Chapter 213 — The Startled Snake

Tao Jun acknowledged with a smile, then turned to the matter of the betrothal gifts with Song Cen: "...The Wang family has done a great deal of business these past years. If the Lord Defender has made up his mind, then I will have an easier time speaking with the Yan'an Marquis's household."

Song Cen said, somewhat displeased, "This concerns the dignity of the Ying Town Defender's Estate. Do you think I would treat my own daughter-in-law shabbily?"

That was precisely the assurance Tao Jun had been angling for. He apologized profusely, discussed a rough sum with Song Cen, and was about to withdraw when Guard Chang requested an audience.

Song Cen signaled for him to stay a while, and had a servant lead Guard Chang in.

Guard Chang paid his respects to Song Cen and Tao Jun with great deference, then said in a low voice, "Yan Che of the Yizhi Hall has gone to the Princess Ninghuai's residence, laden with gifts."

Song Cen's gaze sharpened.

He was on close personal terms with Shi Chonglan, the Third Consort, and Song Yan—thanks to his mother, Lady Lu of the Ying Town Defender's Estate—was thoroughly liked by everyone in the Lu family. Hearing that Song Yan had fallen out with him, Lu Fuli and Lu Zhili had even made a special trip to the house to ask what had happened. He had fobbed them off, but he could hardly speak ill of Song Yan in front of the Lu family; and Song Yan knew this perfectly well, so whenever he needed to petition the Grand Empress Dowager or the Empress, he would ask Princess Ninghuai, who had married into the Lu family, to pass the word along for him.

What was Song Yan asking Princess Ninghuai for this time?

Song Cen pondered.

Tao Jun rose and bowed respectfully to him. "Lord Defender, let me go and find out what Yan Che is doing at the Grand Princess's residence!"

Song Cen nodded, and Tao Jun and Guard Chang withdrew.

The room returned to stillness.

Song Cen's gaze fell once more upon Song Han's exercise book.

His brows knitted involuntarily, and he flung the book savagely into the corner of the kang.

※※※※※

Gu Yu, meanwhile, had dragged Wang Yu off to drink, intending to draw out a portion of the funds for repairing the old course of the Yellow River.

No one knew better than Wang Yu how these noble houses, for all their outward show of brocade and blossom, were in truth straitened and hard-pressed—which was exactly why he gritted his teeth and dealt with the officials of the Six Ministries. Besides, Gu Yu had always been lavish with money; there had even been that night when he lost half a street at the gaming tables.

"Certainly!" Without a moment's hesitation, he said at once, "Will ten thousand taels be enough?"

In Wang Yu's estimation, autumn had already arrived; in another two months came the Beginning of Winter, when the stewards and chief managers of every estate would return to settle the accounts. Ten thousand taels would more than tide Gu Yu over until then.

But to his surprise, Gu Yu shook his head. "Is there any way to raise fifty thousand taels?"

.

Gu Yu had not asked him, in a tone of negotiation, "could you raise fifty thousand taels"; he had demanded, in a tone that assumed success, that Wang Yu find a way to raise fifty thousand taels.

Wang Yu's first thought was that Empress Wan needed money to spend.

But he dismissed the notion at once.

Xie Jincheng, the Salt Commissioner of the Salt Tax Bureau, was the Empress Wan's man. If the Empress Wan lacked silver, she had Xie Jincheng to fret over it for her—why would she turn to Gu Yu?

Then again, it was possible that Gu Yu had offered his help of his own accord.

His mind raced.

If he could use Gu Yu to establish a connection with the Empress Wan...

Wang Yu smiled. "The whole repair of the old Yellow River course only came to ninety thousand taels in all. What urgent business have you that you need so much silver? I'm afraid there's nothing to be drawn from that quarter, but I have some private funds of my own, and my father could scrape some together too—only we'd have to think up a good excuse, or my father will think I'm trying to hoodwink him!"

Gu Yu understood well enough. He thought for a moment, then said, "How about this: Tianci and I both withdraw. But to the outside world we'll still say we're in partnership, and I'll go on pressing for the funds from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue just as before."

Wang Yu was aghast.

By May of next year, the repair of the old Yellow River course would be complete, and there would be at least a hundred and twenty thousand taels coming in. Gu Yu and Song Yan had between them invested sixty thousand taels, fifty thousand taels. They had not even recovered their capital, and all the profits to come would fall to Wang Yu alone... This was like a man cutting off his own wrist to save himself from a viper's bite.

What on earth had Gu Yu and Song Yan run into, to be driven to such a pass?

The reason he could get along with both civil and military officials was that he well understood the principle of leaving a margin in all things. Never mind that the Duke of Ying intended to ally their houses by marriage and that Song Yan might become his brother-in-law, or that Gu Yu was the Empress Wan's own nephew—even with an ordinary official, he could not simply dissolve the partnership like this. If he truly did so, he might be in the right, but he would be wanting in human feeling; the other party would inevitably take offense, and might never deal with him again—to say nothing of lending him a hand when some good opportunity arose in the future.

He only wondered whether this time it was Gu Yu's affair or Song Yan's.

If it was Gu Yu's affair, then since even Song Yan, shrewd and formidable as he was, had helped Gu Yu without hesitation, what did Wang Yu have to hesitate about? But if it was Song Yan's affair, then in all likelihood it had to do with the Duke of Ying... and that would require careful inquiry.

"How could that be!" Wang Yu refused flatly. "It's only fifty thousand taels—hardly such an impossible difficulty. I still have a house over in the Baoda Ward; it's worth ten or twenty thousand taels at least." Here he gave a deliberately sheepish laugh. "Only, everyone knows I'm in business. If they hear I'm selling my private residence, they'll suspect I'm short of funds—I've still got several payments I haven't settled with people! Best to find a broker and sell it quietly, though that way I might get ten thousand taels at most..."

Gu Yu knew quite well that Wang Yu was doing him a favor by saying all this, but he still found him a rather loyal sort. He thought for a moment, then said, "Shizi, let me tell you something—but you must not breathe a word of it to anyone."

At last, they had come to the real matter!

Wang Yu was delighted, but his expression did not change. He composed his features and said, "We've been dealing with each other for more than a day or two. What sort of man I am—don't you know?"

Gu Yu smiled. "Of course I trust you, Shizi. It's only that this matter isn't settled yet, and if word leaked out it would cause trouble. Best to be cautious." Then he lowered his voice. "Consort Ning has taken a fancy to Tianci, and the Emperor is of the same mind. He's even summoned Tianci to question him, and I expect the decree will come down within a day or two. Since we don't know what date the wedding will be set for, Tianci is afraid he'll be caught unprepared, so he wants to prepare more silver in advance..."

It was as though a thunderclap had burst beside Wang Yu's ear, and his voice changed. "You're in earnest? Yan Tang is to wed a princess?"