Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Tang Gang: Forsaken by All

In the room, Tang Gang stared fixedly at Tang Mo, thinking: [Does he imagine that with Liao Zhi as his backing he can openly challenge his own father, or that becoming a mere deputy commander has made him forget his place?]

Unmoved by his father’s gaze and without asking permission, Tang Mo picked a chair he liked and sat down with not the slightest show of deference.

Tang Mo said: “Father, your son went out just once, and such a thing happened in the household; the way you handled it has left your son cold.”

Tang Gang barked: “Bastard, is this the way you speak to me? Who feels cheerful when dragged out of bed at midnight, and on top of that is questioned by his own son? Where did your manners go?”

Tang Mo said: “Father knows I never learned anything well since childhood; naturally I did not learn the rules well either.”

[He had seen through it by now: in front of this father, respect and filial piety were wasted. Better to obstruct him, to make him fume; watching the old man hop with anger made him happy.] Wearing an air of complete brazenness, he added: “My wife is thin-skinned, easy to talk to, and a weak woman. Pressed by Grandmother and Mother’s persuasion, she could only choose to settle the matter and swallow a humiliation as large as the sky. But your son cannot. If I turn a blind eye and cannot even stand up for my own wife, what sort of man am I?”

Tang Gang snorted: “A weak woman, easy to talk to? That Xin woman is sharp-tongued and never lets anyone off, without the least bit of virtuous forbearance. And you call her a weak woman?”

Tang Mo spread his hands and said: “So what then? She was wronged and should not be allowed to clear her name? Must she kneel on the ground to let Father splash tea on her and throw a cup at her? Is that what counts as filial, respectful, and broad-minded? Father, you are a bit too naive.”

“You are insolent.”

Tang Gang rushed up, hand raised. Tang Mo did not dodge. He even lifted his face and placed it just where the hand could fall: “If Father is ashamed and enraged and wants to teach his son a lesson, that is as it should be. Strike. Best if you strike hard.”

His eyes were full of provocation; he even tilted his head forward a little. Tang Gang stood there with his palm lifted, his chest heaving in fury: “You wretch.”

In the end the raised hand fell back. In Tang Mo’s eyes he saw no respect, not a trace of the tenderness a son ought to feel toward a father. In that instant, a flutter of panic rose in his heart.

“You came in the middle of the night just for this?” he asked.

Tang Mo gave a cold laugh and said: “Is this not a big matter? Father should know that since I was small I have hated suffering losses. In the past, whenever I suffered a ‘loss,’ it was an act, all to make Father look at me a few more times. Now I have thought it through. Father looks down on me from the bottom of his heart, so why should I wrong myself pretending?”

“Father, you have navigated the imperial court for many years. Do not tell your son that you have convinced yourself Eldest Brother is innocent, so pure he knows nothing.”

Tang Gang said nothing. Tang Mo shifted into a more comfortable posture and said: “There are things you can fool outsiders about, but if you even fool yourself, are you not muddle-headed?”

“Eldest Brother never states what he wants. He is used to hinting with words so others do the deed. If there are benefits, he will even be modest a couple of times, acting as though he does not care, like a whore.”

“If the matter is botched, then it has nothing to do with him at all. Father, do not say you have not seen through this habit of his. You are the sharpest knife in his hand. Wherever he points, you strike.”

“Without his say-so, would a servant matron dare to do such a thing?”

“After all that happened, does Father think docking that woman a little of her monthly wage could appease your son?”

With a half-smile, Tang Mo said: “Father, I am your son, your flesh-and-blood son. If your son is wronged and a few coins can settle it, how precious can such a father be?”

Tang Gang felt that one day he would be angered to death by the scoundrel before him. Unbidden, he recalled the last time Tang Rong had wanted Grand Matron’s treasures and had hinted for him to go ask for them; his face darkened further.

“This matter was handled by your mother herself,” he said. “If you are dissatisfied, you should take it up with your mother. I did wrong your wife, but I also paid out two ornaments, and one of them was a rare Hundred Treasures Ruyi.”

Tang Gang was the type to weaken when the other side pressed hard. Now his vigor was clearly flagging. The corner of Tang Mo’s mouth lifted slightly as he said: “My mother is a stepmother. How much can a stepmother do? If she does too much, outsiders will say she is not benevolent.”

“In the past days, the rumors stirred up at Chun Hua Courtyard must have reached Father’s ears. To be frank, if Eldest Brother had stood upright before me and said he wanted to swap courtyards, for the sake of brotherhood and for the difficulty it would cause Mother, I might not have disagreed. But he refuses to walk the proper path and wants to use public censure to force Mother to handle it for him. It is truly contemptible.”

“How does he resemble Grandfather’s grandson? He is a gloomy, devious petty man. Everything he suffers today he brought upon himself. He deserves to reek ten li upwind.”

[Comfort at last. He had long wanted to curse Tang Rong harshly in front of his father. Watching the old man’s face grow darker and darker was exhilarating.]

“Did Father not say your son saved you and Eldest Brother with an ulterior motive? You are the father who sired me. Even if I were to die of anger, I would not dare do anything to Father. But as for Eldest Brother, that is another matter. I do not want his apology. I want to take my revenge.”

Tang Gang said: “You think that because you have been promoted and have Liao Zhi as your backing, you can do as you please?”

“Father overthinks,” Tang Mo replied. “Your son knows what few abilities he has.”

“But your elder brother is already injured,” Tang Gang said.

“Was he injured by me?”

Tang Mo rose and said: “Does not Eldest Brother say that everything that happened to him is my doing? Since the blame has sat on my head so long, it ought to be made to stick. I came to Father tonight first to voice my discontent, and now my heart feels much lighter. Second, I am here to tell Father that I will move against him. I will not take his life, and I will not harm the marquisate’s dignity. I guarantee the news will not cross the marquisate’s gates.”

“Father may wait and see.”

Seeing him about to go, Tang Gang stepped forward and grabbed him, but accidentally seized upon his wound. The pain made Tang Mo suck in a sharp breath. Tang Gang hurriedly let go and said: “You are brothers by blood. You cannot do this to him…”

“Father.” Cold sweat beaded Tang Mo’s brow visibly as he ground out: “When he dealt with me, did he consider that we are brothers? He is the marquisate’s Heir Apparent. In the future the marquisate will all be his. What more does he want?”

“Father favors him, favors him to the point of losing reason. But outsiders will not. If Father continues to protect him like this, I do not mind providing outsiders with a little more to laugh at.”

In that instant, Tang Gang almost did not dare meet his gaze. He was about to speak when Madam Wang arrived. Her first glance upon entering went straight to Tang Mo’s wound. Seeing the blood had already soaked through his clothes, Madam Wang stepped up and shoved Tang Gang hard, saying: “He is your son. How could you bring yourself to lay such a hand on him? Even a tiger will not devour its own cubs. You have gone too far.”

Shoved back two steps, Tang Gang bumped his waist and felt a dull jolt of pain. Before he could say anything, Madam Wang hurried to support Tang Mo away. Seeing the situation would not end well, Tang Gang felt waves of dizziness sweep over him, and if he had not braced himself on the table in time, he would have fallen.

At this moment, only four words filled his heart: [Forsaken by all.]