Four Seasons Brocade – CH 030

Chapter 30 ☆、 A Young Lady’s Desperate Desire to Marry

Ah Wu shakily lowered her hand and said in a childish voice, “Some people say that Lady Xiangsi in your household is the most beautiful woman in the capital. We do not believe she’s more beautiful than Sister Gu, so we wanted to come and see for ourselves.”

Since they were willing to wait for a handsome man, Ah Wu thought that the excuse of seeing a beautiful woman was plausible.

Chu Mao looked down again at the little girl with a lisp. He remembered her; she was the daughter of the newly appointed top scholar who had almost been kidnapped.

Chu Mao pondered for a moment, as if trying to discern whether Ah Wu was telling the truth. The other girls did not dare to breathe.

“Li Yanguang, invite these young ladies into the mansion. Have Xiangsi come out to greet the guests,” Chu Mao ordered.

Although Ah Wu was only eight years old, with a charming and adorable appearance, a sweet, childlike voice, a slight lisp in her front teeth, and bright, clear eyes, she still could not completely dispel Chu Mao’s doubts.

Ah Wu quickly waved her hands, “We will not do it again, Brother.” Ah Wu looked up at Chu Mao fearfully, her eyes already brimming with tears. At this moment, Ah Wu would use any trick of coaxing, acting silly, rolling around on the ground, or throwing a tantrum.

That “brother” she called out was so sweet, it hurt one’s teeth.

Chu Mao did not speak, only stared straight at Ah Wu, until Ah Wu felt flustered, wondering if a flower had sprouted on her face, but she still had to pretend to be calm. Finally, Chu Mao said, “Release the coachman and let them go back.”

Ah Wu and the others, overwhelmed with gratitude, hurriedly climbed onto the carriage. Only after Chu Mao was out of sight did they clutch their chests, breathe a sigh of relief, and come back to life.

Behind the carriage, Ah Wu and the others could not see the suspicion in Chu Mao’s eyes. Chu Mao was playing with fire; anything or anyone that did not follow the rules aroused his suspicion. Although he did not know Ah Wu’s and the others’ true motives, he was confident he could find out.

In Chu Mao’s own assumptions, it was utterly unimaginable that noble ladies would be so bored as to sneak into the back gate of the Prince’s Mansion just to peep at a beautiful man. It was too absurd.

What Chu Mao did not know was that the most absurd thing was that the beautiful man they were looking at was actually him.

From then on, Chu Mao gained another label after being vengeful: inherently suspicious.

Thus, Ah Wu and the others caught Chu Mao’s eye and entered his intelligence network.

Meanwhile, the young girls in the carriage were still feeling relieved.

“It’s so scary. The moment he looked at me, I could not even speak. Hu Ya sighed.

“I knew you would not be able to speak,” Tang Yin said, having regained her composure.

“But he’s really handsome,” Su Nian said with a sigh. Being older, she was more sensitive to matters between men and women, and even now, she could not help but think about Chu Mao’s appearance.

“Stop talking! This cannot be told!” Liu Hexuan was frantic. She was about to be engaged, and her family was very strict. If anyone found out, she would be doomed.

Gu Xihui nodded vigorously. “Yes, this must not be leaked.”

The young girls swore an oath to heaven that they would never tell anyone, not even their elders. Tang Yin even silenced the coachman.

Ah Wu returned from the Tang residence, feeling a sense of relief at having escaped death. Halfway there, she encountered Fourth Young Lady Rong.

“Oh, look, is this not our Sixth Young Lady?” Fourth Young Lady Rong said sarcastically, blocking Ah Wu’s path.

“Fourth Sister,” Ah Wu said, ignoring Fourth Young Lady Rong’s sour tone, but she felt compelled to acknowledge her to avoid being criticized by the old woman again.

“You flatter me,” Fourth Young Lady Rong said in a drawn-out tone. “Sixth Young Lady has climbed up the social ladder! She even dared to snatch the hairpin given to her by Fifth Sister’s maternal grandmother. Today, she went to the Cabinet Minister Tang’s residence. I am afraid I, as her elder sister, am just a mouthful of insult.”

Ah Wu could not understand where Fourth Young Lady Rong’s annoying, sarcastic, and mean-spirited nature came from. As a concubine’s daughter, she should at least be quiet and pleasing to the eye, if not obedient and docile, so that life would be easier. But Fourth Young Lady Rong was competitive and utterly oblivious to her own shortcomings.

And now, she was becoming even more outrageous. Ah Wu was unaware that Fourth Young Lady Rong had nowhere else to vent her anger, and she wanted to take it all out on Ah Wu. Fourth Young Lady Rong did not dare offend anyone else in the mansion, but ever since the Old Madam had stood up for her, Fourth Young Lady Rong felt she could act tough in front of Ah Wu. Ah Wu had to do whatever Fourth Young Lady Rong told her to do; only then could she show that she, Fourth Young Lady Rong, was also a young lady of the Duke’s mansion and the Old Madam’s beloved granddaughter.

However, Ah Wu did not give in to Fourth Young Lady Rong’s demands. Fourth Young Lady Rong had repeatedly punched cotton, unable to exert any force, leaving her seething with resentment. Today, Tang Yin was hosting a banquet, but she only invited Ah Wu, making it even harder for Fourth Young Lady Rong to swallow her anger.

Coincidentally, Fourth Young Lady Rong had just suffered a setback at the Second Madam’s place before leaving. She should be thirteen this year, and her marriage should be almost settled. However, the Second Madam showed no interest whatsoever. Fourth Young Lady Rong grew anxious, but the Second Madam berated her for lacking the demeanor of a proper young lady. What kind of young lady of a Duke’s Mansion was so eager to get married? Other girls wished they could stay in the household a few more years; being a daughter was easier than being a wife.

But Concubine Lan and Fourth Young Lady Rong were still furious about this matter. They felt inferior in the mansion and wanted to secure a good marriage for Fourth Young Lady Rong so she could hold her head high in the future. If her son-in-law were also good, Concubine Lan could speak up for herself in front of the Second Master, and even the Second Madam would not dare to mistreat her anymore.

However, Concubine Lan and Fourth Young Lady Rong’s plans fell through. Because the marriage was still unsettled and further provoked by Tang Yin’s invitation to a banquet, Fourth Young Lady Rong’s anger flared up after seeing Ah Wu today and refused to subside.

After greeting Fourth Young Lady Rong, Ah Wu had no time for her antics and turned to leave.

“Hey, do not go! Explain yourself!” Fourth Young Lady Rong grabbed Ah Wu’s sleeve.

“Explain what?” Ah Wu was completely bewildered by Fourth Young Lady Rong’s abrupt question. Even with her sharp mind, she could not fathom the actions of this woman with such a whimsical and irrational nature. Ah Wu thought Fourth Young Lady Rong was utterly bizarre.

This was Ah Wu projecting her own experience onto Fourth Young Lady Rong; she could not comprehend how someone could act so irrationally. Therefore, Ah Wu’s defeat at Fourth Young Lady Rong’s hands was not unjustified, because Fourth Young Lady Rong defied logic.

“What kind of sorcery did you use to get close to the Tang family’s daughter? Did you fall head over heels for Cousin Yu the moment you saw him?” Fourth Young Lady Rong asked, somewhat agitated.

Only then did Ah Wu realize that her fourth sister was lovesick. She thought everyone else was as shameless as her because she treated Tang Xiujin like a piece of meat. “Fourth Sister, how could you say such shameless things?”

Fourth Young Lady Rong not only insulted Ah Wu but also herself, exposing her petty thoughts.

“You dare insult me?!” In front of Ah Wu, Fourth Young Lady Rong completely acted like an empress dowager, doing whatever she pleased, tolerating no disobedience. She raised her hand high, ready to slap Ah Wu hard.

Fourth Young Lady Rong had been corrupted by the Old Madam. The Old Madam had said that even cats and dogs from the first and second branches of the family were more noble than those from the third branch. She felt that Ah Wu was someone she could hit as she pleased, and even if Ah Wu disliked it, she would not dare do anything; otherwise, her third uncle would have to kowtow to the Old Madam and apologize.

Ah Wu was completely unprepared for Fourth Young Lady Rong’s sudden outburst, like a madwoman about to hit someone again. She wondered how Fourth Young Lady Rong had even studied the Four Books for Women and the Instructions for Women. Because she was caught off guard, Ah Wu did not have time to dodge when Fourth Young Lady Rong’s hand came down.

Zi-Shan, however, saw everything clearly. She nimbly pushed Ah Wu aside, taking the slap herself. “Smack!” The blow landed squarely, leaving five red marks on Zi-Shan’s face, the finger marks swollen.

Fourth Young Lady Rong slapped Zi-Shan with all her might, making her stagger.

Ah Wu quickly helped Zi-Shan up. “Zi-Shan, are you alright?”

Zi-Shan shook her head, indicating she was fine.

Ah Wu helped Zi-Shan to her feet. “You silly girl, why did you stupidly take a slap? Fourth Sister hit her for no reason; you should have stopped her! Now Fourth Sister has to get a reputation for abusing her sister.” Ah Wu was good at making veiled accusations, and of course, she also thought Zi-Shan was truly foolish for insisting on taking Fourth Young Lady Rong’s slap.

Even if Fourth Young Lady Rong was arrogant, she would not dare say, “I am abusing you, so what?” Seeing the slap land on Zi-Shan’s face, she realized her impulsiveness, shook her head, glared fiercely at Ah Wu, and turned to leave.

Ah Wu watched Fourth Young Lady Rong from behind, her teeth clenched so tightly they almost broke, her nails nearly digging into her palms. Ah Wu never imagined she would stoop so low as to be so wantonly humiliated by a lowly and foolish woman like Fourth Young Lady Rong. Unfortunately, even if Fourth Young Lady Rong was in the wrong, Ah Wu would not fare well if the matter reached the Old Madam; this was a bitter pill she had to swallow.

Ah Wu could not bear it any longer and wanted to rush up and confront Fourth Young Lady Rong, but Zi-Shan held her hand tightly, preventing her from acting impulsively. Ah Wu tried several times to shake off Zi-Shan’s hand but could not and finally gave up. But the anger inside her was so intense that she almost suffocated.

Ah Wu touched Zi-Shan’s face. “You did a good job, but next time, do not be silly and take the beating. Just stop her. Go back and have Zi-Yan put some bruise-reducing ointment on you; it will be fine in a few days.”

Ah Wu thought for a moment, then squeezed Zi-Shan’s hand again. “This slap, I will make you hit her back with your own hands sooner or later.”

Personally hitting the Fourth Young Lady was something Zi-Shan would not even dare to think about, but seeing how serious Ah Wu was, she began to believe him.

Ah Wu returned to the courtyard with Zi-Shan, instructed Zi-Yan to take care of her, and then went to Lady Cui’s room. Although Ah Wu could only swallow her anger, she still had to go and tell Third Master Rong and Lady Cui.

Meanwhile, Lady Cui was having a private conversation with Third Master Rong.