Four Seasons Brocade – CH 040

Chapter 40 ☆、 This Horse Is Not A Horse, Yet It Can Be Ridden

“Miss, why do you play different pieces every day? They are all beautiful, though today’s seems a bit sad.”

Ah Wu was surprised by Zi-Yan’s sensitivity. The pieces she played were all effortless; if she were asked to play them a second time, she definitely could not repeat them.

After putting away the zither, a maid came to report that Madam had returned to her room.

Zi-Yan grabbed a handful of candy and gave it to the maid. Noticing the maid’s strange expression and stammering, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

The maid shook her head, pushed the candy away from Zi-Yan, and ran off.

Ah Wu, seeing this, was quite puzzled and got up to go to Lady Cui’s room.

Just as she turned the corner of the veranda door, Ah Wu noticed the strangeness in the courtyard. Lady Cui was usually very amiable towards the servants; whenever she came, the courtyard was always bustling with activity. If it was quiet, it meant the maids had all gone out to slack off.

Today was strange indeed; everyone was there, but all was silent and still, like mice before a cat.

Someone saw Ah Wu arrive and quickly gestured to her, then nodded towards the house, but Ah Wu did not understand.

Upon entering the house, Ah Wu discovered that Lady Cui was not alone; a strange woman stood before her.

With willow-leaf eyebrows, cherry lips, a slender waist, and a graceful figure, her hair simply styled in a side bun, adorned with a white jade magpie and plum blossom hairpin, she exuded an air of refined elegance, prompting one to exclaim, “What a beauty!”

However, such a beauty was a pleasure in someone else’s home, but having her in her own house would certainly be a source of unease.

Lady Cui’s face darkened. Holding her teacup, she remained silent for a long time. After taking a sip, she snapped, “How did you make this tea? It’s cold, and you still want me to drink it?”

“I will make you a fresh cup,” the stranger said, taking the teacup from Lady Cui.

Ah Wu immediately recognized the woman’s identity. She was a shrewd and perceptive woman. Although no one dared tell her such sordid matters, she was not a real eight-year-old child. She probably knew more about this woman’s background than Lady Cui did.

Ah Wu thought this woman was worth at least a thousand taels of silver. If she were a virgin, three thousand taels would be worth it.

Yangzhou “skinny horses” were not easy to raise.

Yangzhou “skinny horses” were young ladies specially bred in Jiangnan to serve high-ranking officials and nobles. Many people from the south who came to the capital to deliver gifts liked to bring one or two Yangzhou “skinny horses,” guaranteed to get them into any mansion in the capital.

These “skinny horses” were bought from their parents at a young age, pampered with delicacies and adorned with gold and silver, and raised like young ladies of noble birth. They were taught music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose by renowned teachers. That would not be so bad, but what methods did they use to cultivate these women’s inner world, making men readily fall for their charms? In short, their methods were incredibly effective.

Ah Wu was an unwed woman, naturally unaware of these women’s inner workings, and did not understand that men valued intimacy far more than a pretty face.

How Ah Wu recognized the woman as a Yangzhou “skinny horse” required mentioning the Duke of Wei’s romantic escapades from years past.

Princess Fuhui married Duke Gu Changxi of Wei, but she did not act superior because of her status as a princess. She declined the offer of her brother, the Emperor, and did not establish a separate princess residence, instead moving into Duke Gu’s mansion as his wife.

For the first two years, the couple lived harmoniously. However, after the Princess became pregnant with her eldest son, she personally arranged a concubine for the Duke Gu. Afterwards, their relationship gradually cooled.

Princess Fuhui had always looked down on the weak, incompetent, and lecherous Duke Gu. With her son by her side, she constantly pushed him away. The Duke Gu dared not complain, which suited her perfectly, and he was happy to live a carefree life.

Ah Wu thought about it now and realized that her uncle, the Emperor, was still somewhat wary of her mother, the Princess; otherwise, he would not have betrothed her to such a man. Although Duke Gu was Ah Wu’s biological father, she had to admit that he was truly unworthy of the Princess.

After Ah Wu was born, the Princess rarely allowed the Duke of Wei into her quarters. He was always out having affairs, living a carefree life, and the Princess did not interfere. However, the Duke of Wei later became involved with a widow, whose late husband had been a respected official. If word got out, he would be branded as an adulterer of a widow, a terrible reputation.

The Princess absolutely could not tolerate such a thing. The Duke of Wei had no shame, but her two sons and daughter were precious treasures, untouchable. Initially, the Duke of Wei had an affair with the wife of the head steward in the household, and the Princess turned a blind eye. Since it was all within the household, it would not cause a scene. As long as the Duke of Wei did not go out and cause trouble, the Princess did not interfere.

This only emboldened the Duke of Wei. Eventually, he could not be satisfied with what he had at home and sought it outside. He treated the widow like he was on drugs, threatening suicide. The Princess tried beatings and scoldings, but nothing worked. He was determined to find a place to settle the widow, no matter how much they begged.

The Princess, having no other choice, spent a fortune to buy a “skinny horse” from Yangzhou. Within half a month, the Duke of Wei had forgotten the widow. This showed just how formidable the “skinny horse” was.

Later, even the shrewd Princess almost suffered at the hands of that “skinny horse,” nearly losing a son to her. For this, the Princess ruthlessly killed the “skinny horse,” and the Duke of Wei became estranged from her.

Therefore, Ah Wu had an extremely vivid memory of that Yangzhou “skinny horse.” She was old enough to remember things then, and the Duke of Wei, such a coward, dared to defy the Princess for the sake of a courtesan, cutting off her contraceptive medicine, saying he wanted to provide for her for the rest of her life.

Now, Ah Wu saw the shadow of that “skinny horse” in this strange woman standing before Lady Cui. These women, though raised as proper young ladies, ultimately lacked confidence. From a young age, they learned the art of serving others, and anyone familiar with them could immediately discern their origins.

Ah Wu wondered who was so generous as to gift such a valuable item to Third Master Rong.

Upon hearing the woman call Lady Cui “Sister,” Ah Wu forced a broad smile. “Madam, is this my aunt? Why did you not call me when my aunt came?” Ah Wu threw herself into Lady Cui’s arms, asking innocently.

“What aunt? Do not talk nonsense,” Lady Cui frowned, scolding Ah Wu harshly.

“Then, why does she call you ‘sister’?” Ah Wu traced her face with her finger, feigning ignorance.

“This is the concubine that the Old Madam bestowed upon your father,” Lady Cui uttered with difficulty, as if the word were biting her tongue.

“Does Concubine Mu in the back courtyard not call you ‘Madam’? Why does this concubine call you ‘Sister’?” Ah Wu was still puzzled.

The future Concubine Wang before her showed no sign of panic, calmly replying, “Replying to Sixth Young Lady, I am a concubine that the Old Madam has arranged for the Third Master.” A concubine, after all, could still call the Third Madam “Sister.”

Ah Wu loathed the so-called “Yangzhou Skinny Horses” and whispered something in Lady Cui’s ear. Lady Cui looked at her in shock, not bothering to ask how Ah Wu knew. Lady Cui turned to Concubine Wang and said, “How come I did not know that Yangzhou Skinny Horses could be arranged as concubines for officials of the Emperor?”

Yangzhou Skinny Horses, to put it bluntly, were nothing more than courtesans. They could be used for private amusement, but properly arranged as concubines, they were unacceptable. If the censor found out, it would be reported to the Emperor.

Concubine Wang’s face paled, and she was about to speak.

Ah Wu quickly interjected, “Do not lie. You came from the south; we can find out whose boat you traveled on, who served you, and so on. Jiangnan may be far, but it’s only the length of a canal. Surely we can find out who you are. We cannot lie about who your neighbors are.”

Concubine Wang never expected a young maid to be so sharp-tongued, leaving her no room for falsehood. Her indenture was still in the Old Madam’s hands.

It turned out that Concubine Wang was not originally bought to give to Master Rong; he did not have the connections. She was originally bought by the Second Madam’s family to bribe a high-ranking official, but before she could be delivered, that person committed a crime and was demoted to the frontier. The “skinny horse” was thus abandoned.

A few days ago, Rong Jue, the second branch’s son, was beaten by Rong Yin. She hated the third branch’s family intensely. Thinking of this “skinny horse,” and recalling the usual warmth between the third branch’s wife and her husband, she harbored a desire to see the third branch’s wife’s fate unfold—not really to watch the spectacle, but to see the couple’s tragic separation.

As the saying goes, unity was strength; if hearts were scattered, things would be quite interesting.

And indeed, the second branch’s wife’s move struck at the heart of the matter, hitting Lady Cui’s Achilles’ heel.

Hearing Ah Wu’s words, Concubine Wang dared not deny it, bowing her head and kneeling, no longer daring to act like a proper concubine.

Seeing her annoyed, and knowing Ah Wu also had something to say to Lady Cui privately, she said on Lady Cui’s behalf, “Sister Si-Hua, go to the back courtyard and prepare a room for her next to Concubine Mu so she can settle in.”

Lady Cui hurriedly replied, “No, I cannot.” She did not want to acknowledge Concubine Wang as her companion.

Ah Wu, however, understood perfectly well. Since Concubine Wang was bestowed upon her by the Old Madam, one could not refuse a gift from an elder. Besides, men were all prone to novelty, and Ah Wu did not think Third Master Rong would be an exception. Once he returned, Concubine Wang would probably be even more shameless.

“Let her go, Madam; I have something to say to you,” Ah Wu said coquettishly. She did not understand why Lady Cui was so unable to distinguish right from wrong in this matter. After all, Concubine Wang was just a plaything; although she might be a bit powerful, there were always ways to control her.

Ah Wu, ignorant of matters of the heart, had no idea of ​​Lady Cui’s inner turmoil. But Lady Cui knew that Concubine Wang probably could not be refused, so she did not press the matter further.

Concubine Wang bowed and followed Si-Hua away.