Chapter 276 — Audacity

"This one is Chang Wu," the man outside the door said politely. "A fire broke out nearby, and Master Tao was worried about the Madam, fearing some mishap might have befallen her, so he sent us over to have a look."

The slaughter between Song Cen and Song Zhi in the year of Wuwu had been like a touchstone—it had not only tested which way people's hearts leaned, but had also tested where everyone in the Yingzhen Ducal House stood.

The Yingzhen Ducal House and the Yizhi Hall were one family to the outside world, but behind closed doors they were rivals.

A fire had broken out at the Yingzhen Ducal House—so why was it Master Tao's people who had come to inquire after the Madam's health, instead of Master Yan sending someone to ask whether the Madam was all right?

This was not in keeping with common sense!

The young servant could not help staring at Wuyi in bewilderment.

Wuyi had already cried out "This is bad!" Shouting "Songluo," he leapt up and ran toward the tightly shut main gate. "Go tell the Madam at once—tell her that old dog Tao Jun has sent men, wanting to take advantage of the chaos to harm her. Tell her to find somewhere to hide quickly, and to think of a way to get word to Master Yan." As he spoke, his body, like a slab of stone, struck the door leaf with a heavy thud. "Come help me, quick—we can't let those men force their way in." He braced the door with his shoulder.

Everyone had seen with their own eyes how the Heir respected the Madam.

If something happened to the Madam while she was in their hands…

At this moment, the young servants in the main courtyard dared not let their thoughts go further. Before Wuyi's words had even faded, they were already running over one after another, imitating Wuyi, and pressing their bodies desperately against the door.

The commotion outside drew a reaction, and the true face was revealed. They not only cursed and swore with shameless coarseness, but also kicked and battered at the gate with whatever they could find, trying to break it open.

Songluo's face turned ashen. She dared not linger a moment longer; mustering all the strength she had, she ran toward the principal chamber, shouting as she ran, "Madam, trouble! Tao Jun means to harm you in the chaos—hide yourself, quickly!"

Dou Yan and Suxin, who had been in the middle of a conversation, were greatly startled and, without a word between them, shoved their feet into their shoes and ran out.

"What has happened?" Dou Yan asked, looking at Songluo, who was gasping for breath before her.

Songluo hurriedly recounted all that had happened.

Dou Yan's expression turned chill. Inwardly, though, she was full of misgivings.

For a subordinate to turn against his superior—that was a great taboo. Tao Jun could not possibly be ignorant of it. Even if it were Song Cen's command, would he not fear dirtying his hands and bringing infamy upon his sons and grandsons? Moreover, Song Cen was not even in the residence at the moment; when the time came, Song Cen could simply wash his hands of it, and the whole affair would become Tao Jun's own scheme. Was he truly so utterly loyal to Song Cen? And besides, she was merely Song Zhi's wife—even if she died, would that reverse anything in the struggle between Song Cen and Song Yan? On the contrary, Song Yan could use this affair to make an issue of it and press Song Cen hard.

Suxin, hearing this, was horrified. She said urgently, "Madam, let me go and have a look."

"We will go together," Dou Yan said.

The Yizhi Hall, too, was divided into inner and outer courtyards, and the principal chamber stood at the very center of the inner courtyard—a four-tiered, five-bay compound with two side rooms, with a covered passage between the main gate and the ornamental gate, a distance of some ten zhang. If there was trouble, they would still have a chance to fall back.

"Madam…" Suxin and Songluo said in unison, both opposing her going.

"In an emergency, one must act as the moment demands. I need to see the situation before I can decide what to do. Don't dawdle and waste time. We may well need to arrange for someone to go to Master Yan for help."

Of Suxin there was no need to speak; Songluo, too, had lived through the events of the year of Wuwu and had grown considerably more mature and steady. Both knew that Dou Zhiwei's words made sense. Suxin summoned Sulai, while Songluo took up the bar of the ornamental gate and followed close behind Dou Zhiwei, and together the several of them went out through the ornamental gate.

The cursing and shouting outside grew clearer and clearer.

Dou Yan came to a halt.

These could not be guards of the Yingzhen Ducal House.

The Yingzhen Ducal House could not possibly have recruited guards so vulgar.

Her expression shifted slightly.

Someone in the Shuntian Prefecture had broken into the jail… a fire had broken out at the Yingzhen Ducal House… Tao Jun and Yan Che had each led the guards under their command to fight the fire… and she had come under attack… It was as if an invisible hand had strung all these things together.

Gazing at Wuyi and the others, whose faces were flushed red and who had put forth all their strength yet still could not keep the tottering gate from shaking, Dou Yan gave her orders in a low, steady voice: "Find some wooden poles and prop the gate shut. All of you, fall back to the ornamental gate and hold it to the death."

The pressing matter now was to find a way to get word to Master Yan.

Suxin and Sulai were skilled enough, but they were, after all, young women, and she needed people to guard her side as well. And if other people were sent to climb the wall and get out, there was no telling whether ambushes lay in wait outside.

Dou Yan's mind raced. She and Suxin and Sulai hurriedly retreated back into the main courtyard.

Songluo had shouted all along the way, and everyone in the courtyard knew that ruffians had attacked the main courtyard. Ganlu and the others were scared white, but Lu Yi's wife and several of the rough-working women had, at some point, fetched cleavers and fire pokers from the kitchen and crowded around Dou Yan, all talking at once: "Madam, say but the word and we will fight them to the death! I refuse to believe anyone would dare make trouble in the Yingzhen Ducal House!" They looked rather like the proverbial frog at the bottom of the well, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth—hardly like people about to stake their lives against villains, but rather like the servant women of a wealthy household setting out to catch an adulteress.

At such a tense moment, looking at the earnest faces before her, Dou Yan could not help but burst into a giggle.

Everyone looked at one another.

Dou Yan's eyes stung faintly, and her heart surged with emotion.

All her life she had been proud and unbending; the closer she came to the brink of life and death, the less she would admit defeat.

Dou Yan looked upon those faces—some frightened, some agitated, some indignant, some furious—and her heart swelled with boundless valor.

Suxin and Sulai were skilled, but they were the cards she held close to her chest, and she had no intention of exposing them. Now that she had Lu Yi's wife and the rest, she was certain that the inner courtyard of the Yingzhen Ducal House would be a lively place hereafter.

If she had felt some fear before, now she was filled with boundless valor.

"Good!" she laughed aloud. "If those ruffians dare to force their way in, we shall see to it that none of them ever returns!"

Everyone's spirits rose at once.

Dou Yan stood on the steps of the principal chamber, waiting for Wuyi and the others to fall back to the ornamental gate.

Ash from the great fire drifted in the air, making it hard to breathe, stifling and oppressive.

A sudden spark of inspiration flashed through her mind.