Chapter 478 — Gifts
Purple Streets of Chang'an Page 1 of 2
Because the matter was of great consequence,.
Lu Ming was stunned by this news and stood frozen for a long while before he came to himself and departed in silence.
Song Yan stood alone in his study for a long time, then summoned Wu Yi. "Open the storeroom. I need to choose a few things to give away."
In an instant the storeroom blazed with lamplight.
Song Yan picked and pondered there for quite some time, then had Wu Yi carry several items over to Dou Yan.
When Dou Yan saw what had been brought—a box of gilt-painted fans, a set of pitch-pot arrows, and several sets of tangram puzzles—he asked in surprise, "What is this for?"
Song Yan said calmly, "Find a moment in the next day or two to go into the palace and deliver these to the Crown Princess."
If they were meant for the Crown Princess, then it was just as well.
Dou Yan hesitated. "Are you planning to cultivate ties with the Crown Prince?"
"No!" Song Yan grinned, baring his teeth. "I mean to beat the grass to startle the snake!"
Dou Yan understood at once.
Song Yan said softly, "I had originally meant to smooth things over between the Prince of Liao and the Crown Prince—whoever takes the throne, surely the Yingguo Duke's household will not be denied its stipend? But now, unless the Empress and the Prince of Liao are parted from their heads, the hatred in my heart will not be appeased!
"If we were to pledge ourselves to His Highness Zhaohua at this moment, with no achievements to our name, it would be hard to become his trusted confidant. Better to wait until the Prince of Liao rises in rebellion—then we help His Highness Zhaohua seize the traitors. That would be a merit great enough to ennoble our wives and shelter our children.
"Fifth Uncle and our Jiang cousins are still in the Prince of Liao's hands. We cannot afford to fall out with the Empress now. Moreover, I believe that once Fifth Uncle learns who slandered the Jiang family, he will still be able to help the Prince of Liao succeed. Rather than set Fifth Uncle and the Prince of Liao at odds, better that he keep up appearances with the Prince of Liao and serve as our agent at the crucial moment. When His Highness Zhaohua takes the throne, the Jiang family's grievance will be washed clean, merit will be earned, and the Jiang name restored.
"I have thought it over carefully. The Emperor still lives, and the Crown Prince is legitimate. The Prince of Liao cannot openly attack the capital. Even if he succeeded, with the realm not behind him, he could hardly sit securely on the throne. If he means to achieve his aim, there is no way but through a palace coup. And if he means a palace coup, he cannot bypass the Jinwu Guard.
"We have grown close to His Highness Zhaohua, yet we are unwilling to submit to the Prince of Liao. How could the Empress tolerate my command of the Jinwu Guard? The Emperor has always placed great trust in us, but if the Empress means to move against us, we can hardly guard against every blow. Since that is so, better that we strike first and make the Empress act first. These past years the Emperor's illness has worn at his mind and left him short of energy—and men short of energy generally prefer stillness to motion. If only we first make the Emperor believe that I am the best man to command the Jinwu Guard, then no matter how the Empress stirs, she will have no way to touch me. She may even, by moving too boldly, rouse the Emperor's suspicions.
"So long as the Jinwu Guard is in my hand, the Prince of Liao's rising cannot escape my eyes."
Dou Xin said, "So you want me to deliver gifts to the Crown Princess, to make the Empress think we wish to curry favor with His Highness Zhaohua, and so provoke her anxiety and make her move against you first. In that case, I shall have to go sit at the Eastern Palace often from now on."
"Precisely." Song Yan smiled faintly. He knew his wife understood him best of all. "Best take Dong'er along. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, Dong'er will have grown familiar with the imperial grandsons—that can only be to his advantage."
Dou Xin nodded. The very next day she sent a card into the palace.
To a noble house like the Yingguo Duke's, the Crown Prince and his wife were naturally glad to show favor.
On the third day, a eunuch from the Eastern Palace came to escort Dou Yan and her son into the palace.
When the Crown Princess received Dou Yan's gifts, she was somewhat surprised, but more than that, delighted.
A box of gilt-painted folding fans was nothing rare in itself, but the fan faces showed the twelve months of the four seasons—peonies in spring, lotus in summer, golden chrysanthemums in the waxing month, cold plum in winter—all carved in openwork and colored with layered gauze, exceedingly fine and distinctive.
The pitch-pot was neither gold nor wood; one could not tell what material it was made of. Around its body was carved a ring of seated beauties in deep-robed garments, graceful in form and simple in elegance—plainly an antique of the former dynasty.
The several sets of tangrams were made of sandalwood and of aloeswood; held in the hand, a hidden fragrance drifted forth, calming the heart.
"You have gone to such trouble." Smiling, the Crown Princess had the female official at her side put the gifts away.
Dou Yan said respectfully, "I have long been in your debt for your kindness, and have had no way to repay it. It is enough if these please your eye."
"You need not stand on ceremony with me." As the Crown Princess exchanged pleasantries with Dou Yan, she had the third imperial grandson brought over and set him to play with Yuan Heng on the heated kang in the eastern hall, while she and Dou Yan talked in the warm chamber.
From this spring's weather to the hair ornaments and clothes likely to become fashionable—these were the essential arts of noble ladies. The Crown Princess was much interested, and Dou Yan, having lived two lives, had the gift of foresight. The more they talked, the more congenial they found each other, and at last Dou Yan sketched several dress patterns before taking Yuan Heng in her arms and bidding farewell.
The Crown Princess had the Needlework Bureau make up two gowns after the designs, and when the Empress Dowager Yi saw them she praised them without ceasing.
She was a clever woman. Since Dou Yan had shown herself willing to draw close to her, she would naturally return kindness for kindness and raise Dou Yan up.
The Crown Princess praised Dou Yan warmly,
The Empress Dowager Yi, reflecting that Empress Wan's birthday was but a few days off, smiled and said, "Let her come into the palace and cut a couple of gowns for me as well." Then, remembering that Dou Yan was, after all, the wife of a prince of the first rank, and that there was no reason for such a lady to play the seamstress, she said in a dispirited tone, "Never mind. Better to have the Needlework Bureau make mine."
Earlier, to avoid suspicion, the Yingguo Duke's household and the Eastern Palace had kept their distance. Had Yuan Heng and the third imperial grandson not been born only a day apart, and had the Emperor not personally named both children, they would not have dared to visit one another. But the Crown Princess felt that Dou Yan was a woman of considerable tact and sensibility, and would not take such things amiss; so she sent word to Dou Yan.
Dou Yan went into the palace at once and helped the Empress Dowager Yi design several styles of gown.
The Empress Dowager Yi instructed her female official to send the sketches to the Needlework Bureau, then, taking Dou Yan's hand, she laughed, "What trouble I have put you to!"
Dou Yan said humbly, "I dare not accept such words, Your Highness. You have regarded our young marquis as you would a junior of your own family. That I might, on his behalf, do my filial duty before you is an honor to both him and to me—how could it be called trouble?"