Chapter 159: Too Presumptuous

Chapter 159: Too Presumptuous

Upon hearing Tang Shuyi's words, Madame Tang wasn't surprised at all. She knew it would be so and simply acknowledged, before they shifted the conversation to other matters.

Tang Shuyi brought up her visit to the Prince of Xiaoyao's mansion the day before. After listening, Madame Tang too was puzzled why the Dowager Princess was so kind to them. She said, "I'll talk to your elder brother about it when I return. Let's all think if there's some kind of connection between Xiao Huai and the Prince of Xiaoyao."

Tang Shuyi nodded, "You don't have to worry. I can tell that the Dowager Princess means no harm."

"Very well," Lady Tang said: "Then the schedule for your club can be set. Once you've tidied up that residence, the weather will be just warm enough to hold a banquet. Send out invitations to the ladies and young misses of each family in the capital. After one banquet, everyone in the capital will know about your club.

Later, have your elder brother take the lead in organizing a literary gathering. Invite those famous scholars and students from the capital, and it would be best to invite Master Fang as well. After these two banquets, your club is bound to do good business."

Tang Shuyi listened to her and smiled: "That's exactly what I was thinking, but I will need you and my second sister-in-law to help with the banquet."

"Just give me a word when the time comes," Lady Tang agreed readily.

After chatting for a while longer, Lady Tang took her leave as she still had to meet with Lady Li. Upon returning to the Duke's mansion, she first visited Tang Shubai's study to discuss Tang Shuyi's rejection of Qi Liangsheng.

Tang Shubai sighed upon hearing this, "I don't know how much this will hurt Xunzhi; I can tell he genuinely admires Shuyi."

Lady Tang also felt somewhat melancholic, "It's just that they're not fated to be together."

Although she felt it was inappropriate for Tang Shuyi to marry Qi Liangsheng under the current circumstances, it would naturally be good for her to have a man's company if nothing changed. At the very least, she would have someone to talk to when lonely and someone to share burdens with during tough times.

But things can't be perfect; that is unless Xiao Huai wasn't dead.

Tang Shubai stood up, "I'll go find Xunzhi right now."

As he said this, he walked towards the bookshelf, while Lady Tang hummed in response but stood still. Seeing this, Tang Shubai said, "My lady, you should go attend to your affairs."

Lady Tang looked at him with a half-smile that made Tang Shubai somewhat uneasy, "Is... there anything else?"

Lady Tang glanced towards a corner of the bookshelf, then huffed lightly and turned to leave. Tang Shubai touched his nose, walked over to the bookshelf, and bent down to retrieve a jar of wine hidden between the vase and the bookshelf. This was his treasured collection; he wouldn't have taken it out if he hadn't thought about how Qi Liangsheng would be feeling down later.

He'd fallen ill two years ago, and the doctor advised him to drink less afterward, so Lady Tang kept a close eye on his drinking. He carried the wine out of the study openly since his wife already knew about his hidden stash; there was no need to be sneaky anymore.

Taking a sedan chair to the Qi residence, the young doorman immediately welcomed him inside upon recognizing him. Holding the wine, Tang Shubai walked in, soon arriving at Qi Liangsheng's study. Qi Liangsheng's eldest son, Qi Heyuan, was also there and promptly stood up to greet him.

Guessing that Tang Shubai was here to deliver a message, Qi Liangsheng sent Qi Heyuan out, leaving the two of them alone. Eager to know Tang Shuyi's response and sharing a close bond with Tang Shubai from childhood, Qi Liangsheng dispensed with pretense and asked directly, "How did it go?"

Seeing his state, Tang Shubai sighed inwardly. He placed the wine on the table and said, "Have someone bring some dishes to go with the wine. We'll talk as we drink."

Although Qi Liangsheng was anxious, he hurriedly instructed someone to prepare some dishes since Tang Shubai had suggested it. Then, looking at Tang Shubai, he said, "Can you tell me now?"

"Xunzhi," Tang Shubai internally organized his thoughts and said, "You and Shuyi are not suitable for each other."

Qi Liangsheng felt as if his heart, suspended in mid-air, had shattered. He spoke incoherently, "How... how are we not suitable? We are well-matched in social status, comparable in age, I... I'm not bad-looking, hold a respectable official position, and... and I genuinely admire her, I truly do..."

"Xunzhi," Tang Shubai placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "At first, I too thought that if you were to be together, it would mean Shuyi had found someone to rely on."

"Indeed," Qi Liangsheng immediately replied.

"But on further reflection," Tang Shubai looked at him and said, "the days after Shuyi marries you will certainly not be as pleasant as they are now."

"How… how could that be?" Qi Liangsheng's voice trailed off with uncertainty by the end.

At this moment, the dishes for the drinks were served. After the servant had set them down and left, Tang Shubai poured him a cup of wine and said, "For families like ours, money is naturally not a concern. The Marquis of Yongning's household is affluent, and Shuyi’s current life is one of luxury. In your home, it will be the same.

Furthermore, even though Xiao Huai is gone, Shuyi has lost a bit of support, but now the marquis's residence is under her command. She can do whatever she wants, freely and unrestrained. Will it be possible for her to do so in your house?"

A look of dejection spread across Qi Liangsheng's face, and he fell silent.

Tang Shubai didn't wait for his response and continued, "If she were to join your household, let's not mention that she would have to consult you on matters. Just consider that she would have to respect your mother every day. Interacting with people always leads to friction. If she and your mother were to clash, regardless of who’s right or wrong, it's always a headache."

Qi Liangsheng's shoulders slumped further, yet he remained silent.

Sighing, Tang Shubai went on, "And then there are your children. She would be a stepmother, and being too lenient or too strict is never good. Even if she is wise enough to handle things properly, she would still need to exert herself to manage those affairs. And then there are your two concubines that she would have to deal with..."

Qi Liangsheng's shoulders drooped completely as Tang Shubai added, "Shuyi's life now isn’t easy, but she has no in-laws to answer to. Her children might be a bit unruly, but they're her own flesh and blood. Whether she scolds or disciplines them, the children know it's for their own good. And look at all that Shuyi has accomplished recently; her wit and strategies are no less than yours..."

"Shubai, stop it. It was all my wishful thinking."

Qi Liangsheng’s heart shattered at that moment, probably experiencing the sting of defeat and disappointment for the first time. Although his family had fallen on hard times when he was young, compared to the average household, they were still affluent, and he never suffered in life.

Besides, he was naturally intelligent, excelling academically with ease, and his journey through the imperial examinations was smooth sailing. Entering officialdom, he wouldn’t say everything went smoothly, but he never encountered any major setbacks.

His feelings for Tang Shuyi were genuine, filled with eagerness to be with her, similar to his longing for academic success and his family's resurgence. Ever since he became enamored with her, he had fantasized about countless scenarios of them together, believing that their union would surely be harmonious.

But Tang Shubai's words made him realize that he had been too presumptuous, assuming that her life was difficult without her husband, presuming that he could offer her a better life.