Chapter 294

Chapter 295: Tang Rong Bleeds Money

Failure was one thing, but now Tang Gang had been injured; with the marquisate throwing its full weight into the investigation, they might well catch someone, and then that person would bite back and name him. [Tang Rong’s vision went dark.]

Cai Quan slapped himself twice and said: “I am incompetent, but, Heir Apparent… the Marquis has already sent men to pursue them. The leader found me just now. They plan to leave the city to lie low and are extorting five thousand taels of silver. Otherwise they will give up the Heir Apparent and spread the word through every alley that the Heir Apparent, for the sake of the title, seeks to eliminate the Marquis and Second Young Master.”

Tang Rong, enraged, kicked Cai Quan and snapped: “You imbecile. How do they know it was me? What on earth are you doing?”

Cai Quan, remorseful and ashamed, slapped himself twice more and said: “Heir Apparent, I have never handled such a matter before; this was the first time. I was cautious, but they still traced my identity and insist the master behind me is the Heir Apparent,” then added anxiously: “If you must punish me, please do it later. The man has not left yet; he said that if he does not have the silver before dawn, he will move. Heir Apparent, what should we do now?”

Tang Rong’s gaze hardened to poison. He knew he could not give this money; once would lead to a second time. But if he refused, then what? He asked: “How many of them together?”

Cai Quan replied: “Six. One came; he said the other five are hiding separately and that if they do not see him at the appointed time, they will spread the news.”

As he spoke, Cai Quan snuck glances at Tang Rong, thinking the hidden mastermind had arranged things well; with the pressure this tight, the Heir Apparent would surely agree.

Tang Rong was racking his brain for a way to refuse the silver yet make the matter pass, even considering sacrificing Cai Quan, but every path seemed unsound. In the end, he gritted his teeth and took out his private banknotes. He said: “Tell them that if they take the silver, they must do the work. I do not care how they do it. If that one next door is still alive before next spring, or if the word leaks, I, the Heir Apparent, will hunt them to the ends of the earth,” then added coldly: “Including their families.” [It was a hemorrhage of coin; there had to be a return.]

He asked: “Before you found them, you knew who they were, did you not?”

Cai Quan nodded and said: “I knew.”

He handed Tang Rong a list. Tang Rong told him to copy it and give that copy to the black?clad man, then said: “Deliver the message. If they fail, you know the consequences.”

Cai Quan took the list, trembling, his whole body numb. Clutching the banknotes, he hurried out of the marquisate, but had not gone a few steps before someone knocked him out and carried him off…

After recounting the night’s events to Xin An, Tang Mo concluded: “The black?clad men have appeared too many times; it invites suspicion. Let us shelve that move for now.” Xin An frowned slightly and said: “I have other tricks waiting for him.”

Tang Mo said: “This time I did not act first. He wanted to end me outright; I merely turned his scheme back on him. Even if this is traced, it will show he hired the killers,” then added: “If I were not on a good run lately and unwilling to create complications at this moment, there is no way I would have let him pass this hurdle so easily.”

Xin An circled him appraisingly and said: “I must say, since you returned from that injury, you have changed. Your vision and daring have both grown,” then teased: “Even you yourself seem tougher.”

Tang Mo drew her onto his lap, eyes bright with satisfaction, and said: “Naturally I am no longer the frog at the bottom of a well. In the past I thought only about making the neighbor uncomfortable, taking revenge, and seeking shortcuts; now, besides those, I also think of rendering service and making a career. One must live openly and with honor at least once.”

Xin An replied with a smile: “Second Young Master truly makes one look anew.”

His words made the road before her seem broader. She said: “I am in the inner residence and do not see too vast a world; whenever I meet someone, the first thing that comes to mind is gain and loss. If Second Young Master could often instruct me, perhaps I too would be more open?hearted.”

Tang Mo met her gaze with a grin and said: “As your husband, I too can become carried away; I must ask my lady to remind me,” then added: “It is late. Wash and rest; we still have manuals to read. Let us improve together.”

Xin An laughed and patted his shoulder, saying: “I am talking about serious matters.”

He said with mock solemnity: “Reading the manuals is serious business too,” then scooped her up with a smile and said: “Close the door. That is the real business.”

Xin An covered her face, laughing until she shook. [Life was growing ever more irreverent.]

The next day, Luo Qi Wen found an opportunity to see Tang Mo and reported that he had had Cai Quan exchange the banknotes for silver, then said: “We left him two thousand taels.”

He explained: “Only if he has enough left will he do better work for us.”

Tang Mo chuckled and said: “I will be busy in the days ahead. For prudence, do not seek me unless it is major. Keep watch over the rest. I will assign you another person; in some matters you need not ask my opinion.”

Luo Qi Wen answered: “Rest easy, sir.”

With three thousand taels in hand, Luo Qi Wen felt supremely rich. Not only could his mother and younger brother live better, he could also accomplish many things. And if the money ran out, there was still the Heir Apparent of the marquisate.

Near midday, the steward of Marquis Qing carried in a basket of fresh, dewy greens to Lin Yao and said: “The Second Young Madam of Marquis Weiyuan’s household sent someone with a basket of vegetables. Please look, Second Young Madam, they are exceedingly tender.”

Steward Yang had handled the newly harvested greens: after placing them in a prepared shed, he sprinkled them with well water and left them ventilated for half a day, which made the color even greener and greatly reduced the smoky scent, then sent them by fast horse to the capital.

“Indeed they are.” The maids and old women at Lin Yao’s side came forward to admire the vegetables. In winter, green on the table was scarce: the poor thought only of filling their bellies, while the wealthy longed for a change of taste and missed the springtime greens.

“These vegetables are truly succulent; to grow them in such cold weather took real effort,” they said.

Lin Yao pinched a spinach leaf, examined it, and asked: “Did the delivery say anything else?”

The steward bowed and answered: “He said these were grown on Second Young Master’s estate. The first harvest is for Madam to taste. Every other day the estate will send a batch to Wan Yuan Trading House on Ying Hui Street for sale.”

Lin Yao set down the spinach leaf and said: “Inform the purchasing steward to place an order with Wan Yuan Trading House. Whenever vegetables arrive, Marquis Qing’s residence will take ten catties.”

“Yes.”

Winter vegetables are expensive, but the marquisate could afford them; price was no object.

Around the same time, households acquainted with Xin An—the residence of Marquis Chang, the Wei family, the Liao family, the Xu family, the Second Prince’s manor, and others—also received vegetables sent by her. Those with their own warm greenhouses returned gifts to Xin An; those without sent people to place orders.

When the Wang family received their vegetables and said they would go to order more, the delivery man said: “The young madam has already instructed that to the close kin—the maternal uncle’s household and Second Master’s household—vegetables will be delivered once every three days. They are from our own estate; they are not worth much. To charge family for a plate of greens would be laughable.”

Madam Wang felt embarrassed. Vegetables may be inexpensive, but one must consider the season; those greenhouse vegetables outside often have hardly any life to them, and a jin of greens could cost as much as two jin of meat, let alone such succulent ones as these.

Wang Mian walked over with a grin and said: “Since this is the nephew and his wife’s filial thoughtfulness, do not refuse,” then added: “Tang Yong will certainly not refuse either.”

Madam Wang gave him a playful glare, then smiled and agreed, instructing the kitchen at once to fry up two dishes for lunch so that the greens would not go to waste.