Stepping on a stool, Yao Huang boarded Prince Hui’s carriage.
The carriages the group was traveling in were all new vehicles purchased by Chief Steward Guo Shu. They were styled like ordinary people’s carriages—one main seat facing north, with side seats running horizontally on the left and right. Near the carriage door at the end of the side seats, some space was left for miscellaneous items. Squeezing together, six or seven adults could sit, but with fewer people, the side seats could be used to place bedding, trunks, and other luggage.
When Yao Huang boarded the carriage, she instinctively first looked toward the spot where the bamboo baskets should be placed on this outer side, but both sides were empty. Fei Quan had probably temporarily placed them elsewhere.
Prince Hui, wearing a gray-white fine cotton summer robe, sat upright and proper in the middle of the main seat. The vacant wheelchair was placed on his left side, occupying a large space and making the carriage seem even more cramped.
Since Yao Huang wanted to keep the prince company in conversation, she could only sit on the right side seat. Fei Quan had probably sat here before as well.
Both the main seat and right side seat were laid with a layer of cushioning. On the left side seat sat a redwood case containing tea, fruit, and other refreshments for ready use.
The bamboo blinds were half-rolled, revealing only half of the gauze curtains, but it wasn’t stuffy inside the carriage. Instead, there was a faint bamboo and wood fragrance, making one feel as if placed within that bamboo grove at the prince’s manor.
Yao Huang sniffed and asked curiously: “Second Master, where does this scent come from?”
Zhao Sui: “A sachet.”
Only then did Yao Huang notice that he was actually wearing a moon-white sachet at his waist—fine cotton fabric with a few bamboo stalks simply embroidered on it.
Yao Huang leaned in closer, grabbed the sachet, and brought it to her nose to smell. Indeed, this was the source.
Looking again at Prince Hui who, even wearing ordinary cotton clothes, was handsome enough not to seem like a mortal, Yao Huang muttered: “Ordinary men in small towns don’t wear sachets. Only wealthy young masters from rich families would use such refined items, parading through the streets to attract the attention of young ladies.”
Zhao Sui: “…I’m only using it on the road.”
Yao Huang: “We’ll be entering the town by noon. Second Master should take it off early to avoid forgetting when getting off the carriage and being seen by the neighbors. We’ve just moved, so the neighbors will definitely come out to watch the excitement.”
Zhao Sui was about to remove the sachet.
Yao Huang took the initiative to help. After removing it, she casually tied it around her own waist and smiled: “Women in small towns also love beauty. Both young ladies and young wives like wearing these.”
Zhao Sui: “…Didn’t the embroidery room prepare these for you?”
Yao Huang: “Yes, but I thought they were all for repelling mosquitoes and insects, so I had A’Ji put them away. We’ll hang them up when sleeping at night.”
Zhao Sui glanced at the sachet that had moved to the princess consort’s person and asked no more.
The carriage swayed slightly with the horse’s steps. Yao Huang looked at the Buddhist sutra Prince Hui had placed face-down beside him and asked: “Is Second Master tired from reading?”
Zhao Sui tacitly acknowledged this.
Yao Huang understood. The prince’s eyes were tired, and the narrow main seat couldn’t accommodate his broad shoulders either. Sitting or lying down was uncomfortable, so he had called her over to help pass the time.
“Shall I sing a tune for Second Master?” Yao Huang asked with a smile.
Zhao Sui: “…No need. Help me massage my shoulders.”
Yao Huang had a sudden realization. She rolled up both sleeves and stood up to serve Prince Hui. Behind the prince’s back was the carriage wall—she couldn’t get around it. If she massaged facing him, Prince Hui’s face would be right at her chest level. That would be too awkward. The wheelchair blocked the way on the left, so she could only kneel sideways on the main seat to the prince’s right. But who massages shoulders by only massaging one side?
Zhao Sui saw her difficulty and said: “Forget it. Read the sutra for me instead.”
Yao Huang absolutely didn’t want to read that kind of text where she recognized every character individually but strung together they left her confused and gave her a headache, and sometimes she couldn’t even break the sentences properly!
Suddenly, Yao Huang had an idea. Bending at the waist, she smiled at Prince Hui: “Why don’t Second Master compromise a bit—you sit on the floor and I’ll sit behind you? That way I can apply force better when massaging.”
Zhao Sui looked down at the floor.
Yao Huang immediately spread her cushion over there.
Since the princess consort had done this much, Zhao Sui paused briefly, then first straightened both legs forward, used his hands to support himself on the main seat to lift his body away, and finally settled steadily onto the cushion below. He then changed his legs to a cross-legged sitting position.
Yao Huang climbed onto the main seat and carefully straddled his shoulders on both sides. Seeing that Prince Hui’s straight back was still some distance from the main seat, she pressed down on his shoulders: “Staying tensed all the time is so tiring. Lean back.”
Zhao Sui’s back was indeed leaning firmly now, but his shoulders were actually pressed tightly on the outside by her two legs. Being this close, the back of his head could almost touch her too.
Yao Huang noticed this first, so she also leaned back. Her hands could still reach Prince Hui’s shoulders anyway.
After massaging for a while, Yao Huang sighed: “Second Master’s shoulders are really solid. You couldn’t have been built even more robust than my father and brother before, could you?”
With a centurion father and a martial arts-practicing brother at home, Yao Huang knew that a man’s good physique needed to be maintained through years of martial practice. Once abandoned, the muscles would soften. Yet Prince Hui had been inactive for over a year, but his shoulders, arms, even chest and waist were all still firm everywhere. One could see how strong he had been when his legs were intact. Only someone exceptionally strong could earn military merit on the battlefield multiple times.
Zhao Sui: “…”
His princess consort looked as lovely as a flower, but her speech was truly far too direct. In all his years, Zhao Sui had never had anyone refer to his shoulders as “shoulders” in such a casual way.
Yao Huang interpreted Prince Hui’s silence as unhappiness—after all, she had mentioned his glory before becoming disabled. She quickly remedied this: “Actually being too robust isn’t good either. Second Master has slimmed down and I already, already find it quite overwhelming. If Second Master hadn’t slimmed down, I might really, really die in your bed.”
Her voice grew softer as she spoke, the last few words almost inaudible. Her hands, which had been quite energetic just moments ago, also grew weaker with each massage.
Zhao Sui closed his eyes. The sounds of horse hooves and rolling wheels outside became increasingly clear, also reminding him of where he was at this moment.
“Continue. I’ll sleep for a while.”
Yao Huang understood again—the prince was hinting for her to shut up and stop chattering!
The less said, the fewer mistakes. Yao Huang was very cooperative, concentrating on massaging Prince Hui’s shoulders. After the shoulders came the arms, and after the arms she used her fists to press along Prince Hui’s spine all the way down to where he sat, then inch by inch back up. After that, she imitated Bai Ling’s technique to press his forehead, eye area, and head. Only then was one session complete.
Zhao Sui: “Where did you learn this?”
Yao Huang: “From Bai Ling. Is Second Master comfortable?”
Zhao Sui made an affirmative sound. When he heard her breathing heavily, he told her to rest.
Yao Huang: “Let me re-do Second Master’s hair. The topknot has been pressed loose.”
The carriage also had a comb. Yao Huang undid Prince Hui’s topknot and carefully combed through his hair, then tied it back into a knot with a cloth band.
Zhao Sui thought of something: “The journey has been bumpy. How has your body been these past two days?”