Chapter 308 — Hesitation

Meanwhile, Wei Wan was hauling armfuls and bundles of things back to her maiden home.

Nanny Tian's personal old nurse came hurrying over with several young maids: "Oh, my, Eldest Young Mistress! If you meant to come home, why didn't you send word ahead so we could have some lads waiting out here to receive you!" As she spoke, she had already taken the paper box from the hands of Wei Wan's wet nurse, Nanny Jin, and signaled a trusted maid to support Wei Wan.

"It's just that Peijin and his wife aren't home," Wei Wan said, letting the maid help her along the path into the Jining Hou estate. "I was afraid Mother would be lonely, so I came to see her and have a little chat."

Nanny Tian's personal old nurse blinked at that.

Sensitive as ever, Wei Wan frowned. "What is it?"

The old nurse smiled apologetically. "The Marquis and his lady are both at home! They only just went to pay their respects to the Dowager."

Now it was Wei Wan's turn to be stunned. "Isn't today the day the lady's elder sister comes home for the month of confinement after the wedding? What, they aren't at the Longhua Temple alley?" she asked again. "Did they not go back, or has no invitation come from the Xiangshan Temple alley?"

In truth, she had not known that today was the day Dou Yan returned to her maiden home for the wedding month; she had only learned of it the day before, when she went to pay her respects to her mother-in-law and heard Mrs. Zhang the Third mention it. Then it occurred to her that, disliking this sister-in-law as she did, she had not been back to her maiden home for some time, and she thought to slip in for some warm time with her mother while her brother and his wife were away. She had never expected to run into something like this!

If no invitation had come from the Xiangshan Temple alley, then they had better not blame her for refusing to smooth things over! Whatever the case, she meant to get to the bottom of it. To think that just because they had a son-in-law like the heir of the Yingzhen Duke's estate, they need not put her brother in their eyes—since when was the world so kind?

Hearing the barb in Wei Wan's words, Nanny Tian's old nurse rushed to explain. "An invitation did come from the Yunqi Temple alley! Not only did they send a card, but early this morning Steward Gao from the Yunqi Temple alley came in person, hoping to escort the Marquis and his lady over together."

Wei Wan was puzzled. "Then why didn't they go?"

"The lady wasn't feeling well, and when the Marquis heard, he decided to stay home and keep her company..."

Wei Wan's face fell at once. "The lady is unwell. Has a physician been sent for?"

"The lady said it was only a slight ailment and that a physician was not needed."

At that, Wei Wan turned on her heel and went straight to the upper courtyard.

Nanny Tian's old nurse dared not ask more and followed her in, steeling herself.

Dou Ming was lying on the bed stewing in silence; when she heard Wei Wan had come, she sprang up and, making no effort to hide her loathing, said, "What has she come back for?"

"She must have come to see the Dowager, surely?" Old Zhou had not even finished the sentence before Wei Wan burst in.

"I hear you're ill? And won't send for a physician?" Her eyes fixed sharply on Dou Ming's ruddy face. "If anything were to happen to you, wouldn't the Dou and Wang families tear my brother to pieces? Let me see—" And she called out loudly for "Nanny Jin": "Take the Heir's card to the Imperial Medical Office and fetch an imperial physician to take the lady's pulse properly!"

Was this not mockery of her for making a fuss over nothing?

On any ordinary day she would have been furious, but today, thinking of Gao Sheng's helpless expression, she felt thoroughly pleased, and so she let Wei Wan's words go.

But Wei Wan would not let her off. Raising her voice, she demanded, "Where is the Marquis? Why is he not in the room?"

A quick-witted young maid answered of her own accord, "The Marquis is in the study," and hurried off to fetch Wei Fan.

Wei Wan lit into him the moment he appeared. "Do you even know that the Emperor has issued an edict? Song Yantang has not only been promoted to Vice Commissioner of the Jinyu Guard, he now commands the North City garrison. The people from the Yunqi Temple alley came to your door to invite you, and you still wouldn't go! Has some woman's pillow talk made you lose all sense of your limits? Everyone gets a headache or a fever now and then—will keeping watch over her cure her without medicine? You won't send for a physician, you just sit at home in a daze—do you think the illness will mend itself?"

"You—" Dou Ming was trembling with rage.

Wei Wan acted as though she had not seen it and went on berating her brother. "Are you deaf or dumb? I'm talking to you, and you won't answer! I see this is the extent of your talents—mighty at home, that's all. You should know that the Earl of Donglin is only acting commander of the Five City garrisons for the time being; sooner or later that post will change hands. Song Yantang now commands the North City garrison and is on good terms with the Earl of Donglin. Instead of seizing this chance to manage things well and find a way to draw closer to Song Yantang, you hole up at home—do you mean to be Vice Commander of the East City garrison for the rest of your life? You should know that the post of Vice Commander in the Five City garrisons was abolished in the reign of Emperor Taizong and only restored under Emperor Xiaozong—who knows how long such a post can last? You won't hurry to find a way to have Song Yantang help you move elsewhere, but instead sit here playing at house with a woman of the inner chambers—how did you suddenly come to this?"

Every word and every implication laid the blame on Dou Ming for leading Wei Fan astray.

How could Dou Ming bear it? She retorted without courtesy, "Elder Sister-in-law, that is a most unreasonable thing to say! The Marquis had business in his study, reading—how is that my dragging him down? And besides, the Marquis was to go back to my maiden home to see my brother-in-law..." Yet inwardly she was seething.

Song Keguo was a youth not yet of age—by what right did he command the North City garrison?

This time, when Dou Yan went home for the wedding month, surely every relative of the Dou family in the capital would be there?

Dou Zhiwei's husband had become the superior of her own husband's superior's superior—Dou Yan would be insufferably smug!

The very thought of it made her chest tighten with stifled fury, and all the more unwilling was she to add flowers to Dou Yan's brocade, so no matter what Gao Sheng said, she would not go to the Guimeng Temple alley.

Wei Wan paid her words no heed at all, did not even glance her way, and went on to Wei Fan. "This is an opportunity—whatever you do, don't be a fool!"

Wei Fan called out "Sister!" in a loud voice, then cast an embarrassed glance at Dou Ming. "Let's talk in the study!" He drew Wei Wan into the side room off the reception hall that had been made into a study, where he hemmed and hawed for a long while, on the verge of speaking and then swallowing it back.

"What can't you say to your sister?" Wei Wan's temper was reserved for Dou Ming alone; before her mother and brother she was always soft-spoken and patient. "When have I not stood on your side?"

Wei Fan smiled sheepishly, then at last lowered his voice and said with a flush of shame, "Last time I went to the Five City garrison to file a report, I saw Song Yantang... but he was very cold to me... I don't think that even if I went to beg him, he would be willing to do me this favor..."

"Why wouldn't he do you this favor?" Wei Wan asked, uncomprehending—but the moment the words left her mouth, she understood. "Is it because of the elder Dou daughter?" she pressed Wei Fan urgently.

Wang Qinghai thought the same.

Wei Fan did not know how to answer.