Chapter 346

Chapter 347: Saying Xin An Is Honest Yet Smooth

Encountering Young Madam Zhang at Old General Zhang’s residence surprised Xin An. Though they had known each other for months, she had never thought to connect her with the identity of Old General Zhang’s granddaughter-in-law.

When the Grand Matron learned they were acquainted, she had Young Madam Zhang take Xin An off for a chat. As soon as they left the courtyard, Xin An said with a rueful smile: “I have known you for so long and never realized you were the Zhang family’s grandfather’s granddaughter-in-law.”

Young Madam Zhang tilted her head at her as if to say she was silly, asking: “You have been in the capital this long and still have not sorted out who is connected to whom?”

Xin An answered that she had tried: “But the relationships here are intricate. How could I untangle them clearly without a few years of effort?”

Young Madam Zhang thought it over and found the point fair. These were things one had to learn from childhood. She explained: “The Old Master and your marquisate’s Old Marquis were comrades-in-arms who fought together. Their relationship was excellent. It is only in recent years, since your marquisate turned to civil affairs, that there has been less contact.”

Xin An offered an apologetic smile. Plainly other people knew everything; only she could not sort out these ties. She thought to herself: [It seems I truly wasted my last life.]

Then Young Madam Zhang, ever curious, pressed on: “Tell me, hasn’t the Heir Apparent’s maternal family arrived? They brought two young ladies. Are they planning to seek matches in the capital?”

Xin An answered: “No, they have already gone back.”

“Gone back?” Young Madam Zhang had expected some amusement after the New Year. She clicked her tongue and said: “I heard that Madam Wei was leading the two girls from house to house, hawking them like goods. How did they end up leaving?”

Xin An touched her forehead, thinking: [It has been a long time since I heard anyone speak so bluntly.] She said: “Young Madam must have misunderstood. They were visiting the uncle’s old friends. They did not intend to seek marriages in the capital. They left just yesterday, hurrying to the new post.”

Young Madam Zhang clearly did not believe it. She was not foolish, and her information was so well sourced. How could she be mistaken? She eyed Xin An and concluded: “You really are a do-gooder. Too smooth.”

“Ah?” Xin An could not help laughing. “If I am a do-gooder, how can I also be smooth?”

Young Madam Zhang lectured her in earnest: “How else will you learn first-hand news? You have to share what you know to trade for something. I do not believe you know nothing.” Her expression said she had suffered for lack of good gossip for a long time.

They sat in the garden. The sun was fine and warmed them through. Xin An said she truly did not know much of outside affairs: “I am not like you, who know many people. I seldom go out and am familiar with only a few, so naturally I know fewer tidbits.”

Young Madam Zhang did not press her. She herself had not sat down with anyone to swap stories in a long time, and the words were pent up in her chest. Whether or not Xin An was willing, she began to share what she had heard.

For instance, Zhu You of Duke Xiang’s residence had returned and was going daily to the Huang family to seek out Huang Wei, saying he had changed: “Have you heard? They say Zhu You suffered and toiled on the estate and has grown much thinner. He was not brought back until the twenty-seventh of the twelfth month.”

She then asked: “Did they send word to Tao Yi Ran?”

Xin An shook her head. “I do not know. My elder sister-in-law has not gone out since she became pregnant. She scarcely even leaves her own courtyard. She is nursing the fetus.”

Young Madam Zhang huffed: “You just said Zhu You claims to have changed. He should no longer be coveting your elder sister-in-law then.” She clicked her tongue twice and said: “So the marquisate is your world, is it not? I hear you are helping to manage the household, which puts you above Tao Yi Ran. You really are smooth.”

Xin An said with a wry smile: “Whether I help manage the household has nothing to do with whether she goes out. Besides, there are elders above us. How could it be my world?”

Young Madam Zhang wore a look that said, you cannot fool me, and added: “I might believe that from others, but not from you and me. You are your mother-in-law’s legitimate daughter-in-law.”

Xin An laughed and asked: “Can it not simply be that I have the ability to manage?”

Young Madam Zhang pounced: “See, you admit it. Smooth.”

There was no way to continue down this road, so Xin An steered the topic aside and asked her to share two more amusing stories. Very soon Young Madam Zhang realized that although Xin An did not know the latest gossip, she was a very good listener. She listened with focus and even chimed in at the right moments, which greatly improved Young Madam Zhang’s mood.

When they left the Zhang residence, Young Madam Zhang was reluctant to part and said that when she had time she would visit the marquisate to talk. Xin An could only welcome her.

After leaving the Zhang family, the party went to the Liu family. Tang Gang made the same request that Old General Liu look after Tang Mo, which made Tang Mo feel the old man truly intended to support him, thinking: [Perhaps I can trust him one more time.]

When court opened on the eighth day of the month, the marquisate returned to its pre-holiday routine. Tang Gang went early to court, Tang Mo went out to his post, and Xin An continued to sleep until she woke naturally.

The five brothers headed by Tang Nan would not return to the Imperial Academy until after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth; starting today they settled down in their rooms to review. Tang Quan’er and her two sisters were also kept within their courtyard by Madam Zhao to quiet their minds.

Everyone in the residence had something to do except Tang Rong. In the previous days it had not been obvious with everyone at home, but now he alone was idle. His wounds had healed, and he was growing impatient.

He intended to have Cai Quan press those who had taken his money yet failed to do the work, and to contact the people he had bribed before the New Year to stir up trouble. He would not pay another coin without results, and as for the money already advanced, they would have to spit it back out.

Before he could act, Qing Mo approached him and spoke in a lowered voice: “Heir Apparent, today Steward Wei Chun came to say he saw in a pawnshop a white tiger ornament from Madam’s dowry.”

Wei Chun had served as the personal attendant that accompanied Tang Rong’s birth mother when she married in and now managed several shops outside the residence on Tang Rong’s behalf. Tang Rong did not immediately react.

Qing Mo added: “Steward Wei Chun says that after his inquiries, the pawnshop holds more than one item from Madam’s dowry. He assumed the Heir Apparent had met with difficulties and pledged the items, so he came today specifically to ask.”

Tang Rong sprang to his feet, demanding: “Where is he?”

“In the front courtyard,” came the reply.

Tang Rong strode out. Watching his departing back, Auntie Cai felt a sudden panic. Then she remembered the patch she had made and reassured herself it should not be detectable. She comforted herself and turned to her chores.

In the front courtyard, Steward Wei Chun reported what he had discovered. It began when he noticed a familiar-looking hairpin on the head of a merchant’s wife with whom he did business. He casually asked and learned it had come from a pawnshop.

On the pretext of seeking curios, he went to the shop. Sure enough, he found items from Madam’s dowry. He said: “That white jade Tiger Descending the Mountain ornament is one of the Wei family’s heirlooms. It has passed through the Wei family for four generations. When Madam married, the master took it out and made it part of her dowry. The yellow streaks on the tiger’s back are naturally formed. I would never mistake it.”

“Another piece is a twin-handled Beauty Raised Shoulder vase. The ladies painted on it were drawn by a scholar commissioned by the master back then, and craftsmen were invited to fire the piece. There cannot be another identical one in the world.”

“According to the pawnshop owner, it was pledged by a man around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, who said the master household was having a hard time and pawned the items to help with expenses. As to which household it was, he did not say.”