Chapter 434 — Cold Sweat

Song Cen was so furious that the corner of his heart ached. He told the messenger, "Go and tell the Young Heir that if he does not wish to come back, he may stay away forever."

How would the messenger dare relay such words to Song Yan? With a woebegone face he went to beg Huang Qing.

Huang Qing was helpless too, and could only steel himself to go see Yan Che.

Yan Che smiled unconcernedly. "Then go and tell the Zhenguo Lord that our Young Heir will not be returning that day."

When the younger brother was to be betrothed, and the elder brother, the Young Heir, showed no concern at all, what would the Miao family think?

Huang Qing smiled bitterly. There was no other good solution. He could only put the matter off for the time being and decide what to do when Song Cen asked about it again.

And when Dou Yan entered the palace to give thanks, the Crown Princess received her most warmly and even had the Third Imperial Grandson brought out for Dou Yan to see. Hearing that she had come, the Crown Prince also sent several plates of pastries as a reward. When she asked to go pay her respects to the Empress and the Empress Dowager, the Crown Princess accompanied her to the Kunning Palace.

On the fourth day of the ninth month, the palace ladies and inner officials were to change into gauze robes. Before the fifteenth of the eighth month, the newly made clothes had to be distributed, along with the Mid-Autumn palace banquet and the rewards for each residence. The Empress was spinning like a top and only kept Dou Yan long enough for a cup of tea. But when the Empress Dowager heard that Dou Yan had come, she summoned her to an audience at once.

Dou Yan entered the side hall with eyes downcast and heart composed.

Consort Dowager Shi was there as well, keeping the Empress Dowager company at a game of leaf cards.

Before Dou Yan could make her curtsy, the Empress Dowager asked her, "Do you know how to play leaf cards?"

Dou Yan replied modestly, "When I was at home, I sometimes played with the elders of the family, but I am hardly skilled. More often than not I lost."

Consort Dowager Shi tittered. "If you never lose at cards, how are the rest of us supposed to feel?"

She meant her dowry was rich, did she?

Or perhaps it was because she had no fondness for the Marquis of Changxing. Seeing Consort Dowager Shi, well on in years, still putting on the coy, shrill laughter of an eighteen-year-old girl, Dou Yan felt not the slightest liking for her.

The Crown Princess did not seem to care much for Consort Dowager Shi either. She laughed and said, "So you see, a rich household is not always a good thing. One is always set up as a target!"

Consort Dowager Shi's expression stiffened slightly.

The Empress Dowager beckoned to Dou Yan. "If you can play, that is enough. Take Huiying's place—her eyes are worse than mine."

As she spoke, a woman who appeared to be a palace official rose with a smile and handed the hand of cards she held to Dou Yan.

Dou Yan neither dared take them nor dared refuse.

The Crown Princess gave her a gentle push. "The Empress Dowager finds me clumsy, so you keep Her Highness company for a while!"

Things having come to this, refusing further would only seem petty.

Dou Yan curtsied to the palace official, said "Forgive my poor skill," took the cards, and sat down opposite the Empress Dowager.

After one round she had a fair idea of things.

The Empress Dowager treated cards as a pastime and did not think too hard, playing whatever came to mind with no method at all.

Consort Dowager Shi's skill was superb; she played to humor the Empress Dowager, winning only one hand in four.

The other player at the table was Consort De of the palace.

She had been one of the Emperor's consorts back when he still resided in the princely mansion, and was of the same age as His Majesty. Her monthly courses had long since ceased, and she was often summoned to the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility to keep Empress Dowager Yi company. She played the game well, too. She did not dare to challenge Empress Dowager Yi, who sat to her left, but she showed no mercy at all to Dou Yan, who sat to her right.

Dou Yan reckoned that handling these few was no difficulty at all.

Imitating Consort Dowager Shi, she won only one hand in four.

In this way Empress Dowager Yi won the most. And since Dou Yan and Consort Dowager Shi also won a hand or two from time to time, it looked as though fortune went now this way and now that, and the whole table presented a very pretty picture of fair play.

Empress Dowager Yi declared that Dou Zhiwei played splendidly, and was in high spirits until an inner attendant came to ask where the midday meal should be laid, and only then did the game come to a temporary halt.

Dou Yan took her leave.

But Empress Dowager Yi pressed her to stay for the midday meal, saying, "We shall play a little more this afternoon!"

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Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend!

ps: I shall be away on a business trip from this Friday to next Tuesday, and I have not stockpiled enough drafts, so this weekend I can only post a single update. I shall make it up when I return. I ask everyone's pardon for the inconvenience!

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