Four Seasons Brocade – CH 201

Chapter 201 ☆、

Entering the fourth month, the early summer sun already showed its scorching heat. Ah Wu leaned against the swing under the big tree, mentally counting the days. Since their unpleasant parting last time, Chu Mao had not been seen for fifteen days. Ah Wu angrily kicked the ground, then felt pain in her feet. Everything was unsatisfactory; nothing was going right.

A moment later, Zi-Shan approached, and Ah Wu asked, “How are the preparations going?”

Zi-Shan looked troubled. “Bing-Shuang said that the Prince has ordered that if Mistress finds it too stuffy, she can wander around the area, but going to Mount Tai is not allowed.”

Ah Wu suddenly stood up, gritting her teeth in anger. Chu Mao was essentially imprisoning her, afraid she would return to the capital. Bing-Shuang, the secret guards—they were not just maids or guards; they were her masters. Her words had no effect whatsoever.

Ah Wu took several deep breaths to calm herself down; otherwise, she really wanted to burn down the entire estate. She was still too inexperienced, and as a woman, her actions were extremely inconvenient. Ah Wu thought, if she were a man, she would have a group of advisors and guards under her command; let’s see how Chu Mao could imprison her then!

Ah Wu’s heart skipped a beat. It was not entirely impossible, but finding a suitable advisor proved to be a problem. Asking Master Rong was out of the question; he would surely reprimand her and tell her to focus on being a good wife and mother. Asking her two brothers was also out of the question; they would definitely complain. After much deliberation, Ah Wu could only ask Gu Tingyi for help.

Ah Wu hurriedly returned to her room, wrote a letter, and asked Zi-Shan to find a suitable opportunity to send it to Four Seasons Brocade in Shandong, who would then forward it to Gu Tingyi, who was stationed at the Liaodong Garrison.

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As for how Ah Wu knew where Gu Tingyi was, it was because after he went to Liaodong, he had written to her several times, all of which he had entrusted to Tang Yin to deliver. Tang Yin had then included his letters in her own mail and sent them to Ah Wu.

Ah Wu only read the letter, never replying. Although her relationship with Gu Tingyi was purely platonic, like that of siblings, their different identities in this life would inevitably cause problems. Therefore, Ah Wu remained cautious. Besides, she always felt that her Second Brother Gu still harbored some lingering feelings. She only hoped that Gu Tingyi could get married soon, both to avoid suspicion and to maintain contact through their respective families.

After finishing the letter, Ah Wu called Chi-Jin over. “How’s your martial arts training with Bing-Shuang going lately?”

Chi-Jin replied, “Master’s martial arts are superb; I’ve only learned about one-tenth or one-twelfth.”

Hearing Chi-Jin call Bing-Shuang “Master,” Ah Wu knew things had gone wrong. She lost patience and dismissed her casually. Ah Wu felt that everything had been going wrong lately. Zi-Shan and Zi-Zhui were both of marriageable age, and although she was reluctant to let them go, she could not delay the lives of those who had served her since childhood.

But if that were the case, she would lose two useful people. Tong-Guan and Tong-Wen could not replace Zi-Shan and Zi-Zhui. Ah Wu’s head ached from thinking about it. If she entrusted them to Chu Mao, everything would be easily solved, but the thought of everyone around her being Chu Mao’s people in the future sent chills down her spine.

Gu Tingyi’s reply came extremely quickly, reaching Ah Wu in less than twenty days. The letter only stated that he did not have a suitable advisor at the moment, but he would keep an eye out for Ah Wu. Along with the letter came a girl, fourteen years old, from Liaodong. She was an orphan Gu Tingyi had unintentionally rescued; her parents seemed to be martial arts practitioners, so the girl also possessed martial arts skills.

Ah Wu closed the letter, her heart filled with gratitude. Her second brother had not asked her what a woman like her needed an advisor for. He would find a way to get her whatever she asked for, even things she had not mentioned. He probably anticipated her difficult situation, which was why he sent Liang-Jin.

Of course, Liang-Jin was sent to Four Seasons Brocade. Gu Tingyi was not a reckless person. Ah Wu, using the excuse that there were not enough servants at the estate, had Zi-Shan find a matchmaker to buy a maid, smoothly bringing Liang-Jin into the mansion and renaming her Zi-Jin.

Having arranged everything, Ah Wu realized she still had no chance of returning to the capital. Last time she made a fuss about going back, Chu Mao did not respond at all, which chilled her to the bone. It seemed that going through Chu Mao’s side was impossible. The only way was to put pressure on Chu Mao through Master Rong. But she had been in Shandong for over two months, and the Rong family had not made a move. Did Old Father Rong also tacitly approve of Chu Mao sending her to Shandong? Thinking of this, Ah Wu’s heart sank.

Everyone was filled with calculation and scheming. Although Master Rong loved her, Ah Wu was unsure which side he would take—his official career or his daughter? Only the Imperial Princess… Ah Wu felt a pang of heartache whenever she thought of the Imperial Princess; only she loved her unconditionally.

Even lambs kneel to suckle, and crows feed their parents. Was she, a living, breathing human being, less than an animal? Ah Wu touched her chest, sat down at the table, and began grinding ink, intending to write a heartfelt letter to Chu Mao. Even if it meant kneeling before Nanny Hao, she would accept it. Ah Wu rubbed her sore eyes.

As Ah Wu wrote the letter, her heart ached with anger. She wrote and threw it away, then wrote again, until finally, a thousand lines were reduced to just a few.

After sealing the letter, Ah Wu neatly wrote “To Jinghui” at the top.

“Master, the Prince has arrived!” Zi-Shan entered Ah Wu’s small study in the west wing with an air of seeking praise.

Ah Wu glanced at Zi-Shan and saw not only joy but also a look of great relief on her face. Ah Wu thought to herself how foolish she had been, walking on the edge of a precipice without realizing it, causing those around her endless worry.

Chu Mao stood against the sunlight by the door, surrounded by a golden halo. Ah Wu sighed, thinking to herself that this man would one day be Emperor Zhengyuan. No matter how strong she was, she would still have to kneel at his feet and kowtow. Thinking this way, there was nothing more to feel wronged about.

Ah Wu tried to force a smile, but even when asking for a favor, she unconsciously adopted an air of “it’s your honor,” making it incredibly difficult to swallow her pride.

“Are you angry?” Chu Mao asked with a smile.

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Ah Wu turned her head away from Chu Mao, finally able to speak calmly, “No. Your Highness is already very busy; it’s already an immense favor that you took the time to visit me at the estate, someone suffering from a serious illness.”

Chu Mao chuckled softly, making Ah Wu even more embarrassed to look at him. She knew how sarcastic her words were, but she had no time for self-deprecation. She closed her eyes briefly, calming herself before daring to open them again; otherwise, she feared she might spill a cup of hot tea on Prince Qi’s head—after all, he had not been seen for a month.

“Did you not tell me last time not to come see you anymore?” Chu Mao stepped forward and embraced Ah Wu.

At first, Ah Wu struggled, but after hearing Chu Mao’s words, she felt wronged. Whatever Chu Mao said, did she have to agree? Why could she not go climb Mount Tai if she wanted to?

Ah Wu’s eyes reddened with grievance. She stomped on Chu Mao’s instep, causing him to wince in pain. Ah Wu turned around, intending to stomp again, but Chu Mao moved aside, emphasizing, “You heartless woman.”

Ah Wu missed his foot, provoked. She deliberately stomped, stepping on it again. Chu Mao pulled his foot away again. This happened several times. Ah Wu’s tears finally streamed down her face. She resented Chu Mao for daring to dodge.

Finally, Chu Mao obediently stood there, letting Ah Wu stomp on him twice. Having vented her anger, Ah Wu finally stopped, finding it pointless, and her tears ceased.

“Not angry anymore?” Chu Mao gently wiped the dampness from Ah Wu’s face.

“Since Your Highness listened to me, why are you here again? Are you here to take me to Ryukyu?” Ah Wu glanced at Chu Mao, her eyes sparkling with captivating charm.

“I brought good news this time. If you kiss me, I will tell you.” Chu Mao pulled Ah Wu to his side, embracing her on his lap, and they both sat down.

“Tell me if you want.” Ah Wu made a move to stand up. Before seeing Chu Mao, she had planned that even if she could not be obsequious, she would at least be gentle and courteous. But seeing Chu Mao, all her plans vanished, and she could not help but act coy again.

Chu Mao rubbed his forehead. “Sigh, I was planning to take you back to the capital, but it seems someone does not care. I will have to go back alone tomorrow.”

Ah Wu’s heart leaped with joy. She wrapped her arms around Chu Mao’s neck and asked, “Are you serious?”

Ah Wu’s eyes instantly lit up like fireworks, sparkling brightly. For her affection, Chu Mao felt all the hardships were worthwhile.

Ah Wu was indeed overjoyed. Although she deeply resented Chu Mao, if she were in his shoes, she felt she would made the same choice. Chu Mao’s survival owed much to Nanny Hao. If Chu Mao were to betray Nanny Hao, not only would he be heartbroken, but others would likely see him as untrustworthy.

However, the one opposing Nanny Hao was herself, and Ah Wu could not remain a rational bystander. Then there was Yuan Rongmeng. Now that she had entered the palace, Chu Mao absolutely could not afford to offend her at this juncture. The price was merely sending his Princess to the estate for three years—it was a worthwhile deal, no matter how you looked at it.

The more Ah Wu thought about it, the more she felt for Chu Mao’s plight, and she could not help but say, “When we return, I will certainly treat Nanny Hao with respect.”

Chu Mao’s eyes widened briefly, then he lowered his eyelids. He probably understood Ah Wu better than she understood herself. She was incredibly proud and extremely fastidious. For her to say such things after Nanny Hao spat medicine in her face meant she must want something. And it was something significant and difficult.

Chu Mao considered Ah Wu’s situation and could not see what she could possibly want from him. Her father was his teacher; he would naturally take care of him. His heart was already devoted to her. She did not need to compete with other women for his attention. What could she possibly need from him that she could not bring herself to ask?

It was probably just about that person’s safety. She was clever, starting to plan ahead quite early, even enduring humiliation for that person.

Chu Mao smiled self-deprecatingly, “Do you not want to kiss me?”