Madam Song flew into a rage. "Where's your father? Tell him to come out!"
That little hussy actually dares to lie through her teeth. She's getting bolder and bolder!
Linlin and Yanran each held one of Tang Zhuyun's hands, one on either side. Both looked confused, but they were unquestionably united against the outsiders.
Just then, the coachman outside shouted, "Where's the silver? Didn't we agree you'd pay me once we reached the capital?"
Tang Zhuyun nearly burst with anger when she heard that.
So they had planned to make her pay for their journey to the capital.
"No silver. Just drag these two female swindlers straight to the yamen!"
After the commotion had gone on for quite a while, Old Madam He slipped away to tell Tang Mingfan, who hurried home.
"Mother! What brings you here?" Tang Mingfan asked in utter surprise.
Madam Song pointed at Tang Zhuyun. "This little hussy refuses to acknowledge me. Hit her! Give him a good, hard lesson for me!"
Tang Mingfan said, "Mother, there must be a misunderstanding. A-Yun hasn't seen you in years. It's only natural she wouldn't recognize you..."
"Natural, my ass! I raised her until she was fifteen, and she dares say she doesn't recognize me?" Madam Song cursed like a shrew.
Tang Zhuyun leaned against the doorway and sneered. "So you really are the grandmother who withheld my silver and drove me into a corner."
Tang Mingfan shot her a look. "A-Yun, say less. Weren't you feeling unwell? Go inside and rest!"
Tang Zhuyun had no intention of meeting force with force. After all, in this era, the realm was governed through filial piety. Her position put her at a disadvantage, so she could only use her wits, not brute force.
But Madam Song was determined to put Tang Zhuyun in her place. How could she let her off so easily?
"Make her come over and kowtow to apologize, or I'll take my complaint to the emperor and accuse you of being unfilial!"
Tang Zhuyun was so angry she nearly laughed. Pointing east, she said, "Go on, go right now. Get my father stripped of his post and starve those sons and grandsons of yours who are like woodworms!"
Tang Mingfan's voice hardened. "A-Yun! Don't think that just because you're the Prince of Jin's secondary consort now, you can disrespect your grandmother."
Tang Zhuyun: "..."
Madam Song, however, was stunned. She grabbed Tang Mingfan's arm. "What? What did you say? What princess consort? Who's a princess consort?"
For the first time, Tang Zhuyun found the Prince of Jin so lovable. She thrust out her chest. "The Prince of Jin's secondary consort stands before you. You should pay your respects to me! But since you're my elder, I'll excuse you."
That was close, so close. Without this status, I really would have been pinned to the ground and rubbed raw by that old hag today.
Father, well done!
Madam Song was so shocked that she stopped making trouble, and Tang Mingfan coaxed and deceived her into the main room.
Tang Zhuyun returned to her room, feeling a little sorry for her father.
Being the filling in a sandwich was no pleasant experience, with his own mother on one side and his own daughter on the other.
Still, she felt for Tang Mingfan because, although he had scolded her on the surface just now, he had actually been on her side all along.
Her father really could see things clearly.
Yanran tugged on Tang Zhuyun's sleeve, interrupting her thoughts. "Big sister, I'm so scared. That nasty old woman is terrifying."
Tang Zhuyun held her hand and comforted her. "Don't be afraid. Big sister is here! Besides, what are you afraid of? You're your princely father's daughter!"
At that, a question suddenly occurred to her.
The Prince of Jin was a prince of the first rank, so shouldn't Yanran be a commandery princess?
Why wasn't she?
Was it because she was born of a concubine?
A question mark slowly formed in her mind.
But it didn't matter. The Prince of Jin was protective of his own and genuinely loved Yanran, and that was good enough.
Linlin clenched his little fists. "I hate her! I hate her!"
Since he knew something about his own origins, he probably also knew how his grandmother had treated Tang Zhuyun's predecessor back then.
Tang Zhuyun spent quite a while comforting him, then promised solemnly, "Don't worry. If she's only staying for a while, we can put up with it somehow. But if she wants to settle here, Auntie absolutely won't let her have her way."
She had two concerns now: first, Tang Mingfan still had feelings for his own mother; second, the official careers of the three males, young and old, in the family.
If the great label of "unfilial" were slapped on them, even the emperor's favor would be of no use.
"You two be good and wait in the room. You're not allowed to go out. I'm going to sneak over and listen to what she wants to do."
Tang Zhuyun bent low, slipped along the wall, and crouched down to listen to the voices coming through the window.
"I was worried about you men..." Madam Song said. "Those who should marry aren't marrying, and those who should be married off aren't being married off. This household needs someone to take charge. Do you think I wanted to travel thousands of miles and endure such hardship? I just couldn't stop worrying about you!"
Tang Zhuyun nearly threw up.
That old hag could really open her mouth and out came a lie.
Her grandfather was still alive, but he was henpecked and listened to Grandmother in everything.
"I brought Cui'er because I think the girl is good in every way. I plan to have Baixin marry her."
Tang Zhuyun cursed inwardly and desperately wanted to scratch the old hag's face to ribbons.
The thought of her brother, as handsome and graceful as a jade tree in the wind, standing beside the timid, dark, and skinny Song Cui'er made her so sick she nearly brought up last night's meal.
Fortunately, Tang Mingfan saw things clearly and didn't agree at once. Smiling, he said, "Mother, we can talk about the future later. Thank you for making such a difficult journey. Get some good rest first. Mother, I still have business at the yamen, so I'll go there first and be back soon. A-Yun, give the coachman eighty taels of silver and send him on his way."
Tang Mingfan came out and looked for Tang Zhuyun, who was already standing upright, looking noble, aloof, and cold.
"A-Yun, let's send him off first. Father knows you've been wronged, but whatever you do, don't confront your grandmother head-on. Whatever happens, wait until Father comes back and we'll talk."
He coaxed his daughter so gently that Tang Zhuyun couldn't bear to take her anger out on him, even if she wanted to.
She gritted her teeth and agreed.
Tang Zhuyun knew she had no choice but to pay the silver. After seeing Tang Mingfan off, she gritted her teeth and handed it over, then slammed the front gate with an earth-shaking bang.
Madam Song came out of the room. "You little hussy! I've lived to such a ripe old age, and I still have to put up with your sour face!"
"You've lived to such a ripe old age, yet you still won't give me a chance to come home for your funeral," Tang Zhuyun sneered.
Madam Song was furious. She plopped down on the ground and began to wail. "What a bitter life I've had! I finally raised my son and saw him make something of himself. I thought I could finally enjoy some comfort..."
Tang Zhuyun picked at her ear and said with a half smile, "You can be louder. The prince's residence is right next door. Let someone hear you and impeach my father. It would be best if he lost that lousy official's hat, so he wouldn't have to toil every day. It pains me to see him do it."
Madam Song's voice dropped almost immediately, and she cursed Tang Zhuyun with vicious words.
Tang Zhuyun hadn't intended to pay her any attention, but when she saw both children peering through the crack in the door, she decided not to indulge Madam Song. She sneered, "What happened back then? You're bringing up what happened back then with me?"
Did those human-blood buns taste good?
Madam Song had taken even the silver Tang Zhuyun's predecessor had earned the first time she sold herself.
If she dared bring it up, she couldn't blame Tang Zhuyun for showing no mercy.
Madam Song, however, thought she had found Tang Zhuyun's weak spot. "You little hussy, if you anger me, I'll tell the prince about the shameful thing you did back then and make sure you can't be a secondary consort!"
"Go on, go right now," Tang Zhuyun sneered. "The whole family will be guilty of deceiving the emperor, and nine generations will be exterminated. With so many people buried alongside me, I'm not afraid to die."
Madam Song was a countrywoman, after all, and the words "nine generations will be exterminated" frightened her.
Tang Zhuyun continued, "No, no, no. The prince likes me so much that he might spare my life. Then I can go to the execution grounds to see you off, Grandmother."
Madam Song was so furious she nearly passed out.