Four Seasons Brocade – CH 080

Chapter 80 ☆、

Third Master Rong sat down in his study, staring intently at Ah Wu. Ah Wu nervously fanned herself with her round fan.

“Alright, enough with that fan. Those eyes of yours—who can you fool?”

Ah Wu gave a frustrated “Oh” and sat down dejectedly, regretting her inability to cultivate the ability to conceal her emotions.

“Speak,” Third Master Rong said, his mind now back on track. His daughter had been clever since childhood; there must be a reason for her actions. But she was far too audacious, daring to expose even his concubine’s infidelity.

Ah Wu smiled coquettishly. “I had no choice. What does Father think of the political situation?”

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Third Master Rong glared at Ah Wu. Why was the matter of the concubine being brought up with politics? He wondered what this girl was thinking.

“Oh, you are just a young lady; why are you concerned with politics?” Third Master Rong asked instead of answering.

Ah Wu curled her lip. She knew that a politician like him would not act without a clear objective and would never easily comment on court affairs, even in front of his own daughter. Ah Wu also knew that Third Master Rong would definitely look down on her “womanly views.”

“When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. How can a woman not care?” Ah Wu said slowly.

Third Master Rong’s eyes widened; he had not expected Ah Wu to have such a profound understanding.

“Oh, how so?”

At this point, Ah Wu grew impatient with beating around the bush with Third Master Rong. “His Majesty’s health is declining, and the princes are all grown up, each with their own ambitions. The Empress and the Imperial Concubine are already at odds. Fourth Sister’s marriage is arranged with the Empress’s side. Since our return, my aunt has been unexpectedly courteous to me, constantly mentioning that I should help Fifth Sister in the future. Father, how can I not worry?”

Third Master Rong was startled. He had not expected Ah Wu to be so perceptive, and his sister-in-law seemed determined to exploit their entire branch of the family. Third Master Rong’s hand, resting on the armrest of his chair, clenched into a fist.

“You do not think highly of the Empress?” Third Master Rong had already discerned Ah Wu’s meaning; she was doing this to completely sever the third branch of the family from the Duke of Anguo’s Mansion.

“I dare not. If one could truly achieve the merit of supporting the Emperor, that would be wonderful, of course. But looking back over the past two years, it’s all been a huge gamble. Losers lose everything, while winners may not enjoy a peaceful old age. I believe that gambling on an unpredictable future is not as good as upholding loyalty to the Emperor. From now on, no matter who the Emperor is, as long as one maintains a loyal heart, there will be no worries.”

“Good.” Third Master Rong almost applauded Ah Wu’s words. This idea was the result of much thought and several discussions with Rong Jie, a disciple of the great Confucian scholar Dong. He had not expected Ah Wu, a mere woman confined to the inner quarters, to see things so clearly.

Throughout history, the rise and fall of people had all come down to one word: “greed.” If one were not greedy for the merit of supporting the Emperor, why would one gamble so heavily? Confucianism emphasized moderation as the foundation of one’s character; this moderation was also loyalty. As long as one upheld this principle, no matter how turbulent the world became, one would remain steadfast.

But Duke Anguo clearly lacked this vision. With the Duke’s Mansion in decline, he desperately needed an opportunity to revitalize it, so he decided to gamble.

“I fear I will trouble you, Father. Filial piety has always been paramount, so I have taken the liberty of deciding not to let you know. Let me bear the blame for this unfilial act,” Ah Wu said resolutely.

Third Master Rong looked at his daughter with astonishment, as if he did not recognize her. Decisive and intelligent, with stunning beauty—what kind of man would she marry to avoid being wasted?

“When did you start planning this?” Third Master Rong was adept at grasping the essentials; he was indeed a seasoned veteran of the officialdom.

Ah Wu lowered her head, embarrassed, and said, “From the time Father went on his diplomatic mission overseas. At first, it was just preparation; I was not even sure if it would come to this.”

Third Master Rong let out a long sigh. “Ah Wu, you must not…” He hesitated to say what. A wise man was almost demonic, and with such a beautiful face, it was hard to know whether it was a blessing or a curse.

But Ah Wu immediately understood. “Your daughter knows.” In truth, Ah Wu was even more cautious than Third Master Rong, living her life with constant trepidation, always feeling that this life was stolen by her and that she would always pay the price, though she just could not see it yet.

Seeing Ah Wu’s intelligence and quick understanding, Third Master Rong was both gratified and teary-eyed. A girl of Ah Wu’s age should be enjoying the company of her parents, carefree and happy, but because of her parents, she was precociously intelligent, yet her heart was never at ease, always planning ahead, ensuring her parents’ peace of mind. How could Third Master Rong not feel teary-eyed that even his nose stung with tears?

Third Master Rong was silent for a moment before saying, “Because of this matter alone, your grandfather will not agree to divide the family property, and even your grandmother probably will not agree. What do you think your father should do next?” Now, the third branch of the family was the Old Madam’s moneybag.

Ah Wu said something, and Third Master Rong’s eyes lit up. He then fell into deep thought and, after a long while, said, “Go back and let me think about it.”

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Of course, it was not about whether or not to do it, but about how to do it.

Ah Wu gave a slight curtsy, turned around to leave, but heard Third Master Rong call her, “Ah Wu.”

Ah Wu turned her head. “Father, is there anything else you need?”

Looking at his daughter’s slender waist and thin shoulders, Master Rong said emotionally, “Ah Wu, from now on, do not think about these things anymore. Everything is fine with your father. I have no great ambitions in this life, only hoping to protect you and Jie’er so you can be safe and sound.”

Ah Wu’s eyes welled up with tears. Whether Third Master Rong could keep his word or not, his feelings were genuine, and his promise was valid.

“Father,” Ah Wu murmured, unsure how to respond.

Third Master Rong waved his hand, signaling her to leave.

Ah Wu walked out the door, tilted her head back, and let out a long sigh. Deep down, she felt guilty towards Third Master Rong, feeling she had not consulted him beforehand and had gone too far by scheming against her own family. However, the division of the family was inevitable; she had so many things to do and so many people to protect, forcing her to be calculating.

Third Master Rong and Lady Cui’s affection for her moved Ah Wu deeply. Princess Fuhui was also her mother, even though she felt no affection for her. Ah Wu could not forget the events of her past life; in her heart, Princess Fuhui was her irreplaceable mother. But Ah Wu also felt the same respect and gratitude towards Third Master Rong and Lady Cui.

Ah Wu had previously been unsure of Third Master Rong’s feelings, but now she was certain.

After Ah Wu left, Third Master Rong sighed. His daughter was ultimately kind; someone like Concubine Wang deserved to die a thousand times over. Ah Wu was not a man who was cuckolded, so she could not understand this kind of male psychology. Even if it was something she did not want or disliked, he would absolutely not tolerate her having an affair.

However, Third Master Rong had to consider Ah Wu’s opinion, because Ah Wu’s desire to spare Concubine Wang’s life was not solely out of sympathy for her. If Ah Wu truly sympathized with her, she would not have used her so thoroughly.

On the surface, this scandalous affair involved the heir of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion taking his illegitimate brother’s concubine and secretly having a son. But if someone were to spread the word, public opinion would quickly shift to the concubine looking down on the Third Madam and instead trying to climb the social ladder by marrying the heir. This would be seen as Concubine Wang’s promiscuity, and the heir, Rong Jisheng, would at most bear the stigma of being unable to control his licentiousness—a minor flaw. Men were always particularly understanding of men’s inability to control themselves.

Therefore, Concubine Wang must be protected. Leaving aside whether she should retaliate against Rong Jisheng and even Rong Jixing, the fact that Third Master Rong had not killed Concubine Wang despite such a serious accusation suggested that Concubine Wang must have had a reason for staying alive. This reason, with a little manipulation, could easily be portrayed as her being forced into a desperate resistance, unable to overcome the powerful. At the time, Third Master Rong was abroad, his fate unknown, leaving only his wife and daughter at home.

However, Concubine Wang’s survival was a thorn in the side; Duke Anguo would certainly not tolerate her. Third Master Rong tapped his fingers on the table, pondering how to plead for her.

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Immediately, Third Master Rong rose, changed his robes, and went to the main house. Eldest Master Rong, the heir apparent, felt a pang of guilt upon hearing of Third Master Rong’s arrival. He felt a sense of shame towards his third brother. Yet, it was precisely this guilt that had long fueled the forbidden pleasure he had experienced when indulging with Concubine Wang.

“What is Third Brother doing here at this crucial moment?” Eldest Master Rong felt ashamed, fearing that Third Master Rong, unable to contain his anger, might come knocking on the door again.

“This is all your doing! You deserve to be beaten to death!” The First Madam’s chest still ached with rage. Fifth Young Lady Rong’s marriage was still undecided, and it seemed things were finally looking up, but then this mess happened—it was utterly shameful.

In truth, Ah Wu’s actions in stirring up this mess also had an element of sabotage on Fifth Young Lady Rong’s marriage. Although Fifth Young Lady Rong would not fare well even if she married Emperor Ai, she would still have a period of acclaim—albeit a short one—when she would be Empress, and Ah Wu would have to kneel before her. Who knew how high the Old Madam’s and the First Madam’s egos would rise then, and how many more troubles they would cause? Ah Wu had to be on guard.

“Do not say anymore, I am already upset too.” Eldest Master Rong had been lectured to by his wife, father, and mother all day, and he was already fuming. Now that his third brother was about to come knocking, he felt a surge of anger rising within him. “I will go to the study and see what he does. Humph, I do not believe he does not care that I am his elder brother. He’s just a concubine-child; why is he so relentless?”

Eldest Master Rong sat up straight in his study, his back ramrod straight. He had a plan in mind: to deal with whatever came his way, even to preemptively criticize Concubine Wang, then appeal to her emotions, expressing that he would not let a woman ruin their brotherly bond.

But to Eldest Master Rong’s surprise, his third brother’s attitude was very calm, not like someone coming to interrogate him.