Capítulo 1633: Chapter 1608: Resolution (Part 1)

Madam Tang had intended to visit Wang Ji, her cousin, after seeing Wang Rong. However, upon witnessing the injuries on Wang Rong’s back and thighs, Madam Tang left with a stern expression, not bothering to meet her cousin.

Eldest Granny Wang wiped away her tears and saw Madam Tang off. After watching her carriage disappear into the distance, she hurriedly turned to find her mother-in-law, “Mother, the eldest aunt has left and hasn’t gone next door.”

Mrs. Wang nodded with a somber face, gently fanning Wang Rong, “The Patriarch will certainly inquire about this.”

Wang Rong was still unconscious, and Doctor Ning, who had stayed behind, was asked to rest, leaving only the family in the house.

After a moment of silence, Mrs. Wang said to Wang Da, “Go fetch some hemp cloth, just to cleanse your brother, who knows, it might even help him recover.”

Wang Da hesitated, “Mother, wouldn’t that be inappropriate…”

Mrs. Wang gritted her teeth, “Go quickly, it’s the only desperate measure we have. Your father passed away early, back when your grandparents were still living, so the family never split. We’ve been struggling to get by on my dowry. Now your grandmother ignores everything. With such a big incident, our letters have not been replied to—it’s unclear whether they didn’t receive them or chose not to return for your brother.”

She continued, “This time, we’ve severely offended your uncle and aunt. Even if relations appear friendly afterward, the grudge in their hearts won’t vanish. They have plenty of ways to make our lives miserable. We might as well take this opportunity to separate from them.”

Tears streaming, Mrs. Wang lamented, “Had I known staying in the capital meant gambling with you brothers’ lives, we would have returned to Taiyuan earlier. Even if we lived in poverty, at least our lives would be intact.”

Wang Da wiped his tears too, kneeling down and calling out, “Mother.”

Mrs. Wang said, “Your brother is already like this. We mustn’t return in disgrace, otherwise, we won’t know what the relatives in Taiyuan will think of us.”

With a distant gaze, she added, “We, born into the aristocracy, may seem glamorous to outsiders, as if no one dares to insult us. But little do they know, the harshest bullying comes from within. Therefore, even if we return, we must go back assertively and with reason and power, so they won’t dare to bully us casually.”

Only then did Wang Da agree and went to the storeroom to take out several rolls of hemp cloth to start cutting.

Madam Tang, after leaving the Wang’s at Guangde Courtyard, returned angrily to the Wang’s at Chongyuan Courtyard to see her father.

Her father was leisurely feeding fish by the lake. Seeing his daughter return, he immediately waved and asked with a smile, “Why do you have time to come here? I was just telling you, I’ve been in the capital long enough, planning to return to Taiyuan soon.”

The Patriarch Wang was the head of the Wang family but held no government position, having resigned earlier. When the emperor wanted to revise the Clan Record, Ms. Cui’s patriarch resigned in anger, prompting a few others, including him, to do the same.

The Patriarch Wang found being an official quite unsatisfactory, especially since the emperor didn’t favor him much, so he followed suit and resigned.

Whenever pleased, he would visit the capital from Taiyuan for a while to see his sons and daughters and return to Taiyuan whenever he felt like it, living quite freely.

Madam Tang approached her father, her face stern, and asked, “Father, do you know about Uncle Ji hitting Cousin Rong?”

“Hmm? I’ve heard of it because that child trampled on the green crops with a horse. What’s the matter?”

Madam Tang took a deep breath, “Father, Cousin Rong has always been careful and soft-tempered. Would he really trample on the green crops with a horse? It was just that the horse stumbled, crushing a few. The farmers immediately repaired it, and my cousin was ready to compensate…”

The Patriarch Wang raised his hand to stop her, smiling, “Foolish child, it’s merely political strife. Do you plan to seek evidence to clarify the truth with them?”

“There’s no need to clarify the truth with outsiders, but the clan should know. Uncle Ji being impeached wasn’t Cousin Rong’s fault. In fact, he’s been implicated by Uncle Ji.”

The Patriarch Wang frowned, “They’re direct uncle and nephew, one family. They share prosperity and loss. Why speak of implication?”

Madam Tang, expressionless, said, “But Uncle Ji used the court baton to seriously injure Cousin Rong.”

The Patriarch Wang’s expression darkened, the smile on his face vanished completely, “What did you say, Wang Ji used to beat him, with what?”

“The court baton!” Madam Tang clenched her fists, “I’ve seen the injuries on Cousin Rong. From his lower back to his thighs, it’s entirely as if he were subject to corporal punishment, not just an ordinary family beating. When I was there, he was still unconscious, with the middle part of him severely damaged.”

The Patriarch Wang threw down the fish food in his hand and turned to leave.

Madam Tang tried to follow, but he stopped and turned back, “You should go home. You’re married, and it’s not appropriate to get too involved in this matter. I’ll handle it myself.”

Madam Tang stopped, thought for a moment, then nodded, “Then I’ll go back now?”

The Patriarch Wang nodded, frowned, “Try not to bully your husband so often. Last time I noticed a bruise on his forehead. When asked, he said he had fallen, but I could tell it was you who hit him.”

Previously, every time Tang He was beaten, he’d claim he fell when asked. But how could an adult constantly have such incidents? He’s not a two-year-old.

Madam Tang: “…That was him falling!”

The Patriarch Wang wore an unbelieving expression. Madam Tang was taken aback with anger. That was indeed Tang He falling. The day before yesterday, it had rained, making the pebble path in the garden slippery. He was trying to hide and scare her but accidentally slipped and knocked his head. How could this be blamed on her?

Madam Tang, fuming, returned home. Lord Tang, who rarely left the office early, was playing with their son. Upon seeing her, he attempted to turn away with their son to hide, but Madam Tang spotted him immediately and called out, “Stop!”

Lord Tang turned around, set their son down, and smiled at his wife, fawningly leading their son forward, “My lady returned home?”

Madam Tang snorted, “Why did you come back so early today?”

“There’s not much to attend to now; the drought is already a given. Most of the rice crops have withered. Next, it will be time for the harvest, and once their drying is almost done, we’ll be busy again. So I thought I should take advantage of this free time to spend more time with my lady.”

Only then did Madam Tang’s expression soften a bit. She patted her son’s head, let someone take him away to play, and only then did she speak to Lord Tang about Wang Ji’s family affairs, “My father has already gone over. Tomorrow I’ll send some medicinal herbs over. Manbao mentioned it’ll take three days to be sure he’s genuinely out of danger.”

She was angry again, “How could Uncle Ji beat a healthy person to the brink of death? I don’t even know what he was thinking.”

Lord Tang frowned, pulling her aside to a secluded area, “Is Father-in-law still holding a grudge over the incident with the Clan Record back then?”

Madam Tang: “My father has long forgotten about that. He simply doesn’t enjoy being an official. That’s why he seized the opportunity to align himself with Ms. Cui.”

“But I fear the other branches of the Wang family might not see it the same way?”