Four Seasons Brocade – CH 222

Chapter 222 ☆、

Ah Wu was impatient with this kind of verbal sparring with Yuan Rongmeng. This was a game of cat and mouse; they’d had to wait and see.

Yuan Rongmeng leaned close to Ah Wu’s ear and smiled. “Last night, did my cousin go home very late?”

Ah Wu looked at Yuan Rongmeng in surprise, unsure if she had understood her implication. However, based on Ah Wu’s understanding of Chu Mao, the more Yuan Rongmeng pressured Chu Mao, the faster she would likely die.

Ah Wu did not misunderstand Yuan Rongmeng, but Yuan Rongmeng misinterpreted Ah Wu’s stunned expression as shock, her smile growing even more smug. Ah Wu frowned, thinking that Yuan Rongmeng and Chu Mao were truly audacious. With spies from various factions throughout the Western Garden, Ah Wu did not believe Yuan Rongmeng, who had only recently entered the palace, could control everything. However, with Chu Mao’s help, perhaps she could.

Ah Wu did not care about any of that. As long as the goal was ultimately achieved, she did not mind Chu Mao using some methods; it was better than being at someone else’s mercy. Besides, if Chu Mao really had some connection with Yuan Rongmeng, it could relieve her own fatigue.

Yuan Rongmeng was still furious. If it were not for this woman before her, she would not have entered the palace to accompany that old geezer. No matter how noble she was, just thinking about him touching her with his wrinkled hands made Yuan Rongmeng nauseous and tremble. The palace was dark and gloomy, devoid of even a real man, yet this woman, before her, was comfortably enjoying her cousin’s favor.

Yuan Rongmeng was furious, but she could not kill Ah Wu yet, nor did she want to. She needed to make Ah Wu taste the pain to quell her hatred.

Yuan Rongmeng touched her stomach, her eyes flashing, and smiled seductively, “Between the two of us, I might be the one carrying my cousin’s child first.”

Ah Wu’s brows furrowed even more. This Yuan Rongmeng was practically insane. The Emperor’s current physical condition made him unable to have intercourse. If she were pregnant, would she not be courting death? Ah Wu thought, Chu Mao would not stoop to such a foolish act.

Although Ah Wu did not mind Chu Mao taking another concubine—after all, Nanny Hao did not have much time left—and as long as the two did not collude, Ah Wu would not even consider Yuan Rongmeng a threat; she absolutely objected to Yuan Rongmeng bearing Chu Mao’s child.

Therefore, when Chu Mao returned to Yanjia Hall that evening, Ah Wu bluntly told him, “Your Highness, I will not allow Yuan Rongmeng to have your child. I absolutely cannot agree to it.”

A somewhat weary Chu Mao was bewildered by Ah Wu’s abrupt words. “What child will she have for me?” He quickly realized what she meant, sat up straight, and raised his voice slightly, saying, “You think I and her…”

Having lived with Chu Mao for so long, Ah Wu knew from his voice that this was the prelude to anger, just like when he had called her wicked in Bingxue Forest. Ah Wu felt wronged; was he allowed to do it, but she was not allowed to speak of it? However, Ah Wu knew these things were difficult for anyone to talk about, and her best course of action was to pretend she knew nothing.

But given Yuan Rongmeng’s current uncontrollable behavior, Ah Wu felt she should remind Chu Mao, “It was your Cousin Yuan who said it.”

The jealousy in Ah Wu’s tone softened Chu Mao’s expression slightly.

Ah Wu recounted to Chu Mao everything Yuan Rongmeng had said that afternoon, word for word. “Your Highness, do you think she’s trying to drive me crazy?” Ah Wu pouted.

Chu Mao’s anger had not subsided, but his tone had softened. “Although I came back late last night, how could you not know what happened to me?” Chu Mao pulled Ah Wu close, his lips caressing her neck.

Ah Wu blushed. Although Chu Mao had exhausted her last night, she had never tested his stamina, so she could not prove Yuan Rongmeng was lying.

Chu Mao caressed Ah Wu’s neck for a while, then chose the most suitable spot and bit down. Ah Wu cried out in pain, tears welling in her eyes. “Chu Mao!”

Chu Mao said, “Do you really think of me as such a despicable person that I would lay a finger on the Emperor’s woman?”

If it were just about Chu Mao as a person, Ah Wu would naturally believe him without question. Given his eccentric nature, he would not touch a used woman like Yuan Rongmeng. However, if Chu Mao wanted to become Emperor Zhengyuan, Ah Wu was not so sure. Because if Ah Wu put herself in Chu Mao’s shoes, she would definitely be even more ruthless than he was.

“The Emperor did not touch her,” Ah Wu said indignantly, then cried out, “Ouch!” as Chu Mao pinched her waist hard, likely leaving a bruise.

“Ah Wu,” Chu Mao called Ah Wu’s name solemnly, then, with a serious face, placed her on the couch, sitting opposite her. He took her hand and placed it on his heart. “In this life, I will only have you as my woman.”

Although Ah Wu did not really believe it, she still feigned a flattered expression. “Your Highness!”

Chu Mao’s words seemed believable at first glance, but a lifetime was too long. Who could predict the future? Perhaps she would be long dead by then. Besides, although Emperor Zhengyuan’s harem was not large, Chu Mao still had several women, including the woman who had borne him the Crown Prince.

Ah Wu regretted not paying attention to this woman. She could not remember who she was at all, but she was already on guard.

The more intelligent a person was, the more prone they were to self-righteousness. Ah Wu thought her expression could deceive Chu Mao, but she saw disappointment appear on his face.

“You go to sleep first; I still have some things to take care of.” Chu Mao dusted off his robe and stood up.

Chu Mao’s gesture of dusting off his robe usually indicated that he harbored resentment towards someone, and Ah Wu knew this little habit of his better than anyone else.

“Your Highness, it’s so late, you…” At this time, Ah Wu did not want to create any rift with Chu Mao.

“It’s better to act when it’s late.” Chu Mao went to the bathing room to change into dark clothes and came out, only glancing at Ah Wu before leaving.

Ah Wu sat alone on the couch, reflecting on her actions. She realized she had offended Chu Mao deeply again. His Highness Prince Qi had sharp eyes; nothing could fool him. Ah Wu hated Chu Mao’s keen judgment of people.

To be honest, being suddenly ignored by Chu Mao like this, Ah Wu was actually quite unaccustomed to it. In the past, Chu Mao would always cling to her for a long time before leaving the house, never so coldly as he was today.

However, whether she was used to it or not, Princess Qi, Ah Wu, was no longer the naive little girl she once was. When Princess Kangning’s temper flared, she refused to apologize to Chu Mao; she simply waited for him to come back and coax her.

Based on Ah Wu’s understanding of Chu Mao, he was like a wolf that had not eaten for half a month; she guaranteed he’d come to coax her the next day. Ah Wu was determined to teach Chu Mao a lesson, to ensure he would never dare to give her a hard time again. She even turned and left without a word if he said something she did not like.

But the next day, Chu Mao did not give Ah Wu a kind look either. He did not speak during their meal and went straight to his study afterward.

Ah Wu was not angry; she did not like doing that kind of thing anyway, but His Highness Prince Qi might not be so keen.

Because men generally had stronger and more urgent desires than women, women were naturally given an extra method of manipulating men. But if this method was used well, it added spice to the relationship; however, if misjudged, it could be self-destructive.

Ah Wu felt confident of victory because she firmly believed that Chu Mao’s character meant he would never casually seek out other women.

After four or five days, and with Chu Mao still not making a move, Ah Wu could not help but start to worry. Putting aside everything else, there was a possibility of trouble with Yuan Rongmeng. Although Yuan Rongmeng’s character was questionable, she was undeniably pretty.

Ah Wu was not as indifferent to Chu Mao and Yuan Rongmeng’s affair as she thought. Although she believed it was the most advantageous choice, the most beneficial and effortless for both Chu Mao and herself, she still felt somewhat displeased that Chu Mao was with other women—not out of jealousy, but simply because she felt it was somewhat unclean.

However, Ah Wu was not actually as concerned about cleanliness as she thought; otherwise, she would not have succumbed to reality and reluctantly slept with Chu Mao. This showed that Ah Wu was essentially a very practical person with a merchant’s temperament. She only wanted benefits and was willing to pay the price, and she would not take the long way around when a shortcut was available.

Ah Wu felt a tightness in her chest. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind, and she sat up abruptly, slapping her forehead. Was she not pushing Chu Mao towards Yuan Rongmeng by doing this? She thought herself clever, but now she was making a similar mistake as Lady Cui had. Back then, after Concubine Wang had arrived, Lady Cui was furious with Master Rong and pushed him away, which led to all the subsequent events.

“Zi-Yi,” Ah Wu called out loudly, “Get ready, we are going for a walk.”

It was lunchtime, and the sun outside was so strong it could peel one’s skin. Ah Wu, always treasuring her fair complexion, rarely went out at times like this. Therefore, Zi-Yi was slightly surprised to hear this, but being clever, she would not question her mistress’s words.

Ah Wu avoided crowded places, choosing shady spots. Reaching Tianfu Plaza, she saw two figures approaching under the willow trees. It was none other than the Sixth Prince, Chu Yu, who was supposed to be at the Western Mountain camp.

“Fourth Sister-in-law,” Chu Yu saw Ah Wu from afar and strode over, bowing to her.

Ah Wu returned the bow slightly and was about to leave when she saw Chu Yu standing motionless, staring at her with a smile playing on his lips, self-satisfied with his dashing demeanor.

Now, Ah Wu was dressed in a moon-white, snow-shadow-like gauze palace dress. The plain gauze fabric was cinched at the waist with a wide, moon-white satin sash, from which hung a jade sachet carved with two fish, adorned with two tassels, one yellow and one pink. It was said that to look stylish, one should wear mourning clothes; Ah Wu’s simple yet elegant attire, fresh and refined, coupled with her slender, willow-like waist swaying gracefully, made Chu Yu unable to take his steps.

Ah Wu felt disgusted. How could all the men in the Chu family be so lecherous? Leaving aside the Fifth Prince, she had not expected the seemingly respectable and gentlemanly Sixth Prince to be like this in private.

Ah Wu did not look at Chu Yu but sized up the man beside him. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a square face and a burly build, like a military general. The two men had no attendants, and they were walking in such a shady place; they must have been on business, but Ah Wu had stumbled upon them.

“The Sixth Prince has just arrived at the Western Garden, so I will not disturb him any longer,” Ah Wu said patiently, turning and leaving as if she had not seen the person beside him.

Chu Yu and Xiong Yi’an both turned to look at Ah Wu’s slender, graceful figure.

Xiong Yi’an, a rough man, swallowed hard. “I did not expect Princess Qi to be such a beautiful woman. Look at that waist and hips.”

Chu Yu was used to Xiong Yi’an’s vulgarity, but his words still stung. “Lust is a bone-scraping steel knife.”

Xiong Yi’an rubbed his hands together. “I’d be willing to be slowly sliced ​​to pieces by such a steel knife.” Only after Ah Wu was out of sight did Xiong Yi’an sigh again, “She is truly something.”

“You think you can even dream of Princess Qi?” Chu Yu frowned.

Xiong Yi’an smiled and said, “Originally, I dared not even dream of it, but I am utterly loyal to Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will look after me in the future.”

Xiong Yi’an was unaware that he was snatching food from a tiger’s mouth. Because Chu Yu had not yet ascended the throne, he outwardly maintained a restrained and diligent demeanor, seemingly uninterested in women. Many beauties sent to his residence were given to people like them, so Xiong Yi’an inevitably misunderstood.

For Chu Yu, it was not that he disliked women, but rather that he disliked ordinary women. There were countless beautiful women in the world; how could just anyone catch his eye? Fifth Lady Rong had only caught Chu Yu’s attention because of her reputation as one of the two beauties of the capital.

As for Ah Wu, she was the fairy Chu Yu longed for but could not have. She truly captivated him, keeping him awake all night. Furthermore, as Chu Mao’s principal wife, this undoubtedly gave Ah Wu a significant advantage.

“Business is business; do not cause me any trouble,” Chu Yu said coldly.

“Understood,” Xiong Yi’an replied. At this moment, Princess Qi was certainly beyond his reach.

Ah Wu went to the Buddhist hall, quietly kneeling on the prayer mat with her eyes closed and hands clasped in front of her chest. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions. This time, she was not there to pray for a child but to seek peace of mind. She had been extremely restless these past two days, but had no way to dispel it. Just now, she had smelled the sandalwood scent outside, and it had stirred something within her, leading her to come in.

Ah Wu stayed inside for most of the day before leading Zi-Yi and Bing-Shuang out. This time, she chose a different path, from Yingyue Pavilion through Miaoxu Plaza back to Yanjia Hall. This path was the furthest and most secluded, rarely used, especially under the blazing sun; not even insects would bother to stay in the shade.

As Ah Wu and her companions walked to the back of Miaoxu Plaza and were about to turn, Ah Wu caught a glimpse of a hem of clothing and quickly shrank back. If she remembered correctly, the person wearing that clothing should be Chu Yu, and Ah Wu did not want to see him; his eyes were too repulsive.

Zi-Yi and Bing-Shuang, who had been walking with Ah Wu in the Western Garden, were constantly on high alert. Seeing Ah Wu’s reaction, they immediately stopped and held their breath.

Ah Wu hid behind the wall, waiting until Chu Yu entered the grove of trees before daring to breathe freely.

The grove was very dense and somewhat eerie. Chu Yu’s arrival alone, coupled with his wary glances around, immediately aroused Ah Wu’s suspicion.

“Let’s go see,” Ah Wu said.

As Ah Wu had predicted, there was indeed more than one person, Chu Yu, in the woods. Although Ah Wu dared not approach closely, she could tell from the person’s back that it was none other than the currently favored Consort Yuan.