Chapter 37 — Night Talk

"And this is only my guess," Ji shi cut her off. "Even if I have guessed rightly, this is not a thing that can be done overnight. A proper account must be given to the Zhu family regarding the betrothal, must it not? Consent must be sought from the Zhao family's maternal uncle, must it not? And some way must be found to make Wang Xingyi feel indebted, must it not?"

"That is so!" Old Mother Wang's agitation gradually subsided. "Quite apart from all else, the Zhu family are people of standing in Zhending County. Unless the Dou family gives them a proper explanation, they will never consent to break off the betrothal."

"There you are quite mistaken," Ji shi said. "Of these three matters, the easiest and simplest by far is the betrothal with the Zhu family. Think: earlier, the Zhu family heard from somewhere that things between Seventh Uncle and his concubine had not been properly settled, and Third Sister-in-law sent ever so many people to reason with them—yet the Zhu family would not agree to hold the wedding in the fifth month. From this one can see they are a family that dotes on their daughter. If they learn that the Wang family is kicking up such a dreadful fuss, they will certainly be loath to let a darling girl raised in the palm of their hands suffer such torment; there will be no need for the Dou family to raise the matter—the Zhu family will seek to break the betrothal of their own accord." She took a sip of tea. "The hardest part is getting the Zhao family's maternal uncle to consent to elevating Concubine Wang to wife." Her voice dropped. "By now the Zhao family's uncle must hate the Dou family to the bone; were it not for his scruples on Shouyuan's account, he would wish Dou Huaiying dead. If the Dou family does not go begging for that letter of consent, well and good; if they do go begging, they will surely not obtain it. And not only fail to obtain it—the Zhao uncle will likely seize the chance to make some mischief that leaves the Dou family with no face to show."

"Then what is there for the Old Master to rack his brains over?" Old Mother Wang laughed. "When the time comes, he need only say that the Zhao family's uncle will not consent to elevating Concubine Wang, and that he must take another wife. Surely the Madam cannot force the Zhao uncle to write a letter of consent?"

"Perhaps this is exactly what the Madam is after!" Ji shi said, her gaze once more falling on Dou Zhihui. "The Madam cannot force the Zhao uncle to write a letter of consent, but she can see to it that the Zhao uncle is never able to stir from the northwest. With mountains high and rivers long between them, unless the Zhao uncle gives up his office and comes back to fight a lawsuit against the Dou family, then with the Dou family at her back, Concubine Wang can brazenly bear and raise children under the title of second wife. But if the Zhao uncle resigns his office and comes back to fight the Dou family in court… a man stripped of his official post—tell me, could he possibly win against the Dou family? Not only can he not win; he will most likely be ruined utterly, reduced to beggary. Even if his sons and grandsons are clever, he will have no means left to support their studies and see them into office…"

Old Mother Wang shivered. "The Madam… that is too—too cruel!"

"It may not all be the Madam's idea," Ji shi said, catching her breath. "Our Fifth Uncle in this house always likes to say half and keep half."

Old Mother Wang felt a pang of pity for Dou Yan. "The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh. Thank goodness Fourth Miss does not understand; she need not be caught in the middle, torn this way and that."

"You think Shouyuan has an easy time of it!" Ji shi stroked Dou Zhihui's head fondly. "If you were Shouyuan, and one day someone told you that Concubine Wang was the one who killed Zhao shi—what would you do?"

"I would certainly seek justice for my birth mother," Old Mother Wang said without a moment's thought.

"Exactly." Ji shi's voice was drawn out and low, like an old huqin, mournful and vast. "The Zhao uncle will not write the letter of consent, and so he and the Dou family will remain locked in standoff. If Wang Xingyi follows Fifth Uncle wholeheartedly, well and good; but if Wang Xingyi is of two minds—then when Shouyuan grows up, the Dou family need only tell her the truth. If Shouyuan marries a wealthy, well-placed husband and persuades him to take up her cause, one petition to the authorities, and Concubine Wang—her name neither right nor proper—can be struck from the clouds into the mud on the spot. And if Shouyuan marries into some ordinary household, the Dou family has so many sons—there will always be someone to stand at Shouyuan's side, will there not? Even then Concubine Wang can be turned from wife back into concubine… Once Shouyuan files that petition, Seventh Uncle cannot escape the charge of 'taking a concubine as his wife.'"

If she does not submit this petition, Shouyuan will likely never find peace of mind... And if it truly comes to that, for the Wang family it would be a piercing pain to the very heart, while for the Dou family it would be no more than a scabies rash. Others would merely say the Dou family acted out of consideration for a colleague's feelings, whereas the Wang family would be accused of raising a daughter without discipline... Besides, Seventh Master is not, after all, one of the Eastern Dou..."

"How could our Old Master have married you into a household like this!" Old Mother Wang's face went pale; in the sweltering summer heat, she actually felt a chill seep into her very bones. "Our Ji family has never had such goings-on."

"Which great mansion looks splendid as brocade from the outside but is riddled with holes within?" said Madam Ji. "It is only that you do not know what goes on in the Ji family."

Old Mother Wang fell silent.

A young maid came in to announce: "Sixth Master has returned!"

Madam Ji shot Old Mother Wang a glance. "Whatever you do, do not breathe a word of this before Sixth Master. Let him go to the provincial examination in good spirits first, and we shall speak of it after."

"This old servant understands," said Old Mother Wang in a low voice, and followed Madam Ji out the door.

The inner chamber was utterly still, tranquil and serene.

Moonlight fell upon Dou Zhiwei's face, and the teardrops at the corners of her eyes were like night dew rolling upon the petals of an epiphyllum—crystalline and translucent, dreamlike and illusory.