The wedding at the Guo family residence wasn’t as lavish as the grand celebrations prepared in the palace for the Grand Princess’s marriage, but it was far livelier than any palace event.
Qingyang walked beside Zhang Su, trailing behind the bride and groom as they entered the main hall for the wedding ceremony.
Zhang Mei and Lady Xu sat side by side on the northern side; Lady Xu wore a broad smile, and the usually stern Zhang Mei’s lips twitched into a slight smile, making him look more like a scholarly literati full of poetic grace.
It was Qingyang’s first time witnessing a couple worship Heaven and Earth in marriage.
While the adults enjoyed the joyous occasion with some casual interest, Qingyang watched intently.
When the couple bowed to each other, Qingyang followed suit, bending forward herself, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bride’s face beneath the red veil.
Zhang Su held the Little Princess’s hand tightly, fearing she might lose her balance and fall.
After the ceremony, Qingyang continued holding Zhang Su’s hand, following behind the newlyweds.
Zhang Su silently cooperated, finally stopping outside the main room of the bridal chamber.
He said to the Little Princess, “Only female attendants are allowed inside. It wouldn’t be proper for me to enter. I’ll wait for Your Highness here.”
Qingyang, a sensible little princess, let go of Zhang Su’s hand and instead took the hand of a playmate she knew, entering the room with her.
More than fifteen minutes later, Heir Apparent Zhang Jian was the first to emerge.
His handsome face was flushed from the teasing of the female attendants.
Seeing Third Brother Zhang Su standing guard outside like a young imperial guard, Zhang Jian patted his shoulder reassuringly before striding away.
Qingyang soon came out as well.
Zhang Su glanced at Jie Yu and gently advised, “It’s late, the palace gates will be closing soon. Shall I escort Your Highness back to the palace?”
Qingyang was displeased: “I haven’t eaten at the banquet yet.”
Jie Yu smiled and said, “The evening banquet is about the same as the midday one. If Your Highness returns early, your bride will have even better food waiting. If Your Highness delays, the Emperor, the Consort, and Third Prince will all be waiting and hungry. Do you want them to starve?”
Of course, Qingyang couldn’t bear the thought of Father, Mother, and Third Brother going hungry.
After thinking it over, she tugged Zhang Su’s hand and said, “Alright, you escort me back.”
Jie Yu had already sent word ahead to Zhang Mei and his wife, telling them to entertain the guests without making a fuss about sending off the Little Princess again.
However, the couple still came to the door, and Zhang Mei personally lifted the Little Princess into the carriage.
Qingyang reached out her hand to Zhang Su: “You come up too. You promised to escort me back to the palace.”
Zhang Su looked toward his father.
Zhang Jiu said, “Go ahead. I’ll have a carriage follow behind. After you see the princess home, come straight back.”
Only then did Zhang Su climb into the carriage.
Inside, there were main and side seats, with a layer of brocade cushions laid out.
Jie Yu knelt beside them, first helping the Little Princess take off her shoes, then tending to the nine-year-old Third Young Master of the Zhang family.
Zhang Su avoided his hand and said softly, “I’ll do it myself.”
Sitting facing outward on the edge of the brocade cushion, he removed his boots and placed them aside.
Quietly confirming that Qingyang’s white socks were clean and odorless, Zhang Su turned and took a seat beside the Little Princess.
Qingyang patted the spot next to her: “Sit here.”
Zhang Su lowered his head: “Your Highness is the honored one. I mustn’t break protocol.”
Seeing he wouldn’t move, Qingyang simply slid down to sit on the cushion, tugging his hand: “This works too. I like being close so I can talk to you.”
Jie Yu had already dropped the carriage curtains and ordered the driver to set off.
He stayed near the door, alert and watchful.
The carriage was quiet for a while, then the talkative Qingyang started a conversation with Zhang Su: “Have you seen the new bride? She’s really beautiful.”
Zhang Su shook his head.
His eldest sister-in-law was the daughter of a Commandant who had died on the battlefield.
Although the family had received rewards, they no longer had eligible male heirs to hold official positions.
When their mother visited on behalf of his father, she took a liking to the reportedly beautiful and intelligent eldest sister-in-law.
The two families maintained close ties, and when the eldest sister-in-law completed her mourning period, their mother arranged the match.
What Qingyang liked more was the new bride’s makeup and phoenix crown.
She said to Zhang Su knowingly, “When I grow up, I want to be a new bride too.”
Zhang Su lowered his gaze further.
The carriage lights were lit.
Under the soft glow, the nine-year-old Third Young Master of the Zhang family sat calmly with fair skin and red lips, looking even more refined.
The Little Princess stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and tilted her head to meet Zhang Su’s eyes: “When I grow up, I’ll choose you to be my prince consort.”
Zhang Su: “……”
Jie Yu: “……”
Seeing Zhang Su as if startled, Qingyang asked suspiciously, “You don’t want to?”
Zhang Su: “… It’s that I’m unworthy of Your Highness. Besides, Your Highness is still young; it’s too early to think about marriage now.”
Qingyang: “I don’t care. I want you to be my prince consort anyway. Don’t worry, I like you. I won’t find a male favorite to break your heart.”
The nine-year-old Zhang Su, strictly observing the rites between ruler and subject, felt both terrified and puzzled. Prince consort, he knew.
But what was a male favorite?
Jie Yu cleared his throat gently and said, “The Third Young Master has been busy escorting the Heir Apparent all day and must be hungry. There are some pastries prepared in the carriage. Please, young master and Your Highness, have something to fill your stomachs first.”
He opened a drawer in the nearby cabinet and took out a flat pastry box.
With food distraction, the Little Princess finally forgot about choosing a prince consort.
After sending off the Little Princess, Zhang Su climbed into his family’s carriage to return home.
The banquet was an affair for the adults; at only nine years old, the Third Young Master’s presence was hardly important.
Zhang Su silently took his seat, casually eating while watching his older brother being pressured by a group of noble sons in their twenties or young military officers to drink.
In Zhang Su’s memory, his usually composed brother could only respond by chugging cup after cup of wine, spilling it down his collar.
Zhang Su lowered his eyes.
He disliked this kind of scene and hated seeing his brother forced to drink.
When his brother was finally so drunk that two attendants had to support him away, Zhang Su’s worry peaked.
When the feast ended, Zhang Su and his second brother accompanied their parents to see the guests out one by one.
After the main gate closed and only their family remained in the courtyard, Zhang Su finally had the chance to speak.
“Mother, big brother was so drunk. Will anything happen in the yard?”
Lady Xu looked at her husband. Seeing him stare ahead as if not hearing, she gathered the few remaining traces of childishness from the youngest son into her arms, rubbed his head, and smiled as she explained, “Don’t worry, your eldest brother has a strong constitution. He was just pretending tonight; otherwise, he’d have had to drink more than a dozen bowls. Drinking too much harms the body. It’s best to drink less at these affairs. Pretending a bit isn’t really disrespectful.”
Zhang Su was stunned. Big brother was just pretending?
Zhang Mei stroked his trimmed beard and instructed his two sons, “Integrity is precious, but there are times when it’s appropriate to bend the rules. For example, at a drinking gathering, a few light sips to show courtesy are enough. If you stubbornly refuse to feign a little and thus harm your health or neglect important matters, that is foolish sincerity. Fools can’t achieve great things.”
Lady Xu said, “Your father means that you can’t be too honest. Too honest, and people will treat you like a soft target. You’ll get hurt and accomplish nothing.”
Zhang Heng: “I understand. In war, deception is necessary. Using trickery in the right place isn’t villainy.”
Zhang Mei: “But it must not be abused. A person without credibility can’t stand.”
Both boys replied, “Yes.”
Lady Xu yawned: “Alright, alright, everyone go to bed. We still have tea offering in the morning.”
***
The next morning, Zhang Su finally saw the new eldest sister-in-law—a fair-skinned, delicate-featured woman who smiled softly and gently.
After recognizing her, Zhang Su didn’t look much more but only glanced at her red skirt hem.
Suddenly, the Little Princess’s jealous words about wanting to be a new bride and her foolish wish for Zhang Su to be her prince consort popped into his mind.
Zhang Su truly thought the three-year-old princess was silly, talking nonsense without understanding anything.
But since the silly child was a princess, Zhang Su was also afraid she might keep repeating those foolish words in the palace.
If the Second Prince overheard, he might laugh at her; if the Emperor or Consort heard, they might be angry.
Zhang Su wasn’t afraid of the Second Prince’s teasing, but this involved the Emperor and Consort…
Before entering the palace, Zhang Su took the opportunity to express his concerns to his father.
Zhang Wei: “… Children speak without restraint. As long as you serve the princess faithfully as a subject, the Emperor and Consort will not take the princess’s childish words seriously.”
Zhang Su: “Yes, Father. I still don’t understand one thing. What does ‘male favorite’ mean?”
Zhang Mei: “… Some men are fond of women, keeping many concubines and singing girls. Some women like men, so they keep male favorites. Neither is proper. Just knowing this much is enough; do not imitate.”
Zhang Su was furious: “I don’t know who said those nonsense things in front of the princess! I want to report it to Emperor Ruan…”
Zhang Mei: “This matter doesn’t require your intervention. Jie Yu is always close to the princess and almost never leaves her side. If there were anyone daring to say such filthy words in front of the princess, Jie Yu would have already punished them severely. Wait and see. The princess should not say such things again.”
Zhang Su nodded.
Returning to the palace, Zhang Su went straight to Chongwen Yu, heading toward the lecture hall where Third Brother Zhang Su was.
He glanced toward the lecture hall opposite.
Qingyang was listening to Tutor Guo teach characters, sitting upright, unaware of the new presence in the courtyard.
After class, Qingyang saw Zhang Su following Third Brother and happily ran over to him.
Qin Hong and his study partners Qin Liang and Qin Bing, along with Yuan Shenli, habitually gathered around.
The children all enjoyed teasing the Little Princess with chatter.
Zhang Su, who never spoke first, remained tense until it was time to go back inside for class.
Qingyang didn’t bring up prince consort, male favorite, or being a new bride again, so Zhang Su finally relaxed.
Qingyang had naturally been given a stern lecture by Jie Yu, understanding that asking Zhang Su to be her prince consort might cause trouble for him, and bringing up male favorites might bring trouble for herself.
She had seriously promised Jie Yu the night before but, after a good sleep, the Little Princess had completely forgotten both matters.