Four Seasons Brocade – CH 257

Chapter 257 ☆、

That night, while Ah Wu was experiencing extreme hardship, her father from her previous life was spending the entire night with the woman he had longed for. The succulent flesh, the melodious moans, and the soul-stirring, bone-melting songs—in just one night, Gu Shiyan was practically obedient to “Xiao Qinghe.”

Ah Wu anxiously awaited news from Chu Mao at Yulan Hall, while Chu Mao went straight to Xu Xian Hall upon returning home.

“Your Highness, I just received news that Second Master Gu of the Duke of Wei’s mansion seems to have returned to the capital,” Fu Yishi reported to Chu Mao, relaying the newly acquired intelligence.

Chu Mao’s expression remained calm. “Send someone to follow him, but do not alert him. Have the two gentlemen devised a countermeasure for what we discussed earlier?”

The three discussed the matter in detail before Chu Mao left Xu Xian Hall for Bingxue Forest. He also sent someone to deliver a message to He Chun and He Shui.

He Chun and He Shui had served Chu Mao for many years, but they had never seen their master lose his composure like this, drawing his sword and cleaving a round sandalwood table in two right before their eyes.

He Shui inwardly marveled at Prince Qi’s profound skill. He knew he could not have cleaved it so cleanly, and besides, the sandalwood was hard and dense; whether it would even break was another matter.

The others, unlike He Chun, were not foolishly oblivious. At this moment, they all wished they could shrink into thin air and stick to the wall to avoid attracting their master’s attention.

“Send men to guard Yulan Hall. Do not let a single fly out,” Chu Mao ordered.

Yulan Hall.

Ah Wu waited for Chu Mao for a long time, but then heard Zi-Yi report, “Your Highness, the Prince has sent men to guard all the doors of Yulan Hall. No one is allowed to leave.”

Ah Wu was startled. “Who are these guards?”

“They are all men, and all unfamiliar faces,” Zi-Yi said, looking at Ah Wu. She did not know what had happened to make Prince Qi seal off Yulan Hall. Was the Prince not supposed to dote on her master to the skies?

Ah Wu closed her eyes briefly. “Go tell the gatekeeper I need to see the Prince and ask him to return to Yulan Hall.”

Zi-Yi glanced at the sky outside. It was already past midnight, but she did not dare ask any more questions and went straight out the door.

Ah Wu waited for Chu Mao to return to Yulan Hall. She did not dare take off her clothes to sleep, only dozing off on the couch. When she woke up, it was already bright. “What time is it?”

“The first quarter of the morning,” Zi-Jin replied.

“Is there any news from the Prince?” Ah Wu asked, rubbing her temples.

Zi-Jin shook her head.

“Have someone outside send word to summon Eunuch Lu…” Ah Wu started to say, but then remembered that Lu Ruoxing was probably still bedridden. She sighed and said, “Help me wash up.”

Ah Wu went to the bathing room to bathe. At times like these, she could not rush things. Ah Wu understood why Chu Mao had confined her to Yulan Hall. She had ruined his plans, so naturally, he had to be wary. Ah Wu understood all of that, but she still could not help feeling distressed. She could not worry about her own future; she only hoped that before Chu Mao finalized his next plan, she could persuade him to accept the Princess, and she also hoped that the Princess would set aside her prejudices and come to their side.

After breakfast, Ah Wu changed her clothes and led Zi-Yi and Zi-Jin to the main gate. The guards standing at the gate were clearly Chu Mao’s personal guards. Upon seeing Ah Wu, they all knelt and greeted her.

Ah Wu remained silent, walking straight ahead. The two guards, disregarding formalities, straightened up and said, “Please wait, Your Highness. His Highness has instructed that you remain in Yulan Hall for the next few days.”

“What if I do not?” Ah Wu’s steps did not falter. The guards at the gate naturally dared not disrespect Ah Wu, nor make any physical contact, so they could not stop her.

Wei Li said, “This humble servant dares not obstruct Your Highness. His Highness has ordered that if Your Highness takes even one step outside Yulan Hall, one of the guards will be beaten to death.”

Ah Wu’s face paled, and she dared not lift her foot again. “Fine, I will stand here. Go and invite His Highness to Yulan Hall.”

These past few days, it had begun to snow in the capital. The wind was like a bone-scraping steel knife, howling and swirling. Even lightweight people could barely stand in the wind. Ah Wu stood there in the wind, the snowflakes stinging her face, without moving an inch. She was determined to stand by Chu Mao.

Wei Li weighed the options. If something truly happened to Princess Qi, he could not bear the responsibility. He carefully instructed Wei Liang and then went to Xu Xian Hall to consult.

“His Highness asks the Princess to return to her room and wait for him. He will come over after he finishes his business,” Wei Li replied to Ah Wu, having received confirmation.

Ah Wu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Chu Mao had not explicitly refused to come, that was fine. In the snowy wind, she was feeling the effects, but for various reasons, she did not return to her room. She stood there in the wind, sneezing several times in just a short while.

However, there was still no sign of Chu Mao. Zi-Yi said anxiously, “Princess, please take care of yourself. Even if it’s something important, you need to be in good spirits when His Highness arrives.”

Ah Wu’s hands and feet were numb with cold, and her heart sank as if into icy water. But Zi-Yi was right. This was no time to be sick, and Chu Mao’s attitude was clear: even if she died, he would not show her the slightest pity.

Ah Wu returned to her room. Zi-Yi and Zi-Jin quickly found a thick quilt to wrap her in. Ah Wu shivered under the covers, sneezing several times, and her head began to spin. “Go and make a pot of ginger and brown sugar water.”

After Ah Wu drank the ginger and brown sugar water and recovered, she had lunch before finally seeing Chu Mao in Yulan Hall.

When Chu Mao lifted the curtain and entered the east side room, Ah Wu looked at him as if she had never seen him before. The two, once the closest of husband and wife, had suddenly become strangers, even enemies in some ways.

Chu Mao, wearing a dark purple sable robe embroidered with four-legged dragons and a golden crown, sat down opposite Ah Wu with an indifferent expression.

Zi-Yi served freshly brewed tea, but Chu Mao glanced at it indifferently, not touching it. This clearly showed he had no trust in Ah Wu.

Ah Wu, angered by his demeanor, sneered, took Chu Mao’s teacup, and took a sip, clearly indicating that there was no poison.

“What brings this Princess Consort to call me in such a hurry?” Chu Mao brushed imaginary dust off his robe and said calmly.

Ah Wu’s eyes narrowed at Chu Mao’s action. In Prince Qi’s eyes, she was probably more repulsive than dust. This was the first time he had addressed her as “this Princess Consort.”

Things had come to this point, and Ah Wu could no longer pretend she knew nothing and try to beat around the bush with Chu Mao. She stood up, walked to Chu Mao, and knelt.

“This concubine is guilty and dares not beg Your Highness’s forgiveness. I only hope Your Highness can give me a chance to make amends.” Ah Wu respectfully kowtowed three times to Chu Mao.

“I want to know, if I were a little foolish, a little stupid, and you managed to keep this from me, what were your plans? Did you hope the Sixth Prince would ascend the throne, then wipe me out, and wait for him to take you into the palace as a noblewoman?” Chu Mao’s voice was so cold it seemed to drip water.

Ah Wu dared not try to outsmart Chu Mao at this moment. Even her supposedly foolproof plan was easily uncovered by him. “I only wish not to see Princess Fuhui commit injustice, but I have no intention of helping the Sixth Prince. With Your Highness’s abilities, even if this plan fails, you must have another better solution. I…”

“Heh, so the Princess thinks so highly of me? Then should I still thank the Princess for such high praise?” Chu Mao laughed sarcastically. “And if I had no better solution, would the Princess rather choose to plunge the Prince Qi’s Mansion into utter ruin to preserve the Gu Mansion?”

Chu Mao’s voice was chillingly cold, filled with utter desolation and bitterness.

“No, if we can persuade the Imperial Princess to cooperate, His Highness will face less risk, and the Emperor will have more faith in him. Besides, even if the Sixth Prince is imprisoned because of this, Empress Tian and the Fifth Prince are by the Emperor’s side every day.” Ah Wu hurriedly crawled two steps.

Chu Mao avoided Ah Wu’s hand, stood up, and sat down at the round table.

“Why are you so determined to protect Princess Fuhui, even at the cost of betraying me, and repeatedly urging me to win her over?” Chu Mao asked with difficulty. He did not know whether he wanted Ah Wu to lie to him or not.

Having come this far, Chu Mao could somewhat understand his father, the Longqing Emperor. He thought that if it were him, facing a woman whose heart belonged to another, he would patiently wait for her to change her mind. Unfortunately, Ah Wu did not give him a chance. You could give her your heart and soul, but in the end, you could not prevent her from kicking you in the heart.

“I…” Ah Wu opened her mouth to speak, but she was not sure if Chu Mao would believe her story. “I am…”

“You do not need to say anything,” Chu Mao suddenly interrupted Ah Wu sharply. He knew clearly in his heart that he could not bear Ah Wu lying to him again, but he also could not bear her telling the truth. Both outcomes made him want to strangle her with his own hands.

“I will tell you why I cannot cooperate with Fuhui,” Chu Mao said in a deep voice.

“You’ve also heard that before the late Empress entered the palace, she already had someone she loved, and that person was the consort Fuhui had chosen.”

Chu Mao’s words shocked Ah Wu. How come she had never heard her mother mention that she had ever taken a liking to a prince consort?

“Therefore, the late Empress’s entry into the palace was also greatly related to Fuhui. Only by first cutting off the late Empress’s path to marriage could she marry that man. Unfortunately, she never anticipated that the late Empress’s feelings for that man were far stronger than she imagined. In the end, she harmed herself, the current Emperor, and the late Empress.”

“That man refused to marry the Princess, vowing never to marry. In the end, the Emperor had no choice but to make the Duke of Wei’s son become Fuhui’s husband. Do you think Consort Xiang, who was out of favor in the palace and of low birth, could have reached out to the late Empress and even managed to deliver that bowl of medicine at the opportune moment?”