Four Seasons Brocade – CH 266

Chapter 266 ☆、

Ah Wu took the box, opened it, and found an imperial edict inside. She took it out and handed it to Lu Ruoxing, who composed himself before opening it.

Ah Wu led everyone in the hall to kneel and listen to the decree. The edict stated that if the Emperor was unwell, the Empress would oversee the state. It also appointed Grand Secretaries Tang and Rong to diligently assist her. As for the successor Emperor, the Empress was free to adopt a nephew or cousin from the imperial clan and appoint him as crown prince.

This imperial edict was essentially a final testament.

The deep affection expressed for the Empress within it was enough to bring tears to the eyes of anyone who heard it. With the Empress overseeing the country and two Grand Secretaries—one her father, the other her father’s in-law—and even the successor Emperor chosen by the Empress, it was conceivable that if Emperor Jiahe were to truly pass away, Ah Wu might indeed rise to the pinnacle of power. If she were even more capable, another female Emperor might be possible.

However, the difficulties and obstacles along the way would undoubtedly be numerous.

After hearing the proclamation, Ah Wu looked at the box again. Inside was another letter, detailing how Chu Mao’s personal guards were contacted and deployed, how his secret agents operated, the formula for the antidote, and so on, accompanied by an official seal.

“Grand Secretaries Tang and Rong, you two do not need to stay here any longer. The court still needs your assistance. News of the Emperor’s assassination has probably spread, causing widespread panic. This is the perfect opportunity for those with ulterior motives to take advantage.” Ah Wu’s words were blunt. Grand Secretaries Tang and Rong did not refuse, kowtowing and taking their leave. Now was not the time to stand guard and show loyalty.

Ah Wu held the box, gazing at Chu Mao on the bed. How cunning and audacious this man was, daring to gamble with his own life. It seemed they had truly reached their end.

Initially, Ah Wu’s heart had stopped beating because of Chu Mao’s injury. But now, having recovered and reflecting on Chu Mao’s arrangements, Ah Wu felt a surge of hatred that could shatter her teeth. How dare he? How dare he gamble with his own life to force her to submit?

Seeing Chu Mao lying lifeless before her, Ah Wu wished she could bite him awake. Knowing he treated his life so carelessly, she would rather have given him a sword to avenge her mother’s death; perhaps she could even be reborn into a better future.

He Nianfang, leading two imperial physicians, was already preparing to draw his sword. He turned to Ah Wu and said, “Your Majesty.”

Ah Wu’s nails dug into her flesh. “Pull it out.”

After saying this, Ah Wu hurriedly ran out of the inner palace. She told herself that this was all Chu Mao’s own doing; whether he lived or died was his own decision. Ah Wu wiped tears from her face as she ran.

Chu Mao was no ordinary man. Not only was he highly skilled, but his personal guards and secret guards were also extraordinary. He had even managed to control a palace coup with absolute certainty. Now that he had taken control of the Forbidden City, Ah Wu did not believe that the assassin could sneak up on her so silently.

Moreover, Ah Wu could not understand why the assassin had targeted her. She had offended many people, but most were dead or gone; Xiangsi did not possess such power.

However, regarding Chu Mao’s act of rushing to block the sword, Ah Wu did not know if he had intentionally aggravated his injury or simply miscalculated. What did his “I am sorry” mean before he lost consciousness?

Ah Wu pondered blankly. Was it remorse—that he could no longer protect her? Or remorse for what he had done?

Ah Wu huddled in a corner of the corridor, hugging her knees and weeping, until Lu Ruoxing’s voice rang out beside her, “Your Majesty, the Emperor’s bleeding has stopped. Imperial Physician Ha said that if he can regain consciousness without a fever in the next two days, his life will be safe.”

Ah Wu still did not look up.

Lu Ruoxing continued, “The accomplice of the assassin killed by the Emperor has been captured, and the confession has just been sent over from the Ministry of Justice.”

Ah Wu then raised her head and stood up. “Go and get it for me to see.” Now that Ah Wu was regent, she still had this much authority.

Lu Ruoxing paused. He had thought that with the Emperor’s life at stake, even the coldest heart of the Empress would soften and at least go to see him, but little did he know that the Empress cared most about the confession.

Of course, Lu Ruoxing dared not be negligent and obeyed the order to fetch the confession for Ah Wu.

Ah Wu read the confession. The situation was both within her expectations and beyond her expectations. The mastermind behind the assassination was none other than the Fifth Prince, also known as Prince Wei, Chu Qin, and another person among them was Mei-niang.

Ah Wu recognized the name. After a long pause, she remembered: she was the woman who sang songs in the Southern Garden. Later, when Ah Wu fell ill and stayed in Bingxue Forest, Chu Mao even summoned her to sing for her. Ah Wu could not recall much after that. To her, Mei-niang was an insignificant person, yet she never expected her to eventually side with Prince Wei.

As for the assassin choosing Ah Wu as his target, it was precisely because of Mei-niang’s advice.

Although Mei-niang had only met Ah Wu a few times, it was enough for her to see that Ah Wu’s importance as Empress was self-evident to the former Prince Qi, now Emperor Jiahe. Mei-niang believed that Ah Wu was the reason she was sent from Bingxue Forest to Prince Qi’s villa, and from then on, she had to navigate the world of men. If she had even a shred of compassion, she would not have treated her this way. More than Emperor Jiahe, Mei-niang hated Ah Wu.

Moreover, Emperor Jiahe possessed martial arts skills, making an assassination attempt against him unlikely. In Mei-niang’s view, a surprise assassination of Ah Wu would be far more effective.

Sure enough, Chu Qin listened to her, and they succeeded. However, before they could even celebrate, they were all apprehended.

Judging from the testimonies, everything unfolded exactly as Ah Wu had predicted. Chu Mao must have been aware of Prince Wei’s secret activities long ago, yet allowed them to develop unchecked. He only needed an opportunity; otherwise, he would not have been able to capture the mastermind so quickly afterward.

As for Mei-niang, this was unexpected for Ah Wu, and she wondered if Chu Mao knew their target was her.

But what was the use of discussing this now? Regardless of the methods Chu Mao used, Ah Wu understood that it was a carefully planned scheme, his last gamble. After this, he would probably truly give up.

Ah Wu wished she could reach out and embrace him, but she could not cross the celestial river drawn with the blood of the Imperial Princess.

After instructing Lu Ruoxing to watch over Chu Mao, Ah Wu returned to Chang Le Palace. She probably knew that behind her, Lu Ruoxing was practically piercing her back, but as long as Chu Mao would wake up, she had no choice but to face him like this. The only thing she could do for him was to make him give up.

That night, Ah Wu drifted off to sleep but vaguely heard someone calling her. Opening her eyes, she saw Chu Mao sitting beside her bed, smiling at her.

“Your Majesty, why have you come?” Ah Wu was still somewhat groggy.

“Before I leave, I wanted to see you.” Chu Mao reached out and touched Ah Wu’s cheek.

“What do you mean, ‘before I leave’?” Ah Wu sat up in surprise.

“I’ve heard that after drinking the Meng Po soup, you will forget your past and present lives. In the next life, I will come to meet you sooner, Ah Wu.” Chu Mao lowered his head and kissed Ah Wu’s forehead, then stood up to leave.

Ah Wu suddenly grabbed Chu Mao’s hand. “What next life? There’s no next life! I only wish that my soul will vanish after I die! Do not even mention the next life, or even the life after that, or the life after that. You will never meet me again, and I never want to see you again,” Ah Wu cried.

“You hate me that much?” Chu Mao sat back down in front of Ah Wu.

“Yes, if you still want to see me, then look at me a few more times in this life.” Ah Wu looked at Chu Mao coldly.

Before Chu Mao could answer, Ah Wu was awakened by the noise. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, someone from Qian Yuan Palace says the Emperor… the Emperor is probably not doing well. Please come immediately!”

Ah Wu sat up abruptly. “What? What did you say?” Ah Wu asked Ming-Xin excitedly.

Ming-Xin repeated herself. Ah Wu did not even bother with her makeup; she simply put on her clothes and rushed to Qian Yuan Palace.

Soft sobs could already be heard coming from inside. Ah Wu’s heart sank to the bottom of a well. “Do not cry! If you cry, go cry in hell!”

Ah Wu rushed to Chu Mao’s bedside. His face was deathly pale; even his lips were almost deathly white. “What happened to His Majesty?”

“He developed a high fever in the middle of the night and started convulsing. It was…it was…” Lu Ruoxing replied.

Standing nearby were He Nianfang, who had not slept half the night, and several other imperial physicians, all looking as if in grave danger. Ah Wu’s gaze returned to Chu Mao’s face. Could it really have been him who came to see her before leaving?

Ah Wu placed the box on the footstool by the bed, leaned close to Chu Mao’s ear, and whispered through tears, “If you leave, I will have someone perform a ritual to annihilate my soul so that we will never see each other again, neither in the highest heavens nor the deepest hells.”

Ah Wu held Chu Mao’s hand tightly. Lu Ruoxing went back and forth, feeding Chu Mao two large bowls of medicine. By dawn, whether the medicine worked or Ah Wu’s words had an effect, Chu Mao’s fever subsided, and his condition gradually stabilized.

Even He Nianfang said that he seemed to be out of danger.

Chu Mao’s condition indeed gradually improved. Ah Wu no longer went to Qian Yuan Palace but instead sent Lu Ruoxing to Chang Le Palace to return the box to Chu Mao.

For the next two months, as Chu Mao recuperated, Ah Wu never visited him again. Even after Chu Mao recovered and began to walk again, he never set foot in Chang Le Palace once more. However, an unexpected guest entered the Sanbao Hall of Chang Le Palace.

“Luan-niang greets Her Majesty the Empress,” Zheng Luan-niang kowtowed.

Ah Wu had not seen Zheng Luan-niang for quite some time. She and her mother, Lady Huide, lived like invisible people in the empty Forbidden Palace.

“It’s Luan-niang. Please rise,” Ah Wu said, offering Luan-niang a seat.

Luan-niang was now a fifteen-year-old girl, her beauty in full bloom, like a lotus blossoming in summer, pleasing to the eye. She possessed the unique charm of the Yuan family, but Yuan Yifang had taught her exceptionally well. After entering the palace, Ah Wu had also found her a tutor for private lessons, so Zheng Luan-niang appeared both dignified and noble, yet retained a youthful innocence and charm.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Race, Zheng Luan-niang attracted much attention. Since the Emperor’s condition had improved somewhat, several favored ladies had already sent messages to Ah Wu through intermediaries.

“What brings you here today, Luan-niang?” Ah Wu asked.

Zheng Luan-niang rose and knelt again, looking at Ah Wu. This Empress had been kind to her and her mother, taking great care of them over the years. If she could, Zheng Luan-niang would not want to come to Chang Le Palace today.

But why had this seemingly loving couple come to this? Zheng Luan-niang did not know the details and dared not speculate. In her heart, however, her cousin was truly pitiful.

The burden of the nation rested entirely on his shoulders, yet there was not a single person in the palace to offer him any comfort. Even when he was seriously injured and nearly died, the Empress had not even glanced at him. Not only Zheng Luan-niang, but anyone else would find it unbearable.

Over the years, observing from the sidelines in the palace, Zheng Luan-niang had nurtured the seedling in her heart until today, when she could no longer suppress her longing. She secretly slipped away from her mother and ran to Chang Le Palace. On the way there, Zheng Luan-niang had not known how to begin, but upon seeing Ah Wu, she suddenly found her courage.

Ah Wu’s complexion was excellent. With peach blossom rouge as a base, her skin appeared fair and rosy. She wore a peach-red brocade dress adorned with butterflies and peonies in gold leaf, exuding nobility, elegance, and captivating beauty.

Meanwhile, Zheng Luan-niang recalled her cousin—the Emperor Jiahe—his face pale and bluish, a hint of melancholy between his brows. Possessing the entire world, he should have been a man of wealth and power, full of vigor and ambition, yet he appeared as lifeless as a frail old man.

A surge of anger rose within Zheng Luan-niang, but she dared not vent it on Ah Wu. She kowtowed and said, “Luan-niang wishes to serve the Emperor.”