Chapter 494 — Year's End

Seeing the tenderness written all over Dou Yan's face, Song Yan's eyes flickered. He slipped an arm around Dou Zhiwei's shoulder and said with a smile, "Let's carry Yuanheng to the front hall!"

Dou Yan felt that Ji Yong's words were important.

She told Song Yan everything that had happened, down to the smallest detail.

Song Yan was somewhat surprised. His brows drew together, then quickly smoothed out again, and he praised with a smile, "He certainly lives up to his reputation for rare brilliance—with scarcely any contact with the Prince of Liao, he saw the Prince's ambitions at a single glance."

Ji Yong's cleverness was beyond doubt. Dou Yan nodded, then asked with some concern, "Is Song Han really so close to the Prince of Liao's household?"

The last time Song Han had waylaid Miao Anping with a club, he had been spotted by the men Xuan Ying had sent to watch him, and they had reported it to Song Yan—which was how Miao Anping had kept his life.

Song Yan gave an "mm" and smiled. "I was just worrying over how to get Song Han onto the Prince of Liao's boat without anyone noticing. And what does he do but run aboard himself before I could lift a finger? I suppose that counts as an unexpected harvest."

Dou Yan began to dimly understand Song Yan's intent.

She could not help sighing to herself.

Whether in this life or the last, Song Yan had never intended to let Song Han off.

Still, Song Han truly was a piece of work. Miao Anping might be a scoundrel, but his crimes did not warrant death—yet Song Han would ruin a man's life the moment he took offense. That was cruelty beyond measure.

They left the study together with Song Yan.

And there, face to face with them, stood Ji Yong in the middle of the courtyard, hands clasped behind his back, watching them with cold eyes.

Dou Yan started, then said, "You're still here?"

Ji Yong looked as though he could not be bothered with her. His gaze went straight to Song Yan. "In the blink of an eye, Yuanheng can talk already."

Song Yan answered "Indeed," his smile gentle and composed. Yet for some reason, Dou Yan felt that Song Yan was like a cat that had met its natural enemy, fur bristling with vigilance.

She could not help calling softly, "Yantang."

Song Yan turned back, smiled at her as if to soothe her, then turned to exchange pleasantries with Ji Yong. "I hear His Majesty has often kept you at the Palace of Heavenly Purity these days for conversation. However do you find the leisure today to come to Yunqi Temple Lane?"

Ji Yong gave a cold laugh. "Dou Huaide is my cousin. How should I not come?" He was all thorns.

Song Yan took it in stride and smiled. "You are most thoughtful, Magistrate Ji. The front hall has wine prepared—if you do not disdain it, you might stay and drink a cup or two." He was every inch the host.

The veins stood out on Ji Yong's forehead. Just when Dou Yan thought he would say something infuriating again, he smiled faintly instead, all his ferocity melting away, and reached out to pluck a camellia blossom. He walked over to Yuanheng.

"Isn't it pretty?" he asked Yuanheng with a beaming smile, handing the flower to the child. "Take it and give it to your maternal grandfather. He will be very pleased."

Yuanheng did not know Ji Yong, but Ji Yong's manner was exceedingly kind. He turned to look at Dou Yan.

Song Yan's lips pressed slightly together.

Dou Yan was caught between laughter and tears. She scolded, "Cousin Ji, flowers are for admiring, not for picking. Do not teach the child to pluck flowers."

Ji Yong sneered. "Admiring them, wearing them—so long as a thing is put to its fullest use, it is no waste. Yuanheng, don't listen to your mother. She is always prattling on without getting to the point. If you listen to her, you will grow up to be a pedantic old scholar. Take this flower. If your mother dares to pull a face at you, come and find me—I am your uncle!"

What sort of uncle was he supposed to be!

Dou Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Ji Yong had already pressed the flower into Yuanheng's hand. Then he patted the boy's head and turned to stride out of the courtyard.

When Ji Yong had patted his son's head, Song Yan had barely managed to keep himself from striking the man's hand away. Now, seeing Ji Yong gone, he calmly took the camellia Ji Yong had given Yuanheng and casually laid it on the beauty's seat beneath the covered corridor. He said "Let's go" to Dou Yan and carried Yuanheng toward the front hall.

Dou Yan was a clever woman, and she felt that Song Yan seemed a little sensitive where Ji Yong was concerned.

She meant to find a chance to speak with Song Yan about it, but no sooner had they reached the front hall than they encountered an utterly unexpected person—Kuang Zhuoran of Panyu.

He had come to the capital to sit for next year's spring examinations; arriving so early, his purpose was to pay his respects to Dou Yan, Dou Huaide, and Song Yan.

Dou Huaide was very taken with Kuang Zhuoran. He caught him by the arm and said, "Who knows? We may yet become fellow graduates of the same year!"

The company in the front hall were rather startled to hear this. "You mean to sit for the examination again next year?"

As a rule, someone in Dou Huaide's position, lacking full confidence, would sit out a session—for if he were to place as a mere tongjinshi, that would be no laughing matter.

Dou Huaide had discussed it with no one beforehand, and he confessed with a trace of guilt, "I mean to press my advantage!"

Dou Heng and Dou Huaiying both wore expressions of disapproval. Song Sui, feeling this was neither the time nor the place for such a discussion, smiled and asked Kuang Zhuoran, changing the subject: "When did you arrive in the capital? Where are you staying?"

Kuang Zhuoran was naturally quick-witted, and after the upheaval in his family he had grown all the more seasoned in his dealings. He hastened to answer with a smile, "I arrived only yesterday and am staying at an inn for the time being. I thought I would first call on Boyan and the other elders before renting a house..."

Dou Yan chimed in from the side, "Rent a house? Why not come and stay with me!"

For a time, Dou Huaide's matter was quite forgotten.

Dou Huaide's eyes flickered. He scooped up Yuanheng and went out into the courtyard to look at the fish.

Song Yan was thoughtful. That evening, when he returned home, he spoke of it to Dou Yan. "Tell me—could this have something to do with that married aunt of the Ji family?"

Dou Yan's heart gave a jump at his words. "Whatever made you think of that?"

Song Yan said, "When a man suddenly wants to stand on his own, what else could it be for, if not a woman?"

Dou Yan was overcome with shame.

First there was Song Yan, and now there was Ji Yong.

If he had not glimpsed the events of this life, he likely would never have perceived the palace coup at all—which showed that no matter how the world changed, the capable remained capable wherever they were placed.

Kuang Zhuoran moved in with Dou Yan for the time being, while Dou Huaide shut himself away to study; apart from one visit to Kuang Zhuoran, he did not set foot outside the Yunqi Temple alley again.

Dou Shi knew he would pass the imperial examination, so he paid no mind to the change in Dou Huaide.

She had Liu Zhang keep an eye on the changes in Song Han.

Tao Er's wife came with word that Jiang Yan had been diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse.

Dou Yan was overjoyed and set out with half a cartload of parcels and bundles to visit Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan, confined to the inner chambers by Chen Jia with nowhere permitted to go, blushed crimson at the sight of Dou Yan; she murmured for a long while, at a loss for what to say.

Dou Yan smiled brightly. After chatting with Jiang Yan about family matters for a good while and taking supper at the Chen household, she returned home and at once sent the matron who had attended her through her own confinement to the Yuqiao alley.