Four Seasons Brocade – CH 274

Chapter 274 ☆、

Ah Wu also heard the noise and tried to get up, but her leg hurt as soon as she moved. She could only prop herself up on her side and look out through the open window, giving Chu Mao a sweet smile.

Chu Mao was talking to Lady Cui at the time. Seeing that Ah Wu’s face was almost pressed against the window, he could not help but rub his forehead. “Mother-in-law, why not stay for lunch before leaving the palace?”

Lady Cui was still thinking about telling her husband, her two sons, and her daughter-in-law about Ah Wu’s situation. Besides, she could not give Emperor Jiahe the impression that the Empress’s family frequently visited the palace. After all, it was just an ordinary family’s daughter who had married out; there was no reason for her mother-in-law to visit so often. Although Emperor Jiahe had sent people to invite her to the palace for most of the past two years, such visits had become rare. Lady Cui had also sensed the change in Emperor Jiahe’s attitude towards Ah Wu and therefore became even more cautious.

“Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress is busy with palace affairs, and I dare not disturb her,” Lady Cui said.

Chu Mao smiled. “Mother-in-law, there’s no need to be so formal. Come to the palace often to keep Ah Wu company; she often thinks of you.”

Lady Cui thanked him and then took her leave. Thinking about Emperor Jiahe’s attitude on the way, a weight was lifted from her heart.

When Ah Wu saw Chu Mao enter, she wanted to get up to greet him, but Chu Mao quickly said, “Just lie down. If you hurt your leg again, how will you lie?”

Ah Wu felt embarrassed. “Does Your Majesty not need to summon the officials this morning?”

Chu Mao was annoyed by this. His day’s work was scheduled until after dinner, but he could not sit still and had to come to Chang Le Palace. “Has the medicine been applied?”

“No.” Ah Wu looked at Chu Mao, a sly smile on her face.

“Where’s the ointment?” Chu Mao sat down beside Ah Wu.

Ah Wu called Ming-Xin to fetch the ointment and handed it to Chu Mao. Chu Mao lifted Ah Wu’s skirt and saw that she was not wearing kù. He looked up at her.

Ah Wu’s fair, porcelain-like face was already flushed with a vibrant pink, like a peach blossom in full bloom in spring. Ah Wu did not dare look at Chu Mao. She raised her hand to smooth her hair before whispering, “I am afraid it will hurt.”

Chu Mao paused, then bent down to apply medicine to Ah Wu’s knee. “Did you take your medicine on time?”

“Yes,” Ah Wu replied, unable to find words to break the awkward and ambiguous atmosphere. The room was quiet, filled with the smell of medicine.

“Lie down, turn to the inside,” Chu Mao said, withdrawing his hand from Ah Wu’s knee.

Ah Wu’s face was now as red as a pomegranate blossom. She obediently turned to the inside, closing her eyes and remaining silent. Last night, there was a reason, and she had not been shy. Now, in broad daylight, Ah Wu was naturally a little overwhelmed.

Besides, her buttocks were not like her knees. When Chu Mao’s fingers gently brushed against Ah Wu’s skin, she could not help but tremble. A tingling, numb sensation shot from her tailbone straight to her brain. Ah Wu put her thumb in her mouth to stifle a sound.

But then Chu Mao’s fingers suddenly lost control of their pressure, pressing a little too hard. Ah Wu could not help but let out a soft “Mmm—,” a sound that sounded more like a moan than a cry of pain.

Chu Mao immediately withdrew his hand, wishing he could slap Ah Wu hard again.

“You should rest,” Chu Mao said, placing the ointment on the small table before turning and leaving.

By the time Ah Wu hurriedly pulled down her skirt to chase after him, he had already reached the entrance of Chang Le Palace.

Ah Wu lay limply on the couch, feeling an emptiness and unbearable pain in her heart. On the surface, Chu Mao seemed to have forgiven her, but in reality, his actions were completely different from before. Ah Wu knew that a broken mirror was hard to mend, so she was even more distressed.

Ah Wu barely ate anything for lunch, and then, with great anticipation, saw Chu Mao again before dinner. He applied the ointment and left without a single word of comfort or reassurance. Ah Wu’s eyes involuntarily welled up with tears. Crying at this point would not only be useless but would also make her appear weak and helpless. Ah Wu quickly wiped away her tears with her fingertips, resolving that she would not passively wait like this again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, on Chu Mao’s side, Lu Ruoxing thought that since he and the Empress had reconciled, he would naturally be happy. Even if he could not show it, he should not remain silent for so long. However, Emperor Jiahe sat behind his desk for half an hour.

Before Chu Mao laid the memorials that had been delivered that day. Gu Shiyan’s affair had finally been exposed. Chu Mao hesitated to write with his vermilion brush. Although he had already promised Ah Wu, he harbored deep resentment towards the Gu family. Moreover, Ah Wu’s change in attitude had been too sudden, and Chu Mao could not rule out the Gu family’s involvement.

Furthermore, when Chu Mao had mentioned the Gu family to Ah Wu last time, she had not denied it; she was merely playing a trick, waiting for his attitude to soften before begging him again. How could Chu Mao not know this? Otherwise, he would not have whipped Ah Wu.

In the end, Chu Mao picked up his pen and handled the matter as promised to Ah Wu. Chu Mao could not help but smile self-deprecatingly, wondering how Ah Wu’s attitude would change after she found out.

Thinking of this, Chu Mao felt a surge of irritation. When Ah Wu first returned to the palace, because Fuhui was still alive, he feared she would change her mind and want to leave the palace to find Gu Tingyi. Now, he feared Ah Wu would go back on her word; her heart was too cold. Chu Mao still could not believe that Ah Wu’s words of reconciliation were genuine.

Chu Mao did not even dare to ask Ah Wu the reason. He vividly remembered the last time he had spoken frankly with Ah Wu—the result was despair. He thought he would never see her change her mind again. But if he did not ask, it would remain a thorn in his heart forever. And Ah Wu’s so-called reconciliation—she had not offered a reason. Did she no longer care about Gu Tingyi? Was she moved by him?

Thinking this, Chu Mao could not help but mock himself; he could not see any trace of emotion in Ah Wu.

Sitting silently, unable to find an answer, Chu Mao rose and returned to the inner palace, retrieving his sword and heading to the plum grove.

After a set of swordplay, drenched in sweat, his inner turmoil finally eased somewhat. Just as Chu Mao sheathed his sword, he turned and saw Luan-niang standing a few feet away, holding a pair of embroidered shoes adorned with pearls.

“Your Majesty,” Luan-niang looked pitifully at Chu Mao, “These past two days, Mother has not allowed me to leave the Shuyu Pavilion. I…”

Chu Mao glanced at Luan-niang’s feet, clad only in silk stockings, filthy and making him frown. If it were Ah Wu doing this, Chu Mao would only find her lively and adorable, her little toes delicate and pitiful, and wish he could hold them in his hands.

Luan-niang followed Chu Mao’s gaze, her face flushing with embarrassment, and quickly put the shoes down and put it on.

Chu Mao frowned. He understood Luan-niang’s implication, but unfortunately, she could not be like Lady Zhou, and he was not the last Emperor of a fallen kingdom, Li Houzhu. The phrase “bare-skinned steps on fragrant stairs, golden shoes in hand” was not something everyone could pull off.

Luan-niang stepped forward, looking at him sadly. “Your Majesty, is Luan-niang really so unworthy of your attention?”

Chu Mao did not avoid Luan-niang’s eyes, looking at her and saying, “These past two years, I’ve delayed you.” Although Chu Mao had not accepted Luan-niang’s feelings, he had tacitly approved of this situation; he felt guilty towards her.

“No, it was all Luan-niang’s own choice,” Luan-niang quickly replied.

“I will have the Empress choose a good family for you. With the Empress and me backing you up, your life will only get better, not worse,” Chu Mao continued.

Zheng Luan-niang never expected Chu Mao to say such a thing.

“Cousin Brother, Luan-niang only has you in her heart.” In her haste, Luan-niang even blurted out the label she held dearest. “Besides, besides, on the night of the Lantern Festival, I…”

Although Chu Mao and Luan-niang had not actually done anything that day, and although Luan-niang was disheveled, she was at least properly covered. If she insisted on saying she could never marry another, it would be plausible.

Chu Mao looked at Luan-niang without speaking for a long time before finally saying, “Then I will appoint you as a lowest-ranking palace maid. Tomorrow you will move to the Western Garden.”

Zheng Luan-niang turned deathly pale. A palace maid was a palace maid, but Chu Mao added the word “lowest-ranking,” which was clearly a sign of contempt. Moving to the Western Garden meant he never wanted to see her again.

Zheng Luan-niang, bewildered by her own actions, cried out to Chu Mao’s retreating figure, “Your Majesty, why? What’s so good about that woman? Why did she treat you like that?”

Chu Mao stopped and turned to look at Zheng Luan-niang, his face cold. “Luan-niang,” he said, “I feel guilty towards you, which is why I’ve been so tolerant. I rarely offend you, so this time I can pretend I did not hear your disrespectful words to the Empress, but there will not be a next time. Besides, remember, it was the Empress who saved you and your mother in your time of need. Your comfortable life as a County Princess is entirely thanks to the Empress.”

Zheng Luan-niang felt as if she were plunged into icy water. “She’s good to me, all because of Your Majesty,” she cried.

Chu Mao coldly replied, “She did not know your identities when she saved you. Besides, you have long since severed ties with the Yuan family, and I have no feelings for them whatsoever.”

After Lady Huide, Yuan Yifang, was disfigured, she was expelled from the Yuan family. That was why Chu Mao said that. If it were not for Ah Wu saving them and Lady Huide being a decent person, Chu Mao would not have bothered with them at all.”

Zheng Luan-niang watched Chu Mao’s retreating figure and collapsed softly to the ground. She had not expected that Chu Mao viewed her this way.

As Chu Mao walked out of the plum grove, he looked at Lu Ruoxing, who was standing to the side, trying to curl up into an inconspicuous shape, and said, “Go outside Qian Yuan Palace; kneel and cry. Get up when you’ve figured things out.”

Lu Ruoxing knew he had thoroughly enraged Emperor Jiahe. Kneeling at the entrance of the Qian Yuan Palace, his fear grew with each passing moment. Although he deeply resented the Empress’s coldness towards the Emperor, he had no right to decide the Emperor’s preferences.

What a master could not tolerate most was a servant making decisions for him.

Thinking this, Lu Ruoxing almost collapsed.

The favored eunuch of the Qian Yuan Palace, Eunuch Lu, knelt outside all night. He was only allowed to rise in the morning after his apprentice, Little Monkey, pleaded for him, his legs completely numb.

When Ah Wu heard this earth-shattering news upon waking, she felt no particular emotion. Lu Ruoxing, having dared to act on Chu Mao’s behalf, should have foreseen this consequence. According to Ah Wu, she felt the punishment was too lenient. If Lu Ruoxing continued to stay by Chu Mao’s side, who knew how arrogant he would become?

After breakfast, Ah Wu felt her buttock injury was mostly healed. Mei Yuzhi’s ointment was indeed effective, and Ah Wu had also used Snow Jade Spirit Fragrance Ointment. Only her knee, because the injury was near a joint, was easily aggravated with movement, so it was not fully healed, but she could barely walk.

“This dish of yam cake is good. Pour some of the orange jam from yesterday morning on it, put it on a green plate with gold-painted butterflies and flowers, and let’s go to Qian Yuan Palace.” Ah Wu instructed Ming-Xin.

Ah Wu sighed: No wonder Luan-niang liked to bring soup; only by using the pretense of caring for the Emperor’s health could she get to the Qian Yuan Palace.