Four Seasons Brocade – CH 153

Chapter 153 ☆、

Ah Wu probably would never know how terrified and helpless her eyes were at that moment, a look that chilled Chu Mao to the bone. She looked up at Chu Mao, her fingers unconsciously gripping the blanket tightly.

“Sleep; you will have a tough time tomorrow.” Chu Mao leaned back, at least an arm’s length away from Ah Wu.

Ah Wu breathed a sigh of relief. Only after Chu Mao turned away did she slowly loosen her grip on the blanket, feeling a slight soreness from holding it for so long.

Ah Wu stared at Chu Mao’s back, letting out a faint sigh. She felt the days ahead were likely to be difficult; she never imagined that the noble and virtuous Prince Qi would also have the desires and wants of an ordinary man. Ah Wu was disappointed, but they were, after all, husband and wife, and hiding was not a long-term solution. At this moment, Ah Wu fantasized that someone as audacious as herself would cripple Chu Mao.

Ah Wu thought she would definitely not sleep tonight, but when she opened her eyes again, Chu Mao had already returned from his martial arts practice. Remembering the banquet at the mansion later that day, Ah Wu quickly put on her robe and got up. Just as she was about to call Zi-Shan and the others in to serve her, she saw Chu Mao sitting on the couch and saying, “Come here, help me tie my hair.”

Ah Wu turned her head and saw Chu Mao sitting on the couch, a book in his hand, a cup of tea on the table, looking quite content. Ah Wu remembered that she had rejected Chu Mao’s advances the night before, and since he had not held a grudge, she naturally wanted to please him now.

Although Ah Wu had never styled a man’s hair before, she had seen several women use the techniques Chu Mao employed to comb his hair. It was not too difficult, so she went to the bathing room to wash her hands, then came out with a sandalwood comb and stood beside Chu Mao.

The moment Ah Wu touched Chu Mao’s hair, she realized its softness and smoothness were no less than her own, and it felt incredibly comfortable to touch. Wanting to please him, Ah Wu imitated how Zi-Shan combed her own hair, first combing Chu Mao’s hair from the top of his head a hundred times to relax his muscles and calm his mind.

Outside the screen, Zi-Shan was waiting anxiously. There was a banquet at the mansion today, and her master had instructed them yesterday to remember to call her. However, by this time, she still had not been called. So, she secretly went outside the screen to peek. As soon as she peeked in, she saw Ah Wu standing gracefully behind Prince Qi, combing his hair, and quickly retreated.

Zi-Yi, who was waiting for her instruction, saw Zi-Shan put her index finger to her lips in a shushing gesture and hurriedly retreated with her to the side room. “What’s wrong?”

Zi-Shan smiled mysteriously. “Do not worry; she’s already up.”

Meanwhile, inside the room, Chu Mao spoke up: “Your maid is too indecent, daring to peek at her master even in the inner room.”

Ah Wu’s hand paused, wondering why Chu Mao suddenly said this. She turned her back to the door and… Although she did not see Zi-Shan’s movements, she guessed what was going on. Zi-Shan was probably getting impatient. Ah Wu, who had stopped, resumed combing. “Your Highness, I will talk to them later.”

Ah Wu was now completely focused on combing Chu Mao’s hair. Only when she started did she realize that what seemed simple was actually not so simple. For example, she had already tied Chu Mao’s hair twice, and both times she felt the back of his head was not neat enough. Knowing Prince Qi’s temperament, he would definitely complain.

After failing a third time, Ah Wu cried out in frustration.

“Go and call the maids in. You will practice more in the future,” Chu Mao said, putting down his book.

Ah Wu, feeling relieved, called in Hua-Mei and Zan-Mei, who were on duty that day, to help Chu Mao comb his hair. She went to the bathing room, and when she came out, she saw Hua-Mei and Zan-Mei helping Chu Mao get dressed.

Seeing Ah Wu emerge, Chu Mao’s gaze swept over her. Hua-Mei and Zan-Mei, carrying the lacquer tray, stepped aside. Ah Wu looked at the remaining blue-and-yellow bamboo pouch and jade pendant on the tray and consciously went over to pick them up, bending down to tie them to Chu Mao’s belt.

“This jade pendant’s tassel is old,” Chu Mao said, looking down.

Ah Wu felt a warm breath on her neck, a little itchy, and shrank her shoulders slightly, saying, “May I make a new one for Your Highness?”

“Would that not be too much trouble?” Chu Mao asked, seemingly embarrassed.

Ah Wu stared at the obvious pouch at Chu Mao’s waist, then remembered the pouch she had made for him but which he had locked away at the bottom of his trunk, and said, “No, it will not.”

After Ah Wu finished dressing, the two had breakfast, and seeing that they still had some time, they went to the side room for tea.

“Your Highness, what about the Fifth Prince…” Ah Wu’s heart was still preoccupied with Chu Qin’s situation.

Chu Mao said, “You acted too rashly. The Fifth Prince has only gone into hiding these past few days because he’s busy seeking medical help. If that fails, even if he rises to the top, it will not be satisfying. He might just fight you to the death. Although Empress Tian is out of favor, as long as she’s in the Empress’s position, dealing with you will be a piece of cake.”

Ah Wu had considered the whole story, which was why she had been hoping for Chu Mao’s return, so she would have someone to discuss things with.

“Then what should I do?” Ah Wu asked.

“Should it not be: what I should do?” Chu Mao countered.

Ah Wu was momentarily embarrassed, almost kowtowing in apology, but she could not get any more information out of Chu Mao.

Soon, guests arrived one after another. Chu Mao entertained the male guests at Deyue Pavilion in Jinjiang River, while Ah Wu, with Tao Siyao, received the female guests at Shuanghui Pavilion beside Hua’e Pond.

This was the reopening of Xiangsi Garden, the most prestigious garden in the capital, after many years, to welcome guests. In previous years, due to the lack of a hostess, the Prince Qi’s Mansion had not held a banquet during the first month of the lunar calendar.

The beauty of Hua’e Pond and the elegant grandeur of Shuanghui Pavilion captivated the female guests. Ah Wu, naturally wanting to fulfill her duty as hostess, led the female guests on a stroll around the Hua’e Pond area. “Only someone as celestial as Fourth Prince and you is worthy of this garden,” Yin Xuexia praised.

Ah Wu smiled, but her thoughts were entirely on Zi-Yi’s earlier reply, saying that the Fifth Prince had also arrived today. Ah Wu had initially thought that Chu Qin would definitely not show up.

Judging from Zi-Yi’s words, the Fifth Prince not only showed no resentment towards Chu Mao but was also unusually enthusiastic, which only confused Ah Wu more.

“I heard a girl named Xiangsi lives in Xiangsi Garden,” someone whispered in Ah Wu’s ear. She turned her head and saw Fifth Lady Rong standing beside her, supporting her back.

Ah Wu glanced at Fifth Lady Rong but did not reply.

Fifth Lady Rong gazed at Deyue Pavilion across the way and sighed, “It’s hard being a woman. Although my Prince values ​​me, there’s still a Princess above me, and you know her temperament. I never imagined that you, though a Princess, would also…”

Seeing Fifth Lady Rong looking at her with pity, clearly with a hidden meaning in her words, Ah Wu softly called out, “Fifth Sister.” This voice, filled with sorrow and resentment, gave Fifth Lady Rong a reason to continue.

“I heard that His Highness Prince Qi deeply respects his wet nurse. For the sake of marital harmony, do not take it too hard.” Clearly, Fifth Lady Rong knew that Ah Wu no longer held the reins of household management in Prince Qi’s mansion.

Ah Wu smiled helplessly at Fifth Lady Rong.

“Do not blame me for what happened at the old lady’s place the other day. That’s just her personality. Besides, you contradicted her to her face, giving yourself a bad reputation. They are just two children; bringing them back to the mansion is entirely up to you.” Fifth Lady Rong suddenly changed the subject, trying to build a sisterly bond.

Ah Wu thought, “Sure enough, marriage changes everything. Fifth Lady Rong used to be quite arrogant towards me; why has she suddenly become such a confidante?”

“I understand,” Ah Wu sighed.

“We women have to be magnanimous,” Fifth Lady Rong said. “But I’ve heard that Xiangsi in your household is as beautiful as a fairy, and she’s also the adopted daughter of Prince Qi’s wet nurse. You should be careful. She’s not like the others.”

Ah Wu did not understand why Fifth Lady Rong kept bringing up Xiangsi in front of her, as if trying to pick a fight. But what could a mere servant like Xiangsi possibly cause? At most, she’d just be a concubine; could she possibly outshine her, the Princess? Ah Wu felt Fifth Lady Rong should not be such a shallow person.

“To be honest, I am not afraid of being laughed at by Fifth Sister. Although I am the Princess Consort, the Hongyao Villa is in charge of all matters, big and small. His Highness’s wet nurse, Nanny Hao, is unwell, so it’s actually this Lady Xiangsi who arranges most of the affairs.”

“It’s truly hard on you. If Third Aunt knew, she would be heartbroken for you. But do not worry; with your beauty, His Highness Prince Qi will eventually realize your worth.” Fifth Lady Rong looked at her with genuine concern; to an outsider, it would seem as if the two had been close sisters since childhood.

But to Ah Wu, these words sounded increasingly unsettling, and she said sourly, “I do not have such good fortune. You do not know, he…” Ah Wu spoke with a mixture of shame and anger.

Fifth Lady Rong sighed deeply, outwardly showing pity, but her expression betrayed a hint of knowing certainty.

“If only you could have a child sooner,” Fifth Lady Rong sighed. “I could not conceive either. It was only after seeing Cai Mingcheng on Changyang Street and taking some medicine that I finally got pregnant. If you need help, I can recommend him to take your pulse.”

Ah Wu became even more certain of her suspicions, but then someone came to report that the Lady of the heir of the Duke of Wei had arrived. Ah Wu told Fifth Lady Rong, “We will talk about it later,” and went to greet Lady Guo.

Fifth Lady Rong did not continue, lest she appear too eager and arouse suspicion.

Seeing that only Lady Guo had come, Ah Wu knew that the Imperial Princess definitely would not be attending. She had attended the banquets invited by the Fifth and Sixth Princes, but her absence from Prince Qi’s mansion inevitably led to speculation. However, the presence of the Duke of Wei offered some comfort, though everyone in the capital knew that the Duke of Wei was a spoiled brat from childhood, with little real influence. Ah Wu would not have resorted to targeting her father from her previous life unless she was truly desperate.

However, Ah Wu had too many things on her mind that day, hoping to see the guests off and then properly inquire with Chu Mao.

But that evening, Lu Ruoxing came to deliver a message: “His Highness drank a bit too much and has rested in Bingxue Forest. He sent me to inform the Princess.”

Author’s Note:
Haha, Master Ming was recently interested in a new topic.
That is, when a person was reborn, were their experiences and state of mind equivalent to the sum of their ages in two lifetimes? For example, I saw a reader say that Ah Wu is over 40 years old, adding both her past and present lives, yet she still suffers from psychological trauma.
Here, I just want to bring this up for discussion.
For instance, Ah Wu did not marry in her past life and lived into her twenties. In this rebirth, she’s only fifteen, so she might be 40 years old in total. But could her mindset truly be compared to that of a 40-year-old married woman with children? I thought that was unlikely.
So, what exactly is her psychological age? Would she regress as she ages (possibly, given how the environment shapes one’s mindset), or would she remain in her twenties, or perhaps even increase a bit to 30? It’s hard to research. This is just a discussion, a tentative suggestion.
Uh, I also have a second technical issue to discuss.
That is the theory of castration.
Actually, Master Ming is quite ignorant and always thought that eunuchs had their testicles removed but their genitals left intact. She believes that when they get old, they would pay a high price to have their testicles returned by the castrator to ensure a complete burial. However, even with testicles removed, they still have some function, just smaller. According to unofficial histories, some concubines and eunuchs use them for self-gratification.
As for dried sausages, Master Ming later learns that this actually happens. According to an expert in the group, after Emperor Chengzu of Ming, he felt that removing testicles was unclean and impure in the harem, so he had them changed. A catheter was inserted into the urethra to prevent post-operative inflammation from causing urinary retention. Therefore, at that time, eunuchs used a catheter to urinate.
However, in this article, for the sake of humanity, we would assume that the method used was testicle removal, not complete removal. Therefore, even if Brother Si-Mao explains it to Ah Wu in the future, we would still explain it based on the principle of testicle removal. (if Master Ming remembers to explain.)
Brother Si-Mao: Please give me a chance to explain.
T/N: I wonder if the author like me thought “I never thought I’d write about castration.”