Chapter 30: Alerting the Enemy by Beating the Grass

Tang Ming handed her younger brother over to the wet nurse and sat by the bedside, embroidering a handkerchief while waiting for her mother to wake.

When Lady An woke up and saw her daughter, whom she hadn't seen for a year, she felt as though she had regained her pillar of support. Overwhelmed by a mixture of joy and grievance, she could not help but burst into tears.

Tang Ming personally took a handkerchief to wipe her mother's tears. "Crying after childbirth can lead to illness. Mother, you must take care of yourself."

"How can I not cry? Have you heard what they are saying about me outside? What did I do wrong?" Lady An said aggrievedly. "That little wench set a trap to frame me. Once your father returns, there is no telling how he will punish me."

"I advised you back then not to touch Lady Song's dowry. Even if you were to touch it, it should have been after Tang Zhao was dead. Mother, you were misled by your maiden family and refused to listen to your daughter. Look where we are now?" Tang Ming said in a gentle voice. "The An family has pushed all the blame onto you. You are isolated and helpless, and even Grandmother is angry with you."

When Lady An heard that the Old Madam had not come to visit her once from beginning to end, she felt even more wronged.

"Fortunately, you gave birth to a brother in this pregnancy. He is both legitimate and the eldest. Once he grows up and requests a title as the Heir Apparent, Mother, your hardships will finally come to an end."

It took a long time and much patient persuasion before Lady An stopped crying. After helping her mother eat a bowl of porridge and seeing her fall back asleep, Tang Ming finally left. She turned to Nanny Zhao, who had been waiting nearby, and asked, "How is the County Mistress?"

Nanny Zhao replied respectfully, "She has remained in the Prince Xuan Manor without stepping foot outside." She hesitated for a moment. "Lately, the maids around the County Mistress have been going to the Jade Belt Workshop every single day to buy sweet soup without fail."

"Oh?" Tang Ming walked down the steps, looking at the willow tree in the courtyard that was sprouting new branches. "Whatever the County Mistress loves to eat must be excellent. Buy me a bowl to taste tomorrow as well."

Nanny Zhao complied and followed behind her, reporting every detail of the various events that had occurred within the manor recently before returning to look after Lady An.

Exhausted from a full day's work, Tang Ming insisted on reviewing all the affairs of the manor before she could sleep peacefully.

The news that the Duchess of Wei had given birth to an Heir Apparent spread throughout Luoyang.

Using illness as an excuse, fearing she might pass her sickness to the mother and infant, Tang Zhao merely sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts.

Tang Ming accepted them with a smile, inquired in detail about Tang Zhao's condition, and sent many fine medicines before letting the messengers leave.

"This County Mistress is far too bold. Is she truly not afraid of being called unfilial?" Nanny Zhao frowned.

"Mother's reputation was ruined by the dowry matter. The more famous Lady Zhao's reputation for benevolence is, the more widely the story of a stepmother mistreating her predecessor's children will spread." Tang Ming thought of how she had been mocked and targeted by her siblings at her great-aunt's house, and she gave a faint smile. "Now, it is we who must beg her to show mercy and let us be."

"Not only can we not call her unfilial, but we must actually help smooth things over for her," Tang Ming sighed. "Mother raised a tiger that has now become a threat. Since the tiger is unwilling to pay us any mind, we should actually be happy."

Nanny Zhao deeply agreed.

"The taste of this sweet soup is indeed quite good. Buy a bowl every day from now on," Tang Ming put down her silver spoon and whispered, "Send private guards to watch Jade Belt Alley."

"This old servant understands."

The next day, Chaohui reported that three secret guards had been added to Jade Belt Alley.

Tang Zhao sat by the lake with a fishing hook, fishing. The net was already cast; she was just waiting for the fish to appear.

The "fish" was pacing anxiously around the room. With the Second Young Lady and the Great-Aunt back at the manor, he did not dare to act as recklessly as before. But as the day approached, if he did not send the silver, how would that household survive?

After much hesitation, Tang Wen took the opportunity of going out on business to secretly change carriages, change his clothes, and attach a fake beard before heading to Jade Belt Alley.

"Steward Tang went to Jade Belt Alley?" Tang Ming put down her needlework. Steward Tang was her father's most capable and loyal head steward of the front courtyard. For him to personally go to the famous alley of mistresses, what other reason could there be?

"Did you see clearly?" Tang Ming asked repeatedly.

"I followed him the whole way and saw with my own eyes as he shed his disguise and returned to the Duke's manor through the side gate. I could not have mistaken him."

Tang Ming closed her eyes. "Go investigate. I want to see exactly what kind of monsters are hiding in Jade Belt Alley!"

The private guards took their orders. With Chaohui's help, they successfully obtained the family letter in Tang Zhao's possession, which turned out to be a forgery written by Bai Cheng.

After reading the letter, Tang Ming trembled all over—partly from rage, and partly from fear.

This was the reason Tang Zhao drank sweet soup every day.

She had known all along!

"Second Young Lady, this... the Duke has a mistress and even a son?" Nanny Zhao said in disbelief. "Then the little Heir Apparent won't be the eldest anymore!"

"I fear even the position of Heir Apparent won't be secure."

The younger brother had only been born a few days; whether he would even grow up was an unknown. With an adult son who had already followed his father into battle, whom would the father favor more?

Furthermore, Mother had committed such a massive error. If Father used this opportunity to depose Mother and bring that woman into the manor, elevating a concubine to the position of primary wife once again... Tang Ming dared not think further.

The only course of action now was to strike first while Father was away.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Tang Ming's eyes.

That very night, as Song Qingyan sat under the lamp combing her long hair, a short arrow pierced through the window paper and shot straight toward her paramour. The nanny standing nearby moved like lightning to pull him aside.

The short arrow embedded itself in the floor tiles, its tail trembling incessantly.

Song Qingyan's charming face turned pale. She was surrounded by protectors as she listened to the sounds of fighting outside, which went from intense to gradually silent.

"Reporting to Madam, the intruders have been captured!" a guard announced from outside the room.

"Is the Young Lady alright?" Song Qingyan asked urgently.

"The Young Lady is safe."

"Are there any survivors?"

"The attackers were all death soldiers; they all committed suicide by poison."

"Dispose of them!"

"Madam, would you like to stay at the manor for a while?" the nanny beside her asked.

"No need," Song Qingyan shook her head. The Duke would be returning soon; if they left now, it would be even more dangerous on the road.

Song Qingyan dismissed everyone and sat before the mirror, thinking slowly.

Who wanted her life?

Was it Lady An, or Tang Zhao?

No, Lady An didn't have the brains for it. She had lived in Jade Belt Alley for ten years, and Lady An hadn't discovered a single clue about her. It couldn't be Lady An.

Then it must be that little wench. Song Qingyan clenched her hands. She would not be kindhearted like she was back then; this time, she would definitely take that little wench's life!

*Achoo!* Tears welled up in the corners of Tang Zhao's eyes. Which immoral person was cursing her so much?

After sneezing all night, Tang Zhao, sporting dark circles under her eyes, heard the news of the assassination attempt on Song Qingyan.

Tang Zhao felt a heavy weight on her back, as if a massive black pot had been slammed onto her.

She cursed, "That fool Tang Ming!"

At the Duke of Wei's manor, Tang Ming, who had not slept a wink after receiving the news, looked terribly haggard.

Even the personal guards had been given to that mistress, which showed how much weight that woman held in her father's heart. If they did not find a way to restrain that mistress, she feared that the three of them—mother and daughters—would not even have a place to stand in the Duke of Wei's manor.

Tang Ming bit her lip and, with a sense of humiliation, wrote a letter to the Prince Xuan Manor.

Tang Zhao's reply contained only one sentence: *On the day the Duke of Wei returns to the capital, Lady An shall personally welcome Song Qingyan into the manor as a concubine.*

As she burned the note to ashes in the candlelight, Tang Ming's face turned from pale to blue, before she finally made her decision.