A Precious Pearl in the Imperial City

Chapter 73

According to tradition, when a daughter is married off, her parents would advise her on how to be humble, obedient, and diligent in managing household affairs as a wife. Shen Ying held her daughter's hand and said softly, "Take good care of yourself. In this world, nothing matters more than your own well-being."

After speaking, she glanced subtly at Prince Chen and, seeing no displeasure on his face, curtsied to him. "We entrust... Your Highness with her."

"Please rest assured, Mother-in-law. I will take good care of Jiuzhu." Prince Chen secretly grasped Jiuzhu's hand beneath his sleeve and smiled at her. "As long as I am here, no one will ever mistreat her."

"Good." Shen Ying pretended not to notice their clasped hands. She bent down to pick up a piece of pastry from the table and held it to Jiuzhu's lips with chopsticks. "May your future life be as sweet and carefree as this dessert."

Once Jiuzhu swallowed the pastry, an official from the Ministry of Rites announced loudly, "The bride shall now board the sedan!"

Seeing Ming Jiyuan crouch down to carry Jiuzhu on his back, Prince Chen stepped forward. "Elder Brother, let me do it."

Ming Cunfu could no longer hold back and blocked Prince Chen. "Your Highness, this truly cannot be done by you."

Faced with the Ming family's firm opposition, Prince Chen reluctantly relented. "Very well."

The eight noble matrons and the women tasked with blessing the wedding were at a loss for words. They silently turned their heads away, pretending not to have seen anything. Since when did a prince personally escort the bride in a royal wedding?

The noble matrons, well-versed in the intrigues of high society, understood royal affairs better than the blessing women. Ever since Lady Su was crowned empress, many had begun to suspect that Emperor Longfeng would soon name Prince Chen as the Crown Prince.

A prince who was highly likely to become the heir apparent—risking censure from officials for disregarding tradition—insisted on personally fetching his bride and even summoned his princely brothers to assist. Such devotion was unheard of.

Their gazes fell upon the young lady of the Ming family, carried on her brother's back. Rumors had it that Empress Su was extremely pleased with Prince Chen's bride, but they had assumed it was mere courtesy. Yet now, seeing how far the empress allowed her son to go, it was clear she truly favored the bride.

For a married woman, getting along with her mother-in-law was often a challenge. To earn the affection of an empress—what extraordinary fortune the Ming family's daughter had.

Prince Huai followed behind, arms crossed, forcing a benevolent elder-brother smile onto his face.

"This is troublesome," Prince An muttered, his expression gloomy and his steps heavy. "If my consort finds out that Fifth Brother personally went to the Ming residence to fetch his bride, she’ll argue with me for days."

Prince Huai clicked his tongue. "If she dares to make a fuss, just go sleep in a concubine’s quarters. As the emperor’s son, how can you fear a woman?"

Prince An gave a dry laugh but didn’t respond. He wasn’t afraid of women—just his own consort.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother doesn’t have any concubines," Prince Jing whispered. "He... is henpecked."

"Nonsense! I’m not henpecked—I just have no interest in taking concubines," Prince An quickly denied, changing the subject. "The bride is almost at the main gate. Let’s hurry."

"If he refuses to take concubines, does Consort Lü just allow his household to have only his principal wife?" Prince Jing murmured before turning to Prince Huai. "Consort Lü must be very tolerant."

Prince Huai had little impression of Consort Lü, remembering only that she was quiet and plain-looking. She had originally been a second-rank palace maid serving the late empress dowager. One day, when the emperor went to pay his respects, the empress dowager bestowed Consort Lü upon him.

As a child, he had heard rumors that Consort Lü was a spy planted by the empress dowager, which was why she never won the emperor’s favor.

In truth, ever since ascending the throne, the emperor had exclusively doted on Empress Su. The other consorts were no different from Consort Lü in that regard.

In his youth, full of indignation, he once asked his mother why the emperor favored only Empress Su and Yun Duqing. His mother did not answer immediately but silently watched him until he lost the courage to press further. Only then did she speak.

["Romantic love is unimportant. But those who hold power have the privilege to choose whatever—or whomever—they desire."]

"Eldest Brother? Eldest Brother?"

Prince Jing noticed Prince Huai spacing out and whispered, "The bride is about to board the sedan."

Prince Huai snapped back to attention, his gaze falling on the sedan at the gate. His heart soured again. Yun Duqing’s bride was carried in a twelve-man palanquin, while his own wedding had only warranted an eight-man one.

Both were imperial princes—yet the difference was stark.

Ming Jiyuan carefully placed Jiuzhu into the bridal sedan and accepted the jade scepter from a noble matron, laying it across his sister’s lap.

"Brother." Jiuzhu peeked out from behind her round fan and blinked at Ming Jiyuan. "Don’t be sad, and don’t worry about me. Lean in—I have a secret to tell you."

Without caring how it looked, Ming Jiyuan immediately bent down and brought his ear close.

"Tell Father and Mother that Jiuzhu hasn’t left our family—she’s just bringing His Highness back with her."

Ming Jiyuan’s pupils trembled, and his gaze toward his sister filled with unspoken admiration.

"I understand." He took a deep breath. "Little Sister, remember—you must, must take good care of yourself."

Jiuzhu nodded.

"Lord Ming, the auspicious hour has arrived. The sedan must depart," a noble matron urged hesitantly.

Ming Jiyuan took one last look at his sister before slowly lowering the sedan curtain. He turned to Prince Chen.

Prince Chen bowed to his brother-in-law before mounting a horse adorned with red silk flowers. "Raise the sedan!" he declared.

He glanced back at his three brothers trailing behind.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the three princes maintained stiff smiles and chanted in unison:

"Raise the sedan!"

Prince Huai: "Blossoms of fortune, twin lotus flowers!"

Prince An: "Joy fills the halls, blessings abound!"

Prince Jing: "Phoenix and dragon soar, zither and lute sing in harmony!"

"Raise the sedan!"

Twelve bearers steadily lifted the dragon-and-phoenix bridal palanquin as firecrackers crackled, filling the capital with jubilant noise.

The Ming family stood at the gate. Ming Jingzhou held a basin of water but couldn’t bring himself to toss it.

"What nonsense about 'a married daughter is like spilled water'!" He turned abruptly and splashed the water onto his own front door. "My daughter is still my daughter, even after marriage!"

"Father, Third Uncle hasn’t even cried yet—why are you tearing up?" Ming Cunfu whispered, handing his father a handkerchief. "Everyone’s watching."

"You don’t understand." Ming Jinghai’s eyes glistened. "Our Ming family waited three generations for a single daughter, and now the imperial family has taken her. It pains my heart."

Ming Cunfu scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping before murmuring, "I think Prince Chen is quite decent. Not only did he personally come to fetch Jiuzhu, but he also made the other princes serve as groomsmen. That shows how much he values her."

"Of course he should value her!" Every elder saw their daughter as precious jade, while other families’ sons were just pigs rooting for treasure.

"But I didn’t see the Fourth Prince," Ming Cunfu noted quietly. "Is he still holding a grudge because you and Third Uncle exposed the Zheng family and Lady Zheng’s misdeeds?"

"One should always look on the bright side," Ming Jinghai wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Perhaps the fourth prince's injury hasn't fully healed yet, and he can't ride a horse?"

Ming ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Cunfu: "..."

That probably wasn't much of a consolation for the fourth prince.

The wedding procession, accompanied by musicians dressed in red playing lively tunes, drew crowds of onlookers from the common folk.

"The groom is so handsome!"

"See the dragon-patterned pearl crown he's wearing? Only imperial princes and descendants dare to wear such a headpiece."

"Wow, no wonder the main road is lined with red lanterns—the bride must be stunningly beautiful."

"Why do you say that?"

"Three months ago, another prince got married, and his ceremony wasn't nearly as grand."

"None of those princes can compare to this one. This is Prince Chen, renowned for both his literary and martial prowess. See those three handsome young men following him? They're his elder brothers."

"So the tales of the domineering prince and the charming county princess are true!" A woman carrying a vegetable basket gazed at the bridal sedan with trembling excitement. "The storytellers said the domineering prince once vowed to marry her with the grandest wedding the city had ever seen—and he kept his word!"

A scholar standing nearby retorted, "Storytellers spin tales. None of it is real."

"If it's all fake, then how do you explain this magnificent wedding?" The woman rolled her eyes at him. "You heartless scholars wouldn’t understand the depth of the prince’s devotion to his beloved. Hmph!"

Swaying her hips, she hurried after the bridal sedan, joining other women who gushed over the wedding, envying the bride’s good fortune.

"You’re just too stingy to spend on your own wife, so you’re sour about it," another woman sneered. "Or are you jealous that the prince became the top scholar while you failed?"

The scholar: "..."

What nonsense was this?

He wanted to argue, but under the sharp glares of the surrounding women, he feared being mobbed and slunk away in defeat.

Still, he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of resentment toward Prince Chen and his bride. He’d just have to wait and see—when the prince took a concubine, he wondered how these women would react.

As the bridal sedan approached the Vermilion Bird Gate, the imperial elders were still arguing over which gate it should enter.

"Prince Chen may be the empress’s son, but he’s still just a prince. Allowing him to marry within the palace is already an exception—how can we let his bride’s sedan pass through the Central Gate?"

"But as the empress’s son, passing through the Central Gate isn’t entirely inappropriate..."

"Pah! You’re just trying to curry favor with Empress Su, ignoring our ancestors’ rules!"

"Enough arguing—the bridal sedan has arrived."

Before the elders could react, a column of the Imperial Dragon Guards marched to the Central Gate, lining up on either side and kneeling on one knee.

"Congratulations on Prince Chen’s wedding! By His Majesty’s decree, open the Central Gate!"

The elders, who had been bickering moments ago, were stunned. They never expected the usually respectful and amiable emperor to override their objections so decisively, ordering the Imperial Dragon Guards to open the Central Gate with such authority.

Glancing at the swords at the guards’ waists, the elders wisely fell silent.

Having survived two reigns, their greatest strength wasn’t their royal blood—it was knowing when to yield.

If the emperor, master of the palace, didn’t mind the bride’s sedan entering through the Central Gate, why should they?

As the Central Gate slowly swung open under the gaze of the crowd, Prince Huai’s smile twisted into something closer to a grimace.

The Central Gate!

Only an empress’s sedan was permitted to pass through it.

Had their father’s favoritism toward the fifth prince reached such heights? Gritting his teeth, he forced his smile to appear bright and natural.

He wasn’t jealous. Not at all.

Prince An, seeing the open gate, quietly sighed in relief. He’d finally thought of a way to placate his own wife.

If she asked why he hadn’t personally escorted her bridal sedan from her family’s home, he’d simply say his younger brother’s wedding was an exception—everything was the emperor’s doing.

No matter how lavish the dowry or how grand the procession, nothing compared to the glory of passing through the Central Gate.

As long as he pinned it all on the emperor, his wife wouldn’t banish him to the study.

Prince Chen glanced at the open gate, then back at the bridal sedan. Patting his horse, he led it through the Central Gate.

"Congratulations to His Highness and Her Highness on their wedding!"

The Imperial Guards, Dragon Guards, and Golden Armor Guards knelt in unison. "May the prince and princess grow old together in harmony, united for a hundred years."

Beyond the gate stretched an endless red carpet.

Petals drifted down from the palace walls, a few slipping into the bridal sedan. Jiuzhu picked up one that had landed on her lap and realized they weren’t even in season.

Her brother had once mentioned how some wealthy families spent fortunes on heated greenhouses to cultivate flowers year-round.

Just how much silver had the emperor and empress spent on this wedding?

Hiding her face behind a round fan, she lifted the sedan curtain just enough to peek outside.

Along the palace path, palace maids and eunuchs stood at intervals holding lanterns adorned with the character for "joy." Countless petals swirled in the air, red silk fluttered, and celebratory music filled the air—it was like a dream.

As night fell, the lanterns formed a glowing dragon, illuminating the entire palace in radiant splendor.

"The sedan shall land!"

Prince Chen dismounted and approached the sedan.

"Your Highness, please knock on the sedan with your foot."

A symbolic gesture—three knocks with the foot to signify the husband’s dominance in marriage.

Prince Chen raised his foot, then paused. Instead, he bent down and, to the astonishment of the attending noblewomen, gently tapped the sedan three times with his knuckles. "Little Pig Jiuzhu, your prince welcomes you home."

Lifting the curtain, he saw Jiuzhu’s smiling eyes above the edge of her fan.

Grinning, he held out his hand and took the jade ruyi from her lap. "Come, walk with me."

Jiuzhu placed her hand in his.

"The bride descends—let music and drums rejoice!"

The plush red carpet felt like walking on clouds.

"The couple shares the red silk, bringing auspicious blessings."

Someone handed Jiuzhu a red silk ribbon with a large embroidered ball in the middle. She glanced at Prince Chen, who gave her a reassuring look.

"Don’t be nervous," he whispered. "You’re my princess now. No one would dare disrespect you."

"Your Highness, I’m not nervous," Jiuzhu tightened her grip on the silk. "I’m just curious about how you look right now."

"Then tell me—do I look good today?" He gave her hand a playful squeeze.

"Very good," she added softly. "Your Highness looks good every day."

"The couple crosses the threshold, their bond sealed for eternity."

Stepping into the Kirin Palace, Prince Chen eyed the ceremonial brazier before them. Without hesitation, he swept Jiuzhu into his arms and carried her over it.

The eight noblewomen accompanying them: "..."

The brazier wasn’t meant for the groom to cross.

But then again, ever since Prince Chen insisted on fetching his bride from the Ming family himself, tradition had already gone out the window.

Before Jiuzhu could react, Prince Chen had already lifted her up and set her down again. She wanted to turn back for a glance, but remembering the tradition that a bride must not look back on her wedding day, she suppressed the impulse. "Your Highness, what was on the ground just now?"

"Nothing." Prince Chen bent down to adjust the hem of her wedding gown. "In any case, we stepped over it together."

"Oh." Jiuzhu followed Prince Chen as they continued forward, stepping onto the red carpet and ascending the stairs into the main hall of Kirin Palace, which was already filled with guests.

All the most esteemed figures of the court were present—except for Jiuzhu's own family.

Firecrackers crackled incessantly. Jiuzhu saw the Emperor and Empress seated at the head of the hall, while the guests lining both sides bowed deeply to her and His Highness.

A ceremonial official stepped forward and recited a lengthy eulogy.

The gist of it was to praise her, to declare her and Prince Chen a match made in heaven, and to wish them everlasting love.

Once the official finished and withdrew, Prince Chen whispered in Jiuzhu’s ear, "This piece was personally written by His Majesty and Her Majesty."

Jiuzhu blinked. Really?

Prince Chen nodded.

He had seen them with his own eyes, flipping through multiple classical texts just to perfect a single phrase.

"Bow in reverence!"

"First bow to heaven and earth!"

"Second bow to parents!"

Jiuzhu turned and knelt before Emperor Longfeng and Empress Su.

The other princes watched Prince Chen and his bride kneel before their father, their emotions tangled and conflicted. When they had married in their own princely residences, not only had their mothers been unable to leave the palace, but they had also been forced to bow to the Emperor’s personal seal as a stand-in for him.

Yun Yanze glanced at his three elder brothers, who had entered the hall alongside Yun Duqing, masking the suspicion in his heart.

Why had the three of them arrived together? And why had the Emperor shown no displeasure at their lateness?

The feeling of being kept in the dark, of being the only one excluded, was far from pleasant. Lowering his gaze, he coldly observed Yun Duqing’s beaming face, then let his eyes linger on the couple’s clasped hands as Prince Chen helped Ming Jiuzhu rise.

"Bow to each other as husband and wife!"

Jiuzhu and Prince Chen turned to face one another, their eyes meeting as they both broke into smiles.

Prince Chen couldn’t see Jiuzhu’s upturned lips, but he knew she was smiling—her eyes were so bright, so beautiful.

Raising both hands, he placed his left over his right, lifting them above his brow before bowing deeply.

Their foreheads touched, and Prince Chen chuckled softly, steadying the phoenix-and-dragon coronet atop Jiuzhu’s head as he helped her straighten.

Emperor Longfeng and Empress Su watched the lovestruck pair stealing glances at each other, unable to suppress their own smiles.

Liu Zhongbao stepped forward, his announcement laced with amusement. "Escort the newlyweds to the bridal chamber!"

Prince Chen bowed once more to his parents with Jiuzhu, then led her by the hand toward the rear palace.

Emperor Longfeng knew that with him and Mei Dai present, the guests wouldn’t dare to be too rowdy. But a wedding ought to be lively—it was auspicious.

"We shall return to the palace first," the Emperor said, turning to Prince Huai. "As the eldest brother, you and the Ministry of Rites officials will ensure the guests are well entertained."

"Your son obeys." Prince Huai quickly assented, his forced smile gaining a touch of sincerity.

On such occasions, His Majesty still trusted him above all others.

Empress Su nodded slightly to Prince Huai. "We leave it to you, Prince Huai."

"You honor me, Mother Empress. As the eldest, it is only right that I assist my younger brother in hosting." Prince Huai bowed respectfully, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

He might occasionally lapse in etiquette before the Emperor, but he would never dare slight Empress Su.

"Your Highness," Jiuzhu said after she and Prince Chen had navigated several winding corridors to finally reach their bridal chamber. "Kirin Palace is enormous."

"Tired?" Prince Chen helped her sit. "Have something to eat first."

"Your Highness!" The eight matrons of honor and the women symbolizing good fortune could no longer hold back. "You haven’t yet drunk the unity wine!"

Well then. Letting the bride sit immediately upon entering—according to folk custom—foretold that she would rule the household after marriage.

The chief matron glanced at the delicate and lovely Princess Consort Chen. She didn’t seem the domineering type at all. Clearly, folk traditions weren’t always accurate.

"Your Highness, please first receive the bride’s blessing fan."

Jiuzhu held the fan’s handle in her right hand and its surface in her left, passing it to Prince Chen.

In the candlelight, her beauty outshone the flowers.

Prince Chen placed the fan in a wooden box, then accepted two cups of wine from the matron, handing one to Jiuzhu. "Have you ever drunk wine before?"

"No," Jiuzhu shook her head. "My master said wine harms the spirit and should be avoided."

Prince Chen chuckled, linking arms with her. "Then today, for my sake, endure just one cup."

The warm wine slid down her throat, and a rosy flush quickly spread across Jiuzhu’s cheeks. She frowned—wine truly tasted awful.

"Your master was right. Wine is harmful." Prince Chen took the cup from her fingers. "We won’t drink it again."

He gestured for the matrons and fortune-bearers to withdraw.

They retreated eagerly. This wedding had been far too taxing—Prince Chen’s constant surprises were more than they could handle.

"Your Highness." Jiuzhu pointed at the heavy phoenix-and-dragon coronet weighing down her head. "Please help me take this off. My neck hurts."

"Wait a moment." Prince Chen stood and moved behind her, studying the coronet for a long while before figuring out how to remove it.

"It’s quite heavy," he remarked, setting it on the table before summoning a eunuch to replace the dishes with fresh, hot ones. "Eat something first."

The room fell quiet. Jiuzhu gazed at him with dewy eyes. "Your Highness."

"Hmm?" Prince Chen placed a morsel of food in her bowl. "What is it?"

"My head feels a little dizzy," Jiuzhu said, propping her cheek on one hand. "Do you still need to go out and entertain the guests?"

"I’ll make a quick round and return." He touched her cheek—warm to the touch—and smiled. "Such a lightweight?"

"My mind is clear, just a bit dizzy." Jiuzhu picked up her bowl and began eating. Prince Chen ladled her a bowl of congee, and even after she finished it, he showed no sign of leaving.

Only after the ceremonial eunuch urged him repeatedly did he finally ruffle Jiuzhu’s hair. "Rest on the bed for now. I’ll be back soon. The maids and eunuchs outside will attend to anything you need."

"Oh." Jiuzhu nodded absently. After Prince Chen left, she rose and sat on the bed, discovering something beneath the quilt.

Lifting the covers, she found longans, red dates, peanuts, and walnuts.

Crushing a walnut between her fingers, she popped the kernel into her mouth and curiously rummaged further, finding several books tucked beneath the pillow.

Books?

Jiuzhu picked one up, glanced at it, then tossed it aside disinterestedly. Sitting cross-legged atop the quilt, she proceeded to crack open every walnut, piling the kernels together.

The moment Prince Chen stepped out, the guests swarmed around him eagerly—especially the royal scoundrels who had often trailed after him in the past. Raising their cups, they crowded close. "Rest assured, Your Highness. We’ve prepared everything as you instructed. We’ll deliver the items in the coming days."

Prince Chen watched them in silence, trying hard to recall what exactly he had ordered them to do.

"We just didn’t expect famous books and ancient texts to be so expensive. To buy these things, we’ve emptied our pockets," the royal troublemakers lamented, their hearts bitter as yellow lotus. Who would have thought that these headache-inducing books could cost more than cricket fights and cockfights?

Being a good person was truly difficult.

"Hmm." Prince Chen nodded with an inscrutable expression. "Good."

At least mentioning book purchases in front of him was better than bringing up cockfights.

A few bold ones even wanted to crash the wedding chamber, but Prince Chen coldly refused.

"My consort is timid and easily embarrassed. From now on, speak gently in her presence—don’t frighten her."

Did these royal troublemakers dare refuse such a request?

They did not. With resigned faces, they agreed.

But what exactly was the standard for "speaking gently"?

If they said they’d only linger outside for one round, they’d better not take two. After hastily toasting the guests, Prince Chen made his way to the inner courtyard.

Everyone knew it was his wedding night, so no one was tactless enough to stop him.

Pushing open the door, Prince Chen saw Jiuzhu crushing a walnut between two fingers.

"Your Highness, you’re back?" Jiuzhu remembered the book she had tossed aside earlier and quickly retrieved it from the bed. "Your Highness, look—there’s a picture book here!"