Chapter 6: 6. Chapter 6: Tang Rong Has No Way to Defend Himself

Chapter 6: Tang Rong Has No Way to Defend Himself

In the front courtyard, Lady Wang had already offered her apologies once more. Tang Gang, the Marquis of Weiyuan and head of the household, had neatly pushed the blame away, claiming it was all the negligence of those beneath him.

Master Tao, suppressing a smile, spoke hypocritically of fated connections and heaven’s arrangements, insisting that there was a predestined order to all things.

Madam Tao, having checked on her daughter, sat down calmly to speak with Lady Wang. Tang Rong busied himself with pouring tea and offering apologies. The atmosphere did not seem particularly tense, as if the matter were already passing.

Xin An’s father, Xin Kuan, sat quietly, watching the group perform their play with cold eyes. The connection to the Xin family was through Tang Gang’s father, the late Old Master Tang who had died on the battlefield. Back when the war was at its most critical, it was Xin Kuan who had provided the money and manpower to support Old Master Tang’s campaign. Afterward, the Old Master had arranged the marriage with the Xin family.

Over the years, the Xin family had indeed prospered due to their ties with the Tangs, but they had also paid their respects to the Tang family generously. Although it was a relationship of dependency, Xin Kuan was not prepared to swallow this insult. He was a salt merchant; as long as he wished, there were plenty of powerful figures in the capital eager to win him over, whose status would only be higher than the Tang family’s.

When Madam Xin entered the room, everyone’s gaze converged upon her. Xin Kuan asked in a deep voice, "How is An’er?"

"How?"

Madam Xin’s face was filled with fury. "After such a thing has happened, what else can she do besides cry until her eyes go blind?"

"She left home happily to be married, and then this happens. That silly child, she just sat there foolishly in a bridal chamber that didn't belong to her, crying all night. Her eyes are as swollen as walnuts; even powder can't cover it."

"And she didn't even think to send word back."

Xin Huan immediately added fuel to the fire. He first let out a "humph," then looked at Tang Rong with a sneer. "What good would sending word back have done? Her groom was already rolling in the sheets with his own sister-in-law at that time. If she had really made a scene, would Tang Rong and that woman from the Tao family still have the face to go on living?"

He emphasized the words "sister-in-law" heavily. Madam Tao could not sit still; this concerned her daughter’s reputation, and her face turned dark. "This matter has already been explained clearly. It was simply a case of being too drunk—in a muddled state, who could tell who was who?"

Xin Huan had been waiting for exactly those words. He scoffed and aimed his verbal fire at Tang Rong again, unleashing a barrage of sarcasm. "You really are talented. You were so drunk you couldn't recognize a person, yet you still had the presence of mind to consummate the marriage—and you succeeded, too. You truly are gifted."

"Didn't you previously pride yourself on not having a single concubine before marriage? It seems you’ve read plenty of sordid little manuals in secret; you can certainly be considered an old hand at this."

"And the bride is no ordinary person either. I hear you two are regulars at all the major banquets in the capital; how could you be so easily mistaken about someone you know so well? Or perhaps she was bored in the bridal chamber yesterday, poured herself a drink, got herself drunk first, and then let you do whatever you pleased?"

He unceremoniously tore away the fig leaf covering Tang Rong and the Tao family. Throughout this, Xin Kuan did not open his mouth to stop him. Madam Xin was still wiping away tears, and as soon as her son finished, she immediately picked up the thread. "Tang Rong, the marriage between our two families was decided by your grandfather. For years, the Tang family never mentioned it, and we took it as a joke given the difference in our social standing. But since you came to propose, you should have been responsible for my An’er."

"If you didn't like her, you could have just said so. My Xin family’s daughter isn't unmarriageable. Since you proposed according to the rules, why did you have to drag her reputation through the mud?"

"Everyone says you are a gentleman, full of self-restraint and propriety, a gentleman like a chrysanthemum. Is what you’ve done the act of a gentleman?"

With the mother and son working in tandem, Tang Rong’s face turned pale; he had no way to defend himself.

The Tao family was also furious. At this point, they couldn't care about anything else. If they didn't pin the blame on Tang Rong, Tao Yiran would be branded as a loose woman, and the Tao family could not afford that.

Madam Tao’s eyes reddened immediately. "We are both brides. My Yiran also went into her sedan chair happily yesterday. Who could have known such a thing would happen? That girl has been spoiled by us since she was small; she’s inexperienced. When she realized the person was wrong, her mind went blank. But how could a weak woman compare to a man who was drunk? If she had made a scene, all three families would have become the laughingstock of the capital. When I went to see her just now, she said she wished she were dead."

"But can she die? Does she dare to die? A woman’s life is already difficult and beyond her control. If she died, it would ruin Tang Rong completely. That is why she bit her tongue and swallowed this bitterness. This is a woman’s entire life we are talking about!"

"She has already suffered such a great grievance; I will absolutely not allow you to slander her."

Once the Tao family shifted the blame, all the faults fell upon the Tang family, ultimately converging on Tang Rong. After all, according to the two mothers, both Xin An and Tao Yiran had remained silent last night for the sake of the Tang family’s reputation. Lady Wang felt as if she had lifted a rock only to drop it on her own feet; no matter how one looked at it, it was her, the Marchioness, whose poor arrangements had caused this.

After all, he was her own son. Although Tang Gang wanted to beat him to death, he had to defend him at this moment. "Our three families have been on good terms for years. No one wanted to see such a thing happen, but since it has, it must be resolved. Once a person enters my Tang family’s door, she is my Tang family’s daughter-in-law; that cannot be changed."

"Tang Rong, kneel."

Tang Rong knelt, his back straight even while on his knees. "Everything started because of me. Whatever punishment is given is deserved. I only hope this matter will not implicate Yiran; she is innocent."

At this moment, his defense of Tao Yiran did not make him look responsible; instead, it made him look like he had been plotting this all along and had ill intentions. Tang Gang said in a deep voice, "The punishment will not be light. Xin An has suffered the greatest grievance and should be compensated. How about we take thirty percent of the dowry left by your mother and send it to Qiushi Courtyard? What do you think?"

Lady Wang’s eyes flickered quickly before returning to normal. Tang Rong nodded and accepted the arrangement, kowtowing to Lady Wang. "Thank you for your trouble, Mother."

"It is only right."

Tang Gang turned his head to Lady Wang. "Since the eldest has married, give him the rest of the dowry his mother left behind as well."

Lady Wang smiled and nodded, looking at Tang Rong with maternal affection. "I will organize it and send it to you later. If your sister could see you married, she would be overjoyed."

Tang Mo felt a bit nervous. There was hardly anything left of the dowry Tang Rong’s mother had left behind; what would they use to pay it back?

Lady Wang gave him a look that meant "stay calm." She then stood up herself and bowed to Madam Xin to apologize. After a string of pleasantries, Madam Xin’s expression finally softened. Just as they thought the Xin family would quit while they were ahead, Xin Kuan spoke up again. "We came here today to take An’er away. As long as this matter is explained clearly to the public, people will understand. Although it is not easy to remarry, it is still better than wasting her whole life in the Tang family’s back courtyard."

How could the Tang family agree to that? Lady Wang offered more kind words and tried to persuade Xin Kuan, but Xin Kuan raised a hand. "There is no need to persuade me further. We previously agreed to marry her to the Tang family’s heir. Now that this has happened, there is no reason to switch to the second son. She is not an object, and it would be unfair to the second son as well. To avoid future resentment, it is better for everyone to go their separate ways."

"I, Xin Kuan, will exhaust my family’s wealth if I have to, just to find a better match for my An’er."

Thinking they could smooth over the grievance his daughter suffered with a bit of old dowry? How naive!