Four Seasons Brocade – CH 172

Chapter 172 ☆、  

Even after they sat down at Jufang Garden, Prince Qi, Chu Mao, still wore a sour face. Not only humans, but even gods and ghosts would avoid him. Although Ah Wu understood that Chu Mao disliked being touched, Prince Qi was usually very reserved, and the length and obviousness of his sour face was truly perplexing to Ah Wu.

Besides, Chu Mao’s ruthless shoving of Third Lady Chun at Qianjin Fang was inconsistent with his usual hypocritical manner. Prince Qi’s gentle and refined nature was renowned; he could have simply told Third Lady Chun to “get lost” with a mild but malicious tone, yet he could not resist resorting to violence.

Ah Wu thought back carefully, but she had not seen Third Lady Chun do anything particularly outrageous. However, Ah Wu had to admit that she felt a slight sense of smug satisfaction. When she touched Prince Qi herself, nothing happened, and when she tugged at his sleeve at Hongyao Villa, he had been very accommodating and had not brushed her off.

“Your Highness, please try this braised fish slices. They are quite delicious, tender, smooth, and sweet,” Ah Wu tried to ease the atmosphere in the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Lu Ruoxing’s thighs were trembling.

Chu Mao’s expression softened slightly. He hummed in agreement and said, “You eat too.” Prince Qi, in return, placed a slice of fish on Ah Wu’s plate.

While no one was looking, Lu Ruoxing turned and wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking to himself, “I did not expect my master’s ailment to seem to have worsened so much. Last time at Hongyao Villa, I saw Princess Qi tug at my master’s sleeve, and he did not even flinch. I thought his ailment was cured.”

After dinner, once they were in the carriage, Ah Wu heard Chu Mao say, “What happened to Third Lady Chun will never happen again.”

Ah Wu looked at Chu Mao, puzzled. She did not understand why he had said such a thing out of the blue. Prince Qi turned his head away, obscuring his eyes, but his ears were slightly red. Ah Wu assumed it was from drinking earlier.

The two did not speak again on the way back. Chu Mao went straight back to Bingxue Forest.

“Burn the clothes I wore today. Take care of Qianjin House’s affairs; I do not want to see that person in the capital again,” Chu Mao said expressionlessly. After Lu Ruoxing responded, he thought for a moment and added, “Do not kill her.”

After Lu Ruoxing withdrew, he disappeared into the darkness. Gone was the obsequious demeanor he had shown before Ah Wu; his stern face intimidated his eunuchs, who dared not utter a sound. This man, who had surpassed Li Yanguang to become Prince Qi’s close attendant, was no ordinary person, and certainly not the round-faced Maitreya Buddha he appeared to be.

Back when Li Yanguang was still alive, Lu Ruoxing had always tried to understand Prince Qi’s thoughts. In the matter of the Princess Qi, Li Yanguang stumbled while he rose rapidly—that was his skill. But today, Lu Ruoxing truly could not understand how Third Lady Chun had angered Prince Qi.

With His Highness Prince Qi’s appearance and demeanor, he had encountered similar situations before. Other women were at most reprimanded and sent away, but none were as unlucky as Third Lady Chun. Besides, Third Lady Chun was not only not ugly but also extremely charming, though of course, she could not compare to the Princess Consort.

Thinking of the Princess Consort, Lu Ruoxing’s eyes lit up. Could it be…?

When spring arrived and flowers bloomed, weeds also grew luxuriantly. Lady He, sent to the estate, seemed to have suddenly become enlightened, not only sending over the copy of the “Women’s Precepts” as punishment but also returning with a letter of apology.

At dinner, Ah Wu mentioned this matter to Chu Mao: “Should we bring Lady He back?”

Chu Mao said, “Since she has repented, it’s good to bring her back. If she relapses, we can send her away again.”

Ah Wu smiled and nodded. He Peizhen was the eldest granddaughter of the Duke of Zhenguo, and she had not committed any serious offense, so naturally she should be brought back. However, Chu Mao’s next sentence reassured Ah Wu. However, He Peizhen’s return was perfectly timed. A few days later, during the palace’s imperial concubine selection, the Longqing Emperor sent several beauties to his sons. The Prince Qi’s mansion received two: Lady Xu and Lady You.

Leaving aside Xu Yi-niang, You Yi-niang was truly a natural beauty. Even a beauty like Ah Wu felt a pang of envy upon seeing her. Although You Yi-niang was only fifteen, northern women were naturally taller and more voluptuous than southern women, and You Yi-niang was the epitome of this. At her age, her figure was already quite shapely, her breasts full and rounded like the most alluring flowers in spring. Her face was delicate and elegant, not quite as striking as Ah Wu’s, but not far off. Although younger than Ah Wu, she appeared much more mature. Her walk was captivating; even Ah Wu could not help but stare at her shapely buttocks.

No wonder such a beauty was sent to Prince Qi’s mansion. If she remained in the palace, Consort Xiang would likely have no sleep.

It was a pity that such a beauty’s arrival did not even cause a ripple. The inner courtyard of Prince Qi’s mansion remained lifeless, with all the women living like widows, including Ah Wu, the Princess Consort of Prince Qi.

The next day, the number of people paying their respects at Yulan Hall had never been so complete.

He Peizhen still held her head high, though she had lost some weight. She still bowed respectfully to Ah Wu and only dared to sit when Ah Wu invited them to.

Tao Siyao was still coughing. Xun Mei, Gongsun Lan, and Ouyang Zhi kept their heads down and remained silent. The newly arrived Xu Yi-niang gave Ah Wu a pair of shoes she had made herself, and You Yi-niang gave her two pairs of socks.

Ah Wu shook her head, feeling utterly bored. Life was like that; in times of peace, it felt dull, but when troubles came, one longed for tranquility.

Time flew by, and it was now the fourth month. Ah Wu’s birthday was the twenty-fifth day of the fourth month. Zi-Shan and the others had already pooled their money to celebrate her birthday. Lady Cui from the Rong family, as well as Ah Wu’s two brothers, had sent birthday gifts. Tang Yin had also sent something. Ah Wu had not seen Tang Yin since her engagement to Rong Yin, and she missed her terribly.

The sixteenth birthday was not a big deal, and Ah Wu did not think much of it. As for Prince Qi, Ah Wu did not have high expectations either, since Chu Mao sent her gifts every few days, so it had lost its novelty.

On the morning of the twenty-fifth, Prince Qi, who had not set foot in Yulan Hall for quite some time, actually entered, which surprised Ah Wu somewhat.

“Your Highness, why are you here at this hour? Is there something you need?” Ah Wu asked as she went to greet him.

In the misty morning light, Chu Mao stood at the door, a soft halo surrounding him. Ah Wu suddenly understood Third Lady Chun’s boldness.

“Let’s go for a walk at the villa today,” Chu Mao said. “Would you like to learn horseback riding?”

Ah Wu was taken aback. She had not expected Prince Qi to have such leisure time. As far as she knew, Chu Mao had been so busy lately that he had not had time to return home. When he did come back, he would spend the whole evening in Xu Xian Hall discussing matters.

“Your Highness,” Ah Wu said, noticing the weariness in Chu Mao’s eyes, “Let’s go another day. If Your Highness has time, you might as well rest for a while.” Ah Wu tried her best to be a virtuous wife.

“The hibiscus in the villa blooms in the fourth month. You will definitely like it,” Chu Mao said instead of answering Ah Wu’s question. He then spoke to Zi-Shan, “Hurry up and prepare. We will come back tomorrow.”

Only after seeing the Jinxi Villa in early summer would one understand why a villa with a large plum grove was named Jinxi ^(Hibiscus). Pink, red, purple, and white—looking up, the villa was practically surrounded by a sea of ​​hibiscus.

Even Ah Wu, who did not particularly like hibiscus, could not help but sigh, “So beautiful.”

Chu Mao led Ah Wu to the stable, pointing with a riding crop to the opposite mountain. “We will ride to that hill later, and then you can look over here; the view will be even better.”

Ah Wu rubbed her nose, finding the stable smell unbearable, but it did not dampen her excitement. She’d wanted to learn to ride for a long time; Tang Yin had told her many times.

“His name is Wuying,” Chu Mao said, instructing the groom to bring out the most beautiful white horse Ah Wu had immediately chosen from the stable.

Wuying was pure white, without a single blemish. As soon as it was led out, it reared up and neighed, startling Ah Wu, who took a large step back.

“Do not be afraid; he will not hurt you,” Chu Mao said, handing Ah Wu a handful of hay. He then held her hand to Wuying’s mouth, patiently explaining the rules of riding to her in her ear.

“Let me take you for a few laps first,” Chu Mao said, helping Ah Wu onto the horse.

Ah Wu felt a little uncomfortable against Chu Mao’s broad chest. It had been a long time since Chu Mao had been this close to her. Now, thinking back, it seemed that only during her illness had Chu Mao been a little excessive; afterwards, he had been quite respectful towards her.

After Chu Mao rode off with Ah Wu in his arms, Zhong Liang, the groom who cared for Wu Ying, was left watching their departing figures, bewildered. “Eunuch Lu,” he said, “Did His Highness not always forbid anyone else from touching Wu Ying? Let alone letting a woman ride him?”

“What ‘others’? That’s Princess Qi. From now on, whichever horse she wants to ride, you just need to serve her carefully,” Lu Ruoxing said. “Keep an eye on things here; His Highness has instructed me to attend to something.”

It was Ah Wu’s first time riding a horse. While enjoying the exhilarating ride, she felt a slight chafing pain in her inner thighs. After riding a lap, Chu Mao personally helped her secure her feet in the stirrups, instructing her to keep a firm grip. He then personally led the horse around a few times before he mounted another black horse and carefully followed beside him.

This scene left Zhong Liang, who was serving nearby, completely stunned. In his words, it was truly an eye-opener.

Ah Wu was inherently competitive. Having a rare opportunity to ride, she was determined to learn and to ride well. She endured the pain without uttering a sound, practicing silently for an entire afternoon. By dusk, she was finally able to let Chu Mao go, allowing Wu Ying to run freely, her silvery laughter filling the air.

Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived. By the time Ah Wu returned to Ruijing Hall to change, her inner thighs were soaked with blood. She gritted her teeth as she pulled down her pants.

“Oh dear, what are we going to do? We did not bring any medicine to stop the bleeding, and we have to prevent scarring!” Zi-Shan exclaimed anxiously.

“Go and ask Lu Ruoxing privately if he has any, but do not tell His Highness,” Ah Wu instructed.