Zong Duo didn't accompany her back to the Prince's residence, instead diverting his route midway to the Imperial Guard headquarters.
Baoying didn't know that officials of this dynasty were entitled to three days of wedding leave; she simply assumed he was devoted to his duties and didn't think much of it. She was eager to return and see the welcome gifts the consorts had given her.
As soon as she returned to the residence, she excitedly had Bailu open the gift boxes one by one.
The Empress Dowager had given a white jade ruyi scepter with bat motifs; the Empress had given a pair of "Blessings of Sons and Grandsons" concentric gold locks; Noble Consort had given a pair of double-happiness coral earrings; Virtuous Consort had given a mother-of-pearl inlaid bronze mirror with peony patterns; Consort Liang had given a pair of jadeite bracelets; Consort De had given a jeweled ceremonial necklace…
Baoying's eyes went wide. She had never seen so many fine things before. She couldn't bear to put them down, touching and examining each one, feeling that every item gleamed with radiance.
Holding up the jade ruyi scepter, she asked Bailu beside her, "How much silver could this fetch at a pawnshop?"
Bailu was taken aback and said with a hint of disdain, "What are you thinking, Princess? These are gifts from the imperial court—they must be registered in the estate's inventory. Qingshuang will manage these jewels and ornaments on your behalf; you take them out only when you need to wear them. If any were lost, not just us—even you, Princess, couldn't bear the consequences!"
Baoying sheepishly set the jade ruyi down.
Fine, then. These things all had to be enshrined—she couldn't sell them for money, nor could she give them away.
She had just changed out of her elaborate ceremonial princess robes into casual attire when Nanny Sun, the household steward, arrived.
Nanny Sun first exchanged pleasantries with Baoying, asking about the tea ceremony at the palace. When she learned that the Emperor had not been present, she wasn't particularly surprised, though a hint of disappointment inevitably showed on her face.
Baoying, however, was completely oblivious and continued enthusiastically sharing her experiences: "Consort Xian even argued with Noble Consort! Though, if His Highness hadn't told me, I wouldn't have even realized they were quarreling."
Nanny Sun gave an awkward smile and changed the subject, offering to show Baoying around the residence.
An open sedan chair was brought from the sedan hall, with four palace attendants holding canopies, and Nanny Sun led Baoying on a tour of the entire residence.
Yan Prince's residence was located in Jiqing Ward, northwest of the imperial palace. Built according to the regulations for a prince's mansion, it comprised five courtyards in a three-lane layout, with four main gates facing east, west, south, and north. The north and south gates divided the residence by orientation, while the east and west gates separated front from back.
Each of the front and rear courtyards had a main hall. The front courtyard's main hall was called "Mingxing Hall" (Hall of Clarifying Nature), serving as the residence's reception area.
The eastern side hall was Zong Duo's study, named "Yunhui Hall" (Hall of Concealed Radiance); the western side hall was a bedchamber for rest.
West of Mingxing Hall were the martial arts training grounds and storage warehouses, while the east side housed the offices of the residence's subordinate officials. Nanny Sun cautioned her not to wander into the front courtyard unnecessarily, lest she be jostled by outsiders.
The rear courtyard's main hall was called "Zhaoming Hall" (Hall of Radiant Brilliance)—this was where Baoying now resided.
West of Zhaoming Hall were the quarters for secondary consorts and concubines, while the east side was for princes and princesses. Since Zong Duo had just married and had no other concubines attending him, both areas were currently vacant.
"The residence currently has only two masters, so it's inevitably a bit quiet. If the Princess and His Highness have several young princes and princesses, the household will become lively in a few years," Nanny Sun remarked.
Baoying's face flushed with shyness, but in her heart, she couldn't help but look forward to it.
The residence was large and beautiful, with a sprawling garden featuring winding streams in the back courtyard. Her children could run around freely and would surely be very happy. Unlike her—when she was little, she could only squat in the courtyard playing in the dirt.
When dinner time came, Hongxia led servants in to set out the dishes and said to Baoying, "Princess, His Highness has sent word that he's taking men out of the city for drills and will return late tonight. The Princess need not wait for him to dine, and may retire on her own this evening."
Baoying finally sensed something amiss.
Newlyweds were supposed to be inseparable, yet here she was—her husband had barely spoken ten words to her in total, and he was constantly coming and going mysteriously. Who tells their bride to retire on her own the very second day after marriage?
It was truly infuriating, thinking about it. Last night's wedding had been so exhausting that she hadn't even bothered to call him out for neglecting her. He was the one who had begged to marry her—why was he leaving her cold for two days straight?
Baoying slapped her silver chopsticks down on the table. "I don't accept this! Why drill now of all times—why pick the days right after our wedding? Is he doing this on purpose?"
Hongxia hadn't expected her to protest. She glanced at her with surprise but earnestly explained, "The Princess misunderstands. With the Dragon Boat Festival boat races approaching, every government office has selected its finest men, all straining to win a good ranking in the competition. His Highness commands the Imperial Guard, and his soldiers are valiant and skilled—naturally they won't lag behind others. Since April, His Highness has taken his men to train daily by the Yongding River outside the city without interruption. It's not directed at the Princess."
Baoying's expression softened somewhat upon hearing this.
The Dragon Boat Festival boat races were one of the capital's grandest annual spectacles. Common folk raced dragon boats on the Yongding River outside the city, while government offices competed on the imperial canal in the Western Gardens of the palace.
Her father had represented Shuntian Prefecture's yamen in the races several times, though unfortunately he'd never managed to make it into the finals.
That being the case, Baoying couldn't very well hold a grudge against Zong Duo for neglecting her, though she still felt somewhat disgruntled inside.
She remembered one Dragon Boat Festival when her mother had been unwell, and her father had given up the chance to race dragon boats just to stay home and keep her company. As for Zong Duo—he'd left her alone at home the very morning after their wedding! Clearly, he didn't value her enough!
Baoying decided that tomorrow, when she returned to her parents' home, she would lodge a proper complaint against him before her mother.
The moment she thought of the return visit, her anger melted away.
It had only been two days since she'd married, yet it felt like two months. She wondered if her parents missed her. And at tomorrow's return banquet, what delicacies would her mother prepare for her?
Baoying was so preoccupied with thoughts of the visit that she didn't even notice Zong Duo hadn't come home all night.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, she opened her eyes and climbed out of bed.
Hongxia and Suxue came to attend to her toilette. Since this was a return visit, there was no need for the elaborate preparations of the previous day's audience at the palace. Suxue styled her hair in a cloud bun and adorned her with a set of pearl hair ornaments, making her look elegant and refined.
Baoying chatted idly with Hongxia, who was selecting garments nearby: "Where's His Highness? I haven't seen him—did he go out this early?"
Hongxia turned around and gave her a puzzled look. "Your Highness, didn't you know? His Highness didn't return to the residence until the second watch last night. Fearing he might disturb your rest, he slept in the front courtyard and never came back to Zhaoming Hall at all!"
He could be that considerate? Baoying thought to herself. If not for the fact that Zong Duo had left her waiting for most of their wedding night, she might actually have believed it.
The return-visit rites for the imperial family differed from those of ordinary households. A prince was not required to perform the formal bow to his wife's elders, so the prince's procession departed ahead of the princess's. After receiving the bows of the princess's elders at her family home, the princess would then perform her own bows to them separately.
Thus Baoying didn't set out with Zong Duo either. By the time her carriage arrived at the Shi residence, the narrow lane—barely wide enough for a single carriage—was already lined with armored soldiers bearing swords.
Baoying's heart churned with unease: What is this, a raid? She hoped no one would think her father had gotten into some kind of trouble.
When she entered the house, her father Shi Dalu was still in the main hall keeping Zong Duo company, while Zhenniang first pulled her aside to a side chamber for a private talk.
Mother and daughter hadn't seen each other for two days, and it truly felt like three autumns had passed. Zhenniang stroked her hair, then her face, and asked in rapid succession: "How is it? Are you settling in well at the prince's residence? Does the Prince of Yan treat you well? Are the servants easy to manage?"
Baoying nodded repeatedly and launched into a vivid account of how grand the prince's residence was, how wonderful the food was, and what she'd seen and heard at the palace.
Then she rolled up her sleeve to show Zhenniang the pair of deep-green jadeite bangles on her wrist: "Mother, look at the quality—isn't it fine? They were a gift from Consort Liang at the palace! Too bad I can only wear these bangles, not dispose of them as I please—otherwise we could each have one."
Zhenniang laughed. "Why would I wear such expensive jewelry? You keep them for yourself. Now that you hold a noble status, you can't be wearing those cheap trinkets from your maiden days anymore."
After a round of pleasantries, Zhenniang lowered her voice and quietly asked the most important question: "How are things between you and the Prince of Yan? In the bedchamber… is it harmonious?"
The very mention of it made Baoying furious. She clenched her fist and pounded the mattress. "Not good at all!"
She was bursting to vent, and told Zhenniang everything in exhaustive detail—how Zong Duo had left her waiting on their wedding night, how she'd spent last night alone, and all the rest.
"I suspect His Highness doesn't actually like me at all."
Baoying delivered her conclusion.
But Zhenniang furrowed her delicate brows. She was a woman of experience and didn't think about things as simply as Baoying did.
The Shi family had nothing worth coveting. Since the Prince of Yan had gone so far as to petition the emperor for Baoying's hand, he must surely like her. And if he liked her, why would he neglect her?
A vague suspicion rose in her mind. The Prince of Yan was so young—it shouldn't be possible, logically speaking… but then again, if not for that, why would he refuse to be intimate with Baoying?
Zhenniang asked in a low voice: "Is your husband… incapable?"
"Incapable of what?" Baoying's eyes widened as she looked at her mother in confusion.
Zhenniang asked seriously: "Have you two consummated the marriage?"
Baoying nodded blankly, then shook her head. "I don't remember. I wanted to consummate it then, but he didn't seem willing. After that, I fell asleep."
Zhenniang let out a soft sigh. "That's it, then. The Prince of Yan is so young, and he looks so vigorous and spirited—how could he possibly be incapable!"
Baoying tilted her head and persisted: "Mother, what does 'incapable' mean?"
Zhenniang cleared her throat and said: "Man is yang, woman is yin. The union of yin and yang is what makes a married couple. If a man's yang is weak and he cannot perform the rites of Zhou Gong, then he is 'incapable.'"
Baoying was puzzled and pouted her rosy lips: "What's so hard about that? The rites of Zhou Gong—isn't that just kissing?"
Zhenniang looked at her bright, sparkling eyes and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
No matter how innocent the child was, there were things she ought to understand. It was her own fault for explaining things too superficially before, leaving Baoying with only half an understanding—and causing her wedding night to end without proper consummation.
This was a good opportunity to explain it all thoroughly.
"It's not as simple as just kissing—men and women have different body structures…"
Zhenniang leaned close to Baoying's ear and whispered a few sentences. Watching her eyes suddenly widen in shock, she smiled and said, "Only then is the ceremony considered complete. Do you understand now?"
Baoying thought of Zong Duo's tall and imposing physique, and her face gradually flushed red. She whispered, "Then… why can't His Highness do it?"
Zhenniang wasn't sure either. However, she assumed it probably wasn't anything too serious.
"Your husband is young and full of vigor. Even if he can't for now, I imagine a period of recuperation should set things right. I remember there are some medicinal recipes for nourishing yin and tonifying yang among the recipes I've treasured in the past. I'll copy them out for you to take back."
Baoying leaned against Zhenniang's shoulder and said coquettishly, "Mother is so wonderful!"
Zhenniang knew well her impulsive nature, so she earnestly cautioned, "Men are very sensitive about this matter. Don't mention it to others, lest you hurt his pride. I think your husband isn't rejecting you because he dislikes you, but because he's afraid you'll look down on him—that's why he refuses to be intimate with you!"
Baoying nodded repeatedly like a pecking chick, the frustration she'd felt over the past two days already cast to the winds.
She hadn't expected Zong Duo to be so pitiable—so his coldness toward her was only to protect his pride. Tsk, tsk, these little thoughts of men were actually kind of endearing!