Chapter 434 — Cold Sweat

Song Yan's gesture of filial piety was rare enough, and Dou Huaiying would not make things difficult for him. "I'll go alone," he said.

He was afraid Dou Bingheng might mistake this for Song Yan urging him on to Huai Tree Lane.

Seeing Dou Huaiying so set on it, Song Yan did not press. But the moment Dou Huaiying left Yunqi Temple Lane, he went straight to Jade Bridge Lane.

Dou Yan was out socializing with his colleagues.

Song Yan tracked him down at the tavern where he was drinking.

Dou Yan's attendant brought him out, his face flushed red with wine.

In the carriage, Song Yan told him that Dou Bingheng meant to recommend Dou Huaiying to tutor the Imperial Grandson.

The wine fled Dou Yan's head at once. "I'll go to Fifth Great-Uncle first thing tomorrow morning."

He had not imagined things could be so grave. At any moment the Dou family might be counted as partisans of the Crown Prince, or of the Prince of Liao.

Song Yan nodded. "Go back to your drinking. I'll be off."

But how could Dou Yan still have the heart to drink? He had Song Yan take him back to Jade Bridge Lane.

In the carriage, he said anxiously, "If Fifth Great-Uncle asks, I'll say these are simply observations I've made while attending to government affairs lately. I only wonder whether Fifth Uncle will listen?"

"Whether he listens or not, you must talk it over with him properly," Song Yan warned. "It isn't time yet to declare your position."

Dou Yan nodded.

The two parted at the mouth of Jade Bridge Lane.

Song Yan hurried back to Crane Cry Temple Lane.

Entering the inner chamber of the east wing, he found Dou Yan sitting with a bowl of squab soup.

The tantalizing aroma set Song Yan's stomach to rumbling.

Only then did he realize he had hardly eaten all day.

Dou Yan ordered the kitchen to bring Song Yan a meal.

Song Yan thought it too much trouble. "Just a few pastries will fill me up."

"How can that be?" Dou Yan came forward to help him off with his outer robe and called for a maid to bring water. "Look at you—you probably didn't even eat a proper lunch. You can't keep skimping like this. Do it long enough and you'll ruin your health."

As he spoke, the kitchen woman had already carried in a kang table.

A table full of dishes: minced pork with pickled greens and soybeans, braised pork tripe with garlic, steamed eggplant mash, oiled sesame chicken… all freshly made.

Song Yan was astonished.

Ganlu smiled. "The woman who brought the food said that when the master came home from the yamen and did not see the young lord, he remarked that the young lord surely could not eat well in the palace, and told the kitchen staff not to let the stove fire die, but to keep ready to serve at any moment."

Song Yan fell silent for a moment at these words. Then he looked up and smiled at Dou Yan.

Dou Yan's heart melted entirely; smiling, he urged Song Yan to sit down on the kang.

Song Yan lowered his head and ate heartily.

Dou Huaiying returned.

Song Yan and Dou Yan rose hastily.

"Sit, sit—eating comes first." Seeing one of them at his meal and the other seated nearby with her needlework, Dou Huaiying craned his neck toward the inner chamber. "Where is Yuan? Asleep?"

"Just gone down," Dou Yan said, taking the tea a maid offered and setting it before Dou Huaiying.

"Good, good." Dou Huaiying's face was full of contentment. "A child who eats and sleeps well will grow tall." Then he motioned Song Yan to sit. "Eat your meal. Pay me no mind."

Song Yan looked over the lavish dishes, smiled, and sat down, eating with easy confidence.

Dou Huaiying watched with a faint smile. When Song Yan had finished, the two moved to the small study where Song Yan lodged. Dou Huaiying recounted his visit to Huai Tree Lane: "...I came straight to the point with Fifth Brother. He was a little displeased, but seeing how firm I was, he said no more—only told me to think it through carefully, lest I regret it later."

Song Yan smiled. "And will you regret it, Father-in-law?"

"A little, certainly." Dou Huaiying smiled. "But more than regret, I fear a troubled conscience."

Perhaps that was why Dou Huaiying had lived all these years with no one in his household.

Song Yan brewed tea for him himself, and sat with him discussing court affairs and laughing over the foibles of the various officials.

Dou Huaiying found the evening thoroughly pleasant. He looked in on Yuan Heng, told them to retire early, and departed beaming.

After washing up, Song Yan and Dou Yan leaned against the great bolster on the kang by the window and talked.

"Why are you back so late?"

"I came out of the palace and went by the Lu residence." Song Yan told Dou Yan how he had asked Princess Ninghuai to arrange a match for Jiang Yan.

Dou Yan thought that although Jiang Yan had just suffered a great calamity and need not think of marriage so soon, it would still be good if she could find a decent family and have the betrothal settled early. She smiled. "When I get back, I'll start preparing Sister Yan's dowry."

Her words stirred up Song Zhi's worries once more.

"Tomorrow I'll go to Father and have Song Han return Mother's dowry," he said.

Dou Yan said, "I'm afraid they won't be so easy to talk to over there."

"That's not for them to decide," Song Yan said coldly. "If the palace hadn't known about this, it would have been one thing. But now that they know, even if I force Song Han to return Mother's dowry, the palace will only turn a blind eye."

That much was true.

Dou Yan nodded. "I'll return to the residence tomorrow. The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess both sent gifts for Yuan Heng's third-day washing and his full-month celebration. Having completed my confinement, I ought to enter the palace and give thanks. I never expected that just as Yuan Ge turned one month old, Father would send someone to fetch us. The Mid-Autumn Festival is nearly upon us. If I waited until then to thank the Crown Princess when I happened to meet her, it would seem far too insincere."

Song Sui thought of Dou Huaiying's satisfied smile just now and laughed. "What conflict is there between entering the palace to give thanks and taking Yuan Ge back to your parents' home to be formally introduced? Have Ganlu and the others go back to the residence to fetch your lady's ceremonial robes, and you can go straight from the Yunqi Temple alley into the palace."

Dou Yan could not help laughing. "When a person gets a notion stuck in their head, they turn muddled. Then I'll submit my request card tomorrow? If I can see the Empress Dowager, it will be a good chance to thank her as well. Song Han's marriage was her idea, after all!"

When these super-rank titled ladies entered the palace, custom dictated that they pay their respects at the Cining Palace to the Empress Dowager. Whether the Empress Dowager received them depended on her mood, so they did not always get to see her.

Song Ran nodded.

The next day Dou Yan submitted her request card.

That very afternoon a eunuch came to tell her to enter the palace early the following morning.

It was remarkably quick.

Dou Huaiying laughed. "It seems the Ying Zhenguo Estate really does have face before the Emperor."

Dou Yan smiled with pursed lips.

Then a steward came from the Ying Zhenguo Estate to ask Song Yan and Dou Yan to return, saying that in the next couple of days they would go to the Miao family to present the betrothal gifts.

As Song Han's elder brother and sister-in-law, they needed to return and help, especially Dou Yan, who would have to entertain the ladies who came to offer congratulations.

Dou Yan agreed to return to the residence in three days.

But when Song Yan returned, he sent someone back to the Ying Zhenguo Estate with a message: "The child is still small, and the house will be full of music and theatrical troupes. What if the child is frightened? Besides, my wife must enter the palace early tomorrow morning. It will be enough for me to go back."