Four Seasons Brocade – CH 233

Chapter 233 ☆、

The news of Xiangsi’s return to the mansion reached Ah Wu’s ears immediately. However, since she still held the title of Nanny Hao’s adopted daughter, Ah Wu could not simply kick her out.

Ah Wu sent Zi-Shan to summon He Chun. “Go to the Bai family in Xiangcheng and invite them here. Tell them that the second mistress of the Bai family has returned to the Prince Qi’s mansion.”

He Chun was cautious and quick, making him the most suitable person to handle this matter.

That evening, when Chu Mao returned to the mansion, Nanny Hao brought Xiangsi with her to Bingxue Forest. Ah Wu looked at the two with disgust. She had spent the entire day waiting for her newly returned “cousin” to come to Bingxue Forest to meet her sister-in-law, but this girl Xiangsi really thought that Hongyao Villa could hold up the whole sky.

Looking at Xiangsi again, her eyes were like poison, staring at Ah Wu as if she wanted to rip out Ah Wu’s heart and lungs.

“Brother Qinxu,” Xiangsi cried out, tears streaming down her face as if they were free.

Chu Mao turned to Ah Wu and asked, “What happened?”

Ah Wu looked back at Chu Mao innocently. “I do not know either. I only just saw Xiangsi after she came back this morning.”

Xiangsi turned to Ah Wu, her eyes piercing like knives. “Xiangsi’s life is so hard. I dare not trouble the Princess. I only beg Brother Qinxu to stand up for me. The Bai family is going too far. I cannot bear it anymore.”

Chu Mao remained silent.

Xiangsi wiped away her tears and said, “The Princess Consort said the Bai family had good morals, which is why she married me into that family. But then, Bai Songruo was a split sleeve. He only stayed in my room on our wedding night and never came back. The old lady of the Bai family always gave me dirty looks because I had not conceived for months. The Bai family is a family of scholars, not farmers; they struggle to make ends meet. My mother-in-law even tried to take my dowry. Later, Bai Songruo was beaten to death in a fight over an actress, and I suffered even more bullying in the Bai family. They called me a jinx. I…I…Brother Qinxu, please save Xiangsi!”

“Your Highness, Xiangsi is my only daughter. I absolutely cannot allow others to bully her like this,” said Nanny Hao, also wiping away her tears. The two women in the room were both weeping and wailing. Although they did not mention Ah Wu in their conversation, everyone knew that Ah Wu had arranged the marriage and that Ah Wu was largely to blame for Xiangsi’s current predicament.

However, Ah Wu showed no remorse or distress. No wonder Chu Mao had said yesterday that she had already taken revenge on Xiangsi; he must have been informed long ago. But with a troublemaker like Xiangsi, if you offered help in her time of need, she would likely turn on you like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ah Wu did not possess such womanly compassion.

Chu Mao glanced at Ah Wu; this was a matter for the mistress of the house to handle. “I’ve already sent someone to invite the Bai family. We will confront them face-to-face. If the Bai family really treated Xiangsi this way, we will naturally seek justice.”

“Very well. Xiangsi can stay here for now. You are her sister-in-law, so please take good care of her,” Chu Mao said.

Ah Wu nodded in agreement.

Xiangsi looked up at Chu Mao in astonishment, seeing no pity in his eyes, yet he had dismissed her so easily.

“Xiangsi, you should go back now. I have something to say to His Highness and the Princess,” said Nanny Hao to Xiangsi.

Xiangsi nodded and withdrew.

“Your Highness, I beg you, please protect Xiangsi this time, no matter what.” Nanny Hao knelt before Chu Mao with a thud.

Chu Mao quickly rose and helped Nanny Hao up, saying in a deep voice, “Aunt, what are you doing? Just say what you have to say.”

“Your Highness, no matter what Xiangsi is like in the Bai family, she is still young, and the Bai family is such a family. They must force her to return and observe mourning. But you also know that Bai Songruo is a scoundrel. Xiangsi still has a long life ahead of her,” Nanny Hao cried, unwilling to get up.

Chu Mao and Ah Wu exchanged a glance; Ah Wu’s eyes filled with coldness.

“Aunt, please get up. We need to hear what the Bai family has to say about this. The Bai family is a prominent family in Xiangcheng. For centuries, they have never remarried a daughter. Counting from the previous dynasty, they have erected over a dozen memorial arches for chastity.” Chu Mao’s meaning was clear.

This was also a consideration Ah Wu had taken into account when carefully selecting a family for Xiangsi.

“Your Highness!” Nanny Hao exclaimed sharply, hardly believing Chu Mao’s words.

“Nanny, there’s no need to make things difficult for Your Highness. I will never keep Xiangsi in this mansion. If she were not your adopted daughter, I would have taken her life long ago,” Ah Wu said, rising to her feet.

Nanny Hao’s eyes pierced Ah Wu urgently. “You…”

“Nanny, there’s no need to look at me like that. Do you not know how Yuan Rongmeng’s affair was leaked, allowing the Sixth Prince to use it against His Highness and me? Someone as reckless and malicious as Xiangsi, keeping her in the mansion only adds to the trouble. If you truly care for Xiangsi, advise her to settle down. As long as His Highness is here, the Bai family will not dare to slight her.” Ah Wu, unlike Chu Mao, was not reluctant to expose Nanny Hao’s selfish motives.

Nanny Hao’s face paled. “Your Highness, it was all Xiangsi’s momentary lapse of judgment.”

Chu Mao helped Nanny Hao sit down. “But now is not the time for any confusion, Aunt.”

“But if the Princess had not chosen such a marriage for Xiangsi, how could she have…” Nanny Hao angrily pointed at Ah Wu.

Ah Wu could not stand such insults. “This is the path she chose herself. If you had not first promoted Xiangsi, then Yuan Rongmeng, and if you had not known what kind of person Yuan Rongmeng was, yet still colluded with Xiangsi to try and win her over to deal with me, Xiangsi would not have ended up on this path. Does Nanny only allow you to harm others, but not me to retaliate with justice? In the end, Nanny’s reliance is on His Highness’s respect and affection for you, but you know His Highness’s character, yet you still…” Ah Wu could not continue. She knew Nanny Hao’s position in Chu Mao’s heart, and the harm Nanny Hao’s actions had caused Chu Mao was probably far greater than Nanny Hao realized.

“No, Your Highness, this old servant has served you diligently all my life; I…” Nanny Hao said, tears welling in her eyes.

“Aunt, I know, I know everything. I’ve always remembered your kindness to me,” Chu Mao said softly. “But Xiangsi cannot remain in the Prince Qi’s mansion.”

Nanny Hao wept, unable to speak further.

“If Aunt likes children, you can adopt another one another day, so it can be my way of showing filial piety to you,” Chu Mao said.

Nanny Hao nodded.

Chu Mao stood up and said, “I will escort Nanny back.”

Ah Wu stood behind Chu Mao, “respectfully seeing” the two out of Bingxue Forest, when Chu Mao turned to look at her and said, “Why not hurry up?”

Ah Wu was stunned for a moment, then reacted, placing her hand in Chu Mao’s outstretched hand. In the moonlight, they escorted Nanny Hao’s bamboo sedan chair to her seat, continuing all the way to Hongyao Villa.

Nanny Hao sighed. Even though they had completely broken off relations, Chu Mao’s attitude had been made very clear. Nanny Hao alighted from the sedan chair and said to Chu Mao, “Your Highness and the Princess should go back and rest early.”

Chu Mao nodded. “Aunt, do you think we should choose a young girl from the Ci’en Temple or find one from your hometown?”

“Your Highness, please allow me to think about it some more,” Nanny Hao said.

Chu Mao did not speak again. He held Ah Wu’s hand the entire way back to Bingxue Forest. The two walked side by side but did not speak, letting the moonlight fall on their shoulders. If anyone saw them, they would surely sigh, “What a divine couple!”

“I thought Your Highness was going to protect Xiangsi again this time.” Ah Wu shook their clasped hands, her eyes crinkling as she looked at Chu Mao.

Chu Mao turned back and simply said, “Do not treat Aunt like that.”

Ah Wu’s expression changed; her crescent-shaped eyes returned to calm, and she effortlessly withdrew her hand from Chu Mao’s, making her feel somewhat embarrassed.

Ah Wu thought to herself, “If Nanny Hao were younger, she might have been able to produce another ten thousand Zhen’ers.”

Ah Wu looked at the Wangwo Stream before her and asked, “Your Highness, if Nanny Hao and I fell into the lake together, who would you save first?”

Chu Mao gave Ah Wu a cool glance. Ah Wu knew her question was somewhat absurd and ridiculous, so she did not press further.

He Chun was extremely efficient; the Bai family arrived at the Prince Qi’s mansion on the third day. It was Madam Bai and the Eldest Young Madam of the Bai family, who were also Xiangsi’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

When Ah Wu met the Bai family at Rizhi Hall, she stood up and greeted Madam Bai with a smile, “Please sit down, Madam.”

Madam Bai’s expression was not good. Having just experienced the pain of losing her son and now facing Xiangsi, her runaway daughter-in-law, Ah Wu deeply understood her feelings.

Nanny Hao and Xiangsi were also at Rizhi Hall. Xiangsi stood behind Nanny Hao, head bowed and silent, a white flower tucked behind her ear, looking pitiful, almost as if she had been tormented by a wicked mother-in-law.

However, when Ah Wu had chosen this marriage for Xiangsi, she had carefully inquired. Madam Bai and her eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Yan, were both well-bred ladies from respectable families. The Bai family’s traditions were truly excellent, except for the second master’s homosexual tendencies. If Xiangsi did not cause any trouble, even if her husband was incompetent, her life in the Bai family would definitely not be difficult.

“Madam, you must be tired from your journey,” Ah Wu said politely.

Madam Bai shook her head. “I dare not complain of hardship, but there are still many things to attend to at home, and my father-in-law is ill. I must rush back to serve him his medicine. Therefore, I will not say much more; this trip is solely to bring Second Young Madam back.”

Ah Wu glanced at Nanny Hao before saying, “Xiangsi is heartbroken because of her husband’s passing, and upon hearing of Nanny Hao’s poor health, she rushed back to the Prince’s Mansion in a moment of panic. Please do not take it to heart, Madam.”

Madam Bai nodded, seemingly accepting Ah Wu’s explanation.

Xiangsi, however, said with reddened eyes, “I will not go back. The Bai family is like a graveyard for the dead. Just for their own fame and reputation, they want me to remain chaste for that beast Bai Songruo. I will not go back.”

Madam Bai’s and Lady Yan’s expressions changed, and then they heard Xiangsi say, “Father-in-law and Eldest Brother are both here; naturally, they can speak without understanding the situation. If Eldest Brother is gone, you can have Eldest Sister-in-law keep watch.”

“Xiangsi!” Three people spoke up to stop Xiangsi. Madam Bai, Ah Wu, and Nanny Hao.

Unfortunately, Xiangsi had had enough of the stagnant atmosphere of the Bai family home. Even if she could only watch Chu Mao from afar, she was willing; she was determined not to return. However, Chu Mao, Nanny Hao, and Ah Wu all seemed to have tacitly agreed to send her back to the Bai family, so Xiangsi cast aside all her concerns.

Madam Yan, naturally, could not bear such words. She initially wanted to mock Xiangsi’s upbringing, but remembering she was an orphan, she adopted a pitiful expression and stood aside, saying, “In the past hundred years of the Bai family, no daughter has ever remarried. Since you came to our family, Second Young Madam, we’ve never dared to mistreat you. All the sisters-in-law respect you. How could you say such things? Even if you do not observe mourning for the Second Brother, you should still observe the three-year mourning period. Second Young Madam, please come back with us. The Old Master is now bedridden with grief over Second Brother’s death. Do you want to be gossiped about behind your back for being unfilial?”

Lady Yan’s words were polite and measured; no wonder she was chosen as the matriarch of the Bai family.

Speechless after being confronted by Lady Yan, Xiangsi looked pleadingly at Nanny Hao. “Aunt, if I go back with them, I am afraid I will never be able to leave the Bai family again. You do not know how strict the Bai family rules are. I… Aunt, I beg you…”

Nanny Hao took Xiangsi’s hand and said, “Xiangsi, we must observe the three-year mourning period for a widow. You should go back now. After three years, your aunt will come to fetch you.”

“Aunt!” Xiangsi looked at Nanny Hao in despair, but she did not mention a word about the Bai family withholding her dowry, making her falsehood obvious.

Lady Yan stepped forward and added, “Our Bai family rules are strict, but we never mistreat chaste women. Father-in-law and Mother-in-law have already discussed it. If Second Young Madam goes back with us, we will choose a child from a collateral branch to be adopted by Second Young Madam.” The implication was that Xiangsi would not be allowed to leave after three years.

If Xiangsi were not Xiangsi, Ah Wu would never have tolerated the Bai family bullying her like this. There was no reason to force someone to remain chaste. It was just a pity Xiangsi chose to stand against Ah Wu. Ah Wu was not a saint; not kicking someone when they were down was already a great favor.

Nanny Hao patted Xiangsi’s hand and said to Lady Yan, “But that’s not her own child. We know what kind of person your Second Master is now. Even a one-night stand is a hundred-day grace. It’s Xiangsi’s duty to remain chaste for him for three years. But whether Xiangsi will stay in the Bai family after three years is not up to your Bai family. Do you really think our Prince’s Mansion has no one to rely on?”

Nanny Hao looked at Ah Wu. Ah Wu was not interested in Xiangsi’s final fate, but as long as she was not in the Prince’s Mansion for three years, that was enough for Ah Wu. After all, Xiangsi was Nanny Hao’s darling, and Nanny Hao was the aunt that Chu Mao could not touch. Ah Wu wanted to leave a way for them to meet again in the future.

“Nanny Hao is right. Since ancient times, chastity has always been voluntary; there’s no reason to force anyone. Madam, please take Xiangsi back first. We can discuss this further after her mourning period is over,” Ah Wu said.

Madam Bai glanced at Lady Yan, who nodded slightly, and said, “Very well, then we will not disturb the Princess any longer. We need to hurry back to Xiangcheng.”