My wife is a concubine - Chapter 10

Aunt Xuan’s words made Bergman’s scalp tingle. In the age of imperial power, human life was worth little. Even after living through two lifetimes, she still felt how easily people could decide another’s fate.

One could not live well by status alone  without real power, everything was just empty talk.

Still, Bergman managed to say something polite. “The people trained by Aunt Xuan must be of excellent quality. I’m very reassured.”

“Thank you for your kind words.” Today wasn’t a day for reminiscing. Aunt Xuan, ever tactful, finished her business and decisively led the group of young palace maids away.

Skipping the step of lifting her veil, Bergman went straight to the Eight Immortals table covered with a gold-woven cloth and picked out a few things to fill her stomach.

It wasn’t unusual for servants to go hungry while serving their masters  the masters sat while the servants stood, and the masters ate while the servants watched.

On a special day like this, not to mention the palace maids who had been called over, even the two senior attendants who served her had been up before dawn, running around for hours.

Her casual behavior left the younger maids a little stunned, but they still saluted respectfully, thanked her, and cleared the table.

She rinsed her mouth with mint water just as Du Yu entered.

He was dressed in a bright red brocade robe that contrasted sharply with his snow-white complexion. For once, there was a faint smile on his usually expressionless face.

Yes, it could actually be called a smile  one he had worn ever since stepping into the room.

He waved his hand, dismissing the palace servants.

“Tired?” he asked.

Bergman nodded. Weddings were physically exhausting. She had been up since before dawn  bathing, dressing, and applying layers of thick powder. She now understood what a wall felt like after being freshly painted.

Even though many of the complicated rituals had been simplified, enduring from morning until now was more than enough. Fortunately, she had just eaten a little, regaining some of her energy, and her body, though aching all over, could still manage.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“This king is tired,” Du Yu replied. “Let the servants prepare things so we can freshen up, then rest.”

So straightforward?

Well, it made sense. After all, this wasn’t his first time as a groom. To him, the bride was just another new face.

Bergman felt a faint bitterness  but then again, she had agreed to become another man’s concubine.

Du Yu called in servants to help him change out of his wedding clothes, and the two went to bathe. When it was Bergman’s turn, she dismissed everyone, soaking in hot water sprinkled with petals, splashing around and relaxing.

When she came out, Du Yu was lying on a soft couch, wearing only a white silk undershirt. His chest was partly exposed, his long hair still damp, as if hastily towel-dried.

He looked comfortable in the warm pavilion  no servants around, just waiting for her.

She used a hair dryer to dry her own damp hair, and when she looked back, he was still focused on his book.

Sleeping with wet hair in this weather would only lead to headaches when he grew older.

“May I dry your hair for you, Your Highness?” she asked.

He froze for a moment, then slowly lowered the book and tilted his head toward her.

So… that was a yes?

Bergman used a large cloth to absorb the excess water, then pressed him gently onto the couch, letting him rest against the dryer’s warmth as she worked. His hair was fine, smooth  no worse in quality than a woman’s.

The softness and faint fragrance of her hands reached him, stirring thoughts of her delicate face and graceful figure.

His eyes suddenly opened, burning like small flames. “Will you always be this kind to me?” he asked  this time using “me” instead of “this king.”

She blinked. “It’s just drying your hair. What’s the big deal? You treat me well, so of course I’ll treat you well.”

“Then keep your word.”

“I promised to marry you,” she teased lightly. “Wouldn’t it be strange if I wasn’t good to you?”

Her gaze was clear and gentle, like a jar of fruit wine  light, sweet, and intoxicating. Earlier, with her heavy makeup, her eyebrows had been dark as ink, her lips bright red, her face flawless. Now, washed clean and lit by candlelight, she looked softer, even more stunning.

“Rest,” he said quietly. “I always wake early. You can sleep inside  I won’t disturb you.”

He suddenly regretted his earlier promise not to touch her on their wedding night. How could he possibly act like a gentleman now?

Bergman climbed into bed and lay inside. When he settled beside her, her heart began to race. She scolded herself silently  it wasn’t like she had never shared a bed with a man before, so why was she nervous? Still, she subtly shifted inward, though his warmth and scent were close enough to envelop her.

“Don’t be nervous,” Du Yu said softly. “I promised not to touch you.”

If I can sleep now, I’d be a ghost, she thought bitterly, her heart pounding. But after a long while, realizing he hadn’t moved, she began to relax.

She was exhausted. Her body stiffened as she lay on her side, too tired to move. Then, suddenly, his arm reached over, pulling her gently into his embrace. His warmth surrounded her, and she froze but neither of them spoke.

Maybe it was because she was so tired, but before long, she drifted off in his arms and slept soundly until morning.

The next morning, her hair was combed by a maid named Dingxiang, who was older than the others  nineteen, though that was already considered experienced in the palace. If the prince hadn’t taken her out, the only sky she’d ever see would be the one trapped within the palace walls.

Her hair-combing skills were exceptional so much so that Ah Ru, though initially unconvinced, later chased after her, begging to become her apprentice.

As a side concubine, Bergman was expected to visit the main princess on the morning after the wedding. Dingxiang combed her hair, adorned it with a pearl-and-jade floral crown and a diamond chain given by Du Yu. Her dress had to be chosen carefully  not too simple, but not so fine as to outshine the princess.

Bergman picked out three sets of festive-colored clothes from the wardrobe. She finally chose a pink skirt embroidered with floral phoenix thread, with a large round white jade pendant carved with an auspicious bird hanging from a belt adorned with gold and gemstones. A string of jade pendants of different shapes was tied together with colored threads to form a set of forbidden steps.

Lastly, she put on embroidered white silk high-soled snow boots and was surrounded by the palace attendants as she stepped out the door.

Outside, two palace lamps bearing the word “Double Happiness” hung by the door, and the gilded door itself was pasted with another “Double Happiness” character embossed in gold and asphalt. Even the flowers and trees in the garden were tied with red ribbons.

Aunt Xuan led the maids and guards waiting outside. Bergman was a little dumbfounded  did visiting the princess as a concubine really require such a grand scene? With so many people, wouldn’t the princess think she was deliberately showing off?

Who else but the prince would send such an entourage?

He must have been afraid she’d be bullied when visiting the princess, so he made sure she had support.

It was impossible to refuse such courtesy, so Bergman could only let Aunt Xuan lead her forward with a guilty conscience toward the Cuifen Courtyard where the princess lived.

The entire courtyard was majestic and grand. After the announcement was made, the servants were gone for half an hour without returning.

A large canopy was held over her head, while the attendants and guards behind her had nothing, so she had to stand there, hands on the stove for warmth. Her face beneath the hood remained motionless, as if she had expected such treatment.

Her calm demeanor was completely different from the prince’s main consort, who smashed jade and porcelain whenever she was angry. This was the kind of princess Prince Gong’s residence needed!

Of course, Aunt Xuan only thought this silently  she would never dare say it aloud. Her tight lips were one of the reasons she had survived this long, following the prince even out of the palace.

After exactly half an hour, the servants of Cuifen Courtyard returned, saying the princess had slept late and wasn’t feeling well enough to receive guests.

“Please take care of your health, Princess,” Bergman said politely. So that was the excuse  low bl00d pressure, perhaps? Since the princess refused to see her, that was fine. Less trouble for her.

Back in her own quarters, she removed the heavy clothes and hairpins, stepped on the warm floor, and drank a cup of hot tea, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

After resting enough, she began looking around her new residence.

The Changle Courtyard, separated from the front yard by a plum grove, had three bright and two dark rooms. The main room served as a hall; the second, with bright red window screens and ice-cracked window sills, was both a living room and study. The innermost bedroom was absurdly large, with two side rooms for storage and other purposes.

In the room, a small incense burner painted with golden phoenixes emitted the scent of plum and high-quality silver charcoal.

“Greetings to the prince.”

“You and I need not perform such formalities anymore,” Du Yu said as he entered. His robe still carried the cool mist of the morning. He spoke briefly, then entered the bath and came out later.

What had he been doing?

Lilac, the maid beside her, reminded softly, “Your Highness practices calligraphy at night, and in the morning, he trains in archery, horseback riding, and swordsmanship.”

So that’s why.

Who said ancient men had easier lives? They just worked hard in different ways, but the ambition to succeed was the same in any era.

It made sense  last night, when she’d leaned against his chest, he hadn’t felt weak at all. Not exactly muscular, but certainly not thin like ribs.

Du Yu quickly changed into a robe and noticed the table full of untouched breakfast. “Why didn’t you start eating?”

“Food always tastes better when someone eats with you,” Bergman replied.

“Few people eat with me,” he said casually.

Bergman was surprised. Didn’t he have a princess? Even if royal life was different from commoners, sharing meals was a basic thing between husband and wife.

“If the prince joins me for a meal, no matter how busy I am, I’ll always eat with you,” she said.

“A gentleman’s word is as firm as iron,” he replied  though his tone was still cool, it sounded pleasant to her ears.

“I’m a woman, not a gentleman,” she teased.

“But even a woman must keep her word,” he countered. “Otherwise, how could you do business with anyone?”

“This king doesn’t do business,” he said sharply.

Bergman noticed that whenever he was unhappy, he referred to himself as this king. He wasn’t as calm as he appeared  he could be quite temperamental.

“Husband and wife aren’t business partners,” she said lightly. “If business goes well, it lasts; if not, they part ways. It’s the same with people.”

“You will never part ways with this king!”

He wasn’t seriously saying forever, was he? Not even modern people believed that — and as someone who had lived twice, she certainly didn’t.

Bergman picked up a piece of fish with her ivory chopsticks and placed it on his plate. “According to palace rules, if the prince isn’t ill, concubines can’t eat, right?”

“That’s the rule,” Du Yu replied, “but you don’t have to follow it. If I come home late, you can eat first.”

When she lived at home, the food was already good, but the dishes here were even more exquisite  with more variety and quantity.

Six small side dishes  walnuts, water chestnuts, spiced eggplant, red lees shad, and more  plus roasted lamb, steamed noodles, and sesame porridge. There were only two of them, yet so much food!

But she soon realized that royals ate cautiously, in case of poisoning. No matter how delicious a dish was, they never took more than three bites.

Du Yu ate silently. Eating with such a quiet man could almost give someone indigestion, but since she’d be living in Prince Gong’s mansion from now on, she had to adjust.

The aroma of food filled the air. She quickly picked up a bowl of sesame porridge  rich and fragrant  and placed it in front of him.

At that moment, his bowl suddenly had a small mound of food.

Serving food was a maid’s job, but Du Yu didn’t comment. “Does this chef’s food suit your taste?” he asked.

Bergman smiled. “The cooks in my family aren’t as skilled as palace chefs, but there are fewer vegetables. Where did you hire this chef? I’ll have to reward him later.”

“There’s a shortage of vegetables in winter here,” Du Yu said. “Even in my household, we barely manage a few greens. Ordinary people have to eat dried radish.”

Bergman set down her chopsticks, troubled. The northern climate was cold, but she hadn’t realized it was that harsh.

“Have you ever thought about letting people build warm sheds to grow vegetables in winter?” she asked.

“That’s a good idea,” he said. “But if we don’t hurry, it’ll be too late for this winter.”

They cleared the table and replaced the dishes with hot tea brewed with hazelnuts, pine nuts, and melon seeds  Bergman’s recipe.

“Your Highness,” the maid said, “this is the rose-scented melon kernel tea you mentioned last time.”

“You remembered?” Du Yu asked.

“I always keep my word,” Bergman said, smiling.

“This king likes that,” he replied, tasting the tea and nodding.

That was definitely a compliment. Bergman couldn’t help but smile brightly.

“From tomorrow onward, you don’t need to greet the princess at Cuifen Courtyard,” Du Yu suddenly said.

Bergman blinked, startled. As a side concubine, she had to greet the princess daily  unless excused. But since the princess had already shown hostility, perhaps Du Yu was shielding her.

It was domineering  but sweet. “That’s not really proper,” she said softly.

“The king’s word is proper,” he replied firmly.

She knew that here, his word was law. Even if the princess ruled the inner court, she still had to bow to him.

Feeling reassured, Bergman dropped the matter.

Remembering their earlier conversation, she continued, “To heat the greenhouse, you’d need to open the roof and three walls, build hollow walls with earthen bricks, and cover them with oiled cloth made by brushing cotton fabric twice with tung oil  it lets in light and keeps the heat.”

There was no glass or plastic in this era, but Du Yu was intrigued. “Tell me more. I’ll have people make it.”

He immediately ordered craftsmen to build rectangular wooden boxes. Though they didn’t understand why their prince suddenly wanted this instead of spending time with his new concubine, they obeyed.

Within three days, several five- or six-layered boxes were ready  just in time for Bergman’s formal return to her family home.

Usually, only the main wife had that privilege, but Du Yu insisted Bergman go — and even wanted to escort her himself. Aunt Xuan and Lao Jiu had to talk him out of it, warning that such favoritism could attract criticism.

So he relented, but sent Shen Jie and his wife to accompany her instead.

When Bergman was ready, her maids had already dressed her neatly with light makeup and gold jewelry. Seeing this, she couldn’t help but laugh — life was becoming quite comfortable.

Ah Ru teased, “The prince just sent word — if you don’t come soon, he’ll get anxious.”

Smiling, Bergman hurried to Chaoyang Courtyard.

Inside, she greeted Du Yu, Shen Jie, and Mrs. Shen politely. “I’m sorry to keep everyone waiting.”

Mrs. Shen smiled warmly. “It’s still early — no need to rush.”

Her gentle tone immediately made Bergman feel at ease.

Mrs. Shen showed her the gift list prepared for the visit  thoughtful and carefully chosen. Du Yu had clearly gone out of his way for her.

Then Du Yu handed her another list. “These are excellent young men,” he said. “Bring it home for Sister Ling  as her brother-in-law, it’s my courtesy.” It was the same list he had once prepared for Bao Si.

Mrs. Shen led Bergman out, and soon they were on their way.

When they arrived, the entire Bao family came out to greet her.

Seeing her family after three days, Bergman’s throat tightened.

“Girl, you’re back!” her father, Bao Zhengtao, exclaimed.

“The second girl is married now  you shouldn’t call her that,” her stepmother teased with a smile.

“Yes, she’s grown up,” Bao Zhengtao said with a sigh.

Mrs. Shen could immediately tell how dearly loved Bergman had been at home. She had heard that the prince had personally asked for her hand  so she decided to befriend this new concubine.

As soon as Bergman stepped out of the carriage, her parents and sister embraced her warmly. The sense of belonging  it’s good to be home  filled her heart.

After some joyful chatter, they all sat down for lunch. Bao Zhengtao was visibly pleased, especially since Shen Jie’s presence represented the prince’s respect for their family.

Bao Si noticed how her sister, after just three days in the palace, looked even more radiant and confident. It eased her worries about her future.

The sisters talked quietly, and Bao Si shared her own secret  that she was pregnant.

Bergman was overjoyed. “Then I’m going to be an aunt!” she exclaimed, jumping up.

She was truly happy for her family  whether it was a boy or a girl didn’t matter.

However, when Bao Si opened the list Bergman slipped to her, her cheeks immediately turned red in embarrassment. In just a few days, her sister had become bold!

After a lively visit, Bergman thought this homecoming had been quite interesting.

After lunch, Mrs. Shen led her back. Though her father was reluctant to part, he personally saw her off.

When she returned, Bergman officially began her life as the prince’s concubine.

The first thing she did was check on the money-making wooden boxes.

As expected, the palace craftsmen had done excellent work  the surfaces were smooth and safe to touch.

Soon, she had mung bean and soybean sprouts growing  soaked overnight, covered with a damp cloth, watered daily  and in a few days, she would have fresh vegetables on the table.

She was already looking forward to it.