People have seven emotions and six desires, which then implicate various grudges and entanglements.
The Yao family had just four people living harmoniously together, but among the neighbors near and far from Longevity Alley, countless quarrels and fights had occurred. Yao Huang had personally witnessed the furrowed brows and glaring eyes of those expressing anger and grievance, had also seen those who clearly benefited yet still played the victim, had personally heard the foul language and curses that came readily from mouths, and had also heard the roundabout, sarcastic mockery.
Regarding Zheng Yuanzhen’s marriage engagement with the two imperial brothers, Yao Huang believed she was the last among those present to learn of it.
Not mentioning last year, just counting from this year’s selection process when the three Princess Consorts were determined, the matter had already passed for half a year. If Prince Qing and Zheng Yuanzhen truly felt they wronged Prince Hui, they should each live their own lives without creating this marriage match. Daring to create it proved they had long cast aside the disabled Second Brother and Cousin Brother, only caring about their own happiness.
In Yao Huang’s view, someone of Zheng Yuanzhen’s family background not wanting to marry the disabled-legged Prince Hui was human nature. Since she had the ability to break the engagement and get Emperor Yongchang to agree to her marrying Prince Qing, and Prince Hui hadn’t cried or made a fuss, Zheng Yuanzhen and Prince Qing really didn’t need to deliberately put on this act. Being magnanimous and beaming with joy as their newlywed couple would preserve everyone’s dignity.
But the couple insisted on displaying this ashamed appearance before Prince Hui—what were they really after? Were they trying to let Prince Hui, who with disabled legs had cooperated and fulfilled their wishes, know they hadn’t deliberately rubbed salt in his wounds? Or were they trying to show Emperor Yongchang that though they did something slightly wronging Prince Hui, they weren’t without conscience?
Prince Kang, wanting to display brotherly concern, at least genuinely exerted effort pushing the wheelchair. But Prince Qing’s couple, while troubling Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, wanted Father Emperor to praise them for still having face and skin?
This grievance—Prince Hui could endure it, but Yao Huang couldn’t!
Anyway, Emperor Yongchang and others didn’t know she already knew the situation. Consort Du and the Second Princess also weren’t foolish enough to broadcast those words they’d used to provoke her. So Yao Huang used the meeting gift to expose Prince Qing and Zheng Yuanzhen’s hypocrisy. Feeling guilty, my foot! The marriage was already consummated—still pretending to be a good younger brother and good younger cousin!
Prince Qing and Zheng Yuanzhen hadn’t even looked toward Yao Huang yet, both focused entirely on Prince Hui’s possible reaction. Unexpectedly confronted with the jade bracelet Yao Huang held up and hearing that utterly absurd speculation, the couple simultaneously froze.
The others were also startled. At this moment, Consort Du reacted quickly, “kindly” speaking up to help Prince Qing and Zheng Yuanzhen: “What nonsense are you talking about, Huang Huang? Your Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law feel heartache over Prince Hui’s legs—they were moved by the scene. It has nothing to do with your meeting gift.”
Empress Zhou’s eye twitched slightly. Consort Liu Xian secretly bit her inner lip. Consort Shen Rou was furious but understood that anything she said now would only make things worse.
Emperor Yongchang had a bit of a headache.
Yao Huang followed Consort Du’s words to give Prince Qing’s couple a way out, smiling: “I see. Then you need feel even less upset. Though the Prince’s legs were injured, this injury was exchanged for the Great Qi border army defeating the Wu Kingdom iron cavalry in utter defeat, exchanged for the peace of the border troops and civilians and Father Emperor’s worry-free rest. So the Prince’s injury is the glory he brought back from the battlefield—you should take pride in it.”
Emperor Yongchang’s headache disappeared. Moreover, heroic feelings surged in his chest. He felt his Second Daughter-in-law’s words, though accidentally hitting the mark, had praised exactly what touched his heart!
Zheng Yuanzhen said shamefully: “Second Sister-in-law is right.”
Prince Qing looked at her profile barely concealing her discomfort, then looked at that Second Sister-in-law who had changed from anxious unease to smiling beautiful eyes. He seemed to see two jade bracelets placed side by side—one with dull luster, one brilliantly shining.
Following this, Second Sister-in-law reached out to grasp Cousin’s wrist, smiling as she slipped that green jade bracelet on: “Let’s not speak of those things. Second Sister-in-law wishes you and Third Brother marital bliss and harmonious beauty.”
With one grasp and one slip, Second Sister-in-law’s hands sandwiched Cousin’s slender hand in between. Prince Qing saw clearly—Second Sister-in-law’s hands were both white and smooth, actually more captivating than Cousin’s hands.
After giving the meeting gift, Yao Huang withdrew her hands.
Zheng Yuanzhen slightly bent her knees in thanks.
Prince Qing timely led her away.
After the ceremonies ended, Prince Qing’s couple had to go to Consort Rou’s palace for intimate mother-children talk. Prince Kang had to go on duty. The three children had to play at Consort Xian’s for a while. Yao Huang was too lazy to go to Consort Du’s place for insincere socializing and directly pushed her own Prince out of the palace.
On the carriage, Yao Huang as usual crouched beside Prince Hui’s wheelchair helping him secure it to prevent the wheelchair from rolling forward if the carriage suddenly braked.
After securing it, Yao Huang sat back in the side seat. Lifting her head, she discovered Prince Hui was watching her—she didn’t know for how long.
Yao Huang suddenly lost confidence. Her speech at the Empress’s quarters had been satisfying, but she didn’t know Prince Hui’s true attitude toward Zheng Yuanzhen. What if the foolish Prince had willingly fulfilled her wishes with Prince Qing for his cousin’s satisfaction, but actually had lingering feelings in his heart and didn’t want his cousin embarrassed before everyone…
Seeing the increasingly obvious concern in the Princess Consort’s eyes, Zhao Sui asked: “I once had a verbal marriage engagement with Princess Consort Qing—did you know?”
He remembered that the second day after their grand wedding when he and the Princess Consort entered the palace to serve tea, after moving to Yikun Palace, the Consort had deliberately mentioned to the Princess Consort that he once had another fine marriage match, mocking that the Princess Consort had taken advantage of his disabled legs and broken engagement to become the principal consort.
Being rejected by someone was fact. As for whether the Princess Consort was unlucky or took advantage—that was something only she could judge.
On the way out of the palace, the Princess Consort looked gloomy and unhappy. Zhao Sui had wanted to console her, but it turned out the Princess Consort feared that because of her family background and childhood name, she had caused him to lose face. Those consoling words couldn’t be spoken. Afterward, she happily acted as his Princess Consort. Zhao Sui had even less opportunity to bring up the old matter.
Just now, the Princess Consort had used the meeting gift to interpret Prince Qing couple’s guilt. Zhao Sui actually couldn’t tell if she truly thought that way or was playing dumb and deliberately misinterpreting.
Yao Huang: “…”
She lowered her head and said quietly: “I knew. The Second Princess told me the day we served tea. She had no good intentions—I didn’t want to be jealous with the Prince over past matters.”
Zhao Sui looked at the Princess Consort’s unconsciously clenched fingers together and said: “No need to be jealous. I had no private relationship whatsoever with Princess Consort Qing. Aside from palace banquets where she would call us Cousin Brother when we met, I had no conversation with her.”
Yao Huang secretly glanced at him twice and asked purely out of curiosity: “If that’s the case, why did the Prince agree to that marriage match at the time?”
Zhao Sui lowered his gaze, saying: “At that time, whoever became my wife made no difference to me. When the Consort asked my opinion, I replied to follow Father Emperor and Mother Consort’s decision.”
Yao Huang inexplicably became angry: “Marriage between man and woman—husband and wife are people who must deal with each other for a lifetime. How could you be so perfunctory? Marry if you like them; refuse if you don’t. The Consort is hypocritical, but would Father Emperor also force you to marry someone you don’t like?”
He didn’t want metal wheels, and even in such a major matter as marrying a wife, he let others arrange it!
Zhao Sui fell silent.
Yao Huang thought it over, then said meaningfully: “I understand now. The Prince still likes his own cousin, so he…”
Zhao Sui raised his eyes and looked directly at her: “I absolutely have no private feelings for her whatsoever.”
Not even the sibling affection that should exist between cousins.
Yao Huang suddenly left her seat and sat on the wheelchair facing him, then pushed Prince Hui, who was much taller than her, back against the chair back, facilitating eye contact between them.
Zhao Sui: “…”
Yao Huang looked at him and asked: “Truly never liked her?”
Zhao Sui: “Never.”
Yao Huang smiled. She pulled Prince Hui upright again, embracing his waist while leaning on his shoulder, saying: “Then I want the Prince to promise me something.”
Zhao Sui couldn’t quite keep up with the Princess Consort’s attitude changes and had no clue about the request she was about to make.
“What matter?”
Yao Huang sighed in her heart before saying quietly: “I want the Prince to promise me that from now on, no matter what others want you to do, as long as it’s something you don’t like or aren’t interested in, you must freely refuse—unless it’s an imperial command regarding state affairs that cannot be disobeyed.”