Chapter 108 — The Wei Family

When Lady Yuan, the wife of Duke Jing of the State of Zhang Pei, gave birth to her eldest son Zhang Yuanming, she nearly died in childbirth. Zhang Yuanming was dull by nature, and as he grew he became both simple-minded and fat. Lady Yuan found the sight of him irritating and preferred her second son, Zhang Jiming, and her youngest, Zhang Xuming. Thus, though Zhang Yuanming was already twenty-six, the Duke Jing's household had still not established an heir apparent. This left Wei Wan deeply uneasy, for beneath the splendid surface of the Duke Jing's household, dark currents churned.

Wang Qinghai was the fourth young master of the Marquess of Ting'an's household and on close terms with Wei Fan, so he naturally knew the ins and outs of the matter.

At these words he fell silent, then asked softly, "Then what do you plan to do?"

Wei Fan said, "That's why I need to hurry home and find my father!"

Wang Qinghai's spirits lifted. "You mean..."

Wei Fan's face flushed crimson in an instant. "We can't just let—let Miss Dou be jilted, can we? How would she live after that?" he stammered, his expression somewhat sheepish.

Wang Qinghai roared with laughter and clapped Wei Fan hard on the shoulder, so hard that Wei Fan staggered and nearly fell. "I knew it! Brother Wei is a man of true mettle—he won't go slinking home with his tail between his legs. Come, I'll go with you to speak to the old Marquess."

Wei Fan nodded, threw an arm around Wang Qinghai's shoulders, and the two mounted their horses and galloped off, whips flying.

In the flower hall, Dou Yan was still speaking with Chen Yanzhou: "...Have you ever considered carefully, sir, why the Dou family, in breaking off the betrothal with the Wei family, did not act in its own name but instead let the He family act for it?"

Chen Yanzhou had pondered this question as well. He said gravely, "I suspect it is because both the Sixth Master and the Seventh Master were fiercely opposed to the match, and the Fifth Master did not wish to damage the bond between brothers over it, so he tossed the matter to the He family. To the Sixth and Seventh Masters, he could say it was to make the He family back off; to the He family, he could give an explanation—offending neither side. But the greatest reason is that the Fifth Master stands at a critical juncture in his contest for a place in the Grand Secretariat, and cannot afford the slightest misstep—above all, he cannot allow his opponents to seize upon any stain on his moral conduct. The very reason the Fifth Master can contend with Wang Xingyi is that in recent years he has acted with upright propriety, championed justice and succored the needy, and has been much praised by his colleagues..."

Dou Yan nodded repeatedly and smiled. "Then we must seize this opportunity!"

"Opportunity?" Chen Yanzhou said, puzzled. "What opportunity? The matter is already out in the open. Surely the Wei family won't return the betrothal tokens to the He family? What would that make them? Selling a wife for glory—how could the Wei family ever hold up its head among the nobility again?"

"Nothing should be spoken of so absolutely," Dou Yan said. "There may be matters I do not know, but the Wei family's affairs I know inside and out. The Marquess of Jining's household at this moment has long been far removed from the court and the imperial family, having fallen to the rank of a second- or third-rate noble house. They need powerful officials to support them in obtaining lucrative posts to sustain the household, and they need money to support their increasingly straitened expenses." She paused, then brought up Zhang Yuanming: "...He is both legitimate and eldest, and long past the age for petitioning to be established as heir apparent. To the He family, this is a trifling matter. With Wei Wan speaking on their behalf—and given how dearly the old Marquess and his lady cherish her—ten to one the Wei family will agree to let Wei Fan use the petition for Zhang Yuanming's establishment as heir as a bargaining chip with the He family."

Her heart held the Wei family in even greater contempt. "What does the Fourth Miss mean?" he asked.

"I want to ask you, sir, to go to the capital in person and have a proper word with the old Marquess of Wei," Dou Yan said. "Whether for face or for profit, leaving the betrothal tokens with the Wei family is the best choice. After all, my Fifth Uncle may yet become a Grand Secretary, and I bring a generous dowry." Then she added teasingly, "And it would be a chance to clear my Fifth Uncle's name—it is not that our Dou family wishes to break off this match, but entirely that for all these years the Wei family has paid this betrothal no heed. A man bows his head to take a wife; a woman lifts her head to be married. Surely the Dou family cannot go knocking on their door itself?"

Chen Yanzhou hesitated. "Tell the Wei family how much property is in your name?"

"That won't be necessary," Dou Yan said. "I fear I wouldn't be able to extricate myself afterward. I am, after all, Dou Yan's daughter—it is only natural that my dowry be somewhat more generous than an ordinary family's."

She thought of her former life, when she had married into the Wei family and Wei Wan had worn such a satisfied expression at the sight of her dowry.

Chen Yanzhou understood. He smiled. "I will be sure to pin that fault on the Wei family's head."

Dou Yan giggled.

※※※※※

Ji Yong was smiling too as he gazed at the note in his hand.

The Wei family proposed that if the He family could help secure Zhang Yuanming's establishment as heir apparent, they would return the betrothal tokens to the He family.

Not bad.

Dou Yan was at least worth a hereditary title of heir apparent.

He could not help the corners of his mouth curling upward. He instructed his personal page Zishang, "Bring my calling card. We're going to the Marquess of Jining's household." His tone was noticeably cheerful.

Zishang therefore dared to grin and ask, "What are we going to the Marquess of Jining's household for? We're not exactly on familiar terms with those noble houses..."

Ji Yong shot him a cold glance.

Zishang hastily summoned a maid to help Ji Yong change his clothes, while he himself went to Ji Yong's study for a calling card, sent a man to ready the carriage, and accompanied Ji Yong out the door.

They lived in the Ji family's residence in the capital, located in Nanxun Ward at the very heart of the city, where the six ministries, the Hanlin Academy, and the Zhan Shi Prefecture all stood. A mansion of three courtyards, five halls deep, and three parallel wings, it occupied a third of Yuhe Alley and was imposing indeed.

In the main courtyard they encountered several young men dressed as scholars.

Seeing Ji Yong, they stepped aside from a distance to make way for him.

Ji Yong did not so much as lift the corner of an eye; he swept past as though he had seen nothing.

Zishang, however, recognized the leader as Young Master Min of the Twelfth Master's household. The others he did not know—they were likely Young Master Min's classmates from the Imperial College.

He smiled at Young Master Min by way of greeting, and heard someone in the group say with displeasure, "So this is that prodigy of your household, the provincial graduate who rose so young? He's far too arrogant, isn't he? We may not match him in learning, but there's no saying we won't have our day on the golden list..."