Four Seasons Brocade – CH 085

Chapter 85 ☆、

After a while, a eunuch went down to invite Princess Fuhui to sit on the platform. Thus, the three most influential women of the Longqing Dynasty were all seated on the platform.

Ah Wu’s mind drifted again, thinking about her mother’s later fate and the destinies of the other two women. She sighed at the vicissitudes of fortune, how quickly things could change. “The golden steps and jade halls of yesteryear are now only green pines remaining.” A sense of weariness washed over her, and she felt everything was meaningless.

While Ah Wu was lost in thought, the gong sounded, the drums beat, and on Jingming Pond, hundreds of oars sprang into action, boats like arrows, overtaking each other. The men on board shouted slogans, rowing with all their might, the sweat on their faces and bodies reflecting a golden light in the sunlight.

On the shore, everyone was on edge, calling out the names of their teams. The gamblers, who had set up betting odds outside, stomped their feet and cursed when their chosen team fell behind, while those in the lead laughed and jumped for joy.

Ah Wu, listening and watching, felt a surge of life, finding it more interesting than the life of those motionless “Buddhas” above. Of course, it was just a momentary sigh. After this period, they would face the seven hardships of daily life—oil, salt, firewood, rice, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—at home, which would not be easy.

As the first dragon boat crossed the finish line, climbed the bamboo pole, and won the prize, Ah Wu immediately feigned severe stomach pain, clutching her abdomen and groaning. This prompted Lady Cui to repeatedly ask, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

Ah Wu gasped, “My stomach hurts terribly.”

“Oh dear, did you eat something wrong? Let’s hurry back to the mansion. Si-Qi, you go ahead and find a physician quickly.” Lady Cui hurriedly led Ah Wu to her feet. She informed the Old Madam and the First Madam, who had come today with the intention of finding a son-in-law and were eager for Ah Wu to leave, thus offering only feigned concern.

As Ah Wu had predicted, what followed was exactly what happened. From Empress Tian to Consort Xiang and then to Princess Fuhui, all three noblewomen had sons of marriageable age. Taking advantage of the dragon boat race, they summoned a group of other noble ladies.

Of course, this grand occasion was later recounted by Fifth Young Lady Rong and Fourth Young Lady Rong. Hearing this, Lady Cui felt a pang of regret. Why had Ah Wu fallen ill at that moment? Lady Cui could not help but suspect that the two branches of the family had deliberately used underhanded tactics.

Lady Cui secretly told this to Third Master Rong. The Third Master stroked his beautiful beard and chuckled, “That clever Ah Wu, how could she fall for that? She did it on purpose.”

Even with her rashes, Ah Wu could not possibly wear a veil in front of such noblewomen. She was a woman who loved beauty, and unless absolutely necessary, she would never want to appear ugly and betray the gift of her face.

Consort Xiang, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the court, would be at a loss if she saw Ah Wu. She was also the Emperor’s favorite; there was a real risk that jealousy would lead her to cause trouble, which would be impossible to prevent.

Moreover, Ah Wu’s beauty made it difficult to find a husband. Too much beauty could easily tempt men, and any discerning mother choosing a wife prioritized character and ability; a dignified and pretty appearance was sufficient, not necessarily a major concern. Beauty was, after all, a concubine’s domain.

Furthermore, Third Master Rong did not want to get involved in the current power struggle for the throne. He preferred to find a position, ideally a posting to a distant region. This was a thought he shared with Ah Wu.

As for Fourth Young Lady Rong and Fifth Young Lady Rong, the two sisters frequently visited to inquire about Ah Wu’s illness. Although their last encounter had been somewhat unpleasant, they still had to maintain appearances. If Third Master Rong were still the Hanlin scholar he once was, the two of them probably would not have bothered to speak to Ah Wu. But now, Third Master Rong was a Vice Minister of Rites, and if Fifth Young Lady Rong wanted to become a princess, the third branch of the family was a significant asset.

Empress Tian also valued ​​Third Master Rong, so no matter how harsh Ah Wu’s words were last time, Fourth Young Lady Rong and Fifth Young Lady Rong still wanted to show their sisterly affection. This was what happened when women grew up; they no longer bickered like they did in childhood and became much more practical.

“Sixth Sister, are you feeling better? Why is your stomach hurting now? After watching the dragon boat races today, Her Majesty the Empress and the Imperial Concubine summoned many of us to speak, but it’s a pity you could not go,” Fourth Young Lady Rong said, feeling sorry for Ah Wu.

Ah Wu smiled faintly. “Much better; it’s a bit of a pity. I have not met the two noble ladies yet.”

Fourth Young Lady Rong said, “This is my first time meeting them, too. Her Majesty the Empress was so kind and dignified, truly a woman of imperial grace. She even spoke to my fifth sister and me and asked what books we were studying.”

Fourth Young Lady Rong was going to marry into the Empress’s aunt’s family, so naturally, she spoke highly of the Empress.

“Today, Consort Xiang even held Fifth Sister’s hand and asked her a question, and also asked why you did not go. Consort Xiang is truly a beauty, but not as dignified as the Empress.” Fourth Young Lady Rong had become quite the chatterbox.

“Why is Fifth Sister not saying anything?” Fourth Young Lady Rong smiled at Fifth Young Lady Rong.

Fifth Young Lady Rong smiled but did not respond.

Fourth Young Lady Rong continued her monologue, undeterred. “Oh, you do not know how much the Empress and Consort Xiang like our Fifth Sister. I was only able to speak to her because of her. Who knows…” Fourth Young Lady Rong left it hanging.

Ah Wu craned her neck, eager to know what happened next.

Fourth Young Lady Rong took a satisfied sip of tea and said, “Who knows, maybe one of our family members will become a princess.”

Ah Wu really wanted to applaud. Although this fourth sister was sometimes unreliable, she was practically a fortune teller at this moment; she had actually predicted it correctly.

Of all the noble ladies in the capital, Fifth Young Lady Rong certainly had the advantage of being chosen as a princess consort. Firstly, her appearance, character, and abilities were all exceptional. Moreover, she was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Anguo’s family; her father was the heir of the Duke of Anguo. Although the Duke of Anguo was old and had relinquished military power many years ago, he still held prestige and influence in the army—a lean camel was still bigger than a horse, not to mention the presence of Third Master Rong, a civil official.

Furthermore, Third Master Rong’s position was crucial at this juncture—the Ministry of Rites.

The Ministry of Rites might seem unremarkable and lacking in real power on ordinary days. However, every year of the imperial examinations was their time to shine. Besides, what else was there? All major national events involved the Ministry of Rites. For example, the death of the previous Emperor and the ascension of the new Emperor—which of these did not involve the Ministry of Rites?

Officials in the Ministry of Rites were required to be well-versed in the rites and laws of past dynasties and to diligently study the veritable records of the current dynasty’s ancestors. In short, they were adept at citing classical texts. Whenever there was a controversy regarding the rites of the dynasty, the Ministry of Rites was involved, not to mention the matter of establishing a crown prince.

Take the current situation as an example. The Fourth Prince, being both the legitimate son and the eldest son, had the support of the Ministry of Rites, which was like adding wings to a tiger. Empress Tian and Consort Xiang’s efforts to win over the Ministry of Rites were precisely to prevent these bookish scholars from getting bogged down in the issue of primogeniture and to prioritize meritocracy.

Emperor Longqing’s decision not to appoint a crown prince also reflected this intention. The old scholars supported primogeniture, while the old Emperor favored his younger son; the two sides were deadlocked, so they temporarily shelved the issue. Now, seeing Emperor Longqing’s declining health, Empress Tian and Consort Xiang were anxious. If one day the old Emperor passed away without leaving an edict, the Fourth Prince’s chances of ascending the throne would be very high. It made sense both logically and emotionally, and although he was idle, he did not have a bad reputation.

However, why Fifth Young Lady Rong was able to marry the Sixth Prince, born to Consort Xiang, in her previous life was something Ah Wu could not quite figure out. But it was said that the Sixth Prince was very fond of this princess, so it could be considered mutual affection.

After pondering for a while, Ah Wu went to pay her respects to Lady Cui the following evening and chatted with Third Master Rong for a while.

“Yesterday I heard that Her Majesty the Empress and the Imperial Concubine both liked Fifth Sister very much,” Ah Wu said casually, fanning herself with a round fan.

“Does that not mean our family will have a princess?” Lady Cui exclaimed in surprise. Even someone like her knew that having a princess in the family would not necessarily be a good thing for them.

Third Master Rong stirred the tea leaves on the surface with the lid of his teacup, took a sip of this year’s pre-Qing-Ming Longjing tea, and said, “We must not presume to know His Majesty’s will. The marriages of princes all require His Majesty’s approval. If word got out, people would say our family is arrogant. Besides, the Fourth Prince is older; his marriage has not been settled yet. How could His Majesty consider the younger princes first?”

“The Fourth Prince…” Even Lady Cui only spoke halfway through her sentence, with a hint of pity, knowing that Fifth Sister Rong would definitely not marry this prince.

Ah Wu glanced at Lady Cui, inwardly chuckling, “If you knew what would happen in the future, you probably would not have felt any pity for this ruthless Emperor.”

“I wonder which family’s daughter this Fourth Prince will marry?” Lady Cui asked curiously, her compassion overflowing, showing concern for the prince who had been motherless since childhood. “From afar today, this Fourth Prince is truly a handsome and refined gentleman, with extraordinary bearing. Even our Jie’er pales in comparison. I’ve heard that Empress Xiaozhen was the most beautiful woman in our Great Xia Dynasty.”

Upon mentioning Empress Xiaozhen, the phrase “beauty is fleeting” came to mind for both of them, and they could not help but look at Ah Wu.

Ah Wu, however, was surprised by Lady Cui’s evaluation of the Fourth Prince. This was an extraordinary compliment. In Lady Cui’s heart, no one could compare to her Brother Jie’er; his looks and talent were once-in-a-century, and it was just a coincidence that he was born into her womb. Now, for her to say that Brother Jie’er was inferior to the Fourth Prince, given her straightforward nature, it did not seem like she was just being polite.

“Father, what do you think?” Ah Wu asked, curious about Third Master Rong’s opinion amidst the gossip.

“I think His Majesty will probably choose a princess consort from among the families of civil officials in the capital,” Third Master Rong said. Seeing his wife’s and daughter’s expectant expressions for gossip, he was no longer as reticent as he had been in public. He had actually wanted to comment for a while, but who dared to speak out?

“How so?” Ah Wu secretly admired Third Master Rong; her father’s status as a top scholar was truly well-deserved.

Third Master Rong took another sip of tea, a hint of pride in his expression, before slowly saying, “The Fourth Prince was engaged to the daughter of the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, but sadly, she died suddenly from an illness.” He and Ah Wu exchanged a glance, both understanding. Ah Wu knew the future, while Third Master Rong possessed foresight, yet both were astonished by each other’s keen insight.

The Governor-General of the Great Xia Dynasty commanded a regional army, wielding military power and controlling military officers, yet he was also considered a civil official, wielding considerable authority. This was the ultimate goal of Third Master Rong’s ambition, even more satisfying than becoming a Grand Secretary.

“It seems His Majesty favors civil officials, but governor-generals are difficult to control from the outskirts. He will likely choose from among the civil officials in the capital.”

Difficult to control? They were all officials of the dynasty; how could it be difficult? Lady Cui naturally did not understand. When others choose sides, even the Emperor could not stop them.

“The Fourth Prince is, after all, the late Empress’s only legitimate son and also the eldest son. His Majesty would not be too harsh on him. He will most likely choose from the nobles of the capital or a civil official of the third rank or above.” At this point, Third Master Rong suddenly glanced at his daughter, Ah Wu.

He himself was now a third-rank civil official and also the third branch of the Duke of Anguo’s family. Ah Wu’s status was not low, but the advantage was that her parents were born of concubines, which would not contradict Emperor Longqing’s strategy of suppressing the Fourth Prince. Third Master Rong’s heart skipped a beat. Ah Wu, however, was not worried at all. She knew who the Fourth Prince had married in her past life—the second daughter of the Left Vice Minister of War.

Lady Cui asked curiously, “Why could they not choose from among the military officers?”

Third Master Rong could not very well say that the Empress and Consort Xiang would not approve of the Fourth Prince’s wife being from a military family, bringing their own “military power” as part of her dowry, could he?

So Third Master Rong coughed, “Alright, it’s getting late. Get some rest. It’s a bit hot. Go find me a cooling medicine.”

Lady Cui immediately got up and left.

Ah Wu, understanding the unspoken meaning, looked at her father.

Third Master Rong stroked his beard and said, “After the dragon boat race today, the Emperor summoned me and asked about the previous matter. It seems it’s been resolved; the imperial decree should be issued in the next few days. You do not need to worry; our family will not produce a princess.” A cold glint appeared on Third Master Rong’s face.

Regardless of which prince Fifth Young Lady Rong would marry, it would be extremely disadvantageous for Third Master Rong. If the First Madam lost her gamble, they would be family, and Third Master Rong would have no way to remain unscathed, no matter how much he wanted. But if the First Madam won, could she really protect the Third Branch of the family? Actually, even if she did not, Third Master Rong would not worry. However, after Rong Min’s “borrowing of documents” incident and the Eldest Master’s “adultery with concubines,” the two branches already had a grudge. The First Madam had wished for Third Master Rong’s death back then, let alone now.

Third Master Rong’s prediction was correct. Within a few days, an imperial edict arrived, stripping Eldest Master Rong of his title of Heir Apparent of the Duke of Anguo.

This single act caused a huge uproar, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others.