Four Seasons Brocade – CH 239

Chapter 239 ☆、

Ah Wu turned around and saw Chu Mao standing under a tree in the morning light, wearing a round-necked robe embroidered with five-colored eight-patterned lotus flowers symbolizing abundant harvests. The phrase “gentle as a chrysanthemum, elegant as bamboo” involuntarily came to mind. Prince Qi truly possessed a uniquely handsome appearance.

“Your Highness!” Ah Wu exclaimed in surprise. The journey from Huai’an to Shanghai by water would take a full day, and the fact that Chu Mao was standing at Jiyu Garden at this time only meant he had stayed in Shanghai for a day before returning, far exceeding his stated five or six days.

Ah Wu mentally calculated the days. If news of the events at Huyan Lake had reached Chu Mao’s ears, then the time Chu Mao spent here would perfectly match the timing.

“Your Highness, why have you returned?” Ah Wu walked towards Chu Mao. As she approached, she noticed a faint smell of alcohol on him; he had not even changed out of his clothes from last night’s social engagements, suggesting he had traveled all night to get back.

Before Chu Mao could answer, Ah Wu asked again, “Does Your Highness know about what happened the night before last?”

Chu Mao gently touched Ah Wu’s smooth, delicate face. “Were you frightened? You are afraid of water anyway; why did you go boating on the lake?”

“I was not frightened. Bing-Shuang and He Chun were there. My shoes and socks just got a little wet. I was bored in the garden, so I wanted to go for a walk,” Ah Wu said softly.

Chu Mao pulled Ah Wu into his arms, stroking her back gently. “Once this busy period is over, I will take you to explore the Jiangnan region. The itinerary is all arranged. If you feel bored these next few days, how about we change gardens?”

Ah Wu lifted her head from Chu Mao’s embrace and smiled. “But I am not that bored. Has Your Highness settled things over there?”

“I’ve left Elder Shen and Master Fu to discuss it,” Chu Mao said calmly.

Chu Mao spoke casually, but Ah Wu knew that was not the case; otherwise, he would not have left her behind for several days to go to Shanghai. “Your Highness, you do not really need to come back. I am fine.”

Chu Mao pinched Ah Wu’s nose and said, “I thought someone would come crying to me complaining.”

Ah Wu playfully wrinkled her nose. “Then will Your Highness uphold justice for me?”

“Of course.” Chu Mao pressed his nose against Ah Wu’s forehead. “I should not have left you here alone. It’s only been a day, and I’ve been so worried.” The messenger had clearly explained Ah Wu’s situation, but Chu Mao just could not rest easy. He could not calm down for a moment unless he saw her with his own eyes and heard her speak.

Ah Wu glanced sideways at Chu Mao. “I heard Lord Wang specially arranged a gathering with Dong Rumei for Your Highness, which is why Your Highness left me here alone.”

Chu Mao scooped Ah Wu up in his arms, laughing, “Nonsense! Later, you will see for yourself whether I’ve been fooling around outside.”

Ah Wu kicked wildly in the air. “Put me down! Put me down! I was just talking nonsense, alright?”

“Too late. You have to clear my name.” Chu Mao carried Ah Wu directly back to the inner room.

While Ah Wu was being tossed about by Chu Mao, feeling neither up nor down, she heard him say, “From now on, you are not allowed to go near the water unless I am with you.”

Chu Mao could not help but believe that Ah Wu seemed to have a knack for avoiding water. Every time she went near the water, nothing good came of it. He had saved her twice already, and this time she almost got into trouble again.

Ah Wu gave a perfunctory “hmm,” then wrapped her legs around Chu Mao’s lean, strong waist, protesting, “Your Highness.”

“Missed me?” Chu Mao chuckled softly in Ah Wu’s ear.

Ah Wu twisted her waist protestingly. Chu Mao knew she was shy, and getting her to answer was harder than climbing to heaven, so he did not wait for her reply and began to move vigorously.

The two of them fooled around until noon before Chu Mao finally let Ah Wu go and carried her to take a bath.

The newly bathed beauty, her skin glistening with moisture, was as pink and smooth as a spring peach. Chu Mao took a big kiss on Ah Wu’s cheek.

“Ouch, that hurts.” Ah Wu pushed Chu Mao away, wiped her face with a handkerchief, and continued applying lotion.

Just then, someone came to announce that Wang Yongcheng had arrived.

Ah Wu glanced at Chu Mao, who extended his hand to her. “Come on, you should see him too.”

Throughout the journey, Chu Mao had never allowed Ah Wu to participate in any social interactions. Now that Ah Wu was traveling under the guise of a concubine, it would only be beneath her to attend to such matters. Everything had been fine until they arrived in Huai’an. Wang Yongcheng was too cunning and scheming, yet he lacked the ability to get his principal wife to handle the reception, leading to this whole mess.

Wang Yongcheng, having learned of this, was frantic with worry. After ascertaining the whole story, he rushed to Jiyu Garden.

Autumn’s heat lingered, the late summer sun relentlessly consuming him. Wang Yongcheng, his flabby frame jiggling, grumbled at his two hot-tempered wives. He could not understand why Prince Qi had traveled so far just for the matter of Huyan Lake. It seemed like an overreaction, and in the end, nothing came of it.

Wang Yongcheng shook his head, recalling Chu Mao’s expression earlier. Prince Qi had left his banquet with the leader of the Songjiang Gang, and he’d assumed something terrible had happened. But while he did not think much of it, out of politeness, Wang Yongcheng still had to personally apologize to Prince Qi and his wife.

In the main hall, the sweat on Wang Yongcheng’s face had dried. Seeing the curtain move, he immediately stood up.

“Greetings, Your Highness,” Wang Yongcheng knelt, trembling with fear.

“Minister Wang, no need for such formalities; please sit,” Chu Mao said, offering a gesture of support.

Wang Yongcheng struggled to sit up, his eyes inadvertently sweeping over Ah Wu’s face. He was instantly captivated, his already plump body going limp like a lump of lard.

Her skin was as smooth as white porcelain, a delicate pink tinged with cherry blossoms, so soft and alluring it made one want to take a bite. Her eyes were like a cold lake studded with stars, breathtakingly beautiful. Her lips were like peach blossoms in spring, her face exquisitely sculpted as if carved from jade and ice. Wang Yongcheng could only sigh, wondering why he had never encountered such a beauty.

However, Wang Yongcheng was, after all, a seasoned official and a notorious womanizer in the land of beauties. He quickly snapped out of his daze, his mind drifting back to the rumors circulating that Princess Qi was stunningly beautiful, a beauty rarely seen in the world.

Back then, with Ying Fangfang on one arm and Dong Rumei on the other, Wang Yongcheng thought those people were simply ignorant and exaggerated, or perhaps even ordinary women were more beautiful than she actually was. Only when Wang Yongcheng saw Ah Wu today did he realize that this was probably not a concubine at all, but the stunningly beautiful Princess Qi. Wang Yongcheng cursed Lady Huang in his heart even more. Luckily, he had ignored Lady Huang’s cries and made the difficult decision to send Hui-niang away; otherwise, he would have been in deep trouble.

“This humble official greets Madam; may Madam be blessed.” After realizing Ah Wu’s identity, Wang Yongcheng knelt again. His address as “Madam,” coupled with this elaborate bow, revealed his shrewdness. Ah Wu glanced at Chu Mao, noticing his furrowed brow.

“What is it, Minister Wang?” Chu Mao asked.

This time, straightening up, Wang Yongcheng’s eyes no longer dared to wander. “I’ve come to apologize to Madam. My daughter was impetuous and offended you; it was all my fault for not disciplining her properly. She has already been sent to the Ciji Nunnery outside the city. For someone so young to have such a temperament, I am also at fault. I have already informed the clan elders to remove her from the family register.”

Ah Wu was greatly surprised. She had not expected Wang Yongcheng to be so ruthless. His cold-heartedness was lamentable. Such a cold-blooded and slippery person… Ah Wu could not help but glance at Chu Mao again.

Of course, Ah Wu had no sympathy for Wang Hui-niang. As Wang Yongcheng said, such a young child, if not properly disciplined, might be capable of anything in the future.

Chu Mao did not even offer polite words, such as “Your daughter is still young; there’s no need for this,” directly acquiescing to Wang Yongcheng’s decision.

Wang Yongcheng said several more kind words, and after he left, the gifts he had brought were brought in, probably because he was afraid Ah Wu would not accept them.

“Accept them,” Chu Mao said, glancing at the box of valuables. “Otherwise, he will not be able to settle his mind and might cause trouble.”

Ah Wu did not care for worldly things. Wang Yongcheng, when arranging these things, would probably just think of her as an unsophisticated concubine and that all the gold, silver, and jewels were for her.

After Wang Hui-niang’s fuss, Ah Wu received His Highness Qi’s permission to accompany him to Shanghai. That afternoon, they set off for Shanghai.

“Why is Your Highness in such a hurry to make contact with the Songjiang Gang?” Ah Wu asked, half-lying on Chu Mao’s lap, reaching for the bowl of water chestnuts.

A soft cracking sound came from the back of his hand. “Do not be so greedy for coolness,” Chu Mao said. “Wang Yongcheng may be the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, but all the canal boats on the river only listen to one person, the leader of the canal gang. My trip to Shanghai this time was also to try to make a call to that leader.”

Chu Mao seemed to understand the confusion in Ah Wu’s eyes and explained, “There are rules in the martial arts world, and even more rules in the canal gang. Although I can use my title of Prince to suppress him, I cannot just accept it verbally. If they are not convinced, they will definitely cause trouble in the future. Changing from canal transport to sea transport is not something that can be done overnight. So many mouths depend on canal transport for their livelihood. If it really needs to be changed in the future, this Grand Master will have to come out and coordinate.”

Ah Wu nodded. “Why is Your Highness going to such lengths to change to sea transport? Is it just to divert the Yellow River from Shandong to the sea, so we no longer have to use the Yellow River for transport?”

“Father has never paid much attention to maritime affairs, but I have a feeling, Ah Wu, that our Great Xia Dynasty’s greatest enemy will definitely come from the sea. If canal transport is changed to sea transport, seafaring would develop significantly; that’s the result I want.” Chu Mao lowered his head and kissed Ah Wu’s fair cheek.

Ah Wu wiped her face with her handkerchief, sat up, and wanted to scold Chu Mao for his constant physical advances, but could not help saying, “Your Highness is looking too far ahead.”

Chu Mao pulled Ah Wu into his arms again, kissing her face several times forcefully. “Do not wipe it.” Then he continued, “Some things are never too early.”

Author’s Note:
Si Mao: You only just realized how handsome I am?
Dang’s Mom: The more handsome you are, the faster your wife dies. See Master Que.
Si Mao: …