Chapter 6: Wrong Person In The Bridal Chamber

Zhao Yan knew his wife was gentle and mild by nature and would never deliberately deceive anyone. The wedding night was important and the girl was just too nervous, but he didn’t have much time to soothe her. He had barely comforted her when someone called from outside.

He could only rub the bride’s soft little hand. “…In any case, I’ll follow your wishes tonight. I’ll go outside to receive guests first.”

That process took a while. Normally at such times relatives from the husband’s side, such as sisters-in-law, aunts and all that, would come to keep the bride company, see if she needed anything, make a few jokes to create merriment. But royal relations were special and the new bride…was not particularly favored by the mother-in-law.

Tang Wanning had not had a good reputation before. She was too weak, indecisive, reliant on others, dependent on her uncle’s care, not close with her aunt. She certainly had no strong natal family backing. Consort Xin had dominated the harem for so many years with no rivals, so her pride was high, and she had seen countless girls, few of whom pleased her. And yet her son had set his sights on this one? And insisted on marrying her?

Consort Xin did have means to deal with things, yet for some reason she agreed to this marriage. Perhaps her own natal family was powerful enough and she didn’t need another marriage alliance to gain the emperor’s favor. Besides, a softer daughter-in-law was fine. At least obedient and easy to shape… In short, she agreed but couldn’t be said to like her, so she wouldn’t go out of her way to honor the bride either. She was more likely to assert dominance instead.

If it were another woman, they’d probably have broken down and cried from being treated this way, but Tang Wanlan breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily it went as she expected, otherwise she’d have to come up with other schemes. After a day of fussing she was tired.

Late that night the Second Prince finally returned, his steps heavy, reeking of alcohol, slurring his words. He was clearly quite drunk… Tang Wanlan suddenly thought of a great idea and overturned the candlestick.

And so although Zhao Yan lifted the bride’s veil, he saw nothing at all.

“Ah—”

Tang Wanlan seemed unsteady and fell into Zhao Yan’s arms, her little hand soft, her breath fragrant like orchids…

The warm scent and soft skin in his arms pleased Zhao Yan immensely. He had no mind for anything else and went in to kiss her. “Ning-er… I like how you’re so tight…”

Tang Wanlan stammered, “I… I, also admire Your Highness…”

Zhao Yan placed his hand on the bride’s waistband and chuckled ambiguously, “Ning-er, would you like to heat things up?”

Tang Wanlan melted like water. “In this life I only wish to serve Your Highness.”

Both were eager, each more eager to consummate than the other. What followed was like tinder meeting flame, one thing naturally leading to another.

…

The next morning when he woke and saw his little wife’s jade arm draped over him, warm and soft, Zhao Yan, already having tasted it, turned and pressed down. “Ning-er…”

He was startled by the other person’s face.

“You—” He shot upright, his expression heavy. “You’re Lan!”

Tang Wanlan had woken earlier but hadn’t dared open her eyes. It was too embarrassing to face this situation, so she chose to let the other person confront the awkwardness. What if… by luck, the prince wasn’t angry? Wouldn’t that be easier?

But the other’s face looked so terrible, she knew that wasn’t possible. She immediately wrapped herself in the blanket, tumbled off the bed, covered her barely concealed chest, knelt on the floor and burst into tears. “Your Highness, please let me explain! Everything is a misunderstanding, I… I had no choice!”

Zhao Yan had already gotten out of bed and put on his inner robe. Last night had been wonderful and intoxicating, but no amount of pleasure could outweigh the anger of having been deceived. He narrowed his long eyes. “Such a thing can be a misunderstanding? No choice? Where is Tang Wanning? Where is she!”

Tang Wanlan cried in a pitiful mess, clinging tightly to the Second Prince’s leg as he tried to leave. “Your Highness, please hear me out! I really didn’t do it on purpose, it truly is a misunderstanding, Your Highness!”

But she was wearing almost nothing. Trying to cling to the prince’s leg meant the blanket slipped and exposed her, while pulling the blanket up to cover her chest meant she couldn’t hold his leg… Caught between the two, she fumbled and failed at both, even causing the prince to step on the blanket’s edge and pull it away, leaving her entire body exposed, like white jade, marked by evidence of lovemaking.

The girl was mortified, coquettish and ashamed, crying pitifully.

Zhao Yan closed his eyes for a moment. In such matters, the man was clearly in the more advantageous position, so he didn’t keep walking. “Speak, so what’s the story?”

“Th…thank you, Your Highness,” Tang Wanlan hurriedly wrapped herself, her lips bitten pale. “However this is explained, it’s my fault. I’m sorry to my sister and sorry to Your Highness, but I truly didn’t do it on purpose… My sister was about to be married, so I just wanted to keep her company, thinking there might be no other chance. Last night I went into her room to sleep with her… I wanted my sister not to be nervous, to be in the best spirit and look her most beautiful when she married you.”

“I planned to wait until my sister slept and then leave. I’d already arranged with mother that as soon as I came out they’d knock me out and send me back to the manor in the countryside… I didn’t want to attend the wedding or meet Your Highness,” Tang Wanlan glanced at the Second Prince. “You… know, I toward you, have always…”

Her face flushed slightly as she bashfully looked away.

Zhao Yan did indeed know. After Tang Wanning was betrothed, he once visited the earl’s residence and saw Tang Wanlan asleep among the flowers, wearing a goose-yellow dress, her face flushed. Even in her dreams she was calling his name and saying she liked him.

He cleared his throat. “Continue.”

Tang Wanlan read his cue and, knowing he understood, didn’t press that line further but continued crying, “Who knew I’d drunk my sister’s calming tea by mistake and slept too deeply. My sister happened to have drunk a lot and got up at night to use the bathroom, but the night was too dark, Mother didn’t realize it wasn’t me, and followed the prior plan… and so she knocked out my sister and sent her to the manor…”

“When I woke in the morning I knew it was ruined, but everything was already too late…” Tang Wanlan sobbed. “Your Highness is to marry my sister, and my sister wishes to marry Your Highness too. You were mutually in love, a match made in heaven. No one would have wanted this to happen. Had I noticed sooner, I could have brought my sister back in time. But dawn had already come, the auspicious hour couldn’t be delayed and Your Highness couldn’t lose face. My family couldn’t bear the blame. I… I had no choice and thought of this plan: I would marry in her place to hold the situation, then later go to the manor to beg forgiveness for my sister and swap her back, and everyone would return to their places…”

Tang Wanlan looked up at the Second Prince, tears streaming, “All the blame is mine alone. Punish me however you wish, I will accept fault and punishment from the Empress, even give up my life if necessary. But my sister knew nothing of this from start to finish, nor did my parents. Please, Your Highness, forgive me!”

“I didn’t intend to seduce… seduce Your Highness, last night…” Too ashamed to say some things, her posture was humbled to the point of being one with the dust, “I just… admired Your Highness for so long. It all felt like a dream. Yesterday morning I did my makeup and put on the red veil, and when they kept calling ‘Second Young Mistress’ and I truly thought they meant me, I truly thought the one to marry Your Highness was myself, Second Young Mistress Tang Wanlan…”

Knock knock! Suddenly a knocking sounded. It was the maids who had heard the commotion, calling from outside, “Prince Ping, the maids have come in to serve.”

Zhao Yan abruptly called out loudly, “Everyone out, don’t come in!”

Silence quickly fell outside, and the person wrapped in the blanket on the floor relaxed considerably.

Zhao Yan looked at Tang Wanlan and suddenly recalled that Tang Minglun had two daughters: the eldest Tang Wanyan and the second Tang Wanlan. Outside they were referred to as Eldest Young Mistress and Second Young Mistress, until Tang Wanning arrived. To show acceptance and affection for his niece, Tang Minglun forcibly adjusted the birth order to place her between his daughters, according to age. From then on, the eldest Tang Wanyan remained Eldest Young Mistress, while Tang Wanning became Second Young Mistress, while Tang Wanlan could only be Third Young Mistress. Because his wife, Madam Zhou, disliked the title ‘Third Young Mistress’, the household downplayed the label and called her Miss Lan.

Zhao Yan knew this wasn’t Tang Wanning’s fault, but in this respect she had indeed, unintentionally, taken something from Tang Wanlan.

The girl cried so pitifully, and this truly was a terrible misunderstanding. He seemed unable to be too harsh with her, “You were born a beauty…what can be done…”

Tang Wanlan bit her lips until they turned white and quietly wept, “I am willing to bear all the consequences, since it is my own fault. A night with Your Highness… I shamelessly sought it myself and I don’t regret it. Last night was precious, the most beautiful memory of my life. I will not blame anyone, instead I thank Your Highness for his part in it. Early yesterday I veiled myself. By the evening when Your Highness returned, no one had seen my face, and no one knew the bride wasn’t the actual person. I know Your Highness loves my sister and I’ve never intended to fight for your affection. I’m willing to go with Your Highness to the manor to fetch my sister back and give up the principal consort position!”

She stepped back slightly and kowtowed devoutly to the Second Prince. “In this life, I swear by the ancient Buddhas, I will never complain.”

“You don’t have to be like this, you know?” Zhao Yan asked as he draped clothing over her and helped her up.

Tang Wanlan sobbed, “If Your Highness… has even a sliver of pity for me, I ask for nothing else. I only wish to be a little maid by your side, to serve you tea, carry water, make the bed and scent the linen…”

Zhao Yan’s long fingers touched her cheek, wiping away her sparkling tears. “You silly girl. You are a daughter of the Earl Xuanning’s house. How could you be a maidservant for someone else?”

Tang Wanlan clutched her chest and timidly nodded. “I, I will follow Your Highness’s orders.”

“Let’s go fetch your sister.”

“Now?”

“If not?” Zhao Yan had already begun dressing.

Tang Wanlan hesitated. “On the first day of a marriage… If we don’t go to the Empress to apologize, wouldn’t that be improper?”

Zhao Yan was dressing and didn’t see the flash of disappointment in Tang Wanlan’s eyes. He chuckled, “If I can’t even handle this small matter, how can I be called Prince Ping? Come on, don’t worry about it, let’s go fetch your sister.”

Tang Wanlan could only nod and say, “Yes, I will follow what Your Highness says.”

She seemed nervous and had buttoned her clothes wrong. Zhao Yan smoothed her collar and chuckled gently, “No need to be like this. Your sister’s temperament is the most gentle and kind. How could she be angry with you?”

“It’s only a wedding. I can make it right.”

The two quickly tidied up and went out, unaware that the gentle and kind Tang Wanning had already eaten and slept well, finished her makeup, full of spirit and prepared to face today’s unpleasant battle!