Chapter 181 — A Change of Heart (Begging for Pink Votes)

Before Wei Wan could speak, Fan shi had already stepped forward and planted herself in front of her. Facing Mrs. Zheng, she said coldly, "I wonder what grounds Mrs. Zheng has for such a remark? Perhaps Mrs. Zheng does not know that our household's old patriarch took a liking to the Book of Changes in his later years. Whenever a son or daughter was born into the family, a divination had to be cast. A true master from Dragon-Tiger Mountain even came to visit once, and so several of the masters in our family acquired the same fondness and took to studying the Book of Changes. The Seventh Master in particular—he has lectured on the Book of Changes before the Emperor himself, and there is no one more skilled at averting ill fortune and warding off evil. If the Fourth Miss were truly as Mrs. Zheng says, why has our Seventh Master never once mentioned it?"

With that, she turned and shot a glance at Wei Wan. "The betrothal between our Fourth Miss and the Marquis of Jining was settled when they were children, and three years ago the horoscope papers were formally exchanged. To show his solemn regard, the late Marquis of Jining even invited the Director of the Imperial Observatory to personally match the Eight Characters of our Fourth Miss and the Marquis. At the time, the Director declared it 'a match made in Heaven,' and the late Marquis was so delighted that he presented the Director with a piece of Shoushan stone. Everyone in both the Dou and Wei families knows of this. How is it that Mrs. Zheng lays the late Marquis's death at our Fourth Miss's feet?"

She went on, "Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the common lot of humanity. Mrs. Zheng and our household have never been close, yet Mrs. Zheng ties all these matters to our Fourth Miss—I wonder what her intent might be? And from what source did she hear such rumors?" Her eyes fixed on Wang Xu shi. "We are both women. You are older than our Fourth Miss—can it be you do not know what harm such words do to her?"

Fan shi and Mrs. Zheng stood locked in confrontation. Pointing at the mulberry to curse the locust, her words sharp and merciless, there was not a soul present who did not understand her meaning. A hush fell. Some glanced at Wang Xu shi, some at Mrs. Zheng and Wang Shuying, but most turned their eyes to Wei Wan, eager to know what she would say—Wei Wan was Wei Fan's elder sister, and at times her stance stood for Tian shi's, and so could sway the Marquis of Jining's.

Even Mrs. Wang, who had earlier steered clear of the matter, could not help holding her breath and pricking up her ears.

A surge of triumph rose in Wei Wan's heart.

This was precisely what she wanted.

Whether Dou Yan brought misfortune upon his kin did not matter in the least. So long as everyone learned of it, she could ride the tide and turn the situation to the Wei family's greater advantage.

"This..." Wei Wan put on a show of being caught in a difficult position.

Sometimes, being unable to answer is itself an answer.

Some shook their heads in regret, some fell into thought, and others wore the gloating delight of spectators who feared the stage was not high enough.

Wei Wan fought hard to keep from laughing aloud.

Fan shi thought she could thus protect Dou Zhiwei's reputation, never realizing that the more she did so, the more interested everyone became, and the more this affair drew the gaze of all.

She was just pondering whether to confirm Mrs. Zheng's words with "ever since my brother took up his post in attendance, Mother has been ill," or with "when the Eight Characters were matched, the Director of the Imperial Observatory also said my brother's horoscope was auspicious—that any woman who married him would enjoy glory and wealth—and never paid heed to whether the Fourth Miss of the Dou family was ill-matched with her elders," when she saw her own personal maid hurrying toward her, drenched in sweat and plainly frantic.

Wei Wan was startled, and could not help but be distracted.

The maid had already drawn close and whispered urgently in her ear: "Madam, a great misfortune! The Marquis of Jining was dragged off to the South Wind Hall by the Fourth Miss of the Dou family's cousin—this year's newly named tanhua, Ji Jianming—and was made to stay the night there... That Ji Jianming meant no good, and it was only thanks to the heir of the Duke of Yingguo that the Marquis was saved. The Marquis begs you to return at once."

It struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Wei Wan's legs went weak; had the maid not been quick to catch her, she would have collapsed to the ground.

Seeing that Wei Wan's expression had turned strange, the company fell silent as one.

The maid, now the target of every noble lady's stare, was frightened out of her wits and kept whispering "Madam" to Wei Wan.

Wei Wan gave a start and came back to herself.

Her brother had always been an honest sort—how had he ended up at the South Wind Hall?

And that Ji Jianming—if he was Dou Zhiwei's cousin, why would he mean her brother harm?

Her brother had been rescued by the heir of the Duke of Yingguo's household. Apart from Song Yan, how many others knew of this?

Confusion piled upon confusion, and her mind was in utter turmoil, unable to seize upon a single answer. But she knew that at this moment there was something more important than getting to the bottom of it—she must keep her usual calm and composure, and not let these cunning ladies and madams glimpse the slightest hint, or there would be no concealing the matter of her brother's visit to the South Wind Hall.

At any other time, this would have been nothing more than a trifling romantic escapade. But now the Dou and Wei families were about to formally exchange betrothal gifts, and her brother's conduct was as good as a slap across the Dou family's face. Would the Dou family seize upon this to make an issue of it, take the initiative to break off the engagement, and ruin her brother's name?

And how could the timing be so neat?

Dou Zhiwei's cousin Ji Jianming had been present as well—could this have been a plot from the very start?

Wei Wan dared not think too deeply. She knew only that with her brother in such trouble, she could not afford to provoke the Dou family further. Otherwise, if the Dou family bore a grudge and seized upon her brother's visit to the South Wind Hall to make a great fuss, it would be disastrous.

She changed her stance at once, forcing a smile. "Mrs. Zheng is mistaken! When the Director of the Imperial Observatory matched the Eight Characters of the Fourth Miss of the Dou family and my brother, he declared that the Fourth Miss was destined to bring prosperity to her husband and sons. It happened that my father fell ill and passed away, and Mother, fearing the Fourth Miss might not be able to wait, wished to bring her into the household sooner, and bade me go to the Dou family to discuss the wedding date. Everyone in Zhending Prefecture should know of this."

So then—it was Wang Shuying and her mother, along with Mrs. Zheng, who had been slandering the Fourth Miss of the Dou family?

Uproar swept the hall.

The eyes the company now turned upon the three of them held a measure of contempt.

Wang Shuying and her mother and Mrs. Zheng could not conceal their astonishment. Wang Shuying, her face contorted with indignation, had just begun to cry "You—" at Wei Wan when Wang Xu shi pulled her back. With a darkened face, before the abbot of the Puji Temple had even begun his sermon, they slunk away in disgrace.

Wei Wan followed close on their heels, save that Wang Shuying and the other two went to Willow Leaf Lane, while Wei Wan returned to the Jingzhen Garrison Manor.