On the sixteenth of the eighth month, after eating dinner at home at dusk, Yao Huang and Prince Hui each changed into a set of fine cloth garments and sat in an ordinary carriage as they left the prince’s residence.
On the last day of the lifted curfew, South Main Street was packed with common people coming to join in the excitement. The large and small shops on both sides of the street also employed various methods to attract business, all wanting to make a killing during the Mid-Autumn festival.
The common people either looked at lanterns or examined goods, or watched the lovers beside them, or kept an eye on children who liked to run wild. At such times, never mind that Prince Hui sat in an ordinary elm wood wheelchair with his line of sight lower than others—even if he rode a tall steed making a grand show, it would be difficult to attract much prolonged attention.
Yao Huang secretly observed from above Prince Hui’s head. Confirming he showed no signs of resistance, she boldly and confidently pushed the wheelchair into this sea of people. Zhang Yue and Wang Dong each led several hidden guards, maintaining distance while staying nearby to guard against threats from any direction.
“Ah, we still came late. There’s such a long queue.”
Arriving near the lamb skewer grill stall that Yao Huang most loved to eat at, looking at the long line that extended around the corner to avoid blocking other passersby, Yao Huang said regretfully: “I still wanted Your Highness to taste them fresh off the grill. Grilled skewers are most fragrant when eaten while still a bit hot.”
Zhao Sui: “We can wait in line.”
Yao Huang: “You’re not afraid of waiting?”
Zhao Sui smiled slightly. If the princess consort praised him as a gentleman, he might feel unworthy of it, but if the princess consort praised him for having patience, he need not be modest.
Since Prince Hui was willing to wait, Yao Huang pushed him toward the back of the line. As they walked, she discovered another wave of young men who seemed about to join the queue coming from the opposite direction. Yao Huang immediately pushed the wheelchair into a run, claiming the end position in the line before the several young men.
Zhao Sui: “…”
The hidden guards who had already rushed forward a few steps thinking some danger had occurred: “…”
Yao Huang was completely oblivious. She pointed at the grill stall diagonally ahead, having Prince Hui watch the stall owner’s technique.
The cool autumn breeze blew from ahead, carrying the appetizing aroma of grilled meat mixed with seasoning. Zhao Sui saw the drifting smoke continuously rising from the grill rack, saw two children in front of the stall staring fixedly at the grilled meat with hungry expressions, and the figures in the middle of the queue craning their necks to look ahead. This kind of waiting wasn’t quiet—everyone chatted while waiting, complaining about how slow it was, or discussing where to go next.
The line slowly moved forward. The princess consort gently pushed the wheelchair, ensuring his feet wouldn’t bump into the people lined up ahead.
When three people remained ahead, Yao Huang asked: “How many skewers should we buy?”
Zhao Sui: “Having just eaten dinner, one skewer will suffice for me.”
Right after saying this, the woman ahead holding a child glanced back at him, then hastily turned back around upon meeting his gaze.
Yao Huang secretly poked his shoulder and leaned close to the top of his head: “Waiting this long just to buy one skewer—people will think you can’t afford it.”
Zhao Sui fell silent.
Actually, each skewer had little meat, but considering there were other snacks ahead waiting for Prince Hui to taste, Yao Huang took charge and only bought five skewers, wrapping them in oiled paper and handing them to Prince Hui. She had to push the wheelchair with both hands occupied.
Zhao Sui: “Find a spot by the roadside. We’ll eat before continuing.”
Yao Huang: “No need. Second Master just takes a bite then holds up the bamboo skewer—I’ll eat directly from your hand without delaying our walking.”
Zhao Sui: “…”
Yao Huang: “Alright, I want to eat now.”
Zhao Sui glanced around, took out one skewer from the oiled paper, and turned to hold it up toward the princess consort.
Yao Huang smiled and took a bite.
Zhao Sui sat properly. When the princess consort urged him to eat, he took a bite. With people coming and going all around kicking up dust with their footsteps, to prevent the lamb skewers from getting too dusty, Zhao Sui each time first put the grilled skewer back in the oiled paper, only taking it out when eating.
Eating while walking and admiring lanterns, just as the couple was eating the last grilled skewer, Zhao Sui recognized a familiar face in the crowd ahead.
He lowered his eyelids and withdrew the grilled skewer into the oiled paper.
Yao Huang noticed the person before he did. They really were too conspicuous—other people were all walking or gathered around some stall, but only that person stood ramrod straight, staring fixedly at Prince Hui in the wheelchair. Looking again at Prince Hui’s expression and movements, Yao Huang understood—the two knew each other.
Yao Huang took the oiled paper package from Prince Hui’s hand, wrapped it tightly, and held it together with the wheelchair handle. A few thin bamboo skewers—not particularly obstructive.
Drawing closer, that young and robust man had already composed the excited yet complex expression Yao Huang couldn’t understand. He stepped forward two paces, bowed, and cupped his hands toward Prince Hui: “Cen Jun pays respects to Second Master.”
The beautiful woman accompanying him seemed to have received instructions. She stood with eyes modestly lowered, not stepping forward.
Zhao Sui: “Rise. When did you return to the capital?”
Cen Jun said respectfully: “Last winter. I received an assignment at the South Camp, married at the beginning of the year. Tonight I’m accompanying my wife to admire lanterns.”
Zhao Sui glanced in the direction of his wife and said: “Congratulations. This is my wife.”
He knew Cen Jun was a meticulous person who definitely couldn’t confirm the princess consort’s identity and thus hadn’t rashly performed the courtesy.
Cen Jun hastily performed courtesy toward Yao Huang: “Greetings to Second Lady.”
Yao Huang smiled: “On the main street—no need to be so formal.”
Cen Jun looked toward His Highness Prince Hui again.
Zhao Sui saw in those eyes a thousand words left unsaid—wanting to show concern for him yet not knowing how to speak, unable to bear that his legs were crippled yet not daring to show it.
This was what he once hadn’t wanted to see. Now, however, it no longer affected him, or rather, he didn’t care what Cen Jun thought about his legs.
“You may go.”
Cen Jun silently stepped aside. When that wheelchair completely disappeared from view, two hot tears suddenly fell from Cen Jun’s eyes.
The war with Wu had lasted two and a half years. For the first two years, he had served under Prince Hui’s command, accompanying him through battle after difficult battle, victory after victory. Only in that battle when his father Cen Lianshan encountered an enemy ambush, he had been leading troops elsewhere. By the time he received news, Prince Hui had already risked his life to rescue his father, yet he himself was pursued and cornered by enemy soldiers, preferring death to surrender.
Cen Jun understood that Prince Hui went to rescue his father only because his father was a famous anti-Wu general. With his father there, the morale of the border troops who had already fought bitterly for two years would continue to hold. Once his father died in battle, the border troops’ morale would collapse and the border pass might fall. Prince Hui had sacrificed himself to save someone for the sake of the overall situation—it had nothing to do with any personal relationship with the Cen family.
But his father couldn’t forget this debt of gratitude, and neither could he. After being transferred back to the Capital Camp, he had sought audience at Prince Hui’s residence several times, but the prince refused to see him. Meeting unexpectedly tonight, personally witnessing the prince who once rode alongside him across battlefields now confined to a wheelchair, Cen Jun’s heart felt cut by knives.
“Enough. Be careful lest Second Master sees.”
A pair of gentle hands supported him.
Further ahead, Yao Huang tossed the oiled paper package into a coarse ceramic jar that a small eatery specifically used for food scraps and confirmed with Prince Hui: “Surnamed Cen—could it be some young master from the Weiyuan Marquis residence?”
This dynasty’s great general Cen Lianshan was at least well-known throughout the capital. Last year when news of Prince Hui’s crippled legs first spread, some people even said Emperor Yongchang would take out his anger on the Weiyuan Marquis and revoke the Cen family’s title. It was only because Cen Lianshan made up for his fault with merit by winning battles, not letting Prince Hui’s legs be crippled in vain, that Emperor Yongchang didn’t continue pursuing the matter.
Common people also said that if not for Prince Hui’s injury, Cen Lianshan could have been enfeoffed as Duke based on this military achievement. At the time, Yao Huang had just listened for entertainment—who would have thought she’d marry the Prince Hui of rumors?
Zhao Sui: “The eldest son.”
Yao Huang: “Mm, full of righteousness, looks just like a young general. Is he quite familiar with Second Master?”
Apart from her own cousins, Yao Huang had many young lady friends who had successively married out, as well as male playmates who used to play hide-and-seek and house together every day when young but became annoying after growing up. But according to her observations, Prince Hui seemed to have only Qing Ai, Fei Quan, Eunuch Cao, and others who constantly served him by his side. His brothers seemed unable to get along with him, and friends…
Just as Yao Huang was thinking that Cen Jun might count as Prince Hui’s friend, she heard him say: “Not very familiar. We only had dealings through official duties.”
Yao Huang: “…Then does Second Master have any close personal friends?”
Zhao Sui shook his head.
Yao Huang finally understood why Prince Hui could spend long periods in the Bamboo Courtyard. Apart from his legs being unable to move, he didn’t even have any close friends. Going out alone—what pleasure could there be?
After strolling the streets for over an hour, the couple returned to the prince’s residence.
It was still a festival day. After bathing, Prince Hui came to the rear courtyard. Yao Huang was on her monthly cycle and honestly leaned in his embrace chatting: “Second Master doesn’t like skipping stones, but toss-the-ring was quite impressive. Good thing I only took a fancy to three items, otherwise if I’d bought a few more rings, you could have made that stall owner cry from your throws.”
She had taken a fancy to two small porcelain rabbits—one with head turned left, one with head turned right—looking like a pair. But the smaller the item, the harder to ring. After wasting seven rings, Prince Hui proactively offered to help her use the last three rings. In the end, he really did ring them, plus ringed a small porcelain plate—perfect for displaying the two porcelain rabbits.
What Zhao Sui thought of was the princess consort’s pouting mouth after the seventh ring missed.
Chatting on, when drowsiness came, Yao Huang hugged Prince Hui and said softly: “In the past during Mid-Autumn, I always celebrated with my father, mother, and brother. Now that I’ve married Your Highness, from now on it will always be Your Highness accompanying me through festivals.”
Zhao Sui grasped her hand and made a sound of acknowledgment.
Yao Huang: “Celebrating this way—does Your Highness like it?”
Zhao Sui still said “Mm.”
Yao Huang smiled. With eyes closed, she said: “I like it too.”
She had already attended those kind of running, noisy, boisterous lantern festivals for many years. Walking slowly and strolling leisurely like tonight had another kind of interest.
The princess consort fell asleep. Zhao Sui opened his eyes.
The time they’d been married wasn’t very long yet. She was still fresh to him. When the princess consort tired of his face and his paintings, would she still have the patience to push him through such festivals?
After the festival, officials resumed their duties. Master Deng, whom they hadn’t seen for over two months, also once again hauled the new batch of wheelchairs he’d made to Prince Hui’s residence. The wheelchairs were placed in the carriage compartment—no matter who passed by, they couldn’t guess what was loaded inside.
The wheelchair matter had always been the princess consort’s responsibility. Guo Shu still sent someone to invite the princess consort, temporarily not disturbing the prince who had gone to the Bamboo Courtyard.
Thinking that Prince Hui no longer resisted seeing outsiders, Yao Huang personally went to the Bamboo Courtyard and wheeled Prince Hui over together to see the new wheelchairs.
Arriving at the front, Guo Shu, Eunuch Cao, and Master Deng were all waiting in the courtyard. The wheelchairs had been moved into the main hall in advance.
Turning to the doorway, Yao Huang looked inside—good heavens, a full five wheelchairs!
The five wheelchairs were roughly the same size. Among them, three had four wheels—the two large wheels had an additional circle of smaller, thinner wheels on the outside. Only the materials differed—rosewood, elm wood, and rattan chair.
Master Deng walked to the four-wheeled rosewood wheelchair. With both hands, he rotated the small circles on the outer bottom of the large wheels from behind. Then the small circles drove the large wheels, and the wheelchair moved forward.
Master Deng explained respectfully: “Previously, the princess consort suggested adding handles to the large wheels. This commoner tried it, but adding extra handles embedded in the large wheels seriously undermined the stability of the large wheels, and many protruding handles also didn’t look good. Later, this commoner saw when an apprentice pushed the wheelchair, the shadows of these handles connected into a circle. This commoner had a sudden inspiration—directly add this thin wheel on the outside of the large wheel. Although it adds some weight, it doesn’t damage the stability of the large wheel, and pushing it is still fairly smooth.”
Zhao Sui could see the structure clearly, but he wouldn’t try it at this moment. He shifted his gaze to the other two wheelchairs.
These two wheelchairs were rosewood and rattan respectively. In front were only two large wheels with hand-push wheels, missing the two small wheels. Behind the chair was an additional single small wheel.
Master Deng: “Three wheels are more flexible and effortless to push than four wheels, but the chair body’s stability isn’t as good as four wheels. Your Highness had best only use it indoors to avoid the wheelchair tipping over.”
Yao Huang: “Using it indoors means it won’t tip?”
Master Deng kept his head lowered: “This commoner has verified over a hundred times that normal pushing or swaying the body left and right on the chair won’t affect the three-wheeled wheelchair’s stability. What’s feared is uneven ground causing the chair body to lose balance.”
Yao Huang set her mind at ease.
Master Deng waited a moment. Seeing the prince and princess consort had no other concerns, he deliberated: “Actually, this commoner has another method of improvement.”