After Marrying the Disabled Prince (BG) - Chapter 2: Marriage

Concubine Xu arrived half an hour later. She had been playing leaf cards with Concubine Ming, the birth mother of the Second Young Lady when she received word from Tao Shi and hurried over.

Tao Shi explained the matter of Bao Ning’s replacement marriage in a calm, detached manner:

“…When the time comes, I’ll simply say that the Fourth Young Lady is ill and cannot marry for the time being. To avoid delaying the Fourth Prince’s age, the Fifth Young Lady will marry in her place. A few days later, I’ll adopt Bao Ning into my name, making her a legitimate daughter. With my brother’s recommendation, the Emperor will not refuse. It’s a good deal for the two of you—you’ll gain legitimate status and become a prince’s consort. Truly fortunate.”

Concubine Xu was so shocked that she almost fainted, barely catching her breath. “You make it sound so easy! Why don’t you marry your own daughter to that cripple? You’re ruining Bao Ning’s entire life!”

“Mother, enough,” Bao Ning interjected, fearing that Concubine Xu’s outrage might lead her to say something disastrous. She quickly excused them and led her mother back to their courtyard.

The moment they entered the room, Concubine Xu could no longer hold back her tears. She collapsed onto the bed, sobbing. “My child, it’s my fault for being powerless, letting you suffer such an injustice. How can my Bao Ning marry into a place like that…”

Concubine Xu was a gentlewoman, always graceful and composed. This was the first time Bao Ning had seen her so distraught.

Looking at her tearful mother, Bao Ning felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She sat beside her and tried to console her. “Mother, please don’t be too upset. I don’t think this is entirely a bad thing.”

“How is this not a bad thing?” Concubine Xu sat up in shock. “My child, do you even know what kind of person Pei Yuan is?”

Bao Ning thought back to the snippets of gossip she had overheard from the servants: “Cunning and treacherous, debauched and frivolous, ruthless and cruel, infamous for his behavior.”

Concubine Xu nodded emphatically. “Not just that. He’s also been charged with treason, a crime of rebellion! The Emperor spared him from being removed from the Imperial Register only out of consideration for his late mother. But living like that, how is it any different from being dead? Paralyzed in bed, neither fully human nor ghost, with a vicious heart to boot…”

At this point, Concubine Xu burst into tears again. “My poor Bao Ning!”

Bao Ning sighed softly, placed a comforting hand on her mother’s shoulder, and murmured, “Mother, but I still think this isn’t such a bad thing.”

Concubine Xu choked back a sob and asked, “What’s good about it?”

Bao Ning replied, “At the very least, the Fourth Prince won’t be able to take more wives or concubines. In his household, there will only be me and no messy or chaotic others. It’ll be peaceful. And no matter what, he’s still the Emperor’s son. His original crimes have already been punished, and he’s suffered the consequences. They wouldn’t actually kill him now. Besides, given the Fourth Prince’s current condition, he poses no threat to the throne. No one else would bother trying to harm him either. Isn’t that peaceful? Isn’t that good?”

Concubine Xu let out a bitter laugh through her tears. “Peaceful, perhaps, but what about your happiness? It’s gone!”

“What is happiness, really?” Bao Ning lowered her gaze to her hands and spoke softly, “Is it like Eldest Sister, married to the heir of the Marquis of Chong Yuan, constantly scheming and fighting battles in the household? Or is it like Second Sister, endlessly having child after child, just for a fleeting glance of favor from her husband? I don’t want any of that. I just want to live a quiet life. I don’t want to harm anyone, and I don’t want anyone to harm me. Marrying the Fourth Prince is just fine.”

Concubine Xu was momentarily speechless, unable to find a retort.

Bao Ning continued, “Besides, with the Lady of the House’s temperament, what choice do we have even if we refuse? She won’t stop, and Father won’t be able to help us.”

Concubine Xu sighed deeply, acknowledging the truth of Bao Ning’s words.

After a long silence, Concubine Xu furrowed her brows as a thought crossed her mind. “Ji Yun doesn’t know about this yet. When he finds out, he’ll surely raise a storm.”

…

Ji Yun returned in the evening, and as Concubine Xu had predicted, he erupted in a furious rage. He stormed toward Tao Shi’s courtyard, intent on confronting her, but Bao Ning clung tightly to him, preventing him from charging off.

Frustrated and unable to vent his anger, Ji Yun sat on the ground with his arms crossed, his eyes gradually reddening. “It’s all because I’m useless. Tao Shi’s brother is a second-rank general, and that gives her the confidence to act so outrageously. If I were a general one day, my sister wouldn’t be bullied like this!”

Bao Ning found his words both amusing and heart-wrenching. “You’re only twelve. Her brother is almost forty. What’s the point of comparing?”

Ji Yun, the only son of the Duke’s household, had been pampered since birth. Though Tao Shi disliked him, she dared not mistreat him openly. Bao Ning had never seen him cry before, and seeing him like this now, her heart ached.

She tried to console him. “Alright, alright. When you achieve great things in the future, I’ll divorce the Fourth Prince, and you can come and take me away. How about that?”

Ji Yun looked up at her with tear-filled eyes. “Really?”

Bao Ning nodded.

Reassured, Ji Yun clasped Bao Ning’s hand tightly and declared with determination, “Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll study harder and train harder. I’ll rise to greatness as soon as possible and take you away from that place!”

Bao Ning chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately.

…

Three days later, the Bureau of the Imperial Household delivered the betrothal gifts.

Pei Yuan had committed the grave crime of treason, conspiring with Crown Prince Pei Che to assassinate the Emperor and usurp the throne. Fortunately, the Third Prince, Pei Xiao, discovered their plot in time, preventing a catastrophe.

The Emperor, enraged, immediately imprisoned both, stripped Pei Che of his title and rank, and sentenced them to execution in the autumn. However, Pei Che suddenly fell gravely ill in prison and disappeared soon after being released for medical treatment. As for Pei Yuan, he sustained injuries that left him crippled, a shadow of his former self.

With two of his sons meeting such disastrous fates, the aging Emperor, overwhelmed by anger and sorrow, fell gravely ill himself. After recovering, he seemed to come to terms with the situation and chose not to pursue further punishment for Pei Yuan, releasing him to fend for himself.

To put it mildly, Pei Yuan was a disfavored prince. To be blunt, he was an abandoned son left to his own devices.

Bao Ning had long anticipated that the betrothal gifts would be modest. Yet, when she saw them, she was still taken aback.

A rusty, chipped wooden chest, haphazardly wrapped in red silk ribbons, contained only three bags of millet and five taels of silver wrapped in a tattered cloth.

Ji Jia Ying burst out laughing on the spot. “I thought the Fourth Prince had fallen on hard times, but I didn’t realize it was this bad. Even a poor farmer marrying off a daughter wouldn’t be so miserly!”

The eunuch delivering the gifts hadn’t left yet. Hearing this, Duke Rong’s expression turned sour, and he scolded, “Jiaying, silence!”

The young eunuch, however, wasn’t offended. Smiling, he replied, “The Fourth Miss isn’t wrong. The Emperor decreed that while the Fourth Prince remained on the royal registry, all his other privileges were stripped, rendering him no different from a commoner. Your Grace, please don’t blame us for the humble betrothal gifts; we mere servants can only do as we’re ordered.”

Duke Rong cautiously glanced at Bao Ning’s expression and, seeing her still smiling serenely, felt a bit relieved.

He harbored some guilt toward this daughter but found himself powerless. Tao Shi’s dominance and his reliance on Tao Mao Bing for support left him unwilling to oppose her will.

Since Bao Ning didn’t seem to mind, his conscience was somewhat eased.

Tao Shi handed over some silver as a token of appreciation and politely sent the eunuch on his way.

After expressing her thanks, Bao Ning carried the large chest back to Concubine Xu’s courtyard.

Behind her, Ji Jia Ying’s mocking voice rang out, “Hmph, she can still smile. Who knows if she’s truly foolish or just pretending.”

…

Back in the room, Concubine Xu naturally vented her frustrations again, though she was careful not to show it too openly, fearing it might hurt her daughter’s feelings. Instead, she stepped outside to sigh quietly.

Afterward, she returned to the room to help Bao Ning with the embroidery for her dowry.

The wedding date was set hastily, just ten days away, supposedly chosen because it was an auspicious day. Missing that date would mean waiting another six months, which the Fourth Prince likely couldn’t afford.

Everyone knew what “couldn’t afford to wait” implied.

Though Bao Ning had never been engaged before, the preparations for her dowry had always been underway. She and Concubine Xu both possessed skilled hands and by working tirelessly for ten days, they managed to complete everything in time.

The day of the wedding arrived in a flash.

The Bureau of the Imperial Household sent a ramshackle carriage, with gaps in the panels letting the wind through the Emperor’s decree to treat Pei Yuan as a commoner.

Ji Yun took one look at it and came back fuming, clutching his chest as if his heart ached. He sulked on the steps, his frustration evident.

Bao Ning tried to soothe him with a few lighthearted words and turned back to her mirror to apply floral stickers to her face.

She dressed herself carefully, following every step of the bride’s traditional wedding routine. She threaded her hair, styled it into an elegant bun, and adorned herself with a phoenix coronet. Bao Ning had a pragmatic mindset—her life was her own, and whatever others said wouldn’t affect her. No matter how dire the circumstances, she would remain clean, beautiful, and live comfortably.

After all, she wasn’t that destitute, was she?

Bao Ning had always been a beauty. Even without makeup, her features were the most striking among the six daughters in the household. Now, dressed in a vibrant red wedding gown and wearing a touch of rouge, she was utterly mesmerizing.

Turning around, she smiled and asked Concubine Xu, “Mother, do I look good?”

Tears welled up in Xu’s eyes as she replied, “Our Bao Ning is the most beautiful. The Fourth Prince will definitely love you.”

Bao Ning’s smile brightened, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

When the auspicious hour arrived, Ji Yun carried Bao Ning out of the house and to the waiting carriage.

The young boy’s shoulders were still a little narrow, but his steps were steady. As he walked, his voice trembled, “Sister, I’ll visit you often. You have to take care of yourself.”

Bao Ning leaned close to his ear and said softly, “Don’t worry. When have you ever seen your sister treat herself poorly?”

Ji Yun chuckled. “Sister, don’t worry! If my brother-in-law ever bullies you, I’ll teach him a lesson!”

… 

At the gate of the Rong Guo Mansion, all the expected people had arrived.

Madam Tao wore an expression of indifference, while Ji Jia Ying stood with her arms crossed, enjoying the spectacle. Concubine Ye, hiding at the back with her sixth daughter, peeked timidly, her dark, round eyes filled with a mix of mockery and fear that she might one day face a similar fate.

Only Concubine Ming and Concubine Xu looked at her with genuine concern, their eyes brimming with tears. Concubine Ming, the biological mother of the second young lady, was a sharp and capable woman and a close friend of Concubine Xu.

Sitting in the carriage, Bao Ning lifted the curtain and waved to them. Before she could say a word, the driver shouted, “Hyah!” and the carriage began to move slowly away.

…

During the journey, Bao Ning kept recalling Pei Yuan’s appearance.

She had some impression of him. Three years ago, during the Lantern Festival, she had accompanied her mother and Madam Tao out of the mansion. While standing by a street-facing window of a teahouse, she had seen a flamboyant young man riding a horse and cracking his whip as he galloped through the street. He was followed by a group of black-clad attendants, and the startled pedestrians scattered to make way.

The youth was strikingly handsome, with an air of arrogance. His whip had a silver handle that gleamed in the darkness, creating a dazzling streak of light.

The waiter had informed her that this was the fourth prince, Pei Yuan, a good-for-nothing noble with an air of hedonism, rumored to have even killed someone. Yet, as a prince, no one dared to provoke him and could only avoid him.

Back then, no one could have predicted Pei Yuan’s current state, nor had Bao Ning imagined that their lives would intersect in such a way.

But regardless of what he had been, he was now her husband. She couldn’t just abandon him.

Bao Ning thought to herself: she would treat Pei Yuan with sincerity, ensure she had no regrets, and live a good life with him. As for the future, she would take things as they came, one step at a time.

The carriage swayed and bumped along the road, seemingly heading towards some remote wilderness.

Having skipped breakfast, Bao Ning felt weak with hunger, nearly reaching her limit when the carriage finally came to a stop.

The driver lifted the curtain and called out to her, “Your Highness, the fourth prince’s consort, we’ve arrived.”