Chapter 293 — Ripples
Purple Streets of Chang'an Page 1 of 2
After their fierce lovemaking, Dou Yan was drawn into Song Yan's embrace.
Song Yan's hand drifted idly over the delicate curves of Dou Yan's body, utterly without any thought of sleep.
What exactly was the Prince of Liao after?
Liaodong was rich in resources—white mountains and black waters, far from the capital, with many soldiers and capable generals, a realm unto itself. When the enfeoffment had first been decided, the Emperor had weighed the matter again and again before making his decision.
If the man were merely short of money, he could simply have seized a few of the coal mines beyond the pass for himself; if he feared the strife of the court would sour the bond between father and son, he could easily have shown his filial devotion through Empress Yi's customary channels...
Could it be, as Dou Yan had guessed, that the Emperor was already beyond all cure, and that the Prince of Liao feared the Crown Prince would move against him once he ascended—and so was making preparations in advance?
Or did he have some other design?
At the thought of that "other design," Song Yan sat bolt upright in alarm.
The quilt slid away, and cold air rushed in, drawing a sleepy murmur from Dou Yan.
Song Yan hurried to cover her again and patted her gently. Only when she turned over and sank back into sleep did he let out a long breath.
If only Dou Yan would wake—the two of them could talk.
He bent down and kissed the corner of Dou Yan's temple, only to be answered by a disgruntled mumble.
Song Yan laughed despite himself, feeling much better, and, throwing a robe over his shoulders, leaned against the headboard and fell to brooding.
Little by little, the light in the inner chamber brightened.
From outside came the sounds of the maids rising and washing.
Dou Yan, long accustomed to waking at the sixth hour, opened her eyes and saw Song Yan sitting quietly beside her.
His expression was grave, and in the dim light of the curtained bed his bright eyes sparkled like stars, lending his whole face a vividness that was yet tinged with a serene beauty.
Dou Yan admired him in silence for a good while before turning over.
Hearing the movement, Song Yan looked down and met Dou Yan's shining eyes.
He could not help smiling. "You're awake? Shall I get you a cup of warm water?"
"Yes!" Dou Yan relished being waited on.
Still naked, Song Yan got out of bed and poured her a cup of tea.
Dou Yan's gaze flicked over his waist and lower body, and then she pressed her lips together and smiled.
"What are you laughing at?" Song Yan handed her the water and sat on the edge of the bed watching her drink it all.
"Nothing." Dou Yan lay back down, smiling up at him, and asked about the day before. "...How did your talk with the Earl of Donglin go?"
"Quite well," Song Yan said. "He took me for a spoiled young lord who knows nothing of the world, and urged me not to act on impulse—said he and Magistrate Huang would discuss it first before deciding whether the Yingzhenguo Manor should put up a heavy bounty. But to keep them from shifting the blame back and forth, I've decided to go to the palace today and ask the Emperor for a few garrison posts as rewards."
Before he had gone to see the Earl of Donglin, he had spoken with Dou Yan about the bounty.
"The Earl of Donglin's misgivings are not without reason," she said. "Some men will kill for no more than a full meal—how much more so when there's a bounty to be had and a recommendation into the garrisons to eat the Emperor's grain besides. You truly cannot afford to be careless."
Song Yan nodded. "Rest easy. I know what I'm doing."
Dou Yan had always trusted Song Yan's abilities, so she asked no more and began urging him, "Put on some clothes, quick. You'll catch cold. I want to call the maids in to help me wash and dress."
Song Yan chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Sleep a while longer! There are no elders in this house anyway. I'll go to the palace after breakfast. If anyone asks after me, just tell them the truth."
"I know," Dou Yan said, having no real wish to get up. "Just spread the word, right?"
"Clever girl!" Song Yan chatted with her about all sorts of trifles that meant nothing yet delighted him immensely. "It seems from now on I must tell you everything. As the saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang. With the two of us putting our heads together, we might well match a Zhuge Liang ourselves..."
He rambled on for a good while before finally dressing and going to breakfast.
Dou Yan lay under the quilt and smiled, and with a sweet heart she drifted back to sleep.
Sure enough, the Earl of Donglin and Huang Qi each sent men to inquire after Song Yan. Learning that he had gone to the palace, the two of them waited at the yamen as if by prior agreement.
By afternoon, word came from the palace: the Emperor had graciously granted Song Yan three slots for junior officers in the Five Guards Battalion.
The two men drew a sharp breath. One, his face ashen, ordered his servant to send a card to the Earl of Donglin inviting him to dine at the Donglaishun Restaurant; the other urged his servant to send a card to Huang Qi inviting him to drink at the Zuixian Tower.
And at that very moment, Ji Yong was sitting in a private room at the Donglaishun Restaurant, dining with a burly, rough-hewn fellow.
The man was surnamed Xun, given name Zhong, proprietor of the Ping'an Escort Agency, the largest in the capital, and one of the many men of all trades and callings the Ji family had fostered in the capital, ordinarily charged with gathering intelligence for them.
Only after Ji Yong had passed the imperial examination could he openly make use of the Ji family's connections in the capital.
When he heard that Ji Yong wanted him to help gather information on the thieves who had robbed the Yingzhenguo Manor, Xun Zhong could only smile bitterly. "My lord, if anyone knew anything about those thieves, they'd have gone straight to the Yingzhenguo Manor to claim the reward—where would there be anything left for us to pick up?"
Ji Yong was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"It's all over the capital by now. To catch the culprits, the heir of the Yingzhenguo Manor has posted a heavy bounty for word of the fugitive thieves—starting at a thousand taels of silver, with a chance at a recommendation into the army besides. The martial men of the capital, black path and white path alike, are all leaving the city. Some fear the authorities will seize them as thieves and make them scapegoats, so they're hurrying out to lie low; some are heading for Cangzhou to sniff out the thieves' trail, hoping to win themselves promotion and fortune; and some have let it be known they'll pay three thousand taels of silver for a thief's corpse, asking only for a chance to speak with the heir of the Yingzhenguo Manor... The capital is in an uproar now. The old rules have been smashed to pieces, and precious few still care about the honor of the jianghu!" Xun Zhong counseled Ji Yong with a sigh. "My lord, anyone who wades into this now risks landing himself in trouble. The Dou family may be kin to ours by marriage, but matters have their weight and measure. The Dou family has been established in the capital for years—they surely have a few avenues of their own. I beg you to think twice before acting."
He assumed Ji Yong had come at the Dou family's behest to inquire after the thieves.
Who would have thought Song Yan could stir up such a storm? Two words alone—money and power—had turned the capital upside down.
Ji Yong could not help but fall silent.
A young lad dressed like an errand boy from an escort agency came running in, made a hasty bow to Ji Yong, then leaned close to Xun Zhong and whispered in his ear.
Xun Zhong's expression changed at once.