Four Seasons Brocade – CH 078

Chapter 78 ☆、

Just then, a maid came to report that someone was looking for the Eldest Master, having searched the entire courtyard without success, and had come to the garden to seek advice from the First Madam.

“Why is the Master not here? Have you looked in the study?” the First Madam asked.

“Yes.”

The First Madam was silent for a moment, then asked, “Have you searched the area where the Deyin Opera Troupe is staying?”

“Yes, we searched there too, but he’s nowhere to be found.”

This relieved the First Madam; as long as the Eldest Master had not caused any scandal at the opera troupe, that was good. “He really is something, knowing it’s the Old Madam’s big day, yet he still goes around. Go find Zhao Zifa, the gatekeeper by the Master’s side, and ask him if he saw where the Master went.”

“Yes.” The maid received the order and left.

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Although her conversation with the First Madam was quiet, before the drums and gongs were sounded on the stage, some sharp-eared people overheard everything.

Lady Luo, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, leaned over and said to Lady Xiao beside her, “They must have gone over there to join the fun.” Lady Xiao and Lady Luo were always close, sharing everything. Knowing this, Lady Luo naturally wanted to tell her and have a good laugh.

Lady Luo was quite right. After the busy celebrations for the Old Madam’s birthday, the Eldest Master had not visited Concubine Wang for several days. He missed her terribly. Even after giving birth to her son, Concubine Wang remained slender, but her skin was even whiter and more supple. Her breasts were so large that they could almost bury a person in them. She was even more unrestrained in bed. The Eldest Master trembled at the mere thought of her allure.

Besides, their son was at his most obedient, making the Eldest Master’s heart flutter like candy. Whenever he had a spare moment, he longed to go to the house of the mother and son. This was a banquet for the ladies of the house. The Eldest Master, seeing he had nothing to do and his wife was busy with other matters, decided to go and help out with something at Concubine Wang’s place.

Now, the First Madam, being the hostess, needed to be observant and attentive to ensure everyone was well taken care of. Lady Luo, not far from her, spoke in a way that was neither too loud nor too soft, seemingly intentionally letting her know, yet not quite. But the tone made the First Madam’s brow twitch.

Although Lady Luo’s phrase “over there” was cryptic and others would not understand its meaning, and it did not necessarily refer to the outer quarters, the First Madam immediately felt that her husband was having an affair. Moreover, in the past year, her husband had frequently stayed out overnight, and she, busy with Fifth Young Lady Rong’s affairs and relying on his influence outside, had become much more lax in her supervision of him. Today, upon hearing this, the First Madam knew something was wrong.

No man was immune to infidelity, and the First Madam did not necessarily want to control her husband completely. Especially now that she was older, her attention was mostly on her children, and she no longer cared so much about the competition for favor among his wives and concubines. She could turn a blind eye to her husband’s occasional philandering, but she absolutely could not tolerate a vixen constantly vying for his attention.

To have someone outside her who ate her food, used her things, and enjoyed a life of luxury—that was simply unacceptable.

However, while the First Madam was inwardly in turmoil, she showed no sign on her face, still smiling and cheerfully, attentively greeting the guests.

After seeing the guests off, the First Madam sent her maid to inquire about the Eldest Master’s whereabouts—where he had gone, who he had met, and most importantly, whether he was indeed keeping a woman outside.

The early summer sun shone warmly on the courtyard stones that day; although the heat of summer was only just beginning, it already showed its aggressive intensity. The lattice windows in the room had been taken down, and the windows were wide open, letting in wisps of cool breeze. Ah Wu was sitting on a recliner, having her nails trimmed by Zi-Zhui.

The fragrance of jasmine wafted from the courtyard on the breeze. What should have been a peaceful afternoon was shattered by a series of hurried footsteps.

“Miss, Master and Madam have returned. They went straight to the Old Madam’s main room and sent someone to fetch the Duke. The Eldest Master and Second Master are back, too. I heard they caught Master’s runaway concubine, Concubine Wang. Apparently, she became the Eldest Master’s woman, kept outside, and even bore him a son.” Guan-Tong rattled off a string of words as soon as she entered, without pausing for breath.

Ah Wu did not even lift an eyelid. Zi-Zhui, always composed, held her nails perfectly steady. Guan-Tong stood alone on the “stage,” wondering why no one seemed interested in this farce. Zi-Zhui was completely absorbed in admiring her mistress’s meticulously manicured nails. Perfectly round, her nails were long and glossy, a delicate pink like flower petals, making her hands seem like a masterpiece of jade carving, so beautiful that one could hardly bear to part with them, wishing she could sleep with them.

Ah Wu’s heart, however, was not as calm as it appeared. She felt a bit apprehensive, hesitant to look at Third Master Rong’s expression. At this point, Third Master Rong and the two brothers had essentially severed all ties; any semblance of brotherly affection was now out of the question.

Besides, although Concubine Wang was merely a concubine and meant nothing to Third Master Rong—he’d rather she were dead—it was still a green hat placed on him by his own brothers. To tolerate this would appear cowardly.

Furthermore, Third Master Rong’s position in the officialdom was extremely awkward. In officialdom, the Qingliu faction valued ​​not noble lineage but requiring candidates to be Jinshi. Poverty was irrelevant, but family reputation was paramount. Third Master Rong, a civil official and a top scholar, possessed both talent and ambition and aspired to join Qingliu, hoping to become a leader. Unfortunately, he was also the Third Master of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion, a member of a noble family, clearly distinct from the Qingliu faction, leading to power struggles in the officialdom.

Thus, Third Master Rong found himself in a predicament—unpopular with both sides. The Qingliu faction saw him as part of the noble lineage, while the noble lineage saw him as arrogant and unruly.

The incident involving Concubine Wang presented both a crisis and an opportunity; it remained to be seen whether Third Master Rong could ruthlessly and decisively resolve the situation.

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The reason Ah Wu took this step without consulting Third Master Rong beforehand was entirely to force him to break with the Rong family. Even if it failed this time, there was always next time.

Ah Wu was undecided about Third Master Rong’s feelings for the Rong family. After all, it was where he had grown up, and the Duke of Anguo had not treated him badly. For the sake of his career, enduring hardship and being filial to his parents was the best course of action. However, Ah Wu could not wait. She absolutely would not allow the Old Madam and the First Madam to interfere in her marriage.

Furthermore, Fourth Young Lady Rong’s marriage was entangled with Empress Tian’s faction, and Fifth Young Lady Rong would later be linked to Consort Xiang’s faction. Both of them would ultimately be losers. If Third Master Rong did not extricate himself from this quagmire soon, he would inevitably be dragged down.

Sadly, Ah Wu could not tell Third Master Rong the truth. Given the current situation, no one could see that the Fourth Prince had a chance of ascending the throne. Ah Wu could not produce evidence that the Fourth Prince was planning a rebellion. In such a serious matter, how could Third Master Rong listen to the words of a young woman who rarely left her home?

Ah Wu knew she was acting in the best interests of the third branch of the family. She had no affection for the Rong family, which was why she was determined to take this step, even at the cost of sacrificing the reputation of the Third Master Rong.

But scandals were common among the prominent families of the capital. The fact that three brothers shared a concubine was public knowledge; if it had not been publicized, it would not have been a big deal. Some families even had incestuous relationships between fathers and sons, or fathers-in-law and sons-in-law, which were known but kept secret.

“Miss, are you not concerned?” Tong-Guan asked.

Ah Wu opened her eyes and looked at her. “Such scandals are something the family is trying to cover up. How can a young lady like me concern myself with them? The shame of one’s parents is something to be avoided. Go and keep a close eye on the maids and servants in the courtyard. Do not allow anyone to gossip, or they will be tied up and sold off.”

Tong-Guan nodded and hurried off.

A short while later, Zi-Shan returned from outside. Ah Wu’s nails were already trimmed; she touched her fingers with satisfaction and dismissed all the servants.

Zi-Shan then recounted in detail everything that had happened that day.

The First Madam was a woman of action. She quickly found out the location of the Eldest Master’s other residence and made arrangements for the next day, intending to personally take the servants there. Ah Wu had someone keep a close eye on the First Madam’s movements. As soon as the First Madam left, Lady Cui also went out.

This was Ah Wu persuading Lady Cui to check on the needlework shop’s business. Lady Cui was initially reluctant to go, pushing it all onto Ah Wu, but Ah Wu kept urging her, so she had no choice but to go.

Meanwhile, the old woman whom Lady Luo had bribed in Concubine Wang’s outer residence seized an opportunity. Before anything even happened, she foresaw the ensuing commotion and informed Lady Luo in advance.

Upon arrival, the First Madam sent men to the door. To her astonishment, upon seeing the kept woman, her eyes widened in shock—it was none other than Concubine Wang, the Yangzhou courtesan given to Third Master Rong.

The First Madam was terrified, but as the matriarch of the Duke’s Mansion, she was accustomed to handling countless matters. She immediately ordered Concubine Wang and her son to be tied up and sent far away. If it were not for the fact that it was difficult to kill someone in the capital, she might have killed Concubine Wang on the spot.

But Concubine Wang had a group of capable people around her; her maids and servants were all strong and capable. They protected Concubine Wang and her precious son as they escaped through the back door, thinking that once they were on the main street, the First Madam would not dare to attack them.

Concubine Wang was also a shrewd woman. Seeing the First Madam’s state, she knew she was doomed. No longer caring about hiding, she ran with all her might towards the main street.

Finally, she tripped and fell, landing under Lady Luo’s carriage. As for why the timing was so coincidental, only Lady Luo’s coachman could answer that.

But that was not all. Lady Cui’s carriage also happened to be coming from the other end of the street. Lady Cui would not normally pass through this area, but her head maid, Si-Qin, had begged her to buy something, which was why she had come to Tongji Street.

At that moment, the faces of Concubine Wang, Lady Cui, and the servants sent by the First Madam to chase after Concubine Wang were all flushed, their complexions alternating between blue, white, and red, as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes wide open like copper bells.