Chapter 495 — The Grand Audience

No one said a word during the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, but once the grand audience of the first day of the year came round, Lady Changxing could contain herself no longer. She drew Dou Yan aside and asked about Song Han: "...Is it true?"

Song Yan had long since resolved to cut himself off from Song Han, even to the point of borrowing the Lu family's name, so when Dou Yan was questioned, she no longer felt the sting of shame that came with shared honor and disgrace. Still, she could not very well say outright that it was true, for others would think she was gloating over another's misfortune.

She put on an expression of reluctance, as though the words stuck in her throat.

"Ah!" Lady Changxing understood at once and comforted her. "Every family has one or two worthless souls; don't take it to heart. We have all seen what the Heir's people are made of. They would never confuse black with white."

Dou Yan thanked her gratefully.

Yet before two cups of tea had been drunk, every noblewoman and official's wife at the grand audience knew of the matter.

The eyes turned upon Dou Zhiwei held either a measure of sympathy or a measure of curiosity, and for a time Dou Yan became the center of all attention.

Dou Chiyou cursed inwardly.

She had meant for Lady Changxing to spread the word, but the lady's mouth was rather too quick.

Dou Yan feigned ignorance.

The Crown Princess could not help sighing at the sight, and called her over to talk. "I have not seen the boy He for some days. Has he grown taller? The weather has been cold these past days, so I dared not let the Third Imperial Grandson go out, yet he cannot sit still for a moment and makes endless mischief. What does your He occupy himself with these days?"

Dou Xin answered her one by one.

The Crown Princess's favor added a measure of warmth to the looks cast her way by those in the hall, and Dou Yan was given a thorough taste of the world's warmth and cold.

When the audience dispersed, she overheard a woman murmuring in a low voice: "...There is no proper wife, so how did she come to entangle herself with the master of the house? Lady Jiang has been gone these many years, and the Yingzhen Ducal Estate has never taken a second wife. Could it be that his constitution is out of sorts, that he lacks the strength?"

What vivid imaginations people had!

Dou Yan fought hard to keep from bursting into laughter, but could not resist glancing back at the woman who had spoken.

The two women felt her gaze, hunched their shoulders uneasily, and hurried past her.

Even after she returned home, Dou Chu could not help laughing whenever she recalled the expressions of those two women.

What a beautiful misunderstanding it was!

After the Dragon Raising its Head on the second day of the second month, even Gu Yu had heard the rumor. He came running to ask Song Yan, "What on earth is going on?"

Only then did Song Yan learn how the tale had been twisted.

He was left somewhat tongue-tied.

Fortunately, a servant came in to announce, "The gentleman from the Yunqi Temple Alley has arrived."

Gu Yu was rather puzzled. "Is he not to sit the metropolitan examination? It is only days away. Why is he not at home studying instead of coming to you?"

Song Yan was puzzled as well, and told the servant to show Dou Huaide into the study.

After a short while, Dou Huaide came in.

His face was dark with anger. Without a word, he sat down and gulped down a cup of tea.

Song Yan and Gu Yu exchanged glances. Then Dou Huaide pushed the teacup away, raised his brows, and said, "That monstrous creature Wei Fan has actually been keeping a woman outside!"

On the third day of the new year, the day for visiting the wife's family, Wei Fan made the excuse that Dou Ming was unwell and sent gifts without coming in person. When the grandmother invited them to eat sweet rice balls on the sixteenth, the Wei Fan couple again failed to appear. Dou Huaiying was somewhat displeased, but the grandmother was broad-minded and took it merely as Wei Fan looking down on her humble origins. She advised Dou Huaiying, "There must be fate between people. Look at Shouyuan—she has been close to me since she was small, yet I only went to see her a few times when she was a child. You are old enough now; do not vex yourself over such things."

Dou Huaiying did not blame Ming, but she did blame Wei Fan, and said to Dou Yan in private, "Children are taught before the hall, wives beside the pillow. Wei Fan is years older than Ming. He could seduce her into marrying him regardless of everything; why does he not know enough to teach her to be filial to her elders?"

Dou Chi knew well how to judge this case. He said nothing.

Now it seemed there was more to the story.

Song Yan turned it over in his mind and asked, "What exactly happened?"

Gu Yu, ever one to relish a good scandal, pricked up his ears at once.

Dou Huaide knew that Gu Yu and Song Yan were as close as brothers, and he liked Gu Yu's forthright manner, so he spoke plainly: "Fifth Sister has not shown herself for some time, and Father was much worried. These past days he has been keeping a close eye on my studies, but seeing that the examination is near, he has let up and told me to rest, and bade me go to the Jining Ducal Estate to look in on Fifth Sister. Who would have thought the Jining Ducal Estate would be in utter chaos—the old lady has taken to her bed, Fifth Sister is by turns cursing and raging, and the servants of the whole household keep out of her way. It turns out that Wei Wan, on the pretext that Fifth Sister had no children about her, sent two maids before the New Year to serve Wei Fan as chamber attendants. Fifth Sister would not have Wei Wan meddling in the affairs of the Jining Ducal Estate, so no sooner had the girls crossed the threshold than she sold them off. This enraged Wei Wan. She went and bought two trained courtesans from Yangzhou and installed them in a house not far from the Jingzhen Ducal Estate. Wei Fan would say he was paying a call at the Jingzhen Ducal Estate, when in truth he was dallying at that house. When Fifth Sister learned of it, she set upon Wei Fan and clawed his face to shreds. Wei Fan was too ashamed to go out, and hid himself with his mistress over the New Year. Fifth Sister took her people there to catch him in the act, but Wei Fan got wind of it and made off with the two courtesans into hiding. Unable to find him, Fifth Sister could only raise a scene at home. Now tell me—how am I to explain this to Father?"

Gu Yu's eyes lit up as he listened.

He had always found Wei Fan detestable. Had it not been for Song Yan's sake, he would have dealt with the man long ago.

"Brother Tianci," he said, already rolling up his sleeves in his impatience, "Wei Fan is nothing but a broken-down pauper. These past days he has been eating and dressing warm on Dou Juan's dowry, and has forgotten just how much he weighs. Let us go and teach him a lesson."

"This is none of your business!" Song Yan's brows were knit tight as he rebuked Gu Yu. "Sit down and behave yourself."

By rights, Dou Yan was the best person to handle this, but he truly did not wish Dou Yan to have anything to do with Wei Fan, much less to go and reconcile the couple.

He thought for a moment, then said, "I will speak to my father-in-law about this. You just concentrate on preparing for the examination."

This was precisely why Dou Huaide had come to Song Yan. Seeing that Song Yan had taken the matter in hand, he breathed a sigh of relief and began to enumerate Wei Fan's faults to Gu Yu.

Song Yan felt a quiet satisfaction and told Dou Yan of the matter.

Dou Yan was much surprised.

In her past life, Wei Wan had loved to meddle and boss others about, but even she would never have stuffed women into Wei Fan's chambers; and in her past life Wei Fan had paid no heed to farming, true, but even he would never have failed to respect his lawful wife.