Four Seasons Brocade – CH 119

Chapter 119 ☆、  

After Tao Siyao left, Zi-Shan fanned her nose. “Such a strong scent of perfume. I had to use all my strength to hold back my sneeze.”

Ah Wu murmured, “She was trying to cover up the smell of medicine all over her body.” She seemed to have done the same thing herself.

“Lady Tao is clearly two years older than the young lady, yet she still calls her ‘elder sister’ all the time. Does she not feel ashamed?” Zi-Shan continued to nitpick. She could not stand Tao Siyao’s coy, tearful act after just a few words—who was she trying to impress?

Ah Wu chuckled, “Because I am the mistress—” The two exchanged a smile and stopped talking about Tao Siyao. “The weather is beautiful today; let’s go for a walk in the garden. I have not properly explored this famous Xiangsi Garden in the capital yet.”

The entrance to Xiangsi Garden was a “Nine Lion Mountain” made of Taihu stones, with layered peaks, ancient vines, and exotic flowers. The lions were depicted crouching or leaping. Although Ah Wu had seen the exquisite beauty of Jiangnan gardens, she had to admit that this “Nine Lion Mountain” was wonderfully crafted.

Continuing on, the lake stones became increasingly smooth and lustrous, interspersed with white moss. Listening closely, one could hear the echoes of water droplets falling, the tinkling sounds like the melody of a zither. One felt as if transported to a deep mountain ravine. This place was called “Ba-Yin Stream.” Further on, the sun began to shine, and the sudden openness was breathtaking. Looking up, one could see the babbling brook winding its way through the valley.

Suddenly, Ah Wu’s mood began to sink. She should have known better. The Acacia Garden, nestled against the Hongchi Pond, had water flowing into it. Half mountain, half water, with many open spaces—a perfect setting for others—was, for Ah Wu, difficult to walk on. She disliked water.

However, since she had come to visit the garden, she could not just turn back immediately. Ah Wu had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue. Fortunately, the water here was not too wide, and Ah Wu could manage. Heading east, following the flow of the water, she crossed the Ta-Yue Bridge, but instead of going through the Fan-Xiang Pavilion, she turned back south and climbed the Tianguang Pavilion.

The Tianguang Pavilion was built atop the ridge of the Nine Lion Mountains, which wound its way along the wall. From the pavilion, one could see the Xiangsi Garden’s high terraces, winding pavilions, long corridors, multi-story buildings, beautiful rocks and trees, and wide, clear ponds—all clearly visible.

The southeastern section, where the Bingxue Forest was located, presented a completely different scene. Halls, pavilions, towers, and terraces were all constructed from mountain trees and bamboo, untouched by human hands, covered with thatch, and draped with vines. Bamboo fences surrounded the buildings, beneath which chrysanthemums and vegetables were planted—a scene of rustic charm reminiscent of a waterside village. Ah Wu had once dreamed of such a place, to enjoy the pleasures of farming. Of course, this was only because Ah Wu herself had never planted mulberry trees or worked in the fields; such scholarly thoughts were born from this.

Below the Tianguang Pavilion lay the orchard, which the servants often refer to as the Bingxue Forest. Although it was only late autumn, early plum blossoms had already bloomed, their subtle fragrance wafting in the air, but unfortunately, they had not yet turned into a blanket of snow.

Standing by the pavilion, Ah Wu saw a figure moving about in the woods and heard the rustling of clothes. Just as Ah Wu was about to take a step back behind the pillar, she heard someone from below the trees say loudly, “So the Princess is here too.”

Because it was Chu Mao who spoke, Ah Wu could not pretend to be oblivious. She could only descend the stone steps and enter the orchard.

In the forest, a wide sleeve gently brushed aside the fluttering white plum blossom petals. The sleeve fell, revealing a face so beautiful it would make Zhao Fen blush and Yao Huang envious.

Under the white plum tree, Ah Wu wore a plain white brocade dress, over which was a wide-sleeved, cherry-pink satin robe with white fox fur trim. A three-zhang-wide pink sash with dark silver peony patterns was cinched at the waist, tied with a flowing yellow silk sash. Over her shoulders was a white fox fur-trimmed, red wan-patterned velvet cloak with continuous wan designs, which she had been forced to wear by Zi-Shan before leaving home. She seemed less like a real person and more like a plum blossom spirit or a jade Guanyin.

He Peizhen stared wide-eyed at Ah Wu, who returned her smile, curtsied to Chu Mao, and then turned to He Peizhen, saying, “Is Lady He feeling much better? This morning, your maid came to Yulan Hall to say you were not feeling well and could not come to pay your respects.”

He Peizhen’s face flushed red and then paled, a rather striking sight. She was furious that Ah Wu had interfered when she finally had a chance encounter with Prince Qi, and hearing Ah Wu’s words, she almost lost her composure and launched into a tirade. Fortunately, she held back because Chu Mao was nearby.

“My chest felt tight, so I came out for a walk, only to unexpectedly run into the Prince and Princess,” He Peizhen said, then gave Chu Mao a reproachful glance, as if scolding his lack of romantic understanding.

Ah Wu was also surprised by He Peizhen’s “shamelessness,” so she mimicked her with a sidelong glance at Chu Mao, saying, “I did not just bump into Your Highness; I’ve been waiting for you here specifically.” Ah Wu’s eyes sparkled, making Li Yanguang, who was serving nearby, almost sway. Good heavens, Li Yanguang never expected that His Majesty would actually appoint such a stunningly beautiful princess for His Highness.

He Peizhen’s face grew even more unpleasant after being stung by Ah Wu’s words. However, Ah Wu was too lazy to pay her any attention. The two had been at odds since childhood, and now, He Peizhen felt like she had stolen He Peizhen’s prize, making them mortal enemies. There was no need for pretense.

“Oh, what does Your Highness want with me?” Chu Mao asked, playing along.

However, Ah Wu was not one to let people take advantage of her for nothing. Chu Mao could not handle He Peizhen himself, yet he used her as a shield; Ah Wu had to collect some interest.

“I wish to visit Shuangjian Tower. Would Your Highness be so kind as to grant me this favor?” Ah Wu blinked her large, watery eyes.

Chu Mao suddenly smiled brightly, leaving Li Yanguang and He Peizhen momentarily stunned. His smile was truly like a spring breeze, bringing forth a riot of colors. However, the true meaning behind it was known only to Ah Wu and Chu Mao.

“Of course,” Chu Mao replied, as if he feared the conflict between He Peizhen and Ah Wu was not deep enough. He walked to Ah Wu’s side, gently supporting her elbow, and led her towards Shuangjian Tower, which stood across the stream. He Peizhen was naturally forgotten by the two of them.

No, it was merely that Ah Wu had deliberately forgotten about her. As Chu Mao reached the Kua-Hong Bridge, he slowly turned to He Peizhen, who stood frozen in place, and said, “Although the Princess Consort is kind-hearted, you concubines must still observe the proper etiquette and pay your respects. If you are truly too ill to rise, you may go to the estate to recuperate.”

Ah Wu could hardly bear to look at He Peizhen’s expression. For a woman so deeply in love with him, he could remain so unmoved. Ah Wu could only marvel at His Highness Prince Qi’s extraordinary wisdom; he was indeed destined for greatness.

After Chu Mao finished reprimanding He Peizhen, he turned to Ah Wu, saying, “The Princess Consort must also manage the rules for these two concubines and three chambermaids. Nanny Hao should not interfere in these matters, but now that you’ve entered the mansion, you should establish those rules.”

“Yes,” Ah Wu replied, but inwardly she thought, the rules for the three chambermaids were excellent, but these two concubines were infatuated with Chu Mao, constantly love-sick and idle, hence all the trouble. If he were more evenly distributed, things would not be like this.

Speaking of evenly distributing his favor, Ah Wu’s thoughts began to wander again, recalling what Lady Cui had taught her: after intercourse, place a soft pillow under your waist, lower your head and raise your legs on the bed frame, and rest for a while, and the chances of conception would greatly increase.

Ah Wu quickly shook her head. She did not understand why she had thought of this. What she really wanted to think about was that if both of them were pregnant, they would not have so much free time to pester Prince Qi.

Furthermore, Ah Wu did not want to be the one to stick her neck out and become the target of everyone’s criticism. Even if Chu Mao wanted to push her out as a “scarecrow,” he’d have to see if she was willing to be that straw man. Therefore, after careful consideration, Ah Wu spoke with feigned seriousness: “In truth, I do not feel comfortable establishing such a rule. The sage said, ‘All things carry yin and embrace yang, and harmony is achieved through the interaction of these two forces.’ Isolated yin cannot grow, and solitary yang cannot be born. Harmony in this family also requires the proper balance of yin and yang.”

Ah Wu had to muster immense courage to say these words. She herself had absolutely no interest in any yin-yang harmony, and even in this worded way, she felt deeply ashamed and remorseful.

However, Ah Wu’s words were undeniably tactful. She vaguely guessed that Chu Mao was probably quite indifferent to sex. Ah Wu could be without a son, but Chu Mao absolutely needed an heir; otherwise, where would her future “son” come from? Given that Chu Mao’s current wife was no longer the same person, Ah Wu naturally worried about whether the woman who bore him a son in her previous life could still enter the household and produce another son.

Therefore, at this moment, Ah Wu even seriously considered Tao Siyao’s suggestion; perhaps she should indeed urge Chu Mao to have more women of equal standing.

Then, after hearing Ah Wu’s words, Chu Mao’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Oh, so the Princess is complaining about me…”

“No, no…” Ah Wu did not want to shoot herself in the foot. “What I mean is, in this world, it’s not poverty that’s the problem, but inequality. The three chambermaids and two concubines all entered the mansion before me, and they have always served the Prince diligently. Now, the Prince favors me over them, which makes me feel uneasy. Moreover, the Prince has no children yet; having offspring is both filial piety and loyalty.” Given that Chu Mao’s father was the Emperor, Ah Wu assumed that his filial piety was equivalent to loyalty. “I am young and frail, and I fear it will be difficult for me to conceive…”

Seeing Chu Mao staring intently at her, his gaze intense, Ah Wu panicked and blurted out, “I’ve heard that women over twenty are most fertile, Your Highness…”

Ah Wu struggled to speak until finally she could not continue, while Chu Mao burst into laughter.

Chu Mao watched Ah Wu nervously twisting her handkerchief, her face flushed with embarrassment and anxiety, her bright eyes wide and fluttering rapidly as she tried to emphasize her words. She was slightly breathless with nervousness, and he could not help but laugh. He could not understand where Ah Wu got the confidence to utter such words as “favoring me over them.”

“Your Highness!” Ah Wu said, her voice filled with embarrassment and anger. She thought she was uttering profound words, but Chu Mao did not take them seriously at all. “Your Highness need not mock me. I am speaking the truth. Of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. Your Highness has been aware of human affairs for so many years, yet you still have no children. Are you not afraid that someone might spread rumors to slander you…?”

Seeing Ah Wu’s endearing seriousness, Chu Mao asked, “How do you know it would be slander?”

“Of course, I know.” Unfortunately, Ah Wu could not answer like that. In her past life, Chu Mao had a son, so of course, it was slander. “Your Highness possesses the bearing of a dragon and the appearance of the sun and moon; how could you be such a person? But rumors are a fearsome thing, and we must be wary.” Ah Wu now used unfounded slander to advise Chu Mao.

“Oh, then what does Your Highness think should be done?”

“Hmm,” Ah Wu stammered, “Your Highness could perhaps visit the various courtyards more often and roughly arrange a date. As Your Highness just mentioned, you hoped that I would establish proper etiquette after entering the palace.”

“But even as the Princess Consort, you have no right to interfere or arrange dates for your husband,” Chu Mao said very seriously.

Ah Wu felt a chill run down her spine, filled with remorse. She had seen Chu Mao smiling quite a bit earlier and assumed he was in a good mood, so she had boldly taken advantage of the situation, only to stumble and fall. Alas! Indeed, his moods were unpredictable, and his heart was hard to fathom. If this were already the case today, who knew what would happen after he ascended the throne tomorrow?

Ah Wu immediately fell silent, only then realizing that she and Chu Mao had already walked around the Shuangjian Tower once.

“Your Highness…” Ah Wu stood at the entrance of Shuangjian Tower, hesitant to move forward, and gestured to Chu Mao to have someone open the tower.

Chu Mao said calmly, “I’ve already shown the Princess a tour of Shuangjian Tower. I have guests at Xu Xian Hall, so please make yourself at home, Princess.”

Ah Wu looked at Chu Mao in disbelief. He had actually misinterpreted her meaning, playing tricks with her words. She could not help but feel annoyed and said, “You…”

“Oh, right, because the tower also houses the Boyuan Tie and Shu Su Tie, as well as the Luoshen Fu Tu and You Chun Tu, which are truly precious, so…”

As Chu Mao mentioned each of the collections, Ah Wu secretly and excitedly recited names in her mind: “Wang Xun,” “Mi Dian,” “Gu Sanjue,” “Zhan Ziqian”—all masters worthy of admiration and respect.

However, after Chu Mao’s nonchalant “so” and his resolute departure, leaving her with only a heart full of lovesickness, Ah Wu was left with nothing but longing and loss of appetite.

In truth, the Yuan Dynasty edition of the Zizhi Tongjian did not hold much appeal for Ah Wu. She was only angry that Chu Mao had used her as a shield and that he would not allow her to see the Shuangjian Tower’s collection. So, she used this as an excuse to pressure him into taking her there. Little did she know, Chu Mao was a cunning villain who not only tricked her but also placed a tempting bait right in front of her, a bait she could not have but desperately craved.

In her past life, Ah Wu was a master painter, particularly revering Gu Kaizhi and Zhan Zhuang among the masters of all time. In this life, she diligently practiced calligraphy, admiring Wang Xun and Mi Fu. Naturally, the Shuangjian Tower was now a sacred place in Ah Wu’s heart.

If she could not go and pay homage, Ah Wu felt she would likely “waste away.”

That hateful Chu Mao! Ah Wu added another stroke of black ink to her list of grievances against him.