One end of the red wedding cord was placed in Yanyu’s hand, while the matrons handed the other end to Xiao Chengji, so that he could lead her inside.
After the wedding ceremony, Yanyu was sent to the bridal chamber, while Xiao Chengji remained outside to entertain the guests.
Today, even the Emperor was at Prince Qin’s residence. Nearly every notable minister of the capital attended, along with members of the imperial clan—none were absent.
Prince Qin’s household, usually cold and quiet, was lively for the first time.
Emperor Jianxing was truly delighted, drinking more than usual.
The First Prince and Second Prince had both died before the age of three. The First Prince, born of Consort Bo, had been Xiao Chengji’s elder brother.
Had the First Prince lived, he would have been made Crown Prince without question, and the Emperor might already have had a grandson.
Prince Qin had always been reckless, violent, and arrogant, disregarding imperial authority and ignoring the Emperor’s words.
For years, Emperor Jianxing had worried over him, his hair turning white from the strain.
Several princes crowded around the Emperor, eager to please. The Fifth Prince, fearful of his father since childhood and knowing he was disliked, did not join them. Instead, he sat in a corner, quietly drinking.
Soon, the Seventh Prince, Xiao Qirui, approached the Fifth Prince, Xiao Jiashan: “One hundred and fifty-eight chests of dowry! Fifth Brother, what do you think of that?”
Xiao Jiashan sneered: “And you call yourself of imperial blood? To be swayed by a dowry?”
Xiao Qirui was left speechless. The truth was, not all princes were equal. Like Xiao Qirui, who lacked strong backing and was not favored by the Emperor, he held no real office in court. His daily privileges were modest, even less than those of favored noble heirs in the capital. If one day he could marry a wife with a rich dowry and powerful background, he would have no choice but to accept—even if she were ugly.
After all, princes could always take concubines—just marry a few young beauties later.
“The sickly girl from the Duke Zhen’s household? I wouldn’t take her even if she were given to me for free.” Xiao Jiashan glanced secretly at the Emperor nearby, lowering his voice. “This time it’s perfect—Father shoved the woman I didn’t want onto Third Brother. Strange, isn’t it? He suffers such humiliation yet doesn’t make a fuss.”
Privately, the brothers often targeted Prince Qin, using whatever ruthless tricks they could. But face-to-face, none dared oppose him. There was no choice—Xiao Chengji was a madman who feared nothing.
Back when Consort Bo died, Xiao Jiashan had spoken a few disrespectful words in front of Xiao Chengji. In a rage, Xiao Chengji stomped him to the ground. That day, Xiao Jiashan nearly died under his brother’s blows. He was the Empress Dowager’s beloved grandson, the Emperor’s Fifth Prince. Xiao Chengji had not yet officially received the title of Prince Qin, yet he still dared to attack.
If not for eunuchs intervening quickly, Xiao Jiashan’s life might have ended there. And afterward? By rights, the Emperor should have stripped Xiao Chengji of his title and punished him severely.
In the late Emperor’s reign, such fratricidal violence would have meant demotion to commoner status and imprisonment in the clan’s prison until death.
But Emperor Jianxing brushed it off, saying only that brothers had quarreled too roughly. No matter how the Empress Dowager and Empress Zheng protested, he stuck to that excuse. In the end, Xiao Chengji was still granted the title of Prince Qin, with streams of gold and jewels flowing into his household.
Xiao Qirui thought the Wen girl’s lavish dowry might not matter to Xiao Chengji—everyone knew Prince Qin’s household was already wealthy enough to rival the state.
The two unlucky brothers, Xiao Qirui and Xiao Jiashan, grumbled bitterly for a long while.
Eventually, their talk turned to Xiao Jiashan’s newly taken secondary consort, Wei Ruxuan.
Xiao Qirui smiled: “What kind of marvel is this Wei girl, that you insisted on marrying her?”
At the mention of Wei Ruxuan, Xiao Jiashan’s face lit up with a smile: “If you saw her, you’d understand. She’s a hundred times better than that sickly, cursed Wen girl my Third Brother married!”
Xiao Qirui chuckled: “Good! Then I must meet her someday.”
Meanwhile, in the bridal chamber, Yanyu still sat upright. She would remain seated from daylight until nightfall.
Yanyu had brought with her four trusted maids—Bichun, Ningxia, Jinqiu, and Ruidong—along with two nursemaids. But that was not enough to serve her properly, so the bridal chamber also had four matrons from the Prince Qin’s household, and several young maids in the courtyard to clean.
The matrons of the Prince Qin’s household were all originally from the palace.
The Emperor knew the Empress Dowager liked to monitor the Prince Qin’s residence, so he personally reviewed those serving around the Prince, filtering out spies and unsuitable people. Thus, the matrons bustling about the bridal chamber today were women who had the Emperor’s trust.
They saw the new Princess Consort sitting properly on the bed, her bearing that of a noble lady. Though they had not yet seen her face, they imagined she must be elegant and dignified. Still, none of them believed Prince Qin would consummate the marriage. After all, over the years, many beauties had been sent to his household, yet he had never touched a single one. Even when young, the Emperor had sent palace maids to instruct him in matters of intimacy, but he refused. Later, some maids who could not resist tried to sneak into his bed, only to be strangled to death by him.
Since then, even if others had the thought, none dared act on it.
The matrons speculated that perhaps the Prince had been injured on the battlefield and was incapable. After all, which young nobleman did not indulge in such pleasures?
The Emperor himself had wondered, even asking the Prince directly. But Xiao Chengji’s face had turned black, and he refused to answer.
As the night grew late and the Prince had not appeared, one matron thought the Princess Consort had waited long enough. She should eat something and rest early, since tomorrow she must enter the palace to pay respects to the Empress and Empress Dowager.
Nanny Deng stepped forward: “Princess Consort, it is late. Would you like to eat something and then rest?”
Yanyu felt puzzled. It was supposed to be the wedding night. Her aunt had said she must consummate the marriage tonight. Why had no one come?
Madam Jiang, usually carefree, had been shy about explaining such matters. She had only told Yanyu to obey her husband and not cry during the wedding night.
Yanyu thought perhaps Prince Qin was deliberately trying to embarrass her. In that case, resting early was fine.
Just then, voices came from the doorway as the maids greeted someone.
Nanny Deng looked up in surprise—there was Prince Qin entering.
Xiao Chengji usually wore dark robes, but tonight he was dressed in red. His sharp brows and deep eyes gave him an even more imposing presence.
“Your Highness,” Nanny Deng said, “will you follow the proper rituals, or—”