“Spring Outing.”

With warm spring weather and blooming flowers, it was the perfect season for outings beyond the city.

On the fifteenth of the third month, after the afternoon rest, Yao Huang pushed Jun ge’er to the central palace to pay respects to Empress Zhou. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law then took Jun ge’er to stroll through the imperial garden.

Once in the imperial garden, Jun ge’er could come out of his pushcart and go wherever he wanted. Yao Huang and Empress Zhou slowly followed behind, chatting while keeping an eye on Jun ge’er. Occasionally when Jun ge’er walked too hastily and took a tumble, Yao Huang wouldn’t let the wet nurse immediately help him up. After it happened several times, Jun ge’er no longer made a big deal of such small falls—he’d stand up, dust off his own clothes, and continue walking forward excitedly.

Jun ge’er, who had only recently passed his first birthday, maintained interest in peach blossoms and crabapple flowers for just a short while. What the little one loved most was going to the pond’s edge to watch the brocade carp.

The brocade carp in the imperial garden were raised fat and large—when they opened their mouths wide, they could even swallow Jun ge’er’s small fist.

At such times Yao Huang watched Jun ge’er very closely, crouching at the pond’s edge herself and supporting Jun ge’er to watch together. When she grew tired of crouching, she simply sat on the ground and let Jun ge’er sit on her lap.

Emperor Yongchang came to stretch his legs and followed the path the mother and son had taken. Seeing the dignified Crown Princess actually sitting on the ground, he habitually scolded: “What kind of propriety is this?”

Yao Huang felt that at times like this, Emperor Yongchang most resembled the Crown Prince in their father-son relationship.

In major matters Yao Huang treated Emperor Yongchang as the Emperor, but in such minor matters she only regarded him as her father-in-law. Having been scolded, she didn’t panic and pointed at Jun ge’er in her arms: “Your grandson wants to watch the fish—shouldn’t your daughter-in-law keep a close eye on him?”

Emperor Yongchang looked toward the long bench several steps away where Empress Zhou sat resting: “You can watch the fish just as well sitting beside your mother empress.”

Yao Huang then turned Jun ge’er around and had him go find his imperial grandfather.

Jun ge’er was very close with his imperial grandfather. He toddled over unsteadily and grasped his imperial grandfather’s lowered hand, pulling him toward the pond’s edge.

Emperor Yongchang scooped up Jun ge’er and sat beside Empress Zhou. Before he could point toward the brocade carp in the lake for Jun ge’er to see, Jun ge’er began squirming in his arms, insisting on standing at the pond’s edge.

Empress Zhou laughed aloud.

Emperor Yongchang continued scolding his daughter-in-law: “It’s all because you’ve spoiled him.”

After scolding, he quickly took the ceaselessly struggling Jun ge’er to the shore’s edge. At first he bent his waist to protect the little one, but after bending for only a short while, he crouched down. After crouching for a time until his legs ached, Emperor Yongchang stole a glance at his daughter-in-law, only to discover she had actually walked behind the long bench to massage Empress Zhou’s shoulders. Emperor Yongchang humphed and ultimately followed his daughter-in-law’s example by sitting on the ground, then settled Jun ge’er in his lap.

After all, he was the emperor father-in-law—Yao Huang didn’t dare respond with “What kind of propriety is this?”

“Alright, you come sit too.” Empress Zhou patted Yao Huang’s hand. She’d been quite leisurely recently and wasn’t sore anywhere.

Yao Huang took Jun ge’er over and let the Emperor and Empress sit side by side.

Emperor Yongchang leaned back against the long bench and let out a long, contented sigh. His distant daughter-in-law didn’t hear it, but Empress Zhou did.

Knowing that Emperor Yongchang tired easily handling state affairs and wasn’t young anymore, Empress Zhou considerately moved behind the long bench and gently began massaging his shoulders.

If it were just the married couple, it would have been fine, but Emperor Yongchang glanced at his daughter-in-law and grandson and said quietly to Empress Zhou: “How can we behave like this in front of the younger generation?”

Empress Zhou smiled: “They’re our own younger generation. Your Majesty needn’t think so much about it.”

Emperor Yongchang acquiesced.

Jun ge’er was content as long as he could see the fish and didn’t need his mother consort to talk with him. Yao Huang had something on her mind and looked toward the Emperor and Empress on the long bench.

Emperor Yongchang felt somewhat uncomfortable, but unexpectedly his daughter-in-law didn’t seem to find anything improper about how he and Empress Zhou were behaving. She directly spoke to him: “Father Emperor, with such fine spring weather, when you have your rest days in a few days, would Father Emperor like to take Mother Empress outside the city for a spring outing?”

Emperor Yongchang: “If you want the Crown Prince to take you, just say so directly. Would I really forbid you?”

The second son had suffered through four years unable to walk properly—this year he could finally move freely. As long as the second son wanted to go out and about, let alone a spring outing outside the city, even if he wanted to travel south of the Yangtze for three to five months, Emperor Yongchang would agree. After all, with him managing state affairs, the Crown Prince still had time to properly make up for the regrets of the previous years.

Yao Huang: “Of course your daughter-in-law knows Father Emperor won’t forbid us. Your daughter-in-law feels sorry that Father Emperor has labored year after year without any leisure time. The imperial garden has its virtues, but the countryside beyond the city has its wild pleasures too.”

Emperor Yongchang: “I experienced the wild pleasures of the countryside when I was young. Now that I’m old, everywhere looks the same. Rather than endure the back-and-forth journey outside the city, I’d be more relaxed and comfortable walking in the imperial garden.”

Yao Huang: “Father Emperor is just lazy. Look at you—only in your early forties. My maternal grandfather is nearly seventy and still personally goes to the fields to farm every year.”

Emperor Yongchang, who had been both criticized for laziness and praised for being young: “…”

On the evening of the nineteenth of the third month, after the Crown Prince finished his duties, he returned to the Eastern Palace to change into everyday clothes, then brought his wife and son to Qianyuan Hall to take leave of Emperor Yongchang.

Emperor Yongchang knew the family of three was going to stay overnight at the Crown Princess’s maternal grandfather’s home. The guards had all been arranged, so he only held Jun ge’er briefly and didn’t say much else.

Two ordinary-looking carriages were already waiting outside the Xihua Gate. The wet nurse and A’Ji boarded the second carriage, while the Crown Prince and Crown Princess brought Jun ge’er’s pushcart onto the first one. Zhang Yue and Wang Dong led eight guards openly, while three other teams of secret guards disguised themselves as ordinary commoners and were separately stationed outside the city gate, along the road to the Luo family home, and at the inn in the town where the Luo family resided.

The Crown Prince stayed deep within the Eastern Palace, so these guards under his command were usually quite idle. These past two days they finally had somewhere to be of service.

When the carriage exited the south city gate, the sunset was perfect. Yao Huang lifted both window curtains and supported Jun ge’er to watch the scenery outside.

Jun ge’er wanted to poke his head out. Yao Huang had to exert some effort to hold the little one back. Seeing this, Zhao Sui took Jun ge’er over and had the Crown Princess go sit inside.

It became the Crown Prince who accompanied Jun ge’er at the window’s edge.

Yao Huang leaned against the Crown Prince’s back, chin resting on his shoulder, and said quietly: “Poking your head out like this—does it accord with the propriety Your Highness should maintain?”

Zhao Sui: “I’m caring for Jun ge’er—there are extenuating circumstances. If the commoners outside see you like this, that would be improper.”

The improper Crown Princess then did something even more improper—she stretched her neck and bit the Crown Prince’s ear.

Zhao Sui: “…”

Fortunately the Crown Princess only made mischief for a moment before withdrawing.

When the sunset completely fell, Zhao Sui lowered the carriage curtain and had the driver quicken the pace.

They arrived at the Luo home just as night initially descended. The townspeople and neighboring residents had all gone to sleep, which conveniently avoided the inconvenience of being surrounded by onlookers.

The Luo family compound was quite large. The wing quarters Luo Jinhua had lived in before marriage had always been kept. Three years ago, because Yao Huang had brought Prince Hui to visit, after the married couple left, the Luo family simply tore down those three old wing rooms and rebuilt them, specifically keeping them to host their princess granddaughter and prince grandson-in-law who might visit again. They hadn’t expected that tonight it would indeed come in handy, though the granddaughter and grandson-in-law’s status had risen another rank.

After brief greetings, everyone moved to the main hall. The second aunt brought out two bowls of her specialty chicken soup with braised noodles, then withdrew with the eldest aunt and two uncles, leaving only the maternal grandfather and maternal grandmother to host the honored guests.

The wet nurse and Jun ge’er had already eaten dinner in the palace, so they went directly to the north room of the wing quarters to wash up and rest.

Zhao Sui quietly ate his noodles and listened to the Crown Princess chat casually with the two elders.

After the meal, Yao Huang accompanied her spry maternal grandmother to wash dishes, telling the Crown Prince to return to the room first.

Zhao Sui waited in the room for about two quarters of an hour before the Crown Princess came in carrying two buckets of hot water. Zhao Sui frowned directly: “Why didn’t you call me?”

Yao Huang: “I can carry them—I just grabbed them on the way. If Your Highness wants to help, you can empty them later. Just pour them on the vegetable plot to the north.”

Zhao Sui nodded.

Yao Huang introduced him to these two brand-new elm wood buckets, including the bedding, towels, wardrobes, and everything else in the room—all new.

Zhao Sui: “We shouldn’t have let grandfather and the others spend so much.”

Yao Huang: “It’s alright. The wood is the kind ordinary commoners commonly use. The quilt and mattress covers use silk I sent over before. Including the newly built three rooms, altogether it didn’t exceed thirty taels of silver.”

Zhao Sui took out an envelope from his chest—inside was a two-hundred-tael banknote. He had the Crown Princess give it to grandmother before they left tomorrow.

Yao Huang: “Truly worthy of being the son of the God of Wealth’s family.”

Zhao Sui rubbed the Crown Princess’s head.

With just this one empty room, the married couple would definitely have to wash in the same place tonight, but the Crown Prince insisted the Crown Princess wash first while he sat by the dim candlestand with his back to her, reading.

Having such a restrained husband made Yao Huang easily shy too. She wiped herself down nervously, afraid the Crown Prince might suddenly turn around.

But the Crown Prince was quite gentlemanly at this moment. Only after Yao Huang had put on her inner garment and sat on the heated kang did the Crown Prince put down his book.

Yao Huang teased him quietly: “Should I turn away?”

Zhao Sui didn’t need her to, but he lifted the Crown Princess sitting at the head of the kang down, helped her put on her shoes, then placed her outside the door and said quietly: “Go see if Jun ge’er is asleep.”

Having said this, the Crown Prince closed the door and lowered the door bar.

Yao Huang: “…”

The wet nurse lived in the room directly across. Yao Huang couldn’t and didn’t want to do something like lifting the door bar just to watch her own husband bathe, so she had no choice but to go sit at the wet nurse’s place for a while. Jun ge’er, who had been excited the entire journey, was already asleep. The wet nurse nervously attended to the Crown Princess, afraid the Crown Princess might criticize some way she hadn’t served the young prince properly.

In the complete quiet, Yao Huang heard the sound of the Crown Prince going to the vegetable plot to pour out water. Only then did she urge the wet nurse to rest early and got up to leave.

When Zhao Sui returned from emptying the water, he found the Crown Princess had already lain down in the bedding at the head of the kang.

Zhao Sui removed the brand-new everyday clothes he’d temporarily put on, lifted the quilt, and lay face-up beside the Crown Princess.

Yao Huang ignored him for a while, then turned over and nestled into his embrace, asking: “Are you comfortable staying here?”

Actually they could have left the city tomorrow morning, but spending the entire morning and afternoon of one day traveling wasn’t as good as coming over one evening earlier—they could eat breakfast tomorrow morning and go straight to having fun.

Zhao Sui: “About the same as at the bamboo courtyard.”

Even if there were some inconveniences, it was only one night—Zhao Sui wouldn’t mind.

He discussed with the Crown Princess: “Should I have Guo Shu select scenic locations outside the city to build several country villas? So we won’t have to disturb grandfather’s family every time.”

Yao Huang: “How large a villa? Roughly how much silver for one?”

Zhao Sui: “We’ll only stay a few nights each year, so just build three-courtyard ones. The front and rear courtyards can be left for accompanying maids and guards to stay in. The materials don’t need to be too fine—one would cost around three hundred taels of silver.”

He would draw the plans himself, eliminate redundant rooms—three hundred taels would be enough to ensure the residence’s dignity and elegance.

Aristocratic families building a country villa outside the city typically spent over a thousand taels. For the Crown Prince to build five country villas using only fifteen hundred taels of silver—if word got out, people would either praise his frugality or mock his shabbiness.

Yao Huang thought this idea was excellent. There were many fun places around the capital suburbs—they couldn’t come to grandfather’s town every time.

But she reminded the Crown Prince: “Build a four-courtyard one at the most scenic location. Who knows, perhaps one time Father Emperor will be willing to accompany us.”

Zhao Sui pinched the Crown Princess’s ear.

Yao Huang knew the Crown Prince wouldn’t misbehave tonight. She deliberately rubbed against him until he was aroused, then turned away with a smile.

The Crown Prince gazed at the window, calculating exactly how many country villas to build.

Early the next morning, the Crown Prince’s family took carriages to the riverside outside town. All three family members wore everyday clothes—most commoners didn’t recognize them.

The secret guards maintained their distance, while Qing Ai and the others all remained at the Luo family compound.

Yao Huang took Jun ge’er to the riverside to play throwing stones, while Zhao Sui spread out felt mats by the river, then followed over carrying a small wooden bucket.

Before dusk, the Crown Prince’s family returned to the palace and went directly to Qianyuan Hall first to pay respects to Emperor Yongchang.

Jun ge’er excitedly pointed at the bucket in his father prince’s hand for imperial grandfather to see.

Emperor Yongchang came over without much interest, saw the bucket bottom densely packed with river crabs, and looked toward the Crown Prince: “Did you catch any?”

Zhao Sui: “Yes.”

The Crown Princess caught them happily, Jun ge’er laughed happily—he couldn’t help but roll up his sleeves and join in.

Emperor Yongchang imagined that scene and smiled ambiguously. He picked up his grandson and asked: “Besides river crabs, what else did you see outside?”

Jun ge’er blinked and produced two words: “Cow cow!”

Emperor Yongchang became interested: “What does cow cow do?”

Jun ge’er arched himself down from imperial grandfather’s embrace and pointed at the floor: “Ground!”

Emperor Yongchang was surprised: “You even know about farming?”

Yao Huang said: “Jun ge’er even helped his great-grandfather sow corn seeds. He got both feet so muddy he was reluctant to come out.”

Emperor Yongchang had thought the Crown Princess was just going out to play. At this he nodded with satisfaction: “The nation is rooted in the people, and the people regard food as heaven. Imperial descendants are born to wealth and nobility—they should personally experience the hardships of farming to sympathize with the people’s difficulties.”

Yao Huang: “…”

Sowing some seeds counts as hardship? Truly a doting grandfather!

After Emperor Yongchang had doted on his grandson enough, the Crown Prince’s family returned to the Eastern Palace. Several days later, when Zhao Sui came to the imperial study to report matters, he mentioned in passing that he wanted to build country villas outside the city and simultaneously presented the plans for five villas for Father Emperor to review.

Emperor Yongchang: “Why are they all so small?”

Zhao Sui: “They’re just for brief stays on rest days—such residences are sufficient. I only fear they might slight Father Emperor.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Slight me how?”

Zhao Sui took out the four-courtyard villa plan and pointed at the main courtyard: “This villa is on Mount Li. The scenery there is beautiful. The Crown Princess wanted to invite Father Emperor and Mother Empress to tour with us.”

Emperor Yongchang: “I have a large villa on Mount Li. You don’t need to build this one—I’m bestowing that one on you.”

Mountains and waters and such—he’d toured them when he was young!