Yao Huang closed her eyes and leaned back against Prince Hui’s shoulder. She had no choice—once the prince’s hand came, she couldn’t muster any strength.
She didn’t dare obstruct either. These silks on her body were luxurious indeed, but each piece was quite delicate. If she pushed and resisted and wrinkled them, and the eunuchs and maids saw later, would the princess consort’s dignity remain? The summer evening sun was so brilliant, still far from nightfall. In broad daylight, should she let the servants guess what the prince and princess consort did in the garden?
Yao Huang knew this time she truly brought it on herself. If she hadn’t tried to feed the prince sour grapes, he wouldn’t retaliate against her like this.
Across a path, south of the grape vines was a cornfield. Planted late, the emerald green stalks were only waist-high, still far from producing corn ears.
Prince Hui came to her place to search for the grape. Though Yao Huang hadn’t been thinking about anything, she inadvertently discovered at the prince’s place one…
Having experienced that occasion on the large rosewood wheelchair, Yao Huang remained motionless as if frozen, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything.
When she was young, Yao Huang had watched with playmates on the street as a cat caught a mouse. When the mouse played dead, the cat also didn’t move. Once the mouse tried to run, the cat would pounce wildly.
Zhao Sui watched the princess consort’s flushed face, watched her densely closed and occasionally trembling eyelashes, watched her moist lips that had just parted then immediately bit down lightly again.
His gaze moved downward. The princess consort’s skin exposed outside her short jacket collar gradually took on a light peach blossom color.
Zhao Sui pinched out that long-since-warmed green grape and held it before her: “Done.”
Yao Huang opened her eyes and saw that troublesome fruit. Afraid the prince would continue using this fruit to tease her, Yao Huang tilted back her neck and directly snatched the green grape with her mouth, chewed it chaotically twice and swallowed. So sour! Yao Huang used her sleeve to cover her face, not wanting the prince to see her foolish appearance of reaping what she sowed.
Zhao Sui: “…If it’s not good, you don’t have to eat it.”
While sourly gasping for air, Yao Huang insisted stubbornly: “It’s good! How could I possibly feed the prince unpalatable grapes?”
Prince Hui smiled slightly, pressed down on the princess consort’s hand, and helped her tighten the skirt ties that had just been loosened.
Yao Huang first tensed all over, then confirming the prince was tightening rather than completely untying them, Yao Huang understood—the prince didn’t plan to do that here. But, he clearly still…
Yao Huang twisted her head, wanting to steal a glance, but Prince Hui had been waiting. The bottom of his stagnant-water-like eyes seemed to ripple slightly: “Tonight, come to Mingan Hall.”
Yao Huang immediately turned back, nodding like someone who had done something wrong.
As it should be. The prince’s fire was already kindled—naturally she should handle the aftermath.
Perfect timing. She had come looking for the prince to find an opportunity to speak up anyway. What opportunity could be more suitable than nighttime?
Deep into the dark night, the second watch clappers on the street had already sounded before Prince Hui finally relaxed his restraint on the princess consort.
Yao Huang’s entire body was drenched in sweat. The ivory mat touched by her palms and fingertips was also wet, as if just wiped with a damp cloth.
The lamplight was bright. Prince Hui lay to the side and ignored her. Judging by his breathing, he was also thoroughly exhausted.
Yao Huang’s head pressed tightly against the headboard. After recovering slightly, she quickly pulled up the thin quilt to cover her body that even she found dazzling to look at, then slowly snuggled beside Prince Hui, resting her head on his solid shoulder with one hand embracing his waist.
Zhao Sui still had his eyes closed and casually patted her hand.
Yao Huang calmed down along with him. Feeling that Prince Hui’s chest no longer rose and fell so violently, Yao Huang softly began: “Does the prince feel that although this ivory mat is good, lying on it long makes it hot too? You have to move to a new spot for it to be cool.”
Zhao Sui: “After all, it’s summer. If you fear the heat, starting tomorrow we’ll use ice.” Indeed, the dog days were approaching.
Yao Huang: “Use ice? Like in storybooks where they place a large cauldron in the room, put ice in the cauldron, and cool air drifts throughout the room?”
Zhao Sui: “Mm.”
Yao Huang: “How much ice would that require per day? Is it expensive?”
Zhao Sui: “The prince’s mansion receives annual quotas of ice and charcoal sent directly from the palace. The mansion needn’t spend money to buy it.”
Yao Huang: “How wonderful! Since marrying the prince, I can enjoy every blessing. Before, I only heard people say high officials and nobles in the capital build summer retreat villas in mountains near the capital. Actually, those households don’t have ice to use, right? Otherwise, everyone would be like the prince—living in the capital would be equally cool.”
Zhao Sui: “Not the same. The mountains are cool everywhere, while ice can only ensure indoor coolness. Moreover, noble families and civil and military officials of fifth rank and above all receive ice grants. The quotas vary in amount, but it’s not exclusive to the imperial family.”
Yao Huang: “So that’s how it is. Oh, Prince, does our family have a summer retreat villa built anywhere?”
Speaking to the exciting part, Yao Huang propped up her upper body with her elbows, looking at her prince with a face full of expectation.
The thin silk quilt slipped from her shoulder. Noticing the prince’s gaze following the quilt, Yao Huang promptly wrapped herself tightly and gave him a reproachful look: “Look, look, look—haven’t you seen enough?”
Prince Hui, who had eaten two full meals, continued the previous topic: “Father Emperor bestowed a summer retreat villa near the North Garden.”
All the capital’s common people had heard of the North Garden—it was the emperors’ summer palace. Guo Shu had explained in more detail, saying that for the emperor’s safety, for dozens of miles around the North Garden no commoners resided. Past emperors would only command people to build villas in the mountains near the North Garden to bestow upon imperial offspring or noble families who had rendered great service.
The North Garden didn’t fit Yao Huang’s travel plans.
She asked knowingly: “The North Garden is too far. Are there any closer ones?”
Zhao Sui: “No.”
He had only established his mansion five years ago, spending two of those years campaigning abroad and one year recovering from injury. Being alone, there was no need to build a summer retreat villa outside.
“Do you want one?”
Seeing through the princess consort’s thoughts, Zhao Sui considered and said: “If you want one, we’ll build it. However, if we start construction this year, it can only be used next year.”
Yao Huang: “Don’t! Absolutely don’t! The prince never had this thought before, and I marry over and immediately start construction—outsiders will see and guess I demanded it from the prince. They’ll definitely gossip that I rely on the prince’s favor to squander silver. Clearly having no family fortune of my own, yet so greedily pursuing pleasure.”
Zhao Sui: “If you like it, build it. No need to worry about outsiders.”
Yao Huang: “Let’s talk about it in a few years. This year… Oh, has the prince heard of Spirit Mountain?”
Zhao Sui: “Mm.”
Yao Huang: “I’ve never been there. I’ve only heard others mention it, saying Spirit Mountain is southwest of the capital, requiring two or three days by carriage. Supposedly at the foot of Spirit Mountain is Spirit Mountain Town, where people live so comfortably in summer—they need thick quilts at night, and even at the hottest time of day it’s only like early summer here.”
Zhao Sui: “You want to build a villa on Spirit Mountain?”
High officials, nobles, and wealthy households in the capital wouldn’t choose Spirit Mountain—too far for convenient travel to and from the capital, and being a remote place deep in old-growth forests, not as safe as suburban villas.
Yao Huang: “We don’t need to build a villa! We can buy a residence in town. Mm, we’ll say our family declined and sold our county town house to choose a place with good scenery to live. That way the neighbors won’t constantly fear offending us, and we can come and go more conveniently and freely. When summer is nearly over, we’ll find a reason to move away.”
Though this was a long-prepared draft, Yao Huang grew increasingly excited as she spoke: “The prince knows I’m a girl from a small household. After becoming princess consort, I must maintain proper appearances. Even if we build a villa in nearby mountains, when I go out to play I’d worry about being spotted by some noblewoman. But if we truly disguise ourselves as ordinary commoners and go to Spirit Mountain Town where no one knows us—it’s cool and comfortable, and I can do whatever I please however I want. Except for the prince, no one can control me!”
Zhao Sui watched the princess consort’s appearance like a bird about to escape its cage, thinking instead of the various inconveniences of him going out.
Two or three days of travel—how would he relieve himself on the road? Where would they stay at night?
Buying a residence in Spirit Mountain Town—could a town residence compare to the prince’s mansion’s conveniences?
Disguising as commoners—he and she would still be husband and wife, but how would Fei Quan, Qing Ai, the maids, Imperial Physician Liao, and the escort guards be arranged?
Yao Huang could see Prince Hui’s expression change. Both were silence, but when his mood was good, his gaze toward her was gentle; when his mood was ordinary, it was deathly still; when his mood was poor, he simply didn’t look at her at all.
Like right now—Yao Huang had just felt the deathly stillness in the prince’s eyes, and the next instant the prince looked away.
Yao Huang said apprehensively: “The prince doesn’t like my idea? Then forget it. I was just chatting casually. I don’t really particularly want to go. Probably after sleeping I’ll forget about this matter. Besides, I’ve lived in the capital since childhood. I’ve gotten through so many years of summers—there’s no reason that becoming a princess consort should suddenly make me so precious that I must find a place to escape the heat.”
She lay back against this person’s chest, embracing him: “It’s all the prince’s fault for treating me too well, indulging me until I become more and more improper, daring to say anything to the prince. Only thinking about running wild myself, forgetting the prince simply couldn’t live comfortably in such rustic countryside.”
Zhao Sui hadn’t been angry in the first place. With the princess consort pressing against him so softly, and having just been intimate, how could Zhao Sui make her worried and afraid?
He grasped the princess consort’s hand and said: “I truly couldn’t live comfortably in the countryside. If you want to go, take the maids and guards…”
“No! I just married the prince. The prince might be willing to separate from me, but I’m not willing. If we go, we go together. If we don’t go, neither of us goes.”
Zhao Sui twitched the corner of his mouth.
If they really went to Spirit Mountain Town, when she played freely and however she pleased, wouldn’t she still be separated from him?
It was simply that if he went, with the prince and princess consort traveling together, she could avoid the worries of being blamed by Father Emperor or gossiped about by everyone in the capital. Otherwise, a dignified princess consort abandoning her disabled prince husband to run off alone to escape the heat and make merry—the censors would truly impeach her.
“Call for water. I’m tired.”
Prince Hui spent the night at Mingan Hall but didn’t stay to take breakfast on this side, even though the princess consort had risen together with him.
When Yao Huang ate breakfast alone, her mind was full of the prince’s deathly still face when he left.
Yao Huang felt very regretful, very regretful. Back on South Street she had still thought about not risking offending the prince—how did she become impulsive upon seeing the elmwood wheelchair Master Deng made?
Stinking man was also petty. If he didn’t want to go, then don’t go. She hadn’t begged or coaxed him insisting he must go. Why throw a tantrum?
In her heart she could curse the prince however she liked, but since she already knew the prince was unhappy, Yao Huang had to think of ways to coax him back. Who told him he was the prince!
When the time was about right, Yao Huang carried a basket to the vegetable garden and pulled half a basket of tender bok choy from a particularly dense cluster.
Leaving the vegetable garden, Yao Huang glanced at the grape trellises and huffed, then went to pick another green grape before making her familiar way to the bamboo courtyard.
After Fei Quan opened the door, Yao Huang stuffed the green grape in her hand over to him, instructing: “Give this to the prince first, then tell the prince I’ve already picked my baby bok choy and ask whether he still wants to eat buns or not.”
Yao Huang worried that the sulking Prince Hui wouldn’t be willing to eat her baby bok choy buns. If she came all this way to ask only to be refused, how face-losing!
So Yao Huang specially brought this green grape to remind the prince what good deed he had done yesterday. If he could still refuse after this, Yao Huang couldn’t be bothered coaxing anymore. Let him sulk!