The reception hall was deathly silent, the ministers’ faces a gallery of varied expressions. The eunuch held the imperial decree high, but no one stepped forward to take it.
Tao Chuyi stared at the bright yellow scroll, peering at it from every angle but unable to make out what it was.
“Tao Siqing, receive the decree,” the eunuch prompted.
Under the eunuch’s urging, Temple Minister Tao had no choice but to accept the decree. He led Tao Chuyi in giving thanks.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s boundless grace!”
The eunuch finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Temple Minister Tao had defied the decree, not only would the Tao Mansion suffer, but he would be dragged down with them.
Temple Minister Tao turned around and quickly instructed a servant. “Someone, give the eunuch his tea money.”
Pleased with the silver, the eunuch grinned from ear to ear. Once he had departed, the other officials immediately crowded around to congratulate Temple Minister Tao and Young Master Tao. They pulled out all the stops in their flattery, showering praise on Tao Chuyi like she was one of a kind, the likes of which heaven and earth had never seen.
Surrounded by the crowd, Tao Chuyi watched them all smiling at her, spittle flying everywhere. It was downright terrifying.
The reception hall brimmed with festive cheer, but the father and son from the Tao family seemed utterly out of place amid the resounding applause. Temple Minister Tao tried his best to mask it, but the smile never reached his eyes.
After the birthday banquet concluded, Tao Chuyi was escorted back to the inner courtyard. Temple Minister Tao explicitly forbade her from leaving the mansion for the time being.
Tao Chuyi couldn’t understand why she had suddenly been confined, but her father’s orders were orders, and she would obey them.
“Xichan, when can I go out and play?”
Xichan, who had been sweeping nearby, snapped back to attention. She hesitated, words caught in her throat.
Tao Chuyi blinked at her with wide eyes, the picture of innocence. Ever since her serious illness, she remembered little of her past. All she knew was that she had a doting father and a maid named Xichan who took care of her.
“Xichan, why did they call me Prince Consort? What’s a Prince Consort? Some kind of horse?”
The little maid finally couldn’t hold back. She set down her feather duster and walked over, her gaze full of heartache as she looked at Tao Chuyi.
“Young Master, be good. Once the master handles this important matter, he’ll let you go out and play. As for Prince Consort, that’s just their way of complimenting you—they’re saying you’re clever and capable.”
Tao Chuyi nodded as if she understood, then hugged her bamboo ball and started playing, her earlier confusion forgotten in the clouds.
Xichan stayed by her side, picking up the ball whenever it was about to roll away.
“Don’t worry, Young Master. The master will definitely protect you.”
In the Tao Mansion, aside from the master, she was the only one who knew the young master’s secret. The young master simply couldn’t become a Prince Consort or marry a wife. If this marriage went through, the Tao family would be guilty of deceiving the sovereign.
After the imperial decree for the arranged marriage arrived, Temple Minister Tao had entered the palace twice to pay respects, hoping to refuse the match. But the emperor was like a man who had swallowed a lump of iron—he was dead set on it, though no one knew why.
When the emperor wouldn’t budge, Temple Minister Tao tried to find a way through the Yunshang Princess. But unbeknownst to him, the Yunshang Princess had already begged the emperor to rescind the decree, only to be scolded and confined to the Princess Mansion.
The emperor had two sons and three daughters, and the least favored was this Third Princess. Her mother, Consort Chen, had once been the emperor’s most beloved consort, but she had died from excessive bleeding during childbirth. As a result, the emperor viewed the Third Princess as an ill omen.
Who would betroth their daughter to a fool? Only someone who didn’t love her at all.
When Tao Chuyi saw her father return, she happily tossed aside her bamboo ball and ran over to greet him.
“Father! Why are you back so late?”
Temple Minister Tao looked up at her and let out a soft sigh. He reached out and gently patted her head.
“Chuyi, I’m afraid Father can’t protect you this time. Be obedient and do exactly as Father has taught you. It might help you escape this calamity.”
Tao Chuyi had no idea what he was talking about and could only nod.
“Father, can girls marry wives too?”
She was a girl, the Third Princess was a girl, and now they were to be wed.
At this point, Temple Minister Tao had nothing left to say.
“Yes, anything is possible.”
Suddenly, he grasped Tao Chuyi’s shoulders, his expression deadly serious. “But Chuyi, remember this: you must never let anyone know you’re a girl. Don’t take your clothes off in front of anyone except Xichan—not even the Third Princess. Got it?”
Tao Chuyi nodded dazedly. After a moment, she asked, “Why can’t others know I’m a girl?”
She thought being a girl was great. She could wear all sorts of pretty clothes.
Temple Minister Tao hesitated for a long time, every possible consequence flashing through his mind.
“Because if you let others know you’re a girl, the Old Monster will take you away, and you’ll never see Father again.”
Tao Chuyi was properly frightened and promised over and over that she wouldn’t tell anyone. Tears welled up in her eyes as she vowed, “I remember. I won’t let anyone know I’m a girl.”
“Good child. Father will have Xichan stay by your side to remind you too.”
Temple Minister Tao let out a long sigh. If worst came to worst, sacrificing these old bones of his wouldn’t be a loss. He should have died three years ago anyway.
Father and daughter clasped hands, gazing at each other with tearful eyes. Temple Minister Tao’s aged tears flowed freely, all his unspoken words boiling down to one sentence.
“Chuyi, are you hungry?”
Tao Chuyi nodded solemnly. “Yes.”
“Come on, let’s go eat with Father. Man cannot live by bread alone—or rather, nothing’s more important than a good meal!”
In the long corridor, their elongated shadows stretched out— the bold and vigorous silhouettes of father and daughter marching off to the dining hall.
Once the marriage was announced, word spread through court and commoners alike. The Third Princess wedding the fool from the Tao family had become the biggest joke in the Capital City.
Preparations for the grand wedding took a full half month and finally commenced on the first day of the ninth month.
Not only the palace but the streets and alleys of the Capital City overflowed with joy. Every household hung lanterns and decorations, the celebrations lively and grand as all joined in toasting the Third Princess’s big day.
Early in the morning, Tao Chuyi was roused and dressed in her wedding attire—a suit of brilliant red robes adorned with a golden coronet, her hair tied in a high ponytail, and sturdy boots on her feet. As long as she didn’t open her mouth, she cut quite the figure as a dashing young gentleman.
From morning preparations until nightfall for the bridegroom’s procession, Tao Chuyi was utterly exhausted. Yet she brimmed with excitement. They said joy invigorated the spirit, and though she didn’t understand what there was to be joyful about, good food made her happy.
After fetching the bride and completing the bows to heaven and earth, the Third Princess was escorted back to the main chamber by her maids. As the “groom,” Tao Chuyi stayed in the front hall to receive toasts.
She had come for the food, but the noble sons and young masters seized the chance to ply her with drink. She barely touched the delicacies before it was all wine. In the end, the matron of honor rescued the groom and saved the day.
Supported by Xichan and two matrons, she made her way back to the main chamber. Joy characters adorned the doors and windows, red candles blazed, casting the room in a golden-red glow.
Tao Chuyi was no drinking champion. One jug had her swaying and staggering, barely able to stand.
“Now, groom, lift the bridal veil, and may fortune smile upon you from this day forward.”
The matron spoke auspicious words at her side, gesturing urgently for her to lift the veil.
Tao Chuyi had practiced this. Before the wedding, her father had sent someone to teach her all the customs and procedures: first the bows, then the toasts, lift the veil, share the cross-cup wine, and finally bed. It was pretty straightforward, though the day felt endlessly long.
Tao Chuyi picked up the joy scale and wobbled toward the new bride. She hooked one end beneath the bridal veil and whisked it away, revealing the bride’s true face.
