Chapter 166

Chapter 166: What Are You, Some Vile Person

Second Prince’s Consort had already been gnashing her teeth over Tao Yi Ran’s sudden appearance; now the woman was even going to play the zither, and she immediately felt that the Crown Princess must have lost her mind. However much people might look down on Tao Yi Ran, she was still the Heir Apparent’s wife of the Marquis Wei Yuan Manor. To have her play for everyone on such an occasion? [This is begging for trouble.] The marquisate might be in decline, but its foundation remained, and many officers in the army had once served under Old Marquis Tang. [Have they stopped thinking altogether?]

She said lightly: “Elder Sister-in-law, you jest. Young Madam Tang’s status is too elevated; asking her to play is most improper.”

She added with a smile: “If Elder Sister-in-law wants music, the court musicians in the residence are very skilled; let them play.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. If her Elder Sister-in-law insisted on making Tao Yi Ran play, that would have nothing to do with her. She stepped forward and murmured in the Crown Princess’s ear: “Elder Sister-in-law, Tao Yi Ran may be overly self-deprecating, but she is not ours to order about casually. Even if you are the Crown Princess, you cannot.”

A glint of calculation flashed in her eyes.

A flicker of disdain crossed the Crown Princess’s gaze. She was of the Xie family, born a noble lady, raised at the center of attention, married to the Crown Prince to become the Crown Princess, and barring accident would one day be the Empress. She had sailed through life; she did not believe she could fail to command a fallen marquis’s young madam. The Marquis’s household so what; did Tang Rong not bend and scrape before the Crown Prince?

She said coolly: “No need to worry yourself, younger sister-in-law. Lady Tang is willing.”

She tipped her head and, from the corner of her eye, swept a look toward Tao Yi Ran: “Isn’t that so, Lady Tang?”

Tao Yi Ran clenched her handkerchief tight. After the Water Blossom Banquet she had grown a bit wiser and knew this was inappropriate for such a setting, yet the Crown Princess’s look robbed her of the courage to refuse. She could only pull out a smile and say: “If the Crown Princess and the Second Prince’s Consort do not disdain it, I shall play a piece to add luster to the Moon Inviting Banquet.”

Second Prince’s Consort laughed: “I had thought the Heir Apparent of the Tang family was grievously injured and needed rest, so I did not invite Lady Tang. But since she is here and willing to play to enliven the evening, we could not ask for more.”

She turned and gestured: “Elder Sister-in-law, please take the seat of honor.”

The Crown Princess smiled and moved forward. After two steps she paused and, tilting her head toward Tao Yi Ran, said: “Lady Tang, sit with the Second Young Madam of the household. You are sisters-in-law by marriage; naturally you should be close.”

Xin An nearly lost her composure on the spot. [This fool Tao Yi Ran, already the target of public scrutiny, knows no restraint and has come here to be used as a cat’s paw.] [Disgusting Crown Prince and Crown Princess, they deserve to be dragged down, a pair of rotten filth.]

After cursing them thoroughly in her heart, Xin An turned to Tao Yi Ran with a smile and said: “Elder Sister-in-law, sit here.”

She was furious. She was happy to see that fool disgrace herself, but it would also disgrace the marquis’s household. If the manor’s reputation stank, what would she and Tang Mo still be contending for?

Tao Yi Ran took her time settling at Xin An’s side. At the top seats, after a courteous exchange of modesty between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, the Second Prince raised his cup; once everyone drank together, the Moon Inviting Banquet officially began. There were no dancers, but a flock of white doves burst forth, circled in the air, then vanished without a trace.

The doves’ disappearance captured everyone’s attention. While eyes roved about in search, a curly-haired, blue-eyed illusionist appeared with the vanished doves in tow, then launched a dazzling sequence of illusion arts. The white doves flickered in and out of sight, then transformed into a skyful of snowflakes, winning round after round of applause.

Tao Yi Ran was a little absent-minded. Xin An, eyes fixed straight on the performance, let her body edge closer to Tao Yi Ran and said in a low voice: “Elder Sister-in-law, you are the Heir Apparent’s wife of the Marquis Wei Yuan Manor. With that status, do you truly mean to play the zither in public like a courtesan, entertaining others and adding fresh scandal to your already foul reputation?”

Tao Yi Ran turned her head: “What do you mean?”

Xin An kept a smile at her lips and her gaze on the stage: “I mean you must not play tonight. You may not care about your face, but the marquisate still cares.”

She added, voice soft but cutting: “What are you, some vile person, that when they tell you to play, you come running and even preen about it.”

Her voice was not loud, but just enough for Madam Liao to hear. Madam Liao arched a brow, the corner of her mouth lifting as she turned over the phrase “what are you, some vile person” in her mind, and she suddenly felt it fit the women of the Liao family perfectly. [Matchless in how apt it is.]

Tao Yi Ran’s expression soured. She was somewhat worried, but the thought that any fallout could be pinned on the Crown Princess eased her scruples. [What she loved most were the gazes that fell on her whenever she played: some full of liking, some of admiration, some even of infatuation. Even those envious and resentful looks made her feel at ease.] It was a pity Xin An did not know this; if she had, she would have recommended Tao Yi Ran join an opera troupe to perform on stage, where she could have all of that at once.

Tao Yi Ran lifted her chin and said: “The Crown Princess asked me personally. I cannot refuse. Younger sister-in-law, if you dislike it, have the Crown Princess take back her words.”

She had clearly set her mind on going up and even blocked Xin An’s mouth with a single sentence, because Xin An could not do that.

The first illusionist’s act ended to clapping, and at the Second Prince’s gesture attendants stepped forward to present silver rewards. The second illusionist quickly took the stage. Xin An said nothing more to Tao Yi Ran; she had already said enough. If Tao Yi Ran still insisted on making a spectacle of herself, she could not blame Xin An for being merciless.

Madam Liao found watching Xin An suppress Tao Yi Ran far more entertaining than the illusion arts. Her eyes remained on the stage, but her ears were pricked for their exchange. Illusions were clever tricks not to be taken seriously, but Xin An’s methods were real, solid skill. The merchant-born second branch’s young madam overwhelming the official-bred main branch’s young madam was a sight worth seeing.

When the final illusionist bowed offstage, everyone laughed and applauded. Illusions were amusing at first, but too many grew dull; three to five acts were just right.

Someone sighed: “Beautiful, yes, but if we speak of interesting, last year Elder Master Ouyang plucked the moon.”

Young Madam Zhang tugged Xin An’s sleeve and asked: “Second Young Madam, have you heard last year’s amusing story?”

Xin An glanced quickly at Young Madam Ouyang, then smiled and shook her head: “I only arrived in the capital this year, so I know nothing of last year. I think tonight’s illusion arts are already extremely fine. If I did not know they were illusions, I would have taken them for real, and I do not know how they were done. Truly marvelous.”

To badmouth another household’s old master to his family’s face, Young Madam Zhang was clearly too free with her tongue. Young Madam Ouyang turned back to smile at them, swept a look over Young Madam Zhang, then slowly faced forward again; Young Madam Zhang pouted, finding it dull.

The Second Prince urged everyone to drink, then said that since it was a Moon Inviting Banquet, anyone with fitting verses could recite them aloud. The moment his words fell, the Crown Princess’s gaze swept over Tao Yi Ran; the corners of her lips lifted: “With wine and poetry, would not the addition of a lilting zither make things all the better? Perhaps it will even inspire fine lines.”

She turned and asked mildly: “What do you think, younger sister-in-law?”

Second Prince’s Consort answered with a bright smile: “Elder Sister-in-law’s idea and tonight’s moonlight complement each other perfectly.”

She had not sent a formal invitation, yet Tao Yi Ran had come; either the woman had thrust herself forward or the Crown Princess had engineered it. Since Tao Yi Ran had delivered herself to be shamed, why should the Consort hold back? [If she wants to vex me, she should first see if she has the ability.]

Tao Yi Ran could hardly contain her eagerness, and the Crown Princess did not disappoint. Before everyone, she looked to Tao Yi Ran and said: “The Heir Apparent’s wife of the Marquis Wei Yuan Manor is famed for her zither. If she would play for our Moon Inviting Banquet, it would add much color.”

She asked sweetly: “Lady Tang, would you be willing?”