Four Seasons Brocade – CH 181

Chapter 181 ☆、

Before the western expeditionary army set off, countless matters remained. In warfare, supplies were always the first priority, so His Highness Prince Qi had to send people to negotiate with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. Military pay, provisions, and weapons—everything required communication. Although the order came from the Emperor, its execution was not simply a matter of presenting an imperial decree and receiving the necessary supplies.

Therefore, despite the urgent military situation, the western expeditionary army would not depart until three days later, making it the shortest preparation time for a military campaign in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty.

For these five days, His Highness Prince Qi was so busy that he did not even have time to return home, spending the entire time at the Western Mountain military camp.

Of course, Ah Wu could not pretend nothing had happened. Besides Nanny Hao packing Chu Mao’s belongings, Ah Wu naturally wanted to do her part as well.

“Hmm, Zi-Shan, you and Zi-Yi go out together, taking Chi-Jin with you. Go to Deshou Hall in the capital to buy a batch of wound medicine and bruise-reducing ointment. The weather’s so hot now, we will probably also need to buy a batch of Qingwen pills.” Ah Wu thought for a moment and added, “I do not know how long this battle will last, maybe even into winter. Also, buy some antifreeze oil. Oh, and there might be some people suffering from water and soil acclimatization issues, so buy some Wubeizi pills and Xianglian pills to stop diarrhea,” Ah Wu said as she paced back and forth.

Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi quickly agreed, then heard Ah Wu say, “By the way, has His Highness packed his clothes? Tell Lu Ruoxing to bring his winter clothes too. Luobei is colder than Shangjing, so tell him to bring plenty of warm clothes.”

When Ah Wu turned around, she saw Zi-Shan and Zi-Yi still standing there and said with slight displeasure, “Why are you still here?”

Zi-Shan, being different from Zi-Yi in her relationship with Ah Wu, spoke more casually, smiling as she said, “I was afraid the Princess Consort might have forgotten more things to instruct us.”

Ah Wu blushed. “Alright, no, that’s all. Nanny Hao will naturally prepare the rest.” Actually, Ah Wu did not understand why she felt guilty and blushed; she was just fulfilling her duties as a wife. It was all Zi-Shan’s fault for laughing so inexplicably.

Ah Wu spent the entire afternoon leaning against the window, too listless to do anything, just staring blankly at the sky outside. Chu Mao did not return for dinner either. Zi-Zhui had prepared all of Ah Wu’s favorite dishes: cold walnut salad, shredded chicken and cucumber, sweet and sour lotus root, and water bamboo shoots with chili oil, but she only ate a few bites before putting them down.

Ah Wu chuckled self-deprecatingly, “It’s just that no one’s here to eat with me, and suddenly the food does not taste good.” Then she worried about Chu Mao. This was something that had not happened in her previous life. Swords had no eyes; what if something went wrong…

Ah Wu quickly shook her head. She did not want to be a widow. Although she was happy to live a life of virtual widowhood, she did not want to be a real one.

That night, Ah Wu could not sleep, so she had her maid water the courtyard and asked someone to carry her to the wisteria trellis in front to cool off.

Later, when Chu Mao returned, he found Ah Wu reclining on the cool couch, seemingly asleep, but sleeping restlessly. Tong-Guan and Tong-Wen were fanning her from both ends, keeping away mosquitoes.

When Tong-Guan and Tong-Wen saw Chu Mao, they quickly got up to greet him, but he waved his hand, indicating not to wake Ah Wu. Chu Mao went to the cool couch, gently picked Ah Wu up, and heard her whimper softly. He thought she was about to wake up, but she found a comfortable position in Chu Mao’s arms and fell asleep again.

Tong-Guan and Tong-Wen exchanged a glance, both quite surprised. They had served Ah Wu for many years and knew her peculiar habits: she disliked being touched, and even her mistress would not allow it at home. Prince Qi was also strange; no one was allowed to touch him, not even within three steps.

Now, seeing Prince Qi so naturally lift their mistress, and her not even flinching or jumping up, they were truly astonished. When Chu Mao and Ah Wu were intimate, no maids were ever present. Tong-Guan and Tong-Wen had not served Ah Wu as much as Zi-Shan had, so this sudden sight was naturally strange.

When Chu Mao emerged from the bathing room, he saw Ah Wu leaning against the headboard. Seeing him, she tried to get up.

Chu Mao walked over and pressed her shoulder, asking, “Why are you awake?”

Ah Wu was still a little sleepy, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. “Your Highness, why did you not wake me?”

“Would it not be better to let you sleep a little longer?” Chu Mao pinched Ah Wu’s plump, rosy cheeks, smooth and delicate from just waking up, making him want to pinch her flesh off.

Ah Wu moved over slightly, and Chu Mao lay down on the outside. It felt like it had been a long time since the couple had shared a bed like this, but tonight Ah Wu did not feel uncomfortable; everything seemed perfectly natural.

“The army will depart tomorrow,” Chu Mao said.

Ah Wu nodded. “Everything at home is packed, and I’ve already had Lu Ruoxing deliver it to the Western Mountain military camp.”

“There’s still one thing missing,” Chu Mao said.

“Ah, what else did you forget?” Ah Wu asked in surprise. She thought she had considered everything, even having ten extra pairs of shoes packed in case they wore out quickly during the war.

“There’s one more important thing you forgot,” Chu Mao said with a smile, taking Ah Wu’s hand.

Ah Wu’s heart skipped a beat, but then she thought it was impossible. “Your Highness, please tell me quickly, lest it get too late to pack it up.” Ah Wu unconsciously let her voice carry a hint of coquetry.

The sight of a beautiful woman was most intoxicating, especially one as stunning as this. Ah Wu’s eyes shimmered with a spring-like allure she herself did not realize, captivating and alluring. Her lips were slightly pouting, like pink fruit waiting to be picked. Chu Mao, forgetting all about words, popped the fruit into his mouth in one bite.

Ah Wu gently pushed Chu Mao away. She truly did not understand why this Prince Qi liked kissing her so much. Ah Wu bit her lip, refusing to let go, and complained indistinctly, “Do not make my lips swell up again.”

Ah Wu felt Chu Mao’s tongue searching her teeth. Once it found an opening, it immediately slipped inside, sometimes gently, sometimes wildly sucking on her tongue. After only a few strokes, Ah Wu was already breathless. Chu Mao seemed to be sucking on her like a delicious peach, making slurping sounds.

Ah Wu felt Chu Mao’s hand slip inside her clothes. She was incredibly ashamed, but her hands did not resist. Instead, a voice inside her cheered; she liked him caressing her like this, even more intensely. Ah Wu did not know why she had such shameful thoughts, and she felt increasingly ashamed and weak all over.

When Chu Mao’s lips moved to the soft, snowy surface of her chest, Ah Wu was finally able to breathe freely for a couple of seconds. But it was as if Chu Mao was deliberately provoking her; the moment she relaxed, his hand slid down to the base of her closed legs. Ah Wu flinched, her legs closing even tighter.

It was not that Prince Qi lacked the strength to pry her legs open, but he deliberately did not use force. He simply used his index finger to gently scrape between her thighs, sending a tingling sensation up Ah Wu’s spine, causing her to moan softly, twisting her legs to prevent Chu Mao from touching her again.

Chu Mao, however, understood her thoughts better than Ah Wu herself. He figured his beloved wife knew he was leaving tomorrow and was deliberately indulging him today. It would be foolish not to take advantage of such a situation.

Chu Mao’s hand decisively parted Ah Wu’s legs, kneading her most sensitive and erogenous zone. He had not known before that women possessed such a precious bead that could open the jade gate.

Ah Wu’s eyes suddenly opened, but she quickly closed them again, saying in what she thought was a stern tone, “Your Highness, no.”

But to Chu Mao’s ears, her voice was sweet as honey. He tried to insert a finger, and Ah Wu winced in pain, pouting, “Your Highness.”

The next moment, their lips and teeth were entwined again. Ah Wu was breathless, no longer caring about her lower body, only twisting her legs, but she could not escape those hateful hands. Ah Wu could only comfort herself, thinking that tomorrow would be better, that he would leave tomorrow, and she could forget everything.

But Ah Wu had no idea that Chu Mao would go so far. She had only indulged him a little, and he had taken even more. Ah Wu’s legs were currently draped over Chu Mao’s shoulders, his head buried beneath her abdomen. Ah Wu dared not even open her eyes, her body trembling slightly, as if unable to bear the weight of his tongue.

Ah Wu’s hands gripped the sheets tightly, tears of unbearable shame streaming from her eyes. She weakly called out, “Your Highness, Your Highness.”

But his tongue continued its hateful swirling, occasionally flicking. Ah Wu could only grab his hair and shout unceremoniously, “Chu Mao, Chu Jinghui!”

Chu Mao licked the fluid. It was not an ordinary fragrance, but the taste was exceptionally to his liking. He absolutely loved it. He nuzzled it with his nose, finally lifting his head and placing his hands on either side of Ah Wu, saying, “You smell so good.”

Ah Wu quickly shrank back into the covers, burying her head under the pillow, turning away from Chu Mao.

Ah Wu felt Chu Mao turn over and get out of bed to go to the bathing room. Only then did her tense nerves relax. She covered her cheeks in annoyance, feeling utterly ashamed; her face felt like it was burning.

After a while, Chu Mao lay back down on the bed.

Ah Wu remained with her back to him, pretending to be asleep. But she heard the person behind her whisper, “Ah Wu, I must keep you within my reach.”

Some people in this world lived consciously and clearly, knowing exactly what was most important to them. Others only understood what was most important after they lost it.

His Highness Prince Qi was the first type, and he almost experienced the second, which was why he uttered such incomprehensible words.

Ah Wu whirled around, staring at Chu Mao in disbelief. “Your Highness!”

“Your own clothes probably will not fit anymore. I’ve already had Lu Ruoxing prepare your things,” Chu Mao said casually, as if discussing a spring outing.

“Your Highness, are you taking me to Luobei?” Ah Wu’s bright, sparkling eyes captivated Chu Mao, who could not help but succumb to temptation. He had to admit, women were too beautiful; they were truly a menace.

Author’s Note:
Haha, Brother Si-Mao refuses to leave Celestial Fairy Wu. He really cannot bear to be apart from her for even a moment.