Four Seasons Brocade – CH 268

Chapter 268 ☆、

Ah Wu sat up, hugging her knees, resting her chin on them. The cold moonlight shone through the window curtains onto the table, making Ah Wu’s already pale face appear even paler. A thin summer dress covered her, yet she still looked frail and ethereal.

Ah Wu remembered when she and Chu Mao were together; he would send her gifts every few days—exotic and unusual items, all sorts of things. Ah Wu even had a box like that, but she did not know where it was now. Back then, Princess Kangning had never cared about Chu Mao’s feelings.

Only when the wind chilled her face did Ah Wu realize she was crying. She wiped away her tears, lay back down, and dared not think about anything; just thinking about it made her heart ache.

New Year’s Day arrived, and as usual, a family banquet was held in the palace on the first day of the new year. However, with the Chu royal family now in decline, the empty palace made the banquet seem even more desolate.

Originally, the Emperor would sit at a separate table, the Empress at another, the concubines at several tables, and then there would be tables for the Princes and their consorts.

But now, all the concubines were gone. It would not be right for Ah Wu to sit alone, and among the princes, only Chu Mao’s Fifth Uncle and the former foolish Seventh Prince remained. The Fifth Uncle, who had been bedridden for years, had long since been granted leave by his son, leaving him at another lonely table.

As Ah Wu arranged the table, she could not help but sigh. If only there were children’s laughter in the palace.

In the end, Ah Wu followed the ancient custom, as she had done at the Prince Qi’s mansion, eating at separate tables.

The Huayue Shuanghui Pavilion was spacious enough to accommodate everyone. Moreover, there was a small stage inside the building, which was perfect for inviting an opera troupe to liven things up and prevent the atmosphere from being too quiet. Ah Wu even specifically ordered that the most skilled clown from the capital be found to perform a couple of acts, hoping to elicit some laughter.

At the family banquet, laughter indeed filled the air, but it all came from the Seventh Prince, the Prince Han, and his wife. As for the others, Chu Mao kept a straight face, Lady Huide looked worried, and Luan-niang’s mind was entirely on Chu Mao; if he did not laugh, she could not laugh either. Ah Wu herself was already quite remarkable for not crying.

Ah Wu glanced at Prince Han with almost grateful eyes, hoping he would smile a few more times.

Hot dishes were continuously served, but Ah Wu ate without interest. Chu Mao, however, showed some interest.

Lu Ruoxing took a dish from the table in front of Chu Mao and went straight to Luan-niang’s table. “His Majesty said that Princess Lingrou loves shrimp, so this dish was specially reserved for her.”

At such a banquet, it was common for the Emperor to bestow dishes, but Luan-niang receiving the first serving was somewhat unexpected. Princess Han, Xiang Yunjia, could not help but glance at Luan-niang a few more times. She could not live a carefree life like Prince Han; she still had to worry about her son and could not distance herself from the palace. The Empress, with her cold and aloof demeanor, was unapproachable, and as a woman, she could not get close to Emperor Jiahe. Having Luan-niang as a connection was truly invaluable.

Zheng Luan-niang rose from her seat, knelt, and kowtowed to express her gratitude. She then took a few steps forward and offered Chu Mao a toast, her face beaming with a radiant smile. Chu Mao downed three cups in quick succession, his face flushing slightly, and the atmosphere at the banquet finally improved.

The simple-minded Prince Han also offered three toasts, which Chu Mao accepted without hesitation. Finally, Luan-niang, feeling sorry for him, did not know what to do and boldly stopped Chu Mao from pouring his own wine.

“Your Majesty, you cannot drink anymore,” Luan-niang said, gazing at Chu Mao with longing.

Chu Mao indeed stopped drinking and waved his hand.

“Pour some tea,” Chu Mao said.

Lu Ruoxing smiled gratefully at Luan-niang and served Chu Mao hot tea.

Ah Wu, meanwhile, remained silent throughout, observing from the sidelines. Finally, the banquet ended, and after the New Year’s Eve vigil, they returned to Chang Le Palace.

Ah Wu sat wrapped in the quilt, lost in thought. Unbeknownst to her, Chu Mao had already memorized Luan-niang’s preferences. They must have shared a meal together; perhaps Chu Mao even served her food, earning a radiant smile in return, just like tonight.

Ah Wu had to admit that that smile was truly beautiful; even Chu Mao was mesmerized. Chu Mao, already handsome and refined, was now even more reserved and composed. Together with the innocent and charming Luan-niang, they were a sight to behold, a perfect match.

This conclusion made Ah Wu clutch her heart. She felt like someone terminally ill; when the pain became unbearable, she wanted to inflict another wound to alleviate the previous one, only to find that the new wound was no less painful than the old one.

As for Chu Mao, who returned to the Qian Yuan Palace alone tonight, his face still showed no trace of the joy expected at the start of the new year.

“Bring me a jar of wine.” Chu Mao sat on the kang bed in his bedchamber, pouring himself a drink without even asking for any snacks. Until, feeling dizzy and lightheaded, he saw the quilt on the dragon bed gradually rise, and a figure peeked out from underneath, pouting coquettishly, “Your Highness, why are you not asleep yet?”

“Ah Wu.” Chu Mao staggered to the bedside, reaching out to grab something, but there was nothing there, only emptiness in his hands. He began to search the pillows and the quilts, even crawling under the bed to look, but there was nothing.

“Ah Wu.” Chu Mao called out painfully, then slumped onto the footstool in front of the bed and fell asleep.

Lu Ruoxing, wiping away tears, called in several eunuchs, who gently lifted Chu Mao onto the bed.

From the spring of the third year of the Jiahe era, rumors about Luan-niang and Chu Mao circulated more and more in the palace, and the two were often seen walking together in the imperial garden, admiring flowers or playing Weiqi.

Ah Wu barely saw anything; she practically stayed hidden in Chang Le Palace, not going anywhere.

After the New Year, another wave of memorials urging Emperor Jiahe to select concubines and take new ones swept through the court and beyond. Some even suggested that, even without a formal selection, choosing a few daughters of high-ranking officials from the capital to serve in the palace would be feasible. This would avoid wasting resources and manpower, hindering marriages among men and women, and would also enrich the harem.

As usual, the memorials were kept in the palace until the fourth month, when Emperor Jiahe finally issued an edict exempting the selection of concubines for the third year of his reign and forbidding the taking of any new women into the palace. However, this time, the reasons for Emperor Jiahe’s exemption from the selection were varied.

The most prevalent version was that it was because of Zheng Luan-niang. Upon receiving the edict, Zheng Luan-niang’s smile became even brighter.

Ah Wu remained confined to Chang Le Palace, only finally venturing to the pond during the hottest part of summer. Before even reaching the pond, she spotted two people sitting in the Wenyou Pavilion on the artificial hill.

Ah Wu, her legs weak, leaned against a rock to rest. Just as she was about to turn back, she caught sight of the two people emerging from the pavilion. They spoke, and Zheng Luan-niang laughed so hard she nearly fell off the artificial hill. Luckily, Chu Mao reacted quickly and caught her.

Ah Wu was stunned. It turned out that Chu Mao was already willing to have physical intimacy with Zheng Luan-niang.

Ah Wu felt breathless.

A few days later, Lady Cui came to the palace again. She was not truly stupid; previously, she was always summoned by Emperor Jiahe before leaving the palace, but this treatment had ceased for the past year. Lady Cui had long suspected something was wrong, and with the news of Luan-niang’s affair, she grew increasingly worried.

“What is Your Majesty thinking? Luan-niang, a young lady living in the palace, should avoid suspicion. Will she even be able to find a husband? Such unsavory rumors are spreading, and it’s embarrassing for the Emperor. In my opinion, Your Majesty should arrange a marriage for her, or at least move her out of the palace.” Lady Cui rattled off a long string of words as soon as she entered.

Ah Wu smiled. “Why are you listening to those rumors, Madam? The Emperor and Luan-niang are both people of propriety. I do not know which gossipy people spread such rumors. If the Emperor were truly interested, he would have already made Luan-niang a concubine. Madam does not need to worry about this.”

“But…” Lady Cui was still somewhat uneasy.

“Madam, do you think that even your daughter is inferior to Luan-niang?” Ah Wu asked coquettishly.

Seeing that Ah Wu was still in the mood to laugh, Lady Cui felt much relieved. “How could that be? My Ah Wu is the best in the world. It’s just that I’ve spent most of my life worrying about you troublesome children. As long as Your Majesty is well, I’d gladly shorten my lifespan by ten years.”

Ah Wu’s tears immediately fell. “What nonsense are you talking about? You will live to be a hundred! You are saying such things to upset me as soon as you arrive. Do not do that again.”

“Yes,” Lady Cui smiled. But her smile did not mask her worry. “Ah Wu, if only you could have a child.”

“I just said not to talk about sad things,” Ah Wu said coquettishly.

“Alright, alright,” Lady Cui said, not daring to bring it up again. On her way out of the palace, Lady Cui encountered Luan-niang. Seeing her opulent and lavish attire, even more so than Ah Wu of Chang Le Palace, making her resemble an Empress, Lady Cui felt displeased. Seeing that Luan-niang was heading towards Qian Yuan Palace, her displeasure deepened, but she dared not mention it to Ah Wu. She could only sigh, thinking she would teach Ah Wu a lesson next time she came.

Time passed both swiftly and slowly. Finally, another New Year’s Day arrived. The palace still held only a few people. The Fifth Prince, who had feigned illness the previous year, was gone, and the Chu family was increasingly desolate.

At the banquet, Luan-niang and Chu Mao were now quite at ease, no longer as reserved as the previous year. She coaxed Chu Mao into drinking quite a bit of wine. “Why not have Luan-niang dance for His Majesty?” Zheng Luan-niang suggested.

Yuan Yifang’s expression changed. Forgetting her decorum before the Emperor, she exclaimed, “Luan-niang!”

Zheng Luan-niang was indeed impatient. Yuan Yifang glanced at Luan-niang, then at Ah Wu. She sighed inwardly. In truth, Yuan Yifang had long regretted her actions. For the past year, she, as the mother, had coldly observed that Emperor Jiahe had shown almost no interest in Luan-niang, or if he did, it was extremely rare. She should not have been swayed by Luan-niang.

“Luan-niang has overstepped her bounds; please forgive her, Your Majesty,” Zheng Luan-niang quickly knelt and said.

“Aunt, you do not need to be so harsh on Luan-niang. She is still young,” Chu Mao said, trying to smooth things over for Luan-niang.

How could she be young? She was already a sixteen-year-old girl. In the outside world, girls that age often had children. Yuan Yifang sighed again.

After the New Year’s Eve vigil, Ah Wu did not need a palanquin. She walked through the snow, letting the cold wind blow against her head to clear her mind and remind herself of her restless heart. She was probably really going to lose Chu Mao forever.

Ah Wu reached out and caught the snowflakes swirling down from the sky, watching them disappear through her fingers. Perhaps before long, she herself would be able to disappear without leaving a trace.

“Your Majesty, the snow is falling heavier and heavier. This servant should call for the palanquin; otherwise, Your Majesty will fall ill again,” Ming-Xin advised.

Ill? Ah Wu’s heart skipped a beat. She had been on a long-term vegetarian diet, and her health seemed to be improving. She had rarely been sick in the past year, and the incident of her soul leaving her body had ceased. She had not looked closely at Chu Mao in a very long time.

Ah Wu sighed, offering no reply, and continued walking through the snow. As if deliberately acting, when Ah Wu returned to Chang Le Palace, she indeed began to have a fever. “Do not call the imperial physician. I will just sleep for a bit and sweat it out.”

However, even a small matter concerning the Empress was a big deal. How could Ming-Xin dare to hide it? Although they had rarely inquired about Chang Le Palace in the past year, Ming-Xin herself could not slacken her vigilance. Her mistress was the Empress, not Princess Lingrou, and she would not be able to benefit from Princess Lingrou’s influence in the future.

Ming-Xin secretly told Lu Ruoxing about Ah Wu’s illness. “Eunuch Lu, what should we do?”

Lu Ruoxing secretly wished Ah Wu would just die, but he dared not make decisions for Chu Mao. “Go back,” he said. “I will find a chance to mention it to the Emperor.”

After returning home, Ming-Xin waited and waited, but no news came. Instead, the Imperial Medical Bureau sent a physician on duty to examine her.

Ming-Xin breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Emperor had not given up on the Empress.

Things did not develop as Ah Wu had hoped. Although she was burning with fever, tears and snot streaming down her face, she did not lose her mind again. This time, Ming-Xin took good care of her, and the physician arrived promptly. After two doses of medicine and sweating it out, Ah Wu was already eight or nine tenths better before the fifteenth of the first lunar month.

But this time, there was no one by her side to comfort her. Ah Wu smiled self-deprecatingly, recalling the time Chu Mao chanted sutras for her in Bingxue Forest. Sometimes, the recurring memories of the past, like poison, were irresistible, yet she could not help but drink the poison to quench her thirst.

That night, Ah Wu had a nightmare. She dreamt that Luan-niang, heavily pregnant, crashed into her. She fell to the ground, screaming in pain. Chu Mao rushed over and picked Luan-niang up, not even glancing at her. Luan-niang gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Chu Mao was overjoyed, granting imperial edicts and amnesties. He even deposed Ah Wu as Empress and held a coronation ceremony for Luan-niang.

Ah Wu asked Chu Mao why he did this. He coldly replied, “Do you think I would like the daughter of my mother’s killer? I only enjoy watching you live a life worse than death.”

“No, no!” Ah Wu woke up with a start, sitting up in a cold sweat. She could not forget the cold, unfamiliar, even disgusted look in Chu Mao’s eyes in her dream.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!” Ming-Xin, who was on night duty, rushed in upon hearing Ah Wu’s cries. “Your Majesty, were you having a nightmare?”

“What time is it?” Ah Wu asked.

“It’s almost the end of the hour of Xu,” Ming-Xin replied.

Ah Wu realized she had only slept for a short while and would likely spend another sleepless night until dawn.

Ah Wu took a sip of water and lay back down. In her dazed state, she heard someone say, “Tonight the Emperor took Princess Lingrou out of the palace incognito to see the lantern festival. I think Princess Lingrou might be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort.”

“How can she be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort while the Empress is still alive?” someone retorted sarcastically.

“The current Empress is just a figurehead. Why can she not be promoted to Imperial Noble Consort? The Empress has no children. Only Princess Lingrou could be promoted to Empress,” the first person said.

Ah Wu practically ran away as if fleeing. Looking ahead, she saw a carriage traveling down the street. Ah Wu lifted the curtain and sat down, only to find Chu Mao and Luan-niang already inside.

“Your Majesty, I’ve never been to the Lantern Festival in the capital before,” Luan-niang said excitedly, peeking out from behind the curtain. Realizing her actions were rather unladylike, she quickly lowered the curtain, covering her mouth and smiling at Chu Mao.

Chu Mao, however, remained expressionless. He then turned to look out the window, his expression somewhat dazed. Ah Wu also looked out the window, recalling the scene from her childhood when she had hung on Chu Mao’s pants. This was their first meeting in this life.

As for their past life, Ah Wu had not considered their ill-fated relationship at all. Forgiving others was perhaps easier than forgiving those who had hurt you; it was the hurt inflicted on those you care about that was hard to forget.

At the Lantern Festival, Chu Mao bought Luan-niang a glass lantern. He had solved a riddle correctly, so he got it for a very low price. Ah Wu thought blankly; he had not even bought her a lantern yet. They had not even had a chance to stroll through the lantern festival together before those enchanting days were over.

Ah Wu wandered with Chu Mao. The lantern festival was incredibly crowded, and even though Ah Wu was in a daze, she did not want to pass through other people’s bodies, so she could only hop and dodge left and right.

Suddenly, a surge of people rushed in. Zheng Luan-niang reached out to tug at Chu Mao’s sleeve, but he slightly dodged her. The stiff smile on Zheng Luan-niang’s face made Ah Wu feel a fleeting, inappropriate joy. In that instant, Chu Mao had disappeared from the crowd.

Ah Wu was more agile than Zheng Luan-niang, darting left and right, and soon saw Chu Mao again. Seeing him anxiously pushing through the crowd, Chu Mao darted forward and grabbed the wrist of the woman in front of him.

“Ah Wu!” Chu Mao called out.

The woman turned around, about to scold Chu Mao, but upon seeing his face, her expression softened immediately. “Young Master, you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Chu Mao, utterly distraught, released his grip.

Ah Wu covered her mouth and squatted by the roadside, crying like a child, her sobs growing more and more heartbreaking until she almost collapsed to the ground.

Luan-niang stood on the other side, stunned, watching Chu Mao, tears streaming down her face, her expression one of disbelief.

On the way back to the palace, Luan-niang, who should have gone to Shuyu Pavilion long ago, followed him all the way to Qian Yuan Palace.

Chu Mao glanced back at Luan-niang. Luan-niang clenched her fists under her sleeves and stepped forward, saying, “Your Majesty, may Luan-niang stay in Qian Yuan Palace today?”

Chu Mao looked at Luan-niang, standing on the steps, gazing at the empty, quiet Forbidden City. It was so lonely here, and he truly needed an heir. If he could grow up as quickly as possible, then…

Chu Mao did not speak, turned, and walked into the hall. Luan-niang followed with her head down.

Luan-niang went to the west wing to bathe and change. She waited at “Cheng Lu” but did not see Chu Mao. She went outside to look for Lu Ruoxing, only to learn that Chu Mao had returned to his room. Luan-niang took a breath and went inside.

Lu Ruoxing, not wanting to disturb his master’s mood, quietly retreated to the door.

Chu Mao sat on the edge of the bed, watching Luan-niang walk in.

Luan-niang swallowed hard, gently removing her outer robe, revealing her young, fresh body wrapped in a thin veil.

Ah Wu was sitting on the kang bed opposite the dragon bed, waiting for everything to settle down.

Luan-niang, still shy, did not dare undress any further. She knelt before Chu Mao, gently placing her hands on his lap. “Your Majesty.”

Chu Mao patted the spot beside him. Luan-niang smiled shyly and sat down next to him.

Chu Mao turned his head to look at Luan-niang. Her skin was flawless, her face delicate and beautiful, almost perfect. He slowly lowered his head. Luan-niang shyly closed her eyes, her trembling eyelashes revealing her nervousness.

Ah Wu also closed her eyes, preparing to leave, when suddenly a loud crash was heard. Chu Mao had somehow stood up and was hacking at everything in his path with his sword.

Then Chu Mao rushed out.

Ah Wu was stunned, looking at Luan-niang, who stood frozen in place.

Now was not the time to worry about how Luan-niang would handle the situation. Ah Wu followed Chu Mao out, only to see him rushing towards Chang Le Palace.

Ah Wu was startled, unsure what had happened. When she floated back to Chang Le Palace, she saw Chu Mao shaking her.

Ah Wu groggily woke up and saw Chu Mao indeed shaking her. She realized that perhaps she had not been dreaming at all but had simply drifted out of consciousness again.

“Your Majesty,” Ah Wu opened her eyes, looking blankly at Chu Mao.

Chu Mao suddenly lowered his head and captured Ah Wu’s lips with his. Ah Wu was completely taken aback. Chu Mao’s breath was scorching, and his grip tightened, like a drowning person clutching a straw. Ah Wu was almost suffocating from his choking.

“Chu…” Before Ah Wu could finish her sentence, Chu Mao’s lips and tongue invaded hers. His kiss was passionate and urgent, almost scalding her.

Ah Wu began to kick and struggle against Chu Mao, but he held her firmly until she could not breathe. Only then was she released. Ah Wu collapsed onto the blanket, coughing several times before she could recover. Remembering that he had just kissed Luan-niang, Ah Wu raised her hand without thinking. Before she could move, Chu Mao grabbed her wrist.

“I will let you go,” Chu Mao said, looking into Ah Wu’s eyes.

“Huh?” Ah Wu did not quite understand the meaning of his words, or perhaps she understood but did not know what had gotten into Chu Mao.

Chu Mao released Ah Wu’s hand, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace. “I cannot even change myself, so how can I expect you to change?”

Although Chu Mao’s words were cryptic, Ah Wu still understood. She sat there, stunned, unsure how to respond.

“I will take you to Gu Tingyi’s side. As for his wife, do not worry, I will take care of her.” Chu Mao’s expression returned to its cold indifference.

Ah Wu gripped the blanket tightly, speechless. How could she explain everything to Chu Mao? Having missed the best time to explain, what was the point of speaking now?

Ah Wu asked herself countless times whether to let Chu Mao continue to misunderstand or to tell him everything. But it was all too late. Should she tell him that her mother killed the late Empress, and that he himself killed her mother, that they were separated by a blood feud, and that everything was caused by her and him? Would Chu Mao be able to bear it that he had personally severed all possibility between them?

Ah Wu had no choice but to remain silent. So be it. What’s done was done; why create more trouble?

“I have no face to see him,” Ah Wu said coldly.

“He does not know what you did in that matter. Besides, even if you had not tried to persuade Fuhui, do you think she would not have jumped, given her ambition?” Chu Mao said. “I never placed any bets on you in the first place; you do not need to feel guilty.”

Finally, Chu Mao added, “Do not worry; in my lifetime, I will never harm the Rong and Gu families. Leave before I change my mind.” Chu Mao turned his back, refusing to look at Ah Wu.

Ah Wu could hear a slight sob in his voice. “No matter what, I know what I’ve done. I have no face to see him. Besides, he now has a loving wife and children. I cannot commit any more sins. If His Majesty allows, please permit me to go to the temple to pray for the Great Xia Dynasty.” Ah Wu got off the bed, watching Chu Mao’s retreating figure.

Chu Mao turned and quietly looked at Ah Wu for a while, then slowly said, “You’d rather it be this way?”

Ah Wu nodded. For her, this was perhaps a kind of relief. Living was too tiring and arduous; she did not want to pretend anymore. She also could not bear the thought of Chu Mao being with other women in the future.

The matter of Luan-niang had already made Ah Wu secretly cry countless nights.

“As you wish.” Chu Mao was probably truly exhausted. Ah Wu’s choice was inherently problematic, but he was too lazy to ask or think about it anymore. Before turning to leave, Chu Mao glanced back at Ah Wu one last time. “If you regret it, you can come back anytime.”

Ah Wu almost dared not look Chu Mao in the eye.

Longquan Temple was the royal temple of the Great Xia Dynasty, specifically used to house concubines who had left the palace. Ah Wu was the first Empress to reside there, so her treatment was naturally different.

To the outside world, they only said the Empress had come to pray for blessings. What Ah Wu did not know was that Chu Mao had already instructed that all her necessities be provided as if she were still in the palace, showing no intention of letting her suffer in the nunnery.

Ah Wu herself, aside from her finery and ornaments, wore plain clothes and did evening prayers with the nuns.

After evening prayers, the nuns walked out one by one. In the instant Ah Wu turned back, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of a nun counting her prayer beads. She practically rushed to her, her voice trembling, and exclaimed, “You are not dead?!”

Author’s Note:
How can Ah Wu and Si-Mao have such a deep-seated hatred between them?