Four Seasons Brocade – CH 267

Chapter 267 ☆、

If it were the Ah Wu of the past, she would probably have hated Zheng Luan-niang to the core. She had a way to deal with Yuan Rongmeng, so she might have been able to deal with Zheng Luan-niang as well. But now, Ah Wu only wanted to weep. She was even jealous that Zheng Luan-niang could so confidently say she wanted to take care of Chu Mao.

Ah Wu herself felt she no longer had the right. Having lived a second life, she felt she had let everyone down, making a mess of her life. Now, she regretted it, but there was no turning back.

But Chu Mao was still there.

Ah Wu had seen Zheng Luan-niang for three years. Beautiful, intelligent, lively, and lovable, with good character, she was also capable and resourceful. And she was so young. Looking at herself in the mirror, Ah Wu did not dare to look at her reflection; it was so gloomy that no one could feel good looking at her. Ah Wu looked at Zheng Luan-niang, who was anxiously gazing at her, and a pang of jealousy welled up inside her. She loathed herself for still harboring such jealousy.

“Since you have this intention, then go. But…” Ah Wu said softly, afraid that her voice would be too loud and awaken the demons sleeping within her.

Zheng Luan-niang never expected Ah Wu to agree. She had come here because of the Emperor and Empress’s actions, but within the palace, the Empress still held absolute power. Zheng Luan-niang had no chance of escape. But she was unwilling to give up. How could she face her own heart if she did not try? How could she dare to speak of her feelings for Emperor Jiahe?

Zheng Luan-niang looked up at Ah Wu, her heart in her throat, waiting for the “but.”

“But it probably will not be too easy. The Emperor is not an easy person to get close to. You will have to put in a lot of effort,” Ah Wu continued softly.

“Your Majesty the Empress—” Zheng Luan-niang was utterly speechless. She had anticipated many scenarios, but none like this. She had prepared herself to persevere even if the Empress made things difficult for her, but she had not expected things to go so smoothly.

“Go back,” Ah Wu said, too exhausted to continue dealing with Zheng Luan-niang. Every word she uttered felt like needles piercing her heart.

In the days that followed, Zheng Luan-niang kept her word, frequently visiting the Qian Yuan Palace and even catching glimpses of Chu Mao during his visits to the Imperial Garden. Ah Wu then realized that Zheng Luan-niang had actually cultivated a considerable network of connections within the palace, right under her nose. Admittedly, Ah Wu herself had not bothered to investigate, but Zheng Luan-niang was quite formidable for her young age.

Lady Huide, Yuan Yifang, could no longer control her daughter and came to Chang Le Palace to plead with Ah Wu.

“Your Majesty,” Yuan Yifang said, “Luan-niang is not young anymore. I think it’s time to arrange a marriage for her. At the Dragon Boat Festival last time, I saw from afar that the youngest son of the He family was a good match for Luan-niang in age and appearance. Could Your Majesty please arrange a marriage for Luan-niang?”

Lady Huide was indeed a mother who always thought of her daughter’s best interests. However, as girls grow up, their thoughts may not align with their mothers’, and Ah Wu could not agree to Lady Huide’s request. Chu Mao refused to hold a selection of concubines, and the status of palace maids was too low. Ah Wu did not want Chu Mao’s future crown prince to be born of a palace maid, thus avoiding criticism.

Now, it seemed that only Zheng Luan-niang had a chance of getting close to Chu Mao. If all else failed, they could wait until after the New Year and have their father and others bring up the matter of the selection of concubines. If Chu Mao agreed, and if Lady Huide insisted, Ah Wu could arrange a marriage for Luan-niang, but not now.

“Lady, please do not be anxious. You only caught a glimpse of Young Master He from afar at the Dragon Boat Festival. This is, after all, Luan-niang’s entire life; we should observe more closely, and besides, we must ask Luan-niang’s opinion.” Ah Wu did not want to beat around the bush with Lady Huide. “I know why you’ve come today, Lady. Luan-niang herself spoke to me about this matter, and I have given my consent. If Luan-niang can bear His Majesty a son or daughter, I can arrange for her to at least attain the rank of a first-grade imperial concubine.”

Yuan Yifang smiled bitterly; this was precisely what she feared. Yuan Yifang truly loved Luan-niang’s father and understood the joy of that relationship. She did not want Luan-niang to rashly fall into hardship and ruin her life’s happiness. The Emperor had gone to such lengths for this Empress; Yuan Yifang did not have the confidence that Luan-niang could replace the Empress in His Majesty’s heart.

But girls in love were often blindly optimistic, always believing that as long as they worked hard enough, they would eventually be rewarded. But the reality was not so, and even if you eventually got a reward, how many times of despair would it take to achieve it?

Yuan Yifang did not want Luan-niang to go through such suffering. Besides, Emperor Jiahe was more than ten years older than Luan-niang, and the Empress was not someone to be trifled with. What would happen to Luan-niang if the Emperor and Empress reconciled one day? Back in the Prince Qi’s mansion, Yuan Yifang had heard how Ah Wu dealt with Yuan Rongmeng; even with Nanny Hao protecting her, things were still like that. Now, with the Empress holding absolute power…

“Your Majesty,” Yuan Yifang knelt before Ah Wu, saying, “I wish to speak frankly. The Emperor’s devotion to Your Majesty is so profound that even we bystanders are moved. How can anyone else possibly be included? Luan-niang is young and inexperienced; I beg Your Majesty to forgive her ignorance and recklessness.”

“Madam, do not worry. Even if Luan-niang has children in the future, the children will stay with her and be raised there. What child can be separated from its own mother? As for what you said, if Luan-niang comes to me, I will arrange a marriage for her.” Yuan Yifang, as a mother, did not want to be the bad guy, yet Ah Wu was forcing her to be the villain; Ah Wu was unwilling to accept this.

Upon hearing Ah Wu’s words, Yuan Yifang felt a weight lifted from her heart. Luan-niang was her daughter; how could Yuan Yifang not know how deep and stubborn her feelings for Emperor Jiahe were? It was just that Luan-niang was young and impetuous, unable to consider the consequences, and it was necessary for her, as her mother, to try to make amends.

Ah Wu struck a chord with Yuan Yifang, who was worried that Ah Wu was letting Luan-niang have a child so she could bear one.

In truth, Yuan Yifang did not understand Ah Wu either, just as she had not understood her cousin Yuan Yiwei. They had seemingly won the best hand in life, yet they’d managed to ruin it so badly; it was impossible not to find them hateful.

When Yuan Yifang returned to Shuyu Pavilion, Zheng Luan-niang immediately rushed to her side. “Mother, you went to see the Empress! What did she say?”

Yuan Yifang stroked Zheng Luan-niang’s hair. “It’s truly a sin. How could you have such thoughts?”

Zheng Luan-niang lowered her head and said, “I do not know. If I could control myself, I would not have done it.”

Yuan Yifang sighed. “The Empress said that even if you have children, they will all stay by your side. They will still be your consorts. But Luan-niang, you’ve been trying so hard to get close to the Emperor these past few days, yet he treats you coldly. Can you not give your mother some peace of mind? If this gets out, and things fall apart, how will you ever marry?”

“I will not marry anyone but my cousin, the Emperor,” Zheng Luan-niang said resolutely. There was no man in the world more handsome than her cousin, and his very presence was enough to captivate anyone. Moreover, his intelligence, decisiveness, and natural good looks were what made Luan-niang so infatuated and enamored. And in private, he was such a gentle and affectionate man, so open and honest with the women he loved.

All of this captivated the young Luan-niang. “Mother, I am confident. If my cousin accepted me so easily, I would not even look at him. It’s precisely because his sincerity is rare that it’s so precious. Mother, please let me take my time. I will warm his heart. When my cousin truly loves me, life will be truly fulfilling,” Zheng Luan-niang said coquettishly to Yuan Yifang.

She blushed and added, “Besides, my cousin is not heartless towards me. Now, when I bring him pastries, Eunuch Lu sometimes takes me in to kowtow. If it were not for my cousin’s wishes, how could Eunuch Lu dare to act on his own? Mother, I will definitely make my cousin truly love me.”

Luan-niang’s confident demeanor made Yuan Yifang sigh. Truly, daughters grow up and become independent. But in her eyes, Luan-niang was so beautiful and charming that Yuan Yifang began to believe that such a daughter could warm Emperor Jiahe’s heart.

Not only Yuan Yifang, but even Lu Ruoxing placed his hopes on Luan-niang. This County Princess always wore a smile, like a sunflower, pleasing to the eye. Compared to the heartless, cold-hearted Empress of Chang Le Palace, who always wore a stern face, she was infinitely better.

Lu Ruoxing hoped that this County Princess could touch the Emperor’s heart and bring a smile to his face; he would gladly live a few years less. Therefore, whenever Luan-niang went to Qian Yuan Palace, if Chu Mao was alone, Lu Ruoxing would report, “County Princess Lingrou has come to deliver ginseng soup to the Emperor again.”

After saying this so many times, Chu Mao inevitably thought of her occasionally. Besides, even though Chu Mao had grown cold towards Ah Wu, news from her side still could not be kept from him. Chu Mao knew perfectly well what Ah Wu had said to Luan-niang and to Lady Huide that day. Perhaps his heart had become numb from so many wounds; upon hearing the news, he did not fly into a rage but simply listened blankly.

Chu Mao watched Luan-niang pouring soup beside him. She wore a radiant smile, a smile Ah Wu had never shown before. Ah Wu’s smiles always held a degree of reserve and habitually carried a hint of arrogance. And when she had tried to please him with a slightly fawning smile, it had felt so fake.

That smile, of course, was not as beautiful as Luan-niang’s. Besides, Luan-niang was truly beautiful; she should smile more often.

After serving Chu Mao the soup, Luan-niang took her leave. She knew her place; being allowed into the study was already a great favor. Luan-niang moved about the palace happily like a little swallow.

Chu Mao tasted the soup, then put it down and instructed Lu Ruoxing, “Go to the inner treasury and send some things to Princess Lingrou.”

“Yes,” Lu Ruoxing replied, carefully selecting many fine items for Luan-niang.

From then on, fine things were constantly being sent to Shuyu Pavilion. One item in particular even made the palace servants, accustomed to seeing such things, gossip.

“I heard that the Emperor bestowed upon Princess Lingrou a nanmu box, inside which is a small room where a Western beauty lives. Every hour, that beauty comes out to dance,” Ming-Shu chatted idly with Ming-Zhen.

“That’s amazing?” Ming-Zhen exclaimed in surprise. “Princess Lingrou often goes to Qian Yuan Palace now. Do you think she and the Emperor are…”

“Do not talk about that. How can we discuss such things?” Ming-Shu gestured towards Ah Wu, who was napping inside.