After Disguising As A Woman To Marry The Foolish Prince, I Became Pregnant - Chapter 1

The twenty-third year of Yongshun, Autumn.

The north wind rolled up fallen leaves and whipped them against the wooden door, making a thin, scratching sound. Before the leaves could slide off, they were shaken again by the persistent pounding of the matchmaker’s hand.

A woman dressed in festive attire, her face full of impatience, slapped the locked door and said, “Second Miss, this is a marriage decreed by His Majesty himself. It cannot be delayed. You had best prepare quickly, lest you implicate your entire family.”

There was still no response from inside the room. The matchmaker couldn’t help but feel a twinge of worry.

Today was the wedding day of the Second Miss of the Zhu family and Prince Zhao. It should have been a joyous occasion, yet who in the capital didn’t know that Prince Zhao had burned his brain during a severe illness in his youth? On ordinary days, he was foolish and dull, prone to violence and destroying things—an incredibly difficult person to serve. For the Second Miss of the Zhu family to marry him was essentially going away to suffer.

She had heard that the Second Miss had a rather fiery temperament; could she have done something foolish to herself inside out of despair?

The more the matchmaker thought about it, the more anxious she became. She quickly gathered her skirts and ran to find help.

The moment she left, the door opened a crack. Two heads peeked out from the gap, scanning the surroundings. If one observed closely, they would find two extremely similar faces. However, one was like a lotus emerging from water—gentle and quiet; the other was like a lush peach or a brilliant plum—exquisite and flamboyant.

Zhu Man surveyed the area twice. Once certain the courtyard was empty, he pushed the door fully open. He patted Zhu Man (his sister) beside him and said, “Go to my room, change your clothes, and hide. If Zeng Hong and her three little bastards come over, set the dogs on them. Once the wedding procession leaves, the guards should relax. When that happens, sneak away to the manor in the suburbs. I’ll leave Jingxin behind; if anything happens, let him handle it.”

Hearing this, Zhu Man (the sister) grew anxious. She raised her hands and gestured in sign language: “If we leave, we leave together.”

“Father definitely has people guarding the outside; we can’t escape,” Zhu Man said, reaching out to stroke her hair. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to me.”

Zhu Man (the sister) continued to gesture: “We go to the manor together.”

Zhu Man shook his head. “Don’t be silly. With so many eyes on us, how can we run? If the Princess of Zhao disappears, not just Father, but the Palace will surely send people to search. But if I disappear, Father won’t care at all.”

At those words, his sister’s eyes instantly reddened.

The two siblings had supposedly “cursed” their mother to death the moment they were born. Furthermore, one was a “freak” and the other was mute. They were deeply disliked by their father; not only did their stepmother’s three children bully them, but even the servants dared to mistreat them.

Because she couldn’t speak, she couldn’t fight back when bullied, which only made people more aggressive.

Her brother, relying on their identical looks, would often dress in her clothes to teach people a lesson or demand justice. He caused such a stir that everyone in the capital said the Second Miss of the Zhu family was incredibly pungent and fierce. Because of this, no one dared to trouble her, and not many people knew the truth about her being mute.

Their father likely felt that her inability to speak was a disgrace, so he never clarified anything. Thus, everyone said Lord Zhu’s greatest stains were the pair of twins born of his first wife—arrogant, overbearing, and utterly embarrassing. It was no wonder that even at their age, no one had come to propose marriage.

She originally thought this arrangement was fine, but she hadn’t expected that when the Emperor sought a consort for Prince Zhao recently, her father would be swayed by the stepmother to submit her name.

She didn’t want to marry, but imperial orders are hard to defy. She had resisted, but in the end, all she received was a slap from her father and a doubling of guards.

Since she couldn’t escape, her brother intended to play the old trick again.

Zhu Man (the sister) wiped her eyes and gestured: “This is my matter. I will marry him myself.”

“The Prince’s manor is surely no easy place to stay. You can’t even speak; if something happens, you won’t even be able to cry for help.” Zhu Man frowned. “Don’t worry. After tonight, I’ll find a way to come for you. But we can’t run now. Be obedient and go quickly, or it will be exposed when the matchmaker returns.”

The sister wanted to gesture more, but Zhu Man forcefully pushed her out and slammed the door with a “bang.”

She knocked frantically on the door, but Zhu Man only said “Go quickly” from inside. He walked to the bed, picked up the wedding dress, and began to change. Once finished, he sat before the dressing table, picked up a brush, and skillfully began to apply makeup.

By the time the matchmaker returned with two burly guards, the sister was already gone.

The matchmaker called out several times at the door. Seeing no movement, she hurriedly ordered the guards to break in.

However, the room was calm. The Second Miss—who the matchmaker thought might have done something reckless—was sitting there applying makeup. Seeing them enter, she glared at them with dissatisfaction, threw down the brush, and said, “I’m not marrying.”

The voice was soft and gentle; even in anger, it felt as adorable as a spoiled child acting out.

The two guards immediately backed out in embarrassment.

Just moments ago, the Eldest Young Master had caused a scene outside, insisting on barging in to see his sister. Fearing complications, the matchmaker had sent the guards to stop him. It turned out the “Young Master” was just a pageboy in disguise. Then, hearing that the Second Miss might have had an accident, they had rushed back in a panic, only to realize it was a false alarm.

The matchmaker was also full of awkwardness. She quickly approached with a flattering smile and said, “A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Today is a day of great joy; please don’t be angry, Second Miss.” She looked around. “Where is the Eldest Young Master?”

Zhu Man glanced at her sideways. “You want to see him? I’ll have someone fetch him right now.”

The matchmaker waved her hands frantically. “If he’s not here, that’s fine, that’s fine.” She walked to “Zhu Man’s” side and picked up the brush from the table. “This makeup is a bit too light. Let me finish it for the Second Miss.”

Zhu Man frowned, still looking utterly unwilling.

But the matchmaker ignored him and began to sweep color across his eyelids.

Lord Zhu had already instructed her to keep a close eye on the Second Miss to ensure she didn’t run away. He had even given her a packet of “Soft Tendon Powder” to use if necessary. After all, who would want to marry a fool? She heard that this Second Miss had cried, screamed, and even attempted suicide a few days ago. Now, she was likely resigned to her fate, though her mood was naturally terrible.

The matchmaker didn’t care. As long as she stuffed the person into the bridal sedan and delivered them to the Prince’s manor, Lord Zhu would give her a large sum of money.

Once the makeup was finished, the matchmaker took the bridal veil and covered his head.

Zhu Man felt a blur before his eyes, and suddenly his world was nothing but a sea of red.

The matchmaker supported him as they walked out, passing through the Zhu residence where he had lived for nineteen years, and ushered him into the sedan chair.

Sitting inside the sedan, Zhu Man listened to the wedding procession blowing trumpets and beating drums as they moved through the capital. Everywhere they went was filled with laughter—some were happy about the free feast, while others laughed at the fact that even a fool could take a wife.

The noise only quieted down when they reached the Prince Zhao Manor. The guests spoke in hushed tones, their smiles knowing as they discussed this farce of a wedding from beginning to end.

Zhu Man was helped over the threshold and across a brazier. He couldn’t see the path and took every step cautiously until he stopped in the main hall.

Peering through the gap at the bottom of the veil, he could see a person standing beside him wearing the same wedding attire—a person who lived only in the jokes of others, whose height and appearance were unknown to him.

If he hadn’t put on this wedding dress, his sister would be the one standing here.

A spark of anger and resentment sprouted in his heart, but before it could grow, it was snuffed out by a hand that suddenly reached out.

That hand was very white, with distinct bones and slightly broad knuckles. There were a few small cuts and a bruise on the palm, but it wasn’t rough. It looked more like the hand of a mischievous child who had accidentally bumped into things while playing.

Zhu Man was stunned. He then heard the matchmaker whisper a reminder: “Your Highness, you cannot lift the veil yet.”

“No.” The reply was a deep, pleasant male voice. The speed of his speech was somewhat slow, carrying a hint of the dullness that normal people didn’t have. This must be his brother-in-law—or rather, his husband—Prince Zhao, He Tianyun.

The matchmaker looked troubled. She didn’t dare speak out of turn to the Prince, so she looked toward the person standing beside him. That man was a eunuch serving the Prince. Seeing the situation, he whispered a persuasion: “Your Highness, if you lift it now, Consort Mother Yu will be angry.”

He Tianyun let out a reluctant “Oh” and didn’t respond further. He didn’t seem at all like the unreasonable, violent fool of the rumors.

And so, the ceremony continued. Under the high-pitched, thin chanting of the Master of Ceremonies, He Tianyun and his newlywed bride bowed together.

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, He Tianyun suddenly froze during the “Husband and Wife Bow.” He turned his head to look elsewhere.

The eunuch hurriedly called his name in a low voice, but He Tianyun’s attention was captured by something. His eyes were fixed intently on the direction of the guests.

“Your Highness…” The eunuch had no choice but to reach out and pull him, wanting him to finish the ceremony properly.

However, He Tianyun flung his hand away. Gripping the ceremonial red silk ribbon, he dashed straight toward the guests.

The smooth red silk fluttered in the air like a kite caught in the wind. However, before this “kite” could fly high, it fell squarely over the head of the Minister of Revenue.

The Minister was stunned. Just as he reached out to pull it off, the silk tightened abruptly, wrapping his face tightly. Then came a shower of hot soup poured directly over him.

Exclamations of shock erupted from the crowd. Guards rushed up to restrain Prince Zhao, only to be hit in the head by the cups and plates he snatched from the tables.

This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Even the experienced matchmaker was stunned for a good while before she reacted, calling for people to bring the Prince back.

Meanwhile, Zhu Man stood there, his hands still in their original position. He looked as though he were frozen in fear.

In truth, as he listened to the guests’ cries for mercy and He Tianyun’s laughter, he could barely suppress the curve of his own lips.

This wretched wedding—the more chaotic, the better. If he could have beaten those gossiping guests along with the Prince, it would have been even better!

He wanted to watch the excitement, but as soon as his hand touched the veil, the matchmaker grabbed him. She told him not to break the rules, noted that the auspicious hour had passed, and then supported him away from the noisy scene toward the bridal chamber.

The room was deathly quiet.

Zhu Man could sense other people in the room, but they didn’t say a word. They just stood guard in silence, waiting. Only the matchmaker remained by his side, incessantly droning on about the rules of the wedding and teaching him how to “serve” tonight. Her chatter made the festive red surroundings feel oppressive and eerie.

Zhu Man felt like laughing.

Letting him serve that fool? Does that guy even understand what a “wedding night” is?

He hadn’t intended to acknowledge the matchmaker, but when he heard her speak enviously about how becoming a Princess meant enjoying endless wealth and honor, he couldn’t help but sneer: “Then why don’t you take my place?”

The matchmaker was instantly choked up. After a long pause, she chuckled awkwardly, “What virtue or ability do I have? The Princess must be joking.”

“Then shut up,” Zhu Man said. “Or I’ll run away right now.”

The matchmaker wasn’t afraid of him. She said, “The Princess should stop saying such foolish things. The guards in this manor are far more numerous than those in the Zhu residence.”

Zhu Man replied, “I don’t expect to escape. I just want to cause you some trouble.”

The matchmaker went silent immediately.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of the Eldest Young Master of the Zhu family. These past few days, the Second Miss had been quite peaceful, but that Young Master had frequently caused trouble for her. Once, he had almost pushed her into the water. When she complained to Lord Zhu, he merely added two more people to watch over him and told her not to provoke the Young Master.

This Second Miss was his twin sister; if she really started a scene, she would likely be just as difficult to handle.

Thus, she stood quietly to the side and waited with the others.

An unknown amount of time passed—long enough for Zhu Man’s back to feel tired and his eyelids to grow heavy—before that deep, pleasant voice sounded at the door. He was clamoring unreasonably to go back out and play. After being refused, he began to bang on the door in frustration, making loud “thudding” sounds.

At this point, someone brought up the Consort Mother again to pressure him. They told him to enter the room and lift the veil. Only then did he push the door open and walk toward Zhu Man, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Zhu Man instantly gripped his skirt, listening tensely to the approaching footsteps.

If He Tianyun dared to act crazy, he would give him a punch.

Seeing him approach, the matchmaker quickly handed over the golden scale. Just as she was about to explain how to use it, she saw the Prince already bending down. He reached out to lift the veil and poked his head underneath to look.

Zhu Man was startled by the face that suddenly leaned in close. Then, he noticed the other man’s eyes, curved in a smile. They held a faint light and looked very gentle—not at all like a fool.

But in the next moment, He Tianyun completely overturned that impression.

With a “swish,” He Tianyun snatched the veil away and draped it over the matchmaker’s head instead.

The matchmaker shivered in fright. Before she could react, her head was tapped once, then a second time, then a third.

He Tianyun held the golden scale the matchmaker had given him to lift the veil and gleefully knocked it against her head. Tock, tock, tock.

It was like he was striking a wooden fish in a temple.

Zhu Man couldn’t help but laugh. He turned his gaze toward He Tianyun, letting it settle on his face.

He Tianyun’s mother, Consort Mother Yu, was said to be an extraordinary beauty—elegant, refined, and tender. When the then-Crown Prince (now the Emperor) saw her just once, he was haunted by her image and lost his appetite.

He Tianyun had clearly inherited his mother’s good looks. His features were deep and sharp like ice, yet they didn’t feel cold; rather, they were softened by those peach-blossom eyes that seemed to carry a natural smile. He was elegant and handsome—even when smiling foolishly, he was still beautiful.

He was better looking than anyone Zhu Man had ever seen.