Four Seasons Brocade – CH 103

Chapter 103 ☆、

Although Cui Ji was not a household name in the capital, a city teeming with large merchants and vying for embroidery fame, it had gained considerable renown and an excellent reputation. Under Zi-Yan’s management over the years, it had become a thriving business with abundant wealth. What started as a small shop had now expanded to three bays, and the back courtyard had been purchased.

Ah Wu entered Cui Ji through a side door hidden in the alley. Zi-Yan had already led Gu Tingyi to the guest room, served him tea, and personally entertained him.

Gu Tingyi remained silent, and Zi-Yan dared not speak either. Having lived in the capital for so many years, she knew of this Second Master of the Princess’s family, but she had never imagined she would see him so closely.

Through her slightly raised eyelids, Zi-Yan subtly observed Gu Tingyi. His face was cold and handsome, yet his features were refined and elegant. He possessed a dignified bearing, exuding the air of a noble young master, clearly someone adorned with gold and jade. He and her young lady seemed like a match made in heaven.

Since the two had secretly arranged to meet here, Zi-Yan assumed this was the future son-in-law and therefore served him with exceptional attentiveness.

As soon as Ah Wu entered, Zi-Yan discreetly excused herself and personally stood guard outside the courtyard.

“Second Brother.” Ah Wu walked towards Gu Tingyi impatiently, looking at him expectantly.

Gu Tingyi opened his mouth, looking into Ah Wu’s eyes, but could not utter a word. He naturally understood what Ah Wu’s expectation was.

Such a momentous event as his own sister’s resurrection—could Gu Tingyi possibly hide it from the Princess? But the matter was simply too unbelievable, and the Princess was a stubborn person who did not believe in ghosts or spirits.

After much thought, Gu Tingyi could only try to subtly probe Princess Fuhui’s attitude.

Gu Tingyi then falsely claimed that a friend’s family had experienced a miraculous event of someone dying and coming back to life, and told this story to the Princess. To his surprise, the Princess immediately sneered, “I think you’ve read too many supernatural tales. In all my years, I’ve never heard of anyone coming back to life. As for the girl you mentioned who died and came back to life, she must have ulterior motives towards your friend’s family.”

“That’s not it,” Gu Tingyi argued. “That girl knew everything about my friend’s sister. Even the most secret matters known only to the two of them were known to her. If this were not a case of death and resurrection, it would be hard to explain.”

But Princess Fuhui was a shrewd and perceptive woman. After recalling the events, she understood a great deal and said sarcastically, “Is the girl you mentioned who died and came back to life the Sixth Young Lady Rong?”

Gu Tingyi was startled but remained silent, tacitly admitting it.

“Yi’er, Yi’er, what do I have to say to make you listen? That Young Lady Rong is no pushover; her cunning is unmatched by many young ladies in the capital. She played a significant role in the division of the Duke of Anguo’s mansion,” the princess pointedly retorted. Although Ah Wu’s actions were secretive, there were still clues to be found. A clever outsider, skilled at unraveling the threads, might be able to deduce some of the truth.

Moreover, her own son had argued with her over Young Lady Rong. Given Princess Fuhui’s temperament, how could she not investigate her? And what she found was a fascinating tale of three sons sharing a concubine. Just by seeing who ultimately benefited, it would not be hard to guess who was behind it all.

“Mother, Ah Wu was just trying to protect herself,” Gu Tingyi said, having already heard the Princess’s analysis of Ah Wu.

“What Ah Wu? She does not even deserve that name!” the Princess roared. “Yi’er, you are a grown man! How can you be so easily fooled? She clearly saw no hope of marrying into our family, and your mother would never allow someone like her to enter. So she resorted to this flimsy excuse to get close to you and even tried to deceive me along the way. Humph!”

Before Gu Tingyi could retort, the Princess continued, “Since she claims to be Ah Wu resurrected, why did she not acknowledge me as her mother from the start? Why did she acknowledge you first, and at such a sensitive time? Her father, Rong Jichang, was just assigned to the fourth prince as his tutor, and she’s already latched onto you. Such cunning—even several of you would not be a match for her!”

What the Princess said did indeed seem to make sense.

Gu Tingyi could not refute her for the moment. Therefore, how could he possibly express the Princess’s attitude towards Ah Wu today, given her expectation?

“Ah Wu, I heard that Vice Minister Rong wants to marry you off to the Xue family in Huzhou; is that true?” Gu Tingyi asked, avoiding Ah Wu’s eyes.

Ah Wu felt listless at the mention of this, yet she could not find a reason to refuse. Even she herself felt that this marriage seemed excellent at the moment, if she did not know that the Fourth Prince would eventually ascend the throne.

Seeing no joy or shyness in Ah Wu’s expression, Gu Tingyi knew her thoughts and continued, “You do not want to marry far away, do you?”

Ah Wu did not just not want to marry far away; she did not want to get married at all. She did not hide it from her second brother and nodded readily.

“I have an idea; would you like to hear it?” Gu Tingyi asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Second Brother, just say what you want to say,” Ah Wu said with a smile.

Gu Tingyi struggled to suppress the turmoil in his heart and said in a deep voice, “Ah Wu, why not marry your brother?”

Ah Wu looked up sharply at Gu Tingyi, wondering if she had misheard.

“Do not rush to answer; let me finish,” Gu Tingyi said quickly. Now that he had started, the rest was easy. “If you marry me, I will not force you to do anything. I am your brother; who in this life would protect you more than me? Besides, you know Mother’s temperament. She does not believe or accept that you are Ah Wu. I know you want to acknowledge your mother.”

Gu Tingyi gestured for Ah Wu to calm down with his eyes. “Look,” he said, “if you marry your brother, would your mother not become your mother too? The longer you spend together, the more she will believe you are Ah Wu.”

Seeing a slight softening in Ah Wu’s eyes, Gu Tingyi pressed on, “Besides, with your intelligence, you know the Emperor dislikes the Fourth Prince intensely. But since he holds the position of eldest son, he’s unlikely to have a good end. If that day comes, marrying your brother is far more secure than marrying anyone else.”

Ah Wu looked at Gu Tingyi in silence. To be honest, his words had indeed moved her to some extent. Just thinking about marrying him and being able to live with her mother day and night filled her with excitement.

However, looking at Gu Tingyi’s face, Ah Wu felt that marrying her brother was incredibly awkward. To her, it was incest. Besides, they were siblings and could not possibly share a room. What would happen to his second brother’s offspring? He could indeed take a concubine, but the children born would be illegitimate. How could they compare to legitimate sons?

Ah Wu whispered her concerns.

Gu Tingyi did not have such concerns. “What’s the big deal? Our family does not rely on me to carry on the family line. My eldest brother’s eldest son is already two years old, and my sister-in-law is showing signs of pregnancy.” Seeing Ah Wu’s disapproving expression, Gu Tingyi added, “If you really care, I can always marry in a concubine later.”

In truth, Gu Tingyi had never considered marrying a concubine; it was merely a delaying tactic. The Princess’s words had indeed shaken his confidence that Ah Wu was his sister, and that was exactly what he was willing to accept. Besides, his younger sister, Princess Kangning, was only ten years old when she left, still a little girl, completely different from Ah Wu, the graceful young woman before him. Gu Tingyi found it difficult to equate the two.

Gu Tingyi did not care whether Ah Wu’s words were true or false. Even if he found out she was lying, he would be content. The thought of marrying Ah Wu, slowly cultivating their love after marriage, and eventually living happily ever after filled him with sweetness.

Ah Wu, however, felt this was too far-fetched and found it hard to accept. Moreover, Ah Wu suddenly thought that if, as her second brother said, they spent time together and her mother truly believed she was Ah Wu, then she would be outwardly her second brother’s wife. How could her mother accept that? That would truly be a tangled mess.

Thinking this through, Ah Wu made up her mind and shook her head, saying, “Second Brother, I know you mean well, but I cannot ruin your life for my own selfish reasons. I am still waiting for you to marry a sister-in-law and have a well-behaved nephew or niece for me to cherish.”

“Oh, by the way, did you tell Mother about Princess Herui?” Ah Wu remembered this.

“Yes.” After hearing Ah Wu’s words, Gu Tingyi had secretly investigated. Sure enough, as Ah Wu said, even if he liked such a wicked woman, he absolutely could not marry her.

“Then Mother…” Ah Wu asked.

“Mother will naturally not let me marry Herui.” Gu Tingyi looked at Ah Wu with disappointment. “Are you really not going to reconsider?”

“Second Brother, we both know in our hearts that we are siblings. How can we get married?”

“But Ah Wu, this body of yours is not truly yours. Strictly speaking, we are not siblings. I…” Gu Tingyi wanted to persuade Ah Wu further. Ah Wu was shocked and horrified. She had not expected her second brother to still harbor such thoughts after she revealed such a secret. Ah Wu was deeply disappointed and saddened. No wonder her mother did not believe she could be brought back to life; even her second brother, who claimed to believe her, probably did not truly believe she was Ah Wu deep down.

For a moment, Ah Wu felt a darkness descend upon her, and her whole body turned cold. After a long while, Ah Wu came to her senses and said tearfully, “Second Brother, you do not believe me?”

“Of course, I believe you.” Gu Tingyi could not bear Ah Wu’s tears and swore to the heavens that he absolutely believed her, which made Ah Wu feel a little better.

The two sat facing each other for a while longer, still feeling somewhat awkward. Gu Tingyi was reluctant to get up and leave, and Ah Wu had more to say. She had originally thought that if Gu Tingyi could persuade her mother to believe her, she would tell her everything, including the fact that the fourth prince would eventually rebel and ascend the throne. But now, she realized that all of this was absolutely forbidden to be told to anyone. The idea of ​​someone dying and coming back to life was already hard to believe, but adding the tale of a wandering soul made it even more fantastical.

Moreover, saying such things at this time inevitably made people think it was a trap set up for the struggle for the throne.

After a long pause, Ah Wu said, “Second Brother, His Majesty has issued an edict to have portraits of the daughters of third-rank officials drawn for the selection of princes’ consorts. Eunuchs have also come to my house. Second Brother, do you know what arrangements the Emperor has made for the princes’ marriages?”

Gu Tingyi shook his head. “Although such matters should be handled by the Empress, this time Uncle did not consult anyone. Even Mother did not know anything. However, Empress Tian has taken a liking to the daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo and asked Mother to speak to Uncle on her behalf.”

“Why does Mother insist on being so close to Empress Tian?” Ah Wu asked. “The Fifth Prince’s temperament is simply incompatible with the throne. If he were to ascend the throne, it would be a misfortune for the people. Does Mother not see that?”

Gu Tingyi sighed. “If the Fifth Prince cannot ascend the throne, given the grudge between Consort Xiang and Mother, it’s hard to guarantee that the Sixth Prince will not turn against us once he takes the throne.”

“What about the Fourth Prince? Does he not have a chance?” Ah Wu asked.

Gu Tingyi said, “You are not in the palace, so you naturally do not know about the situation between Uncle and the Fourth Prince. Uncle does not even see the Fourth Prince. They probably have not seen each other for seven or eight years.”

Ah Wu’s eyes widened upon hearing this. Although she knew the Longqing Emperor disliked the Fourth Prince, she had not expected it to have reached this point—he did not even want to see him.

“That’s true, but anything can happen. Who knows, the Fourth Prince might turn against us?” Ah Wu guided Gu Tingyi step by step.

“You rarely go out,” Gu Tingyi said, implying that Ah Wu was naive. “I cannot speak for others, but if the Fourth Prince wants to force the abdication, he has absolutely no chance of success.” His meaning was clear: the Fourth Prince’s only option to seize the throne was a coup, but Gu Tingyi, as a member of the Imperial Guard, was extremely confident in the defenses of the capital and the Forbidden City.

Ah Wu thought for a moment and did not continue, as that would seem too contrived. She said, “Heaven’s will is unpredictable, but no matter which prince ascends the throne, Mother’s honor will not be diminished. Why should she wade into this mess? What if she bets on the wrong horse and gets herself into trouble? As long as Mother stays on the right track, she will ultimately remain safe.”

Gu Tingyi nodded. “That’s what I advised Mother as well, but Mother is always very decisive.” No one could persuade the Princess.

Ah Wu sighed, “No matter what, Second Brother, you should try to persuade Mother more.”

Ah Wu returned to the Rong Mansion with a hint of sorrow in her eyes. Although she had anticipated the difficulty of recognizing her relatives, she still could not help but feel sad when facing it firsthand.

But what she did not know was that something even more “sad” was yet to come.

The Longqing Emperor’s decree bestowing marriages upon his four princes shook the court like a thunderclap the following morning.