The Emperor was considerate that they were worried about Prince Qing’s safety. After reading the memorial, he only had a little eunuch come report the good news. She would have to see the Emperor tonight to ask more.

Yao Huang toured the rare beast garden all morning. At noon she came back to eat a meal and take an afternoon nap, then called on the First Princess and Second Princess again to ride horses on the grassland. Although Chen Ying was a year younger than her, Prince Kang’s manor had the little heir apparent Dun’er under Chen Ying’s instruction and upbringing. Having become a mother early, Chen Ying wasn’t so free, or rather her timid and cautious temperament made it difficult for her to really let loose and play.

As for Zheng Yuanzhen, Yao Huang simply didn’t want to curry favor. The First Princess and Second Princess were also just casually invited during the morning outing.

And the afternoon was precisely when Emperor Yongchang was relatively free.

Having come to the Northern Garden, Emperor Yongchang naturally wanted to go out and get some air. He originally wanted to call his two sons, but thinking that the second son sitting in a wheelchair would have difficulty mounting and dismounting horses, Emperor Yongchang simply called no one, only bringing a squad of Imperial Guards.

Before mounting his horse, Emperor Yongchang swept his eyes over the two rows of guards waiting nearby. All were robust young men he had personally selected. Even the oldest was only in his early thirties. Any older and they would be sent out to become military officers, replaced by new young men coming in.

These were close personal guards who had to protect him. For Emperor Yongchang to trust them, he had to balance grace and authority. Only thus could he cultivate the sentiment between sovereign and subject, only thus could the guards be willing to serve him with their lives.

His sons and the guards beside them should have the same relationship. The third son was good—in one breath he got twenty close personal guards killed. How would the two who survived look at him? How would those guards left at the prince’s manor whom he hadn’t taken along look at him?

Including those nearly one thousand Tanzhou prefectural troops who died unjustly—all young men in their twenties and thirties, all the precious flesh and blood in their parents’ eyes. Just because of the third son’s arrogance, all gone!

Admittedly, when at war with enemy nations, the reported dead troops were often in the thousands or tens of thousands, but those were unavoidable casualties for protecting home and defending the nation, for expelling foreign enemies. Emperor Yongchang felt heartache for them but also took pride in them. What did the deaths of these one thousand Tanzhou prefectural troops count as?

Would their parents and neighbors blame the third son? Probably. But when they blamed the third son, they would probably also conveniently curse the old emperor in the capital, curse him for sending over such an incompetent prince.

Sitting on horseback, the more Emperor Yongchang thought, the angrier he became.

Following that, he saw a green-skirted figure riding a date-red fine horse charging down from a distant hilltop. The fine horse’s posture was vigorous, flying like flowing sunset clouds all the way to his two princesses sitting on fine horses waiting. Then clear, delighted laughter came—it was precisely his second daughter-in-law.

Recognizing Father Emperor, the three sisters-in-law quickly rode over.

Emperor Yongchang scolded his second daughter-in-law. “You’re quite bold. Aren’t you afraid the horse will stumble and throw you?”

Then thinking of the second son’s crippled leg, imagining the scene of the couple both sitting in wheelchairs, Emperor Yongchang’s mood immediately plummeted a thousand zhang again.

Emperor Yongchang’s face looked fierce, but behind the scolding was an elder’s concern. Yao Huang had nothing to fear. She stroked Ni Guang’s neck and said with a smile, “Father Emperor, the Prince said Ni Guang is the thousand-li treasure horse you bestowed on him back then. Even if I don’t trust my own horsemanship, I trust Father Emperor’s eye for selecting horses. Just now Father Emperor saw with your own eyes—Ni Guang didn’t disappoint your trust. She ran wonderfully well.”

Emperor Yongchang: “…”

He looked again at that fine horse bestowed the name Ni Guang—sleek and robust, truly a fine horse indeed.

So yes, one must still select good horses. Forcibly elevating inferior horses would only cause trouble!