Chapter 233 — Insistence

Hearing this, Gu Yu could not help muttering, "Why is it that one after another, everyone must be getting married?"

Wang Yu chuckled and teased him: "You're not so young anymore yourself—shall I play matchmaker for you?"

"No need, no need!" Face flushing red, Gu Yu fled in a panic.

Once out of the Fugui Precinct, he gazed at the noisy street and was suddenly overcome by a sense of loneliness.

Other people's marriages had elders to take an interest in them. And he? Bearing the title of the Empress's nephew, he was nonetheless unloved by mother and unwanted by father.

Gu Yu thought of all the miserable affairs at home. Song Yan had entered the palace; standing amid the bustling street, he did not know which way to turn.

His two personal guards exchanged a glance. One of them stepped forward with a fawning smile, addressed him softly as "Young Master," and said, "Where would you like us to go, sir?"

Gu Yu came back to himself and resumed a somewhat domineering air of arrogance, yet he hesitated: "Shall we—go to the palace?" As the words fell, it was as though he had made up his mind; he said gravely, "We go to the palace. I want to see the Empress."

Every time the Emperor had a fit, it was his aunt who tended him alone at his side. At first those concubines had fawned over the Emperor, but later, discovering that once he woke he remembered nothing, and that a single misstep could provoke his wrath and put their lives at risk, they began to play dumb and turn a deaf ear. And his aunt, fearing that—as on the Dragon Boat Festival some years before—the princes and princesses might see the Emperor in the throes of a fit and be frightened half to death, had no choice but to bear it all alone.

At a time like this, surely his aunt needed someone beside her to comfort her?

A pity the Prince of Liao was off in Liaodong, and Princess Jingyi was a dull creature who could not read a room—not one of her own two children was of any use.

That matters had come to this, and his aunt had still summoned Brother Tianci into the palace, showed plainly how highly she esteemed him. It was a bitter drudgery for Brother Tianci, true, but also a stroke of fortune; with his cleverness, he would surely seize this chance.

He only wondered whether the Crown Prince had noticed that the Emperor was ill.

The Crown Prince's frail, gentle figure surfaced in Gu Yu's mind. His heart was all bewilderment.

The Crown Prince was like a passerby on the street—always somehow without presence. Not like the Prince of Liao: handsome and tall, open and hearty, bright and decisive, inspiring a touch of goodwill at a single glance. Falconry and riding, archery and bow—he excelled at them all, a match for Brother Tianci. A pity he had early on requested to go to his fief; otherwise the capital would not be so dreary.

Sighing, Gu Yu reeled unsteadily through the Dongzhi Gate.

※※※※※

Dou Yan, hearing that the household had invited the full-fortune women and the hair-dressers to drink, was greatly startled. "What day of the month is it today?"

Sulam, straightforward and quick-tongued, said, "What day? It's already the eighteenth."

Dou Yan was aghast: "How has the time flown so fast?"

Ganlu, entering with a pair of clair-de-lune vases in her arms, heard this and laughed: "Isn't that so. I haven't even finished packing my things, and already the young lady's wedding day is upon us." She added, "We never should have taken the dowry goods out of the chests in the first place—no sooner were they stored away than they must be packed up again."

Just then the aunt and the Sixth Madam arrived together, with little Zhao Zhangru trailing behind them like a tail.

The aunt asked, "How much is left to be packed? I'll have Matron Peng lend you a hand!"

How would Ganlu dare put the aunt's own personal matron to work? She said hurriedly, "It's almost finished." Then, fearing the aunt would not believe her, she smiled and said, "Am I not simply trying to claim a little credit before the young lady?"

Everyone burst out laughing.

Dou Yan came forward to greet the aunt, the Sixth Madam, and Zhao Zhangru, and they all sat down in the parlour to drink tea. Dou Yan asked, "Sixth Madam, what brings you here?"

Han-shi had been married into the family nearly three years; a few days ago she had been found to be with child, and Ji-shi was very anxious, spending these days at home looking after her.

"Isn't today the day the full-fortune women and the hair-dressers are invited?" said Ji Wan. "Your father sent word to me to come and sit with Madam Zhao."

Perhaps the affair of the sisters swapping marriages had touched Dou Huaiying's bottom line. Dou Yan realized that, from the matchmaker to the full-fortune women, all had been chosen from among his friends and their wives; not only had he kept the Huai Shu Alley people out of it, he had acted as though guarding against them, choosing only people not too familiar with the Huai Shu Alley side.

Dou Ci had been restless and edgy these past few days and had paid no attention at all to the wedding. Hearing that the full-fortune woman was a Madam Zhao, a complete stranger, she smiled and asked, "Which Madam Zhao is this?"

The aunt smiled: "The wife of His Excellency Zhao Peijie, Vice Minister of the Household of the Heir Apparent." As though fearing Dou Yan might be shy with strangers, she at once explained, "I have met her—a very kind sort, brisk in her ways, a capable woman."

Dou Yan's brows knit slightly.

Such a coincidence?

She wanted to question further, but a maid came in to announce: "Sixth Madam, Madam Aunt, Madam Zhao has arrived."

They broke off their talk; the Sixth Madam and the aunt went to the flower hall, while Zhao Zhangru stayed behind to take the midday meal with Dou Yan.

Seizing the moment while the maids set the chopsticks, she asked Dou Yan in a low voice, "Wouldn't you like to go see what Madam Zhao looks like?"

Past twenty already, and still like a child.

Dou Yan could not decide whether to envy her cousin's innocence or to worry over it.

She teased Zhao Zhangru: "Careful, or the aunt will catch you red-handed."

Zhao Zhangru's spirits deflated at once. She asked, "So we can't go to the Fragrant Hills to see the red leaves?"

Dou Yan looked at Zhao Zhangru's face full of disappointment, and her heart softened. "We'll go—why shouldn't we? We'll tell the aunt after a while, and tomorrow we'll go to the Fragrant Hills to see the red leaves."

Zhao Zhangru's eyes lit up.

Dou Yan pursed her lips and smiled.

A trip to the Fragrant Hills to see the red leaves would do her good—cast all these vexations aside, and keep her from moping at home every day, letting her thoughts run wild.

After a stroll through the Fragrant Hills with Zhao Zhangru, her mood had indeed lightened a great deal. That evening when she returned, she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow, and when she opened her eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky.

Suxin came in to help her wash and dress, and reported, "Steward Gao has already sent someone twice to ask whether you were awake yet."

Dou Xu said, "Ask him in at once."

Suxin answered and went out.

Dou Yan hastily drank a cup of hot tea and went to the hall.

Gao Sheng smiled bitterly. "Manager Zhang came to see me in person yesterday, and even asked me to drink at the Zuixian Pavilion. He admitted that once the matter was settled he would give me three thousand taels—he still thinks I was deliberately making things difficult for him!"

Dou Chiyou laughed. "And what did you say to that?"