Because the Eastern Palace required renovation, the investiture ceremony for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess was ultimately set for the auspicious date of the fifth day of the eighth month.
Yao Huang thought this date was excellent—it would avoid the scorching heat of midsummer.
Taking advantage of the time she could still move freely outside the palace, on days when the Crown Prince went to the palace for duty, Yao Huang would invite the Eldest Princess to go shopping in the markets, or bring Jun’er to her maternal home to chat with her mother and sister-in-law. When the Crown Prince had his rest days, Yao Huang would accompany him in relaxing and escaping the heat in their own garden.
Yao Huang thought that since the Crown Prince had been busy for nine consecutive days and could finally rest for one day, rather than sitting in a wheelchair and going out to exert himself with her, the Crown Prince would definitely prefer to stay in the garden and enjoy himself.
The summer two years ago when Yao Huang had just married over, she had coaxed the Crown Prince to escape the heat at Spirit Mountain. Last year the couple had escaped the heat with Emperor Yongchang at the North Park. This year they weren’t going anywhere, but the lakeside pavilion in the rear garden was cool enough. There was even a large pool hidden in the center of a ring of artificial mountains and flowers. Usually the pool was dry, but when the masters wanted to use it, they would have the palace servants clean it temporarily, then connect it to the nearby water house with bamboo pipes.
In summer the water house didn’t need to heat water—it only needed to use the complex mechanisms crafted by skilled artisans to purify the lake water and channel it into the pool. Filling the pool early in the morning, after basking in the sun for over an hour the water would warm up. After the masters finished using it, the water would be drained through mechanisms at the bottom of the pool into the flowing lake outside.
When Yao Huang was still a maiden, she had envied how her brothers could dive into the river but found it inconvenient to jump in herself. After being a princess consort for two years, she had never found time to enjoy this place. Now, before moving into the palace to become Crown Princess, she could finally fulfill that wish from years ago.
Yao Huang enjoyed it alone several times and even learned to swim from a maid in the residence who knew how. On the twentieth day of the sixth month, after resting through the afternoon with Prince Hui, Yao Huang changed into a set of cool undergarments suitable for playing in water, then draped over them a thin silk cloak that Chun Yan had specially sewn for going to the pool. Wearing wooden clogs that went “clack clack,” she came to the study next door.
The Crown Prince, who had finished his afternoon rest early, was reading in the study.
At this moment in the lakeside pavilion, aside from the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, there were only Qing Ai, Fei Quan, and the senior maid A’Ji. Qing Ai and Fei Quan were both guarding the front hall, and A’Ji didn’t dare come over without permission.
The footsteps grew closer and closer. Zhao Sui looked toward the half-closed door in advance.
A pale hand pushed open the door. A snow-white wrist flashed before the Crown Prince’s eyes, then quickly retracted into a red silk cloak.
From shoulders to ankles, the Crown Princess was entirely shrouded beneath the red silk cloak, revealing only a flushed face fresh from a good sleep, as well as a pair of jade feet generously exposed.
The cloak had no fastening in the middle. Zhao Sui could see the Crown Princess was using her hands inside to pull the cloak’s edges together.
But if the Crown Princess’s clothing underneath was sufficiently proper, she wouldn’t need to do this at all.
Zhao Sui’s gaze fell once more upon the Crown Princess’s feet—two sections of white, clean ankles, sufficient proof that the Crown Princess wasn’t wearing any long pants.
Yao Huang simply watched as the Crown Prince behind the desk silently swept his eyes over her from top to bottom, then bottom to top, twice over.
Since he couldn’t see anything anyway, Yao Huang wasn’t embarrassed. Wrapped up tightly, she asked, “I’m going to swim in the Secluded Pool. Will Your Highness also come soak?”
“Secluded Pool” was the name the eighteen-year-old Prince Hui had given that pool when he first moved into the prince’s residence. When Yao Huang asked Nanny Liu about the pool’s origins, an image immediately surfaced in her mind of Prince Hui sitting alone in the pool to relax his body and mind—the pool was secluded and peaceful, and he himself was distant from the mundane world in his solitude.
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes, then lifted the book in his hands, saying, “Go by yourself. I want to finish this book today.”
Yao Huang said quietly, “You really don’t want to go, or do you just find it troublesome?”
She had it all planned out—she would push the Crown Prince over, then have him support himself to sit at the edge. The entry point had several steps. The Crown Prince could support himself step by step to where the water would reach his waist. Soaking like that on such a summer day would also be very comfortable.
Times were different now. The Crown Prince was already willing to relieve himself in the lavatory on her side and could push his wheelchair to fetch water for her, so surely soaking in the pool in front of her should also be something he could be comfortable with?
However, the Crown Prince across from her still shook his head.
Yao Huang said, “All right then, I’ll go by myself. Your Highness, take your time reading. I’ll play for about half an hour and then come back.”
Zhao Sui watched the Crown Princess’s retreating back and asked, “How deep is the pool water?”
The Crown Princess replied without turning her head, “Just up to my waist here. Your Highness, don’t worry.”
Zhao Sui wasn’t reassured. He reminded her to call A’Ji along.
The departing Crown Princess acknowledged him, but Zhao Sui didn’t hear the sound of her calling for A’Ji.
A moment later, Zhao Sui placed his book behind the wheelchair and pushed himself out of the study, slowly heading in the direction of the Secluded Pool.
Of course Zhao Sui knew the location of the Secluded Pool. Long before his legs were injured, he too had enjoyed the Secluded Pool.
In the palace he had been a prince who avoided trouble and strife by being almost without desires, but that didn’t mean Zhao Sui didn’t understand enjoyment. After being enfeoffed as a prince and granted a residence, on his own territory, Zhao Sui’s food, clothing, and daily necessities all conformed to what a Prince of First Rank should have. From the bamboo courtyard on the east side of the garden to the pavilion in the middle of the lake, he had lived in each for a period of time, until his legs were crippled.
Today was the first time Zhao Sui had come to the Secluded Pool since his injury.
The summer scenery was no different from what he remembered. The distinction was that many years ago only he would walk this path, but today a Crown Princess had stepped over this stone-paved path before him.
Drawing closer, the artificial mountains and flowers surrounding the Secluded Pool blocked Zhao Sui’s line of sight, but he heard the cheerful sound of splashing water from inside.
Zhao Sui slowed down. After pausing briefly, he continued to slowly push the thin wheels forward.
He was just coming here to read. In case the Crown Princess got a leg cramp and found herself in danger, he could call for someone to come rescue her in time.
Closer and closer, the water sounds masked the slight rolling sound of the three-wheeled chair. When Zhao Sui reached the small path between the artificial mountains that turned into the Secluded Pool, when he could see the Crown Princess’s figure in the pool but it would be difficult for the Crown Princess to see his position, Zhao Sui stopped the wheelchair and swept his gaze toward the pool’s edge. There lay the red silk cloak the Crown Princess had just worn, and beside the cloak were the Crown Princess’s wooden clogs.
His gaze fell on the pool. The Crown Princess, like a fish with excessive energy, was swimming toward the opposite shore. Her body was obscured by splashing water. Zhao Sui could only clearly see the Crown Princess’s pale arms occasionally emerging from the water, and catch sight of a white gauze garment clinging tightly to the Crown Princess’s body.
When the Crown Princess swam to the end and was about to turn back, the Crown Prince promptly backed his wheelchair up, confirming the Crown Princess couldn’t see him. Zhao Sui took out the book he’d placed behind him.
The water splashed loudly as the Crown Princess made several laps in the not-very-large pool, yet the Crown Prince’s pages remained unturned.
When the water sounds stopped but there was no movement of coming ashore, Zhao Sui put down his book and pushed the wheelchair forward a bit, then discovered the Crown Princess must be tired. She was lazily leaning back against a smooth stone on the west side of the pool, sheltered by the shade of flowering trees. From the waist down she was dimly visible in the water, while from the waist up…
The Crown Prince wanted to push the wheelchair back again, but suddenly there was a “thwap” sound behind him—the book he’d casually placed on the back of the chair had somehow slipped down through the gap between the wheelchair’s backrest and armrest.
Zhao Sui was speechless.
The book had startled his heartbeat into disorder. Yao Huang, however, was startled by that furtive sound. Though she knew it was impossible for anyone to dare come peeping, she instinctively slid into the water, leaving only her head above the surface. Swimming forward slightly, she saw the handsome Crown Prince half-hidden behind the artificial mountain.
Yao Huang asked, “…How did Your Highness get here?”
The Crown Prince, his expression unchanged, swept his gaze around the pool’s edge and asked in return, “Why didn’t you call A’Ji to accompany you?”
Since the Crown Prince showed no intention of continuing forward, Yao Huang swam all the way to the place closest to him. She braced her arms on the shore, rested her chin on them, and continued soaking below the shoulders in the water. Her eyes, wet and glistening, gazed at the person in the wheelchair as she huffed softly, “I did call her, but who told my words to become increasingly ineffective? I called for Your Highness to accompany me and Your Highness didn’t respond. That wretched girl A’Ji learned bad habits from Your Highness and won’t even acknowledge me anymore.”
Zhao Sui was speechless.
Yao Huang pointed to the entry steps diagonally ahead: “If Your Highness is worried about me, why not sit here and watch over me?”
Zhao Sui lowered his eyes and said, “I don’t want to wet my clothes.”
Yao Huang’s face flushed. She bit her lip and said, “Then Your Highness, close your eyes. I’ll push you to the shore and help you remove your outer pants.”
The Crown Prince didn’t respond but cooperatively closed his eyes.
Yao Huang emphasized, “Don’t open them.”
The Crown Prince nodded.
Only then did Yao Huang come ashore somewhat nervously. She first grabbed the cloak to wrap around herself, then walked over in her wooden clogs.
However, before she could circle around to the back of the Crown Prince’s wheelchair, the Crown Prince suddenly reached out to grip her wrist and pulled her into his embrace with one motion.
Yao Huang started in surprise and turned her head to look at the Crown Prince’s face.
The Crown Prince still had his eyes closed, but his hands pulled away the half-wet thin silk cloak from her body without allowing any discussion.
This made Yao Huang extremely embarrassed. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done this in the wheelchair before, but in broad daylight, and outdoors at that…
She covered the Crown Prince’s hand and bent over to negotiate: “Can we go back inside?”
The Crown Prince didn’t answer, only kissed her still-dripping nape.
There was an artificial mountain right beside them. The Crown Prince selected a suitable spot and had the Crown Princess first secure the wheelchair, then had her turn around and brace herself against a section of the artificial mountain.
The Crown Prince, disabled in both legs, had developed a pair of strong, powerful arms. He could support himself on the wheelchair’s armrests to lift himself up a certain distance.
After all, this didn’t conform to propriety. The Crown Prince didn’t dare linger too long either. After he sat back in the wheelchair, the Crown Princess sat down as well.
Zhao Sui held the Crown Princess, whose cheeks were flushed red and whose eyes were closed as if she would fall asleep at any moment, and coaxed helplessly, “Stand for a bit first.”
He needed time to straighten his clothing.
The limp Crown Princess’s lips curved upward, but she became even more shamelessly clingy in his embrace, mumbling, “I’m so sleepy. Your Highness, quickly take me back.”
Zhao Sui fell silent. He looked toward the red silk cloak scattered on the ground and reminded her, “At least you need to cover yourself properly first.”
The Crown Princess, whose cloak had been perfectly fine until the Crown Prince pulled it away, immediately became angry from embarrassment. She pulled open half of the Crown Prince’s inner robe and bit his shoulder.
Previously she had liked to bite the Crown Prince’s neck, but the Crown Prince had to go on duty and couldn’t let people see, so Yao Huang had switched to biting his shoulder instead.