Chapter 99 — Resentment (Bonus Update for 870 Pink Votes)

Dou Zhiwei's tone was a little rushed, which made Chen Yanzhou deeply suspicious of where her information came from.

No wonder—had the Fifth Master said something to the Fourth Miss?

But he dismissed the thought at once.

How could Dou Bingheng possibly discuss matters of the imperial court with a niece who had not yet reached the age of capping?

He was puzzled.

Dou Yan realized her tone had been too urgent, her perfunctory air too thick, and could not help but heave a long sigh inwardly.

Her heart was still too hollow, her confidence too thin!

She could only say, tersely and to the point, "People say that too much wit borders on the uncanny... Sometimes thinking too much is not necessarily a good thing!"

Chen Yanzhou thought about it and found she was right.

Otherwise the Fourth Miss would not have bothered to explain herself to him.

When it came down to it, he had been the one overthinking.

Chen Yanzhou mocked himself inwardly, then asked about Dou Yan's future plans: "As for the Wang family—do you have any further instructions?"

"Let this matter rest for now." Dou Yan felt the fire had already been lit; fan it too hard and one might just snuff out the flame. Better to let it sit and burn slowly, then add fuel little by little, and perhaps the blaze would grow fiercer still. So she said, "Keep an eye on Zeng Yifen's health. If we could keep Wang Xingyi in Shaanxi, that would be ideal."

Who could enter the Grand Secretariat—the emperor's will certainly played the decisive role, but promotions that skipped ranks were, after all, rare. As long as Wang Xingyi remained in the provinces, his hopes of entering the Secretariat were slim, especially with so many others eyeing the prize like tigers. If even so he slipped smoothly into the Secretariat, one could only say his luck was too good—it was the will of Heaven.

Chen Yanzhou said, "You mean... we should get in touch with the Fifth Master?"

"My Fifth Uncle surely has long since made his own plans for this matter," Dou Yan said tactfully. "Even if we wished to help him, we lack both the standing and the ability. Our main task is to gather more information, so that if something changes, we won't be caught too far off guard."

"Understood." Chen Yanzhou smiled. "I'll find a way to have Fan Wenshu make more contact with the people at the main shop as well."

Dou Yan nodded.

Chen Yanzhou made two trips to the capital in succession, and both times brought back good news.

"First someone accused Wang Xingyi of falsely claiming military merit, then someone accused him of embezzling military pay." Sitting in the flower hall, drinking iced mung bean soup, his voice carried a note of ease. "The Emperor suppressed both memorials without acting on them, yet he sent his trusted eunuch Peng Qian to serve as supervising censor of the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission—clearly he still harbors some misgivings about the affair. So much so that when Zeng Yifen petitioned a few days ago to promote Wang Xingyi to Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the Emperor refused."

It seemed Zeng Yifen ultimately favored Wang Xingyi above all others.

Dou Yan asked, "Has my Fifth Uncle made any moves?"

"He's the same as ever with Zeng Yifen," Chen Yanzhou said.

Dou Yan murmured, "If we could eliminate Ji Yong's uncle Ji Song early on, perhaps the Ji family would support my Fifth Uncle..."

Chen Yanzhou was startled.

There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

He had not expected the Fourth Miss to have already found her footing on the threshold of officialdom!

But knowing a thing is one matter; putting it into practice is another. Like the retainers under those provincial governors—however fine their ideas, without the support of the governors themselves, they were nothing but cakes drawn in the air.

He could not help reminding Dou Yan: "Fourth Miss, even if Zeng Yifen and Ye Shipei took action themselves, they might not be able to eliminate a man like Ji Zirong early..."

Ji Song, courtesy name Zirong.

"I know!" Dou Yan said. "I'm just thinking out loud." She suddenly felt she was a little like those idlers in the capital who spent their days soaking in teahouses—full of fine talk, but with no idea where to even begin when it came to action.

And so time drifted slowly to the beginning of the eighth month. During this period Dou Huaiying sent two letters inquiring after Dou Ming. Dou Chu answered them one by one: "She studies with Master Song, and her calligraphy has improved greatly... She practices the pipa for an hour every day... Every few days she goes to the East Residence to pay her respects to the Second Madam Dowager, who is very fond of her. At the Ghost Festival, the Second Madam Dowager specially instructed that she accompany her to offer incense at Yuquan Temple... Sister Shu is betrothed; the groom's family is surnamed Wu, from Pingshan County. His ancestors produced a metropolitan graduate; he is three years older than Sister Shu and once studied at the Dou clan school. Dou Ming embroidered a pillow with twin lotus blossoms and gave it to Sister Shu."

Dou Huaiying was well pleased.

He instructed Dou Yan: "If she disobeys, feel free to discipline her. If she dares to talk back to you, tell her it was I who said so."

No matter who had actually said it, in the end it would be her alone who was resented.

Dou Yan paid Dou Huaiying no mind.

Ji Yong had returned.

He gave Dou Chu a red-lacquer box painted with gold, heavy as could be—Su Xin nearly dropped it when she took it.

Dou Ming laughed beside them. "Cousin Ji, what have you given my sister? So heavy! Could it be gold and jewels? Sister, open it quickly and let us see!"

Madam Ji shot Ji Yong a fierce glare, thinking that if he meant to give Dou Yan a gift, he ought to give something whose nature was plain at a glance, so as to spare people wild speculation and idle gossip.

But Ji Yong laughed heartily. "I've given your sister a fine thing. If the Fifth Miss is curious, why not open it and see?"

From his tone Dou Yan knew it was nothing good, and wanted to stop Dou Ming; but on second thought, recalling Dou Ming's willfulness, she simply let her open the box.

Inside lay a pair of iron balls, gleaming bright, each the size of a baby's fist.

Everyone in the room was struck dumb.

Smiling, Ji Yong took the pair of iron balls in hand and set them spinning.

The sound of the iron balls rose and fell, crisp and pleasing to the ear.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" He gazed at Dou Yan with a smiling face. "When there's nothing to do each day, twirling them about like this builds up the body. Fourth Sister won't need to walk laps around the courtyard anymore."

Was this something meant for a girl?

Dou Yan choked with anger. With a smile that was not a smile, she said "Many thanks," and had Su Xin put them away.

A flicker of disappointment passed through Ji Yong's eyes, but he quickly recovered his former cheer and showed Lady Ji a piece of Sichuan embroidery he had brought back from Baoding Prefecture: "...a blue-green weave with a few threads of crimson. When the weather turns cold in a few days, Aunt, you can make yourself a cloak—it will surely look lovely."

Ji Guan accepted it with a radiant smile.

Then came a peachwood hairpin for Granny Cui, a gold-inlaid jade bracelet for the Second Old Madam, prayer beads for the First Madam...

Dou Ming could not help but stare in dismay. "Cousin Ji, what about mine?"

Ji Yong thought for a moment, then smiled. "I brought something back for the Fifth Miss too." So saying, he instructed the page boy beside him: "Fetch the large velvet silk flowers from that 'Plum Blossom' chest."

The page boy answered and went off.

Dou Ming protested prettily, "Why is it only velvet silk flowers for me? Cousin Ji really plays favorites!"

Ji Yong laughed. "These are the only things I brought back. How about you trade with your sister?"