Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Old Madam Tao Is Very Optimistic

Madam Wang’s words left Madam Tao routed and humiliated, and Madam Tao’s chest rose and fell as she struggled to breathe, then she bit out: “In-law, why must you be so harsh?”

Madam Wang let the corners of her lips lift and said coolly: “If I were truly harsh, I would write a repudiation letter today and have you take it back with you. Since the day Tao Yi Ran entered this household, what have we done to slight her?”

She counted, voice steady: “After the wedding she shut herself away in her courtyard, one day dizzy, the next day clutching her chest, or else she was weak all over. She has paid morning and evening respects fewer than ten times in total. She went out to banquets twice and stirred up trouble both times. In other households, a daughter-in-law like that would have been sent home long ago.”

“I considered that the swapped betrothal wronged her and have been lenient at every turn. I even exempted her from certain rituals. Whatever the second daughter-in-law received, I made sure she had a share as well. Madam Tao, you are a mother-in-law yourself; if your own daughter-in-law behaved like this, what would you do?”

“In all of the capital, there is no new bride bold enough to put on such airs.”

Madam Tao wanted to fight back but could find no purchase; for Madam Wang to speak this plainly, resentment must have been accumulating for some time, and nothing she said was fabricated. [Did Tao Yi Ran really deceive them?!]

Madam Wang took a sip of tea and continued: “A marriage binds two families. We have been as forgiving as we could be. Over the Water Blossom Banquet, we merely placed her under house confinement. We called it confinement, but it was to protect her, so she would not have to hear idle gossip outside and be unable to bear it.”

“We may be lenient, but that does not mean she can push and push, treat the marquisate’s face as nothing, and trample it at will.”

Having won a decisive advantage, Madam Wang spoke for the marquisate and announced their decision: “There are no outsiders here today, so let us speak plainly. You two know better than we do what is going on between Tao Yi Ran and the Second Prince. In such a situation, rather than avoid suspicion, she leans into it. A woman like this is not one our marquisate can afford to accept.”

“Since she chose to return to her natal home, let her remain there and cultivate herself.”

Madam Tao’s face went dark; she and her husband had arrived in high dudgeon, and now, were they to slink away with heads bowed? At this moment, her dissatisfaction with Tao Yi Ran crested.

When one side loses, the comrade speaks; Sir Tao finally opened his mouth, saying with forced reasonableness: “Madam Tang has her point, but is this not making a mountain of a molehill?”

“It was only to play the zither, and she did not even get to play.”

Tang Gang lifted his eyes and said without warmth: “Since it is not the Tao family’s face that was injured, no wonder you think it is a molehill. Besides, this will not end so simply. The wind and rain have not even begun.”

[Family honor allows no retreat, not even a hair’s breadth. Besides, he could not retreat even if he wished; his mother was watching from behind, already nurturing thoughts of having someone else replace him. Whether he wanted to be hardline or not, he had to be.]

Sir Tao’s expression soured as well. The Tao family could not accept an out-married daughter lingering long in her natal home; that would be shameful. Yet the marquisate’s stance was too unyielding. He wanted to curse, but the price flashed before his eyes, and it was more than he could bear.

Thus, the couple of Tang Gang dominated the couple of Sir Tao, gave them no chance to soften their tone, and directly sent them off. For in-laws to come to this point was rare even in the capital.

No sooner had their backs disappeared than Tang Gang hinted to Madam Wang that she could quietly search out outstanding young women in the capital as a contingency.

Madam Wang agreed readily with her mouth, while inwardly she sneered at the notion, [She was no saint, but she would not bring good girls here just to be maneuvered by father and son.]

[As for why Tao Yi Ran could go to the Crown Prince’s Manor, that had to be at Tang Rong’s prompting. His aim was likely his own restlessness; fearing that my son would steal the thunder from him, the Heir Apparent, he just had to show his face. Pity he has no idea what sort of person Tao Yi Ran is. In a setting like that, how could she bear not to show off? Tang Rong has no spine; when trouble erupts he pushes a woman forward to take the blame. He clearly could have made the rounds, yet he hid in his courtyard like a turtle, perfectly imitating Tang Gang’s worst habit. What woman would not be unlucky if she followed him?]

In Qiu Shi Courtyard, Xin An waited quite a while and no one came to summon her. She had braced herself to fight the Tao family with words sharp as blades, only to be told the visitors had already left, so she asked: “What did they say?”

Nan Feng relayed the news she had overheard. Xin An felt that her mother-in-law was growing more and more fearless in battle, and lately even eager to fight, her combat power formidable. It was a pity Madam Tao could not keep up; her mother-in-law likely did not get her fill today.

She glanced at the sky, [I do not know if Tang Mo will come back early today. I have to chatter to him about this for a bit, or it will sit in my chest and make me uncomfortable.]

[Strange, in my past life I was best at forbearance and hiding what I felt; why can I not keep things in my heart in this life and always want to talk them over with Tang Mo?]

Idle, she had Chun Yang remove her ornate hairpins, and Chun Lv went to the marquisate’s small garden to pick a few blossoms at their peak to tuck into her hair. [Who says you must have gold, silver, or jade to dress beautifully?]

She began to give orders, voice light but brisk: “Aunt, give instructions to make a few more pairs of boots for the Second Young Master. The days are growing cool. I hear there is a shop in the city that makes fine cowhide boots; have them make the two most expensive pairs for him.”

She added: “Are there not still two bolts of thick cloth in the storeroom? Find them for me to look at.”

[If my mother-in-law is so fearless in battle, it will not do for me to hide in the rear and live in leisure; I should show some effort.]

She continued: “Also take out the clothing patterns from last time, have people copy several more sets. I want to send them out as gifts.”

Auntie Wang went off smiling to see it done. Chun Yang came in carrying two autumn cloaks and said cheerfully: “The nights are cooling; these will be useful when you and the Second Young Master take evening walks in the courtyard.”

She chattered on: “It seems the Second Young Master does not have a cloak. Why not have one made for him as well? Oh my, the Second Young Master serves outside; how cold it will be when winter comes. We should make two pairs of thick boots…”

Regarding the feelings between their young mistress and the Second Young Master, Auntie Wang and the few maids of Qiu Shi Courtyard said nothing on their faces but were anxious in their hearts. Seeing the two grow ever more intimate, they were delighted. They were waiting to carry little masters yet; they could not wait for the two to progress with lightning speed.

As for Sir Tao and his wife, once they returned to the Tao family, the first thing they did was look for Tao Yi Ran. They thought she would be in the courtyard where she had lived before marriage, only to learn she had gone to serve by the Grand Matron. Serving, in name; in truth, she had gone to find a way to make Tang Rong come in person to fetch her back.

The Grand Matron’s advice was to leave Tang Rong hanging for a few days and, in that time, create a sense of crisis for him. As for how to make him nervous, those men who had previously fallen at Tao Yi Ran’s feet would be put to use.

With that, Tao Yi Ran had a plan in her heart, so when she heard that Madam Wang was furious and had declared she would not allow her to return, she was not much concerned.

Old Madam Tao said with confidence: “Whether she returns to the marquisate is not for a mere stepmother like Madam Wang to decide. This is not urgent.”

[So long as Tang Rong is firmly in hand, what can Madam Wang say?] One had to admit, capable as she was, Old Madam Tao was very optimistic.

Madam Tao, still angry, could not keep from flaring up: “How is it not urgent? If this spreads, how will people outside view us?” Sir Tao, however, immediately stopped her, saying gravely: “This is not the most pressing matter. We do not yet know how the Imperial Court will move tomorrow.”

[If the fire leaps to the Tao family, how will I respond?] Regret pricked him. [Had I known, sending the girl out of the capital to serve as a regional official would have been better. The waters of the capital are far too deep.]