Four Seasons Brocade – CH 146

Chapter 146 ☆、

After seeing Chu Mao off, Ah Wu frowned, thinking about his return for lunch. She turned to Zi-Shan and said, “Go to the Xianlai Pavilion and keep an eye on His Highness. If His Highness returns, take a shortcut back to report.”

Zi-Shan nodded.

Ah Wu then went to the plum bath at the back. She rarely soaked in hot springs, so she naturally enjoyed it. Although Ah Wu was afraid of water, the plum bath was made of white jade, about ten feet in diameter, not much larger than her bathtub, and the water was only thigh-deep, not enough to drown. She overcame her fear with a little effort.

The only thing that Ah Wu found frightening about the plum bath was the elusive Prince Qi. Therefore, Ah Wu felt at ease leaving Zi-Shan to guard it.

Ah Wu asked Zi-Zhui to bring a pot of fruit wine, placing it on a bamboo tray. She poured the milky-white wine into a jade lotus-leaf cup, which floated on the surface. Taking a sip while still half-asleep was pure bliss; even a god would not trade it for such a treat.

Around noon, when Zi-Shan returned, Ah Wu had just gotten up, dressed in a pink brocade dress with green plum blossoms and gold embroidery, draped with a matching gold-embroidered shawl, and a brown fox fur collar around her neck.

When Chu Mao saw her, he thought Ah Wu was like a ripe peach, pink and translucent, glistening with moisture—deliciously clean and clear.

However, when Ah Wu saw Chu Mao, she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Did you take your medicine?”

“No.” Ah Wu shook her head. Although Chu Mao’s voice was gentle, she felt it was somewhat deliberate, like a weasel offering New Year’s greetings to a chicken.

Seeing the smile fade from Chu Mao’s lips, Ah Wu quickly added, “It’s drunk half an hour after meals; otherwise, it will hurt the stomach.”

“Then let’s set the table.” Chu Mao walked towards the side room, brushing past Ah Wu. He caught a whiff of fruit wine and raised an eyebrow, smiling. “You’ve been drinking?”

Ah Wu thought to herself, “His Highness Qi’s nose is sharper than a dog’s.” However, drinking so early in the morning was inappropriate, so she said sweetly, “I drink to ward off the cold.”

Chu Mao said, “Then how about having a few drinks with me tonight?”

Ah Wu was not a heavy drinker; even with sweet wine like the Hundred Fruit Wine, she could only manage a few cups. She had witnessed Chu Mao’s capacity for alcohol and knew this was bad news. Besides, she had heard sayings like “wine is the matchmaker for lust,” so she pretended not to hear them.

Chu Mao did not press further.

During the meal, Ah Wu diligently served food to Chu Mao as usual. Chu Mao occasionally picked up food for Ah Wu, but this time he used serving chopsticks instead of his own, which Ah Wu readily accepted.

Throughout the meal, Chu Mao did not say anything that made Ah Wu blush. The atmosphere between them was harmonious yet not overly intimate, which Ah Wu found excellent.

After lunch, Chu Mao did not even have time for a cup of tea before rushing off to Xianlai Pavilion, just as Ah Wu had hoped.

After a short nap, Ah Wu felt much better; her breathing was clear, and she had more energy. She asked Zi-Zhui to go to Xiangxue Forest to pick some golden thread plum blossoms to scent the tea.

After a busy afternoon, by the time Chu Mao returned for dinner, Ah Wu had only just finished preparing the tea steamer. The meticulous process of scenting the tea was truly indescribable to outsiders.

“You have such a sharp nose, you can even smell the golden thread plum blossoms in my orchard,” Chu Mao said, standing behind Ah Wu. The vast Xiangxue Forest only had three golden thread plum trees, and they were quite a distance from Wei Xue Qiao Yun.

Ah Wu was startled by Chu Mao and turned around, saying, “Your Highness, why do you walk so quietly?”

Chu Mao avoided answering, “It seems you are not only sharp-nosed but also quite shrewd, even knowing that snow bud tea needs to be scented with golden thread plum.”

Ah Wu was taken aback, then asked curiously, “Your Highness also knows about snow bud tea and golden thread plum?”

Snow bud tea was not well-known; its aroma was weak, and it was not popular with the masses. Few knew its unique characteristic: its ability to enhance fragrance, especially when paired with the scent of golden thread plum. The tea complemented the plum’s fragrance, and the plum enhanced the tea’s flavor—truly a match made in heaven.

Having said this, the two exchanged a smile; there was nothing they did not understand. Ah Wu, rarely finding a kindred spirit, became quite enthusiastic. “If it snows tonight,” she said, “I will have Tong-Wen collect a jar of snow from the plum blossoms tomorrow morning to brew tea. I would be honored if Your Highness would grace us with your presence.”

Chu Mao smiled and said, “It’s a deal.”

Ah Wu was probably born an artistic young woman. The thought of brewing a cup of snow bud tea infused with golden thread plum blossoms the next morning kept her awake with excitement. She woke before dawn, urging Tong-Wen to take the maidservant to collect snow. She herself was bundled up tightly, wearing a Guanyin-style hood and several layers of veils, and went to the orchard to pick several jade butterfly plum blossoms in full bloom. She used bamboo tongs to pick them, then instructed Zi-Zhui to coat them in flour, fry them until crispy, and prepare Zi-Zhui’s special plum jam, orange jam, and rose jam to accompany the tea.

As dawn broke, just as Chu Mao returned from his martial arts practice, Ah Wu had already arranged tables and chairs by the hot spring pool. Her craving was unbearable; if she had not been waiting for Chu Mao, she probably would have gotten up in the middle of the night to brew tea.

“Your Highness, please sit,” Ah Wu said, sitting by the fireplace. The blue and red flames against the deep blue sky created a captivating warmth. Ah Wu lifted the bronze kettle from the stove and poured hot water into her cherished set of thin, translucent, and lustrous celadon teacups, which she always carried with her.

Then, she carefully poured the snow bud tea into the gaiwan, tapped it, slightly lifted the lid, and took a deep breath. She felt a refreshing, cool fragrance wash over her, utterly delightful.

Chu Mao, seemingly eager, took the teacup from her hand, took a sip, and savored it for a long while before saying, “Today is truly an honor, thanks to Ah Wu’s blessing, that I have been able to taste Snow Bud Inlaid with Gold.”

Ah Wu asked with slight surprise, “Your Highness’s Xiangxue Forest has both Golden Thread Plum and Snow Bud tea, so how come you say you have not tasted Snow Bud Inlaid with Gold?”

Chu Mao shrugged, seemingly helplessly, and said, “Although I had both before, I lacked a master who understood the art of infusing tea.”

The word “master” pleased Ah Wu greatly, and she could not help but chuckle. “That’s true.” Not to boast, but if the Snow Bud tea and Golden Thread Plum had not been in her hands, it would have been a waste.

“Your Highness may not know the intricacies of infusing tea. Too much Golden Thread Plum will mask the tea’s aroma; too little will not bring out the true flavor of the Snow Bud…” Ah Wu launched into a long explanation of her tea expertise.

Everyone had flaws, and Ah Wu was no exception. When she encountered something she loved and found a kindred spirit, she could not help but elaborate and discuss it in detail. Chu Mao even offered occasional insightful comments, which kept Ah Wu engrossed, and they talked until the sun was high in the sky, still seemingly wanting to continue.

When Ah Wu came to her senses, she saw that the plate of jade-shaped plum blossom pastries in front of her was completely empty. Ah Wu belatedly realized that these were originally meant for her to enjoy with her tea, served with sweet and sour sauces, but Chu Mao had devoured them all.

“Ah Wu’s tea snacks are quite ingenious,” Chu Mao praised.

Ah Wu smiled, suddenly recalling Chu Mao’s generous praise today, and then remembering the Three Good Teas of Young Lady Su Mao that Chu Mao had lauded.

“I wonder if my tea and snacks are better, or if Young Lady Su’s Three Good Teas are superior?” Ah Wu asked sourly. At this moment, Lady Ah Wu was not genuinely jealous; it was just that she had an exceptionally stubborn streak. She had to do everything perfectly, striving to be the best in the world. She could not tolerate anyone surpassing her in her areas of expertise and passion.

For example, painting, playing the zither, and now, the tea ceremony. And then there was appearance. Although Ah Wu was now renowned for her beauty, capable of “captivating a city with a single glance and a nation with a second,” she still harbored a certain competitive spirit towards women of unique beauty, and Su Mao was undoubtedly a woman of distinctive charm. As for women like He Peizhen and Xiangsi, in Ah Wu’s eyes, they were nothing but worthless parasites.

Chu Mao smiled slightly and said, “Spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums—each has its own merits.”

For the first time, Ah Wu cursed inwardly, thinking Chu Mao must have lost his mind. Could some so-called “Three Good Teas” compare to the priceless “Snow Bud inlaid with Gold”?

Ah Wu thought that if he had a beard, he would be furious.

Chu Mao reached out to drink the last cup of Snow Bud inlaid with Gold tea, but Ah Wu swiftly covered the rim of the cup with her hand. Her fingers were slender as jade shoots, her pale pink nails glistening. This hand could brew the finest tea in the world and play the finest zither music. He wondered what it would be like on a person… Chu Mao was completely mesmerized.

As Chu Mao admired this hand, he saw it mercilessly splash the Snow Bud inlaid with Gold into the air. Chu Mao felt a pang of regret for the precious tea, yet he was also amazed that this hand could splash tea so skillfully—truly exquisite. He imagined a future where they would “bet on books and splash tea”—would that not be one of life’s greatest pleasures?

Ah Wu felt that offering Snow Bud inlaid with Gold to someone like Chu Mao was like casting pearls before swine. After spilling the tea, she packed up the teacups and gracefully departed, not even bothering to leave him with a glimpse of her back.

Initially, Ah Wu had thought that Chu Mao was a man of refined taste. If he could uphold propriety and chastity and generously forgive the Imperial Princess in this life, she could become his perfect partner, achieving her desires in this life. She would naturally treat him a thousand times better and could help him greatly. However, recalling his earlier comments, Ah Wu felt it was better to let him fend for himself. He was truly all show and no substance, a silver-plated spearhead!

The latter sentence somehow popped into Ah Wu’s mind. Although she was knowledgeable and well-read, much of it was from her previous life, so it was not surprising that she could not recall it immediately. Besides, she’d only skimmed through those kinds of books out of childhood curiosity, seeing they described shameless acts between lewd women and frivolous men, and then abandoned them after a few pages. But today, using them to curse Chu Mao felt surprisingly natural.

After breakfast, Ah Wu went to the study. She’d caught glimpses of several books that interested her that day, but before she could even open them, the sounds of Chu Mao practicing his sword had distracted her.

Now that she finally had some free time, and since she had to return to Prince Qi’s mansion tomorrow, the sixth day of the New Year, she decided to find a couple of books to borrow from Chu Mao. She took the books, paused, then moved to the window, gazing at the spot where Chu Mao had danced with his sword in the snowy night.

People always yearned for and were most attached to what they could not have. In her previous life, Ah Wu was confined by illness; although she was healthy in this life, it was impossible for her to move with the same agility and fluidity as Chu Mao’s swordplay. Standing by the window, she could not help but imagine herself practicing swordsmanship on a snowy night, finding it incredibly beautiful.

Suddenly, Ah Wu sensed something amiss. She looked closely and saw that the plum blossoms in the garden were covered in snow, but the plum trees where Chu Mao practiced his sword were still covered in blossoms, unaffected by his practice. In Ah Wu’s common sense, even a child shaking a branch would cause plum blossoms to fall, but not fall so profusely. Therefore, the only explanation she could think of was that Chu Mao had deliberately protected these plum trees while practicing his sword.

His sword moved like a dragon in the dense forest, yet not a single blossom fell. Ah Wu was truly astonished by Chu Mao’s self-control and restraint.

It was said that one could see a person’s character by observing their writing, and perhaps observing someone’s swordsmanship was just as revealing.

Ah Wu could not help but wonder, what was Chu Mao’s apparent goodwill these past two days really seeking?