Chapter 175

Chapter 175: Both are making progress

This conjecture of Xin An’s was not baseless. Tang Mo’s face was dark as water; the more he thought, the greater the possibility seemed, and anger surged in his chest. Xin An sat down slowly beside him and did not offer words of comfort.

Tang Mo was vivid and genuine. He did not possess Tang Rong’s viciousness and scheming; without the events of their past life and without Tang Rong, he could naturally have lived an innocent life.

But Tang Rong had clearly begun to catch on. If he confronted Tang Mo with calculated intent, she worried Tang Mo would suffer a loss.

Huge waves surged in Tang Mo’s heart, but thanks to his tempering in recent days he controlled himself well and told himself: [Good. I now have yet another reason to destroy Tang Rong.]

He would make Tang Rong fall into disgrace, living the rest of his life like a rat that cannot see the light. A simple death would be too cheap for him.

Tang Mo said, “He has cultivated his good name since childhood, and people outside have a natural trust in him. His flaws do not obscure his virtues. If I want to surpass him, I must have solid strength. What we are using now are petty tricks that cannot be shown on the stage.”

Tang Mo did not speak of regret or say if only he had known. He admitted Tang Rong was formidable and that he himself lagged far more than a little, but he believed that, given time, he would have the ability to confront Tang Rong head on.

Xin An turned her head to look at him and gave him a faint smile, thinking: [If even together with Tang Mo we still cannot beat Tang Rong, I will choose the most tormenting poison and send him on his way.]

Tang Mo exhaled a turbid breath and suddenly felt curious about Xin An.

Because they shared the same circumstances and the same strange fortune, and because they had guarded each other’s secrets these days, he had a natural trust in Xin An.

At first, when they returned, their grasp of outside affairs had been similar and not very good. Yet in a short time he could clearly feel that Xin An was changing and had already touched the edges of those complex situations.

Tang Mo asked, “What do you usually do at home?”

The question was so sudden that Xin An answered by reflex and said, “Enjoying myself.” She asked, “Have you not noticed my skin is getting better and better?”

She used the best skincare, had Physician Zhao come in every few days to apply facial treatments, had someone specially care for her back, drank two bowls of bird’s nest a day, and when idle could invite people out to chat and watch opera. Life could not be better.

Tang Mo leaned close and, able even to see the fine hairs at her temple, said, “Not only is your skin better, you are also getting smarter?”

Xin An was slightly proud and said, “Do you think that when I go out to make connections I only talk about clothes and jewelry?”

Tang Mo leaned back and sat down again, saying, “It seems I not only need to intensify my martial training, but also sharpen my mind. Tomorrow I will find a couple of treatises on war to read.”

She said, “It should have been so from the start.”

Xin An could not watch him settle for the status quo, nor did she have the right to settle. She said, “You must remember this: the Northern Garrison Army is only your starting point. You are to go to better places. Do you intend to nest there for a lifetime?”

He answered, “Absolutely not.”

Tang Mo indicated that he had not been idle or lazy and was striving to improve.

With great tacit understanding, the two no longer spoke of their past life. It had to be said they were progressing rapidly; in a short time they were no longer affected by those vexing matters and thought only of what to do next.

He said, “The old man and the neighbor are trying to find a way to break the stalemate. I have an idea; let me tell you first, and tomorrow I will go ask Luo Qi.”

After taking Tang Mo’s silver, Luo Qi Wen had already asked the tenants of his house to move out, tidied up a study, and opened a small side gate specifically for discussing matters with Tang Mo.

Xin An indicated she was all ears. The two huddled together and whispered. Chun Lv, who had come to deliver the bird’s nest, stood at the door of her own accord to wait. Their young madam had a rule: whenever she and the second young master were talking, no one could interrupt, and someone had to watch the door.

Xin An felt that Tang Mo needed to go find Luo Qi Wen at once, and after they had a countermeasure, to inform Tang Gang that very night to avoid losing the initiative.

After drinking a bowl of bird’s nest, Tang Mo hurried to go out when Xin An suddenly thought of something and said, “Wait.”

Tang Gang was not a man of dazzling talent; one could say he had nothing especially outstanding about him, very ordinary. Yet he had managed the marquisate for many years quite smoothly. In her past life she had thought it was the Old Marquis’s protection.

She had been right, but she did not know the inside story until Tang Rong told her once.

It turned out Old Master Tang had never personally taught Tang Gang the martial and military arts, nor had he taught Tang Yong. Even then Old Master Tang planned to return military power, withdraw at the right time, and preserve the marquisate’s honor.

Because he understood the times and spared the Emperor much unnecessary trouble, after the Old Master passed away the Emperor showed Tang Gang much favor.

She said, “So Father has standing and credit with His Majesty the Emperor. His mediocrity may be innate, but it also has Grandfather’s deliberate guidance behind it. The Emperor admired Grandfather, so he views Father differently.” She added, “This was something even Tang Rong perceived.”

Tang Mo pondered carefully and had a firm grasp of it in his heart, then left in a hurry.

Xin An looked at the oppressive dark clouds and the darkening sky, her gaze slowly falling toward Chun Hua Courtyard.

After a muffled thunderclap, raindrops the size of beans pattered down, splashing up dust.

The Second Prince acted swiftly. Those bored people stranded by the heavy rain in teahouses and taverns soon heard the news. Tao Yi Ran was already a city “celebrity”; now that there was fresh news about her, it naturally drew many curious onlookers.

In this first step, the Second Prince’s men judged the force well. After all, they treated it merely as an opportunity and did not wish to stir up a great uproar. The rain helped them as well.

Early the next morning, the imperial censors, having caught wind of it, submitted a memorial, and the Crown Princess was thus impeached. The Crown Prince’s faction argued strenuously, shifting all blame onto Tao Yi Ran, saying she had volunteered to play the zither and had even gone to the Crown Prince’s manor on the day of the Moon Inviting Banquet, her words full of longing to attend. They argued, “The Crown Princess is benevolent and could not bear to let her make the trip in vain, so she brought her along.”

With anger surging, Tang Gang watched expressionlessly as the two sides contended, pretending not to notice his colleagues’ strange looks. When the war of words reached him, he stepped out calmly and said only, “My eldest daughter-in-law left the Moon Inviting Banquet and went straight back to the Tao family. I heard she wept without cease and would not even drink tea. As for the specific reason, she refuses to speak.”

After speaking, he said nothing more.

The Crown Prince’s people would not let go, saying that the Tao family had already visited the marquisate the day before, so how could he not know the inside story?

Tang Gang remained calm and said, “Lord Tao and his wife came to ask after the reason their beloved daughter returned home, but even they did not know. How could I know?” He added, “My son is still recuperating. As the wound heals and new flesh grows he is quite uncomfortable and cannot leave the manor for the time being. If Lord Liu wishes to know, why not wait two more days?”

He was a marquis after all. He straightened his back and the other officials did not dare press him. Moreover, was it not perfectly normal for a father-in-law not to know his daughter-in-law’s affairs?

Thus neither the Second Prince’s men nor the Crown Prince’s could force him to say anything. Fortunately, they did not care much either and continued their war of words.