Chapter 10: 10. Chapter 10: Who Used the Dowry?

Chapter 10: Who Used the Dowry?

In Chunhua Courtyard, separated by only a wall, Madam Tao watched the farce conclude before fiercely poking Tao Yiran’s forehead, frustrated by her lack of ambition. "If you had told me earlier that you had your eye on him, your father would have certainly fought tooth and nail for you. When the old Marquis and the Xin family arranged the marriage, they never specified it had to be Tang Rong. Look at the mess this has turned into."

"You have no idea how ugly the words were from that scoundrel in the Xin family. He practically called you a loose woman without a shred of shame. Fortunately, I smoothed things over and pushed all the blame onto Tang Rong; otherwise, the entire Tao family’s reputation would have been ruined, and the people back home would have torn you to shreds."

Speaking of this, Madam Tao felt a pang of heartache. "Your late mother-in-law’s dowry should have been handed over to you, but now, three-tenths of it have been carved away, along with an entire manor."

"Those things aside, once the power over the household accounts is handed out, how easy do you think it is to get it back? Even a biological mother-in-law wouldn't easily relinquish it, let alone a stepmother."

"Just now, Tang Mo received a new appointment. Do you know that position was originally reserved for Tang Rong?"

The Northern Garrison was filled with the children of nobility and was a prime place for building connections. Naturally, not just anyone could get in, and even Tang Gang couldn't guarantee he could squeeze a second son into it.

The more Madam Tao thought about it, the angrier she became. If the marriage hadn't already been consummated, she would have taken her daughter and left!

Tao Yiran was filled with grievances. When she first saw that the groom wasn't Tang Mo, she had been extremely shocked, followed by a surge of joy, and finally, she had drifted into bed in a daze. It was only upon waking that she felt a lingering fear.

"The Heir said he would handle this matter."

"The Heir said he... fancies me."

Madam Tao’s face showed no joy. She didn't even believe Tang Rong’s excuses from earlier today, so how could anyone else?

If he truly fancied her, why didn't he come to propose earlier? Why did he agree to the marriage with the Xin family?

This whole affair was truly dishonorable. This noble and elegant Heir did not seem as upright and capable as the rumors suggested, which was truly worrying. "What you need to do now is act affectionate and aggrieved to capture Tang Rong’s heart, but keep your guard up. Don't believe everything he says."

Upon learning that Madam Wang had arrived, Madam Tao braced herself to deal with her, feeling utterly exhausted.

Madam Xin had checked the servants in Qiushi Courtyard for Xin An and felt relieved to find they weren't cunning. She then shifted the conversation to their departure for Huaijiang in seven days. "Many matters require your father’s presence. We stayed behind to keep the big picture in mind, but if one day you don't want to live here anymore, send word to your mother. We, the Xin family, will come together to bring you home."

Xin An was deeply moved, hugging her mother’s arm and acting spoiled. Finally, she urged that the marriage between the Xin and Zhou families must not have any variables. After all, in her previous life, when the Xin family was implicated, the Zhou family had provided immense support; otherwise, they wouldn't have just lost their salt merchant status and had their assets confiscated.

"I heard the Zhou family’s mistress hasn't been well since her illness. I heard the Imperial Hospital has a 'Qi-nourishing pill' that is quite effective. Tomorrow, I will ask my mother-in-law to help me buy some so you can take them back."

Madam Xin didn't stand on ceremony. "That old lady is a good person. The Zhou family has been loyal and righteous for generations. Your father is extremely satisfied with this match. Most importantly, your brother is happy—haven't you seen him fluttering around Miss Zhou like a butterfly, showing off his devotion?"

"Just wait and see, he’ll be out on the streets buying gifts in a day or two."

Xin An smiled gently. These days of chatting with her mother were truly precious and nostalgic.

After seeing off the Xin and Tao families in the afternoon, Madam Wang sat down to rest for a moment before heading with Tang Gang to Chunrong Hall to speak with the Old Madam. The Old Madam hadn't appeared today, but every piece of news had reached her ears. "This is the best possible outcome. There will inevitably be some gossip in the capital, but as long as our three families keep our stories consistent, it will be fine."

She looked at Madam Wang and said, "The servants in the manor need to be disciplined. Tell them not to be loose-lipped."

Madam Wang nodded in agreement, then brought up the fact that Xin An was temporarily not managing the household accounts, adding that she had refused the three-tenths compensation. "She said that since she married the second son, she will live a good life with him, and she doesn't want what isn't hers."

Tang Gang gave a satisfied "Hmm." "She is a sensible woman."

Madam Wang gritted her teeth and brought up the dowry of Tang Rong’s mother. "Logically, the Heir should manage his mother’s dowry himself after marriage. I had been working on this since his marriage was finalized, but..."

Her eyes were filled with hesitation. The Old Madam understood, but Tang Gang looked at her with scrutiny. "You misappropriated it?"

Madam Wang handed him a ledger. "The Marquis will understand once he looks at this."

Turning from a military career to a civil one wasn't simple. In the past few years, Tang Gang had been busy greasing palms everywhere. The Marquis’s estate had a thin foundation, so he had used those dowry funds. Madam Wang had recorded every single expenditure clearly for him.

Then, she produced another ledger containing Tang Rong’s extra expenses over the years. "The Heir loves Hu-ink, prefers Xuan paper from Jinzhou, uses gray-bristle brushes, and is fond of folding fans from Shuzhou. Last month, he spent five hundred taels on an ivory folding fan from Qiongzhou."

"Furthermore, he likes moon-colored brocade and moon-glow gauze, uses mutton-fat jade, wears yellow jade thumb rings, and carries hollowed-out red gold sachets. The incense burned in his room must be the 'Cold Fragrance' from the Imperial Medical Bureau, worth a thousand gold pieces. Some of these items were in his mother’s dowry, but the vast majority were purchased separately..."

Even a noble and elegant young master had to eat, drink, and live. If he used inferior goods, could he still be called a "Jade-like Young Master"? He was built out of mountains of gold and silver.

The more Tang Gang read, the more alarmed he became. If it weren't for the records, he wouldn't have known that so much of his late wife’s dowry had been spent over the years, nor that Tang Rong’s lifestyle was so extravagant.

Feeling guilty, his first thought was to shift the blame. "What kind of mother are you? Did he really have to use these things? Couldn't you have advised him otherwise?"

Madam Wang’s heart turned cold, though she wore a look of self-reproach on her face. "Marquis, there is no shortage of people in this capital who fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak. The Heirs of the Qing Marquis and Chang Marquis estates all live this way. If the Heir of our Weiyuan Marquis estate were to appear weak, what would others think of us?"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and her voice carried a sob. "It is difficult to be a stepmother. I have been caring for the Heir with all my heart. When the Heir used these things, have I ever said a word? I have only ever pressured Mo’er to spend less, yet in the end, I am the one who receives the blame."

The Old Madam grew impatient with her weeping. She knew Madam Wang hadn't done anything wrong, but now that the dowry was reduced by more than sixty percent, how were they to answer to Tang Rong?

If word got out, how would the world view Tang Gang, the Weiyuan Marquis?

Madam Wang cried, saying she dared not touch this matter anymore. "I have already inventoried the remaining dowry. I haven't even kept the compensation the Marquis promised the second daughter-in-law. I will hand it all over to the Marquis later; you can explain it to the Heir yourself."

Tang Gang felt that was the only way. Before he could speak, the Old Madam snorted coldly. "You promised compensation in front of the Xin family, and when they were polite, you took the opportunity to give nothing. If this gets out, how will you stand in the imperial court?"

For this son, who was not very useful and lacked a sense of responsibility, the Old Madam sometimes felt helpless.

"The Marquis estate is at fault here. The girl didn't want the dowry because she had her reservations, so take two thousand taels from your own private funds and send it over."

"Don't be stingy. No one is saying anything now, but who knows what will happen in the future? You cannot leave them with a handle against you. You saw the Xin family’s attitude—they are not to be trifled with."

Madam Wang took a deep breath. It was less their "joint private funds" and more her own; who could Tang Gang’s meager salary support?

But after Tang Gang nodded, he played dead, and Madam Wang had no choice but to agree.