Chapter 206 — Resentment

Ji Yong stood on the steps.

There was likely no one more foolish in all the world than this Wei Fan!

The vows were exchanged, the bride entered the bridal chamber, the veil was lifted—Dou Ming sat with her head bowed beside the great red dragon-and-phoenix candles, where the glow could not reach the bed curtains, while Ma Jun's wife called anxiously from outside: "The Marquis must hurry to the wedding tent to toast the guests—they're pressing him!" Yet he had not so much as glanced carefully at his bride before hastily downing the nuptial cup and rushing out again.

Man proposes, but Heaven disposes.

When he finally discovers the bride has been swapped, let us see what face he dares to put on it!

A maidservant of the Wei household came over smiling, and made a respectful curtsy to Ji Yong: "Cousin-in-law by marriage, we've prepared sobering soup in the flower hall—shall I bring you a bowl?"

Once the bridal pair had entered the nuptial chamber, the bride's family should have taken their leave and returned home, coming back the next day to the groom's house for the recognition feast.

The Wei maidservant was reminding Ji Yong that it was time to go.

Ji Yong paid her no heed.

The woman could not help feeling uneasy.

How was it that every last one of these Dou kinsmen was stranger than the next—the bride had entered the house, yet it was the bride's family's "complete-fortune woman" who helped arrange everything; the personal maids and serving women who had come as part of the dowry had all been sent to rest in the eastern wing; and the complete-fortune woman arranged by the Wei family had been packed off to the front to enjoy the wedding wine... And now that the bride had entered, here stood the bride's brother, not moving an inch—did he mean to eavesdrop on the bridal chamber too?

The woman muttered to herself.

Fortunately the bride was composed; when the Wei kinsmen and friends came to look at the new wife, she only lowered her head and smiled with pursed lips, a pretty, neat figure, no pockmarks on her face, no defect about her person—otherwise the woman would have thought something was wrong with the bride!

Just as she was thinking this, a burst of laughter came from the direction of the bridal chamber, and several distant relatives who had been teasing the bride came tumbling out together, among them an old lady whom even the Marquis had to address as "Great-Aunt Zeng," supported by her own daughter-in-law. As they walked out, she was still joking: "No wonder the Marquis was in such a hurry to see his bride—with a little wife so pleasing to look at, if I were the Marquis, I'd be shooing people out the door too!"

Another round of laughter, which startled the golden pheasants kept in the courtyard for good fortune into a great flapping.

Madame Cai went about in circles making curtsies to the Wei ladies: "Tomorrow we'll have the Marquis properly kowtow to all you elders." She escorted the group of ladies—who looked pleased at the flattery—out of the courtyard.

Ji Yong saw Ma Jun's wife poke her head out from the bridal chamber, and when she saw the ladies had gone far off, she shut the bridal chamber door with a clang.

He smiled faintly and left the main house with the maidservant.

He ran straight into Dou Wenchang, covered in sweat.

"Master Ji, I've been looking for you everywhere." He wiped the sweat from his brow. "It's getting late—we should be going back. Tomorrow we still have to arrange for people to come drink the recognition wine..."

For Dou Yan's wedding, he had been assigned to carry the bride on his back.

Fifth Aunt had instructed him to be sure to get the groom drunk—as for why, or how drunk, she had said not a word. After he came of age he had followed at Fifth Uncle's side, helping him with any number of matters with no head and no tail. He had long since formed the habit of obeying orders and never asking why. Seeing Wei Fan's tongue so thick with drink, he had not pressed further—but who would have thought Ji Yong, who had tagged along to watch the fun, would leap out halfway and relentlessly force Wei Fan to drink until he nearly slid under the table; if Wang Qinghai had not helped block a few cups, and then displeasedly reminded them that today was Wei Fan's great wedding day, Wei Fan would likely have been too drunk even to find his way back to the bridal chamber.

Now that they were ready to leave, Ji Yong had vanished again.

Ji Yong was a tanhua—a third-place laureate of the imperial examination—and Dou Wenchang, himself a scholar, did not dare to press him. Hearing from the servant sent to find him that he had gone toward the bridal chamber, he had no choice but to come fetch him in person.

Ji Yong was unusually mild, chatting and laughing as he left the Jining Marquis's residence with Dou Wenchang—yet Dou Wenchang could not help wondering: since when had this cousin of the Ji family become so easy to talk to?

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The sky was faintly paling. The Yunqi Temple Alley, where the residence of the Seventh Master of the Dou family stood, was no quiet little lane; two bands of men, their faces masked and dressed in short black jackets, were both wary, and as blades flashed and they came and went at one another, both sides tried hard to avoid making too much noise and drawing the attention of the street patrols.

Duan Bing could not help cursing inwardly.

This capital really is a damn den of dragons and tigers—whoever sent these men, to have such skill! A thief can steal for a thousand days, but no man can guard against thieves for a thousand days. If they could not thoroughly subdue this lot this time, then even if they beat them back now, they would likely come back for another strike before long.

Zhu Yicheng was cursing inwardly too.

What sort of people are these Dou, to keep bodyguards like this! What grudge do they hold against the Young Lord? This time they had already tipped their hand; henceforth it would only be harder to deal with them—better to settle the score here and now, win or lose, and spare themselves the fear that would make them timid the next time blades were drawn.

Both men resolved to make the other yield, and could not help redoubling the force of their attacks.

Song Sui took advantage of the moment to slip noiselessly into the inner courtyard.

Dou Yan usually lived at the Huai Shu Alley, but having been married out from the Guimeng Temple Alley, she would naturally be staying in the main house.

He headed for the upper courtyard.

Though all was silent along the way, the ground was swept clean, and most of the side rooms had no candles lit—one could see the inner household was still managed in good order.

If Dou Ming had gone in Dou Yan's place, how could the Dou family be so calm?

Even if the Seventh Master of the Dou family had acquiesced to the matter, what of Aunt Dou Zhiwei? Why had she too said nothing?

Song Yan was frantic with anxiety.

The upper courtyard was quiet. The great red lanterns hanging beneath the winding covered gallery cast the main house in a ruddy glow; only the easternmost bay of the main house and the northern bay of the eastern wing had lamps lit.

Song Yan hesitated a moment, then tapped on the window lattice of the eastern wing's northern bay.

No one answered.

He pressed close to the easternmost bay of the main house and listened.