Four Seasons Brocade – CH 235

Chapter 235 ☆、

“Teacher said that the Emperor is interested in recommending me for the Yellow and Huai Rivers management project, and the decree should be issued in the next few days.” Chu Mao took Ah Wu’s hand and squeezed her palm. “This assignment is difficult, and you are afraid of water, so I will not take you. I will assign you thirty personal guards, and He Chun has ten shadow guards; you can use them all. Only one condition: you must take Bing-Shuang with you when you go out; she’s a woman, which will be convenient for her. Also, I’ve already asked Bing-Shuang to find one or two more people from her sect to come to your side.”

Upon hearing Chu Mao’s words, Ah Wu suddenly felt like a precious gem. “Why would I need so many people to serve me?” Although she said this, Ah Wu agreed with Chu Mao; in the current situation, being overly cautious was never too much.

“I will arrange for Aunt to go back to her hometown in the next couple of days. I will pick her up from the countryside when I return.” Chu Mao took Ah Wu’s hand and gently pecked the back of it.

Ah Wu was already used to Prince Qi’s tendency to grab and kiss people so easily. “Is Your Highness worried that I will bully Nanny Hao, or that she will cause some trouble?”

Chu Mao pinched Ah Wu’s pouting lips. “Do not push your luck. No matter what Aunt is like, without her, I would not be who I am today.”

Ah Wu muttered dejectedly, “I know. I never bother others unless they bother me.” Ah Wu knew this, which was why she disliked Nanny Hao even more. There was nothing more frustrating than being unable to do anything about someone you dislike.

“The imperial court plans to open trade routes at Fenghu and Yincheng in Luobei. The Qianhu Garrisons in these two places will be under the jurisdiction of the Luoning Guard. However, the selection of the personnel is even more important than that of the commander of the Luoning Guard. They must not only be skilled in battle and able to suppress the Tatars, but also know how to be diplomatic and accommodating. Most importantly, they must treat everyone equally. What do you think of your second brother?” Chu Mao asked.

Upon hearing that it involved two garrisons, Ah Wu’s heart stirred. The Tang family had already intended for her second brother to go out and gain experience, and Luobei was a crucial area for Chu Mao’s future governance. It would be excellent if Rong Yin could go.

“My second brother has never fought a battle, so it’s hard to say, but he’s very clever and adaptable. I think he could give it a try.” Actually, Ah Wu felt that her Second Brother Gu was the most suitable for Luobei. He had already spent two years training in Liaodong and was the eldest son of the Princess; going to Luobei would better intimidate those unruly soldiers. However, Ah Wu had already been rebuffed once and dared not bring it up again in front of Chu Mao.

However, Ah Wu knew Emperor Zhengyuan’s way of employing people. As long as you had the ability, regardless of background, he could utilize seven or eight out of ten talented individuals. Ah Wu felt that winning over Chu Mao and the Imperial Princess would be extremely difficult. But if Gu Tingyi himself was capable enough to make Chu Mao unwilling to easily harm him, that would be a three-tenths success. Ah Wu had complete faith in her Second Brother Gu’s abilities.

Since Chu Mao could lobby for Rong Yin, Ah Wu thought that, given the relationship between the Gu and Tang families, having both her Second Brother Gu and Second Brother Rong go to Luobei to support each other would be ideal.

The difficulty lay in whether her Second Brother Gu would be willing to take up a post in Luobei, and he might not be able to persuade the Imperial Princess either.

However, it seemed as if heaven was helping Ah Wu. She learned from Chu Mao that Luobei was about to open up trade, and immediately sent Zi-Shan to inform Zi-Yan and Lin Jingniang.

The Great Xia Dynasty needed horses, but the Northern Hu people needed Great Xia’s cloth, ceramics, and exquisitely crafted gold, silver, and jade artifacts. Ah Wu was not about to let such a lucrative opportunity pass her by.

It was said that only those who had experienced poverty truly valued money. When Ah Wu was first reborn into Sixth Lady Rong’s body, she suffered greatly from a lack of funds, which had long since worn away her Princess-like disdain for money. And indeed, money could make the devil work.

Zi-Yan and Lin Jingniang were waiting for Ah Wu at Cui Ji, and they brought another person with them.

Ah Wu entered the backyard of Cui Ji and saw the person she had not seen for over two years. He was standing with his hands behind his back, admiring a double-sided embroidered fan.

“Second Brother,” Ah Wu said quickly as she entered. She had been preparing to write a letter to Gu Tingyi, but now he was standing right in front of her. How could Ah Wu not be overjoyed?

Gu Tingyi turned around and looked at Ah Wu. “Ah Wu.”

Gu Tingyi was thinner and darker, but even more robust, like a towering mountain, giving people a sense of security.

A tear welled up in Ah Wu’s eye. She had almost forgotten that she was once Princess Kangning. Her former family no longer recognized her. Only Gu Tingyi was like a bridge between her two lifetimes. Seeing him made Ah Wu realize how long she had missed him.

“Second Brother,” Ah Wu took another step forward.

“Why are you crying? Have you been wronged?” Gu Tingyi also stepped forward, closer to Ah Wu. He did not have a handkerchief, so he pretended to pull up his sleeve to wipe Ah Wu’s tears.

Ah Wu was amused by Gu Tingyi’s gesture. She took out her own handkerchief to wipe her tears and then invited Gu Tingyi to sit down.

“Second Brother, why are you back? How was it in Liaodong? You must have suffered a lot, right?” Ah Wu felt a pang of sadness, but she had forgotten, or perhaps deliberately forgotten, the reason Gu Tingyi had left for Liaodong in the first place.

In Ah Wu’s view, even if Gu Tingyi had some other feelings for her, after two years apart, they should have faded considerably.

“It was not much of a hardship. Only after truly venturing out did I realize how narrow my life had been before. I am back in the capital specifically to celebrate Father’s birthday; I will be leaving in half a month,” Gu Tingyi said.

“Second Brother still wants to go back to Liaodong?” Ah Wu asked.

Gu Tingyi raised an eyebrow. Ah Wu’s question was definitely not casual, so he gestured for her to continue.

“With the Duke of Yan guarding Liaodong, Goryeo and Nuzhen have not seemed to cause much trouble in recent years. If Second Brother wants to make a name for himself, why not choose another place? Besides, Second Brother has already been training under the Duke of Yan for two years. The Duke of Yan is mature and prudent. With such a powerful figure protecting you, even if you had another five years of training, you might not learn much more.” Ah Wu was not speaking ill of the Duke of Yan, but rather that under such a person, one could only follow the rules and would not be able to accomplish much.

In truth, Gu Tingyi had considered this as well, but he had not yet decided where to go. Hearing Ah Wu’s words, he laughed, “How do you know I want to achieve great things? Can I not just rely on our family’s protection and live a peaceful life?”

Ah Wu wrinkled her nose. “Second Brother, you are just teasing me. You’ve always said you wanted to be a great general when you grew up, or to earn merit outside Mother’s efforts. You never wanted to be known as just the second son of Princess Fuhui. If Mother had not insisted on keeping you, you would have already soared to great heights.”

Gu Tingyi stared at Ah Wu, stunned. He truly did not want to be just Princess Fuhui’s second son, but he had not revealed this even to his eldest brother. He had not expected Ah Wu to see through him. And she was right; at home, his mother was too domineering, and he could not break free. If it were not for Ah Wu’s arranged marriage, he would not have fought so desperately against the Princess, ultimately going to Liaodong.

However, in Liaodong, with the Duke of Yan holding the reins, Gu Tingyi was only responsible for military preparations. Returning to the capital, especially since he had fought tooth and nail to get to Liaodong, would mean losing face and being unable to hold his head high again. If he wanted to fight and achieve merit, the Duke of Yan had his own trusted confidants who treated him like the Princess’s son and dared not assign him any dangerous tasks.

“Since you say so, you must have something to teach me. Please guide me, Sister,” Gu Tingyi said jokingly, bowing to Ah Wu.

Ah Wu coughed twice, accepting Gu Tingyi’s bow with a serious expression. “Seeing your sincerity, I, a celestial being, have descended to earth specifically to guide you.” Before she finished speaking, Ah Wu laughed.

Gu Tingyi looked at Ah Wu, but he did not laugh. Two years had passed, and he thought he could let go. He had told himself countless times that Ah Wu was his own sister, but the moment he saw her today, his heart seemed to beat not for him.

Only two years had passed, yet Ah Wu had grown taller. Two years ago, she was like a flower bud, but now she was a peony in full bloom, beautiful and graceful, every gesture captivating. Gu Tingyi felt that Ah Wu possessed both the delicate elegance of a southern water town girl and the bright beauty of a northern woman. No matter how he tried to describe her beauty in his memory, it could never compare to her radiant presence standing before him.

Moreover, they were so deeply in love. Gu Tingyi felt that Ah Wu knew and understood his secrets. Yet, this same person was now someone else’s wife.

If it were anyone else, Gu Tingyi doubted whether he would use his power to force himself upon Ah Wu, but that person was Prince Qi.

“Second Brother, have you considered going to Luobei? I heard that Fenghu and Yincheng are about to open trade. If you could go to Luoningwei, you’d surely achieve something,” Ah Wu said.

Gu Tingyi smiled. “What could I possibly achieve? It’s just collecting some taxes, is it not?”

Ah Wu knew Gu Tingyi was joking, and she said seriously, “That’s not true. Luobei has just been pacified, but Jinguo Erhan still harbors ambitions. There were instances of trade between the two countries in the previous dynasty, but it ultimately devolved into unilateral raids by the Northern Hu. This time, our dynasty has won a great victory and is opening trade to suppress the Northern Hu, seeking only fair and long-term trade.”

Gu Tingyi listened intently. “I heard that His Highness Prince Qi has captured and released the Jinguo Erhan nine times, frightening him. Why not take this opportunity to make the Northern Hu pay tribute instead of opening trade?”

This was also what many people did not understand about Chu Mao, and it was the source of the criticism he faced.

Ah Wu, not wanting Gu Tingyi to misunderstand Chu Mao, explained Chu Mao’s theory of “Han and Hu as one family” to Gu Tingyi.

“What a magnificent statement about Han and Hu as one family! What a grand vision! Since the founding of our Great Xia Dynasty, we have been repeatedly harassed by the Northern Hu. If things could be as Prince Qi envisions, it would truly be an unparalleled achievement.” Gu Tingyi, having studied history and military strategy since childhood, knew that conflicts between the Central Plains and the Northern Hu were historical, and the Great Xia Dynasty was not the only one to suffer; the Northern Hu’s influence was often seen in the fall and destruction of dynasties.

“But this is not something that can be accomplished in the short term. The Great Xia Dynasty needs to maintain its strength and continuously suppress the Northern Hu. It will take three or five generations to see results, and there will not be the kind of opportunity for great achievements that Second Brother desires. However, I think there will be constant small-scale wars in the coming decades. The north needs a strong person who shares His Highness’s ideals to guard it,” Ah Wu said.

Gu Tingyi nodded. “I will consider it.”

Ah Wu knew what Gu Tingyi was considering. He was certainly aware that his uncle, the Longqing Emperor, was nearing the end of his life. Going to Luobei was not just a simple transfer; it was a matter of choosing sides. If the next Emperor was the Fifth or Sixth Prince, the situation in Luobei would likely change drastically.

“Is he good to you?” Gu Tingyi asked after a moment of silence.

Author’s Note:
Brother Si-Mao: She actually had a secret rendezvous with his lover?! Before the censorship, I definitely would have… But now that it’s censored, I can only suffer in silence!