Chapter 92 — Anger

The Second Old Madam sat on the heated kang by the window, her face dark with fury, the eaglewood prayer beads in her hand clicking and clacking as she thumbed them.

When she saw Dou Yan and Lady Ji come in, her expression darkened further still. She gestured at the brocade stools beside her for them to sit, then asked Dou Yan in a low, heavy voice, "What exactly happened?"

Dou Yan recounted the whole sequence of events to the Second Old Madam as she had told it to Ji Yong.

Lady Ji turned livid with rage at the telling. Before the Second Old Madam could speak, she burst out, "Earlier, when Third Uncle sent a man back with word, I took that Pang Kunbai for a scoundrel, which was why he'd resorted to such tricks. But he meant to stage a little play of 'the hero saving the beauty'—that is plainly—" She could not bring herself to say the word *seducing* in front of Dou Yan, so she said instead, "—plainly taking advantage of Shouyuan's youth and innocence. If Shouyuan hadn't thought so quickly in the crisis, would the Pang family not have had their way?" Here she suddenly realized the Second Old Madam had not yet spoken, and hurried on, "Mother, this cannot be let go! This is beyond insolence!"

Pang Kunbai had plainly been scheming to kill two birds with one stone.

Rescue Shouyuan from the brigands, use the lateness of the hour to keep her overnight at the country manor, then, on the pretext of safeguarding Shouyuan's reputation, ask the Dou family for her hand. However much Shouyuan might dislike the Pang family, however unwilling she might be to marry into it, with a debt of life-saving owed and the excuse of having shared a room, she would have had no choice but to marry him. In time, with children born, and with Pang Kunbai's attentive, humble ministration, Shouyuan would naturally have come to be of one heart with him. And then, even if the Dou and Zhao families tried to stop it, Shouyuan—for the sake of her husband and children—would likely have handed the family estates over to Pang Kunbai to manage, and the Pang family would have taken possession of Shouyuan's property in the most proper and legitimate fashion.

The Second Old Madam's face was black as thunder. Yet she said, "Why did you report to the authorities before so much as a word to the family?"

Because we feared you would cut a private deal with the Wang family, of course!

Dou Yan said, "Because a man's life was lost, Cousin Ji, Twelfth Brother, and Fourth Brother Wu decided to report it to the authorities."

"You mean to say Jianming is involved in this too?" Lady Ji's eyes went wide.

Ji Yong had deep ties behind him, after all, and the Dou family would not dare offend him lightly. Better to let him serve as a shield for Dou Huaide and Wu Shan!

Dou Yan nodded.

Lady Ji looked uncomfortable.

The Second Old Madam was somewhat taken aback, but, just as Dou Yan had expected, she pressed no further.

Dou Yan now played the frightened young girl, putting on an air of shock and dread. "Old Madam, if I hadn't had Suxin and Sulan with me, if I hadn't brought the two of them along, I'm afraid I would never have come back! I want to beg one thing of you, Old Madam—please, whatever it is, you must promise me!" And she took out her handkerchief to dab at her tears.

Had it been anyone else who so offended a daughter of the Dou family, the Second Old Madam would have long since given orders to find some pretext and have them flung into the yamen to be beaten to death with rods. But where Wang Xingyi was concerned, she felt that disposing of Pang Kunbai so simply would be a waste—after all, when the Zhao family had agreed to let Wang Shuying be made legitimate, one of the conditions had been that the Wang family would not meddle in Shouyuan's marriage. Pang Kunbai was a relation of the Wang family by marriage; even if the Wangs wished to deny it, they could not.

She could not help pondering aloud. "Speak!"

"I beg you, Old Madam, to help me find out who leaked word of my whereabouts!" And Dou Yan told the Second Old Madam of her suspicions.

The Second Old Madam agreed at once. "Even if you hadn't asked, I would look into it myself. Such creatures who sell their masters for profit—find one, kill one, no matter whose people they are!" She was in a towering rage.

"I'd also like to hire a few more guards," Dou Yan said. "I'm frightened, truly. You've no idea how formidable Pang Kunbai's attendants were—otherwise, why would I not have recognized him? And besides, now that the Pang family has conceived such a scheme, it's hard to say others don't harbor the same designs. I don't want to run into such a thing again. Even if only for deterrence, I'd like to hire a few skilled guards."

The Second Old Madam thought of the Wu family.

"Fine!" she said without hesitation. "When the time comes, discuss the matter with your Third Uncle and your Third Cousin."

Dou Yan rose and thanked the Second Old Madam.

And thus she could now openly and aboveboard recruit men and buy horses.

Matron Liu came in to report, "Word has come from the Third Master."

So it seemed Third Uncle kept the Second Old Madam informed of goings-on at the country manor from time to time—no wonder the Second Old Madam had learned so quickly what had happened.

"Send him in to speak," said the Second Old Madam.

A sharp-looking young servant of twelve or thirteen hurried in, made his bow to the Second Old Madam, and reported, "Old Madam, the physician says Young Master Pang's injuries are grave. He may have to be taken to Zhending Prefecture for treatment. The Third Master bids me ask you whether the Pang family should be notified."

"Notify them," the Second Old Madam said decisively. "With gongs and drums, let them come and claim him, and let all Zhending Prefecture know what manner of misbegotten creature the son they raised is!"

The young servant dashed off.

The Second Madam, thinking to tell Dou Bingheng of the matter as soon as possible, dismissed Dou Yan to rest: "...It's very late. Sleep in your Sixth Aunt's rooms tonight! Don't worry about matters over there—your Third Uncle will handle them properly."

Dou Yan did not want to go home at this hour and frighten Grandmother, so she went to Lady Ji's.

Before bed, Lady Ji took Dou Zhiwei's hand and questioned her minutely about every word and every phrase Ji Yong had spoken, her expression rather tense.

Dou Yan understood, yet answered each question squarely and impartially.

At this, Lady Ji's expression relaxed. She instructed the maids to help Dou Yan wash and dress for bed, lit a burner of benzoin in the inner chamber, and told Dou Yan to rest well—whatever there was to say could wait until morning.

Perhaps it was the incense that did its work, or perhaps she had been too tense before; either way, Dou Yan soon fell asleep and did not so much as turn over all night. When she woke in the morning, one arm was numb to the shoulder.

Ji Yong, Dou Huaide, and Wu Shan had already returned and were eating breakfast.

Dou Huaide and Wu Shan bore two dark circles under their eyes apiece—one look told that they had not slept the night before—while Ji Yong was glowing with vigor and radiance, as though he had just risen fresh from bed.

How was he in such fine spirits?

Dou Yan muttered to herself.