Four Seasons Brocade – CH 148

Chapter 148 ☆、

“Lady He is unwell. The climate is better at the estate, so His Highness sent her there to stay for a while. A couple of days ago, His Highness said that if Madam He has time, she should go to the estate to keep Lady He company; perhaps her illness would improve faster.” Ah Wu ignored Herui and turned to the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo’s heir.

As for the real reason He Peizhen went to the estate, both of them knew perfectly well, but they could not afford to be impolite. Since Ah Wu had offered a way out, Madam He accepted it. “I was just thinking of going to see her in a couple of days.”

The group of people who were waiting to see a joke, seeing that nothing had happened, laughed it off.

However, Ah Wu harbored deep resentment towards Herui. In her past life, it was because of Herui’s unreliability that her second brother, Gu Tingyi, lived a life of melancholy. Even if Herui did not bother Ah Wu, Ah Wu would find a chance to provoke her.

“Sixth Sister-in-law, why did I not see my fifth sister today? She does not seem too ill; she should get out more.” Ah Wu had sent someone to Prince Wei’s residence to see Rong Wan before the New Year.

At the mention of this, Herui’s face darkened. She was naturally jealous and did not win the Sixth Prince’s favor. Rong Wan, on the other hand, was quite shrewd, managing to win over the Sixth Prince so much that he only favored her. Even when Rong Wan was pregnant, he frequently stayed at Rong Wan’s courtyard, infuriating Herui.

Unexpectedly, Rong Wan not only won the Sixth Prince’s favor, but even Consort Xiang in the palace was quite fond of her.

Herui looked at Ah Wu’s face, almost contorted with rage. Both sisters had such alluring, seductive faces; she wanted nothing more than to scratch them with her fingernails.

“Lady Rong has arrived. She was not feeling well earlier, so the Sixth Prince accompanied her for a walk in the front garden,” someone said on Herui’s behalf, but the person sounded more hostile than friendly. Ah Wu turned her head and saw it was Hu Yahe.

Hu Yahe was married to the eldest grandson of the Earl of Huating’s Xiang family, also part of Consort Xiang’s faction. She should have been on Herui’s side, but now she was siding with an outsider. Ah Wu could not help but admire Herui’s ability to offend people.

“Sister Yahe,” Ah Wu greeted Hu Yahe happily. The two used to be friends, but now that they were married, the constraints of their husbands’ families meant they did not see each other much anymore.

Ah Wu was chatting happily with Hu Yahe when she heard that the Marchioness of Jianning and the wife of the heir had arrived. Turning her head, she saw Old Madam Rong’s sister-in-law enter, accompanied by her daughter-in-law and two granddaughters-in-law. One of the granddaughters-in-law was Ah Wu’s fourth cousin, Fourth Lady Rong.

Fourth Lady Rong was adorned with jewels, overshadowing even the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Jianning’s heir. However, her complexion was rosy, suggesting she was doing well.

Fourth Lady Rong’s gaze also fell on Ah Wu. She saw that Ah Wu wore a light purple brocade palace dress with butterflies and flowers and a Hetian jade double fish pendant. Fourth Lady Rong was now much more worldly, no longer the illegitimate daughter bullied by the Second Madam. She immediately recognized the rarity of the double fish pendant. The exquisite craftsmanship was undoubtedly from a renowned artist, and the jade itself, translucent and beautiful, was clearly a rare and exquisite piece. That single jade pendant alone outshone all of Ah Wu’s jewels.

“Fourth Sister,” Ah Wu called out.

Fourth Lady Rong’s heart churned with emotion. She had thought marrying the second grandson of the Marquis of Jianning was already a high-status marriage, but she never imagined that this sixth sister, whom she had always overshadowed since childhood, would now become the Fourth Prince’s consort.

Fourth Lady Rong stared intently at the gold filigree hairpin inlaid with rubies and adorned with five phoenixes facing the sun on Ah Wu’s head—something she could not wear.

“Fourth Sister,” Ah Wu called again.

Fourth Lady Rong finally snapped out of her reverie and curtsied, saying, “Greetings, Princess Consort Qi.”

Ah Wu did not mind Fourth Lady Rong’s lukewarm attitude; she was merely fulfilling her duty. She could not simply abandon her relatives now that she was a princess consort.

The Marquis of Jianning’s wife arrived first, followed by the Duchess of Anguo, Ah Wu’s grandmother. Ah Wu realized she had not seen this group of people in a long time.

Old Madam Rong, looking remarkably spry, raised her chin and gave a cold snort upon seeing Ah Wu, then turned away. Knowing she was Ah Wu’s grandmother, she would not dare retaliate even if she was rude.

Ah Wu, however, seemed completely unconcerned, stepping forward and sweetly greeting, “Greetings, Grandmother.”

At this point, even the Duchess of Anguo, who was clearly unwilling to acknowledge Ah Wu, hummed in agreement and said, “You’ve been married to the Fourth Prince for almost half a year now; why is there still no news?”

What grandmother would expose her granddaughter’s shortcomings in front of everyone in such a setting? Only Old Madam Rong would do such a thing. Ah Wu shyly and coquettishly said, “Grandma.”

This address of “Grandma” would likely have softened the hearts of other grandmothers instantly, but the Duchess of Anguo continued, “In this family, offspring are of utmost importance. You married the Fourth Prince, yet instead of helping him, you are always jealous.” Old Madam Rong glanced meaningfully at Madam He and continued, “Is this how your mother taught you?”

Ah Wu was a person who cared a lot about appearances, and her interactions with Old Madam Rong were merely for show. Old Madam Rong, however, was oblivious to the situation, lecturing in public, yet she hit the nail on the head. The Fourth Prince indeed had no sons, and Lady He had just gone to the estate. At that moment, Ah Wu genuinely resented Chu Mao; why did he not have a son?

When Old Madam Rong spoke to Ah Wu earlier, Ah Wu’s expression remained composed. However, when Old Madam Rong brought up Lady Cui, Ah Wu’s face immediately darkened. She retorted, “Old Madam, you are mistaken. Is one only not considered jealous if the master has an eldest son born of a concubine? Or does one only demonstrate one’s virtuousness by not having a concubine in one’s old age, like Grandfather?”

Old Madam Rong’s face darkened, her eyes glaring at Ah Wu with hatred, as if she wanted to devour her.

Ah Wu was never one to swallow her pride and be virtuous. Spoiled by the Imperial Princess since childhood, she had not learned to be patient. Although she had suffered some hardships in her early life, she was now a woman of her word. She could not tolerate the Old Madam’s words. She had realized that arguing with someone like the Old Madam was simply asking for trouble, so she gave up on cultivating a reputation for virtue, lest she be burdened by it later.

After Ah Wu finished speaking, someone nearby laughed. She did not bother with the Old Madam anymore; high status had its advantages, and she started talking to others.

The Old Madam was also persuaded to leave by Madam Ma, the wife of the Marquis of Jianning. No one knew what Madam Ma had said, but the Old Madam’s face flushed red and then turned pale.

After lunch, Ah Wu was about to take her leave, but Yin Xuexia insisted she stay, saying that they had invited Mei Changsheng from the Kunyu Opera Troupe to perform that day. Hearing Mei Changsheng’s name, Ah Wu’s heart skipped a beat, recalling the scene of seeing Chu Mao at Mei Changsheng’s residence.

Moreover, Yuan-Chun, who was beside Ah Wu, lit up with excitement upon hearing Mei Changsheng’s name.

The stage for Prince Jin’s mansion was set up in the north corner of the garden. Ah Wu did not like watching operas, but she had to admit that Mei Changsheng’s singing was melodious and gorgeous. In the play “The Palace of Eternal Life,” he carried the entire play with his monologue, vividly portraying Emperor Ming’s regret, shame, desolation, and self-blame. Ah Wu was completely absorbed in the play.

“Ah!” Ah Wu was engrossed in the performance when she suddenly felt a warmth on her leg. The maidservant pouring tea beside her had also become absorbed in the music, forgetting to stop pouring even when the cup was full.

“This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!” the maidservant cried, kneeling and begging for forgiveness in fear of causing trouble.

“Drag her out!” Zeng Xiuzhi said sternly. “Please forgive her, Your Highness. If you do not mind, please go to the front and change your clothes.”

Ah Wu nodded. When they went out, maidservants always carried their clothing bags, just in case something went wrong. The host family also prepared guest rooms for honored guests to change.

It was understandable that the maidservant might have made a mistake while engrossed in Mei Changsheng’s singing, but Ah Wu could not help but suspect something more when Zeng Xiuzhi spoke up. She had mocked her earlier, but now she was the first to speak up—it was rather suspicious.

Ah Wu glanced at Yuan-Chun and Chi-Jin, feeling somewhat relieved, but could not resist her curiosity about what awaited her. She whispered a warning to the two maids, telling them to be careful.

Zeng Xiu-Zhi led the way around the stage, leading Ah Wu to a courtyard in the southeast.

As soon as Ah Wu entered the courtyard, she heard the door behind her close, the sound of it being bolted. Fortunately, Yuan-Chun and Chi-Jin had heard Ah Wu’s warning beforehand and were alert. Seeing the door close, they darted inside.

“Good sister-in-law, you’ve really kept your brother waiting!”

Ah Wu turned around and saw the Fifth Prince, Chu Qin, embracing her with a look of infatuation. Even though Ah Wu was somewhat prepared, she had not expected Chu Qin to be so shameless and audacious.

Although Chu Qin was foolish and stubborn, he knew that lusting after his sister-in-law was wrong, but from the first moment he saw Ah Wu, he was obsessed, thinking of her day and night, unable to sleep. He was frustrated by his inability to get close to her, and today he devised this plan.

Of course, it was also thanks to his bedmate, Zeng Xiuzhi, who gave him this idea. Zeng Xiuzhi had long been aware of the Fifth Prince’s infatuation with Ah Wu and was filled with resentment. She thought that if he succeeded, it would save the Fifth Prince from his obsession and also give her leverage over Ah Wu, ensuring she could control her in the future.

The two conspired in secret and immediately devised this plan. To ensure its success, Chu Qin even brought four rough old women with him.

When Ah Wu saw Chu Qin rushing towards her, she instinctively dodged backward. Yuan-Chun stepped in front of her, pushing the lustful and decadent Chu Qin far away.

Chu Qin’s face darkened. He gave a signal to the old women, who rushed forward to pull at Yuan-Chun, but before they could get close, Yuan-Chun slapped them hard.

Even so, Chu Qin still grumbled, “Good sister-in-law, good sister-in-law, please forgive me this time. My brother is all looks and no substance; otherwise, he would not have left you alone in your empty chambers for so long. Let me take care of you.”

Ah Wu was shocked. Even Lady Cui did not know she was still a virgin. It was said that you could tell a woman from a young girl just by looking at her walk, but not everyone had that kind of insight. Besides, no one doubted that the Fourth Prince could remain chaste in the face of Ah Wu’s beauty.

But this Fifth Prince, who had been with countless women, knew all about them intimately. He knew Ah Wu was still a virgin the moment he saw her. How could he not be overcome with desire? He was willing to commit such a grave mistake just to get his hands on her.

“Tell him to shut up.” Ah Wu was both shocked and angry. She turned around and looked at Zeng Xiuzhi and her maid, who had been captured by Chi-Jin, and said, “And the rest.”