Four Seasons Brocade – CH 095

Chapter 95 ☆、

When Ah Wu played Guangling San, she did not have the same hesitation as Lady Cui. She simply took it, somewhat confidently, to the point that Lady Cui might misunderstand and think her daughter might also be interested in Gu Tingyi.

“This Second Master Gu is truly a gentleman of a prominent family, without any airs or spoiled habits, and he’s so respectful…” Lady Cui began to rattle off Gu Tingyi’s virtues.

Ah Wu’s heart stirred. Having known Lady Cui for so many years and knowing her straightforward nature, Ah Wu could read her mind like a child reading a comic book. Ah Wu thought about it; Second Brother Gu was indeed the ideal son-in-law in the hearts of every wife with a daughter of marriageable age. She herself had once been proud of such a man. But now that the situation was her own, she felt like she was covered in lice, unable to sit still.

Ah Wu frowned, somewhat melancholy, and said, “But what is Young Master Gu’s background? Madam, you should probably give up on him. It might cause some trouble, and how will your daughter face others in the future?”

Ah Wu’s words hit the nail on the head, and Lady Cui immediately fell silent. She thought about it and agreed. Someone as arrogant as Princess Fuhui would probably look down on their shallow foundation after the family division. If her husband were the legitimate son of a Duke, perhaps there would be a chance.

“But something as precious as Guangling San…” Lady Cui hesitated. Since the two families could not be related by marriage, accepting such a valuable item was inappropriate.

Ah Wu did not think that way. Subconsciously, she felt that Guangling San was hers; it had originally been on Princess Kangning’s bookshelf.

Moreover, Ah Wu felt a pang of sadness. Her second brother had given it away so easily, clearly forgetting his sister, Ah Wu. A strong sense of resentment rose in Ah Wu’s heart; she felt someone had stolen her brother, but that person was herself—a tangled mess she could not unravel.

Thus, a thought surfaced in Ah Wu’s mind like a demon, but she needed to wait for the right opportunity.

Shifting our gaze from the narrow courtyard of the Rong Mansion back to the bustling streets, the talk of the capital these past few days had been the Emperor’s grand autumn hunt in the north.

For merchants, this was a huge business opportunity; they had already made their way to the market towns near the Imperial Palace in the northern desert before the Emperor even arrived to start their trade. The Longqing Emperor, accompanied by his family and a large entourage of officials, provided opportunities for business with their food, drink, leisure, and entertainment.

For the officials of the Great Xia Dynasty, this was a publicly funded trip, allowing them to witness the “long river and the setting sun” on the northern grasslands and see cattle and sheep grazing amidst the swaying grass. Moreover, the autumn hunt would last a month, and the Longqing Emperor also needed to attend to official duties; therefore, officials from various government departments in the capital were required to accompany him.

For the nobles, this was a grand celebration, and the Emperor even granted them permission to bring their families, giving them a legitimate reason to go hunting and display their true, bloodthirsty nature, which had been stifled by the oppressive heat of the capital.

For the families of princes, ministers, and nobles, this was a grand event to showcase their beauty and a long vacation to broaden their horizons.

In short, everyone was joyful and delighted.

Both men of the Rong family were to attend. Rong Yin, as an imperial bodyguard, was obliged to accompany the Emperor, while Master Rong had to be on call by the Longqing Emperor for official business.

Ah Wu was not going; it was rare for families to take their daughters on the autumn hunt. For her daughter’s sake, Lady Cui stayed behind, filled with regret at not being able to see the scenery beyond the Great Wall and at missing this excellent opportunity to find a husband. But she could not leave Ah Wu, a young woman, alone in the mansion.

Shortly after the Longqing Emperor’s entourage had set off, Ah Wu received a letter from Tang Yin. Tang Yin expressed deep regret that Ah Wu could not go, but her words betrayed a suppressed joy, like a mare letting loose. Ah Wu smiled as she folded the letter. She truly had not expected that Grand Secretary Tang would take Tang Yin along.

Later, from Tang Yin’s second letter, Ah Wu learned that Yang Yin was able to go because the Longqing Emperor had taken several princesses, and Consort Xiang had suggested to the Emperor that some companions be invited for the princesses to avoid them being lonely. The Longqing Emperor naturally granted her request.

Besides Tang Yin, several other unmarried young ladies from noble families from the capital also attended, including Princess Rui and He Peizhen.

Young Lady He was the woman who had once called Ah Wu a “doxie’s child.” Although her reputation was somewhat tarnished, her exceptional family background was undeniable. The Duke of Zhenguo’s family had extremely high standards for choosing a son-in-law, and other families were eager to court her. However, for some reason, Young Lady He was already sixteen and still unmarried.

Ah Wu had never paid attention to Young Lady He Peizhen in her previous life, and they had no connection. Decades had passed, and she had completely forgotten who He Peizhen had married. But in this life, Ah Wu had analyzed the situation. The Duke of Zhenguo, seemingly wealthy and powerful, was actually a hot potato, a man who, as the saying goes, would be fiercely contested in the struggle for the throne.

Therefore, this old fox was unwilling to make a gamble easily, but in the end, he was just a pitiful old man.

Ah Wu spent her days in the capital tending to her plants and doing embroidery, managing accounts, and counting silver. Her life was so uneventful that it was almost idyllic. Occasionally, she would rest her chin on her hand, watching the falling yellow leaves outside the window, envying Tang Yin, who could now watch the sunrise and sunset on the grasslands. She wondered what the grasslands were like, whether the cattle there were like the water buffalo or the yellow cattle of the Central Plains. It was a pity she could only imagine it through reading frontier poems; Tang Yin’s life must be quite exciting.

Ah Wu sighed.

As it turned out, Tang Yin’s life was indeed incredibly exciting, truly spectacular.

A month passed like water slipping through her fingers. The two men of the Rong family, the old and the young, had arrived home safely. Lady Cui, who had been anxious for a whole month, finally breathed a sigh of relief, bustling about with concern and busy with household chores.

Ah Wu, on the other hand, watched the father and son curiously, wondering what had happened to cause such contradictory expressions on their faces.

Rong Yin’s eyes were practically slits from laughing, and even though he tried to suppress it, the corners of his lips would curl up again in an instant. Master Rong, on the other hand, looked utterly depressed, so depressed that a deep frown creased his brow, a look that had not faded since he entered.

Lady Cui, of course, noticed Master Rong’s depression and cautiously said, “My Lord, the bathwater is ready. Please wash up and change your clothes.”

Master Rong rubbed his temples and nodded wearily.

Ah Wu and Rong Yin naturally could not stay any longer and left side by side. As soon as they stepped out of Lady Cui’s courtyard, she saw Rong Yin staring at her expectantly, his face clearly saying, “Come ask me, come ask me.”

Ah Wu wanted to tease Rong Yin a little. This dim-witted second brother, Father was so worried, yet he could still laugh. So she deliberately turned her head away, pretending not to receive his message.

Second Young Master Rong coughed, sounding hurt, then said in a low, joyful voice, “You are going to have a sister-in-law soon.”

Ah Wu was instantly stunned, as if struck by lightning. Having a sister-in-law was not unusual, but the only person who could make Rong Yin so happy that he forgot even his father could be Tang Yin. That was the problem. Was Tang Yin not in love with Second Master Gu? What kind of unexpected turn of events had occurred?

Ah Wu could not remain calm now. She turned her head and gave Rong Yin a very domineering look, meaning, “Come with me.”

The imposing and intimidating Rong Yin, a head taller than Ah Wu, immediately followed, and they went to sit down in the garden. The girl had grown up; even as her brother, it was not appropriate for him to freely enter her private quarters.

“What sister-in-law? Should my brother’s marriage not be arranged by our parents? Why have I not heard Madam mention it?” Ah Wu knew Rong Yin best. If you tried to dodge the question, he’d definitely get impatient and spill the beans. If you pressed him, he’d wag his tail and keep you in suspense.

From childhood to adulthood, when had Rong Yin ever escaped Ah Wu’s grasp?

“You know this person, too? Guess, guess.” Rong Yin looked at Ah Wu, his expression like a puppy thinking, “Throw the bone out, throw it out, and I will fetch it for you.”

“Oh, let me think… After you left, Madam went out a few times, met with several ladies, and mentioned Censor Huang’s family’s daughter. Although her family is poor, but…”

“It’s Young Lady Tang, the one you know too. You two are quite close.” Sure enough, Rong Yin immediately darted out and brought back the dog bone. He was practically asking for a beating.

“Sister Yin…” Ah Wu should have added, “How could that be?” but that would have given her away. Would that not be a blatant hint to Rong Yin that Tang Yin had ulterior motives? Luckily, Ah Wu reacted quickly, feigning extreme surprise, “You two would not be secretly engaged…”

“How could that be? Do not ruin Young Lady Tang’s reputation.”

Well, this man was not even officially married yet, and he’s already protecting his wife. Ah Wu felt a tiny bit jealous. “Then tell me…”

While Rong Yin was recounting to Ah Wu how his bravery had brought him such good fortune, Lady Cui was also discussing this matter while serving Master Rong with a back rub.

“Prepare yourself; make it a grand affair. We will be going to Elder Tang’s residence to propose marriage in the next few days,” Master Rong instructed Lady Cui. This was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

“Ah, propose marriage to whom?” Lady Cui was momentarily confused.

“Please propose marriage for Yin’er to the eldest daughter of Grand Secretary Tang.”

Grand Secretary Tang only had one daughter, Tang Yin. It was said that high-ranking families marry off their daughters, while lower-ranking families take in wives. Although Lady Cui greatly admired Tang Yin, she had not considered proposing marriage for her two sons to this noblewoman.

Lady Cui’s views were quite simple. While she would not make things difficult for her daughter-in-law, she at least wanted to maintain her dignity as a mother-in-law. But how could she maintain her mother-in-law’s authority in front of Tang Yin? And if she proposed like that for her younger son, what would happen to Jie’er’s future wife? Finding a wife even more noble than Tang Yin would be extremely difficult, but her eldest son’s future wife would be the matriarch of the family. How would she deal with the younger brother’s wife, who was of a higher status?

“Ah, would that not be too much of a stretch?” Lady Cui was somewhat troubled and perhaps a little too hasty.

“It’s a bit of a stretch for him, but this boy is truly blessed despite his foolishness. Just bear with him.” Master Rong knew exactly what Lady Cui was thinking; after all, they’d shared a bed for years.