Four Seasons Brocade – CH 084

Chapter 84 ☆、

Tang Yin’s face instantly turned red. Although she was bold, she was not so blunt as to ask such a question directly. “What did you say?”

“Oh—never mind then.” Ah Wu shook the fan in her hand. The weather was scorching hot, even under the shade of a tree.

Ah Wu’s “Oh” sounded meaningful, and Tang Yin could not help but press, “What did you want to say?”

“Nothing,” Ah Wu quickly denied, then glanced at Tang Yin and said mischievously, “Since you do not like Second Brother Gu, then I have nothing to worry about.”

“You are not allowed to like him,” Tang Yin said hastily.

“Oh, do not misunderstand,” Ah Wu knew Tang Yin had misunderstood her and quickly clarified, “I mean, if you do not like him, then you will not be sad.”

“How so?” Tang Yin’s expression changed.

Ah Wu had only been teasing Tang Yin, but seeing her like this, she knew that Tang Yin probably liked him more than just a little. Ah Wu thought that having a sister-in-law like Tang Yin would be wonderful, but unfortunately, she had briefly forgotten that Gu Tingyi was no longer her brother.

“Ah Wu,” Tang Yin said anxiously, tugging at Ah Wu’s sleeve.

Ah Wu said, “Think about it. Sister Gu and your second brother are engaged. Why would the Princess consider you as her son’s wife? Although you are cousins, she values ​​reputation above all else. You are not from a poor family; she would not allow it to be called a marriage exchange.”

Tang Yin’s face paled. How could she not have thought of that? Concern clouded her judgment. She had only thought about how her father was the Grand Secretary and that she and Gu Tingyi were a good match.

In truth, even if Tang Yin did marry Gu Tingyi, no one would dare call it a marriage exchange. But the Princess, intent on winning over the court officials, would not put all her eggs in one basket.

“I… Ah Wu, I…” Tang Yin was always straightforward. Now, wounded, she could not even hold back her tears. Just then, she heard someone call her name.

Tang Yin quickly turned her head to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Ah Wu stepped forward to shield her. Looking at the person, it was Hu Yahe.

“Sister Yahe,” Ah Wu called out.

Hu Yahe had come over because she saw Tang Yin, but she paused, surprised to see Ah Wu. “You are…”

“I am Sister Xuan,” Ah Wu said.

“Good heavens, it’s you! Oh my, that little dwarf has grown into such a beautiful young lady!” Hu Yahe was always like that; no wonder she and Tang Yin got along so well. Now that she was engaged, she even had the air of a future wife.

Tang Yin took a breath before turning to Hu Yahe and smiling. “Sister Yahe, you are here today too.”

“Yes. Am I not allowed to come out and enjoy the fresh air?” Hu Yahe smiled longingly. “His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine are coming today.”

The three chatted for a while, then Hu Yahe went to talk to her future sister-in-law. Before leaving, she took Tang Yin’s hand and said to Ah Wu, “Next autumn, let’s go horseback riding.”

Ah Wu turned around and looked at Tang Yin. What was going on? Ah Wu had not been in the capital for several years, and with trends changing daily, it was not surprising she was out of touch. “You know, Sister Yahe is engaged to the eldest grandson of the Xiang family, the Earl of Huating, and now she idolizes the Imperial Concubine,” Tang Yin said with a hint of sarcasm.

“What’s this about horseback riding?” Ah Wu asked. The rules for young ladies in the Great Xia Dynasty were still strict, especially for young ladies from the literary and artistic regions of Jiangnan, who were expected to strictly adhere to the code of conduct for women. Even recreational activities were limited to three times a year; why was horseback riding being mentioned now?

“It’s become fashionable in the last two years. The Imperial Concubine Xiang, dressed in Hu clothing, was incredibly skilled at riding and archery. Now, all the young ladies and mistresses of noble families in the capital are frantically trying to learn it. Even girls’ schools have started offering riding and archery classes.”

In ancient times, there were six arts: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics. Men were required to learn them, but women rarely delved into archery. However, this recent surge in popularity was understandable, given that it followed ancient traditions. But the opportunity truly came from Consort Xiang. The border troubles, like maggots clinging to bones, caused Emperor Longqing endless headaches. Consort Xiang, dressed in nomadic attire, admonished her sons and grandsons not to forget that the Great Xia Dynasty was won on horseback and to never indulge in extravagance and debauchery. Emperor Longqing greatly praised her and issued an edict throughout the land, quoting Consort Xiang to admonish the people.

Consort Xiang was not the first to wear nomadic clothing, but she looked stunning in it. She was not the first in the court to offer such admonitions, but as a woman, her insight was certainly noteworthy.

Consort Xiang also diligently practiced riding and archery, winning a resounding victory in the autumn hunt the year before last. Her daughters all followed suit.

When Tang Yin mentioned this, Ah Wu remembered it, but in her previous life, she was weak and unable to learn riding and archery. No one dared mention it in her presence, lest it remind her of painful memories. Therefore, Ah Wu did not have a deep impression of this matter. However, now it seemed that Consort Xiang’s enduring favor was not without reason.

Finally, Ah Wu, with the typical girl’s mindset, asked Tang Yin, “Did Sister Yahe initially not have feelings for your second brother?”

“Do not mention it. She’s become estranged from me because I would not help her.” Tang Yin shook her head. “Let’s not talk about that. I will teach you horseback riding another day. My father has specially raised a gentle mare for me in the villa. We will go together next time.”

In Jiangnan, girls were valued for their refinement, quietness, elegance, and gentleness. They usually competed in poetry and needlework. Southern beauties were gentle and graceful, unlike the tall and bright beauties of the north. They certainly did not follow Consort Xiang’s example of riding and archery. Jiangnan had never been a place for galloping horses; it was a place for boating under the moonlit Twenty-Four Bridges and climbing pavilions to watch Wu girls dance like drunken lotus blossoms.

Therefore, Ah Wu knew nothing about riding and archery. “Even if we learn, will we ever have a place to ride horses?”

Tang Yin thought for a moment, then smiled somewhat shyly, “When we were young girls, of course, we did not. But I heard that after marriage, if it’s the autumn hunt every year, the Emperor allows all the officials and their families to accompany him. If you are the only one who cannot ride a horse, how boring would that be? On the grasslands, you have to ride a horse to have the energy.”

Ah Wu looked at Tang Yin’s longing expression. So, she wanted to get married just to ride horses?

“You are thinking too far ahead,” Ah Wu teased. Then, to be honest, it was not that far-fetched. Girls like them mostly married into noble families or high-ranking officials, so accompanying the Longqing Emperor on the autumn hunt was not difficult.

Ah Wu thought of her uncle, who, in his old age and declining health, indulged in pleasure, which led to the annual, wasteful autumn hunts that required all the officials to move. Ah Wu, in her youth, had never participated in such a “grand event.”

As Ah Wu and Tang Yin were chatting, they saw Tang Xiujin and his entourage approaching from the riverbank. Tang Xiujin turned back, said a few words to the group, and then left to walk towards them.

Tang Yin, seeing Tang Xiujin, immediately beamed and called out, “Second Brother!”

Tang Xiujin touched the collection of books in his sleeve and walked over briskly. “Why are you all not watching the dragon boat races?” Then, Tang Xiujin’s gaze naturally turned to Ah Wu. His heart was pounding with excitement, but he had to maintain a composed facade. He had already learned that Ah Wu was the daughter of the Third Master Rong of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion from the moment he fell for her at first sight at the Xihai Wharf.

“Second Brother, this is the Sixth Young Lady of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion.”

Tang Xiujin nodded with a smile. “Oh, the girl who lost her front tooth with you when you were little?”

This made Tang Yin and Ah Wu blush slightly, both involuntarily recalling how comical they looked with a missing tooth.

Tang Xiujin’s eyes lingered on Ah Wu’s slightly red, warm, jade-like, round, and delicate earlobes, almost too beautiful to look away.

“I remember I still owe Sixth Young Lady a book, Chuanshan Hermit’s Chuanshan Ji. It was my mistake,” Tang Xiujin said, nodding apologetically.

“Oh, right.” Only when Tang Xiujin mentioned it did Ah Wu remember. After the Lantern Festival, Ah Wu had been ill for quite some time, and then the Concubine Wang incident happened. Ah Wu had no recollection of such a thing.

“I did not expect to run into you today. I will bring it to you next time,” Tang Xiujin said with a smile.

“Alright,” Ah Wu nodded. She still admired the Chuanshan Ji.

Actually, Tang Xiujin, being a scholar, valued his word above all else. He had promised to lend Ah Wu Chuanshan Ji, but later, someone else borrowed it, and he could not refuse, so he could not keep his promise. However, if he explained now, it would sound like he was making excuses, so he remained silent and only sincerely apologized.

“Yes, yes, I will bring it to you next time,” Tang Yin, completely unaware of her brother’s thoughts, offered to do it for him.

Tang Xiujin remained silent. Later, his companions started calling him, and he nodded, preparing to take his leave. “You two should hurry to the pond too; His Majesty will be arriving soon.”

Tang Yin and Ah Wu nodded. The servants from both families also arrived, and they went to their respective pavilions.

The sound of whips clearing the way rang out, and a eunuch, in a high-pitched voice, announced, “The Emperor has arrived!” His voice carried through the air; it was the sound of someone trained since childhood, specializing in announcing imperial arrivals.

Instantly, everyone around Jingming Pond knelt, a dense, dark mass. They shouted, “Long live the Emperor!”

A short man in the crowd peered through the gaps and saw a figure in a bright yellow robe sweep across the red-carpeted steps and ascend the temporary pavilion erected for the Emperor’s arrival by the pond.

The Longqing Emperor sat in the center, gesturing with his hand. The eunuch’s voice rang out again from above, “Rise.”

The crowd rose, and gradually, voices tentatively emerged from the crowd. Seeing that the Emperor did not reprimand them, they grew louder, and the crowd slowly regained its energy; though not as vigorous as before, it was still incredibly lively.

Two small boats, two li apart, rowed on the Jingming Pond, leaving a red line across the water—the starting line for the dragon boat race. At the other end, not far in front of the Emperor, stood three poles, each about three zhang high, with a colorful ball hanging from each—the prize for the race.

When a dragon boat reached a bamboo pole, a capable member had to climb it and retrieve the ball to win. The first to retrieve it was the winner; all three poles were reserved for the top three.

On the Jingming Pond, drums and gongs resounded, shouts filled the air, and the men on the dragon boats, all shirtless, sang songs to boost morale. The team leader gave a speech. Hanging upside down from the raised stern of the dragon boat was a remarkably agile child, performing various daring stunts to attract the cheers of the spectators.

The dragon boats were painted in different colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—and the uniforms of the participating teams were also different colors—purple, blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, and red.

Colorful flags fluttered on the water, like a thousand flowers blooming, and the lively sounds were almost deafening.

Looking at the water, Ah Wu felt dizzy and nauseous. She quickly adjusted her gaze and looked towards the Emperor’s platform.

Two women in palace attire sat to the left and right of the Longqing Emperor. Judging from their figures, one was Empress Tian, ​​and the other was Consort Xiang. The seats on the platform were arranged in an inverted goose-wing pattern, with the Emperor’s four surviving princes seated on either side.

From afar, everyone could only see the imperial platform. Of the seven masters seated there, the most striking was neither the Emperor Longqing in his bright yellow dragon robe nor Consort Xiang, hailed as the most beautiful woman of the court, but rather the Fourth Prince, Chu Mao, seated to the right of Princess Fuhui. Dressed in a purple robe embroidered with gold and green pythons, his simple posture, obscuring even his face, instantly overshadowed the other three princes, causing them to be completely overlooked.

His aura surpassed even that of the Emperor Longqing.

Ah Wu thought to herself, “What kind of blindness do the Emperor Longqing and his ministers possess? They cannot even see such obvious imperial power, and they actually think the Fourth Prince is just a leisurely prince. Judging from his bearing, how could such a person be willing to be subordinate to others?”