Chapter 324

Chapter 325: Your Glorious Days Are Coming

As the clan’s young men and the three girls would be staying in the capital for at least the next two years, Xin An naturally wanted to lift their sedan chairs—boosting their standing and polishing their reputations—so she spoke of everything in the best possible light.

Her animated words, not at all modest, aroused the group’s keen curiosity. Someone asked: “All five young men are outstanding?”

“Outstanding indeed,” Xin An replied without a shred of exaggeration. “Many scholars spend their whole lives without ever becoming presented scholars, yet those two, only fifteen or sixteen, passed last year already. If we weren’t worried their foundations might be shaky, they could even try again this spring. Their temperaments are good too. They’re lively, not the sort to grind away day and night without rest. In my view, they have a talent for study. You’ll see for yourselves when they come later.”

At this, Xin An even felt a pang of envy for Tang Gang. With Tang Rong laid up and Tang Mo away, just when there was no one to win him honor, several outstanding youths from the clan had arrived. Early this morning, before he left home, he had instructed the boys that when he returned he would bring them to this banquet, and he even invited Tang Yong and Tang Yao Ming to accompany them, which showed how seriously he took it. Today would be his day to shine. He himself might not be much, but his luck was first-rate.

“Our Xin family has no such boys,” Xin An lamented with a smile. “Not one with a true gift for study. From childhood they all like to fiddle with the abacus. It’s vexing.”

Yan Wen Hui laughed and said: “Which only proves the Xin family’s sons are reincarnations of the God of Wealth’s little attendants. You should secretly rejoice; many households can’t beg for even one money-maker.”

Those who can earn and those who can study are equally important—the bedrock that lets a family line continue. The Tang family has several promising seeds for scholarship, and the Xin family has a whole cluster of people who can make money. If they support each other, both houses can go much farther.

Lin Yao teased: “Even you yourself are a money-maker. Your Wan Yuan Trading House draws crowds of customers every day. Among us, you’re the wealthiest.”

Xin An laughed brightly and said: “It’s only because you elder sisters give me face that you’d say such a thing. Who among you isn’t richer than I am? Even if not as rich, you’re still more noble. I’ll be relying on all of you to look after me in the future.”

This pleased everyone; that single word noble was something others could not obtain no matter how they tried.

They chatted idly, trading tidbits about this household and that. Having achieved her aim, Xin An stopped pressing her case and simply listened with a smiling face, occasionally chiming in with a remark to liven the atmosphere.

When most of the guests had arrived, she asked Lin Yao in a small voice: “Will anyone come today from Prince Jin’s residence?”

Lowering her voice, Lin Yao replied: “Prince Jin has returned this time with military merit. His Majesty the Emperor has been showering him with rewards. Other than going into the palace to give thanks, no one from the prince’s residence has gone out in public up through today. I imagine they’ll wait until after the New Year to host their own banquet, and only then will they start formally attending others’ affairs.”

In short, even the grand secretary’s household could not expect the prince’s residence to use this as their first public appearance to give them face.

[Xin An began to speculate. In her memory, Prince Jin had always been favored. It was said the title originally proposed for him had been excellent, yet he himself had asked for the character Jin, meaning cautious, which showed he was a prudent man. How, then, had he committed some grave mistake that led to his entire residence being sent into exile? Now that he had returned with merit, the favor he enjoyed seemed no less than in the past. There must be more to this.]

But such matters were not for her to pry into. It was enough to keep a mental note.

Near midday, Tang Gang arrived with Tang Yu and the clan’s young men. With great solemnity he introduced them around, placing special emphasis on the two who were provincial graduates. The guests could not help looking the young men up and down with interest; their bearing needed no comment, and on top of that they had prospects. People began to feel envious of Tang Gang.

They decided Tang Gang must be rather deep and tight-lipped. With such outstanding youths in his clan, they had never once heard him mention them before.

In the past, everyone thought that although the marquis’s residence was noble, it was not particularly illustrious, and that its sons were not especially outstanding. Even the widely praised Tang Rong had shown little in the way of scholarly talent, receiving more compliments for his bearing, decorum, and other external qualities. As for Tang Mo, he had only come to the fore recently, and his future was hard to predict. Now, with five outstanding young men who could all study, the marquis’s shortcoming was instantly made up for. In two or three years, these young men would begin entering official service and making their mark. That would be the time when the marquis’s residence would truly bask in glory.

An elder laughed and declared with approval: “I thought the marquis’s shift from arms to letters was only talk. I never imagined that Marquis Tang had quietly cultivated such excellent scholars. I am sincerely impressed.”

Others chimed in one after another: “These young gentlemen are extraordinarily bright. Given time, they will have brilliant careers.” “They say Marquis Tang is adept at raising sons; now it seems the rest of us should learn from him…”

The flattery flowed on and on. Thick-skinned as ever, Tang Gang felt no shame at all; he only thought that this was a blessing for his residence. Even if he had not personally trained these nephews, he had held up the marquis’s household. The clan had borrowed its prestige; without it, could they have found such good tutors for the boys? Would making money have been so easy for the clan? It was only right that he should enjoy a share of the glory.

Tang Yu, as usual clear-sighted, said nothing. The future of the clan’s young men was beyond their direct help; from here on they would have to rely on Tang Gang’s support. Though they were all of one family, there was still a layer between them. If you wanted others to pull you up, you needed ability of your own. As matters stood, this was already the best outcome.

Madam Wang had timed it just right and now led the young men to pay respects to Grand Matron Ouyang. As soon as they entered the back courtyard, they drew many maidens’ eyes.

Today the brothers were all wearing new outfits that Xin An had arranged, with the most fashionable diexie belts at their waists and leather boots on their feet. Handsome to begin with, they gained another measure of polish, and even Madam Wang, leading them, felt a glow of pride.

“So these are the Tang clan’s young men—truly, every one of them is a fine figure,” several ladies exclaimed, their eyes lighting up. With appraising looks they took the five in from head to toe; when they heard from Madam Wang that the boys could study, held degrees, and would be living at the marquis’s residence from now on, the ladies began to make calculations in their hearts, and the smiles on their faces became even more genuine.

Grand Matron Ouyang’s eyes had grown a bit dim with age, but when she saw the five, she felt as if her vision had improved. Full of affection, she spoke kindly to them.

Xin An suppressed a smile. [She knew that feeling.]

In the end, Xin An escorted the five out of the back courtyard and handed them over to Tang Yao Ming. On her way back, Lin Yao drew her to sit and said with a grin: “So you weren’t lying. They are indeed outstanding. Didn’t you see how many girls lost their hearts the moment they appeared? Hurry and look at your three younger sisters.”

Xin An looked up. In the distance, several young ladies had gathered around the three sisters. Though she could not hear what they were saying, their faces were all smiles, so the atmosphere was clearly good.

Xin An said evenly: “They’re still young and need to study hard. I haven’t heard any talk of settling engagements yet.”

Yan Wen Hui had already matched a few candidates in her heart and said with a knowing smile: “We’ll take our time. There’s no rush.”

Xin An joked at her own expense: “In that case, am I also going to rise with the tide? I’m their second sister-in-law; many of their little matters will fall to me to manage in the future.”

Lin Yao played along and said: “You now have five excellent younger male cousins and three lovely female cousins in your care. Your glorious days are coming.”

The women laughed together again, and they did not rise until someone came to invite everyone to take their seats.