Imperial Weight Chapter 14
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 14
He waited for over half a month, and what arrived was a wedding gown and the news that Xingyi would be welcoming him into the mansion.
The prince’s mansion was enormous, so large it seemed endless. Little Phoenix sat in the sedan chair wearing a red bridal veil, looking down to see only his own hands resting on his knees, pale and slender. Perhaps it was the bright red wedding gown bringing out the color, but his face had been flushed the entire journey. He touched his face and indeed it felt somewhat warm.
The sedan chair moved smoothly, the golden tassels beneath the veil swaying gently as lanterns illuminated the path outside. Little Phoenix was restless by nature—several times he wanted to lift the veil to look out, but he restrained himself each time, sitting upright and proper, even more earnest and correct than when he had learned decorum in the pleasure house.
He never imagined he would have a day when he could marry, and in such a grand ceremony with someone he loved. By instinct, he knew his sedan chair had crossed the threshold of the mansion's main gate, then proceeded straight along the main path without any turns. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the sedan chair came to rest in front of the courtyard. The wedding matron directed the bearers to set it down gently, lifted the curtain, and said in a stiff yet steady voice, "The bride may now descend from the sedan chair."
Little Phoenix had spent the entire night memorizing the etiquette to be observed on the wedding night. He quietly extended his hand to the wedding matron, who led him into the main hall. Xingyi and the current emperor were born of the same mother, but their mother had died young, and the old emperor had also passed away years ago. The young emperor had just ascended the throne and, busy with countless matters, could not make the journey to Jiangling. Not a single member of the imperial family was present. Those in the hall were all Xingyi's military men—years of comrades-in-arms and deputy officers filled the hall, yet it was surprisingly quiet.
Little Phoenix had anticipated this situation. He was happy, but outsiders would inevitably gossip about this matter, saying that the illustrious Prince Ziyang had actually married a prostitute, and a male prostitute at that. However, judging by how these people were behaving, Xingyi had evidently made arrangements beforehand, ordering them not to say anything unpleasant. His husband wore red robes and stood at the front of the hall waiting for him, taking his hand from the wedding matron. The gongs and drums sounded three times with earth-shaking resonance, and firecrackers erupted, nearly drowning out the calls to bow to heaven and earth.
Little Phoenix could only see the shoes beneath his feet—black brocade with gold threading, the same as his husband's, along with a small section of deep red satin. The people in the embroidery workshop had been ingenious, altering a woman's wedding gown into a man's style—the cut was magnificent and proper without losing its grandeur. At first glance, outsiders would think the two wore identical wedding attire, but in reality, Little Phoenix's wedding gown was more intricate and elaborate than Xingyi's. By comparison, Xingyi's garment even seemed somewhat casual.
First bow to heaven and earth—they bathed together in the light of stars and moon, bowing before wind and flowing streams.
Second bow to the elders—unlike ordinary families who need only bow once, the memorial tablets of Xingyi's imperial father and mother were enshrined before the altar. Little Phoenix followed Xingyi, bowing by feel, performing three kneels and nine kowtows.
Husband and wife bow to each other—Little Phoenix had just begun to bend at the waist when Xingyi pressed his hands and pulled him a step closer. Xingyi held both his hands, leading him through the mutual bow.
Little Phoenix's hands trembled slightly. Xingyi scratched his palm soothingly. "Don't be afraid."
After the ceremony, Little Phoenix was sent to the bedchamber to quietly wait for his husband.
The room was peaceful, with only the sound of flickering candlelight.
Xingyi was the groom and had to preside over the wedding banquet, but all the guests were military men—after only three rounds of wine, the feast hastily concluded.
Xingyi hadn't drunk much. After seeing off the guests one by one to rest in the side mansion, a voice came from behind him. "I think you've truly gone mad."
Xingyi turned around.
Standing before him was his younger brother, a prince of a different surname enfeoffed when the late emperor granted a general amnesty. He had accompanied him on this military campaign to Jiangling, practically never leaving his side, and was quite clingy. But Xingyi had always been cold and indifferent toward him. Ever since he began frequenting the pleasure house where Little Phoenix worked, their relationship had grown even more distant.
"You are His Majesty's most valued minister, yet you've brought a male prostitute through the door to be your princess consort? When word of this gets out, the entire world will be waiting to laugh at you! What will His Majesty think of you? I think you must have a death wish! He's a man! He cannot bear you children! Will you live your entire life in humiliation under the name of a cut-sleeve?"
Xingyi's gaze was calm. "Precisely because I am His Majesty's most valued minister, born of the same mother and father as His Majesty, and holding military authority over Jiangling—if I didn't do this, that would truly be courting death."
—---
Little Phoenix now understood—the standard for an emperor and empress was to be beautiful.
The people of Fuli Palace discovered that the round, plump little bird their Emperor raised had been eating less and less lately.
Originally eating twenty spirit fruits per meal, it had now decreased to ten. No matter how much more they tried to feed him, he absolutely refused to eat. After each meal, the little bird would fly to a rock and move about. One day Xingyi passed by and sat beside Little Phoenix, watching for quite a while before finding it familiar. "What dance is this you're doing?"
Little Phoenix moved very rhythmically—raising his little wings, twisting his neck, lifting his little claws, and occasionally spinning in circles, wiggling his round bird bottom. He said solemnly, "Don't disturb me, I'm doing weight-loss exercises."
Xingyi understood. "So what you showed me before wasn't some dance, it was weight-loss exercises."
Little Phoenix looked at him proudly. "This is nothing. I can perform all those especially famous dances from the mortal realm—the Startling Swan Dance, the Rainbow Feather Garment Dance, the Green Waist Dance, the Whirling Barbarian Dance, and also the Long Sleeve Dance and the Waist-Bending Dance. I know them all, and I dance beautifully."
Xingyi rested his chin on his hand, watching him. "I've never heard of any of these. Try dancing one."
Little Phoenix shamelessly scooted over, nuzzled his palm, then asked, "Which one would you like to see?"
Xingyi asked seriously, "Startling Swan, Rainbow Feather Garment, Green Waist, Whirling Barbarian, Long Sleeve, Waist-Bending—are these all names of dance pieces?"
After receiving Little Phoenix's confirmation, Xingyi thought for a moment. "Then dance the Whirling Barbarian."
Actually, he didn't know what it was, just found the name strange. There were many celestial maidens in the Heavenly Court who could dance, and each one, if sent to the mortal realm, would possess swaying grace and devastating beauty with elegant refinement. Their dance names were also more refined and pleasant-sounding than the last. Xingyi had grown somewhat aesthetically fatigued from watching.
Little Phoenix patted his hand with a wing. "Rest assured, let me tell you, the Whirling Barbarian Dance is extremely beautiful when performed. In mortal terms, one must wear barbarian clothing and dance with exotic flair, bringing out a wild beauty. The signature moves include back-bending and high kicks—very captivating. Come help me get dressed up."
Xingyi found it somewhat amusing. "You need to dress up too?"
Little Phoenix said to him earnestly, "Yes, those who dance this wear colorful sashes around their waists, rope-woven hats with long tassels hanging down, and the jewelry and ribbons fly and whirl with the dancer's spinning—it's also very beautiful."
Those small beady eyes gleamed faintly. For some reason, though Xingyi had wanted to laugh, he held it back instead. It was as if something scratched at his heart.
Didn't this little fat bird know he was just a round ball and probably wouldn't look good dancing?
This little fat bird was very clever—he couldn't not know. Yet this mischievous manner was different from before, as if just to make him happy, even though he couldn't take human form, he was still willing to earnestly dance a piece for him.
Xingyi's expression grew serious, and he answered earnestly as well. "Alright, I'll wait."
Palace servants came and went, discovering one by one that their Emperor sat idly on a rock beside the garden stream, seemingly waiting for someone. No one dared approach, only watching from afar.
Though Xingyi was carefree, he was also a particular person—there was no reason for him to sit casually on a spring-pool rock covered with dew and scattered sand. It was only later that people learned what was happening—the Emperor was playing with his little bird. From carrying this little fat bird to court to now sitting on rocks like a child playing with his bird, the palace servants' acceptance had gradually increased.
It was unknown where Little Phoenix had scurried off to. Half an incense stick's time later, he waddled over to Xingyi.
Xingyi looked over this completely transformed round ball. "Who are you?"
Little Phoenix proudly jumped before him and spun in a circle, showing himself off. "I'm your little phoenix!"
His snow-white down had now become a canvas for unknown pigments—indigo, ochre red, and dark green smeared all over, immediately transforming him into something like a colorful egg. Even those shiny black beady eyes were nearly submerged, making him look like a little jungle tyrant. Little Phoenix had symbolically tied a thin vine around his waist, and his wingtips were also tied with ribbons from who knows where. When he flapped his wings, the ribbons floated up and down with them.
This round, colorful egg was also wearing a grass crown from somewhere, probably another of the odd items obtained from the Golden-Winged Bird.
Little Phoenix waddled before him and bowed. "Pluck the flowers when they bloom—thank you for your patronage, dear patron. Tip according to your means, don't harm your household wealth. This humble one won't forget the kindness of even a drop of water."
This was the routine from the pleasure house—Little Phoenix still remembered it clearly.
Xingyi smiled. "Good."
Little Phoenix began to dance. At first, he spun around solemnly a few times, making the vine on him shake, then stretched out his little wings to wave them horizontally while his little claws stepped in rhythm—it looked quite authentic. Unfortunately, due to inherent limitations, Little Phoenix was too round—he couldn't complete the signature back-bend of the Whirling Barbarian Dance. Following his own rhythm, Little Phoenix leaned backward, and realizing something was wrong, he simply followed the beat and lay back, then flapped his wings to jump back up. From a distance, it looked like a colorful little furball rolling vigorously. He lifted his claws, counting it as a high kick, tilted his head, treating it as a flying glance.
Xingyi watched him with complete seriousness, his expression unchanged.
Little Phoenix called out, "Look, look, pay attention—I'm about to dance the most beautiful part! This is the hardest section—twenty rapid spins followed by a back-bend finish. The lower body must be stable. I'm very good at this."
Xingyi observed Little Phoenix, half-believing, only certain of one thing—this little fat bird had no waist, couldn't even see a neck, because he was simply too round.
Little Phoenix began spinning rapidly while simultaneously chirping to provide his own accompaniment, like a round, plump spinning top. The chirping grew louder and more clear and urgent toward the end, very much like the real thing. If there were actual music, this would be the climactic section. Little Phoenix completed twenty rapid spins, desperately holding his little wings out horizontally to maintain balance, then attempted the back-bend—he leaned backward, and at that moment, the chirping abruptly stopped.
Little Phoenix lost his footing and rolled down with a whoosh. Xingyi didn't catch him in time, letting the round little fat bird tumble–splat–into the snow.
He lay spread-eagled in the soft snow, recovering from his dizziness. Upon opening his eyes, he immediately moved a bit where he lay, stretched out both little claws, and didn't forget to say solemnly, "Thank you for your patronage, dear patron."
Xingyi hesitated, words on his lips.
Little Phoenix attempted to clarify, "Actually, just now I added an adaptation to the movement. The adapted dance is supposed to roll down like this."
Xingyi said, "Mm."
Little Phoenix thought for a moment and continued clarifying, "I'm really very skilled."
Xingyi's eyes held amusement. "Mm, very skilled. How about I tip you fifty thousand spirit stones?"
Little Phoenix's eyes lit up for a moment, but quickly dimmed again. He adopted a contemplative expression, as if seriously considering.
Xingyi pulled the little fat bird out of the snow like pulling up a radish, placed him in his palm, and just as he was about to stroke Little Phoenix's head, he heard the little fat bird say, "Could I exchange it for something else?"
Little Phoenix looked at him hesitantly.
Xingyi said softly, "What do you want?"
Little Phoenix was somewhat bashful, quickly burying his head into his wings, and asked in a sweet, childish voice. "Um, about what I told you yesterday—won't you really consider it? Can I call you husband?"
