Chapter 154
Chapter 154
[After Zhu Yuanzhang Returned to the Great Ming – 5]
The Tao Family was trapped in a mire, and those sinking in it desperately wanted a lifeline to pull themselves ashore. At such a critical moment, how could Father Tao bear to lose his own sister as a relative?
He still had contact with his maternal relatives, and Mother Tao’s maiden family was not penniless. Yet there was a degree of separation between them and the Taos. How could those relationships compare to the bond between full siblings?
His brother-in-law might look as if he were dying, but a starved camel was still larger than a horse. The man’s mother had been part of the late Princess Consort of Lu’s dowry household. Perhaps one day Prince Lu would remember old ties and restore him to his post!
Seeing that Madam Tao was genuinely furious, Father Tao hurried to extinguish her anger. He slapped himself and apologized. “I handled this badly. I apologize, Little Sister. I…”
Madam Tao’s heart had long since gone cold. She ignored his honeyed words and shouted for the servants. In front of the entire household, she spared her brother no dignity. “From this day onward, I have no connection to this man or the Tao Family! He is never to be admitted, announced, or allowed to send anything inside. The same applies to every other member of the Tao Family. Do you all hear me?! I am making myself clear today. Anyone who knowingly disobeys will be sold immediately. I won’t tolerate the sight of them here!”
When the mistress of the household spoke so forcefully, the servants did not dare object. Even the attendants who had accompanied Madam Tao from her maiden home remained silent, so no one else dared step forward.
Father Tao lost all face and felt profoundly humiliated. He shamelessly tried a few more words, but when Madam Tao ignored him completely, he finally left in embarrassment.
…
Zhu Yuanzhang did not care about the Tao Family’s predicament. He simply waited for the deadline so he could collect his money. If they had no money, that was fine too. He could collect a few heads while he was at it.
He might no longer be emperor, but he remained an imperial prince. Dealing with a merchant household could hardly be easier.
Besides, he was indisputably in the right!
Unexpectedly, three days later, Father Tao arrived with the full six hundred twenty-three thousand, seven hundred fifty-three taels, seven fen, six li, and three hao, assembled from every possible source. After bowing obsequiously to the steward who led him inside, he respectfully presented the banknotes.
Zhu Yuanzhang found it curious. He casually spread the thick stack across the table, selected one, and held it up to the sunlight. It seemed genuine.
He instructed a confidant, “Fetch an accountant to count these and check for counterfeits.”
Father Tao: “…”
The confidant: “…”
Perhaps it was an illusion, but a flash of astonishment mixed with faint contempt seemed to cross the confidant’s eyes.
*Your conduct is most unbecoming, Your Highness.*
The confidant left to obey. Father Tao stood below in terrified silence, head bowed as he awaited Prince Lu’s commands.
The accountants arrived quickly-two of them, in fact. After bowing to the Prince, they withdrew to one side to count the notes and verify their authenticity.
Zhu Yuanzhang chatted idly with Father Tao. “Didn’t you say before that you couldn’t produce the money? How did you manage now?”
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Father Tao’s brow. He kept his head respectfully lowered. “No matter how difficult matters became for this commoner, I would never dare owe Your Highness money. I borrowed from everyone I could and called upon every connection available, fearing only that I might delay Your Highness’s affairs. Thanks to heaven’s blessing, I was not late in the end.”
Those were no more than polite words, and Zhu Yuanzhang knew it. After asking once, he fell silent. About fifteen minutes later, the accountants came to report. “Your Highness, the amount is correct, and every note is genuine.”
Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled inwardly. *Sure enough, money is like water in a sponge. Give it a squeeze and more always comes out!*
The emperors: “…”
Then he waved a hand. “Very well. Take him outside and give him fifty strokes. After that, the matter is settled.”
Father Tao went pale with shock. “Your Highness, the debt has been repaid. Why must I still be beaten?!”
Zhu Yuanzhang regarded him with cold, shadowed eyes and scoffed. “Repaying your debt is one matter. Colluding with a steward from my estate to deceive me is another. It’s only fifty strokes. If you don’t want them, I can send word to the Magistrate of Luoyang and have you dragged away and flayed instead!”
Fifty strokes might be difficult to endure, but flaying exceeded all human limits.
Cold sweat poured from Father Tao. He did not dare plead again. Trembling, he said, “This commoner thanks Your Highness for the reward,” and was dragged outside for punishment.
Zhu Yuanzhang sat in an armchair listening to the sharp cracks of the boards outside. He beckoned his confidant closer and instructed him quietly, “Investigate what happened. Something about how they raised this money doesn’t add up.”
After Father Tao’s beating, his pageboys carried him away. More than an hour later, the confidant returned with an odd expression. “The Tao Family raised four hundred fifty thousand taels themselves…”
“Where did the remaining one hundred fifty thousand come from?”
Zhu Yuanzhang found the answer inconceivable. “The Lin Family was willing to spend one hundred fifty thousand taels for a woman?!”
The confidant explained, “The Lin Family’s young master is utterly devoted to the Tao girl and refuses to marry anyone else. He is the only son of the second branch and passed the provincial examination at a young age. The Lin Family places all its hopes in him. When he put a knife to his own throat, how could his parents refuse?”
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…”
Liu Che interjected at the perfect moment. “The hopelessly devoted second male lead.”
Emperor Gaozu said, “One hundred fifty thousand taels for this? Better to have given birth to a slab of roast pork than a son like him!”
Ying Zheng asked, “How did he ever pass the provincial examination? Are we certain he didn’t cheat?”
Li Shimin chuckled twice. “Hard to say!”
Zhu Yuanzhang still found it unbelievable. “The Lin Family must be rich if they can casually produce one hundred fifty thousand taels to pay an in-law’s debt.”
The confidant replied, “The Lin couple gritted their teeth and supplied half. The other half came from the Lin matriarch. Young Master Lin was raised at his grandmother’s knee. Before she died, the old madam left him her private treasury. Combined with the dowry funds, they managed to squeeze out the amount.”
Zhu Yuanzhang hardly knew where to begin. “The Lin couple actually agreed?”
“Of course they were unhappy. Otherwise, the wedding would not be happening in such haste.”
The confidant continued, “The two families settled the match yesterday, and the Tao girl will marry tomorrow. With only a single day to prepare, anyone can imagine what sort of wedding it will be. Even an ordinary wealthy household would put more effort into taking a concubine. Clearly, the Lin couple are displeased and deliberately want to make the Tao Family uncomfortable.”
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed mournfully. “Ah.”
“This is already generous. At least they’re still arranging the marriage for their son.” Emperor Gaozu folded his arms and snorted. “If Old Zhu’s son spent one hundred fifty thousand taels to marry a woman like this…”
Zhu Yuanzhang clenched his fist in heartfelt agreement. “Whether the boy was mine by blood or picked up by the roadside, I’d drag him out and flay him!”
The emperors: *We knew it!*
After the confidant left, Zhu Yuanzhang toyed with a jade pendant. Suddenly, he remembered what the man had uncovered about the Lin girl and went rigid with alarm. “Those Lin bastards didn’t touch the money Old Ma’s parents left her, did they?!”
The emperors exchanged looks, then finally said, “It’s possible!”
Zhu Yuanzhang: “!!!”
“Those godforsaken beasts!!!”
“My poor Old Ma!!!”
“I’ll flay every last one of them!!!”
Zhu Yuanzhang beat his chest and stamped his feet. “Old Ma, I failed you! Boohoo, I came too late!!!”
The emperors: “…”
After a long silence, Ying Zheng finally said, “I suspect things will end badly for the Lin Family.”
Liu Che paused. “Shi Huang, have some confidence. Drop the *suspect*.”
…
The pageboy who had accompanied Father Tao to Prince Lu’s Estate waited until all fifty strokes had been administered. Only then did he and another servant lift Father Tao into the carriage and return him to the house where the Tao Family now lived.
To raise the money for their debt, the Taos had sold everything they could. Most of their servants had been sold for silver, leaving only a few families whose backgrounds they knew well.
Even the Tao ancestral residence had been sold. The whole family was now crammed into a small two-courtyard house. The courtyards felt narrow, the eaves low, and every corner cramped and shabby.
While Father Tao went to repay the debt, the rest of the family waited anxiously at home. Tao Rong paced near the gate for almost an hour before their familiar carriage finally appeared. When the curtain lifted, the pageboy who emerged looked troubled, his lips moving without producing words.
Tao Rong’s heart lurched with foreboding. With a trembling hand, he lifted the curtain and saw his father sprawled inside, unconscious, his back a mangled mass of blood and flesh.
The pageboy wiped his tears. “The money was repaid, but His Highness’s anger had not subsided. He ordered the Master given fifty strokes. The Master lost consciousness before they even reached thirty…”
The world swam before Tao Rong’s eyes. He braced one hand against the carriage and forced himself to remain standing, then ordered someone to summon a physician.
His father had fallen, while his mother and sister were women who could not shoulder the household’s affairs. If he collapsed too, the Tao Family would truly be finished!
Tao Rong arranged matters methodically. Together with several pageboys, he carefully moved Father Tao into the house.
Mother Tao burst into tears at the sight of her husband’s condition, her grief full of bitter complaint.
Tao Chuqing was devastated. She stamped her foot and cried angrily, “The money has been repaid! What more does he want? I’ll go demand justice from him!”
Tao Rong seized her. “Have you gone mad? Do you want to die?!”
Tao Chuqing wailed.
Tao Rong’s own nose stung with tears. Supporting his forehead with one hand, he crouched beside the doorframe and silently waited for the physician.
After weeping for a long while, Mother Tao urged Tao Chuqing, “Return to your room and rest. Stop crying. Tomorrow is your wedding day. If your eyes swell, you won’t look beautiful when you enter your husband’s home…”
Tao Chuqing continued to choke on sobs. “How can I think about a wedding with Father like this?”
Then she complained, “You call it a wedding, but what sort of marriage is this? The match was settled yesterday, and I enter their home tomorrow. They haven’t even delivered the birth-date card. This is worse than being carried into Prince Lu’s Estate in a little sedan chair. At least becoming a prince’s concubine would make ordinary people look up to me!”
At that moment, someone outside announced that Young Master Lin had arrived.
Mother Tao hurriedly wiped her tears and turned to welcome him. Seeing Tao Chuqing sitting stiffly in silence, she gave her a light push and pleaded tearfully, “Do it for our family.”
Tao Chuqing shuddered violently. Her pearly teeth released her lower lip. She suppressed her displeasure, turned away, and composed herself.
Lin Hefeng had the appearance of a gentle young gentleman. His speech and bearing were refined, like a spring breeze to everyone around him. After exchanging a few courteous words with Mother Tao, he presented the birth-date card and all the documents required for the marriage.
The Tao Family had once been imperial merchants but were now mere commoners, while the Lin Family held official status. The Taos could only treat them with respect and dared not offend them.
Seeing her future son-in-law treat her with considerable courtesy, Mother Tao’s bitter heart found a little comfort. She summoned her son to keep him company, then went into the side room to examine the documents for errors. The moment she opened them, she found two five-hundred-tael banknotes tucked inside. Deeply touched, her eyes grew wet.
She quietly showed them to Tao Chuqing. “He truly is considerate. Don’t keep dwelling on the fact that you’ll enter his home only two days after the match was settled. Remember how well he treats you. A full two hundred fifty thousand taels-he produced it without hesitation just to marry you!”
Tao Chuqing stared. “Wasn’t it one hundred fifty thousand? How did it become two hundred fifty thousand?”
Mother Tao checked that no one was nearby, lowered her voice even further, and explained, “Everyone says one hundred fifty thousand, but it was actually two hundred fifty thousand. Even after scraping ourselves bare, our family raised only three hundred fifty thousand. He came to propose marriage and said the Lin Family would contribute one hundred fifty thousand, while he personally had another one hundred thousand. He couldn’t let anyone know about it, so he placed that money under our family’s name. Publicly, we raised four hundred fifty thousand and the Lin Family supplied one hundred fifty thousand.”
Tao Chuqing was horrified. “It was already extraordinary for the Lin Family to produce one hundred fifty thousand. Where did he obtain another hundred thousand?”
“Who knows?” Mother Tao did not care. “Perhaps he has other connections, or perhaps he secretly acquired property outside without informing his family. What does it matter? The money is ours now.”
She took her daughter’s hand and advised her earnestly. “My child, Young Master Lin’s devotion to you is beyond reproach. Two hundred fifty thousand taels is no small amount! I heard he even held a knife to his throat to make the Lin couple consent to the marriage. Once you join the Lin Family, the most important thing is to keep him firmly under your control. The Lin couple have only this one son, and he has a bright future. Control him, and you control the entire Lin Family!”
Mother Tao glanced at her unconscious husband, whose face was dark and bruised, and intense hatred flashed in her eyes. “Prince Lu can humiliate us only because he possesses power and status. But he is merely a member of the imperial clan. He cannot hold office or even enter the capital! Young Master Lin has boundless prospects. He passed the provincial examination before he was twenty and ranked first. Passing the metropolitan examination will be no difficulty. Someday he may even enter the Grand Secretariat and become chief minister. Then our family will finally hold its head high!”
Her mother’s words stirred Tao Chuqing’s ambition. Remembering Prince Lu’s roughness and discourtesy that night, her expression grew resolute.
Outside, Tao Rong was exchanging pleasantries with Lin Hefeng when the physician summoned by the pageboy hurried in.
Lin Hefeng froze. “Is someone in the household ill?”
Tao Rong’s face filled with grief. With a bitter smile, he led Lin Hefeng into the inner room.
When Lin Hefeng personally saw Father Tao lying unconscious on the bed, covered in blood, his brow furrowed. “Prince Lu’s conduct is far too ruthless. The court should have enacted laws long ago to properly restrain these imperial clansmen!”
Tao Chuqing sat beside the bed, tears clinging to her peach-blossom cheeks, her expression desolate. “He is an imperial prince of the highest rank, while we are only insignificant commoners. Even when he humiliates us, what can we do?”
The sight of the beauty grieving like an orchid weeping dew made Lin Hefeng’s heart ache as if tugged by an invisible thread. A powerful sense of responsibility surged through him. “Chuqing, don’t worry. One day, I will obtain justice for your father!”
That promise finally allowed the Tao Family to sleep peacefully that night. Zhu Yuanzhang, on the other hand, was so worried that he could not sleep at all.
The first watch.
Zhu Yuanzhang rolled over in bed and sighed. “Old Ma lost her father when she was so young and had to live under her uncle’s roof, dependent on his goodwill. She must have suffered terribly. I came too late. I truly failed her.”
He closed his eyes.
The second watch.
Lying flat on his back, Zhu Yuanzhang said bitterly, “That damned Lin Family had better not let me find proof that they withheld the property Old Ma’s parents left her. Otherwise, I’ll drag them all out, flay them, and stuff their skins with straw!”
Then nostalgia and sadness touched him. “But Old Ma is so generous and kind. She would certainly stop me… Fine. I won’t flay them. Beheading will do. Ah! Zhu Yuanzhang, why are you so merciful?”
He closed his eyes again.
The third watch.
Zhu Yuanzhang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. After struggling for a long while, he finally sat up with a ferocious expression. “Those Lin bastards! I swear I’ll flay every last one of them!!!”