Considering that her daughter’s feelings with the prince had deepened compared to when they first returned home for the visit, and the prince no longer seemed so lofty and difficult to approach, at the noon meal, Luo Jinhua didn’t hide her husband’s wine jar beneath her skirt.
Yao Zhenhu was very pleased. After finishing the first bowl, he lifted the wine jar to pour the second bowl for his prince son-in-law first, then for himself and his son.
By this time, Yao Zhenhu had opened his floodgates of conversation, drinking while chatting about the preparations the Eastern Great Camp had recently been making for next month’s imperial military review.
The Great Qi Dynasty had been established for over a hundred years, and Emperor Yongchang was already the ninth emperor.
The founding Emperor had fought to win this realm, using formidable military might to intimidate surrounding small nations into submission. The next two emperors inherited the founding Emperor’s civil and military strategies, ushering in a prosperous golden age for Great Qi. However, just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too do dynasties. For various reasons, Great Qi’s subsequent emperors became progressively weaker with each generation. As one side declined while others rose, neighboring countries successively provoked conflicts large and small. By the time the throne passed to the late Emperor, the Great Qi Dynasty had become a riddled mess.
The late Emperor worked tirelessly with determination. After ascending the throne, he labored exhaustively for twenty years, finally achieving some success in purging corrupt officials and strengthening military forces, before passing away in his early forties, still in his prime. The succeeding Emperor Yongchang inherited the late Emperor’s aspirations, internally employing worthy ministers to improve people’s livelihoods and externally using capable generals to train troops and guard borders. It wasn’t until last summer, when they dealt a heavy blow to the Wuguo cavalry that had repeatedly invaded the northern borders, that they once again restored the Great Qi Dynasty’s prestige from the founding Emperor’s time.
The Great Qi Dynasty’s current elite troops depended on the annual minor military reviews and the major military reviews held once every three years.
The minor reviews were presided over by imperial commissioners dispatched by the court along with various regional military commanders. The major reviews were personally presided over by Emperor Yongchang himself, who would randomly select ten thousand men from the military rosters submitted by each of the twenty regional commanders, ultimately assembling two hundred thousand troops for military exercises at the Northern Garden. The top three regional commanders in the major review exercises would receive commendations, while the last-placed commander would be demoted.
Additionally, because the four great camps in the capital suburbs were close by, Emperor Yongchang personally reviewed them every year.
With only one month remaining, the drills at the four great camps became increasingly strict and intensive. The Emperor put pressure on the four regional commanders, who in turn distributed that pressure to the guard commanders, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds in each camp. Yao Zhenhu bore the training pressure for the hundred-plus soldiers under his command and had already stayed consecutively at camp for seven nights. He had only returned home today because his daughter and son-in-law were coming to deliver festival gifts.
Yao Zhenhu: “Things are still manageable on my end. The common soldiers below all come from ordinary backgrounds and fear losing their military pay, so they train very diligently. But many of those young masters who got stuffed in through connections can’t endure hardship. When the superiors discipline them, it goes in one ear and out the other. Yet if they don’t discipline them, they fear these men will drag everyone down on the drill grounds. Everyone’s determined to work them to death.”
Having said this, Yao Zhenhu raised his bowl and gulped down another large mouthful.
Luo Jinhua knew her husband was just speaking casually, but she worried the prince son-in-law might think her husband wanted to make things difficult for some young master. She said: “You don’t even have such soldiers under your command. How do you know they all entered through connections? Perhaps they legitimately passed the examination to get in, but are being envied by some ordinary soldiers who insist on throwing a few buckets of dirty water their way.”
Anyone who could use backdoor connections had backing—perhaps even connections to imperial relatives. If by chance the son-in-law couldn’t tolerate such impropriety and made her husband hand over those names, then went to report to the Emperor, and the Emperor decided to punish them, could those imperial relatives easily let it go? They wouldn’t dare go after the son-in-law, but they had countless means to use against her husband, making him suffer without recourse.
Yao Zhenhu set down his wine bowl and said to his wife: “Legitimately, my…”
Luo Jinhua, quick of eye and hand, stuffed a piece of spareribs into her husband’s mouth: “Eat your food. I least like hearing this kind of gossip about people behind their backs.”
Yao Zhenhu: “…”
Nonsense—his wife clearly loved most hearing him talk about all the conflicts and affairs in the military camp!
Yao Huang saw the grievance in her father’s eyes. She also knew her father was speaking the truth. To say nothing of distant examples, one of Li Tingwang’s maternal cousins had entered the Eastern Great Camp through connections with his father, Captain Li. Yao Huang had met that cousin—about as tall as her, round and plump with fat all over. Although after entering he’d been trained thin by Captain Li, without that connection, he fundamentally couldn’t have entered the four great capital camps with their strict soldier selection requirements.
Captain Li at least maintained appearances, requiring his relatives and nephews to train alongside common soldiers through wind and sun. When encountering those with even higher rank, if they wanted their worthless sons and nephews to go to the military camp to idle in minor positions while drawing military pay, what could others do even if they disapproved?
Of course, these were all old customs of officialdom. Yao Zhenhu couldn’t interfere, so Yao Huang even less needed to concern herself with such matters.
She also didn’t want such things to spoil Prince Hui’s appetite. Acting as if nothing was amiss, she served him food: “This time we didn’t hire restaurant chefs—it’s all stir-fried by A’Ji’s mother. Your Highness, try it and see if it suits your taste.”
Zhao Sui tasted it and found it somewhat salty, but he didn’t show it.
As for nobles and high officials stuffing people into military camps, Zhao Sui had long been aware of this, as had his father, the Emperor, who had always placed great importance on military strength.
However, this matter involved too many parties and was very difficult to manage effectively. They could only catch a few obvious good-for-nothings to punish as a warning, reminding those sons who truly wanted to freeload to at least train to achieve a soldier’s proper physique and combat ability, while carefully verifying military officials’ promotions to prevent such sons from falsely claiming others’ military achievements.
After two bowls of wine, Yao Zhenhu wanted to pour a third bowl for his son-in-law. Yao Huang glared at him.
Yao Zhenhu resentfully set down the wine jar.
On the road back to the residence, Yao Huang said to Prince Hui, who had his eyes closed in meditation: “My father speaks even more carelessly than I do, talking about everything. Next time, if Your Highness doesn’t want to listen, just give me a look and I’ll tell him to shut up. Including the drinking—Your Highness doesn’t need to force yourself to drink either.”
Zhao Sui looked at the princess consort and explained: “Being accustomed to quiet, I actually found your father’s conversation humorous and interesting.”
Yao Huang: “…”
The tenth was the day Prince Hui was to stay in the rear courtyard. Because of yesterday’s “punishment” by Yao Huang and returning to the residence too late today, the “afternoon rest” had been excused. Yao Huang assumed that tonight Prince Hui would thoroughly unleash himself, but unexpectedly, he only embraced her once from behind, and even his force could be considered restrained and controlled.
As if he’d become a different person, Yao Huang wasn’t quite accustomed to it and asked with some concern: “Is Your Highness alright?”
Could it be that he’d been affected by her bold words earlier in the day when she’d deliberately provoked him to finish quickly, or had he encountered something at her family home that dampened his spirits?
Zhao Sui: “…Your grandfather’s home is outside the city. We must rise early tomorrow.”
Yao Huang breathed a sigh of relief: “You startled me. I thought Your Highness…”
Zhao Sui: “Thought what?”
Yao Huang smiled and leaned close to his ear: “I thought Your Highness minded what I said that day and would be so polite and courteous with me from now on.”
Although there was suffering when he was ruthless, upon reflection afterward, Yao Huang rather liked that Prince Hui who completely cast aside rules and propriety to treat her like an ordinary rough man. Only at those times did Yao Huang feel they were equals—no prince, no captain’s daughter, just one man and one woman. He could be ruthless, and she could scold.
Zhao Sui was then reminded by the princess consort of the memory from a few days ago. She was clearly his princess consort, yet suddenly called out for someone, making it seem as if he were forcing her.
After a moment of silence, Zhao Sui pulled back the princess consort who had moved to the edge of the bed preparing to fetch a wet cloth for wiping.
From Prince Hui’s residence to the South City Gate was nearly ten li, and from the city gate to the town where the Luo family lived was another sixteen or seventeen li. If the carriage traveled at normal speed, it would take over an hour.
The couple still set out just after the hour of chen, but outside the residence gates stood three carriages—one loaded with festival gifts, and the extra one…
After boarding the carriage, Zhao Sui explained to the princess consort: “On the return journey, you and I will ride separately.”
Having experience from the trip to Lingshan, Yao Huang understood. The journey there and back was too long in distance and duration—Prince Hui needed a separate carriage to relieve himself. Yao Huang didn’t have this concern; she could take care of it at her grandfather’s home in between.
Her face slightly warm, Yao Huang picked up a book from the low cabinet beside her and discovered it was actually a travelogue of mountains and rivers.
Yao Huang said curiously: “Has Your Highness finished reading all those Buddhist scriptures?”
Zhao Sui: “Not yet. Growing weary of them, setting them aside for a period is more conducive to comprehension.”
Yao Huang: “I understand. In the past when my spear practice wasn’t progressing, I’d go learn the sword. When I tired of sword practice, I’d return to the spear. The fresher something is, the easier it is to grasp the key points.”
Zhao Sui said with surprise: “You know martial arts?”
Yao Huang: “Of course! I even practiced once at the prince’s residence, using Your Highness’s old spear. Didn’t Guo Shu tell you?”
Zhao Sui fell silent.
He had given instructions long ago that after the princess consort entered the residence, all matters large and small in the residence were for her to decide. Unless necessary, Eunuch Cao, Nanny Liu, and Guo Shu need not report the princess consort’s words and actions to him.
Yao Huang caught on and was quite pleased: “So when Your Highness let me manage the prince’s residence, you truly handed everything over to me. I thought Guo Shu only dared give me the spear with your permission.”
Some husbands say they’ll let their wives manage the household, but the wife still has to watch the husband’s expression when spending money or doing things. Prince Hui was different—he truly didn’t want to control her!
Zhao Sui: “…This evening when we return to the residence, I’ll watch your spear technique.”
Yao Huang said modestly: “Showing off in front of the maids is fine, but wielding a spear before Your Highness—wouldn’t that be teaching fish to swim?”
Zhao Sui: “…Just don’t injure me.”
He was sitting in a wheelchair and couldn’t dodge easily.
The modest princess consort immediately bristled, glaring at the prince: “I’m not that clumsy! Don’t look down on people so much!”
To prove her ability, upon arriving at her grandfather’s home, Yao Huang first took the wooden spears her cousins usually used for martial practice to demonstrate her spear technique for Prince Hui.
The Luo family’s courtyard was enclosed particularly spaciously, with a persimmon tree planted by each of the eastern and western walls, still leaving a large open area in between.
Grandfather, grandmother, uncles, and aunts didn’t know what madness had possessed their family’s female hero, but seeing Prince Hui in his wheelchair watching intently, finally even praising the princess consort a few times, the whole family set their hearts at ease: as long as the prince and princess consort weren’t quarreling!
Because grandfather’s family was all very restrained, after eating, the prince and princess consort took their leave. Not far from leaving the town, Prince Hui dispatched Fei Quan to invite the princess consort to his carriage.
The sky was washed blue, and the refreshing autumn breeze passed through the carriage window where the curtain had been lifted. Inside the carriage was only the elegant fragrance from the sachet at Prince Hui’s waist.
With great proficiency, Yao Huang once again untied that sachet and hung it at her own waist.
After she sat properly, Zhao Sui pointed toward a stretch of low mountains on the north side of the town: “Is there a river at the base of the mountain?”
Yao Huang: “Yes, it’s the river where my brothers used to go diving when they were young. The deep parts can be two zhang deep, while the shallow parts don’t even reach the ankles.”
Zhao Sui: “It’s rare to leave the city. Let’s go stroll over there.”
Yao Huang was startled. Seeing Prince Hui facing the window, his handsome face appearing much brighter than when viewed in the study or inner chambers, she smiled: “Alright! I’ll teach Your Highness how to skip stones.”