Four Seasons Brocade – CH 009

Chapter 9 ☆、 Encountering a Kidnapper, a Narrow Escape

That day, Rong Jichang did not go out with his literary friends to compose poetry and admire the moon. Instead, his fatherly love was overflowing, and he wanted to personally take Rong Jie and Rong Yin out to see the lanterns. Ah Wu, seeing this, almost broke her ladylike composure and was about to jump up.

Rong Jichang, having learned from his wife’s teachings, did not intend to take Ah Wu along.

Finally, Ah Wu gritted her teeth, blinked her big eyes, and outwardly opened her arms to Rong Jichang, her heart breaking, but her expression still innocent. “Papa, carry me.”

Loss of composure.

Rong Jichang excitedly stepped forward and picked up Ah Wu. Since his daughter “grew up” in the past six months, she had become extremely averse to affection, even refusing his occasional attempts to kiss her apple-like cheeks. Now, suddenly receiving this treatment, how could Rong Jichang not be overjoyed?

His little daughter’s body was soft and fragrant, like a sweet-smelling dough, melting Rong Jichang’s heart. He would have been willing to build a ladder and pluck the stars from the sky for her if she wanted them.

Ah Wu hugged Rong Jichang’s neck and sniffed him. Thankfully, there was no strange smell, tolerable, but she still pulled her head away about half a foot in disdain. However, this gesture did not diminish Rong Jichang’s love for his daughter in the slightest.

So, with a beaming smile, Rong Jichang carried Ah Wu, followed by Rong Jie and Rong Yin, and they went out the door together.

Ah Wu wore a bright red cotton-padded jacket embroidered with hibiscus and gold thread, paired with a pale yellow skirt embroidered with intertwined hibiscus branches. She wore the jade pendant with double fish patterns that her grandfather had given her for the New Year, and her hair was styled in a bun. She looked like a New Year’s picture doll. Most wonderfully, her nanny, worried she might be cold, had specially brought her a rabbit hat, a favorite of children during the New Year.

Ah Wu’s rabbit hat was not expensive; it was made of snow-white rabbit fur. But her nanny’s hands were skillful; the two rabbit ears stood up sharply, just fitting perfectly on her bun, making her look particularly upright. Wearing it, she charmed everyone; everyone who saw her wanted to kiss her chubby little face.

Rong Jichang could not bear to let Ah Wu walk, carrying her the whole way, grinning foolishly with pride. Passersby would stop and turn to look at Ah Wu; some even dared to approach and tease her, which would elicit a playful pout from Ah Wu, who would bury her head in Rong Jichang’s neck.

Although Ah Wu had been pampered by her parents in her past life, she had never been carried this far by her father. For a moment, clinging to Rong Jichang’s neck, she no longer felt any resentment towards this “stinky man” of a father.

Walking down the bustling street, Ah Wu spotted a bookstore and, mimicking the tone of her four-year-old niece from the Duke of Anguo’s mansion, said, “Papa, books.” Actually, the “Papa, carry me” part was also learned from her niece; Ah Wu, a woman who had once been in her twenties, had long forgotten what it meant to be a child.

“Ah, does our Ah Wu want to read?” Rong Jichang patted Ah Wu’s rabbit ears.

Ah Wu endured it. Did he think she, a princess, could be petted like a cat or dog?

Rong Jichang was also a book lover. Since his beloved daughter liked it, he might as well take her in for a look and buy her some calligraphy practice books; Ah Wu’s calligraphy had recently improved considerably.

But Ah Wu flipped through only contemporary essays, which surprised Rong Jichang. Ignoring his surprise, Ah Wu flipped to the book she was looking for and placed it directly in Rong Jie’s hands. “Brother, look.”

It turned out to be a book for Brother Jie’er. The siblings were so loving! Rong Jichang paid with a smile.

After leaving the bookstore, Rong Yin pulled Ah Wu around, pointing out fun little items: bamboo grasshoppers, sugar-blown toys, and colorful windmills. Ah Wu, looking at them, rediscovered a touch of childlike joy. Well, actually, Ah Wu had spent most of her childhood in bed, so today’s childlike joy seemed especially delightful.

These little trinkets were the kind of whimsical experiences Princess Kangning lacked in her childhood, but unexpectedly, they were fulfilled here. The two children, like a golden boy and jade girl, ran and laughed hand in hand, chattering away. Ah Wu also forgot all about the admonitions of being virtuous and chaste.

“Yin’er, watch over your sister!” Rong Jichang could only shout from behind the two monkeys, unable to keep up with the two little ones.

Rong Yin, being a child, responded verbally, but whether he truly understood was another matter. There were monkey performers by the street, and the two little ones excitedly squeezed in to watch. Ah Wu and Rong Yin, being small, managed to reach the front of the crowd, leaving Rong Jichang and his group on the periphery.

When the performance ended and the performers collected the money, the crowd dispersed. Rong Jichang had not kept an eye on the two children for a moment, and when he found them again, only Rong Yin remained.

Rong Jichang was terrified, his face turning pale. Rong Yin burst into tears; being only ten years younger, Rong Jie frantically hit Rong Yin. The family servants had already scattered to search for her.

Meanwhile, Ah Wu had indeed been targeted by a group of human traffickers.

From afar, one could spot the little girl, as radiant as a pearl in the morning dew, nestled in her father’s arms, laughing with a joyful radiance she herself was unaware of.

Li Guaizi had never seen such a beautiful girl in his entire life. Now, seeing her, he was filled with greed, thinking he could sell her for a high price.

So, taking advantage of the dispersing crowd, he moved closer, giving his accomplice a wink, thus hindering the father’s group and separating Rong Yin. Ah Wu, initially oblivious, was overwhelmed by Li Guaizi’s scent as soon as he approached. She whirled around, seeing a man with ill intentions staring intently at her. Ah Wu, no longer a child, panicked and scrambled through the crowd, running away without thinking.

Li Guaizi had not expected the little girl to be so alert, and he quickly gave chase.

Ah Wu, having never experienced anything like this before, panicked and ran in the opposite direction from Rong Jichang and the others. Her shouts were drowned out by the crowd, so she had no choice but to run with all her might. Fortunately, although she was small and had short legs, she was agile, and in the crowded conditions, she weaved through the gaps between people’s legs. Li Guaizi, unable to catch her, resorted to a trick, calling out, “Miss, do not be afraid! This old servant cannot catch you!”

The people around, who had initially found it strange that a grown man was chasing a little girl, now realized it was a servant chasing their master, and so they did not intervene.

Just as Li Guaizi was about to catch her, and Ah Wu was extremely anxious, a pair of black boots embroidered with gold dragons and inlaid with gemstones appeared before her.

Ah Wu looked up.

The man before her was like an immortal, with eyes like stars, a nose like a hanging gall, a tall and slender figure, outwardly charming yet inwardly refined, possessing the bearing of a phoenix and a dragon, and seemingly otherworldly. One could not help but exclaim, “What a man of unparalleled beauty!”

Unfortunately, Ah Wu did not appreciate him.

As the saying goes, enemies were destined to meet, and Ah Wu’s greatest enemy from her past life had actually appeared before her.

Who would have thought that this elegant and refined figure, as pure as a pearl and as clear as dew, would be the very same Emperor Zhengyuan who ultimately plotted rebellion, murdered his brother, and slaughtered the capital, a figure whose name struck fear into the hearts of all?

“Zheng” and “Yuan”—it was as if he wanted everyone to know that his ascension to the throne was shrouded in mystery.

Because of differing political views, the Imperial Princess had always disliked this fourth prince, born to Empress Xiaozhen, and supported the sixth prince, born to the current Empress. It was obvious what would happen to the Imperial Princess’s household after Emperor Zhengyuan ascended the throne.

Ah Wu was already dead, her spirit wandering the world, witnessing what followed, and filled with deep hatred for Emperor Zhengyuan.

Emperor Zhengyuan was vengeful, ruthlessly wiping out his former enemies. The cries of the noble families in the capital were deafening, and blood flowed for three days, yet he remained unharmed.

As for the Imperial Princess, Emperor Zhengyuan, however, deliberately did not give her a quick death. The pain of being slowly cut with a dull knife was truly unbearable, ultimately forcing the Princess to kneel and beg for mercy, her dignity utterly destroyed.

For Ah Wu’s mother, the Princess, life was not precious; her cherished dignity was the most valuable thing. Yet Emperor Zhengyuan did not want her life but rather to utterly destroy her dignity.

Ah Wu did not experience any of this firsthand, but even as an observer, her face was streaked with tears and blood.

And now, fate had brought them together again.

With wolves in front and tigers behind, a thousand thoughts raced through Ah Wu’s mind. Now, she had no choice but to lure the wolves away.

“Brother, save me!” Ah Wu looked up at Chu Mao with fear, her large eyes brimming with tears, pleading for help.

Chu Mao was only sixteen years old (by Chinese reckoning), and in her past life, he was Ah Wu’s cousin, so she should naturally call him “brother.” Ah Wu felt uncomfortable, but since she needed his help, she put aside her grudges and used her cuteness to beg for help first. Ah Wu was not an inflexible “good girl.”

This little girl, who had suddenly appeared in his sight, made Chu Mao, who usually did not care about other people’s business, stop in his tracks.

This girl had eyes as bright as stars, Chu Mao thought. He’d seen many beauties; even the current Consort Xiang, renowned as the most beautiful woman in the Great Xia Dynasty, did not possess eyes as captivating as these. He could imagine this girl would grow up to be a beauty.

Liu Xiang, the guard beside Chu Mao, was also taken aback. He wondered whose little girl had run off alone. She was incredibly cute; her cheeks were redder than the tenderest peach blossoms of spring, her lips pinker than rose jelly, and her chubby body was adorned with gold bracelets on her snow-white wrists, but most adorable of all were her rabbit ears. This girl was as cute and festive as a New Year’s picture doll.

Upon seeing Ah Wu, even this usually cold-blooded and ruthless guard softened.

Chu Mao was also charmed by those rabbit ears, thinking that if his future daughter could be as lovely and delicate as this little girl, he would be content. It was no wonder Chu Mao, at such a young age, thought so much. Princes in the palace were known for their early maturity and understanding; they had maids to teach them when they were fourteen or fifteen.

“Miss,” Li Guaizi called out, seeing Ah Wu stop, as he reached out to grab her, “Come back with me quickly.”