Weaving rush cushions was similar to doing needlework—once you learned how, the rest was just doing it slowly. What it required was patience.
Yao Huang had only made them twice with her maternal grandmother and maternal aunts. Each time, the women sat together in the courtyard, hands busy, mouths chatting, and before they knew it the rush cushions were woven.
Today, Yao Huang’s companion for weaving rush cushions was the taciturn His Highness Prince Hui.
Yao Huang could only make conversation where there was none. “Your Highness, what illness did the former Princess Kang die of? So young, leaving behind the young heir—so pitiful.”
Zhao Sui asked, “…Why suddenly ask about this?”
Yao Huang replied, “I like chatting with people when weaving rush cushions. Now that I’ve married Your Highness, I’ll surely often deal with Prince Kang’s Manor and Prince Qing’s Manor in the future. Knowing more about their situations will save me from accidentally saying something wrong and offending someone.”
At the palace banquet on the Dragon Boat Festival, Chen Ying had told her about Prince Hui’s birth mother. Yao Huang remembered this kindness, so she also wanted to inquire about Prince Kang’s Manor’s situation. The palace maid by Chen Ying’s side was bestowed by Consort Liu. Such maids would usually only tell Chen Ying secrets unrelated to Consort Liu and the mother and son pair of Prince Kang—just like how Bai Ling and the other two didn’t dare take the initiative to mention Prince Hui’s origins to her.
After recalling for a moment, Zhao Sui said, “Three years ago when I left the capital, I heard Princess Kang had caught a cold that wouldn’t get better. The next year at the border, I received news of her death from illness. I’m also not clear on the specific illness.”
Yao Huang asked, “…Then were Prince Kang and the former Princess Consort close? If so, His Highness Prince Kang must have been very sad during that time.”
Zhao Sui said, “Not clear.”
He would only see Prince Kang and his wife attending palace banquets together. Forget about not being curious—even if he were curious, what could be seen at such occasions?
Yao Huang said, “…”
Seeing disappointment on her face, Zhao Sui thought of how at the palace banquet she seemed especially close with a woman beside her, and asked, “Do you want to know yourself, or did someone else ask you to help inquire?”
Yao Huang replied, “Your Highness saw through it? Prince Kang’s new Princess Consort is a sister I met at the Embroidered Pavilion. She’s timid and doesn’t dare ask me for this kind of favor. It’s me who wants to know—in case there’s something she needs to be careful about, I should definitely tell her, to prevent her from unintentionally offending His Highness Prince Kang.”
Zhao Sui looked at her and said, “Regardless of what the feelings were between Prince Kang and the former Princess Consort, it’s all in the past. As long as the new Princess Consort observes the rules and is careful in word and deed, she won’t offend anyone.”
Both were princess consorts, but she and Prince Kang’s new Princess Consort faced completely different situations. His side was simple, but at Prince Kang’s place, the primary wife and two side consorts all came from prominent families. With many wives and concubines, competing for favor was inevitable. The new Princess Consort keeping to the rules might allow her to live more easily.
Yao Huang smiled apologetically. “Mm, Your Highness is right.”
She actually just wanted to hear her Prince talk about imperial family matters to pass the time, but this person wasn’t clear on it either. After just a few sentences, he started talking about rules—quite boring.
Since he had Buddhist scriptures in hand anyway, Yao Huang simply stopped paying attention to him and concentrated on turning the rush grass to the accompaniment of birdsong in the bamboo grove.
Zhao Sui still remembered her words about “liking to chat.” His gaze circled around her several times before asking, “The bamboo grove has heavy moisture. Is the ground cold?”
Yao Huang was about to say that in summer one should pick cool places, but changed her words at the last moment. Shifting her bottom, she said, “It does seem a bit damp. How about Your Highness goes inside, and I’ll go back to Mingan Hall to weave?”
He wanted to watch the technique—she’d already demonstrated it. He couldn’t chat, so it would be better to let her return to keep company with the four senior maidservants.
Zhao Sui looked at the other end of the bamboo grove path bathed in sunlight and said in his usual tone, “Go ahead.”
He called Qing Ai back to help the Princess Consort move her things, then had Fei Quan push him into the courtyard.
Only after the Prince had gone inside and gone far enough did Qing Ai ask in puzzlement, “Princess Consort, why aren’t you weaving here anymore?”
He was the Prince’s confidant. How could Yao Huang be foolish enough to tell the truth? She smiled and said, “His Highness was afraid I’d catch cold and told me to go back to weave.”
Qing Ai glanced at the stone slabs paving the ground, thinking the Prince really valued the Princess Consort too much. In the height of summer, with a layer of felt pad too—how cold could it get?
With four senior maidservants by her side for company, sometimes talking about old stories from their respective hometowns and sometimes chatting about strange tales they’d heard, Yao Huang wove for one hour in the morning, rested during midday, then wove for over another hour. She successfully finished weaving a perfectly square rush cushion especially suitable for padding Prince Hui’s purple sandalwood grand wheelchair before dusk.
Finished on the seventh, and after drying it all day on the eighth, it could be used.
Ordinary families could sit directly on rush cushions, but as the Prince had noble status, Yao Huang had the dexterous Chun Yan sew a layer of coarse cloth and a layer of silk on the outside of the cushion. The coarse cloth was to prevent the rush cushion from wearing through the silk, and the silk surface was purely for appearance.
Chun Yan immediately carried the rush cushion away to work on it.
Not much thread was needed. In the time it took Yao Huang to eat dinner, Chun Yan brought back the sewn rush cushion. She had chosen purple-black silk that closely resembled the color of the Prince’s purple sandalwood wheelchair.
Yao Huang smiled and gave Chun Yan reward money. While the sunset was still brilliant, she herself carried the rush cushion weighing over two jin to the Bamboo Courtyard.
Passing through the bamboo grove path, Yao Huang was surprised to discover that to the front left of the Bamboo Courtyard’s gate, a stone round table had been added. A stone stool was placed beside the table, similar to the set inside the Bamboo Courtyard, except this stone stool had a brocade cushion with a bamboo-green base tied to it.
As Yao Huang was examining the stone table, Fei Quan gently opened the door and poked his head out, smiling at her. “Princess Consort, please wait a moment. This servant will go invite His Highness.”
Yao Huang asked, “Wait, this thing—His Highness had you bring it here?”
Fei Quan nodded with a smile, thinking to himself that there was no need for the Prince to instruct them. Since the Prince felt bad about the Princess Consort sitting on the ground being cold, he and Qing Ai discussed it and that very day had Eunuch Cao arrange for a set of stone table and chairs to be delivered.
Upon hearing this, Yao Huang’s conscience felt somewhat guilty. The Prince truly cared whether she was cold, but she had lied because she found him dull.
She handed the silk-covered rush cushion in her hand to Fei Quan. “First spread this on the wheelchair, then invite His Highness to sit and try it out.”
Fei Quan didn’t dare accept it. “The Princess Consort should personally lay it out for His Highness.”
If he took it, what if the Princess Consort ran away?
Yao Huang said, “If I lay it out, won’t I have to lift His Highness up again later? That would be so troublesome.”
Fei Quan thought about it and made a request. “Then the Princess Consort must wait here. In case His Highness finds something unsuitable, you can still take it back to modify.”
Yao Huang nodded and went to sit on the stone stool.
Zhao Sui was still in the back courtyard watching the sunset. After hearing Fei Quan’s words, he had Qing Ai push the wheelchair over.
Fei Quan spread the purple-black silk rush cushion on the wheelchair. Seeing that the perfectly square rush cushion fit just right on top—even tilting the wheelchair wouldn’t make the cushion slide off without pulling it by hand—he immediately praised from the bottom of his heart, “So the Princess Consort wove it according to the chair seat’s measurements. How thoughtful! Such a large rush cushion—the Princess Consort must have measured and calculated the last round several times to get it exactly right.”
Qing Ai nodded. “Whatever concerns His Highness, the Princess Consort thinks especially carefully about. Even Eunuch Cao admits he’s inferior.”
Zhao Sui listened expressionlessly.
Fei Quan said, “Will Your Highness try it? The Princess Consort is still waiting outside and insists on confirming that you’re comfortable using it before she’ll leave.”
Zhao Sui nodded.
After sitting properly, Qing Ai said nothing more and directly pushed the Prince to see the Princess Consort.
The courtyard door opened. Yao Huang immediately stood up from beside the stone table. After seeing the wheelchair, she first looked under Prince Hui’s bottom. The light was dim here, and the finger-thick purple-black rush cushion silk surface looked as if it blended seamlessly with the purple sandalwood wheelchair. Yao Huang couldn’t help praising Chun Yan’s good eye again in her heart.
Even Qing Ai felt rather embarrassed by the Princess Consort’s gaze. After stopping the wheelchair properly, he quickly retreated.
Yao Huang circled the wheelchair once, braced her left hand on the high wheelchair armrest on one side, and while pressing with her right hand on the empty cushion beside Prince Hui, asked him with a smile, “What does Your Highness think? Isn’t it more comfortable than sitting directly on it?”
Zhao Sui looked at the smiling face so close before him and suddenly grabbed her extended hand, lifting it up while pinching her fingertips.
On the fair palm usually tender as spring water, there were now many marks left by the rush leaves pressing into it.
Zhao Sui asked, “Does it hurt?”
Yao Huang smiled. “It doesn’t hurt. It looks distressing, but that’s because I usually do little work. After resting for two days it’ll be fine. Your Highness still hasn’t answered me—is it comfortable or not?”
Zhao Sui said, “It’s fine.”
Yao Huang perked up. “Then shall I weave another tomorrow for your study chair? That one’s small—I can finish it in one hour.”
Zhao Sui said, “No need to work so hard. Have the servants go outside to buy ready-made ones.”
Yao Huang replied, “It’s really not hard, it’s very simple. Your Highness, think about it—you’re good to me, but I don’t have gold or silver to give you. Even if I gave them, you might not value them. I can only move my hands to weave some practical little items to show my feelings. If Your Highness won’t let me do this, I really don’t know how else to repay you.”
Zhao Sui looked at the palms covered with red marks exposed before him, lowering his eyes. “I give you gold and silver not to have you repay me.”
Yao Huang tilted her head to look at his eyes. “I understand. We’re husband and wife—talking about repayment is too formal. Look, when you give me good things, I say a few modest words and accept them. So when I give Your Highness one or two small gifts, Your Highness shouldn’t be polite with me either?”
Zhao Sui glanced at her and tacitly agreed.
Yao Huang naturally withdrew her hand and asked, “Is the chair in Your Highness’s study about the same size as the one at my place?”
Zhao Sui replied, “Yes, the study chairs are all matching sets.”
Yao Huang had her measure. Just as she was about to say goodbye, Prince Hui said, “While it’s cool now, let’s stroll around the garden. Wait here for a moment—I’ll go change wheelchairs.”
Since Prince Hui was in the mood, Yao Huang could only accompany him.
The elm wood wheelchair was lightweight and compact. Pushing it was indeed much easier for Yao Huang.
Zhao Sui asked her why the rush cushion’s measurements were so accurate. He was certain she hadn’t measured the purple sandalwood wheelchair.
Yao Huang explained, “Before making the rush cushion, I asked Master Deng for the length and width of the inner ring of Your Highness’s chair seat. He thought I had some new idea. I said I was just asking casually and didn’t tell him about the rush cushion.”
Even Father, a rough man, would often deliberately sit on chairs where she’d laid cushions. When Mother said she’d weave one for him, Father would stubbornly insist he didn’t care for it.
Yao Huang didn’t understand how a rush cushion got connected to a man’s pride, but she was willing to cooperate with the Prince.
After strolling leisurely around once and arriving at the moon gate leading to the main courtyard, the last trace of sunset was about to disappear too.
Yao Huang still wanted to walk toward the Bamboo Courtyard, but Prince Hui said, “Go to Mingan Hall.”
Yao Huang said, “…”
Zhao Sui didn’t turn around, but the wheelchair stopped in place and didn’t move. He then explained, “You worked hard to weave a rush cushion for me. The maidservants around you all saw it. Since I accepted your gift, I should show something in return.”
Yao Huang said, “…Your Highness is already good enough to me. They’re clear about this in their hearts. Even if Your Highness doesn’t come to my place tonight, they won’t think wildly.”
Zhao Sui turned sideways and looked at her, asking, “You don’t want me to come over?”
Yao Huang looked away and said quietly, “I do want you to, but I’m afraid Your Highness will keep me from sleeping all night again.”
Zhao Sui said, “…Don’t worry. I won’t touch you tonight.”