Chapter 486 — The Encounter

Following the direction of Princess Ninghuai's finger, Dou Yan saw a maid of fifteen or sixteen, with apricot-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks, quite pretty in her way.

"I do not know her either," she said with a smile. "But since she attends your sister-in-law, she must be one of her serving girls. What drew your notice to this maid? Shall I go and ask for you?"

"That will not be necessary," Princess Ninghuai said. "Before you arrived, Mistress Miao was at my side, and from her speech and manner I could tell she was no ordinary maid—yet Mistress Miao treated her coolly. So I wondered whether she might be that one who brought such shame upon the Song family that the whole street gossip was of it. Mistress Miao is far too soft. Even if she cannot command such a creature, she ought not to bring her out to social calls. Is that not lending the enemy courage and diminishing one's own prestige? No wonder Song Han holds her in such contempt."

She was thoroughly displeased.

Dou Yan made no reply, only smiled at Princess Ninghuai.

Princess Ninghuai frowned and seemed about to say more, but the flower hall was gradually filling, and people came over to greet her; she had no leisure to speak with Dou Yan, and so the subject was smoothed over.

Dou Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

She kept close to Princess Ninghuai's side throughout—sitting together at the feast, listening to the opera together, admiring the chrysanthemums together—and never once went off on her own.

Miao Zhi found this strange in secret and asked Dou Yan in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, did you not say you wished to look closely at the Prince of Liao's chrysanthemums? Shall I attend the Grand Princess for you a while?"

"We are guests, after all," Dou Yan said. "There will be plenty of chances to see the chrysanthemums. If I slight propriety before so many elders simply out of fondness for them, it would seem frivolous and make others think little of me."

Miao Zhi understood at once and followed Dou Yan's example, which moved the Third Princess to say to Princess Ninghuai with a laugh, "See how respectful your two grand-nephews' wives are to you!"

Princess Ninghuai chuckled, but the look she gave Miao Zhi was very cold.

Miao Zhi felt bitterness in her heart, yet she steeled herself and stayed by Princess Ninghuai's side—apart from them she knew no one, and no one cared to know her; when she turned around, it even seemed that people were pointing at her.

With great difficulty she endured until the feast broke up. A little maid from the Prince of Liao's household came and said softly to Dou Yan, "Madam, the heir of the Duke of Yingguo says he is waiting for you outside the gate."

Dou Yan nodded, tipped the little maid a red packet, and after seeing Princess Ninghuai off, took leave of Miao Zhi and went out through the hanging-flower gate.

Miao Zhi saw Dou Yan off with a smiling face, but her own carriage was nowhere to be seen, and people were leaving one after another around her. She stood alone at the hanging-flower gate waiting a good while, until the Prince of Liao's maids were standing by with brooms, waiting to sweep the courtyard.

She could not help saying angrily, "Why have you come so late?"

The coachman dared not answer, only cringing as he bowed to Miao Zhi, when Song Han thrust his head out of the carriage and shouted at her, "What is all this talk? Get in and come home!"

Miao Zhi had no choice but to swallow her full measure of resentment and grievance and climb into the carriage on her own footstool.

Dou Yan and Song Yan, meanwhile, were nearly home.

Song Yan was massaging Dou Yan's shoulders while he spoke to her: "Tired? At least he must set out for Liaodong on the first of the tenth month."

Dou Yan leaned against Song Yan's knee, so comfortable that she closed her eyes, and said, "Not tired, exactly—only sick at heart. I have no wish to play the hypocrite with these people of the Prince of Liao's household." Then she asked about the Prince of Liao. "We did not bring Yuan Heng. Did he say anything?"

"He asked," Song Yan said, shifting his position so that Dou Yan might lean more comfortably. "I said the child was too young, and I feared a strange place would frighten him. He did not say he would."

Only then did Dou Yan's heart settle.

Yet who would have thought that before two days had passed, Song Cen told Song Yan and Dou Yan that he would return the Prince of Liao's hospitality at the Duke of Yingguo's residence.

Song Yan stared at Song Cen without expression and said, "Do you know what you are saying? The Prince of Liao is a vassal prince. Have you no fear that the Crown Prince will take offense? Or do you think that since the Duke of Yingguo's residence will be mine hereafter, good or ill it no longer concerns you? If that is so, then go into the palace this very day and tell the Emperor you wish to pass the title to me in advance—then when the Duke of Yingguo's house falls on hard times, you may perhaps escape calamity."

Song Yan's father went red in the face with fury and shouted, "You wretch! The Emperor himself has said nothing, yet you must leap out and find fault with everything, without ever asking whether others even count you in their eyes! If you dislike it so much, by all means do not stay in this house."

Song Yan had no choice but to go with Dou Yan and Yuan Heng to visit the house in the lane behind the temple.

The new glutinous rice just sent up from Jiangnan had come to Song Yan in a few catties; seeing that most elderly folk are fond of glutinous foods, he sent half to his grandmother. When they arrived, Grandmother was in the kitchen with Aunt Hong making rice balls from the freshly ground glutinous rice and the newly pickled osmanthus sugar. She washed her hands and came out to greet them still wearing her apron, calling loudly to the maids and serving women about her, "Quick, bring out the pastries the Sixth Lady sent over the day before yesterday and let Yuan Heng have a taste!"

Dou Yan was much surprised and said with a smile, "The Sixth Aunt has been here?"

"Yes!" Grandmother said with a smile. "She said she came to pay her respects, and she brought a great deal of food—some of the pastries were said to be gifts from the palace. They looked so good that I had them put away, to bring out for Yuan Heng when you came."

Palace-granted pastries were a rare thing to others, but to Yuan Heng, who was often in and out of the palace, what were they worth? Yet Grandmother's feeling warmed the heart.

Song Yan stepped forward to support Grandmother, and as they went into the main hall he made small talk with the old lady: "It has been some days since we came to see you. Have you been well these days? Is there anything the household needs?"

"All is well, all is well," Grandmother said, gazing at Song Yan with joy brimming in her eyes.

Song Yan truly had a bond with his elders!

Dou Yan thought this without a trace of jealousy, and carried Yuan Heng into the main hall.

That evening, Dou Huaiying and Dou Huaide, having heard the news, came over for dinner.

They talked and laughed together until the lamps were lit before dispersing.

But what Dou Yan and Song Yan had not expected was that the Duke of Yingguo's feast would only be breaking up at this hour.

They ran straight into Song Cen and Song Han, who were seeing the Prince of Liao out.

The Prince of Liao stepped up and clapped Song Yan on the shoulder, saying with a laugh, "You rascal! Even if we are not what we once were, there is no need to avoid me so plainly. You wound me deeply. Still, I did not linger this long waiting for you—I was late because the Empress Mother kept questioning me at the palace. Do not be overthinking it!"

In her former life, Dou Yan had once seen the Prince of Liao from afar.