Four Seasons Brocade – CH 217

Chapter 217 ☆、

“Why did the Princess Consort want Lady Tao to manage the garden and the sewing room?” Zi-Shan asked, puzzled, after Tao Siyao left.

Ah Wu gently stroked the rim of her cup with her fingers, saying, “No one in this world can have it all. Even if they could, it would only be temporary. You always have to consider others. The garden and the sewing room may offer some lucrative opportunities, but Lady Tao might not care about those small gains; what she wants is prestige. It’s not easy being a woman. Zi-Shan, remember, when you are feeling triumphant, think of others; otherwise, they will be happy to bring you down.”

“But is the Princess Consort not afraid of her insatiable greed?” Zi-Yi interjected.

Ah Wu looked at Zi-Yi approvingly. “That depends on whether your mistress is good at managing people.”

Since Ah Wu took over the management of the household affairs, she had not changed Nanny Hao’s rules. In fact, Nanny Hao was indeed capable; her methods managed the Prince Qi’s mansion quite well. Ah Wu also delegated some power to Tao Siyao. Although she herself was not as free as before, her leisurely enjoyment of playing the zither and appreciating flowers remained undiminished.

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That day, Ah Wu went to Diyi Chun early. Diyi Chun was located in the southwest corner of the Acacia Garden, in a few elegant pavilions. A trellis of yellow roses outside cast a cool shade. Ah Wu washed her hands, took the red agate incense burner filled with burning ash from Zi-Shan’s hand, and picked out a “Princess Shouyang Plum Blossom Incense” from a matching incense jar. This incense, named after Princess Shouyang, was merely for added glamour; in Ah Wu’s eyes, it was vulgar, but the incense formula was excellent.

After the faint, cool fragrance rose, Ah Wu calmly began to play the zither. Recently, burdened by worldly affairs and troubled by Chu Mao, Ah Wu had not touched the zither for quite some time.

Before the piece was finished, Tao Siyao arrived, drawn by the sound of the zither. Seeing that it was Ah Wu playing, her surprise was palpable. Tao Siyao, frail from childhood, entertained herself with the zither and poetry, possessing considerable skill in the art and always proud of it. Yet, she had not expected that Ah Wu’s half-finished rendition of “Picking Lotus” would leave her feeling utterly inferior.

As the piece ended, Tao Siyao was still savoring its beauty, remarking, “The Princess’s zither playing is probably only comparable to heavenly music.”

Ah Wu, without feigning modesty, invited Tao Siyao to sit down. Zi-Shan presented a set of sky-blue teaware, its walls as thin as paper. Tao Siyao could not resist picking one up and examining it. “This looks like Chai ware,” she said.

Chai ware was now lost, but Emperor Shizong once wrote an edict describing its color as “the color of the sky after rain, where the clouds break.” This color, like the sky after rain, had inspired countless admirers, even placing it above Ru ware.

“I would not dare say that,” Ah Wu replied. “I simply love this color. I do not care where it comes from; I just like it.”

This was true freedom from the constraints of tradition, a quality that Tao Siyao found incredibly appealing. Both women, once self-proclaimed talented ladies, discussed these trinkets with great enthusiasm, feeling a deep sense of kinship.

Suddenly, Zi-Shan emerged from behind the rose trellis, hesitated for a moment, then walked to Ah Wu’s side and whispered a few words in her ear.

Ah Wu remained silent, glancing at Tao Siyao before saying, “I understand. You can go back now.”

Zi-Shan paused, seeing that Ah Wu showed no intention of leaving, and reluctantly walked away, looking rather resentful. Her mistress was completely unfazed by Prince Qi, maintaining a haughty demeanor at all times. It was only the servants like them who were terrified at a single glance from him.

Zi-Shan dared not return to Yulan Hall without escorting Ah Wu back. Just thinking of Prince Qi, who had just finished his duties and entered Yulan Hall, asking, “Where is the Princess?” made her legs tremble. When he first entered, his expression was fine, with even a slight smile on his face. But as soon as Prince Qi emerged from the inner chamber, not finding Ah Wu, his face instantly darkened, becoming as gloomy as a biting north wind.

Zi-Shan, using the excuse of searching for her mistress, heartlessly left Yong-Mei and Yi-Mei in Yulan Hall. Now, as she dawdled into Yulan Hall, Wen-Mei ran up to her. “Sister Zi-Shan, where is the Princess?” Yi-Mei peeked behind Zi-Shan.

“I have not found her,” Zi-Shan said irritably.

“Oh dear, my good sister, how could you not find her? Look at the Prince’s face! He asks about every little sound; we are so scared we are afraid to even walk!” Yi-Mei said.

Zi-Shan straightened her chest and said to Yi-Mei, “Mistress is dealing with matters.” She was about to brace herself and went back inside when she turned around and saw Prince Qi standing on the veranda watching her and Yi-Mei.

Zi-Shan did not understand Chu Mao as well as Yi-Mei did, but those beautiful yet chilling eyes alone made her tremble. Yi-Mei, beside her, had already knelt with a thud, and Zi-Shan quickly followed suit.

Chu Mao then descended the steps, glanced at the two girls, and said, “Kneel outside the gate. Once you know you’ve done wrong, go and apologize to your master.”

For maids like Zi-Shan and Yi-Mei, the worst thing was not being punished, but losing face. Being punished by the Prince to kneel outside the gate was a severe slap in the face, signifying a grave mistake. At this moment, not only Zi-Shan but even Yi-Mei was bewildered, yet dared not utter a word of complaint. They quickly moved to the gate, knelt, and kowtowed, respectfully seeing Prince Qi off.

Meanwhile, Ah Wu, fearing for Tao Siyao’s well-being, refrained from returning even after hearing of Chu Mao’s return, continuing to chat with Tao Siyao. It was not until the clever Cui-Ling saw Zi-Shan and Yi-Mei being punished that she seized an opportunity to go to Diyi Chun Garden to find Ah Wu, whispering something in Zi-Yi’s ear. Zi-Yi then whispered something in Ah Wu’s ear.

Ah Wu was startled and said to Tao Siyao, “Something happened at Yulan Hall; please excuse me.”

Upon seeing Zi-Shan and Yi-Mei kneeling outside Yulan Hall, Ah Wu was furious. “Come in with me.” Without even glancing at the two, Ah Wu went straight back to the east side room.

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Zi-Shan stood up to follow, but seeing Yi-Mei still kneeling there, dumbfounded, she quickly tried to signal her with her eyes. Yi-Mei, however, was simple-minded and shook her head, mouthing, “I have not realized what I did wrong.”

Zi-Shan did not care about such things. After all, she was Ah Wu’s servant first and then Prince Qi’s servant after, so she naturally regarded Ah Wu as her master. Her signaling to Yi-Mei was merely out of sympathy for their shared plight; little did she know Yi-Mei was simple-minded.

After Zi-Shan went inside, Yi-Mei belatedly realized how foolish she had been. The person in charge of Yulan Hall was the Princess Consort! She hurriedly scrambled to her feet and stumbled inside.

“Tell me, what happened?” Ah Wu blew on her iced tea; even the iced tea felt like a burning sensation in her heart at this moment.

Zi-Shan spoke quickly and efficiently, reporting the entire incident to Ah Wu in detail, including her conversation with Yi-Mei, word for word.

Ah Wu put down her teacup and sighed. She was no match for Yi-Mei in managing her servants. A maid like Zi-Shan, about to be married, should have been even more discreet. Instead, she and Yi-Mei had been gossiping about their mistress behind her back. No wonder Chu Mao was angry. As the saying goes, a small leak can sink a great ship; do not underestimate these seemingly insignificant words.

“You two deserve it. His Highness’s punishment was too lenient. Now you have no respect for your master, daring to speak ill of His Highness and me behind his back. Go, kneel outside the gate for another hour, and I will also fine you three months’ wages.” Ah Wu waved away Zi-Shan and Yi-Mei, then turned to Cui-Long, who was serving outside, and asked, “Where is His Highness?”

“His Highness went to Hongyao Villa after washing up,” Cui-Long replied.

“You may leave, too.” Ah Wu dismissed the servants, picked up the book beside her, and began to read. She tried to suppress her irritation but could not concentrate on a single word, only listening intently to the sounds outside.

By noon, after Ah Wu had eaten, Chu Mao still had not returned. The scorching sun outside made her drowsy. Ah Wu closed her eyes and leaned back on the couch when she heard greetings outside.

Just as Ah Wu stood up, Chu Mao lifted the curtain and walked in, his face icy cold. Ah Wu forced a smile and said, “Has Your Highness finished your mission? Was the journey smooth?”

Chu Mao glanced at Ah Wu. Today, she wore a white silk dress embroidered with large pink hydrangea flowers, over which was a layer of sheer, misty gauze. She looked like a fairy descended from the moon palace, ethereal and graceful. A pair of gold filigree earrings inlaid with seed pearls adorned her ears, seemingly capable of captivating the soul, making it impossible for him to look away.

Ah Wu had become accustomed to Chu Mao’s gaze these days. Sensing the unfavorable atmosphere, she hurriedly tried to call for a maid, but Chu Mao grabbed her, and the two tumbled onto the couch, their bodies intertwined.

“The mission went smoothly, but my heart was not at all,” Chu Mao said, biting Ah Wu’s nose and then capturing her cherry-like lips with his own. His hand boldly slipped under her skirt. “All the way back, I was thinking about how I’d fuck you when I got back.”

Ah Wu’s large, watery eyes widened in surprise. She had not expected Chu Mao to utter such vulgar words. However, Chu Mao’s good temper had been completely worn down by lovesickness and lust these past few days. He had rushed back only to find Ah Wu not in the house, and when he sent someone to fetch her, she would not come back. This ordeal had almost set him off like a volcano, and these vulgar words only slightly relieved the burning heat within him.

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“The words may be rough, but the principle is sound. This is a matter of great importance, and it’s perfectly normal for a man to think about his wife at home.” Chu Mao lifted Ah Wu’s hips with one hand and, with the other, pulled down her thin silk underpants.

“Your Highness, Your Highness…” Ah Wu struggled to sit up, startled.

“Ah Wu, Ah Wu, I do not know how many times I’ve thought of you, how many times I’ve fucked you along the way.” Chu Mao’s fingers probed into Ah Wu’s hot, moist vulva, gently kneading her clitoris.

“Your Highness, it’s still broad daylight,” Ah Wu said hastily.

“It’s alright; as we fuck, it will get dark soon enough.” Chu Mao began to unbutton his own trousers.

Ah Wu blushed furiously, her body burning with embarrassment at Chu Mao’s vulgar language. “I have business to attend to this afternoon.”

“Then let them listen outside, listen to how I fuck you.” Chu Mao gritted his teeth and sucked a red mark on Ah Wu’s neck.

Author’s Note:
Question: How ae wild beasts raised?
Answer: By starvation.