She could be playfully stubborn with her words, but Yao Huang wasn’t shameless enough to truly keep clinging to Prince Hui’s wheelchair, having Qing Ai and Fei Quan push the husband and wife on one wheelchair down from the carriage and back to Ming’an Hall. She just wanted to see Prince Hui’s expression—knowing he definitely wouldn’t agree but, because the fault lay with him, wouldn’t feel comfortable scolding her for fooling around.

After being pressed into the side seat, Yao Huang voluntarily sat up properly and showed Prince Hui a smile full of energy, completely different from her previous soft languor.

Zhao Sui still avoided the Princess Consort’s gaze—after all, throughout this journey, he had been the one violating propriety and rules.

After descending from the carriage, Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui inward. When nearly at Ming’an Hall, Yao Huang leaned down and asked by his ear: “Should I go straight to sleep in a bit, or leave a lamp for the Prince?”

Today was neither the fifth nor tenth day—Prince Hui should be sleeping in the front courtyard. But Prince Hui had just restrained himself the entire journey. Without resolution, he probably couldn’t sleep easily.

Zhao Sui remained silent, then lowered his eyelids under the Princess Consort’s inquiring gaze.

When the reserved Prince Hui didn’t want to do something, he would speak directly. Silence basically meant consent.

Yao Huang smiled. Before handing the wheelchair to Qing Ai, under cover of night, she stroked Prince Hui’s jade-like cheek.

Zhao Sui: “…”

If he were standing, would the Princess Consort dare make such a bold move?

For an instant, Zhao Sui had the impulse to go to the back courtyard right after bathing. But usually he would use the excuse of his habit of reading at night to have Physician Liao give him a massage for two quarters of an hour before going over. If he went early tonight, the Princess Consort would guess his urgency.

Having already lost composure once in the carriage, Zhao Sui didn’t want the Princess Consort to look down on him.

Thus, after the massage and bathing ended, Zhao Sui truly read for a quarter hour before going to the back courtyard.

A lamp still burned in the back courtyard, but the Princess Consort who usually came out to receive him hadn’t appeared. A’Ji said nervously: “Prince, the Princess Consort has been waiting for you. While waiting, she fell asleep. Just now this servant went to call her, but the Princess Consort was sleeping too soundly, so…”

Actually the Princess Consort had awakened, but she was too lazy to move. A’Ji was just trying her best to cover for the Princess Consort’s “laziness.”

Zhao Sui waved his hand, signaling Qing Ai to push him inside. Autumn nights were growing cold. The Princess Consort had already switched to silk undergarments, and having just fallen asleep, she wouldn’t have kicked off the covers yet.

Qing Ai was very proper. After pushing the Prince to the bedside, without even glancing at the bed, he withdrew beyond the two layers of bed curtains and asked quietly: “Prince, shall I extinguish the lamps?”

Zhao Sui glanced at the Princess Consort’s figure sleeping quietly with her back to him and agreed. Usually she had the habit of an afternoon nap. Today at Prince Qing’s residence, she was probably socializing the whole time. Having endured until now, she was indeed due to be tired.

Following Qing Ai’s nearly inaudible footsteps, the lamps in the inner chamber were extinguished one by one, finally leaving only one dim yellow lamp for nighttime necessities.

Zhao Sui propped himself up to sit on the bed. Just as he was about to move his legs, the Princess Consort behind him wriggled over like a water snake, a pair of slender, jade-smooth arms encircling his waist.

Zhao Sui straightened his back: “Not asleep?”

Yao Huang mumbled with eyes closed: “I was asleep. When you came, A’Ji woke me up. Too lazy to move, so I didn’t go out.”

Zhao Sui smiled and grasped one of her hands, asking: “Then why didn’t you continue sleeping?”

Yao Huang bit his undergarment from behind, her tooth tips first pressing the silk fabric against Prince Hui’s lean side waist, then pressing the force onto Prince Hui’s body.

Zhao Sui gripped the bed edge tightly. He didn’t want to move his disabled legs at such a moment. So he lifted the covers, grabbed the Princess Consort, pulled half her body down off the bed, then lifted her by the armpits into his embrace.

When he was mischievous, Yao Huang matched him. While propping against Prince Hui’s shoulder, she deliberately used her toes to step on the spot where the canopy bed’s wooden floor platform met the bed board. This way, unless Prince Hui used greater force with his hands or moved himself outward, the husband and wife couldn’t get close together no matter what.

Eyes accustomed to the darkness, the Princess Consort’s features were blurred, but Zhao Sui clearly saw the deliberate defiance twisting in her eyes.

Suddenly, he gripped the Princess Consort’s waist and flipped her around, making her crash solidly into his embrace facing outward.

Yao Huang: “…”

Zhao Sui lowered his head, paused by the Princess Consort’s ear, but ultimately said nothing—only helping her loosen her clothes.

At Prince Qing’s residence.

Wedding candles burned in the bridal chamber. Prince Qing held down Zheng Yuanzhen’s hands that wanted to cover herself and carefully examined the cousin he had coveted for several years by candlelight.

Zheng Yuanzhen’s face was red as sunset clouds. No matter how dignified and reserved she usually was, at such a moment, she was merely a new bride being scrutinized by her husband for the first time.

Seven parts shy, three parts annoyed, Zheng Yuanzhen said with eyes closed: “Cousin Brother, don’t bully me.”

Don’t treat her like those servant girls around him.

Prince Qing laughed, his eyes gentle: “Didn’t Aunt arrange a nanny to teach you? The wedding night should be like this—how is this bullying?”

Zheng Yuanzhen couldn’t break free from his hands and could only turn her head away.

Prince Qing kissed her ear, saying: “Don’t worry, I’ve sent all those servant girls away, leaving only one to serve you when you’re uncomfortable.”

Zheng Yuanzhen’s heart softened. Mother kept male favorites; Father had servant girls and concubines around him. She understood very clearly that though men were lustful, they wouldn’t take those concubines and servant girls seriously, except when truly encountering one they extremely favored. That Prince Qing could dismiss so many servant girls showed he valued her greatly, and also showed those women were merely diversions in his eyes.

But immediately after, Zheng Yuanzhen thought of Prince Hui. When Mother wanted to match her with Prince Hui, besides Prince Hui’s obvious advantages, Mother had specifically said that Prince Hui had been solitary since childhood, only allowing Qing Ai and Fei Quan to closely serve his daily needs. Consort Du had arranged several beautiful, alluring servant palace maids several times, but Prince Hui had refused them all.

Prince Hui was someone who didn’t compete or fight, but he wasn’t made of clay either. What he didn’t want or didn’t want to do, even Consort Du couldn’t force.

However, rather than marry a devoted but disabled prince, Zheng Yuanzhen would rather marry a normal prince who, though philandering, valued her as his principal wife most. Consort Rou and Prince Qing both wanted that position—she wanted it too. As long as Prince Qing handled well every task the Emperor assigned him, with her and Consort Rou and Mother assisting from within and without, the husband and wife would definitely achieve their wishes.

So after Prince Qing finally released his hands, Zheng Yuanzhen actively embraced him.

Setting those things aside, Prince Qing himself was also a handsome prince. He had the passionate affection that Prince Hui’s eyes lacked, and moreover had a pair of solid, powerful long legs.

The day after the grand wedding, the newlywed couple had to serve tea to their parents and perform ceremonies with other close relatives of the husband’s family.

As Prince Qing’s second elder brother and sister-in-law, Prince Hui and his wife also had to enter the palace today, and had to arrive earlier than the newlywed couple, otherwise it would be discourteous.

Zhao Sui remembered this. Though he had tasted something fresh last night, he hadn’t made a fuss for too long. When he woke in the early morning, he woke the Princess Consort as well and asked her: “Did you prepare a meeting gift for Princess Consort Qing?”

Yao Huang rubbed her eyes, hid under the covers to yawn, then emerged, saying: “Nanny Liu prepared it for me long ago. She had a jade bracelet made at a jewelry shop—it cost over a hundred taels.”

Yao Huang had figured it out—though princes and princess consorts had many noble stipends, the usual social exchanges of gift money and gifts also had to match their honored status, otherwise they’d be mocked for being stingy and shabby. So no matter how reluctant Yao Huang was, she had to send six hundred taels in gift money to Prince Qing’s couple according to the prince’s residence’s standards, and also prepare a decent meeting gift for her new younger sister-in-law.

Zhao Sui said: “Mm, you also need to dress and do your hair—get up early.”

Yao Huang then climbed up as well. As she lifted her leg outward, she only felt that section of leg above her knees was both sore and stiff. She immediately regretted that last night she shouldn’t have felt sorry for Prince Hui, shouldn’t have foolishly cooperated.

Feeling uncomfortable herself, Yao Huang pinched Prince Hui from behind.

Zhao Sui was completely unprepared. Looking back, he met the Princess Consort’s flushed cheeks, a pair of dark eyes glaring at him with a mix of shyness, seductiveness, and fierceness.

Zhao Sui vaguely guessed the reason for the Princess Consort’s anger and turned around, saying: “I’ll call Qing Ai.”

After washing up separately and finishing breakfast, the couple entered the palace.

At the Empress’s quarters, besides the Emperor, Empress, and several consorts, Prince Kang was also present. He hadn’t brought his side consorts but had brought all three children. The five-year-old young heir was answering questions by Emperor Yongchang’s side.

After Yao Huang pushed Prince Hui in, the three children, prompted by Prince Kang, obediently called out “Second Uncle, Second Aunt.”

Yao Huang smiled in acknowledgment, her mind conjuring up three New Year’s money gifts, still not knowing what the imperial descendants’ New Year’s money standard was.

Consort Du looked at Yao Huang’s rosy cheeks and asked in an expectant tone: “Huang Huang has been married over for four full months now—is there good news? I’ve been hoping for it constantly, tired of always envying Sister Consort Xian’s lively hustle and bustle over there.”

Yao Huang shyly lowered her head: “Knowing Mother Consort hopes for this, I have the residence physician come check my pulse several times every month. The physician advised me a few days ago to treat it with a calm mind, saying the more pressure, the harder to conceive. Though I understand this principle, whenever I think of Mother Consort’s expectant, caring gaze, I can’t bear to disappoint you time after time.”

Consort Du: “…”

She instinctively looked toward Emperor Yongchang and saw the Emperor indeed looking her way, his expression quite displeased.

Consort Du hastily tried to clear her name, saying to Yao Huang: “Look at you, child—why are you so burdened? I’ve only asked about it today.”

Yao Huang’s expression changed slightly. Hiding behind Prince Hui’s wheelchair, she lowered her head even more: “Yes, your daughter-in-law was overthinking.”

How could Emperor Yongchang not understand Consort Du?

When Consort Du was in her teens, she liked competing in everything and bullying others with her influence. But the Consort was his cousin and had beautiful looks. Occasionally throwing small tantrums made her seem charmingly willful and adorable. But at over fifty years old, he found it very difficult to appreciate the Consort’s “charming willfulness” that continued to this day, especially when she targeted Second Son’s couple.

Urging Second Son’s wife to have children after only four months of marriage—when Consort entered the palace, it was over ten years before she bore the Second Princess. Had he urged her?

Empress Zhou considerately changed the subject.

Shortly after, Prince Qing’s couple arrived. Prince Qing was handsome and upright like an orchid jade tree. Zheng Yuanzhen was refined and dignified—truly a pleasing pair.

Emperor Yongchang discreetly glanced at his Second Son.

When his niece was born, Princess Fucheng had told him she must find a husband for her niece among the princes, because under heaven only princes were worthy of Princess Fucheng’s county princess daughter. Emperor Yongchang understood Princess Fucheng’s pride and was willing to strengthen ties with her through marriage.

When Eldest Son was discussing marriage, the niece was still too young. Princess Fucheng favoring Second Son, who was skilled in both civil and martial arts and close in age, became natural. After Second Son’s accident, Princess Fucheng came crying about her difficulty, feeling heartache for both Second Son and her beloved daughter, giving Emperor Yongchang a headache too, since Yuanzhen was also a niece he had doted on like a princess growing up.

He had the gentle, kind Empress Zhou ask Second Son’s wishes. If Second Son insisted, he would stand by his son’s side.

After Empress Zhou returned, she said Second Son had no intention of delaying his cousin’s marriage.

Later, Third Son personally came to request marrying his cousin, saying he had long admired her for years. Combined with Princess Fucheng’s persistent pleading, Emperor Yongchang agreed to let his niece participate in the princess consort selection process. That was also Emperor Yongchang’s last chance for Second Son. He had said to let Second Son choose freely—even choosing his niece was fine. Unexpectedly…

When making these considerations, Second Son was still staying behind closed doors. Emperor Yongchang had tried to be as fair as possible. Today, seeing Second Son bring his Princess Consort from a centurion household to watch his younger brother paired with his former fiancée, Emperor Yongchang felt somewhat awkward, as if his previous favor toward Second Son had all been for show.

Whether his adoptive mother cared about his offspring or others secretly pried, Zhao Sui kept his eyes lowered throughout, unless he needed to respond.

Things had reached this point. Emperor Yongchang could only smile and accept Third Son couple’s tea.

After serving tea ended, Prince Qing brought Zheng Yuanzhen to perform ceremonies with his elder brothers.

Moving to Prince Hui’s couple, everyone looked over.

Before Emperor Yongchang, Prince Qing showed a guilty expression, somewhat difficult to speak as he had Zheng Yuanzhen address them.

Zheng Yuanzhen also displayed similar shame.

Just as Zhao Sui was about to respond, the Princess Consort sitting beside him spoke first, holding a jade bracelet in her hand, saying awkwardly: “When Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law performed ceremonies with Eldest Brother, they were still beaming with joy, but arriving at our side, both your faces fell. Could it be you’re disdaining the meeting gift I prepared as shabby?”

Zhao Sui: “…”