Chapter 273
Chapter 273: Do You Feel Avenged Now?
Qiu Shi Courtyard was soaked in the scent of mugwort. The weather favored them today and there was no wind; otherwise even here would not have escaped the stink from next door. Cradling a cup, Xin An breathed in the tea’s fragrance; once her irritation burned off, the smile tugging at her lips refused to be suppressed.
Madam Wang wanted to laugh too, but had to mind her station. She glanced at the two concubines and said evenly: “Don’t wait around. He is unlikely to wake anytime soon. Go back and rest.”
The two left in uneasy haste. It felt to them that at Chun Hua Courtyard one wave had barely subsided before the next rose; they feared Tang Rong might take them down with him one day. Xue Yu, especially, was near her due date and felt life here was worse than on the estate.
Once they were gone, Madam Wang asked Xin An in a low voice: “Do you know what’s behind this?”
Xin An lowered her voice in turn: “He told me before leaving home this morning to watch a show, and said the show came with a smell. I’ve been guessing all morning.”
“That brat,” Madam Wang said, smiling at last.
She added with relish: “He said you were wronged and it stuck in his throat. In the middle of the night he went to reason with his father and declared on the spot he would retaliate to vent your anger.”
“Do you feel avenged now?”
Xin An had not known Tang Mo had gone out in the night. She blinked: “He truly avenged me?”
“Could it be false?” asked Madam Wang.
“Then I feel avenged,” Xin An replied with an open grin. Although she had already gained enough benefits, the lack of any punishment for Tang Rong had always felt imperfect. If he was beaten, that didn’t count. She had not done it with her own hands.
Auntie Wang set a brazier with an iron rack and roasted a few strips of orange peel; the air freshened at once.
Xin An worried that Tang Gang would cause trouble for Tang Mo over this. Madam Wang soothed her: “At most he’ll scold him behind closed doors. He doesn’t dare shout. If this spreads, the family name truly will be ruined.”
She lifted an orange peel to her nose and inhaled slowly: “And I am here. You need not worry.”
Madam Wang continued after a pause: “I thought, since your parents raised you so well, that fate’s mishap in marrying you to the second son must have pained you. To be honest, even I couldn’t accept it at first.”
She had truly been concerned that Xin An might storm back to Huai River; if that had happened she would have been unable to stop her. Even setting aside the status of Heir Apparent, Tang Rong in the eyes of outsiders had long seemed more outstanding.
“These past months the second son has changed, and I have seen it with my own eyes. I know it is your doing,” she said warmly. “I am grateful. I only hope your days together are harmonious and happy. When you are well, I am at ease.”
Had Tang Mo not stood up for Xin An and orchestrated this day’s affair, Madam Wang would have been embarrassed to say such things. A mother knows her own son best. She had schemed this marriage in secret; though it succeeded, she had never felt easy at heart.
Xin An smiled: “I did feel hurt at the time. But now it seems all was heaven’s arrangement. Comparing the two, my husband is far more admirable. He listens and can endure hardship. He could have chosen a comfortable life as a carefree rake, yet he took the harder road instead. More than that, he is real and vivid. Our tastes and temperaments suit; being together feels easy and joyful. Mother need not worry about us. We are doing very well.”
“Seeing you like this makes me very happy and very reassured,” Madam Wang said, her smile deepening.
It was a rare heart-to-heart between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, warm enough to soften the room. Auntie Wang stood by, a quiet smile at her lips. For a woman to be cherished by her husband and loved by her mother-in-law, that was as good a life as any.
Cai Quan and his son worked for half an hour before they finally got Tang Rong wiped down, dressed him in clean clothes, and carried him into a freshly prepared room. The house physician arrived just then. Missing the most gruesome scene, he counted himself fortunate, though he did wonder how the Heir Apparent could still carry that odor even now.
It was because he had not bathed. Wiping could not equal a proper wash. Besides, Cai Quan and his son were not men of finesse; if they could not see it, they considered the job done.
“The Heir Apparent cannot touch water for three days,” the physician said. “The wound has scabbed. If soaking softens and reopens it, that will be troublesome.”
Auntie Liu asked: “What about the stomach pain?”
Keen of mind, the physician answered that the bowels had caught a chill and that tonics had been overused. “Do not overdo the supplements. Keep his meals light.”
“He won’t have another bout, will he?” she pressed.
Another would be deadly.
“He’s emptied himself out,” said the physician. “It shouldn’t be as frightful again. Serve him with care. He will likely soil things to some degree still. Start the medicine first.”
Auntie Liu nodded and asked him to visit Tao Yi Ran next. Then she turned to prod Cai Quan and his son into waking Auntie Cai: “The Heir Apparent still needs Auntie Cai to attend him. We cannot delay important matters.”
Cai Quan was reeling and had nearly forgotten Auntie Cai lying on the ground. The father and son had picked up some of the smell themselves, and the servants gave them a wide berth wherever they passed. They were beyond minding such slights; the sight of Auntie Cai rekindled their nausea.
They had nearly stopped breathing when cleaning Tang Rong, but the jade in their sleeve helped them grit their teeth. Faced with Auntie Cai now, their stomachs churned again. How had it gotten on her face? Had she caught it with her face?
Cai Quan’s expression soured. After this, how could he eat with her? How could they share a bed? He didn’t want this old woman anymore.
Cai Shun could not bear his mother’s state and ventured: “Since it’s like this, why don’t you go home and rest a few days?”
Auntie Liu interposed smoothly: “The Heir Apparent is still lying abed. He won’t want outsiders to serve him. He trusts no one more than Auntie Cai. She raised him from birth. What hasn’t she seen?”
“In the Heir Apparent’s eyes, even the Young Madam is not as important as Auntie Cai.”
“Best tidy up quickly. The Heir Apparent will wake soon.”
With such lofty hats placed upon their heads, what could Cai Quan say? They washed Auntie Cai’s face with the hot water prepared beforehand, wiped her hair, then carried her into the room and forced her awake. They told her to change and wash up properly. “Don’t go home these next few days. Attend closely to the Heir Apparent. We’ve suffered so bitterly already; there’s no reason to give up now that the Heir Apparent is clean.”
Auntie Cai shook her head. She had to go home. She was truly terrified. “You don’t know what I went through. I… urgh…”
Cai Quan took a step back and coaxed: “It won’t get worse than this. You need the Heir Apparent to keep you in mind for your merits. You can’t let that Auntie Liu take all the credit.”
Cai Shun agreed eagerly: “Yes, Mother. Stay and take good care of him. Don’t worry about home. Father and I are there.”
And so, in a haze, Auntie Cai stayed. Life-weary Tang Rong stayed as well. When the two finally found themselves staring at each other again, they simultaneously dry-heaved.
…
For a moment, Tang Rong didn’t want to live. Compared to being bitten by a dog or beaten by men, those had been relatively dignified encounters. Now, whenever he closed his eyes that damned scene reappeared; whenever he opened them, his nostrils were filled with the foul stench.
He ground out the order: “Prepare water. I want a bath.”
Under Auntie Liu’s orchestration, Auntie Cai was now the only one allowed to attend Tang Rong. He wanted to bathe, and she wanted to even more; Cai Quan had been perfunctory in cleaning her, and she could smell herself wherever she went.
“The Heir Apparent must endure a little longer,” she urged. “The physician said no water for three days.”
“You also just took your medicine. Please wait a bit.”
She was afraid. What if Tang Rong had another bout? If he soiled the bathwater while soaking and he himself was still sitting in the tub, what then?
“Prepare water,” he repeated between clenched teeth. “Even if I die in the tub, I will bathe. I am the Heir Apparent of the Marquis’s household, a model for the sons of countless noble families. I will not allow myself to lie here stinking.”
“Better to wait until you’ve recovered, then soak,” Auntie Cai said, still coaxing. “If you think there’s a smell, I’ll wipe you again. We’ll burn more incense.”
“I told you to prepare water.”
Seeing him still obstinate, Auntie Cai dropped the gentle tone: “The Heir Apparent’s bowels are not yet steady. If you feel something while in the water, what should we do?”
“You…” Tang Rong smashed a fist against the bed board. “Summon the physician. I will get to the bottom of this.”
He refused to believe the nonsense about a chill in the stomach. He was certain Tang Mo had tried to harm him. Auntie Cai quickly obliged his wish.
The physician came promptly. No matter how he was pressed, he insisted it was the Heir Apparent’s own gut catching cold, unrelated to any medicinal soup. As for the morning’s soup bowl, it had long since been washed clean. What the bowels had needed to expel had been expelled. The medicine had steadied him for now.
“If the Heir Apparent does not trust me, you may invite another physician to the residence,” he said evenly. “I will take my leave.”
It stank. He had already made up his mind to resign. He was done serving here.
Meanwhile, as the instigator of it all, Tang Mo strode into the palace with high spirits alongside Liao Zhi. They waited outside the Imperial Study for nearly two sticks of incense before being permitted entry to pay respects to His Majesty the Emperor.
At that moment, Tang Gang was also in the Imperial Study. A case had broken out in Duke Xiang’s manor; His Majesty believed it had some connection to him and ordered Tang Gang to coordinate with Duke Xiang in apprehending the kidnappers and maintaining the capital’s security. When Tang Mo entered, Tang Gang’s brows drew together; he worried his son would say something ill-advised.
Liao Zhi led Tang Mo to salute and announced crisply: “Your Majesty, this humble general brings the newly appointed deputy commander of the Northern Garrison Army, Tang Mo, to pay his respects.”
After the formalities, His Majesty had Tang Mo rise and turn about for a look. Seeing his tall frame, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and settled, handsome bearing, the Emperor nodded in satisfaction: “There is indeed a measure of competence about you.”
“I hear you still train every day?”
Tang Mo answered: “In reply to Your Majesty, I was unruly as a child and never trained properly. Only after entering the Northern Garrison Army did I pick up my practice again. The men of the Northern Garrison Army are all fierce and valiant. If I am not diligent, I will be mocked.”
“Your grandfather was a warrior,” said His Majesty. “With a pair of Double Ring Broadswords, he cut down more enemy officers than one could count. His valor and presence on the field were unmatched. Are you willing to inherit his mantle?”
At those words Tang Gang panicked. Before Tang Mo could speak, he interposed hurriedly: “Your Majesty, my son is frivolous and unworthy of such trust.”
“Did I ask you?” the Emperor shot back.
He had been displeased with Tang Gang for a long time. Even the Emperor had heard of his disorderly household and boundless partiality. He would see for himself just how unworthy this Tang Mo was.
Tang Mo cupped his fists: “In reply to Your Majesty, I have not seen my grandfather’s bearing on the battlefield, but I have seen him brandish his blade on horseback. In that instant I thought that should the realm one day need me, I would don armor like my grandfather and advance without fear.”
“Yet Your Majesty has not given me such an opportunity.”
The Emperor arched a brow: “What do you mean?”
Tang Mo smiled: “Your Majesty is sagacious and mighty, a sovereign for the ages. Under Your Majesty’s governance, our dynasty flourishes and the myriad states pay tribute. I was fortunate to grow up in prosperous times. Even if I long to fight and shed blood, it can only be spoken of as a jest.”
“Ha ha ha…” His Majesty laughed. “You have a tongue that knows how to speak.”
“You have seasoned yourself in the Northern Garrison Army. From now on, follow Commander Liao well. Perhaps you will yet have the chance to don armor.”
“I obey,” said Tang Mo.
He was pleased. Normally, after a stint of training in the Northern Garrison Army, he would be rotated elsewhere through his family’s arrangements. With these words, His Majesty had placed him firmly in Liao Zhi’s camp. Liao Zhi was a field general; thus, he would be too.
His Majesty’s gaze slid over Tang Gang. After a few more remarks he dismissed Tang Gang and Duke Xiang, keeping only Liao Zhi and Tang Mo.
The Emperor asked Tang Mo about the marquisate’s efforts to look after old soldiers. Tang Mo knew the details and answered thoroughly. As for the current commanders in the army, he said: “This humble general does not know. But in my estimation, Father has no dealings with them.”
“These men all followed the Old Marquis through campaigns north and south,” the Emperor said. “If, once the Old Marquis passed on, the marquisate cut its ties with them, that would be a pity.”
Tang Mo’s mind was keen; he heard the meaning at once. He answered on the spot: “Some of those uncles were kind to me before. When I was a nobody I did not dare go to them. Now that I hold a post, I will have need of their help someday. I should pay calls more often.”
“Mm,” said the Emperor. He found Tang Mo pleasing; the young man could read the room, unlike Tang Rong who only mouthed empty words and struck him as far too contrived.
Leaving the palace, Tang Mo drew Liao Zhi aside to analyze His Majesty’s intent. Now that they were truly on the same side, Liao Zhi did not hold back, but he still cautioned: “His Majesty will assign you tasks in the future. When you serve him, keep your mouth shut.”
“There are matters you cannot tell even your mother and your wife. Prepare life-saving safeguards, just in case.”
“Imperial favor is inscrutable. Be cautious.”
Tang Mo nodded: “I do not fear danger. Opportunity is rare. If I had wanted an easy, unremarkable life, I would never have gone to the Northern Garrison Army. I will rely on your guidance, Commander.”
They parted at the palace gate. Thinking of the spectacle at home, Tang Mo decided not to return to duty right away. A deputy commander had some leeway, after all.
Tang Gang waited in a carriage not far away and had a man call Tang Mo over. As soon as he arrived, Tang Gang asked what words His Majesty had left to him.
Tang Mo said blandly that it had been about Northern Garrison Army affairs: “Year’s end is busy, and with Duke Xiang’s case on top of it, there is even more to do.”
“That’s all?” asked Tang Gang.
“That’s all. Father does not believe me?”
Of course Tang Gang did not believe him. He worried Tang Mo, not knowing his place, had gone against the Old Master’s intent. “You know your grandfather’s rules. Do not act recklessly.”
Tang Mo stepped closer by two paces and asked quietly: “If Grandfather’s decisions differ from His Majesty’s, whom should your son obey?”
Tang Gang’s brow tightened; his gaze swept their surroundings. “We will speak of this at home.”