Chapter 073

Chapter 73: Talking about Tang Mo Before the Play

“You really did come early, little sister,” Yan Wen Hui said with a teasing smile when she saw Xin An already there. “I set out fairly early, thinking I would surely be first. Yet not only did I get out of the carriage after Sister Yan and Younger Sister Qiu, I arrived later than you.”

Xin An had risen early and waited for them to come, and now she laughed: “Since parting with Sister Yan at the night market last time, I have been thinking about your invitation. The thought of coming to hear the opera today had me waking especially early; I nearly sprouted wings to fly here.”

Yan Wen Hui turned and smiled to the two ladies at her side: “See? I said she was an alert, charming thing. Is she telling a lie?”

Both ladies laughed. Qiu Wen Yuan urged: “Well, hurry and introduce us.”

Smiling, Yan Wen Hui made the introductions: “Elder Sister Li’s father is the Duke Who Pacifies the Nation, long stationed on the frontier; her husband’s family is Prince Cheng’s residence, and she holds the position of heir apparent’s consort in a commandery prince’s household.”

Xin An quickly paid her respects. Li Yu Yan inclined her head slightly and said: “No need for great ceremony.”

Yan Wen Hui then introduced the other: Qiu Wen Yuan’s father was the Minister of Revenue, and she had married into the Han family of the Grand Secretary. “People outside call her Young Madam Han; for you it is different, you may call her Sister Qiu.”

“Sister Qiu,” said Xin An.

“Younger Sister Xin,” said Qiu Wen Yuan.

Qiu Wen Yuan’s temperament was exceedingly open: “Before I came, Sister Yan said you are very beautiful and quite fresh and lively, with a smile that wins hearts.”

“From what I see, Sister Yan did not deceive me,” she added.

They all laughed. Yan Wen Hui invited everyone to sit. Li Yu Yan and Yan Wen Hui took the top seats with the best view; Qiu Wen Yuan sat to the lower right of Li Yu Yan, and Xin An to the lower left of Yan Wen Hui, convenient both for watching and for conversation.

With tea chiming softly in the cups, Xin An felt a stir of emotion. In her previous life she had known the heir apparent’s consort of Prince Cheng’s residence, who later became a commandery princess consort. Prince Cheng was the emperor’s uncle. Tang Rong had wanted to win his favor, and for that Xin An had exhausted herself flattering this consort, serving her tea and water, yet had never won her regard. Now, however, she could sit and drink tea and listen to the opera beside her; it moved her a little.

As for Qiu Wen Yuan, she knew her as well: the Han family’s young madam was not easy to get along with.

At this moment, Qiu Wen Yuan’s eyes kept drifting to Xin An with the look of someone wanting to speak but finding it awkward. Xin An met her gaze with a smile and said: “Sister Qiu, do you have something to ask?”

Qiu Wen Yuan smiled in embarrassment: “I do want to ask, but I fear I might offend Younger Sister Xin.”

Xin An took the initiative: “Do you want to ask why I married the marquisate’s heir apparent yet ended up as Second Young Madam?”

That was exactly what everyone was curious about.

Qiu Wen Yuan nodded again and again: “Is it terribly presumptuous?”

Xin An shook her head with a smile: “If I were you, I would be curious too.”

Qiu Wen Yuan assumed a gossip-lover’s posture, and even Li Yu Yan turned to look at Xin An, clearly curious as well.

Xin An first sighed and said: “It happened like this…”

“Ah…” came Qiu Wen Yuan’s impatient groan.

“Oh, hurry up and tell us; you will be the death of me,” she said.

At this time, Qiu Wen Yuan was still a girl whose innocence had not yet been smoothed away by life; she was terribly eager. Xin An said: “The marquisate arranged the newlyweds’ courtyards next to each other, separated by only a wall. On the wedding day there were many people, many matters, utter confusion… and I went into the wrong bridal chamber.”

“Just like that?” Qiu Wen Yuan did not believe it. “With so many people, no one noticed? When the bridegroom entered and lifted the veil, he didn’t realize?”

“It was just that strange,” said Xin An, shaking her head. “Tang Mo did realize something was wrong, but Tang Rong was too happy and too drunk.”

Qiu Wen Yuan lowered her voice and asked: “Was Tao Yi Ran drunk too?”

“Perhaps,” Xin An said.

She added that the matter was already past: “I was very sad at the time, but my mother told me it might be a marriage decreed by heaven. I find Tang Mo quite good, and we get along.”

She spoke simply, smiling as she mentioned Tang Mo, and told them: “He is especially good at making me laugh. He looks fine, he is tall, and he likes to smile. My parents like him very much.”

Qiu Wen Yuan looked at her as if at a simpleton: “How is your heart so big?”

“Tang Rong is the marquisate’s heir apparent; in the future everything in the marquisate will be his. Tang Mo, he…” She wanted to say something unkind about Tang Mo, but then thought that saying it would only hurt Xin An’s feelings.

Xin An appeared utterly unconcerned, smiling as she refilled Qiu Wen Yuan’s tea: “What does it matter? My father is a salt merchant. I did not acquire a store of talents; at home I was lazy and only thought about eating, drinking, and having fun. Even my ability to do the accounts was learned at the last minute. However you look at me, I do not seem like material to be a marchioness.”

“Tang Mo is wonderful. He does not have to hold up the main household, and he does not carry such a heavy burden on his shoulders. As for estates and such, I truly do not mind. I have my dowry. Besides, Tang Mo takes me out to have fun.”

Pleased with herself, she told them: “He has already taken me to the night market twice, and all around the capital; he took me to watch cuju. A few days ago he took me to a country estate on the outskirts for a short stay. It is a pity he has gone to serve with the Northern Garrison Army; he had promised to take me to see acrobatics.”

Yan Wen Hui laughed: “It is rare for a couple less than a month married to go out and play so often. It shows Second Brother Tang has a fine temperament. No wonder that when you speak of him, the smile spills from your eyes.”

Thinking it over, Qiu Wen Yuan nodded: “When I think about it, it does sound rather nice. I had not interacted much with Second Young Master Tang before and did not know he was such a lively sort.”

The Tang Mo in Xin An’s account was completely different from what they had known. In Qiu Wen Yuan’s mind, Tang Mo had been like a maggot in the gutter: inferior to Tang Rong in everything, always leaping up to contend, unable to keep to his place, and unlikable.

Li Yu Yan, who had not spoken, asked with interest: “What about Tao Yi Ran?”

“Good if you call it good; not so good if you do not,” Xin An said.

“How do you mean?” asked Li Yu Yan.

The attendant selling silver paper blossoms returned. With one glance from Xin An, Chun Yang bought all the blossoms and told the attendant not to come back and disturb them again.

“The elder brother and elder sister-in-law are newly married and very affectionate,” Xin An said. “But elder sister-in-law’s health is not very good. She often feels unwell and seldom goes out; sometimes two or three days pass without seeing her even once.”

This, when weighed carefully, contained a great deal of information. Qiu Wen Yuan, a born busybody, hurried to ask: “At the time, did you not want to tear her apart?”

“Almost,” Xin An said. “That day I was nearly mad with anger. I wanted to tear down the marquisate, to straddle Tao Yi Ran and scratch her face to ribbons, then chop Tang Rong into eight pieces and feed them to the dogs.”

Qiu Wen Yuan batted her large eyes: “Did you do it?”

“No,” said Xin An. “Because Grandmother is good, Mother-in-law is better, and most of all, Tang Mo is the very best.”

She told them with satisfaction: “The household even granted me and Tang Mo a country estate outside the capital, a fine place. Grandmother gave me many good things, and Mother-in-law too. My family are merchants. I did the calculation: I gave up one Tang Rong and gained one Tang Mo, and gained those old treasures besides. A profit.”