The first half of the night, Yao Huang slept restlessly, but in the latter half she slept deeply. She had thought she could sleep in, but early in the morning she was awakened by the familiar sound of a dog barking.
There was movement beside her as someone rose. Yao Huang turned over and saw Prince Hui sitting upright, his profile facing the tent curtains showing displeasure.
Yao Huang silently broke into a cold sweat on Jinbao’s behalf. The dog had finally had the great fortune to enjoy wealth and honor in Prince Hui’s manor—it mustn’t offend Prince Hui with this barking and get thrown out!
Yao Huang quite liked Jinbao. First, because Jinbao had golden fur and was adorable; second, because she and Jinbao both shared a bit of “huang” (yellow/gold) in their destinies.
For Jinbao’s sake, Yao Huang scooted over and wrapped her arms around Prince Hui’s waist, pressing her head against his back. “Dogs all have spiritual awareness. Last night I soothed Jinbao for half the night, so it must have become attached to me. That’s why it ran to the east courtyard so early this morning. Please don’t hold it against him, Second Master.”
Zhao Sui looked at the arm draped across his front. The Princess Consort’s inner garment sleeve had been pushed up to her elbow, revealing a stretch of soft, jade-white forearm. The Princess Consort’s hand was also plump and fleshy, her five fingers tapering from thick to thin like bamboo shoots, resting languidly and powerlessly at the edge of his right leg.
Zhao Sui grasped that hand and explained, “I’m not holding it against the dog. If I’m upset with anyone, it’s Qing Ai for not watching Jinbao properly.”
Yao Huang felt sympathy for Qing Ai instead. Hearing Qing Ai’s deliberately lowered voice in the courtyard, Yao Huang speculated, “Qing Ai came to deliver water, didn’t he? When he got here, he discovered Jinbao had also followed along. He wanted to chase Jinbao back, which is why it started barking.”
Zhao Sui looked back at her. “So you’re saying neither Jinbao nor Qing Ai did anything wrong—I’m the one at fault for being petty, unable to tolerate even a few dog barks.”
Last night when Fei Quan took Jinbao away, the Princess Consort had looked disapproving, as if blaming him for making a fuss in the middle of the night.
Hearing this, Yao Huang quickly hugged him tighter. “Second Master isn’t petty at all! You can even tolerate all that gossip from those women—you have the broadest mind of all.”
As she spoke, she even raised her hand to rub his broad mind.
Zhao Sui pressed down on that hand and pulled the Princess Consort, who had been hiding behind him to speak, back to her original position lying down. Then he went to measure the Princess Consort’s own breadth of mind.
Yao Huang cried out in alarm, “My monthly courses are still here!”
Prince Hui wasn’t thinking about that. The dog’s barking was irritating—he wanted to hear something pleasant instead.
Outside in the courtyard, A’Ji, Fei Quan, and Qing Ai expended considerable effort to catch Jinbao. Glancing at the east chamber, Qing Ai covered Jinbao’s little mouth and slipped back to the west courtyard. Fei Quan helped carry the water into the main hall before retreating to the veranda to await the Prince. A’Ji quietly approached the east chamber door, wanting to hear whether the Prince and Princess Consort had been awakened by Jinbao. He had just focused his attention when a low moan came from inside—the Princess Consort’s voice so seductive it seemed water could be wrung from it.
A’Ji’s heart trembled, and he backed away.
Prince Hui went to the front courtyard, leaving his Princess Consort lying soft and boneless beneath the brocade quilt. It took her quite a while to gather her strength.
When A’Ji came in to attend to her, he saw the Princess Consort’s face still flushed with rosy clouds and worried somewhat, “The Second Master really is too much, being so reckless. Won’t this be bad for Madam’s health?”
Yao Huang didn’t explain to the still-fourteen-year-old foolish A’Ji that his Princess Consort not only hadn’t been harmed but had actually enjoyed herself quite thoroughly.
Yao Huang could dress and wash herself—she had A’Ji bring Jinbao over and then dismissed him from further service.
Jinbao had indeed become attached to Yao Huang, circling around her skirts. When Yao Huang headed to the front courtyard, Jinbao trotted along behind on its short little legs.
In the front courtyard, Prince Hui sat in his wheelchair wearing a blue robe, a Buddhist scripture scroll still in his hands. Sensing the Princess Consort entering, he merely glanced up before continuing to read.
Yao Huang had Fei Quan fetch food from the west courtyard while she sat at one side of the long table. Seeing this, Jinbao settled obediently at her feet.
Yao Huang rubbed Jinbao’s head and scolded, “Yesterday was your first day here, so Second Master and I didn’t pursue your offense of disturbing people in the middle of the night. But starting tonight you can’t bark anymore. Otherwise, if Second Master truly punishes you, I won’t speak up for you again.”
When the Princess Consort began lecturing the dog, Prince Hui’s gaze shifted from his scripture to watch her earnest, fair complexion with its translucent blush. After the Princess Consort finished her lecture, Prince Hui looked down at Jinbao. The dog merely tilted its head up, its bright black eyes curiously fixed on its mistress, showing no awareness of having done anything wrong—a picture of innocence.
Before the Princess Consort could look his way, Prince Hui’s gaze returned to the scripture. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the Princess Consort extending a finger to poke the top of Jinbao’s head. “Stop putting on an act for me. Don’t you know perfectly well what you did this morning?”
Prince Hui remained silent.
Fei Quan brought breakfast.
Yao Huang picked up a slice of cold meat and tossed it on the floor. Jinbao immediately rushed over to eat it.
Yao Huang understood. “So you haven’t eaten yet—no wonder you’re so ravenous.”
Prince Hui, who had just scooped up a spoonful of congee, nearly choked.
Hearing the sound, Yao Huang looked over. Seeing that Prince Hui kept avoiding her gaze, she realized what had happened. Her face flushed crimson as she looked down in annoyance. “What are you thinking? I wasn’t making veiled remarks. Besides, Second Master has already eaten many times before—it doesn’t match up at all.”
Prince Hui acted as if he didn’t understand, silently eating his meal. After finishing, he went to the study.
Yao Huang took Jinbao to play in the back courtyard. When Gao Niangzi and A’Ji went to the river to wash clothes, Yao Huang followed along. She discovered they only took cloth garments outside to wash—the valuable silk items that couldn’t be shown to others were all washed at home.
In the morning, the riverbank was full of women out washing clothes. From the neighboring Qi family estate to the west, three daughters-in-law came out carrying large basins of laundry. From Scholar He’s household to the east came Madam Zhu and her daughter.
Yao Huang took her outer cloth garment from A’Ji’s basin, intending to wash it while listening to the women around her chat.
A’Ji snatched it back. “Sister-in-law has never done this kind of work. Even though our family has fallen on hard times now, you don’t need to do this.”
Gao Niangzi agreed. “Exactly. Heaven sent you, this fairy-like person, to be my nephew’s wife. As long as I have any strength, I won’t make you do these things. Just sit properly on the side and don’t get in our way.”
Once this spread, the young wives nearby all envied the Liao family’s Second Madam for having such good aunts and sisters-in-law.
During the day, the women each had their own household matters to attend to. At noon when the sun blazed, everyone stayed indoors or took naps. Evening after dinner was the best time for women to gather and chat.
Yao Huang divided out four catties of mixed sunflower seeds. Before setting out, she went to invite Prince Hui. “I’m going to the other side of the river, to Auntie Qiao’s doorway—where we stayed yesterday. Does Second Master want to come?”
Zhao Sui looked at the Princess Consort whose eyes crinkled with laughter, knowing she already knew his answer.
Sure enough, the next moment the Princess Consort left, A’Ji following beside her.
Once the Princess Consort was gone, Prince Hui’s surroundings quieted down again. Only Jinbao, also left at home, wandered around in a circle before—who knows what was going through the dog’s head—actually approaching its master’s wheelchair and lying down beside it, muzzle resting on the ground, black eyes rolling upward to size up its master.
Prince Hui thus silently locked eyes with the puppy for quite a while.
Taking advantage of the Princess Consort’s absence, Physician Liao came to give Prince Hui his massage. Fei Quan remained outside guarding against anyone approaching, but today there was Jinbao in the residence, and the dog actually wanted to follow them inside.
Fei Quan looked questioningly at the Prince.
Zhao Sui glanced at Jinbao, who had already stepped into the west chamber ahead of everyone, and tacitly permitted it.
In the west chamber, Zhao Sui changed clothes and lay flat on the narrow couch to the south. Physician Liao closed the door, first taking medicinal oil from his medicine box and setting it out, then going to wash his hands.
Jinbao sat crouched before the couch, its black eyes following Physician Liao’s movements.
Zhao Sui turned his head, watching Jinbao’s eyes move back and forth until Physician Liao began the massage. Then both he and Physician Liao appeared in Jinbao’s eyes simultaneously.
Physician Liao, as always, only looked at Prince Hui’s legs.
Ever since Prince Hui’s legs had been crippled, those closest to him bore the greatest pressure. Although Physician Liao knew Prince Hui’s temperament was already mild enough, each massage session still made him nervous, fearing that even an inadvertent glance might invite Prince Hui’s displeasure.
Only halfway through massaging the left leg, Zhao Sui looked at Physician Liao and asked, “Between seeing patients at the clinic during the day and rushing over morning, noon, and evening to massage me, are you very tired?”
Thanks to years of practicing acupuncture, Physician Liao had developed enough composure to remain calm when Prince Hui first spoke. Even so, while his hand movements and pressure remained unchanged, his forehead still broke out in a fine layer of sweat.
“Please rest assured, Second Master. The town has few residents and not many patients. I’m not tired.”
Zhao Sui understood.
Having finished with the left leg, Physician Liao was about to work on the right when Prince Hui spoke again. “What is the character of this town’s people?”
Physician Liao replied, “We made careful inquiries. The townsfolk are generally simple and law-abiding. However, like common folk everywhere, there are some grudges and disputes. Occasionally men get drunk and throw punches, women quarrel and curse viciously—limited by the seven emotions, it’s unavoidable.”
Zhao Sui continued, “On the main street there’s a blacksmith’s shop. When I passed by yesterday, the blacksmith inside seemed to be forging arrowheads.”
The court restricted private weapon manufacturing. Physician Liao understood Prince Hui’s meaning and explained, “This town is right at the foot of Spirit Mountain. In the town and nearby villages, there are quite a few hunters who make their living by hunting. They often go to that blacksmith shop to forge and repair hunting knives and arrowheads. The blacksmith reports how many he makes to the village head, so the local authorities permit it.”
Zhao Sui asked, “How many helpers work in the shop?”
After thinking for a moment, Physician Liao said, “The family is surnamed Lu. Only Blacksmith Lu and his two sons work there—no other apprentices or helpers.”
Zhao Sui pressed on, “What kind of people are the two sons?”
Physician Liao didn’t know why Prince Hui was so interested in the blacksmith’s family. He could only tell everything he knew. “The eldest son is over thirty, steady yet shrewd. He should inherit the blacksmith shop’s business in the future. The second son is said to be somewhat simple-minded. Though he has great strength and excellent blacksmithing skills, he cannot handle things independently and can only follow his family’s arrangements.”
In Zhao Sui’s mind, the image of that young blacksmith surfaced again. If the man were neither simple nor foolish, whether at blacksmithing or military service, he would be excellent material.
A crippled leg appeared in his field of vision, bent by Physician Liao. Zhao Sui closed his eyes.
The young blacksmith at least still had a robust physique—why should he need anyone’s pity?
Yao Huang and A’Ji lingered outside until the sky darkened before returning.
The front courtyard was quiet. Prince Hui wasn’t outside, and no lamp was lit in the east chamber.
Yao Huang asked Fei Quan, who came to open the door, “Has Second Master gone to sleep?”
Fei Quan replied, “He retired two quarter-hours ago.”
Yao Huang stood in place for a moment, then walked straight over and pushed open the half-closed door of the main hall, groping through the darkness to the bedside in the east chamber.
Today was the fourteenth of the sixth month. Outside, moonlight flowed like water, providing some illumination inside the room.
Yao Huang sat on the bed and bent low, her face nearly touching Prince Hui’s handsome face. He still kept his eyes closed.
So Yao Huang kissed him on the face. “Playing pretend again—are you angry I came home too late, deliberately ignoring me?”
Zhao Sui had no choice but to open his eyes and look at the Princess Consort so close before him. “No. I thought you’d just glance at me and leave.”
Yao Huang countered, “How could that be possible? I still wanted to invite you out for a walk. The riverside is quiet and peaceful right now—perfect for our moonlit rendezvous.”
Zhao Sui asked, “After being busy all day, aren’t you tired?”
Yao Huang protested, “I’m only seventeen, not seventy! And you’re only twenty-three, not thirty-two. Besides, people in their thirties are in the prime of life. My father is forty-three now, and whenever there are lantern festivals in the capital, he can still accompany my mother outside for half the night.”
Zhao Sui thought of the various inconveniences of changing clothes. “I’ve already lain down for tonight. Tomorrow night then—tomorrow night you can wander until whenever you like.”
Yao Huang agreed, “All right then. How about I tell you several interesting things I just heard?”
Zhao Sui shifted inward.
Yao Huang didn’t dare lie down. She smiled and said, “Let’s just talk like this. After I finish, I still need to go back and bathe. I got all sweaty being squeezed in that crowd—I don’t want to stink up Second Master’s presence.”
Two quarter-hours later, the Princess Consort left with light steps. Prince Hui lay alone in bed, the fragrance of sunflower seeds from the Princess Consort still lingering in the bed curtains.