Chapter Nine
Elder Jiang reported to Tao Fang Ao about the Tao Household's charity donations in the calligraphy room.
Elder Jiang noticed the broken chair on top of the broken vase. If he had known Tao Fang Ao lost his temper earlier, he wouldn't have entered the calligraphy room.
'Elder Jiang, you can leave,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Give instructions to everyone that no one is allowed to come into my calligraphy room.'
'Yes second master Tao,' elder Jiang said.
Elder Jiang walked outside the calligraphy room and he carefully closed the door. He watched Tao Fang Ao grow up. It was rare for Tao Fang Ao to lose his temper, which meant Tao Fang Ao must have fought with Tao Tu Yun.
'Elder Jiang,' Su Wu called. 'Is second master Tao inside the calligraphy room?'
'Second master Tao instructed that no one is allowed to disturb him,' elder Jiang said. 'Su Wu, why don't you wait for another day to see second master Tao?'
'Elder Jiang, I have something important I need to tell second master Tao,' Su Wu said.
'Su Wu, it's better if you go back and be with lady Tao,' elder Jiang advised.
'Second master Tao, it's about mistress!' Su Wu cried out.
'Su Wu, how can you stand here and yell?' elder Jiang asked.
'Elder Jiang, let Su Wu come into the calligraphy room,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Su Wu ran into the calligraphy room. She was speechless after she noticed the broken chair and vase.
'Didn't you have something important to tell me?' Tao Fang Ao asked impatiently.
'Today I followed mistress to the fortune teller's home so mistress could warn Dou Dou,' Su Wu said in a shaky voice. 'The fortune teller has a way to save mistress' life.'
'Explain everything calmly,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao didn't want to hear Tao Tu Yun wanted to leave him again.
'Second master Tao, there's something important I hid from you,' Su Wu said.
'Tell me!' Tao Fang Ao said.
Su Wu explained about Tao Tu Yun not living past nineteen and told Tao Fang Ao about the fortune teller's instructions to save Tao Tu Yun's life.
'Are you telling the truth?' Tao Fang Ao asked.
Tao Fang Ao wondered if Tao Tu Yun rejected him because she thought she couldn't live past nineteen. Did it mean there was hope Tao Tu Yun would accept him?
'Second master Tao, everything I told you is true,' Su Wu said.
'Leave everything to me,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Go and take good care of Tu Yun.'
'Mistress...' Su Wu said.
'What's wrong with Tu Yun?' Tao Fang Ao asked.
'Mistress cried and fainted in the bedchamber,' Su Wu said.
'What?' Tao Fang Ao asked worriedly. 'Did you call the physician yet?'
Tao Fang Ao strode toward the door, stopped and turned around.
'Did Tu Yun faint because she warned Dou Dou?' Tao Fang Ao asked suspiciously.
'Yes,' Su Wu said.
'You can go back to Tu Yun,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao didn't know if he should go see Tao Tu Yun. If he went to see Tao Tu Yun, she wouldn't understand how much it affected him every time she risked her life.
'Second master Tao, I can see you care about mistress,' Su Wu said. 'You said you're disappointed in mistress out of anger. The truth is mistress loves you.'
Su Wu bowed to Tao Fang Ao and she rushed back to the bedchamber.
Tao Fang Ao stood at the door crazily happy. He hoped Su Wu didn't say Tao Tu Yun loved him because Su Wu was worried he wouldn't save Tao Tu Yun's life. He wanted to hear Tao Tu Yun tell him she loved him from her own mouth.
Two days later, Tao Tu Yun woke up.
'Su Wu...' Tao Tu Yun called weakly.
'Mistress, you're awake,' Su Wu said. 'You slept for two days. Do you want me to call the physician?'
Su Wu helped Tao Tu Yun sit up on the bed.
'I'm alright,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Su Wu, in the last two days did he sleep in the calligraphy room?'
'Yes mistress,' Su Wu said.
'Su Wu, I think it's better if I go home,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'I miss my parents, and I don't want them to worry about me.'
'Mistress, wait another month,' Su Wu said. 'Second master Tao can escort you home after the wedding. Your parents will be happy to see you and second master Tao.'
'Su Wu, is lady Tao awake?' elder Jiang asked from the door.
'Yes elder Jiang,' Su Wu said. 'You can come inside and see mistress.'
Elder Jiang walked into the bedchamber and he felt sad to see Tao Tu Yun looked ill.
'Lady Tao, you look ill,' elder Jiang said.
Su Wu and elder Jiang exchanged a look and sighed.
'Of course mistress looks ill,' Su Wu said. 'It's because of second master Tao.'
'Lady Tao, second master Tao has been moody since he fought with you,' elder Jiang said. 'Second master Tao took out his temper on the servants because he's worried about you. The servants are scared to serve him.'
'Elder Jiang, do you think he is willing to see me?' Tao Tu Yun asked.
'Yes lady Tao,' elder Jiang said. 'If you go see second master Tao, you'll make the servants' work lives easier.'
Su Wu chose a warm red cape, and she draped it around Tao Tu Yun's shoulders.
Feng Yu knocked on the door.
'Lady Tao,' Feng Yu called anxiously from the door.
'Su Wu, open the door for Feng Yu,' Tao Tu Yun said.
Su Wu opened the door and Feng Yu walked into the bedchamber. Feng Yu was scared to see elder Jiang too.
'Lady Tao, I...' Feng Yu said. 'Everyone needs to come to second master Tao's calligraphy room immediately. Mistress put lust powder into second master Tao's bowl of soup.'
'What?' elder Jiang asked and ran to the calligraphy room.
'Su Wu, Feng Yu, we should follow elder Jiang too,' Tao Tu Yun said.
***
Elder Jiang, Tao Tu Yun, Su Wu and Feng Yu ran into the calligraphy room. They saw a flipped table, a broken bowl of soup and they heard Li Tai Fang's whimpering out of fear.
Elder Jiang supported the sweaty Tao Fang Ao.
'Second master Tao, are you alright?' elder Jiang asked.
'Order the guards to imprison Li Tai Fang in the storage room,' Tao Fang Ao instructed. 'I'll deal with her later.'
The guards imprisoned Li Tai Fang, and elder Jiang helped Tao Fang Ao walked to the bed in the calligraphy room.
'Second master Tao, you're impressive,' elder Jiang said. 'Even under the influence of lust powder, you can control your body for this long.'
Tao Fang Ao didn't hear elder Jiang's praise because he became unconscious on the bed.
'Elder Jiang, will he be alright?' Tao Tu Yun asked.
'Lady Tao, second master Tao needs you to take care of him tonight,' elder Jiang said.
Elder Jiang signalled Su Wu to leave the calligraphy room with him.
'Elder Jiang... Su Wu...' Tao Tu Yun called.
Tao Tu Yun sighed and sat on the bed next to Tao Fang Ao. She watched over him, and fell asleep on the bed in the middle of the night.
When Tao Fang Ao woke up, he was happy to see Tao Tu Yun sleeping next to him. He tenderly stroked her cheeks, and she stirred awake.
'You're awake,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Do you feel pain anywhere?'
'No,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Did you stay with me the whole time?'
Tao Fang Ao hadn't seen Tao Tu Yun for two days. He missed her and her complexion was still pale.
'Yes,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'I was worried about you. Why did lady Li give you lust powder?'
'Because she wants to use force to become my wife,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao remembered his head felt dizzy after eating a bowl of soup. Then Li Tai Fang entered the calligraphy room without his permission. Li Tai Fang shamelessly swayed her hips toward him. He flipped the table. Luckily elder Jiang ran into the calligraphy room and Li Tai Fang's plan failed.
'Tu Yun, tomorrow the truth will be exposed,' Tao Fang Ao said.
'Do you mean...' Tao Tu Yun said.
If Tao Fang Ao had evidence then he knew Tao Tu Yun was his real fiance. Was he going to reject her tomorrow?
'I'll explain everything tomorrow,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'My head is still dizzy. I can't escort you back to the bedchamber tonight. Sleep with me here tonight.'
Tao Tu Yun stood up abruptly.
'I can go back to the bedchamber on my own,' Tao Tu Yun said.
'Stay,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'I promise I won't touch you before the wedding. It's late so it's not safe for you to walk back to the bedchamber alone. Sleep with me here tonight.'
'But... the wedding isn't certain,' Tao Tu Yun said.
Tao Tu Yun's back faced Tao Fang Ao, because she didn't want him to see how hurt she felt thinking about him rejecting her.
'Is that so?' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Keep your eyes wide open and see what happens. Do you want to come back to the bed voluntarily or do you need my help?'
Tao Tu Yun understood Tao Fang Ao wasn't bluffing. She slowly laid on the bed and he hugged her tightly.
'Fang Ao...' Tao Tu Yun called and blushed.
'Don't move,' Tao Fang Ao warned. 'If you move, I won't keep my promise and I'll touch you tonight. Listen to me, close your eyes and sleep.'
Tao Tu Yun laid stiffly on Tao Fang Ao's chest. A while later, she fell asleep.
Tao Fang Ao kissed Tao Tu Yun's soft lips.
'I promise my wife is going to live a long life with me,' Tao Fang Ao whispered in Tao Tu Yun's ear.
The next morning, everyone in the Tao Manor gathered in a courtyard.
'If anyone has something to confess, confess now and I'll be lenient otherwise I'll hand you over to the magistrate,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Li Tai Fang refused to confess.
'Xiao Liang, present the evidence,' Tao Fang Ao said.
In the audience, Luo Bing Liang finally understood why Xiao Liang was missing from the Tao Manor for more than a month.
'Xiao Liang, tell everyone what happened when you went to Liu Yue province to investigate the truth,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Li Tai Fang's body shook after she heard Xiao Liang came back from Liu Yue province.
'Yes second master Tao,' Xiao Liang said. 'When I arrived at Liu Yue province, I went to see the head of Liu Yue province, who is lady Tao's father. Lady Tao's father gave me the letter that your father wrote to her father about her betrothal to you when she was a six-year-old.'
Xiao Liang passed the letter to Tao Fang Ao.
'I went to search for Lady Li's parents,' Xiao Liang said. 'At lady Li's parents' home, her parents said that lady Li ran away from home because she was unhappy with her betrothal to a man who isn't second master Tao.'
Xiao Liang captured Li Tai Fang before she could escape.
'Let go of me!' Li Tai Fang said. 'So what if I'm a fake? If Tao Tu Yun came here to end the betrothal, why can't she give second master Tao to me? Tao Tu Yun, why didn't you leave earlier if you don't want to marry second master Tao?'
'Close your mouth!' Tao Fang Ao ordered. 'I warned you, I won't be merciful to anyone who deceived me. Not only did you deceive me, but you sent a message to madam Zhang about Tu Yun going to see Dou Dou. Tu Yun almost died because of you! You also put lust powder in my soup. You're a wicked woman with a black heart. Even if you were my real fiance, I would end my betrothal with you. Guards, take her to the magistrate. I don't want to see her face again.'
'Feng Yu, you betrayed me!' Li Tai Fang said. 'I won't spare you!'
'Mistress, I'm sorry,' Feng Yu said. 'I didn't want you to continue making mistakes.'
'Fang Ao, can you spare Feng Yu?' Tao Tu Yun asked. 'Don't take Feng Yu to the magistrate.'
'Alright,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Guards kick Feng Yu outside the Tao Manor. In the future Feng Yu is not allowed to step foot inside the Tao Manor. Everyone else can leave.'
Tao Tu Yun understood Tao Fang Ao wanted everyone to leave except her. She followed him into the bedchamber.
'Fang Ao, did you know the truth since the beginning?' Tao Tu Yun asked.
'I suspected you're my real fiance but I needed evidence to prove Li Tai Fang was a fake,' Tao Fang Ao said.
Tao Fang Ao stood in front of Tao Tu Yun and he looked intensely into her eyes.
'Tu Yun, tell me, do you still want to end our betrothal?' Tao Fang Ao asked.
'I...' Tao Tu Yun said.
In the beginning, Tao Tu Yun thought there was no hope for her to live past nineteen so she wanted to end the betrothal. But after the truth was exposed, she felt sad that Tao Fang Ao wanted to end the betrothal.
'Good,' Tao Fang Ao said and hugged Tao Tu Yun. 'Since you didn't protest, we can have the wedding anytime.'
'Wait,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'There's something I hid from you.'
Tao Tu Yun pushed Tao Fang Ao away from her, and she prepared herself for rejection.
'Fang Ao, the reason why I wanted to end the betrothal is because I won't live past nineteen,' Tao Tu Yun said. 'Do you want to marry someone who only has less than three months to live?'
'Tu Yun, why didn't you come see me when you turned sixteen?' Tao Fang Ao said. 'If you came to see me sooner, I would have found a way to give you a long life sooner. Su Wu told me the truth already. I was waiting to hear the truth from your mouth. I want to marry you regardless of your health. I promise, you'll be living a long life with me. I'll hold hands with you to our old age.'
Tao Tu Yun cried happy tears. Suddenly she coughed out blood and fainted. Tao Fang Ao caught her before she fell on the ground.