Four Seasons Brocade – CH 008

Chapter 8 ☆、 Lady Cui Speaks, Her Pride Wounded

Cui Zhixing and Cui Liren glanced sideways at Ah Wu but said nothing. The two older cousins, being quite young, were overjoyed to see Ah Wu. The younger one, no more than ten years old, reached out to pinch Ah Wu’s cheek, but thankfully, she dodged quickly.

“Cousin, you are so adorable,” said the second cousin with a grin.

As for the eldest cousin, although he pretended to be older, his eyes seemed glued to Ah Wu, making her feel uncomfortable. This Cui Huaiyu, already fourteen, whose grandfather was the prefect, was considered one of the most prominent figures of the younger generation in Qingzhou. He had long been educated about matters of love and romance, and having heard tales of cousins’ affairs, he looked at Ah Wu with a scrutinizing and critical gaze. Although she seemed young, he was quite satisfied with her in other aspects.

Ah Wu was furious, wanting nothing more than to slap him, but knowing she could not, and that Lady Cui probably sensed it too, so she sent Ah Wu away, having Zi-Yan take her to play in the west wing, not daring to let her go too far, lest she be bullied if she could not see her.

She knew the entire Cui family’s character best.

Meanwhile, Cui Zhixing also sent his two grandsons away. Lady Cui sat down in a row of chairs to Cui Zhixing’s left, inquired about the well-being of the ladies of the house, said everything was fine, and chatted about some trivial matters before leaving.

Ah Wu could not sit still in the west wing, giving Zi-Yan a look, signaling her to be quiet, while she herself pressed her face against the lattice window, carefully listening to the conversation between Lady Cui and the other two.

Compared to Lady Cui’s demure shyness, her maternal grandfather went straight to the point: “Daughter, you know your father went to the capital this time for reassignment. Do you think you could ask my son-in-law to help me stay in my current position?”

This made Ah Wu look at him with newfound respect. This Prefect Cui was a self-aware man, knowing the complexities of the capital and that he, a small fry, could not make a difference. Staying in Qingzhou was more comfortable, and the benefits were no less than those of a capital official. He did not beg for a transfer to a more prosperous prefecture, showing he was not greedy. No wonder he had remained in power for decades.

Ah Wu also knew this Prefect Cui. He had remained in his position as prefect without promotion, but his position was extremely stable. Even during the power struggles for the throne, he managed to navigate the political landscape skillfully. After the new Emperor ascended the throne, he was even transferred to a post in the Jiangnan region.

However, Prefect Cui’s words put Lady Cui in a difficult position. She knew her family’s situation; not only could her brothers-in-law not help, but even if they could, they might not be willing to. As for the Old Master, he had not been involved in affairs for years, and no one dared to bother him. As for her husband, it was even less of a topic; Third Master Rong did not think highly of his father-in-law’s official conduct, finding him greedy, despicable, and cunning.

Seeing Lady Cui hesitate, Cui Zhixing smiled but did not urge her. He had inquired about the situation of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion during his time in the capital and felt that marrying off a daughter had been a mistake, offering no help whatsoever. Seeing her like this now, he understood even more.

After some hesitation, Lady Cui said she would go back and talk to her father-in-law. Having finally managed to speak up and explain her purpose, even Ah Wu, listening from behind, felt embarrassed. She had not realized her family had fallen into such dire straits that Lady Cui had to ask Prefect Cui for money.

Cui Zhixing stroked his beard. “My dear girl, you know that when you married the Third Master of the Duke’s Mansion, all the money in the family went towards your dowry. Now, I’ve just finished my three-year term of office, and I need to manage all the connections in the capital. How about I raise the rest for you after I get through this difficult time and return to Qingzhou?”

These words filled Lady Cui with unbearable shame. She rarely spoke up, and now she had been refused. Lady Cui knew the family’s situation; the Cui family’s wealth was more than enough to cover her dowry. Even if there were ten more of her, they would not be able to spend it all. It was clear he was not going to help, and it even carried a threat. If he could not retain the position in Qingzhou, there would likely be consequences.

Lady Cui took a breath, called out to Ah Wu, bid farewell to her father and brother, and sat silently with Ah Wu in the carriage the whole way.

Ah Wu sat with her head bowed, her small hand gently stroking Lady Cui’s hand resting on her lap. Lady Cui’s eyes stung with tears. She was a strong-willed woman; if it were not for her husband and children, she would never have dared to speak to her father. She had not expected family ties to be so weak.

Fortunately, her Ah Wu had finally grown up. She was becoming increasingly well-behaved; even the palace matrons praised her for her manners. Her interpersonal skills were also improving, managing everyone in her household smoothly; even the troublesome little Zi-Shan was now obedient.

Actually, Lady Cui was not unaware of Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan’s situation. However, she only had these two maids and their families under her control, and she only felt at ease with them in Ah Wu’s quarters. Therefore, she did not suggest replacing them, only frequently giving them a warning. Unfortunately, even Ah Wu’s predecessor could not control her servants.

Now that Ah Wu had learned of these things from Lady Cui, with her abilities, how could she not manage the two? With a combination of kindness and strictness, Zi-Shan naturally became obedient. This was also because Zi-Yan and Zi-Shan were only teenagers; Zi-Yan was thirteen, and Zi-Shan was just ten.

“Mother, do not worry; everything will be alright,” Ah Wu comforted Lady Cui.

Lady Cui almost could not hold back her tears upon hearing this. She thought Ah Wu was just trying to comfort her, but she already felt relieved. Little did she know, Ah Wu was not just saying it casually.

The next day, Ah Wu sought out Rong Jie, pestering him to let her see a collection of contemporary essays, filled with the eight-legged essays used in the imperial examinations.

Rong Jie tapped Ah Wu’s forehead. Ah Wu instinctively flinched; she had a peculiar habit of disliking being touched and was extremely clean. These days, she would only approach Lady Cui occasionally; she would never touch anyone else. But because she had a request today, she restrained herself.

“You silly girl, what are you doing reading current affairs articles at such a young age? It is not something you should be reading. If you are bored, go read some poetry, or play with your sisters.”

“Why can I not read them? I just want to see what kind of fancy articles you all write,” Ah Wu pouted. This gesture, coupled with her chubby, pink cheeks, was extremely cute. Rong Jie could not possibly refuse his younger sister. Even the former Ah Wu, who was so unbearable, they loved her like a treasure; how much more so the current Ah Wu?

Rong Jie got up to fetch the book for Ah Wu, who followed closely behind him. “Good Fifth Brother, I will find it myself.”

Ah Wu, still quite young and slender, barely reaching the edge of the table, tried to find the book herself. Rong Jie chuckled, watching her struggle to climb onto the chair while maintaining a ladylike demeanor. He was completely charmed by her and reached out to lift her onto the chair. “Alright, alright, you can look it up yourself. I will put all the current affairs essays on the table for you.”

Rong Jichang, having repeatedly failed the imperial examinations himself, placed even greater emphasis on his son Rong Jie’s upbringing. When Rong Jie first began learning the imperial examination system, the Third Master Rong selected some good current affairs essays he had read for him to study and added many new books for him.

Ah Wu mainly wanted to find any current affairs essays that Xu Lizhai had written, and also the essay he had written when he served as a tutor in the imperial examinations in the fifteenth year of the Longqing reign. Of course, she also needed to review the essays from recent years’ examinations; she had not touched such material in a long time and needed to familiarize herself with it. Although she had briefly studied the essay-writing style and even received praise from her teacher, that was not something a woman should do, and she only studied it for a little over a year before giving it up.

Unfortunately, Rong Jichang disliked the ornate writing style favored by people like Xu Lizhai, and the books he found for Rong Jie did not include any. Ah Wu was a little disappointed, her eyes darting around as she looked at Rong Jie, thinking of an excuse to encourage him to go to the bookstore to look for some.

The spring examinations were in the second month, and time was running out. Ah Wu did not know if she could write an essay that would meet Xu Lizhai’s standards in such a short time, but she was not without advantages; at least she had more time to write and revise than the other candidates.

“Fifth Brother, when you go to the bookstore, can you take me with you? I want to find some books too.” Ah Wu opened her big, watery eyes, making good use of her good looks, and her expression became more and more innocent and carefree.

“You?” Rong Jie smiled. “Are you looking for a calligraphy practice book? You are still young; you are not allowed to go out by yourself. Tell your brother what book you need, and he will find it for you.”

Rong Jie was serious and not easily fooled, so Ah Wu turned her attention to Rong Yin.

That day, Rong Yin came to see Ah Wu. She complained, holding the little trinkets Rong Yin had given her, “The things my brother gives me are all things boys like. Can you take me to choose something myself sometime?” Ah Wu tugged at Rong Yin’s sleeve.

“That will not do. Madam will beat me if she finds out,” Rong Yin said, seemingly not easily fooled either.

Ah Wu was anxious but deliberately tried to build up her emotions. Tears quickly streamed down her face, making her look like she had suffered a great injustice.

Rong Yin, unable to bear it any longer, frantically wiped away Ah Wu’s tears. “Alright, alright, Brother will think of something.”

Two heads were better than one, and the two of them actually found an opportunity: the Lantern Festival. Women had a custom of walking away illnesses during the Lantern Festival, and Lady Cui would be attending. With no adults supervising at home, Ah Wu could find a chance to go out with Rong Yin.

Rong Yin, completely fooled by Ah Wu’s well-reasoned plan, nodded repeatedly, utterly unaware that he was being led by the nose, still believing it was his own idea.

During the New Year, Rong Jichang naturally returned, and the family celebrated joyfully. On New Year’s Eve, Ah Wu joined her brothers in setting off firecrackers and watching fireworks, enjoying the festivities immensely. She had not had this opportunity in her previous life; she was sickly and could not stand the loud noise of firecrackers, so she always stayed indoors under the covers.

Ah Wu enjoyed the lively atmosphere and wanted to preserve this festive spirit at the Duke of Anguo’s Mansion, which further solidified her decision.

Originally, Ah Wu had not planned to interfere in Rong Jichang’s examination, believing it to be a national talent selection ceremony where cheating was unacceptable. After all, it was her uncle’s domain, and she naturally favored him, so she had not made any preparations.

However, now that the third branch of the family was facing such difficulties, and Fourth Young Lady Rong had said those words, Ah Wu had to consider the future. A person without foresight would have immediate worries, especially since Rong Jichang was not lacking in talent, just unappreciated. In terms of both talent and character, he was an excellent choice.

After the New Year, Rong Jichang led his three children and personally made three lanterns for them. Ah Wu received a rabbit lantern with red eyes, a three-lobed mouth, and a lifelike appearance. It had four legs and four wheels, so it could be pulled along. For Ah Wu, who had grown up in the sheltered environment of a wealthy family, this rabbit lantern from an ordinary family was a very novel thing.

Ah Wu, having just received her lantern, initially wanted to pull it around, but then she thought it would not suit her ladylike demeanor. She was, after all, the most renowned noblewoman in the capital, the talented and elegant Princess Kangning, whom everyone emulated.

So, in the end, Ah Wu dismissed all the maids serving her in her courtyard, pulled the rabbit lantern around ten times, and only stopped after shouting with delight. Of course, in front of others, she maintained her dignified appearance once again.

On the evening of the sixteenth, Lady Cui and her two sisters-in-law were going on a ritual to ward off illness. Ah Wu was too young, and with her chubby, round face, like a fairy maiden beside Guanyin, it was feared she might get lost, causing heartbreak. Naturally, Lady Cui refused to take her out under any circumstances.

Ah Wu did not cling; her heart was “following” Rong Yin.