Chapter 214 — Three Days

"Brother Tianci, do you really not want to marry Wang Dahai's sister?" Gu Yu asked, an apple stuffed in his mouth, his words mushy and indistinct. "The Wangs are all good-looking, and Wang Dahai's sister can't be much worse. Don't go making a mess of things and end up married to Jingyi! Pretty as Jingyi is, her temper's the sort that expects the whole world to turn around her. Jingfu's a good sort, but whether in looks or temperament, she's rather ordinary." So saying, he lunged toward Song Yan's desk and gave him an ambiguous wink. "Want me to think of something for you, so you end up with Consort Shu's Jingtai or Consort Chen's Fuyuan? Jingtai is so beautiful—put Jingyi beside her and it's gold and silver against fine jade; but put Jingfu beside her and it's plainly wood against precious stone! Fuyuan may not be as pretty as Jingtai and Jingyi, but her temper is good! When she was very small, Consort Shu herself taught her to read the Admonitions for Women. If you married her, you might one day have the good fortune of Feng Jian, the Earl of Yongcheng. How did you come to set your heart on Jingfu? No wonder Consort Ning was willing to offend my aunt this time just to marry Jingfu to you..."

Feng Jian, the Earl of Yongcheng, had married Princess Yongping, the elder sister of Emperor Taizong. Princess Yongping was virtuous and magnanimous. After she and Feng Jian were wed, she not only served her parents-in-law with filial piety and kept peace among the sisters-in-law, but also cared most generously for the concubines Feng Jian took. Feng Jian's children by concubines alone numbered more than twenty. The Emperor Taizong once praised her, and she became a model for the imperial house, her story passed down as a celebrated tale of the age.

Song Yan listened in a kind of daze.

Yes—how was it that he had come to set his heart on Princess Jingfu?

Dou Yi had once told him to marry either Princess Fuyuan or Princess Jingtai.

But when he learned that Princess Jingfu was two years younger than himself, he had suddenly decided to marry Princess Jingfu.

Or perhaps, in his heart, because Princess Jingfu was younger than he, they would not be able to wed so soon. At least he would not take a wife before Dou Yan was married off...

Dou Yan—what was she doing now?

Today was the day of Dou Ming's three-day return to her natal home after the wedding.

※※※※※

Dou Yan was sitting with her aunt and cousin, listening to Sulan recount what had happened in the Jining Marquis's household.

"...The eldest young master is truly formidable. The moment he saw the Marquis of Jining acknowledge the Fifth Miss, he demanded the marriage contract from the Wei family." Sulan took a sip of tea and went on. "The heir's wife of Duke Jing's household would not agree, but the heir of Duke Jing's household stopped her. The eldest young master, the heir of Duke Jing's household, Magistrate Ji, the Marquis of Yan'an, and the Second Master of the Jing Town Defender's Estate all went together to the Marquis of Jining's study to discuss redrawing the marriage contract, leaving the heir's wife of Duke Jing's household behind in the hall. She flew into a rage on the spot. She found a feather duster and beat the Marquis of Jining about the head and face without mercy, so that even the Fifth Miss was struck dumb with shock. Yet the Marquis of Jining did not dare so much as grunt; he simply let the heir's wife of Duke Jing's household beat him. The Fifth Miss wanted to step forward and stop her, and was beaten too. Later, when they were acknowledging kin, the red welts on the back of the Fifth Miss's hand had still not faded!" Here she pursed her lips and smiled. "The way the heir's wife of Duke Jing's household looked, it didn't seem to me that she struck the Fifth Miss by accident. It looked deliberate."

However you heard it, her tone carried a certain gloating.

Zhao Zhangru giggled.

.

Sulan hurriedly sat up straight.

Dou Yan and her aunt could not help laughing either. Her aunt said gently, "It is rare to find such a guileless heart as Sulan's. You need not be too hard on her."

Suxin had no choice but to murmur her assent.

Sulan shot her sister a smug look, then said solemnly, "I had meant to come back last night to bring you word, but those coarse serving women of the Wei household, on the orders of the heir's wife of Duke Jing's household, kept us under watch. I was afraid the Wei family might grow suspicious and involve the young lady, so I spent the night in the Wei house with the other maids who came as part of the dowry, and came back with the Fifth Miss first thing this morning. Ganlu feared that if we all came back, something might go amiss with the young lady's dowry, so she and Liuyun and the others stayed behind in the Jining Marquis's household and will come back together with the young lady's dowry."

Dou Yan nodded slightly.

Though the sisters had traded places in marriage, the two households of Wei and Dou observed every courtesy due between them, without a single omission.

At first light they had sent Dou Wenchang to fetch Dou Ming home for the return visit.

The Fifth Madame, fearing the aunt would be embarrassed, invited her to stay a few days at the Huai Tree Alley residence, but her aunt refused. "My Shouyuan has done nothing wrong, so why should she give way for Ming? If Ming feels no shame, what have I to blush for?"

One sentence, and the Fifth Madame was silenced.

The Fifth Madame could not help feeling somewhat awkward.

The Sixth Madame, not wishing to put Dou Yan in a difficult position, stepped in to smooth things over. "If that is so, then Aunt, why not go and keep Shouyuan company? With someone by her side to talk intimately with, she will feel better."

So Madame Zhao led her daughter to Dou Yan's rooms.

The Fifth Madame, the Sixth Madame, and the other women of the Dou family in the capital all dressed in their finest and attended, entertaining Dou Ming, the newly made young madam of the house.

Dou Ming's elder uncle, Wang Zhibing, did not come; the women of the Wang family came over with Dou Ming's younger uncle, Wang Zhishao.

Her aunt then praised Sulan. "It is rare, at your tender age, to have such a glib tongue and such clear order in your telling—everything explained plainly." She had the old nurse who attended her reward Sulan with two taels of silver.

Sulan received the silver in transports of delight, thanked her again and again, and withdrew with her sister, leaving Dou Yan to speak privately with her aunt and cousin.

Though matters had come to such a pass that her aunt too felt the engagement with the Wei family need not be salvaged, hearing that Wei Fan had acknowledged Dou Ming so quickly still left her somewhat uneasy at heart.

She gave a long sigh. "Shouyuan, what do you mean to do from here?"

Dou Yan thought that if at such a moment she said something like "I shall never marry again," her aunt would certainly take it as a sign that she had been wounded, and would feel all the worse.

"First I shall go back to Zhending!" she said with a smile. Then, opening her eyes wide, "And then I shall keep my eyes peeled for a good match!"

Seeing her still so hopeful, her aunt set down half the weight that had been pressing on her heart.

※※※※※

Seeing Song Yan somewhat lost in thought, Gu Yu could not help waving a hand before his eyes.

"Brother Tianci, come back to yourself, come back!" He chuckled. "Don't tell me you're thinking of your bride?"

Song Yan rapped him sharply on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting?" Yet the tips of his ears suddenly flushed red, and he picked up an apple and thrust it into Gu Yu's hand. "Eat your apple and spare me the drivel!"

Gu Yu felt he had guessed Song Yan's thoughts aright.