Chapter 12

Chapter 12

His return seemed to make little difference to my life; I doubt many couples live the way we do.

Thinking that since he was back, I could finally bring Lady Wu and Lady Wang back from their temple prayers, I found a free moment to mention it to him. He looked at me with a blank expression, clearly having forgotten they even existed.

“As you wish,” he said, handing the decision back to me. This was actually for the best, as it avoided any friction between the wife and concubines. Even setting aside the imperial family, the inner courts of great noble clans are usually a tangled mess of accounts and grievances. Most principal wives only care about holding onto power and ensuring their legitimate sons are successful; they couldn’t care less about the rest.

In my case, things were even simpler. This man didn’t seem to hold women in any regard at all. If I weren’t his legally wedded wife, and if it weren’t for the sake of producing heirs, he probably wouldn’t bother looking at me twice.

While this life was peaceful for me, it might not be for others-Mu He, for instance.

Her husband truly lived up to the choice my father made for her. Over the years, he had only grown better, and their life together was sweet and harmonious. Sometimes when we chatted and she spoke of him, an unconscious smile would light up her eyes. Had she been the one to marry into the Prince’s Mansion back then, she would have long since grown weary of my dull existence. As for me, I likely could never be like her, devoted heart and soul to a single person.

Fortunately, we are both satisfied with our current lives.

That is enough.

Reflecting on the fact that Yaoyao is no longer a small child, it was time to start arranging her education. Knowledge and etiquette must be absorbed from a young age; they cannot be mastered overnight. Her temperament was already a bit wild, and the Prince’s return only served to indulge her further. Sometimes, I couldn’t even find her.

Whenever I asked, the answer was always that the Prince had taken her out. It gave me quite a headache. While I was happy they had a good father-daughter relationship, it was perhaps a bit too good. Before long, everyone in the capital knew how much he doted on Yaoyao. Even Chouchou, his son, couldn’t compare-though perhaps that was because Chouchou was still too small.

The Prince didn’t seem to care for very young children. I suspected it wasn’t a lack of affection, but rather a fear that he might accidentally hurt them with his strength, just like when Yaoyao was a baby and he hadn’t dared to touch her.

So, I spent my days teaching Chouchou to follow his sister’s lead and pester his father. He was a boy, after all; he needed the exercise from a young age. Ideally, this would force the Prince to leave Yaoyao at home more often; a girl shouldn’t be running wild all day.

Instead, the Prince didn’t find it a bother at all. He simply scooped up one child in each arm and carried them both off.

I eventually had to find an opportunity to have a serious discussion with him about the children’s education. He simply replied, “This Prince’s daughter is naturally the best.”

“Yaoyao is wonderful, of course, but she must learn the rules. Otherwise, it will be much harder for her to learn them when she’s older.”

“Then she won’t learn them.”

“If she doesn’t learn, what will she do in the future?” The world has always been harsh toward women. Naturally, I want Yaoyao to have a good life, but we cannot stay by her side forever. We must teach her how to navigate the rules of society.

“She is my daughter. Who would dare say a word against her?”

My head throbbed even more. Not only was I getting a headache, but with a father like this, I began to worry if Yaoyao would ever be able to marry. It seemed I would have to be the strict mother, or else this entire household would have no discipline at all.