Four Seasons Brocade – CH 180

Chapter 180 ☆、

Ah Wu, of course, did not believe that His Highness Prince Qi would condescend to treat You Yi-niang like that. So she only dry-heaved, inexplicably finding herself constantly thinking in that direction. It was probably a kind of rational self-torture—knowing it was impossible yet allowing herself to think that way, resulting in a kind of masochistic pleasure.

Ah Wu hurriedly pulled up her clothes to cover her bare upper body, quickly saying, “Of course, Your Highness would not.”

Ah Wu looked at Chu Mao almost pleadingly. This situation made her incredibly ashamed; all the discipline she had received since childhood had vanished, a stark contrast to her usual behavior. Ah Wu could not bear this contrast, making her exceptionally vulnerable.

Chu Mao did not press further, and Ah Wu breathed a sigh of relief. She straightened her clothes, tidied her hair in front of the mirror again, and then went out.

Meanwhile, Zi-Shan and the others had set out dinner. The two masters ate with their heads down, not exchanging a word. No one could guess what a passionate scene had unfolded in the inner room.

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To avoid suspicion, Ah Wu did not even serve Chu Mao any food. Prince Qi continued to pick up food himself, as if nothing was wrong. Ah Wu just kept eating, not daring to glance at Chu Mao. It was as though if she did, Zi-Shan and the others would notice something and guess what they had just done.

“Was it comfortable just now?”

“What?” Ah Wu thought she had misheard or was hallucinating.

“Were you comfortable just now?”

With a “pfft,” Ah Wu spat out her food for the first time in her two lifetimes. Luckily, it was not in front of Prince Qi; otherwise, she did not know how she would have handled the situation. However, she could not eat anymore. Ah Wu frowned in disgust. “Take all of this away.”

Ah Wu moved to the east side room, completely ignoring Chu Mao’s question. Prince Qi, persistent as ever, followed her back to the east side room and, ignoring her slight struggles, pulled her into the inner room.

“Did I hurt you this time? Let me see if you are hurt.”

As he spoke, Ah Wu saw Chu Mao trying to pull at her clothes again. She reached out to push him away, but somehow, Prince Qi’s hands moved in a few disorienting movements, and Ah Wu’s clothes were torn open again at the chest.

“No, I am not hurt,” Ah Wu said, crossing her arms over her chest, refusing to let go.

“Was it more comfortable than last time? I could hear your voice just now…”

Ah Wu’s earlobe was almost completely engulfed in Chu Mao’s mouth. She felt a ticklish, tingling sensation that quickly spread throughout her body. “Stop talking, stop talking,” Ah Wu said, ashamed of the sound she had just made.

“Then tell me if it will feel better.”

Ah Wu was thoroughly embarrassed by Prince Qi’s relentless persistence. She clutched her clothes and nodded, only to have her cherry lips once again captured in his mouth.

This time, unlike the previous storms, Chu Mao’s tongue gently played in her mouth, teasing and swirling around her tongue. Ah Wu’s hands, which had initially resisted by bracing themselves on his chest, later wrapped around Chu Mao’s neck.

Later, Ah Wu leaned limply against Chu Mao’s chest. Without his arm for support, she probably would have collapsed. She did not know how long they had been locked in this passionate kiss; her mouth was numb and sore, and she touched it, fearing it was swollen.

Chu Mao saw her small face, her eyes misty, slightly red at the corners, her cheeks flushed a rosy hue, whether from holding her breath or from shyness, her small mouth slightly open, still panting like a fish out of water after all this time—she was utterly irresistible.

Ah Wu felt something hard beneath her buttocks, and her face instantly turned pale, but thankfully, she did not vomit.

Chu Mao shifted his body and kissed Ah Wu’s forehead. “I am going to Bingxue Forest. You should get some sleep.”

Despite the height of summer, the sudden loss of warmth around her stirred a pang of regret in Ah Wu. This regret made her flee into the bathtub, burying her head in the water, as if that would make her safe, as if no one could read her mind through the surface.

The summer of the thirty-second year of the Longqing reign was so hot that even the cicadas seemed to have given up chirping. It had not rained for days, and the scorching sun beat down on the ground; an egg placed on it could be fried. Ah Wu was so hot she did not want to move at all.

Prince Qi seemed incredibly busy, visiting Yulan Hall less and less frequently, but he went to You Yi-niang’s place five or six times a month. A restless atmosphere permeated the air, and people were agitated.

Although Ah Wu was too lazy to move, her people stationed outside the mansion were frequently sending in news. Ah Wu flipped through the official gazette: the Tatars of the Luobei Grasslands had breached Liuye Pass early in the sixth month, unilaterally breaking their agreement with the Great Xia Dynasty. The garrison at Liuye Pass was suffering successive defeats, eventually retreating to Maobao. If Maobao also fell, then the Tatars’ iron hooves would trample the prosperous Luobei Plain of the Great Xia Dynasty.

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The news from Ah Wu’s Four Seasons Brocade and Desheng Cloth Shops along the Luobei front was almost as fast as the imperial express mail. Ah Wu’s fingers tapped lightly on the small table, trying hard to recall how the war between the Tatars and the imperial court had ended that year, but she could not remember. At that time, she was just a sheltered young woman, pampered by the Imperial Princess and unaware of worldly sorrows; she had no interest in such cruel and bloody warfare.

Ah Wu then read the official gazette. The court had mobilized three armies to support Maobao and appointed Zhang Henglei, then Vice Minister of War, to supervise the army. Ah Wu thought of the Zhang family but had no recollection of them. This could only mean that Zhang Henglei had not won the war; otherwise, the Zhang family would surely have become newly powerful, and she would not have no memory of them.

Ah Wu hurriedly wrote several letters and asked Zi-Shan to send them out as quickly as possible. She had to withdraw the Four Seasons Brocade and Desheng Cloth Shops’ branches along the Luobei front. She could almost smell the blood of the battlefield in the air.

Meanwhile, the people of the capital remained immersed in the bustling city, the wedding day of Rong Yin and Tang Yin fast approaching.

“Greetings to the Princess Consort.” As soon as Ah Wu’s carriage arrived at the Rong Mansion’s gate, her elder sister-in-law, Dong Cangyue, came to greet her.

Dong Cangyue wore a lilac-colored, embroidered silk jacket with a playful infant motif, over which she wore a scarlet, embroidered skirt. Her features were delicate; at first glance, she was not particularly striking, but the more one looked, the more beautiful she became. Ah Wu noticed her rosy complexion and the respectful demeanor of the maids and servants around her, indicating that her sister-in-law had adapted very well to life in the Rong Mansion.

“Sister-in-law,” Ah Wu gently helped Dong Cangyue up, “Are you settling in well at home?”

Dong Cangyue smiled generously, “My mother-in-law and husband are both very kind to me.”

Ah Wu inquired about the household affairs and learned that as soon as Dong Cangyue entered, Lady Cui had entrusted her with the keys to the inner courtyard, the account books, and the storeroom. Ah Wu glanced around and noticed that the maids and servants coming and going were more disciplined than before, realizing that Dong Cangyue was capable. The two chatted and laughed as they entered Lady Cui’s main room.

Soon, a servant came to request attention to something, and Lady Cui simply told Dong Cangyue to hurry and handle it. More guests arrived, and Dong Cangyue was responsible for receiving them all. Lady Cui breathed a sigh of relief.

Ah Wu leaned forward and said, “Madam can finally relax; everything’s taken care of by my sister-in-law.”

“Your sister-in-law is wonderful, just as good as you were when you were in the household. Your elder brother is not young anymore either; I just hope she will give me a big, healthy grandson soon,” said Lady Cui.

“My sister-in-law has only been married for less than two months. Why are you in such a hurry, Madam? Do not frighten her; it might make it harder for her to conceive,” Ah Wu said with a smile.

Lady Cui glanced at Ah Wu. “You do not need to tell me that. I was just saying it in private. Your eldest brother is absolutely smitten with his wife. They are like oil and water. I am not worried about my grandson at all, only you, you troublesome girl…”

Ah Wu quickly begged for mercy, “Madam, today is my second brother’s wedding day; please do not say that about me.” Ah Wu was terrified of returning to Willow Alley. If it were not for Lady Cui’s nagging, Ah Wu felt she would not have fallen so low as to tacitly condone so many of Prince Qi’s excessive actions.

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While Willow Alley was decorated with lanterns and streamers, celebrating the wedding of the new bride, news arrived from the front lines that Maobao had fallen, Commander Wang Dewen had died with the city, and Vice Minister of War Zhang Henglei had been captured and taken to Luobei. Furthermore, the Tatars demanded that the Great Xia Dynasty pay a ransom to release Zhang Henglei.

But a great nation like this had no shortage of people. Zhang Henglei was defeated and captured; even if he returned to the capital, a guillotine awaited him. Who would pay his ransom? The Zhang family was pitiful, scraping together money to try to bring him back.

For Ah Wu, these were other people’s affairs. What she knew was that the Great Xia Dynasty had not perished because of this battle, and that was enough to reassure her. What she never expected was that the Emperor, her uncle from her previous life, would actually send Chu Mao to lead the western expedition.

Ah Wu was absolutely certain that this had not happened in her previous life. Before the Fourth Prince Chu Mao secured his fiefdom, he had never led an army against an enemy. Therefore, when he raised an army to purge the court of corrupt officials, the court underestimated him and was caught off guard. However, at that time, Ah Wu was too ill to get out of bed and could not remember much of the specifics.

But Ah Wu was certain that Chu Mao had never led a western expedition. Moreover, judging from the current situation, Ah Wu could not understand why the Longqing Emperor would suddenly send Chu Mao on a western expedition without any reason. This meant entrusting him with full military power. At such a crucial moment, if the Longqing Emperor were to fall ill, Chu Mao could lead the army back to court without any concern for the Fifth and Sixth Princes.

Ah Wu truly could not understand why the Longqing Emperor, who had always disliked Chu Mao, would suddenly make such a decision. Of course, many others shared Ah Wu’s bewilderment. However, the power struggle between the five and six factions in the court would likely soon dissolve into three.

Once the imperial decree was issued, Chu Mao had to immediately prepare for departure. Military matters were urgent and could not be delayed even for a moment.