Four Seasons Brocade – CH 096

Chapter 96 ☆、

Lady Cui pushed Master Rong unhappily. “Honestly, why did you not discuss it with me beforehand before arranging this marriage with the Tang family girl?”

“Where am I supposed to discuss it with you? That brat has not even discussed it with me yet!” Master Rong retorted irritably, not because of the marriage itself, but because he was venting his frustration.

Lady Cui had caught on to something. “You mean they are…” Lady Cui’s face changed. “That will not do. Even if she’s from the Tang family, her behavior is too outrageous. How could she be with…”

“Do not speculate. It’s your son’s good fortune, not some shady affair between them,” Master Rong interrupted Lady Cui.

“Then tell me what happened; do not make me overthink,” Lady Cui said, gently nudging Master Rong again.

Master Rong reluctantly got dressed and rose. Lady Cui served him a strong cup of tea, and only then did he patiently begin to explain.

The story was actually quite simple, just a classic tale from a play: a hero rescuing a damsel in distress.

That day, Tang Yin’s horse spooked itself, running wildly. It looked like it was about to throw Tang Yin off, surely breaking her neck. She herself was screaming in terror on the horse’s back, but thankfully, she remained calm and managed to lean over and grab the horse’s neck to avoid falling immediately.

Several guards attending the Longqing Emperor were ordered to chase after the mad horse, but none could catch it. Only Rong Yin, recklessly urging his horse on, managed to subdue it when the two horses were close enough. He leaped into the air, embracing Tang Yin from behind, and with tremendous effort, finally brought the horse under control.

In broad daylight, holding a young woman in one’s arms, with even the Emperor watching, while a temporary measure, was still somewhat inappropriate. Fortunately, neither of them was married, and this incident became a legendary tale of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress.

Although the Longqing Emperor did not personally bestow the marriage upon them, his words hinted at it. Even if Grand Secretary Tang wanted to refuse, he could not, especially since the marriage seemed quite good. After all, Rong Yin was a promising young man, and as a Grand Secretary, even a small amount of money from him would be enough for the young couple to live a comfortable life.

Therefore, Grand Secretary Tang and Master Rong reached a tacit understanding: once they returned to the capital, the two families would begin discussing the marriage. However, things did not go as planned. Neither family anticipated the unexpected turn of events. Master Rong, fearing complications, wanted to finalize the marriage quickly, grasping at any straw.

That was why, even in his extreme depression, Master Rong instructed Lady Cui to handle the matter first, patiently explaining the whole story to her.

Meanwhile, Ah Wu, after hearing this story, had her own plans, but she needed to get the full details from Tang Yin. It was unclear what she was thinking. Ah Wu was happy that Rong Yin’s wish had been fulfilled, but also saddened for Tang Yin, and regretted that Second Brother Gu could not marry such a woman.

Rong Yin was still savoring the lingering fragrance of Tang Yin’s scent. For three days afterward, he could not bear to bathe, his midnight dreams filled with that fragrance and the image of her clinging to him in her panic.

Ah Wu, however, did not have such leisurely thoughts. A startled horse—what a coincidence! This was a sensitive time for the palace to select consorts for the princes. The horses chosen for the noble ladies should have been docile; how could it suddenly be startled? Was someone behind this?

But regardless, the ending was good. However, if it were not for the reckless Rong Yin, would Tang Yin have been dead or maimed? Although this had not happened to Ah Wu, she cared about only a few people, even more than about her own affairs, so she was anxious to see Tang Yin.

But there was still an important matter she needed to ask Rong Yin.

“Second Brother, what happened during the autumn hunt? Father looked so worried.” Ah Wu assumed it was not about the marriage alliance with Grand Secretary Tang; in fact, it was good news. Perhaps Father Rong could even become Grand Secretary Tang’s successor if he worked hard.

“Ah, well, I cannot say for sure. We will have to wait for the imperial decree to confirm.” Rong Yin frowned. He did not want to tell his sister about court affairs, lest she worry unnecessarily. Now, he could only find Ah Wu a husband as soon as possible; even if something went wrong later, it would not be the daughter’s fault.

Both Master Rong and Rong Yin remained tight-lipped about this matter, and Ah Wu could not get a single clue from them. Even Rong Yin, who had been beaming with joy, showed a hint of sadness after Ah Wu asked the question.

A few days later, Master Rong and Lady Cui asked the Marchioness of Shouchang to act as the matchmaker to propose marriage to the Tang family. This matchmaker was of considerable status, indicating she valued Tang Yin highly. The Marchioness of Shouchang’s youngest son’s wife was a cousin of Lady Cui’s, and it was through this connection that Lady Liu was persuaded to participate.

At that time, Young Master Rong’s act of saving the Tang family’s daughter was already an open secret among the nobles of the capital, so Lady Liu was happy to make this trip to arrange what seemed like a sure thing. However, she did not receive a definite answer from the Tang family.

“What did Madam Tang say?” Lady Cui asked Lady Liu, who had come to report.

“Madam Tang only said that Young Lady Tang has been ill these past few days, and she needs to ask her opinion before making a decision,” Lady Liu comforted Lady Cui. “After all, this is a matter of a young lady’s entire life. She only has one daughter, and she cherishes her more than her own eyes, so naturally she needs to be cautious.”

But even Lady Liu herself felt somewhat unsure about these words, let alone Lady Cui. “It’s not like it’s just any family. Although Rong Yin acted out of a desire to save someone, he still embraced the girl in public. What’s the point of asking questions under these circumstances? Marriage is the best solution. Why is the Tang family so hesitant?”

“Thank you so much, Madam, for your help today. My husband and I will come to thank you again another day.”

“Another day” naturally referred to the day the marriage was finalized; otherwise, both families would have to cover it up and pretend nothing happened to avoid losing face.

Lady Liu felt unlucky; she had hoped to facilitate a good match and accumulate some good fortune.

That evening, after hearing Lady Cui’s reply, Master Rong only sighed deeply. Rong Yin, however, frowned deeply, looking anxiously at Ah Wu.

“Go and ask Sister Yin for me! Even after all this, if she still does not want to marry me, what kind of family can she marry into? Is this not ruining her life?” Rong Yin was very anxious.

Ah Wu said, “It’s alright if she does not marry you. With Grand Secretary Tang’s status, marrying Sister Yin off would not be difficult. Not many officials outside the capital know about your affair, and even if they did, there would be plenty who want to curry favor with Grand Secretary Tang. Besides, it’s a matter of expediency, not a big deal. If we are honest, reasonable families will not blame Sister Yin.” This was the truth.

“Ah, how can you say that? How could Grand Secretary Tang bear to let Sister Yin marry off?” Rong Yin became agitated, pacing back and forth in the garden, spitting fire. “You should at least pass on a message to Sister Yin for me!”

“You think I have not? But the letters I wrote to Sister Yin are like stones sinking into the sea. They probably will not even reach her, or maybe they will, but her letters will not get through.” Ah Wu could not get any information from her father and second brother and had already tried other ways, but it was still a dead end.

“What exactly happened during the autumn hunt?” Ah Wu was also getting agitated.

Rong Yin sighed, “You would not understand even if I explained.” Then he stormed off.

This matter, which even Ah Wu would not understand, quickly came to light.

The Longqing Emperor issued an edict ordering renowned tutors to be appointed to instruct his four surviving princes at least once every ten days. Master Rong was chosen as the tutor of the fourth prince, Chu Mao.

This was a devastating blow to Rong Jichang. His entire life’s ambitions and ideals were abruptly halted. He could understand why Grand Secretary Tang refused the marriage proposal and felt no anger; if he were in the other’s shoes, he probably would have acted even more ruthlessly.

No wonder these past few days, Master Rong had locked himself in his study after court, with no social engagements. The Rong Mansion was practically deserted. Even before, while not exactly bustling, the constant flow of visitors had worn down the threshold of the newly built house. The contrast with now truly revealed the coldness of human nature.

Of the entire household, only Ah Wu, upon receiving the news, smiled with a smile that surpassed the curve of a crescent moon and lasted for at least a quarter of an hour. It was truly as if divinely inspired, or, to put it more bluntly, she had struck gold.

Now that Master Rong had ingratiated himself with the Fourth Prince, as long as he remained discreet or endured hardship during Emperor Ai’s ascension, he could survive and enjoy a bright future. Based on Ah Wu’s understanding of the Sixth Prince, he was not a bloodthirsty person, so Master Rong’s life seemed secure.

Therefore, Ah Wu only needed to worry about the Imperial Princess’s faction from now on. She no longer needed to be caught between two fires, and with Master Rong’s mediation, perhaps the relationship between the Imperial Princess and the Fourth Prince could be eased—it was not some deep-seated hatred.

As for Ah Wu, she was a practical person. The grudges of her past life paled in comparison to the peace of this one. Maintaining her safety was the priority; why risk a futile effort, at least for now? Although Ah Wu had not had much contact with the Fourth Prince, from an outsider’s perspective, Chu Mao’s later success was not solely due to luck and brute force. He had been playing a long game of chess, and Ah Wu was not arrogant enough to think that just because she was reborn, she could become his opponent.

But, having done her best, there were no regrets.

Thinking of this, Ah Wu could not help but try to comfort her father, Master Rong, who had gotten incredibly lucky but was still oblivious and complaining.

“Father, Madam said you did not eat much tonight, so she asked me to bring you a plate of pastries.” These pastries were layered lotus seed paste and water chestnut cakes made by Lady Cui herself. This pastry was the most time-consuming to make; just the flaky pastry alone took a full hour. But the pastry was flaky, the filling was delicate, and the texture was crisp. It was sweet but not greasy, soft yet crunchy. Ah Wu and Master Rong both loved it, but Lady Cui rarely made it. Today, she made a plate of pastries to comfort her husband because Master Rong had been looking depressed these past few days, and she could not help him.

“Oh, Ah Wu’s here. Please sit down. I have something to tell you,” said Master Rong with a serious expression.

Ah Wu nodded and sat down.

Looking at his exceptionally beautiful and intelligent daughter, Master Rong said with great reluctance, “I have a classmate who is now serving as a magistrate in Huzhou Prefecture. He comes from the Xue family of Wuxi.” Master Rong paused.

Ah Wu nodded to indicate that she knew. The Xue family of Wuxi was a prominent family, having produced two Grand Tutors and one Grand Secretary. They were also renowned for their numerous memorial arches commemorating chastity, and the court had repeatedly issued imperial edicts to commend them.

“He is upright and prudent, and he has raised his children well. All his sons are successful. In his last letter, he mentioned his third son, who is three years older than you. He has already passed the provincial examination and is currently studying at Tianyi Academy in Jiangnan.”

With intelligent people, there was no need for explicit explanation. Ah Wu understood Master Rong’s meaning, and her face flushed. She had not expected her father to tell her such things.

“Father, I will not marry!”