Four Seasons Brocade – CH 017

Chapter 17 ☆、 Unresolved Past Fate Leads to Longing

Ah Wu did not make things difficult for the old woman. Why bother arguing with a gatekeeper? Besides, it was the Old Madam’s idea.

Ah Wu led Zi-Shan to the right. Zi-Shan muttered, “What did she mean by avoiding suspicion? I clearly heard Fourth Young Lady’s voice, and she did not seem suspicious at all. How old are you, Miss, that you need to avoid suspicion?”

Unlike Zi-Shan, Ah Wu was different. The presence of distinguished guests, male guests, and Fourth Young Lady Rong, yet the insistence on avoiding them, quickly led Ah Wu to think about marriage. This was not surprising; if the Old Madam had been open and honest, Ah Wu would not have taken it to heart. Fourth Young Lady Rong was now of marriageable age, and Ah Wu had vaguely heard the First Madam’s voice, so everything made sense. Both the First and Second Madams had daughters of marriageable age.

But she wondered what distinguished guest could make the Old Madam so concerned. Seeing how the Old Madam was wary of the third branch of the family, as if they were thieves, Ah Wu could not help but maliciously speculate that it was probably because Third Master Rong’s concubine mother had offended the Old Madam. And it made sense; looking at Third Master Rong’s appearance and then at Ah Wu herself, it was not hard to guess that that concubine must have been quite striking.

Ah Wu was not interested in this so-called distinguished guest. Instead, she gave Zi-Shan a meaningful look. “You are so eloquent now; why not speak to that old woman back then?”

Zi-Shan shrugged. She was a typical bully at home, ruling her own territory and daring to gossip about her master behind her back, but she would back down when things got serious.

“This servant…this servant just did not think of that,” Zi-Shan argued.

Ah Wu snorted. “When should a maid speak up for her master, and when should she advise her master? Do you not have any idea?”

Zi-Shan remained silent. Ah Wu continued, “The other day, Madam was arranging to buy me a maid, saying I needed a second-class maid. I only said that you and Zi-Yan were quite capable, and if we were to get a second-class maid, we should at least promote you to second-class first.” Zi-Yan was currently a second-class maid, while Zi-Shan was a third-class. According to the usual arrangement of maids for young ladies in the mansion, there should be two second-class maids serving them.

Zi-Shan quickly stared at Ah Wu, urging her to continue. A second-class maid’s monthly allowance was five hundred coins more than a third-class maid’s, which was no small sum.

“But Madam only said you are too young, and we will have to wait and see.” If Zi-Shan still did not understand the implication, then Ah Wu should not bother with her.

Zi-Shan nodded several times vigorously, expressing her determination, “I will definitely serve you well, Miss.”

Ah Wu glanced at Zi-Shan, probably unaware that this was Ah Wu’s habitual gesture when she wanted to say, “I will wait and see.”

It was uncertain whether these few words, a mix of kindness and severity, would truly awaken Zi-Shan. If this girl could become more astute in the future, she could be cultivated. Although Zi-Shan had some flaws, Ah Wu found her efficient and inquisitive, her strengths obvious. If she could become more shrewd in the future, it would save Ah Wu the trouble of replacing her maid.

Since Qihua Garden was inaccessible, Ah Wu detoured to Liuhua Dock. Qixia Mountain behind Liuhua Dock was the highest point in the garden. The Old Madam forbade Ah Wu from seeing distinguished guests, which only fueled her curiosity about who had come.

Walking along the path on the ridge of Qixia Mountain, Ah Wu could hear Fourth Young Lady Rong’s silvery, fake laughter through the shadows of the trees. “Second Cousin, look at my kite.”

Ah Wu looked up at the sky. Four colorful kites were flying, some high, some low, full of life. Springtime was the perfect time for flying kites.

However, the word “cousin” made Ah Wu tilt her head back, wondering which cousin it was. Because it was too far away, it was hard to see clearly.

“Miss, that looks like the second young master of Eldest Madam’s elder brother,” Zi-Shan suddenly spoke up.

“You can see him?” Ah Wu turned around in surprise.

Zi-Shan nodded. “I just cannot see very clearly, but from a distance, he looks like him.” Later, it turned out that Zi-Shan’s guess was absolutely correct, making Ah Wu look at her even more favorably. Seeing things from afar—that was quite a skill.

The eldest madam’s family was the Earl of Chengyi’s family, and her elder brother was the heir of the Earl’s Mansion. However, this heir’s second son definitely did not qualify as a distinguished guest. Besides, Ah Wu had seen this cousin before; the Old Madam had no reason to be so secretive.

“Look, there’s another male guest. Can you guess whose family he is?” Ah Wu asked Zi-Shan.

Zi-Shan tiptoed and peered inside. “I cannot see clearly, but judging by his grandeur, he’s even more imposing than Young Master Yi. He probably has not been to our mansion before.” The Young Master Yi that Zi-Shan mentioned was her second cousin, Guo Bingyi, the second grandson of the Earl of Chengyi.

Ah Wu thought to herself, the unknown male guest was probably brought by Guo Bingyi. But what important relatives or friends could Guo Bingyi have? In Ah Wu’s mind, the Earl of Chengyi’s family was just a declining noble family; in her eyes, apart from royalty, everyone else could be considered fallen.

Ah Wu was slightly disappointed. “Never mind, let’s go back.”

Just as the two were about to turn back, they heard Fifth Young Lady Rong call out, “Cousin Yu…” The rest was unclear.

Cousin Yu? Ah Wu did not know of a Cousin Yu among the family members, and this “Yu” stirred up a subtle memory in Ah Wu’s past.

Ah Wu stopped and looked up. Two kites, one red and one blue, were entangled in the sky above her, about to crash. Sure enough, after Fifth Young Lady Rong’s shout, the two wild goose kites landed headfirst on a large tree not far from Qixia Mountain.

“Oh dear, Miss, the kite crashed!” Zi-Shan’s voice held a hint of schadenfreude.

Ah Wu, however, had no time to pay attention to Zi-Shan. After comforting Fifth Young Lady Rong for a moment, the Cousin Yu that Fifth Young Lady Rong had mentioned ran towards Liuhua Dock.

As he drew closer, Ah Wu could confirm that the Cousin Yu was none other than Tang Yu, Tang Xiujin, the second son of Tang Jinshan, a Cabinet Minister of the Wenyuan Pavilion, whom she had known in her previous life and had even admired for a time.

Memories of the past flooded Ah Wu’s mind. To be honest, Tang Xiujin’s marriage to Gu Xihui was not his own choice. With a bright future ahead of him, how could his father allow him to marry an Imperial Princess’s daughter? Besides, Ah Wu was always ill and had little hope of having a son. How could Tang Yu marry such a woman?

It was only because Ah Wu resented him that she forced Tang Yu into that situation. It was Tang Yu’s lust for women that led him to choose Gu Xihui. In truth, the talented Tang Xiujin never gave Ah Wu any wrong hints.

Tang Xiujin was truly a good person. He was gentle and refined, like a jade tree, kind and approachable, without any airs, and considerate. His thoughtfulness and care were evident in his treatment of Gu Xihui.

After their marriage, they were respectful and loving. If we disregarded what would happen later, Gu Xihui could be considered the most fortunate noblewoman in the capital—exquisitely beautiful, from a distinguished family, and married to such a perfect husband.

Unfortunately, after Emperor Zhengyuan ascended the throne, he settled old scores. Tang Jinshan, who had strongly supported Emperor Ai (born to Consort Xiang), met a gruesome end, dying and losing his reputation. The talented Tang was also executed by Chu Mao, and his entire family, men and women, were exiled.

Although Ah Wu was furious with this “beloved,” remembering his tragic fate, all grudges vanished.

However, while Ah Wu no longer resented Tang Xiujin, she also had no intention of helping him.

Upon seeing Tang Xiujin, Zi-Shan sighed deeply, “He’s really handsome.”

Ah Wu had to admit that Tang Xiujin was extremely handsome. His face was like jade, his complexion radiant, his skin fair, and his figure slender and graceful. He was a breathtakingly handsome young man.

In terms of looks alone, Ah Wu from the capital thought only Chu Mao might be a match for Tang Yu, but Chu Mao always had a nauseatingly pretentious, otherworldly appearance, nowhere near Tang Yu’s elegance.

No wonder he was called Tang Yu; his courtesy name contained the character “Jin,” referring to Zhou Gongjin, a famously handsome man.

Tang Yu was known as a child prodigy. He could recite poems at three, compose verses at seven, and pass the county-level examination at thirteen. Last year, he topped the provincial examination at fourteen, a rare feat in all dynasties. If his teacher had not feared his early fame might corrupt his character and prevented him from participating in the metropolitan examination, it would have been uncertain whether Rong Jichang or Tang Yu would have won the top scholar title this year.

Zi-Shan’s expression suddenly changed; one moment, she was admiring Tang Xiujin’s handsomeness, the next, she was about to scream.

Ah Wu swiftly covered Zi-Shan’s mouth. “Do not make a sound.”

Zi-Shan’s mouth struggled to open and close under Ah Wu’s hand. “But…but…”

At this moment, Tang Xiujin had already stepped onto the loose, sloping stone in Liuhua Dock.

Ah Wu and Zi-Shan both knew this stone slab, as they often played there; it was Zi-Shan who had loosened it while jumping.

Unbeknownst to them, Tang Xiujin slipped and fell into the stream below the stone, almost plunging into the water. Luckily, he reacted quickly, bracing himself with his hands; the stream was shallow enough to only cover his ankles; otherwise, he would have been in a sorry state. Even so, the hem of Tang Xiujin’s robe was soaked.

The once handsome young man now looked like a half-drenched chicken.

Ah Wu could not help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand, afraid that someone would see her dark, gaping front teeth. She deliberately did not warn Tang Xiujin; not actively causing trouble for him was already a sign of Young Lady Ah Wu’s good manners. As for being a good person and reminding Tang Xiujin, Ah Wu had never even considered it.

“Who is it?” Tang Xiujin looked up in Ah Wu’s direction.