Chapter 473 — Where I Go

The matter of investigating Liang Jifen would have to be set aside for the time being.

Song Yan was deeply vexed by this.

Returning from the New Year's feast at the palace, he could not resist whispering to Dou Yan in the carriage: "Tell me, how on earth did Uncle offend Liang Jifen? Uncle was persecuted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and yet he just stood by and watched..."

For all these years, the Duke of Dingguo's wrongful death and the Duke of Yingguo's turning against them had been knots in Song Yan's heart; until they were untied, he could know no peace.

Dou Yan took Song Yan's hand and comforted him gently: "Since we have already found the man, the outcome is only a matter of time. Don't be so anxious."

Song Yan nodded and gave a soft sigh.

Then Dou Yan spoke of her visit to the palace: "...the Crown Princess was most warm. In front of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress, she invited me to bring the child into the palace to see the lanterns on the Lantern Festival. The Empress Dowager chuckled and looked delighted, but the Empress acted as though she had not heard a word, talking to Lady Changxing the whole while." She gave a bitter smile. "I fear His Highness Prince Zhaohua has plans of his own!"

She had taken the palace coup far too lightly before.

She had always thought the Crown Prince naive and weak, and that this was why he had been outmaneuvered by the Prince of Liao.

But after these several dealings with the Crown Princess, she realized things might not be as she had imagined.

The reason she could so firmly believe that she and Song Yan, united in purpose, could weather this trial had much to do with her conviction that she had glimpsed the workings of Heaven. Now, at this moment, she could not help feeling a little uneasy.

"Unless the Prince of Liao means to attack from outside the city, he has no way around the Jinwu Guard and the Five Cities Garrison," she continued. "His Highness may well know this too, and that is why he wants to keep you close at hand. We must prepare for the worst."

Only now did Dou Yan grasp the importance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Regional Military Commission.

In the end she said with feeling, "If only my husband were still in the Commission!"

"When the schemer moves against the unsuspecting, even a Chen Zanzhi with three heads and six arms could not prevail," Song Ke said, taking it for granted. "Better to yield the post as he has done—it shows weakness to the Prince of Liao and preserves Chen Zanzhi's life besides." At this he grew a little impatient. "Does Chen Zanzhi treat A Yan well? Why has A Yan not come to visit?"

Dou Yan laughed heartily. "A Yan has been married less than a month, and the New Year is upon us. She is a bride—how would she have time to come home? Once the Lantern Festival is past, we will fetch her back for a good stay of several days." She laughed again. "If there is anything you want to ask her, tell me now, so you won't be turning it over and over in your mind when the time comes."

Song Yan laughed awkwardly. "I meant nothing else by it. So long as that Chen Zanzhi treats A Yan well, I will not treat him shabbily."

"I know," Dou Yan teased him. "I know you have always been generous to others—then on the second day of the New Year, come with me to pay our respects to the Old Madam!"

"Naturally," Song Yan said. "I heard the Old Madam is fond of flowers and plants, so I had several pots of narcissus prepared early and told them to find a way to keep them growing, so they will bloom by the second day."

Dou Yan was delighted, and she and Song Yan talked of New Year's tips and Yuan Heng's red envelopes, and the mood gradually turned merry again. By the time the two stepped down from the carriage, Song Yan's face was all smiles, and that night he and Dou Yan tangled twice most affectionately in bed.

Because it was the New Year, Yan Che and Zi Aifeng had both left the residence. Chen Yanzhou, alone in the world, was cadging meals at Duan Bing's. By day he ate, drank, and chatted with the visitors who came to pay their New Year respects to Duan Bing and his mother; by night he returned home alone, took out the clues he had gathered these past days concerning the Duke of Dingguo's death, and pored over them by lamplight.

Song Cen, meanwhile, was running about hither and thither, hoping to secure a post for Song Han.

Soon the fifteenth of the first month arrived.

Chang'an Street was lined with flower lanterns.

Fearing Yuan Heng would be chilled by the reckless cold wind atop the city gate, Dou Yan held her son and watched the lanterns only a short while before making the excuse of feeling unwell and coming down from the gate.

Yuan Heng, however, was just getting excited, squirming and babbling in Dou Yan's arms, and no coaxing would soothe him. The third imperial grandson, by contrast, had long since fallen asleep in his nurse's arms, yawning.

The Crown Princess told the eldest imperial grandson to give Yuan Heng the octagonal revolving lantern of colored glaze in his hand to play with.

The eldest imperial grandson was a boy who looked gentle and obedient. It was said he could recognize characters at three and read writing at five, and that he studied so well that the Emperor was greatly pleased and rewarded him with several inkstones.

At her words he smiled faintly and readily handed the lantern to the servant attending Dou Yan.

Barring mishap, the eldest imperial grandson was the future sovereign.

How would Dou Yan dare accept it? She declined again and again.

The eldest imperial grandson laughed. "It's all right. Last year Grandfather Imperial also rewarded me with a palace lantern like this, only it bore the picture of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. This one—let He-ge take it and play."

His voice was warm and gentle as jade, and those who heard it felt fond of him at once.

As a mother, Dou Yan felt a pang of grief she could not suppress.

Such a fine child, and in the end he would starve to death in Zhongcui Palace.

She thanked him respectfully and had Jin Gui take the palace lantern.

Yuan Heng was at once captivated by the lantern spinning round and round, and he twisted his little body about, trying to poke at it.

The eldest imperial grandson found it amusing and told Jin Gui to lift the lantern in front of Yuan Heng.

"No!" the Crown Princess said quickly. "Mind the light does not hurt He-ge's eyes."

The eldest imperial grandson's face flushed crimson at once, and he glanced at Dou Yan in embarrassment.

Dou Yan gave him a way out, saying with a smile, "Her Highness is more careful than I. It never occurred to me."

The moment her words fell, she heard the eldest imperial grandson let out a soft breath of relief.

The corners of Dou Yan's mouth curved up slightly, and the party made its way to the warm pavilion not far from the city gate.

All along the way hung palace lanterns of every kind, brilliant as stars. Yuan Heng stared at them without blinking, long since forgetting the octagonal revolving lantern of colored glaze the eldest imperial grandson had given him. Once they entered the warm pavilion, he yawned again and again; before the maid serving tea had withdrawn, his eyelids had already drooped in sleep.

The Crown Princess smiled and stroked Yuan Heng's little head. "This child has the same nature as our third son—he can eat, he can sleep, and he can make a fuss. Who knows what temper he will have when he grows up!"

Dou Xin smiled and said nothing.

The Crown Princess instructed Yuan Heng's wet nurse: "Let little He sleep beside the Third Imperial Grandson. Holding him like that, he can't sleep comfortably!"

Though the Emperor had graciously allowed Dou Yan, who had a child with her, and the Crown Princess to leave the city gate early, there was no place in the palace for Yuan Heng to rest.