Chapter 001

Chapter 1: Driven to Death by Rage

On a day when the sky and earth were the same blind white, Tang Rong’s voice cut like ice as he scolded her: “If you had not failed to teach your son properly, how would the Marquis of Wei Yuan’s residence have fallen to this state, and how would your younger sister-in-law have grown ill from such a harsh life? It is only right that you pay to buy bird’s nest to build up her strength.”

Snow had fallen for three days and nights. It whitened the world and it whitened Xin An’s hair. Half a year earlier her son had been implicated in a case; the title of the Marquis of Wei Yuan was stripped, and every soul in the household was driven into the street. Only the refuge of a courtyard left by her maiden family kept them from freezing, or else half of them might have perished in that winter. The snow came down like goose feathers, as if it would never end, as if these days would never see tomorrow. [She had become everyone’s sinner.]

Chun Yang entered with reddened eyes and knelt before her, saying softly: “Madam.” Then, lowering her head, she added: “The young madam is gone. Please accept my condolences.”

The blow to her heart made Xin An seize the doorframe. Half a year ago her son died in prison; three days ago her grandson left her as well. She knew that without husband and child her already-fragile daughter-in-law could not go on living.

She lowered her gaze and stroked the bracelet on her wrist. She still remembered the day she married: Mother in tears, Father, always stern, with eyes gone red, Younger Brother filled with reluctance to part. In the end, she had not lived into what they hoped for her.

She spoke through numb lips, lifting the bangle: “Pawn this bracelet. Give her a proper final journey. Bury the three of them together.”

Tang Rong glanced at the bracelet and frowned lightly as he said: “Top-grade white jade is worth a thousand taels of silver. Keep the funeral simple, and use the remainder to buy bird’s nest for your younger sister-in-law’s nourishment. The weather is cold; also buy her silk quilts and the best charcoal.”

He continued with a chill composure: “Now that you and I have lost our son and our grandson, in the future we can only depend on Zihui to support us in old age and see us to our graves. Put away your old unforgiving ways and treat your younger sister-in-law better.”

He spoke again with the tone of one pronouncing judgment: “I promised my stepmother that after my death I would give the marquisate to Zihui. It was your failure in raising your son that dragged us into this; you owe Zihui a title.”

Then, as if recalling a trivial household item, he added: “I remember you still have a root of old ginseng. Zihui was merely implicated. With the right efforts there will be other chances. Bring out that old ginseng as compensation to Zihui.”

Since the confiscation of the marquisal household, this was the most Tang Rong had spoken to Xin An at one time. Having finished, he could not bear to linger. He turned, tossing back as he went: “Send it quickly. Your younger sister-in-law is unwell. I will go see to her.”

His figure blurred into the wind and snow. Xin An looked into the flurry that filled the sky. [Even now she could not understand: her son had been so outstanding and upright; how could he have embezzled a vast sum or even openly slandered His Majesty the Emperor?]

The old ginseng could not be found; only an empty box remained. Chun Yang said Tang Hui had come by two days ago. The meaning was plain. Xin An let out a long breath. In the half year she had been crushed by grief over her son; she had no spirit for anything and had allowed that mother and son to grow ever more brazen.

In the west wing, Tang Rong looked at Tao Yi Ran’s rosy complexion with satisfaction and said: “That cold-dispelling pill truly works wonders. Your color has improved these two days.”

Tao Yi Ran brushed her cheek, pleasure in her eyes though her words were modest: “The cold-dispelling pill is extremely precious. My illness was not severe. It is a waste.”

Tang Rong poured half a cup of warm water for her and said gently: “If it helps, any price is worth it.”

With a faint smile, her well-maintained face taking on the manner of a pampered girl, she said: “Then Elder Sister-in-law has been made to spend yet again.”

He answered with tender indulgence: “It is what she should do. You, you are simply too kind.”

Outside, Chun Yang was supporting Xin An, both of them stunned. Xin An stood as if turned to stone. That day, the small child had curled in her arms and asked in a thin voice whether Grandfather would be cold going through the snow to buy his medicine, whether the imperial physician’s medicine would stop the pain, his bright eyes fixed on the doorway, waiting for Grandfather to return with the cure. Just before he closed his eyes, he had said to wake him when Grandfather brought the medicine: he was not afraid of bitterness, and after he took it he would grow tall, as tall as Father.

Tang Rong had returned empty-handed and said that as criminals they had been refused by the Imperial Infirmary. He had taken the opportunity to rebuke her again for failing to teach her son, dragging down even the grandson, leaving her with no ground to stand on. Now she learned the cold-dispelling pill had been bought, but it had entered Tao Yi Ran’s mouth.

The conversation inside continued; the next voice was Tang Hui’s: “Uncle, I heard that my aunt’s family are already on the road. I fear they will cling to Cousin’s death and refuse to let go. If they uncover the truth and spread it, this nephew may lose his little life.”

Tang Rong’s voice was calm: “You can set your mind at ease. I arranged everything thoroughly at the time. Everyone believes those traitorous statements were spoken by Zi Xuan, and the silver seized in the raid belonged to Zi Xuan. The evidence is ironclad. There will be no overturning the case.”

Tang Xuan was Tang Rong’s own son, yet in his mouth he sounded like a stranger. Xin An’s knees weakened. [So her Zi Xuan had taken the blame for Tang Hui.]

She had said it all along: her maiden family were salt merchants; the last thing they lacked was money. How could her Zi Xuan have embezzled funds?

Then the words that followed turned her blood to ice: “As for the Xin family, you need not worry,” Tang Rong said blandly, “I received word the day before yesterday. On the road they encountered mountain bandits and met with an accident. They will never reach the capital in this lifetime.”

He added with cold calculation: “In the coming days, treat your big aunt better. The Xin family has been salt merchants for three generations. Though she has no silver on hand since the disaster, the Xin family left her some valuable objects. If she is willing to bring them out to pave your road, then as one merely implicated, you may yet have the chance to rise again.”

Tang Hui bowed his head with gratitude: “Many thanks, Uncle. Since Father passed, you have always cared for Mother and me. In my heart you are the same as a true father…”

A wet choke cut him off.

Xin An had spat blood. Chun Yang cried out in fright, calling: “Madam.”

The noise startled those inside. When Tang Rong saw Xin An, there was a flicker of guilt in his eyes that quickly hardened into arrogance. Before she could speak, he seized the initiative with a cutting tone: “Since you have heard it, I may as well say it to your face. In this life you contend for everything, scheme at every turn, haggle over every inch, ruthless and unfeeling. Tang Xuan is exactly like you.”

He continued, each word a knife: “When disaster struck the household, if only he had admitted to it all, I had a way to save his life. Yet he refused unto death, even wanting to personally expose Tang Hui, the provincial graduate, disregarding brotherhood.”

Then, as if explaining a bit of prudent housekeeping, he said: “As for the cold-dispelling pill, the physician said Ke’er was already beyond saving. Giving it to him would have been futile; why waste it.”

Xin An laughed, a laugh of pure absurdity at a life misspent. [If she had not schemed in every quarter, how could he, with that proud solitude of his, have risen so far in officialdom? If she had not been hard and calculating, how could their branch have survived the even harsher machinations of the stepmother? If she had not fought with all her strength, how would the marquisate have fallen to him? He enjoyed the gains she won, yet despised the hands that won them.]

Her voice came out light and icy: “Tang Rong, you are shameless.”

She pointed at him, each word a curse: “You forced your own son to his death and destroyed your grandson. A man like you does not deserve a son to send you to your grave.”

Her heart twisted. [When her son had been driven to his death by his own father, how desolate must his heart have been.]