Four Seasons Brocade – CH 159

Chapter 159 ☆、

Ah Wu forced herself to sit up. At this moment, her pride would not allow her to collapse so weakly. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. She felt as if her whole body was bound by ropes, unable to break free, and a sharp pain shot through her head, after which she felt nothing more.

Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi were caught off guard by Ah Wu’s sudden outburst, repeatedly calling out, “Your Highness, Mistress!” Tong-Wen and Tong-Guan, hearing the commotion, rushed in and together lifted Ah Wu onto the bed.

“Go quickly and fetch a physician! What are you standing there for?” At this moment, the most composed of them all was the usually quiet Tong-Wen.

Zi-Yi, hearing this, wiped her tears, turned, and ran outside. She tripped on the threshold at the door, got up, and continued running. Meanwhile, Nanny Hao, hearing that the Princess had fainted upon returning, did not punish Zi-Yi and even ordered someone to fetch Physician Zou immediately. However, a hint of disdain involuntarily appeared on the faces of the people at Hongyao Villa.

They were all too familiar with women’s antics—crying, making a scene, threatening suicide, feigning madness, and acting like they were going to die.

Having caused such a disaster, Zi-Yi was too preoccupied to care about their expressions. She anxiously went to the second gate to wait for Zou Mingshan. As soon as Zou Mingshan arrived, Zi-Yi swept him up like a whirlwind towards Yulan Hall. He ran along, saying, “Do not worry, Miss; do not worry. My arms and legs are about to fall apart!”

“Physician Zou, the mistress is waiting for your help!” Zi-Yi stamped her feet anxiously, describing Ah Wu’s symptoms to Zou Mingshan.

Zou Mingshan said, “Do not panic, do not panic. She’s probably just been frightened and caught a cold, which is why she fainted. I checked the Princess’s pulse a few days ago; she’s in excellent health.”

Zi-Yi, however, did not care. The way Ah Wu had collapsed earlier had terrified her and Zi-Shan.

As Zi-Yi dragged him along, Zou Mingshan resented the young woman for being so inexperienced. When he entered Yulan Hall, he glanced at Ah Wu’s complexion by the bedside, and his expression immediately changed.

Finally calming himself down, telling himself not to panic and not to scare himself, that he had been taking care of the Princess’s health and she was perfectly healthy, Zou Mingshan took a deep breath and placed the pulse pillow beside the bed.

Zi-Shan lifted Ah Wu’s hand onto the pillow, anxiously asking, “Old Master Zou, is my Princess alright?”

The moment Zou Mingshan’s fingers touched Ah Wu’s wrist, his face turned deathly pale. “Quickly, fetch the imperial physician! This illness is truly… truly…”

Upon hearing this, Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi’s faces turned ashen. Nanny Sang, who had also received the news, rushed over and, upon hearing Zou Mingshan’s words, threw herself at him, crying, “How could this happen? How could this happen? The young lady was perfectly fine this morning!”

Tong-Wen, seeing that she could no longer rely on the people in the room, quickly ran out.

“Fetch the imperial physician?” Nanny Hao hesitated, then turned and instructed Nanny Lu to fetch the token and invite the imperial physician, who was not on duty today.

After Tong-Wen left, Xiangsi helped Nanny Hao lie down on the couch, then brought her some medicinal wine to massage her knees. “Auntie, what’s the Princess doing? Those people over there are all so troublesome.” Xiangsi glanced meaningfully in the direction of Chu Mao’s wife and concubines, then continued, “His Highness is already tired of her; is this not just making her even more annoying?”

Nanny Hao looked at Xiangsi, a hint of worry in her eyes. “This is not like the Princess.”

Xiangsi smiled sarcastically, “She’s probably just lost her mind.”

Nanny Hao lowered her eyelids, thinking for a moment. “Later, when the imperial physician arrives, let’s go to Yulan Hall to see her.”

“Auntie, it’s cold these days, and your knees hurt. Why go and join in her fun? I will not let you go; you are not taking good care of yourself,” Xiangsi said coquettishly.

Seeing Xiangsi’s reaction, Nanny Hao smiled helplessly. After all, she was a child she had watched grow up, and she truly could not bear to see her go astray. She had not explicitly told her to be honest with her, fearing it would hurt her deeply, but temporary sadness was better than future despair. Nanny Hao placed her hand on Xiangsi’s hand and said, “I know you are upset that she’s arranging a marriage for you.”

“Auntie,” Xiangsi called out, embarrassed and annoyed. She had never told Nanny Hao her feelings, but her intentions were too obvious; everyone could see them clearly, and she herself knew it too, but her pride prevented her from breaking the silence. She also knew that Nanny Hao was reluctant to see her married off.

“Xiangsi, even if the Princess is confused, she would not arrange a marriage for you herself,” Nanny Hao said earnestly.

Xiangsi’s face paled. Actually, she had already guessed it, but she just would not admit it. “Auntie!”

Nanny Hao patted Xiangsi’s hand again.

“I do not believe it. Everything was fine before, and His Highness never said he wanted to…” Tears welled in Xiangsi’s eyes. She looked up at the pity in Nanny Hao’s eyes, refusing to believe it. “No way. Even if His Highness treated her differently before, now she’s greedy and dares to reach out to His Highness. Has His Highness not grown tired of her?”

Nanny Hao remained silent.

Xiangsi knelt before Nanny Hao with a thud. “Auntie, Xiangsi cannot bear to leave you. I’ve been by your side since I was little. I’d rather die than leave.”

Nanny Hao patted Xiangsi’s head. Although Xiangsi had her own selfish motives, what girl would not be captivated by someone like His Highness? Besides, Xiangsi was someone she had raised. If Xiangsi said she could not bear to leave her, it was completely genuine.

“Auntie, please help me,” Xiangsi cried.

“Silly child,” sighed Nanny Hao. Actually, Xiangsi’s life after marriage might not be so bad. Given Chu Mao’s personality, he would certainly take good care of her. But staying in the mansion, at best, she’d only be a concubine. However, given His Highness’s aloof nature, Xiangsi probably would not get what she wanted even if she stayed.

“Aunt, the Princess Consort…” Xiangsi had helped Nanny Hao with affairs since she was little. Although she had a girlish mindset, she had already come up with many solutions.

Nanny Hao looked into Xiangsi’s eyes, startled, and quickly said, “You must not interfere in the Princess Consort’s affairs. Whether she brought it upon herself or fate, you absolutely must not intervene.”

“Aunt, you…” How could you think of me like that? Xiangsi looked at Nanny Hao sadly.

Nanny Hao sighed. Seeing Xiangsi’s reaction, she could only be more explicit: “Good child. After all, she is His Highness’s principal wife and the daughter of His Highness’s teacher. Even if His Highness is angry with her, he will still hold back. Today, she overstepped her bounds, and this old woman was just taking advantage of her age to give her a good beating, all for His Highness’s sake. If you also care about His Highness, you should continue to treat Yulan Hall with the same respect you would have shown in the future.”

Xiangsi was taken aback, but she roughly understood Nanny Hao’s meaning. “Auntie, do not worry. Auntie is wholeheartedly for His Highness. Even if His Highness knew, he would naturally stand by Auntie’s side.” Xiangsi had originally thought that Hongyao Villa had won a great victory today, and the Princess Consort was as ephemeral as ever, but she did not know that Nanny Hao’s methods were involved.

Nanny Hao frowned. Xiangsi still could not understand her good intentions and could only sigh helplessly, “Even if Your Highness does not understand this old woman, I do not regret it. I am practically half-buried in the ground. But spying on Your Highness is a dangerous thing; once it happens, it will happen again. Today it’s just gathering information; tomorrow it could be other secrets. If I do not punish them severely, it might cause future trouble. Your Highness…”

What Nanny Hao did not say was that in the palace, such a thing would be a capital offense, and it would never be resolved with just the easy killing of a servant.

Xiangsi suddenly understood Nanny Hao’s meaning. She was stunned, almost speechless, wondering why Nanny Hao was acting so arrogantly this time.

“Good child, from now on, as long as you respect His Highness and her, His Highness will naturally look after you. Do not repeat the mistakes she made; your aunt cannot take care of you forever.” Nanny Hao was afraid that without her, Xiangsi might do something foolish. Actually, she did have that intention, but Nanny Hao had always stopped her.

“Aunt, what are you saying? Xiangsi wants to rely on you for the rest of her life, to rely on you to take care of me for the rest of my life!” Xiangsi forced a smile.

Nanny Hao, however, was deeply troubled. “Go see if the imperial physician has arrived.”

Xiangsi nodded.

When Nanny Hao and Xiangsi arrived at Yulan Hall, Imperial Physician He was writing a prescription. “Quickly prepare a dose of medicine according to this prescription. If she can swallow it, there’s still hope; if she cannot…” Imperial Physician He did not finish his sentence.

“Let me see.” Nanny Hao, leaning on her cane, hurriedly took the prescription from Physician He. Seeing it was full of ginseng, a potent medicine that barely keeps a person alive, her face paled. “Quickly, go get the medicine. I have a thousand-year-old ginseng; Xiangsi, go get it.”

Xiangsi, of course, also saw the person on the bed, barely breathing. She felt a mix of emotions, wishing she would just pass away, yet fearing she would implicate Nanny Hao. Despite these thoughts, she walked out without hesitation.

Nanny Sang had already fainted from crying. Nanny Gong was in charge of Yulan Hall, and she and Nanny Hao stared at each other. The medicine was prepared, but Zi-Shan’s hands trembled, unable to feed it.

“I will do it.” Nanny Hao took the medicine, clamped Ah Wu’s mouth shut, and tried to force it in, but no matter how much she tried, it all flowed out.

Physician He, observing from the side, kept shaking his head. He looked at Zou Mingshan and asked, “Does the Princess have any ailments?”

Zou Mingshan shook her head. “No, she’s always been healthy.”

Physician He said urgently, “Stop forcing her. Cut a slice of ginseng and let the Princess hold it in her mouth. Quickly, send someone to the palace to fetch the Chief Physician He.”

Nanny Hao called over Pei-Lan, “Go find Li Yanguang.”

Pei-Lan went to Xu Xian Hall and saw Li Yanguang waiting outside. She secretly beckoned to him.

Li Yanguang saw it was Pei-Lan and went over. “Why are you here? Does Nanny Hao need something?”

“Where is His Highness, Eunuch Li?” Pei-Lan asked.

Li Yanguang frowned at Pei-Lan. Pei-Lan quickly said, “The Princess is ill, and we urgently need to go to the palace to fetch Chief Physician He of the Imperial Medical Bureau. Nanny Hao sent me to tell you.”

Li Yanguang was currently most impatient with the matter of Yulan Hall. “His Highness is in a meeting and cannot be disturbed. I will send Lu Ruoxing to the palace, but whether it will be successful is uncertain. If Chief Physician He is currently treating a master in the palace, the Princess will have to wait.”

Pei-Lan was still a child and naturally did not understand Nanny Hao’s anxiety. “Yes, thank you, Eunuch Li.”

Lu Ruoxing was lucky; he saw the He family’s carriage just as he arrived at the palace gate. He quickly went forward and explained the situation. He Nianfang did not put on airs and went directly to the Prince Qi’s mansion.

“Chief Physician He,” Nanny Hao greeted He Nianfang, rising with respect.

He Nianfang was only in his early forties, but he had already been the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau for six or seven years. To sit in such a position at such a young age, and for no one below him to disobey him, showed just how exceptional his medical skills were. Otherwise, Imperial Physician He would not have been in such a hurry to send someone to invite He Nianfang. Physician He quickly went to greet him, explaining Ah Wu’s condition and the medication she had been given.

He Nianfang entered the inner room and looked at Princess Qi lying on the bed. This was the first time he had seen her, and even lying in bed with her eyes closed, she was stunningly beautiful. He Nianfang took her pulse and sighed inwardly, lamenting her tragic fate.

He Nianfang, unwilling to believe it, took Ah Wu’s pulse again. The situation was truly peculiar. The Princess’s complexion was as if she were asleep, showing no signs of illness; if one had to describe it, her face was slightly pale. Yet her pulse was weak and feeble, almost imperceptible without careful examination. Moreover, considering the circumstances, such an acute illness should not be this severe.

He Nianfang finally withdrew his hand. “I am powerless to help. We should prepare for the worst; maybe we can try to ward off bad luck…”

Even He Nianfang said such a thing, and Nanny Hao’s cane fell to the ground.

Nanny Sang, who had just woken up, rushed to Ah Wu’s feet upon hearing this, crying out in anguish, “Young lady, young lady…” Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi, along with the others, had already knelt by Ah Wu’s bedside, each weeping uncontrollably.

Nanny Gong was already in tears. “Go and fetch Master and Madam! Quickly, go and fetch Master and Madam! Tell them to call out to the Princess! Tell them to call out to the Princess!”

Nanny Sang, now somewhat recovered, said, “Yes, yes, quickly go and call Master and Madam. Young lady, young lady, wake up! Look at your mother! Look at your mother! How can your mother live like this? You have such a cruel heart…”

Nanny Sang held Ah Wu and shook her violently, but the person on the bed showed no reaction.

Upon hearing Nanny Gong and Nanny Sang’s words, Zi-Shan got up and rushed out, while Nanny Hao, with a cold face, gave Xiangsi a meaningful look.

The death of Princess Qi was such a momentous event; it could not be treated lightly. Even the highest-ranking master in the mansion was unaware of it, and it absolutely could not be easily spread.

Xiangsi nodded and strode out of Yulan Hall.

Nanny Hao said to He Nianfang, “Chief Physician He, could you write a prescription to try? The Princess has not… she has not… we will try again. Whatever the herbs, just give the order…”

He Nianfang sighed. Having practiced medicine for many years, he knew that even the most precious medicine would be wasted, but he also knew he could not refuse. He sat down and wrote a prescription: “Let’s try brewing one dose. If she can swallow it…”

When Li Yanguang heard Pei-Lan’s message, he almost thought she was joking. The Princess, who was lively and energetic this morning, was now saying she was dying. Li Yanguang simply could not believe it.

If the messenger had been from Yulan Hall, he would have thought it was just a woman’s trick, but since it was Pei-Lan, Nanny Hao’s attendant, Li Yanguang had to take it seriously.

Inside Xu Xian Hall, Chu Mao glanced unhappily at Li Yanguang, who had interrupted him. “What is it?”

Li Yanguang took small, quick steps forward and whispered something in Chu Mao’s ear.

“What did you say?” For the first time, Chu Mao doubted his own hearing.

Li Yanguang repeated himself. Before he could finish speaking, he looked up and saw that no one was there.

When Chu Mao arrived at Yulan Hall, the earlier shrill cries had stopped. The maids were now only able to shed tears. Zi-Zhui and Zi-Yi were sitting by Ah Wu’s bedside, holding her head and forcing medicine down her throat.

Ah Wu’s chest was stained brown by the medicine; she had not swallowed a single drop.

As soon as Chu Mao entered, he saw He Nianfang. His heart sank even further. Seeing Ah Wu’s condition at the bedside, he was speechless. Only Nanny Hao noticed that his hand gripping the bed curtains was trembling slightly.

“I will do it.” Chu Mao lifted Zi-Yi aside, took the bowl from Zi-Zhui’s hand, and drank a large gulp without even looking at it. With his other hand, he pried open Ah Wu’s chin and leaned down to press his lips to hers.

But as soon as Chu Mao’s lips left, the medicine in Ah Wu’s mouth flowed out again. However, at least a little had been swallowed, and even He Nianfang’s face showed a hint of joy. “If the Princess can take the medicine, then perhaps there’s still a chance.” If the medicine could not be taken, then everything else would be in vain.

Seeing that Ah Wu had taken a little medicine, Zi-Zhui’s face also involuntarily showed a glimmer of hope. She quickly poured another bowl of medicine. Chu Mao fed her mouth-to-mouth, finally managing to keep Ah Wu alive for the time being.

“Tonight, Your Highness will have to work hard. If the Princess can wake up tomorrow morning, then there will be a sliver of hope,” He Nianfang said, not daring to say anything definitive.

“Please, Imperial Physician He, stay at the mansion tonight.” Chu Mao held Ah Wu’s hand by the bedside, speaking to He Nianfang but not looking at him.

Needless to say, the three imperial physicians and physicians in the mansion would also be staying at the Prince’s mansion tonight.

“Li Yanguang,” Chu Mao called out.

Li Yanguang quickly came up and, without Chu Mao’s permission, dismissed all the irrelevant people in the room, leaving only Nanny Hao and Zi-Yi, who had been serving Ah Wu all day. Nanny Sang was also there, clinging to the bed railing and refusing to leave.

Li Yanguang looked at Chu Mao pleadingly. Chu Mao did not speak, so Li Yanguang stopped pulling Nanny Sang.

“Where’s Zi-Shan?” Chu Mao asked.

“Zi-Shan wanted to go back to the Rong Mansion to fetch the Princess’s parents, but I did not let her leave. I will trouble Eunuch Li to go to Xiangsi’s and bring her here.”

When Zi-Shan was brought over, she was disheveled, with marks on her wrists from where she had been bound. She glared fiercely at Nanny Hao, and even at Chu Mao, her head held high.

After a long pause, Chu Mao finally spoke with difficulty, his voice already hoarse, “How could Ah Wu be like this?!”

Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi glared fiercely at Nanny Hao but remained silent. In their hearts, they already considered Chu Mao and Nanny Hao as wretched figures. It was no wonder they dared to be so bold; if Ah Wu died today, these maids might not have a good ending either.

“Speak!” Chu Mao threw the water cup beside him at the two maids, the shards cutting their faces and drawing blood.

Nanny Hao and Li Yanguang, watching from the side, were too frightened to utter a sound. Even Nanny Hao, who had watched Chu Mao grow up, had never seen him so angry, let alone throw a cup. Chu Mao always reprimanded people with a cold face, never with harsh words.

Zi-Shan held her head high and remained silent, while Zi-Yi knelt with a thud, her head hitting the ground, saying, “The Princess Consort witnessed the caning at Hongyao Villa today, and upon returning, she fainted.”

Before Chu Mao could speak, Nanny Sang on the other end wailed, “Heavens, heavens, my girl, my girl! She’s always fainted at the sight of blood! How could you, how could you be so cruel? This is going to kill her…” Nanny Sang kept pounding her chest, crying her heart out.

The three people present were stunned by Nanny Sang’s words. None of them had expected that Ah Wu was afraid of blood and that witnessing the caning had led to such a dangerous situation. Initially, Nanny Hao did not take Zi-Yi’s words about fainting at the sight of caning seriously, assuming they were just saying that because they could not find anyone to blame.

Nanny Hao and Li Yanguang were both from the palace, where the bloodshed was so intense that caning was considered lenient. Chu Mao, on the other hand, did not mention it at all. No one expected the crux of the matter to be here. Even when Chu Mao arrived, he was thinking that perhaps someone had poisoned Ah Wu.

Chu Mao’s eyes darted towards Nanny Hao and Li Yanguang, calling out, “Li Yanguang.”

Today, Li Yanguang was the one who escorted Ah Wu to Hongyao Villa, but he had never ordered her to witness the execution; he only wanted Ah Wu to know why he was angry. Even if Chu Mao did not understand women’s hearts, he knew that a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl had never seen someone being beaten to death, and he certainly had no intention of letting Ah Wu see such a bloody scene.

Li Yanguang also knelt on the floor tiles with a thud, his knees hitting the ground loudly. “This servant only escorted the Princess to Hongyao Villa and then rushed back to report to Your Highness.”

Chu Mao, unable to bear it any longer, kicked Li Yanguang in the chest, sending him flying a considerable distance, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing all this, Nanny Hao’s hands trembled slightly, a rare occurrence for her. She said, “Your Highness, it’s all my fault. I forced the Princess to watch the caning.” Nanny Hao knelt. “My heart was only for Your Highness; Heaven can bear witness. No one expected this.” Tears streamed down her face.

Chu Mao’s hands trembled, and he said in a hoarse voice, “Aunt, please get up. I will always remember your kindness.” In that deep palace, young Chu Mao, completely defenseless, had managed to survive; Nanny Hao’s contribution was immense.

Hearing this, Nanny Hao felt as if pierced by needles. She had treated Chu Mao like her own child; it was far more than just gratitude. But his words today were a blatant rejection.

But it was too late now; Nanny Hao knew there was no hope. She could only hope that Ah Wu would wake up.

That night, Chu Mao fed Ah Wu her medicine twice more. The maid was so tired she dozed off, but he still held Ah Wu’s hand, gently smoothing her hair—it was as soft and smooth as satin, fragrant and silky.

In truth, Chu Mao did not know what was so special about Ah Wu. Frankly, even though Ah Wu was stunningly beautiful, she was not the only one in the world with striking looks; Chu Mao had seen many others. Moreover, she was cunning and ruthless, manipulating even her parents and orchestrating the scandal of the three Rong brothers sharing a concubine. Even before she entered the mansion, Chu Mao was already fully aware of Ah Wu’s true nature.

After entering the mansion, Ah Wu became even more adept at winning people over and eliminating dissidents. Even though her methods of driving away Mei-Ying and Mei-Meng were riddled with flaws, Chu Mao still accepted them. Later, Ah Wu used every trick in the book to probe him, and Chu Mao was well aware of it, yet he tolerated it all.

But this time, Ah Wu truly crossed his bottom line. She wanted to manipulate him completely, treating him merely as a puppet in her hands, fawning over him when she pleased and discarding him like trash when she disliked him. Furthermore, she even bribed the eunuchs around him; Chu Mao did not even want to think about her ulterior motives.

Chu Mao loathed the way she swaggered around in Bingxue Forest afterward, as if he deserved to forgive her, deserved to be tormented by her emotions, his heart filled with uncontrollable joy and anger.

Chu Mao had seen too many concubines like this in the palace. Although his father, the Emperor, was noble, in reality, he was nothing more than a tool for those women vying for power in the harem. They appeared glamorous and charming on the surface, but inside, they were more filthy than anyone else, like festering sores.

Chu Mao had seen women who played these tricks better and acted more convincingly than Ah Wu. Essentially, she was no different from those women; they all wanted to use their beauty and some seductive charm to control men and satisfy their own desires.

Chu Mao loathed those women, and he loathed even more that he could be attracted to such a woman, who was only prettier than him.

Chu Mao repeatedly asked himself what it was about her that he saw in her.

Chu Mao sighed, touched Ah Wu’s cheek, and ran his thumb back and forth across her lips. With a hint of helplessness, he placed her hand to his lips and gently kissed her fingertips.

“You have not even been to Shuangjian Tower yet, and you are already content, Ah Wu?” Chu Mao bit Ah Wu’s hand, not lightly, the mark lingering for a long time, but the person on the bed showed no reaction.

Zi-Shan awoke from her doze to this scene: Chu Mao’s deeply furrowed brows and the heavy worry in his eyes.