Chapter 509 — Saving a Life

Watching the two of them locked in each other's arms, Grandmother could not help smiling. She took Yuan Heng's hand and said, "Look, there's a patch of foxtail grass by the wall. Shall we pick some and put them in your father's writing desk?"

.

He clung to Song Zhi's sleeve and would not let go, tears in his eyes as he cried "Papa" and "I want a hug too! I want a hug too!"

Dou Yan's face burned.

She gave Song Yan a gentle push and whispered, "Everyone's watching!"

Her flushed face was like a trumpet vine blooming in winter, bright and proud.

Song Yan's heart gave a great throb, and he could not resist murmuring, "So it's fine when no one's around? Very well then—wait for me tonight."

His words grew more and more improper.

Dou Yan, afraid the servants nearby would notice something amiss, had to hold herself back from spitting at Song Yan.

Song Yan knew when to stop. He released Dou Yan and stepped forward respectfully to bow to Grandmother.

Seeing Dou Yan's face full of embarrassment, her hands and feet stiff with constraint, Grandmother meant to help her out of the awkwardness. Smiling, she chatted with Song Yan as she walked toward a nearby pavilion. "I hear the Emperor is still being held hostage—is it really all right for you to come back like this?"

"It's fine!" Song Yan supported Grandmother with a light hand as they entered the pavilion and helped her sit down on the couch. "I've done what I should. If I keep meddling in such affairs, I'll only be too conspicuous, which would be worse."

"Knowing when to stop. Not only can you see it, you can put it into practice—that is truly rare." Grandmother regarded Song Yan with great approval. "In any case, the credit for rescuing the Emperor will be yours sooner or later. If you keep contending with them, you'll cut off others' prospects, and that will only earn you their resentment."

"That is exactly the reasoning." Song Yan took the tea a maid offered and set it before Grandmother, then turned to set Yuan Heng, whom Dou Yan was holding, down beside Grandmother, and said to Dou Yan with a smile, "It's good that you're all safe—I still have to go rescue Fifth Uncle. The situation in the capital is settled now; shortly Chen Jia will escort you back to the residence."

Dou Yan's heart skipped a beat. "Fifth Uncle came too? The Prince of Liao didn't make things hard for him, did he?"

Song Yan heaved a long sigh. "The Prince of Liao doesn't actually trust Fifth Uncle very much. Bringing him to the capital was partly to use the lingering prestige of Eldest Uncle to help him in his schemes, and partly to use Fifth Uncle to threaten me. He never imagined that Fifth Uncle, who seems so carefree on the surface, is in fact exceedingly meticulous. From the Prince's conduct he quickly guessed what he was planning, and before they even left Liaodong he secretly sent word to me—though unfortunately he didn't know exactly when the Prince of Liao would reach the capital. And what he never expected was that the Prince would scheme against you as well."

Dou Yan was startled. "So you knew all along that the Prince of Liao was coming to the capital? Is that why you sent me, Yuan Heng, and the Old Madam to the Fragrant Hills villa?"

Song Yan said nothing, but his gaze revealed a deep guilt.

Dou Yan laughed despite herself. "Don't tell me you're blaming this on yourself again? You're not a god, are you? And even gods miscalculate sometimes, don't they?"

In two lifetimes she had never anticipated the Prince of Liao's sudden attack—how much less could Song Yan?

Song Yan gave a sheepish laugh.

Dou Yan said at once, "Do you know where Fifth Uncle is?" She told Song Yan about Gu Yu. "I was afraid the Heir Apparent would settle accounts later, so I had Duan Bing escort him back to Tianjin. What do you plan to do about Fifth Uncle? Beg the Heir Apparent for leniency? Or have someone quietly send him back to Liaodong?"

Song Yan knew Gu Yu had come, and was greatly surprised to hear this. "Shouyuan, you did the right thing! Gu Yu's position is awkward now; best he stay far from these troubles. As for Fifth Uncle, we'll discuss what to do once I've met with him—frankly, this is an opportunity, but sometimes it may just as well be a storm. The Jiang family is now headed by Fifth Uncle; how the family charts its course must depend on his wishes. As to where Fifth Uncle is now... he didn't go with the Prince of Liao, so he must be at the Prince of Liao's residence. Apart from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Emperor will also use men from the Eastern and Western Depots. The Prince of Liao dared not set up a residence in the capital, so I'm sure I'll find him there." He added, "I'm afraid if I go too late, Fifth Uncle will suffer."

Dou Yan dared not keep him. "Then be careful. Go quickly and come back quickly!"

Song Yan nodded, exchanged a few words with Grandmother, kissed Yuan Heng, and left as abruptly as he had come.

Not long after, Chen Jia came to fetch Dou Yan.

Chen Lanxu asked, "What should we do with the Second Master?"

Before leaving the Fragrant Hills villa, they had cleared the battlefield and found Song Han, struck by two arrows and cowering behind a corpse; they had brought him along.

"Take him back to the Yingzhen Duke's residence," Dou Yan said. "We'll decide once the Heir Apparent returns."

Better to leave such matters to Song Yan.

Chen Lanxu assented and withdrew.

Dou Yan asked Chen Jia, "Is A-Yan all right?"

Her tone was utterly sincere.

"She's quite well." After the palace fell under the Heir Apparent's control, Chen Jia had slipped back to Yuqiao Alley. "When I got home she was dozing off—she was asleep!" As if recalling his wife's drowsy charm, Chen Jia's smile brightened.

Dou Yan was reassured. She took leave of Wang Xu and, escorted by Chen Jia and the others, returned to the capital.

It was already lamp-lighting time. Catching the faint scent of hosta flowers on the wind, Dou Yan felt as if she had dreamed it all.

She shook her head and drove those fragments from her mind.

Some things were best not pondered too deeply!

Dou Yan and the others bathed, and the kitchen brought out iced mung bean porridge.

The cool refreshment cleared their heads, and soon a deep weariness washed over them. Before even taking supper, they all collapsed into bed. By the time Dou Yan woke, it was the next morning, sparrows chattering on the branches.

"Where are Yuan Heng and the Old Madam?" Dou Yan asked the moment she rose.

Ruotong brought several young maids with hot water, soap, towels, and a mirror to attend to her hair.

"The Old Madam has taken Yuan Heng to look at the flowers in the courtyard!" Ruotong said with a smile. "Seeing how soundly you slept, the Old Madam wouldn't let us wake you. She said your nerves had been stretched taut all this while, and only a sleep like that could do you good."

Which was why they had not even called her for supper?

Dou Yan thought it over, and indeed felt her strength renewed.

She downed two bowls of congee and four pan-fried buns before setting down her chopsticks and asking Ruotong, "The Heir Apparent didn't come back last night?"

"No, he didn't!" Ruotong smiled, directing the little maids to clear the dishes.

Had Jiang Baisun been rescued or not?

"Has the capital lifted its lockdown?" Dou Yan asked.

When they had returned the night before, the streets of the capital were already sealed off; had Chen Lanxu not produced the token Song Yan had left behind in advance, they likely would never have gotten back inside the city walls.

"No," Ruotong said softly. "I hear the Emperor is still in the Prince of Liao's hands!"

Dou Chi frowned.

The longer this dragged on, the worse it would go for the Heir Apparent.

She climbed down from the kang and made ready to go to the garden to play a while with Grandmother and Yuan Heng.

A clamor rose from outside, growing louder and louder.