Chapter 400 — Resistance

Tomorrow was the day Jiang Ling was to be married. Today the Wu family had come to press for the bride, and Fourth Madam Jiang had been busy the whole day through. Why, instead of resting at home and stealing a few last intimate words with Jiang Ling, had she suddenly come looking for Dou Yan?

Dou Yan swallowed her surprise and received Fourth Madam Jiang in the sitting room of the main house.

Fourth Madam Jiang looked ill at ease. She held her teacup in her hands for a long while, then said abruptly, "Madam has never met anyone of the Mei family, I suppose?" And without waiting for an answer she went on, "My mother-in-law's grandfather once served as Commander-in-Chief of Yunnan. His troops were routed, and the family was confiscated and sent into exile. By then my mother-in-law had already married into the Duke of Dingguo's household, and so escaped being registered as a slave. But the misery of the women of her natal house she saw with her own eyes.

"So when my eldest uncle-in-law was convicted, my mother-in-law had arsenic prepared at once, and said to us: better to die clean than live in shame — at least one leaves a good name behind in the world.

"Now my mother-in-law is gone, and we, her daughters-in-law, admire her more than ever.

"If the Dingguo household had not its name for loyalty to the sovereign and love of the realm, if it had not its tradition of steadfast fidelity and fierce integrity, how would the Jiang family, fallen as we are, ever find shelter under another's roof and keep this last resting place of ours!" As she spoke she drew a small box of purple sandalwood from her sleeve and handed it to Dou Yan. "I beg Madam to return this to the Second Lord, and to carry a message to him as well: however little the Jiang girls may amount to, we do not give them to men as concubines!" With that she rose, made Dou Yan a slight curtsey, and walked out.

That retreating back was held perfectly straight.

Dou Yan was struck dumb, and it was some time before she understood what Fourth Madam Jiang had said.

"Fourth Aunt, wait." Clutching the sandalwood box, she hurried after her. "I hardly know what to say, but the Heir is a man you watched grow up. You must know his character, and how he has dealt with the Jiang family. Neither he nor I have the slightest intention of demeaning our two cousins. I beg Fourth Aunt to calm her anger, and let the Heir and me get to the bottom of this before we come to apologize."

"I am not blaming you." Fourth Madam Jiang's face darkened, and she gave a long sigh. "If I bore you a grudge, I would not have come today. Perhaps the Second Lord means well. But we Jiangs have our dignity, and we Jiangs have our way of living. There are things we do, and things we will not do. I ask Madam to convey my meaning to the Second Lord, and to tell him not to come again. We return to Haozhou in a few days in any case. It will save him the delay to his studies, and save the Duke any displeasure."

What more could Dou Yan say?

She could only murmur her assent and see Fourth Madam Jiang out with the utmost respect.

But the moment Fourth Madam Jiang was out the gate, her brows went up, and she asked the old woman who kept the second gate, "Has the Second Lord come back?"

The old woman came forward beaming to greet Dou Yan, and answered respectfully, "The Second Lord returned half an hour ago."

Dou Yan gave a cold laugh and went to Song Yan's study.

Because Jiang Ling was to be married the next day, he had taken a day's leave and come home early; he was in the study talking with Chen Yanzhou and Song Shize.

Seeing Dou Yan stalk in with a face like ice, Chen Yanzhou and Song Shize tactfully withdrew.

Dou Yan told Song Yan about Fourth Madam Jiang's visit.

At the hearing, Song Yan was so angry that the veins at his temples stood out.

He opened the sandalwood box. Inside lay a pair of South Sea pearl earrings, each the size of a lotus seed.

Song Yan's face turned uglier still. He took the sandalwood box and went straight to Song Han's rooms.

Dou Yan thought for a moment, threw a glance at Ruozhu, and went back to her own chamber.

Song Han was lying on his stomach on the bed while Caiyun, his own maid, fed him.

His face was ruddy and his eyes smiling; he looked to be in excellent spirits.

When Song Yan came in, he called out happily, "Brother!" and said, "I've already picked out the clothes I'm wearing to the wedding feast tomorrow — come and look and tell me whether they'll do!"

He called loudly for Qixia to bring the clothes over.

Song Yan was checked for a moment. Then he said, "Never mind that. I have business with you. Send everyone serving in this room out."

Song Han answered cheerfully, "Yes," dismissed the maids, and said with a grin, "What's so urgent, brother, that you want me?"

Song Yan tossed the sandalwood box onto the pillow in front of Song Han.

Song Han's smile faded little by little, and his eyes grew moist little by little.

"Did Cousin Xiexiu have you give this back to me?" he said, aggrieved. "You know, brother, I've been fond of Cousin Xiexiu since I was small. Before, with you standing in front of me, I never dared say so; but now you have a wife — so why does Cousin Xiexiu still go to you whenever something happens?" He raised his head, eyes red, and glared at Song Yan. "I just want to keep Cousin Xiexiu beside me! And none of you can stop me!"

"How dare you talk such nonsense!" Song Yan flew into a rage. "Which of our cousins from Uncle's house did not grow up playing with me? And you harbor such filthy thoughts! It seems the more you study, the further back you go — you can no longer tell right from wrong! Where did you learn such talk?" He shouted for Qixia: "Bring every maid, old woman, and page of the upper courtyard into the yard. Today I mean to find out who has been putting ideas into your head!"

At that Song Han began to cry.

Wiping his tears, he said, "Don't think I don't know. When Mother was alive, she meant to betroth Cousin Xiexiu to you; then Uncle fell into trouble, so it was changed to Cousin Hanzhu — and in the end Cousin Hanzhu hanged herself for Brother Yin... Cousin Xiexiu is so pitiable. If not for you, she would have been betrothed long ago; she would never have come down to this, unwanted by anyone. I truly love Cousin Xiexiu. What right have you to stop me? If it offends your eyes, then once Cousin and I are married we'll move out of the Yingzhen household. I have the dowry Mother left me, and Cousin knows how to manage a household; with thrift we shall live very well!"

Song Yan was so angry that he raised his hand to strike him.

Song Han shut his eyes in a fit of pique and thrust his face up toward Song Yan.

Looking at that face, still with something of the child in it, and thinking how their mother had doted on him while she lived, Song Yan somehow could not bring the blow down.

Song Han seized the chance to make a scene: "I want to marry Cousin Xiexiu as my wife — why won't you agree?"

He wept until the tears fell like rain.

Song Yan said coldly, "Because Father will not agree."

"Then go and tell Father." Song Han caught hold of Song Yan's hand. "Father will listen to you."

Song Yan had to force himself not to shake off Song Han's hand at once.

"Do you even know what you are doing?" His voice was heavy as the air before a storm. "Father has great hopes for you — how could he ever allow you to marry a Jiang daughter? Shouting it abroad like this will only make people misunderstand Cousin Xiexiu and Fourth Aunt. This is not love. You are doing them harm — do you understand?"

Perhaps Song Yan's voice was too grim; Song Han's clamor died in his throat.

He stared blankly at Song Yan, as though he could not understand why his brother had said such a thing.

Song Yan suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

What was he to do with this younger brother of his?

Song Yan thought of Dou Yan.