Four Seasons Brocade – CH 077

Chapter 77 ☆、

Leaving aside Lady Luo’s inquiries about Concubine Wang, a major event was taking place at the Duke of Anguo’s mansion: the Old Madam’s sixtieth birthday.

These days, the Duke of Anguo’s mansion was brightly decorated, bustling with people and carriages. A few days before the actual birthday, a continuous feast had been held, and the First Madam had two baskets of copper coins scattered in the streets as longevity money. A soup kitchen was also set up outside the South Gate for three days to distribute porridge.

The days leading up to the grand birthday celebration were spent entertaining high-ranking officials and nobles of the capital. The actual birthday was spent with family, and the following two days were dedicated to relatives, friends, and close female relatives.

In short, the Old Madam’s birthday banquet was an extravagant affair, making everyone envious of her son and daughter-in-law’s filial piety. However, outsiders were unaware that the bulk of the expenses came from the third branch of the family.

The Old Madam and the First Madam were envious of the money Third Master Rong had earned during his years away from home and devised various pretexts to ask for more. However, it was the Old Madam’s sixtieth birthday, and they could not afford to be disrespectful and cause gossip about Third Master Rong, the Vice Minister of Rites. Although Lady Cui felt the pinch, after discussing it with Third Master Rong, she had no choice but to comply with the First Madam’s exorbitant demands.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

With the money, the Old Madam’s birthday banquet was far more lavish than those of other retired noblewomen. The mere fact that they hired the Deyin Opera Troupe to perform for half a month straight was enough to make people marvel at the Duke’s Mansion’s splendor; this expense alone was considerable.

Nowadays, in the capital, besides the Kunyu Troupe, which only returned on New Year’s Eve, the Deyin Troupe was the most famous. Their business was booming year-round, and tickets had to be booked six months in advance. Their lead actress, Xiao Sixi, was a favorite among the capital’s nobles and elites.

The First Madam also used money to cultivate connections in the palace, and even the Empress bestowed a large birthday gift upon the Old Madam. This was an immense honor, and the Old Madam’s wrinkled face beamed with joy enough to kill a mosquito.

This was the day the ladies of noble families were coming to celebrate, and Ah Wu, no longer able to stay ill, accompanied Lady Cui to the social gatherings.

In the Old Madam’s main room, Tang Yin, following Madam Tang, immediately searched the room for Ah Wu. When she saw her, she paused and winked at her, and Ah Wu smiled and winked back. The two close friends, who had not seen each other for years, exchanged a knowing smile.

When the Old Madam spoke, instructing the young ladies of the Rong family to lead the visiting noblewomen to the garden, Tang Yin then came forward and took Ah Wu’s hand.

Tang Yin took Ah Wu’s hand, looked her up and down, and could not help but burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. Between laughs, she said, “Do not tell me that these earthworm eyebrows are fashionable in Jiangnan now.”

Ah Wu blushed. She had no choice; she could not very well wear a veil on such a day, so she had to make herself look less attractive. She applied a brownish-yellow powder to her face and drew earthworm-like eyebrows, which looked a bit strange, but even so, she did not appear embarrassed.

“Oh, dear sister, please stop laughing,” Ah Wu pleaded, tugging at Tang Yin’s sleeve.

Tang Yin stopped laughing and took Ah Wu’s hand again, saying, “It’s been years since we last saw each other, has it not?”

Ah Wu nodded. Since she went to Jiangnan, she and Tang Yin had only exchanged letters and had not seen each other. Even after she returned to the capital, Tang Yin did not go out for social events. If it were not for the Old Madam’s birthday celebration, they probably would not have seen each other at all.

“It’s been years! Sister Yin has grown into a beautiful young woman, so stunning that it’s impossible to look away,” Ah Wu said with a smile. It was not that she was deliberately flattering Tang Yin; her brother, Tang Xiujin, was already a man of exceptional talent and elegance, and she herself was naturally graceful and beautiful. Although she might not be quite as strikingly beautiful as Gu Xihui and Fifth Young Lady Rong, her lively and affectionate nature made her no less attractive than the two beauties of the capital.

Tang Yin gave Ah Wu a serious look. “If you did not deliberately make yourself look ugly, it would be truly captivating.” Although Tang Yin appeared carefree, she was actually a woman of refined intelligence and gentle nature.

The two young ladies, hand in hand, chatted quietly, undisturbed by others. Ah Wu asked about Su Nian and the others, and Tang Yin replied, “Sister Nian married out of the capital, Sister Xuan went with her husband to his post, and Sister Ya rarely comes out after her engagement.”

Speaking of this, Ah Wu hurriedly asked, “Has Sister Yin’s marriage been arranged yet?” Ah Wu was also very concerned about Tang Yin’s marriage. Grand Secretary Tang was loyal to the Emperor, and after Emperor Ai ascended the throne, he naturally devoted himself to assisting him, which naturally offended the Fourth Prince. When Chu Mao ascended the throne, the Tang family would not have a good end, but since the crime did not extend to married daughters, Ah Wu hoped that Tang Yin could also marry out of the capital.

Tang Yin blushed upon hearing this. “I am still young. Besides, my mother is reluctant to let me go. Many daughters in our family do not marry until they are over eighteen, so there’s no rush. But you, has your mother started looking for a husband for you?”

Ah Wu could not stand this kind of talk. Back in Jiangnan, Lady Cui had also joked with Ah Wu like this, telling her to go and see which young man was good, which infuriated Ah Wu. Just thinking about marrying into a family where she would have to allow a disgusting man to touch her inappropriately and engage in such filthy and vulgar acts at night made Ah Wu lose her appetite and be unable to eat for days.

Ah Wu did not want to get married from the bottom of her heart. There were also ladies in aristocratic families who never married, but they all had unspeakable hardships behind their choices. Ah Wu did not meet any of those criteria, and she could not bear the hardships of becoming a nun. For now, she could only postpone it, one day at a time.

But Tang Yin was Ah Wu’s closest friend, and Ah Wu was willing to tell her everything. Therefore, she lowered her head and said, “I do not want to get married.”

Ah Wu raised her head, looked earnestly at Tang Yin, and said again, “I am serious, Sister Yin.” Ah Wu wanted to talk to Tang Yin about marriage, to pour out her troubles, and to see if Tang Yin could support her and come up with a solution.

Tang Yin did not take Ah Wu’s words seriously at all. Girls from families like theirs, of marriageable age, with no unspeakable troubles—how could they not get married? So Tang Yin simply thought Ah Wu’s words were just a young girl’s shyness.

But when Ah Wu looked at her, Tang Yin realized that Ah Wu’s eyes were incredibly beautiful. Like a gentle spring lake reflecting a sky full of stars, they were captivating in motion and mesmerizing in stillness. At this moment, her eyes were filled with sorrow, making one’s heart ache just like hers.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Tang Yin was stunned for a long time before saying, “Ah Wu, your eyes are so beautiful.”

Ah Wu had not expected Tang Yin to say something like that out of the blue. “Sister Yin,” she replied.

Tang Yin then smiled and said, “Even I, a young woman, am captivated by your eyes. I wonder what your future husband will be like. You are such a silly girl, saying such foolish things. How could you not get married? But I understand your feelings.”

Ah Wu was somewhat disappointed by the first part, but the last sentence made her heart skip a beat. She assumed Tang Yin thought the same way she did—how could a pure and beautiful young woman serve such a vulgar man?

Tang Yin’s cheeks flushed, and she whispered, “I am just like you. If it’s not someone I love, I will not marry.”

Tang Yin was quite bold, daring to speak of the private feelings between men and women. She only confided her secret because the other person was Ah Wu.

Ah Wu realized now that she had clearly misunderstood Tang Yin; their thoughts were completely different. “You have someone you like?”

As Ah Wu asked this, a thought suddenly occurred to her. If Tang Yin liked Chu Mao, would that not be a wonderful thing? With Tang Yin’s status, marrying Chu Mao would not be difficult if she wanted to, and Chu Mao would likely be happy to have such a wife. For Tang Yin’s sake, Grand Secretary Tang would naturally support Chu Mao, thus protecting the Tang family.

Even if Emperor Ai ascended the throne, as long as they could endure for half a year, the Tang family would be safe. And in the first half of the year, Emperor Ai’s power was unstable, so he would not target important officials. Therefore, the Tang family was virtually safe. And given Tang Yin’s relationship with her, their branch of the family could likely receive the protection of this future Empress.

Oh dear, Ah Wu’s thoughts were getting better and better.

“Who is it?” Ah Wu was naturally filled with curiosity.

Tang Yin hesitated, reluctant to speak; even the most outgoing girl was always shy about this. “You absolutely must come to watch the dragon boat races next month for the Dragon Boat Festival.”

Girls in the Great Xia Dynasty were usually kept indoors, rarely venturing out except to visit relatives. Only three festivals a year allowed them to freely go out and enjoy themselves: the Spring Festival on the third day of the third lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Therefore, Tang Yin insisted that Ah Wu must go out for the Dragon Boat Festival.

Ah Wu was somewhat hesitant, but when Tang Yin’s expression changed, she quickly nodded. She figured Tang Yin must have something to do that day.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Meanwhile, while Ah Wu and Tang Yin were chatting animatedly, the First Madam’s side in the hall was also bustling with activity.

Second Madam Jin née Luo was a talkative person, and within a few days, she had spread the news she had gathered to several other wives. The reason everyone had come so fully today was undoubtedly to see what kind of place the Duke of Anguo’s mansion was, that it could raise such a son and commit such a disgraceful act.

It turned out that Lady Luo had already found out about the affair. Nanny Meng, being quite astute, had been waiting outside without success, so she sent servants. One bribed the night soil collector to enter the mansion, and another bribed the vegetable deliveryman. Nanny Meng herself rented an old woman’s tools for selling hair ornaments and embroidery, and also went inside.

And this was shocking! They discovered that the one keeping the concubine was none other than the Eldest Master of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion. An elder brother having an affair with his younger brother’s concubine and keeping her outside—this was quite a novelty, and the concubine had even borne the Eldest Master a son.

Upon hearing this, Second Madam Jin née Luo immediately stood up, her face beaming with undisguised excitement and a wide smile. “Heavens! Such a thing!” she exclaimed, as if she had found hundreds of taels of silver.

Therefore, this day was the happiest for both the Old Madam and the First Madam. They could boast of their comfortable and prosperous lives and show off their competence. With such a mother, the daughter naturally surpassed her in every way.

However, some people in the hall kept giving the First Madam strange looks, whispering behind her back, and wearing odd smiles. Even the First Madam, as composed as she was, felt uneasy.