The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 006 Clever Brother

Before visiting relatives, Tang Shen had already asked Yao San to find out the situation of Tang juren's family.

The Tang family was a big family in Gusu City. Tang juren married a lady from another scholarly family in Gusu City more than 20 years ago, who was now the current Madam Tang. The couple had a harmonious relationship and had a son and a daughter. Tang juren also took in a concubine, and his second son by the concubine was as old as Tang Shen.

Tang juren's mother passed away two years ago. It was said that at that time they sent people to the Zhao Family Village to invite Tang xiucai to come back and keep vigil, but Tang xiucai did not respond. From then on, the Tang family never set foot in the Zhao Family Village again, and the two families completely lost contact.

Tang Huang was both curious and nervous about visiting relatives. When approaching and seeing the lofty front doors, the little girl said: "Brother, why don't we go back."

Tang Shen: "We already bought the gifts, how can we go back now? Just come in with me."

Tang Huang gritted her teeth: "You can go alone. Besides, we can live a good life on our own, so why do we have to go find them?"

"You are also a member of the Tang family. There isn't any hatred in the first place. As the saying goes, one would rather be a family than an enemy. Do you understand?"

Tang Huang followed her brother aggrievedly to the front doors of the Tang family.

Tang Shen stepped forward and knocked on the door. There was a sound of footsteps inside, and soon a small door opened from the side. A servant who looked like a doorkeeper came out of the small door and looked at the siblings: “Is there something you need, little brother? This is Tang juren's family house in Gusu. Do you have a name card?"

Tang juren was a scholar, and the Tang family was a literati family. Most outsiders who wanted to visit would send their name card one day in advance to inform the owner. Or just give their name card directly like Liang daru did and hand it over when visiting.

Tang Shen smiled and said: "There is no name card. My surname is Tang and my name is Tang Shen. This is my sister, her name is Tang Huang. We are from the Zhao Family Village. Please let your master know."

As soon as Tang Shen finished speaking, the doorkeeper's expression changed.

Today, before coming to visit relatives, Tang Shen and Tang Huang both changed into newly bought clothes. It was not silk and satin, but the material and cut was clean and elegant. In addition, the two siblings were good-looking with endearing features, so the doorkeeper had a good attitude towards the two children. But now when he heard that they were from Zhao Family Village, the doorkeeper looked disgusted and snorted: "Wait." After that, he entered the small door, slammed the door, and left Tang Shen and Tang Huang outside.

Tang Huang had never been treated like this. The people in Zhao Family Village were simple and honest, and their neighbors all had good relations with them. The little girl was angry and upset, but Tang Shen only showed a meaningful expression and remained silent.

After a long time, a man who looked like a housekeeper opened the small door and led the siblings inside.

The Tang family house was a standard Jiangnan garden courtyard. At the entrance was a huge Taishan stone screen, with eight characters inscribed on it, "Extensive scholarship with unyielding dedication, earnest inquiry with close examination", which came from "The Analects of Confucius·Zizhang". The housekeeper led Tang Shen from the west corridor, past the west corner room, and after a few more turns, they came to a deserted and remote courtyard. After settling the siblings, the housekeeper left first.

A servant served two cups of tea to the brother and sister. Tang Huang took a sip and said, "Bah, it's cold."

Tang Shen didn't drink the tea at all. He placed the gifts he brought on the table and closed his eyes to rest, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

After a while, footsteps came from the courtyard outside the house. Tang Shen turned around and saw a middle-aged man wearing a Confucian hat and a round-neck gold silk robe walking in. He was slightly portly and his steps were light. When he walked into the house and saw Tang Shen and Tang Huang, he paused and continued walking forward.

Tang juren sat in the main seat at the top, and the servant served him a cup of tea. He took a sip and looked at the siblings: “You are from Zhao Family Village?"

Tang Shen: "En, uncle, my name is Tang Shen, and this is my sister Tang Huang."

Tang juren looked at Tang Shen with a strange expression, as if he was remembering the past. He said coldly: “So it seems you are my half brother's children. Why did you come to Gusu City? Is there something you need?"

Tang Shen was about to speak when the housekeeper suddenly entered the room in quick steps and whispered a few words in Tang juren's ear. Tang juren stood up and said: "There is something I need to take care of, I will be dealing with it first. You may wait a moment, housekeeper, serve two plates of cakes." After saying this, he hurried away without giving the brother and sister a chance to speak.

Soon, the housekeeper served several plates of snacks, which tasted good and were no longer cold like the two cups of tea.

Tang Huang ate a few mouthfuls and said, "Brother, how long has it been? Why hasn't that Tang juren come yet?"

"Dis you really think he would come back?"

"Ah?"

Tang Shen looked at the cold refreshments on the table and stood up: "Are you full?"

Tang Huang: "I wasn't hungry to begin with."

"Okay, then let's go."

At first, it was Tang Huang who kept saying that they should leave, but now Tang Shen really decided to leave. The little girl was stunned and said, "Didn't you say we came to visit relatives? Tang Shen, if we just leave like this, wouldn't our visit today be in vain?"

"Didn't we already come to visit relatives?"

"Is this called visiting relatives? We haven't even talked to Tang juren at all." After a pause, the little girl who was young but had a sharp mind: "Although he doesn't want to talk to us either."

"It's enough after going through this process. The other doesn't want to bother with you at all, and you know their attitude as well. The important thing is that we came and sat for a bit. What do you think we are really here for? That we are really here to visit relatives?"

"If it's not visiting relatives, then what are we here for?" Tang Huang trotted to follow Tang Shen and left the courtyard.

Tang Shen's hands were empty. He left the gifts in the room and said calmly: "Dividing the families."

After the Tang siblings left the Tang Manor, the news spread to the main room within just a tea break. At this time, Tang juren was sitting at the table eating and did not appear busy at all. After hearing the housekeeper's report that Tang Shen and Tang Huang had left, Tang juren snorted coldly and had the maid serve him a bowl of soup.

"Two little brats who came to sponge off on people."

Madam Tang took the soup from the maid's hand and handed it to Tang juren: "Tang Shen, Tang Huang? Are they the children of your half-brother? Don't they live in Zhao Family Village? When did they come to Gusu City? Why didn't you let me know."

Tang juren finished drinking the soup: “Let you know for what, they are just two poor relatives who came seeking gratuitous financial help. When their father was still alive, my mother was so kind to him, she never treated him badly, and even if he went to live in Zhao Family Village, she still sent people to give him things during the holidays, treating him as her own. But when my mother passed away, he didn’t even come back to take a look. Isn’t he just a white-eyed wolf? The white-eyed wolf gave birth to two little white-eyed wolves, this kind of relative, as soon as they arrived at Gusu City and came to the Tang family, naturally it's to ask for money." (TN: White-eyed wolf=ungrateful)

Madam Tang frowned and said: "Don't say that. What do children know? Their father's affairs have nothing to do with the children. I remember that my nephew should be only twelve or thirteen years old this year." She waved and called the housekeeper over: "Tell me what happened after they came today."

The housekeeper relayed everything about the behavior of the Tang siblings after they entered the house.

Madam Tang said: "So, they also brought gifts? That's quite sincere of them."

Housekeeper: "They are all cheap things."

Tang juren: "As I said, they came to sponge off."

Madam Tang glanced at Tang juren then said to the housekeeper: "You just said that before Tang Shen left, he said that he had to visit someone else, so he couldn't wait any longer?"

"Yes."

After thinking for a moment, Madam Tang called her personal maid: "You go to the warehouse to get twenty taels of silver. If you go after them now, you should be able to catch up with the brother and sister. After you catch up, don't disturb them first. Just watch from behind. Take a look and see who they went to visit today. After they return home, you go to their home and give them the money."

Tang juren: "What are you doing!"

Madam Tang: "What am I doing? Those are your niece and nephew, only twelve or thirteen years old. When the two children came to Gusu City, the Tang family didn't take care of them, but drove them away. This news will only harm your reputation after it spreads, and others will be criticizing your Tang family."

"This, this… isn't this because the people in Gusu City knew what their father did back then."

"You used to bully their father a lot when you were young, am I wrong?"

"Whose side are you helping?"

Madam Tang: "Fine, just think of it as the pocket money that I, their aunt, give to my nephew and niece. Go now."

The maid accepted the order and left. Tang juren was very disdainful, but Madam Tang was thoughtful. She asked: "Those two children have just arrived in Gusu City. What other relatives do they have to visit? Aren't our family the only relatives in Gusu City?"

Tang juren: "Why do you care so much?"

Madam Tang opened her mouth but said no more.

On the other side, as soon as Tang Shen left the Tang Manor, he was pestered by Tang Huang who wanted him to explain clearly.

"What exactly do you mean by dividing the families? What are you talking about?"

Tang Shen's head hurt from being pestered. He stopped, looked at his sister seriously, and said in a sincere tone: "Sometimes I really wonder whether I am an ancient person or you are an ancient person."

"What?"

Tang Shen: "Pretend I didn't say anything."

As the brother and sister walked away, Tang Huang said, "Tang Shen, just tell me why we need to separate our families."

Tang Shen: "Call me elder brother."

"Elder brother!"

"Beg me."

"Elder Brother, please, you are the best brother in the world."

Tang Shen rubbed the goosebumps that appeared on his arms and said, "Do you still remember what dad told you about the Tang family when you were little?"

Tang Huang thought for a while: "Dad said that his brother had no ambitions and was stupid. But out dumb luck, he managed to pass the exams and become a juren in one fell swoop. It's God's injustice. Brother, I think Dad is right. Today after seeing that Tang juren, he doesn't look like a scholar at all, his belly is so big." The little girl drew a big circle around her thin waist.

"Don't exaggerate. Yes, dad said that, but have you ever heard dad say a bad word about the old madam?"

Tang Huang recalled seriously: "No."

"With our dad's temper..."

Tang Shen added silently in his mind: When he wakes up in the morning, he curses Tang juren first, then after lunch he curses him again, and finally before going to bed at night he throws in some more curses.

"Hai, with our dad's temper, he can't even say a bad word about the old madam. It shows that the old madam treated our dad well, and our dad has nothing to say."

Tang Huang: "So?"

Tang Shen: "So, the Tang family is also a well-reputed family in Gusu City. Even Liang daru, the governor of Gusu City has heard of Tang juren's name. The Tang family is so well-known, but our dad did not come back to keep vigil at the old madam's funeral. You tell me, would everyone in Gusu City know about this or not?"

Tang Huang clapped her hands: "Of course they know!"

"To put it lightly, it is unfilial, and to put it harshly, it is a lack of character. It is indeed our dad who got into a dead end and did not do right. Now that dad is gone, others can't blame our dad. Who do you think they would blame then?"

"...Us?" 

Tang Shen smiled and said: “The child is worthy of being taught. So going to the Tang family today is to express our attitude. Since the Tang family does not want to resolve the dispute, then we will separate the families directly next time we go. Otherwise, if something happens to Tang juren in the future, we must give a helping hand, otherwise we would be accused of being white-eyed wolves. But if Tang juren doesn’t help us when something happens to us, he could say that it was our dad who was unkind in the first place. In everything he has the upper hand, so say, don't you think we have the short end of the stick?" Definitely the shortest end of the stick!

Tang Huang opened her eyes wide: "Tang Shen, you are so clever!"

"Call me elder brother."

The little girl called sweetly: "Elder brother!"

Arriving at Tongde Lane, Tang Shen asked two families and soon found the Liang Manor.

The Liang Manor was different from the Tang Manor, though they were both wealthy families. In front of the Tang Manor were two round stone statues, but in front of the Liang Manor there were two majestic stone lions. In the Song Dynasty, not everyone could place stone lions at their doors. Two guards armed with spears stood on both sides of the gate of Liang Manor. When Tang Shen stepped forward, one of them came down the steps and examined him first.

This soldier was not as arrogant as some ruffian soldiers, and he was not vulgar either. He asked: "Who is it? This is the residence of Governor Liang of Gusu City. Do you have a name card?"

Previous
Previous

The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 007 Shameless Tang

Next
Next

The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 005 Meteor