Chapter 36: Tang Ying Agrees to Marry into the Qin Family

Madam Tang was completely startled by the sudden outburst, and before she could recover, Qin-shi rushed in as well.

“Ying’er, don’t blame Mother, I’m doing this for your own good!” Qin-shi sobbed as she entered, blurting out these confusing words.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ying cried even more desperately.

Qin-shi joined her in loud weeping.

Tang Mi watched the mother and daughter coldly, without the slightest trace of sympathy.

She didn’t even need to guess to know they were putting on an act.

It took Madam Tang a while to collect herself. She frowned and asked, “What on earth happened?”

“Grandmother…” Tang Ying appeared unable to speak, barely uttering two words before bursting into tears.

Qin-shi also followed along, her face full of sorrow and tears.

“No more crying!” Madam Tang snapped impatiently, slamming her hand on the table and glaring at Tang Ying. “Ying’er, speak clearly, what happened?”

Tang Ying sobbed and looked up at Madam Tang with deep grievance. “Mother said she wants me to marry Cousin Qin.”

Madam Tang’s expression immediately darkened. She turned sharply to Qin-shi with displeasure. “What’s going on? Didn’t we reject this proposal before? Why bring it up again?”

Tang Mi also looked at Qin-shi in confusion. Just a few days ago, she had personally overheard her arguing fiercely with Madam Qin at the gate of Mingchun Courtyard. Qin-shi clearly didn’t want Tang Ying to marry into the Qin family. So what was all this now?

Qin-shi looked awkwardly at Tang Mi, as if there was something she didn’t want her to hear.

Madam Tang didn’t notice all these little gestures. She gave Qin-shi a stern look. “Speak!”

With no choice, Qin-shi hung her head and said bitterly, “Yesterday I rejected my brother’s marriage proposal. Today my mother dragged me back to her house and told me if we didn’t agree, they’d spread rumors about Ying’er and ruin her reputation so she could never marry.”

“Outrageous!” Madam Tang was furious and slammed her palm on the table. “How dare they? Do the Qin family think the Tang family is powerless? To even threaten us with such shameless words!”

Seeing Madam Tang so angry, Tang Ying started sobbing again.

Madam Tang finished scolding the Qin family, then turned her fury on Qin-shi. “Whose wife are you, exactly? Just because your mother summoned you, you went? They forced you into agreeing, and you agreed? Ying’er is your own daughter! Are you trying to hand her over to your natal family?”

Qin-shi, now completely aggrieved, dropped to her knees. “Mother-in-law, you know I’ve always opposed this marriage. But I can’t let them really destroy Ying’er’s reputation. A girl’s reputation is everything. Rong’er’s was already ruined, I can’t let Ying’er’s be ruined too!”

She broke down in tears again as she spoke.

Madam Tang, though deeply irritated by the sobbing, gradually calmed down. She looked at Tang Ying and said, “You don’t need to be afraid. Grandmother doesn’t agree with this marriage. I’d like to see who dares spread rumors about you!”

Tang Ying, her eyes glistening with tears, looked pitifully at Madam Tang. “Grandmother, please just let me marry. You know what my uncle is like. If I refuse, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do.”

Madam Tang’s face was grim. “Since you know your uncle is difficult to deal with, you still want to marry into the Qin family? Right now, he’s just your maternal uncle. If you marry, he becomes your in-law!”

She tapped her dragon-headed cane against the floor, fuming that Tang Ying wasn’t thinking clearly.

Tang Ying sobbed harder. “What can I do? If I don’t agree and he ruins my reputation, it’s fine if I suffer, but I’m afraid it’ll drag down my sisters too. After what happened with Rong’er, people already look down on the Tang family. If something happens to me too, the Tang family will be done for.”

These words hit Madam Tang’s soft spot. Indeed, the family rose and fell together, and Tang Ying’s reputation could easily impact Tang Mi’s.

Qin-shi quickly added, “Mother-in-law, please allow the marriage. Ying’er fell into the water that day, and Song’er didn’t save her. Instead, she ended up in close contact with Qin Qingyu. After that, who else can she marry but him?”

Tang Mi narrowed her eyes at these suggestive words from Qin-shi.

Madam Tang was left speechless by the mother and daughter’s well-coordinated plea. “Do what you want. If you regret it later, don’t come crying to me.”

Tang Ying’s eyes flickered, but she didn’t speak. She just kept wiping away tears.

Qin-shi, on the other hand, looked visibly pleased. “Thank you, Mother-in-law. I’ll go let my mother know so they can start preparing the betrothal gifts.”

Madam Tang looked like she still wanted to say something but ended up saying nothing.

“Enough. You can go now,” she said, clearly exhausted by their noise.

Tang Ying stood up and noticed the invitation on the table. She tugged at Madam Tang’s sleeve with a pitiful look. “Grandmother, now that my marriage is settled, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to stay at home. Could you lift my confinement? I want to go out too.”

She was, after all, her granddaughter. Madam Tang sighed. “Fine. This is an invitation to a poetry gathering from the Marquis of Yong’an’s household. You may go tomorrow with your eldest and sixth sisters.”

“Thank you, Grandmother.” Tang Ying was overjoyed and bowed to her.

“Then, Mother-in-law, Ying’er and I will take our leave,” Qin-shi said, bowing as well before leading Tang Ying away.

Once they were gone, Madam Tang remembered that Tang Mi was still there and quickly explained, “This marriage really wrongs your second sister. She won’t be staying long now, so Grandmother…”

“Mi’er understands,” Tang Mi said calmly before she could finish. “Since Second Sister is getting married, it’s only right she shouldn’t be kept confined.”

Madam Tang nodded, comforted. “I knew you were the most sensible. You can go rest now.”

“Yes.” Tang Mi bowed and left.

Why did Tang Ying agree to marry into the Qin family?

Reputation? That couldn’t possibly be her real reason.

Was it just to escape confinement and attend the poetry gathering?

Also unlikely.

Tang Ying would never abandon her ambitions over such trivial matters. Her goal was to become the Crown Princess or even Empress. She wouldn’t give that up so easily.

And Qin-shi wouldn’t sell out Tang Ying just because of her family’s threats, either.

She had poured all her efforts into grooming Tang Ying, dreaming of becoming the Empress Dowager. How could she let her daughter marry Qin Qingyu?

There had to be another scheme behind this. But what was it?

Tang Mi couldn’t guess. These events hadn’t happened in her past life, so much was already diverging from what she once knew.

She took a deep breath and glanced toward the Southern Courtyard.

It was clear, she needed to arrange her own eyes and ears now.