Four Seasons Brocade – CH 197

Chapter 197 ☆、

“You are quite clever, actually knowing how to use Yan Guangde to get her in,” Chu Mao said something disastrous. What Ah Wu feared most was explaining how she knew Yan Guangde and how she had accurately predicted he would send Yuan Rongmeng into the palace.

Yan Guangde was also a senior eunuch in the palace, always at odds with Eunuch Duan. However, Eunuch Duan was more cunning and favored by the Longqing Emperor. Yan Guangde needed to find another way to surpass Eunuch Duan, and Yuan Rongmeng, who resembled the late Empress, was his opportunity.

Although rumors circulated that the Longqing Emperor disliked the late Empress, Ah Wu knew her uncle well. He was wise and intelligent in his youth, but in his later years, he stumbled on the matter of choosing an heir, making him appear senile in his old age.

How could such a person be so cruel and vicious to his empress? There must be some inside story she did not know. Whatever the story, Ah Wu was certain that Yuan Rongmeng’s appearance would have some impact on the Longqing Emperor.

“I only learned by chance that Yan Guangde was the mastermind behind Wangu House,” Ah Wu explained perfunctorily. But knowing that Yan Guangde was the owner of Wangu House was not difficult; the difficulty lay in understanding the feud between Yan Guangde and Eunuch Duan and using it to her advantage.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Fortunately, Chu Mao did not press further. But in this life, where would Ah Wu find out such information? Even Rong Jichang had no way of knowing. Therefore, Ah Wu had no idea that Prince Qi simply assumed she knew from Gu Tingyi. It was not surprising that the Imperial Princess, who frequently moved within the inner court, knew about the conflict between Duan and Yan.

“Your Highness does not blame me for taking it upon myself to send your cousin Yuan to the palace as a concubine?” Seeing that Chu Mao was not pursuing the matter, Ah Wu grew bolder.

“Why would I blame you? You reap what you sow. You will have your share of the consequences later.” Chu Mao’s tone held a hint of anger. He was annoyed by Ah Wu’s lack of foresight. If Yuan Rongmeng gained favor and made things difficult for her, even if he wanted to protect her in the deep palace, he would likely be powerless to do so.

Ah Wu, however, was not thinking about the future. She was curious about Chu Mao’s attitude towards Yuan Rongmeng. Ah Wu rested her chin on her hand, looking at Chu Mao, and said, “Your Highness has never mentioned your maternal uncle’s family. Why not tell me about it?”

Yuan Rongmeng was young, born in Liaodong, and naturally could not have offended Chu Mao. Ah Wu thought Chu Mao’s attitude towards Yuan Rongmeng was probably related to her uncle.

“There’s nothing much to say. It’s just the same old story of selling one’s daughter for personal gain. She fawned on everyone, only to end up with her whole family exiled. Quite satisfying, is it not?” Chu Mao sneered.

Ah Wu was startled. Judging from Chu Mao’s words, the late Empress probably did not want to enter the palace. If she did willingly, it would not be considered selling a daughter for personal gain. It seemed Yuan Rongmeng’s father also played a dishonorable role.

“Do not even think about it. There’s not a single good person in the Yuan family.” Chu Mao stood up and walked towards the bathing room.

Leaving Ah Wu sitting there, stunned. Chu Mao’s words had even included the late Empress Yuan Yiwei. Was it intentional or not? If intentional, did Chu Mao also harbor resentment towards his own mother?

Ah Wu suddenly felt sorry for Chu Mao. In the cold, deep palace, even his birth mother, the only source of warmth he could imagine, had hurt him for some reason, leaving him resentful. One could imagine the unhappiness he had endured in his childhood. No wonder Chu Mao was so unconditionally kind to Nanny Hao.

Ah Wu felt a sudden chill beside her. She got up, climbed into bed, and burrowed under the covers. Thinking of Nanny Hao, she felt a surge of smugness. She’d probably be shocked tomorrow; after the Yuan Rongmeng incident, Chu Mao had not blamed her at all.

Ah Wu did not regret sending Yuan Rongmeng to the palace. Firstly, her face was truly repulsive; sending her to the palace would give Empress Tian and Consort Xiang a headache—a two-birds-with-one-stone solution, quite satisfying. Besides, after observing her coldly for so many days, she feared that his Cousin Yuan might have developed feelings for Chu Mao. Her entry into the palace was, in a way, an aid to Chu Mao.

At first, Ah Wu did not understand why Chu Mao changed the era name to Zhengyuan after his ascension to the throne, seemingly trying to cover up his true intentions. But now that she was in his position, she did not want Chu Mao to have gained the throne through “treason.” Otherwise, even as Empress, she feared she would be the target of malicious gossip behind her back.

Besides, Chu Mao had an agreement with Jinguo Erhan, and Ah Wu considered herself one of Chu Mao’s allies, so naturally, she wanted him to be well. Even if she suffered at Yuan Rongmeng’s hands for a while, it did not matter; she would get her revenge later. Giving that face a few cuts would be the best way to vent her anger. Being too beautiful was not a good thing.

Ah Wu suddenly remembered the question Chu Mao had not answered: why did he frequently visit Yuan Rongmeng at Hongyao Villa? It was clear that although he denied it, he might have been bewitched by her face.

Therefore, Ah Wu felt no guilt towards Yuan Rongmeng whatsoever. Even if she felt some guilt, she had already used the Nine-Turn Exquisite Box to settle it. Moreover, her father had sent the late Empress to the palace for wealth and status; now it was her daughter’s turn—it was karmic retribution. Besides, although Yuan Rongmeng had not wronged her yet, if Yuan Rongmeng stayed in the Prince Qi’s mansion for a long time, who could guarantee she would not resent her for getting in her way? Ah Wu was a selfish person who would rather wrong others than be wronged herself.

A moment later, Chu Mao emerged from the bathing room. Ah Wu noticed he was clutching his inner robe, knowing he was staying the night. He had returned to Yulan Hall as soon as Yuan Rongmeng left, which made Ah Wu suspect again that Chu Mao was just putting on a brave face.

However, for Ah Wu, what Chu Mao was thinking did not matter; what mattered was that everything was back on track.

Ah Wu turned her head to look at Chu Mao, who was leaning back in his chair, reading a book. “The villain who sent Sister-Cousin to the palace this time was me. It has nothing to do with Your Highness. If it’s convenient for Your Highness, please go to the palace and explain to her. You and she should not become estranged.”

Ah Wu’s words were clearly well-intentioned; she feared that Chu Mao, because of her, would not be able to reconcile with Yuan Rongmeng. What she could not explicitly say was that she wanted Chu Mao to get closer to Yuan Rongmeng, giving her a little something sweet, and she would willingly serve him. Ah Wu meant that she did not mind; as long as Yuan Rongmeng was not in her territory, she could turn a blind eye to any entanglements between Chu Mao and her.

Of course, Ah Wu did not expect Chu Mao to praise her for these words, as it was not exactly something to be proud of, but she never expected his reaction.

“You think I am like you, wantonly toying with other people’s feelings?!” Chu Mao stood up, threw the book on the ground with a “thud,” and shuffled off in his cloth shoes.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

A while later, hearing the door open, Ah Wu asked Zi-Shan and learned that Chu Mao had changed his clothes and gone to Bingxue Forest. Ah Wu was stunned, unsure how to react. In her mind, nothing was off-limits or unsacrificable to achieve her ultimate goal. Her only bottom line was not to easily take lives, a line she considered “noble,” unaware of how cold-blooded and terrifying she appeared to others.

Ah Wu secretly resented Chu Mao’s ingratitude, his stubbornness, and his failure to capitalize on a golden opportunity, even blaming her for toying with people’s feelings. Whose feelings had she toyed with? It was a case of finding fault where none existed.

The next morning, a palace eunuch arrived with an imperial decree—it was Eunuch Duan again, but this time it was not the Empress’s decree but the Emperor’s. Yuan Rongmeng had been granted the title of First-Rank Consort, greatly pleasing the Emperor. Perhaps as compensation, the Longqing Emperor bestowed many fine gifts upon the Prince Qi’s mansion.

Upon hearing this news, Nanny Hao fainted.

When Ah Wu arrived at Hongyao Villa, Chu Mao was by Nanny Hao’s bedside. Nanny Hao lay on the bed, her face ashen and her breath faint. Ah Wu had never anticipated that Yuan Rongmeng’s entering the palace would be such a devastating blow to Nanny Hao.

Ah Wu glanced guiltily at Chu Mao, then stood silently beside him without saying a word.

A short while later, He Nianfang rushed in. After taking Nanny Hao’s pulse, he said, “Nanny Hao suffered a stroke due to anger, causing blood to rush to her brain, resulting in unconsciousness. I will first use acupuncture on her Taiyang, Waiguan, Fengchi, Sidu, and Yintang acupoints, and then supplement her with a calming medicine. I think she should be fine. However, after she wakes up, she cannot withstand any further stimulation; otherwise, she may suffer a stroke or even die.”

Chu Mao nodded, not even glancing at Ah Wu. Ah Wu followed Chu Mao behind the screen, waiting quietly for He Nianfang to administer acupuncture. Only when she heard Nanny Hao’s faint murmurs from inside did Ah Wu’s heart settle.

After a while, Pei-Lan prepared medicine and served it to Nanny Hao, who then fell into a deep sleep. Only then did Ah Wu dare to leave Hongyao Villa. Chu Mao ignored her words, turning his back to her.

Ah Wu looked up at the warm sun in the sky. Spring was bright, the willows were turning green, and the cherry blossoms outside Hongyao Villa were blooming like snow and clouds. But her heart was as gloomy as the grayness of a winter’s day about to snow.

Ah Wu returned to Yulan Hall, removed her headdress, changed into a simple, narrow-sleeved dress, and hurried back to Hongyao Villa. Ah Wu understood the situation perfectly. Even if Nanny Hao and Chu Mao disliked her, she had to go and care for the ailing nanny; otherwise, the position of Princess Qi might truly be replaced.

“Your Highness, please go back and rest. I will watch over Nanny Hao,” Ah Wu said softly.

Chu Mao reached out and tucked Nanny Hao’s blanket around her, looking up at Ah Wu and saying, “My aunt has treated me with boundless kindness; I respect her as my mother.”

Ah Wu nodded. This meant she would have to serve Nanny Hao like her mother-in-law. Actually, Ah Wu did not mind serving Nanny Hao like her mother-in-law; as long as Chu Mao spared the Imperial Princess, she would not even flinch if it meant taking her life.

“Ah Wu,” Chu Mao called softly.

~

See less ads by logging in.

~

Ah Wu raised her head and said, “Your Highness, please do not worry. I made a mistake this time. I hope Nanny Hao recovers more than anyone else.”

Ah Wu sat quietly by Nanny Hao’s bedside, suddenly feeling incredibly foolish for arguing with her. It was a lose-lose situation; she should have treated Nanny Hao like a goddess. Instead, she loathed Nanny Hao’s attitude of treating Chu Mao like prey, and she also resented Chu Mao’s prioritization of Nanny Hao in everything.

Ah Wu calmed down and realized that she was actually more bothered by Chu Mao’s attitude. In her heart, she felt that the person Chu Mao valued most should not be Nanny Hao, but herself. Ah Wu was startled by this thought. How could she have such a thought? Ah Wu was always domineering. Back in the Duke of Wei’s mansion, she insisted that the Imperial Princess always put her first; in the Rong mansion, she demanded that Lady Cui always put her first. But they were her mothers, and in Ah Wu’s eyes, that was only natural. So why was she so concerned about Chu Mao’s attitude?

Ah Wu dared not think any further.

Author’s Note:
It seems I’ve portrayed Ah Wu as a woman with many flaws. But I particularly favor this type of character. Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been envious of perfect women.