Chapter 306 — Flattery

Song Yan and his wife settled onto the large heated kang by the window.

Dou Yan called loudly for liquorice tea. The maids filed in one after another, and only then did Suxin come in, her face flushed.

"My lady, regarding the matter you instructed me about — I have already given the order to Steward Wang. He dispatched someone to the Imperial Medical Bureau at once and said a definite answer would come soon."

Song Yan was surprised. "Who is unwell?"

"No one," Dou Xin said. "This is none of your concern."

Seeing Dou Yan perfectly well, Song Yan supposed that some maid or old serving woman in the household must be ailing and Dou Yan meant to grant her a kindness. He put the matter out of his mind.

Dou Ji asked him, "How could the Marquis of Changxing admit defeat so easily?"

Song Dan said, "I asked Eunuch Wang to put in a word with the Ministry of Revenue and had the military pay for the Datong Garrison delayed a while."

Dou Yan's eyes went wide. "Is that wise? If the Emperor should learn of it…"

Song Ke was unconcerned. "Whose garrison pay has never been delayed? Why should the Datong Garrison be any different? It is not that they will not be paid — only that Datong's pay will come a little later than everyone else's! Even official documents must be handled in order of arrival. Even if he complained to the Emperor, he would not have the right of it! Surely the Marquis of Changxing cannot run to the capital every month to wine and dine the petty clerks of the Ministry of Revenue over such a trifling matter!"

This was the classic case of the king easy to see, the underlings hard to deal with!

Dou Yan wiped his brow. "Why would Eunuch Wang speak up for you?"

"Are favors so easy to enjoy?" Song Yan said teasingly. "How could one always take the advantage and never suffer a little loss?"

Right. She might as well not have asked.

Still — to make Wang Yuan step forward, to make the Marquis of Changxing bow his head — Song Yan was truly formidable!

The Wang family, needless to say, was even more so.

Someone had sent word ahead. At first he had been somewhat doubtful, but when the Marquis of Changxing ordered a lavish gift prepared and dispatched his personal attendants to escort him back to the capital, he broke out in a cold sweat of fright. With a tearful face he sought a definite answer from the Marquis of Changxing, then politely declined the Song family's marriage proposal on the grounds that their "horoscopes were incompatible."

Dou Chi sneered. "Incompatible horoscopes — a wondrous remedy that suits any occasion!"

What Song Sui cared about was Song Cen's manner toward Dou Zhiwei.

He apologized to Dou Yan in all sincerity.

Dou Yan pressed her lips together and smiled, winking at Song Yan. "Rest assured, I will not stoop to quarrel with the Duke of Zhenguo — the old gentleman has suffered such a grievance; you must at least let him have somewhere to vent it!"

Song Yan could not help laughing.

Dou Xin said, "What were you doing just now? There is nothing amiss at home — go see to your own affairs! No need to fret over us."

"I had arranged to drink with Ma Youming. When I heard something had happened at home, I made an excuse and put him off to another day," Song Yan said with a rueful face. "How can I go back to him now?" Then he fixed Dou Yan with a burning look. "Shouyuan, why not cook me something good today?"

This fellow — he loved nothing better than ordering her about!

Dou Yi had not cooked for some days, and hearing this, her interest was stirred. She told Ganlu to inform the women at the stove.

Song Yan clung to her side. "Let me come with you! I have never seen how other people cook!"

Dou Chi did not know what to say.

She took Song Yan to the kitchen.

The women at the stove waited in the small courtyard before the kitchen in a flurry, trembling as they built up the fire and handed over the ingredients.

Song Ji sat on a spring stool before the kitchen cutting board, watching her.

Wherever she went, that gaze followed.

After a while, Dou Yan could not quite bear it. Her hand slipped, and she nearly tipped a whole spoonful of salt into the pot.

She had no choice but to shoo Song Yan off. "Go wait outside. It is all smoke and grease in here — mind you do not end up smelling of oil and salt."

Song Yan said "Oh," and sat down at the kitchen door, no more than three paces from the cutting board.

Dou Yan was torn between laughing and crying. With great effort she made several of her signature dishes and had the women carry them to the banquet room in the main house.

But a young servant came to report that someone had arrived from the palace, summoning Song Yan to enter the palace first thing the next morning.

On the second day after Song Cen's return, at dawn, he had gone to the palace to kowtow and give thanks, and to hand over his duties.

When he came back his face was radiant with spring breezes. Dou Chu had been anxious that he might have said something about Song Yan before the Emperor. Hearing this, she mused, "Should we sound out the palace messenger for news?"

"There should be nothing to worry about," Song Dan said. "If there were, Eunuch Wang would certainly have given me advance word."

Eunuch Wang meant Wang Ge.

Song Yan went to see the man from the palace, exchanged a few polite words, and bestowed two thick red envelopes. At dawn the next day he and Song Cen entered the palace one after the other.

Before Song Yan had even left the palace, a messenger came flying to the house: "Congratulations, my lady, congratulations! The heir has been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guards and will also oversee the affairs of the Five Districts Military Command."

Dou Yan was greatly astonished.

Song Yan was only sixteen this year.

"Is this true?" She could not help leaning forward. "Who told you?"

The young servant who had brought the good news had joy written plainly in the corners of his eyes and on the tips of his brows, and he recounted it with relish: "It was the young eunuch attending Eunuch Wang of the Qianqing Palace who told me. His Majesty has already issued the decree — when the heir returns, you will be able to see the imperial edict yourselves."

This imperial favor had come all too suddenly!

But beyond this, the servant could answer nothing; of every further question he was utterly ignorant.

Dou Yan had no choice but to wait patiently for Song Yan to return.

Dou Bingheng, however, had witnessed the whole affair.

When the hour came for the yamen to close, he declined his social engagements and returned to the Huai Tree Alley residence.

The Fifth Madam changed his clothes for him herself.

He asked her, "How many days remain before Shouyuan's month-long stay at her natal home?"

The Fifth Madam smiled. "Four more days."

He mused a moment, then said, "When the time comes, you and our two daughters-in-law must dress yourselves up properly and put on a good face for Shouyuan at the Longhua Temple Alley house."

The Fifth Madam was astonished.

Dou Bingheng had never concerned himself with the affairs of the inner courtyard.

"What has happened?" she asked, uneasy.

"After court this morning, His Majesty kept the Duke of Ying and our fourth son-in-law in the Qianqing Palace to talk," Dou Bingheng said. "Several times during the conversation His Majesty praised our fourth son-in-law for conducting himself with steadiness yet knowing how to adapt. Then he suddenly asked when our fourth son-in-law would be sending our fourth daughter back to her natal home for the month-long visit, and thereupon promoted him to Vice Commander of the Jinwu Guard, put him in charge of the affairs of the Five Districts Military Command, and said to him, 'This way, when you return to your father-in-law's house, you will have your dignity too'..."

The Fifth Madam was aghast. "His Majesty truly said that?"

This was no way to treat a subject — it was more like the way one treats a son or nephew.