So many things had happened today, and the volume of information was simply overwhelming.
First, he had inexplicably taken over the management of the prince’s manor, and then he had buried himself in organizing the storehouse before the prince personally caught him to eat. Finally, there was the situation where he appeared sidelined yet was actually granted real authority, alongside those ambiguous words from Lou Yan.
This Prince Jing was definitely not as sickly and harmless as he appeared on the surface.
He turned over and stared up at the canopy of the bed.
However, for now, the other party did not seem to harbor any malice; instead, he had granted him a tremendous amount of freedom. It would be wonderful if he could freely leave the estate, though perhaps he could just mention it to him.
“Still, will his illness ever be curable?”
Yet, upon second thought, he would be able to return home to see his parents tomorrow, which was not bad at all.
Early the next morning, before the sky had even truly brightened, Ye Xunyang was awakened by a maidservant.
Today was the day to return to the parental home, and they also needed to enter the palace to express their gratitude. The etiquettes were tedious and left no room for negligence.
He sat up while stifling a yawn, looking at the hazy dawn outside the window, thinking that being a prince’s consort was even more exhausting than training in the military camp.
At least military training did not require waking up this early, nor did it require wearing such complicated clothes.
Several maidservants filed in one after another, holding the formal ceremonial attire he was to wear today.
It was a crimson wedding robe adorned with golden patterns, layered and gorgeous, solemn and magnificent. Ye Xunyang was dressed, combed, and crowned like a puppet, feeling as though his neck was about to be crushed under the weight.
“Where is the Prince?” he could not help asking the maidservant who was adjusting his waist sash.
“Replying to the Prince Consort, the Prince is already waiting outside the manor in the carriage,” the maidservant answered respectfully.
Ye Xunyang was somewhat surprised. Since Lou Yan’s health had not yet recovered, why did he wake up even earlier than him?
He had assumed Lou Yan would not go along, especially since even the wedding ceremony had been performed with a rooster in his place.
Once properly dressed, Ye Xunyang walked quickly toward the main entrance.
In the faint light of dawn, a luxurious carriage marked with the Prince’s insignia stood waiting quietly, surrounded by heavily guarded escorts.
Seeing him arrive, the guards bowed silently and lifted the carriage curtain.
The interior of the carriage was spacious, lined with thick, soft mats, and Lou Yan was indeed already inside.
He was still seated in his wheelchair, with thick soft pillows beneath him and a thin blanket draped over his body. In the dim light of the carriage, his complexion looked exceptionally pale as he sat with his eyes closed to rest, his long eyelashes casting soft shadows beneath his eyes.
Hearing the movement, he slowly opened his eyes.
Ye Xunyang crawled into the carriage, sat down on the opposite side, and felt somewhat embarrassed.
“Your Highness, I apologize for keeping you waiting so long.”
Lou Yan’s voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up, making him sound even more frail than he had last night.
“It is no trouble. The timing is just right.”
Ye Xunyang noticed the faint blue shadows beneath his eyes, as if he had not slept well at all last night. Who knew what was going on with him?
The carriage started smoothly and headed toward the Grand General’s Estate. Silence filled the carriage for a time, broken only by the rumbling sound of the wheels crushing against the road.
Feeling awkward, Ye Xunyang tried to make small talk. “Your Highness, can your body hold up? If you are tired, I can actually return home alone.”
Lou Yan interrupted him, his tone calm yet firm.
“Propriety must not be discarded. Since this is the return to the parental home, you and I ought to go together. Furthermore, it is only right to pay respects to my father-in-law and mother-in-law.”
That title of father-in-law and mother-in-law made the corners of Ye Xunyang’s mouth twitch slightly, but seeing Lou Yan’s matter-of-fact expression, he found it hard to refute him.
Since this sickly man insisted on following the proper etiquette, if he were to refuse again, it would make him look ungracious.
The carriage stopped in front of the General’s Estate.
Ye Xunyang leaped down from the carriage first. The servants of the General’s Estate had already hurried out to welcome them, but upon seeing the wheelchair and Lou Yan behind him, they were all stunned for a moment before dropping to their knees in a hurried bow. “Greetings, Your Highness Prince Jing, and greetings to the Prince Consort.”
Hearing that title of Prince Consort, Ye Xunyang’s scalp still tingled slightly, but he managed to nod with a calm and collected expression.
He turned around and walked naturally to the back of the wheelchair, saying to the guard who had been pushing it, “I’ll take over.”
The guard looked at Lou Yan, and seeing Lou Yan give a slight nod, stepped back respectfully.
Pushing the wheelchair, Ye Xunyang walked into his family home amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.
Grand General Ye and his wife were already waiting in the main hall.
Upon seeing her son return, Madam Ye’s eyes instantly reddened, and when she caught sight of Prince Jing in the wheelchair, her emotions became even more complicated and unspeakable.
“This general and this subject’s wife pay respects to Your Highness and the Prince Consort,” Grand General Ye said, bowing in accordance with propriety alongside his wife.
Even though they doted on their son, the rules of propriety could not be violated.
“Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, please rise quickly. You flatter this junior too much.” Lou Yan raised his hand slightly, his tone gentle and even carrying the humility of a junior.
This form of address not only left Ye Xunyang stunned, but even Grand General Ye and his wife were taken aback.
They had expected this prince to be extremely cold, distant, or even resentful about this marriage, so they never imagined he would be so approachable.
Everyone took their seats and exchanged polite pleasantries.
Lou Yan handled everything with composure. Although his complexion was poor, his demeanor and grace in conversation were deeply admirable.
He completely avoided mentioning the astrologer’s prophecy, attributing it instead to a predestined bond with Ye Xunyang, calling him a wonderful match. He expressed his gratitude to the General and his wife for entrusting their beloved son to him, promising to treat Ye Xunyang well.
Listening from the side, Ye Xunyang muttered to himself that the Prince’s acting skills were truly top-notch, making it sound as genuine as reality itself.
However, seeing how respectfully he treated his parents, the resentment in Ye Xunyang’s heart caused by being forced into the marriage dissipated quite a bit.
Madam Ye pulled Ye Xunyang close, inquiring in detail about whether he was accustomed to life in the Prince’s Manor and whether he had suffered any grievances. Madam Ye had always doted on her youngest son excessively. When she first heard about the imperial marriage decree, she had almost thrown herself against the palace gates in despair, though she ultimately had to compromise.
Naturally, Ye Xunyang only reported the good news and omitted the worries, telling her that everyone in the manor treated him with respect, that the Prince was very amiable, and that the Prince had even handed over the management of the household affairs to him.
Upon hearing this, Madam Ye looked at Lou Yan with surprise. Seeing the other party nod slightly, her heart felt even more suspicious and unsettled.
To hand over the internal affairs of the Prince’s Manor to a newly arrived full-grown man? What on earth was this Prince Jing plotting? But seeing her son’s expression remain normal, and even slightly proud, she could not make heads or tails of it.
The welcome banquet was held in the family dining hall without making a grand spectacle. Only a few close relatives of the Ye family accompanied them, as Ye Xunyang’s eldest and second brothers were both far away guarding the borders and could not return.
During the banquet, Lou Yan used tea in place of wine to toast Grand General Ye and his wife, keeping his posture very humble.
Grand General Ye was naturally an open-and-straightforward man. Seeing that Lou Yan, despite his sickly constitution, showed no royal arrogance, and displayed unique insights regarding military and political matters during their conversation, the General could not help feeling a sense of appreciation and pity for him.
When the banquet concluded, after sitting together for a short while longer, Lou Yan appropriately showed signs of fatigue.
Seeing this, Ye Xunyang proactively proposed taking their leave, especially since they still needed to enter the palace to express their gratitude in the afternoon.
Leaving the General’s Estate and boarding the carriage, Ye Xunyang let out a long sigh of relief.
The hurdle of returning home had finally been successfully passed.
He looked at Lou Yan, who was sitting opposite him with his eyes closed to rest, and said sincerely, “Thank you very much for today, Your Highness.”
Lou Yan did not open his eyes, merely giving a faint hum of acknowledgment.
The carriage turned toward the direction of the imperial palace.
Lifting the curtain to look at the gradually bustling street views outside, Ye Xunyang felt a wave of a headache coming on regarding the upcoming court etiquette.
Compared to dealing with those imperial relatives and worldly social conventions, he would much rather go back to the storehouse and organize the ledgers ten more times.
In a corner where Ye Xunyang could not see, the corners of Lou Yan’s lips curled upward in a nearly imperceptible smile.
Today’s return home had achieved an even better outcome than he had anticipated. The Ye family might prove to be a much more usable force than he had imagined.