RMBLCUCS – Chapter 20: The Heir is No Good

Tang Rong accompanied Tao Yiran back to her family for the customary post-wedding visit. However, instead of receiving gifts as a new son-in-law, he was reprimanded. His father-in-law kept harping on the events of the previous day, while Madam Tao ceaselessly lamented how much her daughter had suffered and insisted that he must treat her even better in the future.

Already in a foul mood, Tang Rong’s frustration deepened when, upon returning to the marquisate, he saw Tang Mo looking radiant and full of cheer. Forcing himself to remain composed, he managed a smile. “Your father-in-law clearly favors you. Second Brother, you’re quite fortunate.”

Before Tang Mo could bask in his triumph, Tang Rong quickly took Tao Yiran’s hand and strode inside.

Madam Wang had come out to greet them warmly. Upon noticing how many gifts Tang Mo had received from his father-in-law, her joy only grew. Raising her voice, she ordered, “Send a few more servants to deliver these gifts to Qiushi Courtyard!”

Then, she turned to the newlyweds. “You two should go rest. In half an hour, dinner will be served.”

Back at Qiushi Courtyard, while Tang Mo and Xin An returned to their rooms, Nanny Wang remained busy directing servants to prepare storage space. During the wedding, both brides’ dowries had been temporarily placed in another courtyard for safekeeping, under strict supervision. Tomorrow, they would finally be moved to their respective residences.

Tang Mo, still delighted, was counting the silver and valuables his father-in-law had given him. The more he counted, the happier he became. Eventually, he split the amount in half and handed it to Xin An. “Here, this is yours.”

Lying lazily on the chaise lounge, Xin An said, “Use this to buy the Yangqi Pills as soon as possible. Get me some too—I need an energy boost.”

Tang Mo raised an eyebrow. “You? You need those?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she responded. “I may look young, but my soul feels ancient. I need all the help I can get.”

Tang Mo tucked the remaining silver into his robe. Still, something didn’t sit right with him. “Once we send off Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, shall we go to the estate outside the city for a couple of days?”

“Sure,” Xin An agreed without hesitation. “I’ve been wanting to get out and clear my mind. We should stay for a while before coming back.”

Tang Mo’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “Should we bring Grandmother along?”

He was still eyeing all the treasures in the old lady’s collection.

Xin An glanced at him and nodded. “Of course.”

Her current state of mind felt stifling. Playing the role of a carefree granddaughter-in-law around the old lady might actually do her some good. Perhaps she could even regain some of her youthful spirit.

Tang Mo waggled his brows at her, and Xin An instinctively leaned back. “Do you have a twitch in your eye?”

Grinning, he asked, “Since you’ve lived so many more years than me, do you remember any of the exam questions from the imperial exams?”

Xin An snorted. “Do you think I would care about that?”

“Now, if you want to hear some juicy gossip from various noble households, I could certainly pick a couple of stories for you.”

Tang Mo sighed dramatically. “Honestly, you only ever cared about that cold-hearted bastard next door. Was he really that great?”

Without hesitation, Xin An kicked him. “Shut up. Just looking at you irritates me.”

Tang Mo rubbed his chin. “Strange, weren’t you just saying the other day that I was even better looking than him? And now I’m irritating? You sure change your mind fast.”

Rolling her eyes, Xin An was about to retort when Chunyang entered, carrying a bowl. Instantly, she lowered her gaze, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. “If I upset you so much, you might as well just strangle me and get it over with.”

Tang Mo snorted. “Oh, come on—are you really playing this game?”

“Young Master, are you bullying the Young Madam again?” Chunyang glared at him, placing the bowl down with a loud clink. “You just promised Father-in-law you’d treat her well!”

Gritting his teeth, Tang Mo protested, “When did I ever bully her? Didn’t you see her trip me up just now?”

“Young Madam is beautiful and kind-hearted. How could she possibly do that?” Chunyang declared righteously. “It’s you who’s not trustworthy!”

Tang Mo was speechless. He wasn’t about to argue with a room full of people who had already made up their minds. He huffed, “Fine, I give up. I’m leaving.”

Xin An chuckled gleefully, while Chunyang sighed. “Young Madam, how can you still laugh?”

She lowered her voice. “After all, you were supposed to marry the heir, but instead, you ended up with the infamous Second Young Master. How will you manage?”

Xin An picked up the bowl of bird’s nest soup and sipped it casually. “Do you really think he’d dare lay a finger on me? Don’t worry, he’s all talk.”

Later That Evening

The family gathered for dinner. Afterward, Madam Wang formally announced that, starting the next day, both Tao Yiran and Xin An would be expected to present themselves for morning and evening greetings.

Xin An smiled and agreed readily. From the moment she entered, though, Tao Yiran had looked uneasy, and now she seemed to be pretending she hadn’t heard anything at all.

Xin An’s lips curled. “Sister-in-law?” she asked sweetly. “You look unwell. Are you feeling alright?”

Everyone’s eyes turned toward Tao Yiran. Flustered, she hesitated before Tang Rong quickly took her hand and said, “Yiran isn’t feeling well today.”

Madam Wang, ever understanding, said, “In that case, you should rest tomorrow. You may be excused from morning greetings.”

Tao Yiran bowed in gratitude and, with Tang Rong’s support, quickly retreated.

Xin An and Tang Mo exchanged a glance but didn’t rush to leave. Instead, they sat and chatted idly for a while before heading back.

As soon as they entered Qiushi Courtyard, Xin An immediately instructed Chunlü, “Find out what happened in the other courtyard.”

Chunlü’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I already did! Spent a little coin and got some interesting news—turns out the Heir’s concubine, Xueyu, is pregnant.”

“The Heir has ordered everyone in Chunhua Courtyard to keep it a secret.”

Chunlü’s expression softened when she looked at Tang Mo. If the bride swap hadn’t happened, it would have been Xin An facing this disaster. “The Heir is no good.”

Xin An was shocked. This had never happened before. Tang Rong had always been obsessed with his reputation—there was no way he’d allow a concubine to conceive before his wife. In her past life, neither Xueyu nor Yingyue  had never been pregnant.

For a concubine to become pregnant just three days after the wedding… What kind of humiliation was that for the legitimate wife?

Tang Mo frowned. He hadn’t expected this deviation from what they knew.

“Since the Heir doesn’t want the news spreading, we should keep quiet as well,” Xin An instructed. “Chunlü, make sure no one in our courtyard leaks a word.”

Chunlü nodded, and once she left, Tang Mo leaned in. “So, did this happen in your last life?”

Xin An shook her head. “Some things are changing. We’ll have to watch carefully.”

Tang Mo’s expression darkened. “If even the details we know are shifting, does that mean I still have no way of winning?”

Xin An tapped her knee thoughtfully. “For now, let’s focus on building your strength. You need more allies. I’ll tell you which families you should start befriending.”

She smirked. “And remember—stop worrying about your reputation. It doesn’t matter. Remember, be humble when you see Tang Rong next time. Just follow in Tang Rong’s footsteps, copy everything he does… and leave him with nowhere to turn.”

Tang Mo mulled over her words, then grinned. “I like the sound of that.” He went back to the house happily with his hands behind his back.

The next day, Tang Mo went out with the banknotes in his pocket. He was originally going to meet Tang Yong, but now it was more important to curry favor with his father-in-law. He went to the Imperial Medical Bureau and bought the Qi-nourishing Pills, and then bought the most popular Anti-aging Pills in the Imperial Medical Bureau. Then he happily gave it to his mother-in-law. Needless to say, Mrs. Xin was very happy and thought that her cheap son-in-law was very considerate.

Xin Huan also felt that this brother-in-law was very good and easier to get along with than the previous Tang Rong.

The next day, Tang Mo left home carrying his silver notes. Initially, he had planned to visit Tang Yong, but currying favor with his father-in-law took priority. He went to the Imperial Medical Academy and bought Yangqi Pills to restore energy, along with Zhu Yan Pills, the most popular ones known for preserving youth and beauty.

Afterward, he eagerly rushed over to deliver the gifts to his mother-in-law. As expected, Madame Xin was overjoyed, feeling that her thrifty son-in-law was indeed quite considerate.

Even Xin Huan found this brother-in-law much easier to get along with than Tang Rong.

(End of this chapter)