Chapter 279 — Blocking the Way

Suxin and Sulan waited on Dou Yan as she settled down for the night, both of them in high spirits.

Song Chu rode at a gallop, racing toward the Yingzhen Ducal House.

The crisp clatter of hooves not only shattered the stillness of the capital's early morning but drew the eyes of the princes and ministers on their way to court, who began asking one another what on earth had happened.

Before long, word of the fire and the burglary at the Yingzhen Ducal House had spread through the whole capital.

"Out of nowhere, thieves?" said Liang Jifen, Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, frowning as he waited in the duty room for the morning audience. "These descendants of men who earned their titles—not only are they ignorant of any proper learning, they spend their days flying hawks and racing horses, cockfighting and dog-walking. To gallop through the inner city of the capital—what if they ran someone down?"

He had risen from poverty, and he held those sons of privilege in rather low esteem.

Yao Shizhong, known as the "Chancellor of Accounts," was the very opposite of Liang Jifen. Not only did he come from a distinguished family, but both his wife's clan and his mother's clan were celebrated lineages of hereditary officials, and he had little liking for those poor scholars who prided themselves on their "lofty integrity." He had always thought Liang Jifen's talk was merely sour grapes, and so he said with a smile to He Wendao, who was also of old aristocratic stock: "Is Master Wendao still keeping crickets? A few days ago I acquired a jar—it looks like gold, and like iron—I've no idea what era it's from. The cricket I keep in it sings exceedingly loud and clear, like metal struck against stone, or waves beating on the shore. Quite a rarity. If Master Wendao has a free moment one day, would you appraise it for me?"

He Wendao was a man who had grown cunning with age, and he knew perfectly well that Yao Shizhong was needling Liang Jifen. It was only that Liang Jifen, though Senior Grand Secretary, was obstinate and self-willed, knew nothing of indirection, had more uprightness than polish, and lacked any boldness of spirit; all he knew was to invoke the Emperor to overawe others. Not to mention that the wily Yao Shizhong and the ever-smooth Dai Jian paid him no mind—even He Wendao did not much care to wait on him, so that the Grand Secretariat remained to this day a heap of loose sand, unlike the days when Zeng Yifen served as Senior Grand Secretary, when a single word carried the weight of a tripod and no one dared argue; nor like the days of Ye Shipei, worldly and shrewd, pleasing all sides. He Wendao did not think much of him either, and since Yao Shizhong was a domineering sort, He Wendao had no wish to offend him. So he smiled and answered, "Very well," adding, "How about the next day off? There's nothing much going on then."

Yao Shizhong then asked after He Yu: "...He did well in this year's provincial examination. Will he sit for the metropolitan examination next spring?"

He Yu had passed the provincial examination in the eighth month.

At the mention of this youngest son, He Wendao's manner softened considerably.

He smoothed his fine beard, which reached his chest, and said with a smile, "Better to study a few more years yet! The boy's a bit wild."

"Clever children are all wild. Not like some people, who do nothing but bury themselves in books, and then when they finally enter office, they can't tell one grain from another and know nothing of the world... The examination halls these days—it's enough to make one worry!"

Liang Jifen's face had turned somewhat ugly.

In came Dai Jian, tall and powerfully built, and Dou Bingheng, handsome and urbane.

"...I've already sent men to the Yingzhen Ducal House to inquire," said Dou Bingheng, ordinarily so mild and refined, his face none too pleasant now. "Thieves again and again. One can't tell whether it's thieves making trouble or men making trouble. I'll have to go see for myself once I'm off duty."

He knew that Dai Jian was on good terms with Wang Yuan, and that Wang Yuan was one of the Emperor's intimates; that was why he aired his complaint in Dai Jian's presence.

Dai Jian smiled. "Brother Yuanji needn't worry too much. When the Emperor learned of it, he flew into a thunderous rage and gave the 'Sun-Shooting Sword' to the Heir of the Duke of Ying. No doubt the truth will be dug out before long—this time, I expect, there will be a change of men."

When he had heard that something had happened at the Yingzhen Ducal House, he had deliberately slowed his pace in order to wait for Dou Bingheng.

The Grand Secretariat had seven members. Yao Shizhong was implacably opposed to him; Dou Bingheng's two younger brothers were both He Wendao's protégés, and the two families had long been on friendly terms; Dou Bingheng was also connected by marriage to Ji Song, Vice Minister of Works, and when the Ji family had undertaken the great waterworks at Yixing last time, they had won Muchuan's support. Moreover, through that affair Dou Bingheng seemed to have struck some sort of pact with Muchuan—the two advanced and retreated together on many matters, and there was a distinct whiff of alliance about them.

He had his eye on the post of Prefect of Shuntian. If he could win Dou Bingheng's help, then with He Wendao's and Muchuan's two votes, Yao Shizhong could only stand and watch... and as for Liang Jifen, he need not be considered at all. Now that Dou Bingheng was complaining, he naturally had to give something in return: "After we're off duty, shall I go with you to have a look? For the capital to see such a thing—none of us can escape blame!" He wore the look of one deeply grieved.

Liang Jifen's face had gone faintly green.

He was Senior Grand Secretary; whatever the fault, it was his. Dai Jian was plainly accusing him of dereliction.

Dou Bingheng had a faint inkling of what Dai Jian had in his gourd, but he had no intention of being used as a gun by Dai Jian.

Feigning astonishment, he smiled and said, "A trifling matter—how could I trouble Brother Liren with it? With something like this, at the court assembly the Emperor will nine times out of ten bring it up. Once we see what the Emperor intends, it will be time enough for us to discuss it."

Having been thus politely refused, Dai Jian was somewhat displeased; but Dou Bingheng was deep and guarded, and could endure without letting it show—he had ruthlessly trodden down Wang Youyi, whom Zeng Yifen had favored, while all the while presenting an air of open magnanimity. Dai Jian was in fact somewhat wary of him, and could hardly show his irritation; he went on speaking with great warmth, and then Muchuan arrived.

Dai Jian greeted Muchuan with a smile.

Dou Bingheng, however, sat down in the armchair beside Liang Jifen.

"Master Liang, I shall most likely have to leave duty early today," he said with a smile. "Something has come up at home, and I must go and see to it."

Liang Jifen gave a mild "Mm," and said nothing more.

Dou Bingheng could not help knitting his brows.

To ask leave of Liang Jifen in front of everyone was to give him face, and to make a gesture of goodwill toward him besides. Even if Liang Jifen had no interest in the post of Shuntian Prefect, he ought at least to have said a few soothing words, so that Dou Bingheng would not join forces with Dai Jian. Yet Liang Jifen behaved as though he were utterly unaware of the undercurrents before him.

Dou Bingheng knew that everyone looked down on Liang Jifen, but he had always held that it is easy to add flowers to a brocade and hard to send charcoal in the snow; the more such a time as this, the more he ought to cultivate Liang Jifen's goodwill. Once Liang Jifen retired, the man he recommended would stand a very good chance of succeeding him as Senior Grand Secretary.

He recalled that a few days ago his own gesture of goodwill had likewise been met by Liang Jifen with a silent refusal.