Chapter 483 — Telling Tales

Dou Yan made up her mind to let nature take its course and stopped fretting over the matter of Dou Huaide. After all, she was the one living this life; whether it turned out well or ill, no one else had the right to question her.

She began making preparations for autumn.

Song Cen, meanwhile, was pondering whether it was time for him to take a second wife—having no proper mistress in his household was simply not a workable arrangement.

But whom should he marry?

The very thought of it made Song Cen's nose twist with fury.

If not for that rebellious son Song Yan, how could he have lost even the authority to govern his own son and become a laughingstock among the capital's noble houses?

Still, at least the Empress had shown him grace and arranged an official post for Song Han, salvaging a little of his face.

Thinking it over, he ought to enter the palace and thank the Empress for her kindness.

Song Cen ordered Zeng Wu to open the storehouse.

Song Han came to visit Song Cen, bringing along sugar-roasted peanuts from Yao's Roasted Goods.

Song Cen was delighted. He drew an ancient painting from the previous dynasty out of a chest and said, "In a few days, we shall go together into the palace and kowtow to the Empress, to thank her for looking after you."

This, too, was the purpose of Song Han's visit.

His father was unreliable, and Song Yan could not be relied upon either. The only course left to him was to cling tightly to the Empress's sturdy leg—otherwise, what was he in the Embroidered Uniform Guard but a man idling away his days?

Song Han agreed happily. When he returned home, he had several new garments made. On the day of the audience, he dragged Miao Ruosu, Liu Hong, and Ji Hong into a long process of selection, and finally went to the palace wearing a straight robe of sapphire-blue Hangzhou silk patterned with clustered flowers.

The Empress saw that Song Han was tall, handsome, and refined in manner, and nodded repeatedly. She said to Song Cen with a smile, "Both of the Duke of Zhenguo's sons are men of outstanding appearance. Truly rare."

Song Cen, however, could not stomach hearing Song Yan praised. At once he said, "You are too kind to these two boys. Tian'en is well enough—honest and dutiful, loyal and forbearing. But Tianci is a thorn that cannot be touched, a man one cannot afford to provoke. If you do not believe me, send someone out to make inquiries—who does not know that the Duke of Ying has produced a regular devil of a son?"

The Empress laughed heartily and said, "It is plain that all parents are the same: other people's children are always fine, while one's own are never quite right in this way or that. If you ask me, your family's Yantang is already quite good enough. Look at all the civil and military officials at court—who is younger than Yantang? You should be content!"

Song Cen had a faint sense that the Empress did not disapprove of his criticizing Song Yan.

Could it be that Song Yan's refusal of the Prince of Liao's suit for Jiang Yan had made the Empress feel she had lost face?

He had been looking for just such an opportunity to lodge a fierce complaint against Song Yan before the Emperor and Empress, and so he said with a smile, "You do not know—he was spoiled by his mother from childhood and has grown terribly willful. Whatever he says must be done, without exception. But in this world, eight or nine things out of ten go against one's wishes—how can everything bend to his will? This temper of his... ah! Not to speak of distant matters, only take these past few days. Tian'en's eldest brother-in-law had a friend who wished to enter the Five Wards Infantry and Cavalry Command. He went to ask, and for some reason or other he happened to be in a foul mood. Not only did he refuse to help, he berated Tian'en, saying he had no respect for his elder brother and knew nothing of propriety. Tian'en flushed crimson with shame at the time, and to this day dares not face his brother-in-law. And then a few days ago..."

He nattered on at length about Song Yan's many faults.

At first the Empress listened with a smiling face; later, her brows knitted tightly together. She said, "I have always thought Yantang a most clever and sensible child. I never imagined he could be like this in private. It shows how greatly he has changed since Lady Jiang passed away."

If the Empress would step forward and deal with Song Yan, nothing could be better.

Thinking of the Empress's methods, Song Cen could not keep the smile from spilling into his eyes.

"Indeed," he sighed. "When his mother was alive, who that saw him did not praise him as a good child? I cannot fathom how he came to be this way. And now he has grown so great—he has taken a wife and even has a son of his own. Surely I cannot scold him before his wife and child? But if he goes on like this, I fear his temper will only grow more violent, and I no longer know what to do."

The Empress smiled faintly, and a note of probing entered her tone. "Shall I find an occasion to speak to him?"

Song Cen was overjoyed, though his face showed a trace of helplessness as he shook his head and said, "He now holds high office and great power; I fear the words of ordinary men do not reach his ears. It would be well if he were taught a lesson."

Now it was the Empress's turn to be overjoyed.

She said with a smile, "I shall remember this. When I have a free moment, I will give him a stern lesson."

Song Cen thanked her gratefully, and he and Song Han withdrew.

The two passed out of the palace in silence.

Song Han hurried to ask, "Father, the Empress..."

Song Cen shot him a fierce glare and said, "Do not speak of what should not be spoken, and do not ask what should not be asked. Only remember this: this realm is still the Emperor's realm, the realm of the palace's great ones."

Song Han nodded, and even after they returned home, excitement was still hard to conceal in his brow.

That night, after a wild bout with Liu Hong and Ji Hong, he lay limply and had them attend him as he washed and dressed.

Miao Zhi sat on the heated kang in the eastern wing and could not help secretly regretting it.

Had she known, she never would have let temper carry her off to sleep in the eastern wing. Now look—Song Han had openly taken Liu Hong and Ji Hong to bed in the inner chamber. It was fortunate she had established a separate household and that everyone in this courtyard was her own trusted confidant; had they still been in the Duke of Ying's residence, any steward of even modest standing could have spat in her face.

The thought flashed through her mind, and something stirred within her.

Ji Hong and Liu Hong were of merely ordinary looks. If Song Han simply loved beauties, why not buy a few pretty maids to serve him, rather than insist on having Ji Hong and Liu Hong attend his bed?

Perhaps he did it only to humiliate her!

At this, her heart felt as if cut by a knife.

How had her life come to this?

Was there truly no other way?

Miao Zhi wept in silence.

Ji Hong slipped quietly into the room.

Miao Zhi hurriedly fished out a handkerchief and dabbed at her tears.

But Ji Hong dropped to her knees before Miao Zhi with a thud and wept without a sound.

The surge of hatred that had just risen in Miao Zhi's breast melted away in an instant.

She gently took Ji Hong by the shoulders and said, "Get up, quickly! In a few days, bring it up with the Second Master—see whether he might take you as a concubine."

Ji Hong shook her head through her tears, then slipped off her garments, baring shoulders fair and round.

They were mottled black and blue, and marked with tooth marks where the skin had been bitten through.

These were no marks left by ordinary lovemaking.

Miao Zhi was appalled at the sight.