RMBLCUCS – Chapter 35: Tang Rong’s Scheme Against Tao Yiran
Tang Rong naturally did not dare to ask Xin An for the famille rose vase. Instead, he set his sights on Tao Yiran.
When he returned to their chambers, his face was clouded with worry. No matter how she asked, he refused to say a word, carrying a look of deep concern.
The more he withheld, the more curious Tao Yiran became. So when he stepped out to wash up, she secretly asked his pageboy, Qing Mo.
Qing Mo, without hesitation, spilled everything. By the end, he even let out a sigh.
“That vase is in Second Young Master’s hands. And everyone knows—Second Young Master always enjoys opposing the Heir. He certainly won’t give it up.”
“The Marquis asking the Heir to request it… isn’t that just making things difficult for him?”
Tao Yiran dismissed the servant. When Tang Rong returned, she spoke up immediately.
“I’ll give you my famille rose vase.”
Tang Rong’s brows furrowed. “How did you know about that?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it. How could I let you take my dowry? That was given to me by my father and mother—I can’t let you have it.”
Tao Yiran stepped forward, gently helping him remove his outer robe. “It’s just a vase, a mere possession. If it can help you, then my heart will be at ease.”
“You and I are husband and wife—there’s no need to distinguish between what’s yours and mine.”
Tang Rong hesitated, appearing reluctant, but Tao Yiran spoke in such soft, heartfelt tones that he was deeply moved.
That night, Tang Rong was particularly gentle and passionate, putting in extra effort to please her. Tao Yiran experienced both physical and emotional satisfaction, falling even deeper into him.
By dawn, the famille rose vase was already packed in a lacquered box. Tang Rong held her in his arms, whispering,
“To have a wife like you—what more could a husband ask for?”
Tao Yiran smiled, feeling utterly fulfilled. As he left with the box in hand, Nanny Liu entered the room, her face filled with disapproval.
“That famille rose vase is an extremely rare treasure—it was your father’s most cherished possession. How could you give it away so easily?”
A man who used his wife’s dowry within mere days of marriage… No matter how the world praised the Heir’s character, Nanny Liu couldn’t help but feel that he was not as noble as they claimed.
Tao Yiran, of course, knew the value of the vase.
“But Rong Lang has entrusted all of his late mother’s dowry to me. With such trust, can I not offer him a single vase in return?”
“It’s just a decoration—no need to dwell on it, Nanny.”
At that moment, Nanny Cai entered, carrying a key. “The Heir left this before he departed. From now on, all matters concerning Spring Blossom Courtyard are yours to oversee, Young Madam.”
“Please accept it, Young Madam. The Heir truly holds you in his heart.”
Tao Yiran happily accepted the key. Nanny Cai shot a glance at Nanny Liu, making no attempt to hide her smug satisfaction.
Nanny Liu, utterly frustrated, could do nothing but hold her tongue.
Meanwhile, the Xin family had departed early in the morning.
Tang Mo arrived at the crack of dawn, accompanying Xin An all the way out of the city to see them off.
Tang Gang appeared only at the last moment, barely managing to exchange a few words before they left—but at least he had come.
As the carriage disappeared into the distance, Xin An stood still for a long time, lost in thought.
Only when the carriage was completely out of sight did Tang Mo gently remind her:
“Come on, let’s go back.”
On the return journey, Tang Gang summoned Tang Mo into his carriage.
“You are to report to the Northern Garrison tomorrow,” he instructed.
Tang Mo hesitated for a moment before replying, “I had planned to take Xin An to visit the estate in the countryside and stay there for a few days. I already promised Grandmother—I can’t go back on my word.”
Hearing this, Tang Gang frowned slightly.
“As long as you know what you’re doing.”
With that, he ordered the driver to continue.
Tang Mo scoffed softly. “Now he’s feeling distressed.”
Helping Xin An into the carriage, he sat across from her and immediately started venting.
“Yesterday, he was looking for an excuse to scold me. You should have seen him after Grandmother lectured him—he looked like he’d been beaten down. We’re both his sons, but he treats me worse than a blade of grass.”
“He doesn’t even bother hiding his favoritism.”
Xin An took a deep breath, collecting herself. “Just win him some honor a few times. That’ll be enough.”
“Not a chance.”
Tang Mo stretched out his legs lazily.
“When I was younger, I tried my best. When our teacher praised my memorization skills, my father praised me to my face, then turned around and forced Tang Rong to surpass me at all costs.”
“The better I performed, the harsher he became toward Tang Rong. He’s invested so much effort into Tang Rong—do you really think he’d ever accept me surpassing him?”
“If this wild weed were to grow taller than Tang Rong, wouldn’t that be a slap in his face?”
This was something Tang Mo had only recently figured out.
Trying to please the old man? Too difficult.
Xin An sighed. “I once knew an old man who doted on his eldest son. He had three other sons—all from the same mother. But he still suppressed the younger three just to support the eldest.”
“The younger three became successful on their own, without relying on their family. I thought their father would finally recognize their worth—but instead, he exploited them even more to help the eldest son.”
“He didn’t care that his eldest son was useless. Even when it came to his grandson, he still favored that branch of the family.”
“And he even had a reason for it. He said, ‘When a team of horses pulls a carriage, there will always be one that runs the fastest. That’s the one you whip—it’ll run even faster. The lazy ones? Beating them won’t change a thing.’”
“And most importantly, he said, ‘There must always be order. Eldest sons must be respected. That is the rule.’”
Tang Mo scoffed, but inwardly, he felt oddly relieved.
At least his father hadn’t forced him to slave away for Tang Rong’s sake. He had simply ignored him—and that, strangely enough, was a small mercy.
“How did you sleep last night? If you’re feeling up to it, let’s go out for a bit.”
“Sure.”
Xin An had grown to enjoy outings recently. In just a few days, she felt as if her mindset had shifted, making her feel young again.
“Let’s go somewhere lively.”
“Lively?”
Tang Mo stroked his chin. “Are you sure?”
Xin An nodded. “Absolutely sure.”
Half an hour later, Tang Mo grinned smugly as he led her to the liveliest place he could think of.
“At this hour, there’s nowhere more lively than this.”
Cheers erupted from all directions.
At first, Xin An felt a little nervous—she never expected that Tang Mo would bring her to watch a Cuju match.
Xin An had watched Cuju in her past life, but only at the Imperial Martial Grounds, where the audience was dignified and restrained. She had never experienced such wild, deafening excitement—this level of thunderous cheering was something she had never encountered in either of her lifetimes.
Tang Mo leaned in, raising his voice over the noise.
“This place used to be General Hu Wei’s racecourse. Later, it was converted into a Cuju field. See the two teams? The ones in blue are from Hu Wei General’s Household Cuju Team, called Huntian Yuan. The red team is from Liefeng Escort Agency—they’re called Blazing Lions. Come on, let’s find a seat.”
Suddenly, an earth-shaking roar erupted from the crowd.
“GOOD!!!!”
Xin An’s heart skipped a beat. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, she turned to Tang Mo.
“What happened? Did they score?”
“Blazing Lions just got a goal.”
Tang Mo pulled her along, paid the entry fee, and led her to a prominent seating area. The deafening cheers surrounded them, but Xin An gradually focused on the game, her eyes following the Cuju ball’s movement across the field.
As time passed, she no longer felt uneasy. With Tang Mo beside her, chatting and occasionally clapping and cheering, she started to relax.
After about one incense stick’s time, she had fully immersed herself in the game. She clapped along with the crowd, cheered at exciting plays, and even discussed strategies with Tang Mo.
“The Blazing Lions’ forward is really impressive.”
“Of course! He’s actually the lead escort of the Liefeng Escort Agency.”
“The Huntian Yuan players are all former soldiers, aren’t they? They seem fiercer in their approach.”
Tang Mo glanced at her, raising a brow in amusement.
“Oh? You can actually tell the difference? Not bad!”