RMBLCUCS – Chapter 29: Dealing with Nanfeng
“Second Young Madam, please watch your step.”
“Second Young Madam, the path ahead was just watered. If you’re not in a hurry, you might want to take the garden route instead. I can lead the way.”
“Thank you.”
On the way back to Autumn Harvest Courtyard from Spring Blossom Courtyard, every servant who saw Xin An greeted her respectfully. Some even proactively warned her about potential hazards along the path. A faint smile lingered on her lips, making her appear approachable.
After she left, Tang Rong emerged from behind a rock garden. He had deliberately avoided meeting Xin An to prevent any awkward encounters, fearing she might speak harshly to him again. Instead, he ended up witnessing how the servants treated her.
His attendant, Qing Mo, also observed everything and whispered in Tang Rong’s ear, “Second Young Madam is truly impressive. It’s only been a few days, and already the servants seek her out at every opportunity.”
Tang Rong turned his head slightly. “Why?”
Both Xin An and Tao Yiran had entered the household on the same day, yet while Tao Yiran had barely left her courtyard, Xin An had already won over the servants?
Qing Mo explained that Xin An was generous and recalled how she had rewarded the servants for carrying her dowry. “It was their duty, but Second Young Madam still graciously gave each of them a tael of silver, thanking them for their hard work and inviting them to have tea.”
“Anyone who completes a task for her, no matter how small, receives a reward. The people in Autumn Harvest Courtyard are living quite well.”
He became more and more excited, even regretting not being assigned there. Caught up in his enthusiasm, he failed to notice Tang Rong’s expression darkening.
“Did the Young Madam give out rewards when they carried her dowry?” Tang Rong asked.
“No.”
Qing Mo didn’t dare to mention that because of this, the entire household now saw the Young Madam as stingy. After all, Autumn Harvest Courtyard and Spring Blossom Courtyard were separated by just one wall, making the contrast too glaring.
Tang Rong said nothing and simply walked forward. Qing Mo, sensing his mood, fell silent and followed closely behind.
Back at Autumn Harvest Courtyard, Xin An entered and saw Nanfeng kneeling in the courtyard, her face streaked with tears. “Did you anger Second Young Master?”
Nanfeng stubbornly remained silent. Chunyang scowled, “Second Young Madam is speaking to you. Have you gone mute?”
Still, Nanfeng said nothing, but Tang Mo, standing under the eaves, was visibly enraged. “Ignore her. I will soon report to Mother and have her sent away.”
“Second Young Master, I beg you, please don’t send me away!”
Nanfeng crawled forward a few steps on her knees. “I won’t dare again! Please don’t make me leave.”
At the entrance, some servants from Spring Blossom Courtyard had gathered to watch. Chunyang was about to scold them when Xin An spoke first. “Take Nanfeng to wash her face.”
She then whispered something in Chunyang’s ear. Just as Nanfeng was about to plead again, Xin An took a step closer and lowered her voice. “If you keep making a scene for the neighbors to watch, I will have you tied up and sold to a brothel.”
Terrified, Nanfeng immediately shut her mouth. Chunyang grabbed her arm and dragged her away.
Inside the room, Tang Mo followed Xin An in, visibly irritated. “That girl is trouble. She snuck into my room this morning without permission and tried to touch me. This isn’t the first time. She has no place in this courtyard.”
“Regardless of whether she belongs here or not, why did you have her kneel outside?”
Xin An poured herself some tea. “How eager were you to let the neighbors enjoy the spectacle?”
Tang Mo sat down with a scowl, grabbing Xin An’s freshly poured tea and drinking it. His hangover had already left him with a pounding headache. Waking up to Nanfeng touching his face had startled him so much that his anger was impossible to suppress.
Since he had given her enough respect the previous day, Xin An instructed Chunlu to bring him a light breakfast. Once he had eaten and calmed down, she finally spoke. “I don’t know when Nanfeng came into your service, but I imagine she was placed here with the expectation of serving you in all aspects—including in bed. Mother might have even approved it. In her mind, she already considers herself yours.”
“If you send her away, she’ll have no place to go.”
Tang Mo rolled his eyes. “I never touched her. How could she pin this on me?”
“Then why not just marry her off to someone? As long as she’s out of this courtyard, it doesn’t matter.”
He was the master of the house. Did he really need to concern himself with the fate of a maid trying to climb into his bed?
Next door, Chunyang had escorted Nanfeng away, but she had overheard every word Tang Mo said. Her tears flowed uncontrollably. She had never expected Tang Mo to despise her so much, leaving her feeling completely hopeless about her future.
Chunyang dragged her away, and only after hearing the door close did Xin An finally smile. “Considering your recent good behavior, I’ll handle the matter with Nanfeng.”
Tang Mo scoffed. He had known this woman was pragmatic.
Xin An picked up a pastry and casually brought up what had happened in Spring Blossom Courtyard the day before. Upon hearing it, Tang Mo slapped his thigh. “You fool!”
“Why didn’t you use this opportunity to make Tang Rong suffer? You should have let the news spread so everyone could see his true character!”
“Or are you still attached to him and can’t bear to see him suffer?”
What a wasted opportunity.
Xin An twitched the corner of her mouth. “With that brain of yours, even if I weren’t here, you wouldn’t have lived long in your past life. Dying in ignorance was your good fortune—otherwise, you’d have met an even worse fate.”
His recently soothed temper flared again. Everything had been going smoothly for him these past two days, and Minister Xu had even praised him yesterday. Tang Mo had felt invincible, certain he could conquer the world. Xin An’s words, however, were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his excitement. Was she trying to boost Tang Rong’s morale while diminishing his own?
“Not convinced?”
Xin An knew his impulsive nature. He might seem carefree on the outside, but he was still relatively simple-minded. “Do you really think a maid’s pregnancy could bring down the heir of a marquisate?”
“Do you think an affair with a concubine would ruin his reputation?”
Tang Mo wasn’t stupid. With Xin An’s subtle guidance, he quickly understood and muttered, “I’ve been under his thumb for too long. I got impatient.”
“Endure it.”
Xin An continued, “Let me tell you this—at most, people will mock him with a simple ‘Ah, so he’s just like the rest of us.’ That will only make him seem more relatable in the eyes of those outside. He won’t suffer any consequences, but your father might. If he’s accused of failing to manage his household, that label will stick. Combine that with the marriage swap incident, and if another scandal surfaces, this could escalate into something much bigger, with endless repercussions.”
“If you want to fight for the title, the first condition is that the marquisate is still worth fighting for. If the household’s reputation rots to the point that people avoid it like the plague, what’s the point of winning?”
She fixed her gaze on Tang Mo. “Remember this—outside, you must be a humble and respectful younger brother. Act like you and Tang Rong share a harmonious bond. First, earn yourself a reputation as someone who has turned over a new leaf, rebuild your reputation. Everything else can be handled behind closed doors, step by step.”
Tang Mo listened intently. But hearing “turned over a new leaf” again made him sigh in frustration. “Can we stop saying ‘turned over a new leaf’?”
Xin An chuckled. “Then how about ‘mended your ways’?”
“Reformed your conduct?”
“A prodigal son returning to the right path?”
“Pick one yourself.”
Tang Mo felt utterly stifled, wishing he could storm into Spring Blossom Courtyard right now and make Tang Rong suffer. It was all his fault!!!