Chapter 132 — Meeting

The guests today were all persons of consequence, and the page answered eagerly, "The young heir's brother-in-law, the Marquis of Jining, and the Fourth Young Master of the Yan'an Marquis household have come. As they are in mourning, the Marquis of Jining means to pay his respects to the young mistress and then leave. Our young mistress has asked the young heir to come and exchange a few words with him, and he should be out shortly."

Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears!

A smile played at the corners of Song Yan's mouth. He guessed that Zhang Yuanming would surely see Wei Fan out, and walked slowly with Gu Yu toward the ornamental gate.

Gu Yu was thoroughly puzzled.

Zhang Yuanming was more than ten years their senior, and a dull, timid sort of man besides—not at all the kind they could enjoy themselves with. Yet judging by Song Yan's manner, it was for him alone that he had come.

He could not help asking Song Yan in a low voice, "What business do you have with him?"

Song Yan had said Gu Yu was clever, but his reacting so quickly still caught Song Yan slightly off guard.

Half in jest, half in earnest, he asked, "Am I really that obvious?" which only left Gu Yu unable to press the matter further.

When they reached the flower-hanging gate, they happened upon Zhang Yuanming seeing Wei Fan and Wang Qinghai out.

At the sight of Song Yan and Gu Yu, all three stood frozen where they were.

Wei Fan and Wang Qinghai did not recognize them; Zhang Yuanming simply had not expected them.

It was Song Yan who took the initiative to greet Zhang Yuanming, and only then did the three come back to themselves.

Zhang Yuanming hurried to introduce Wei Fan and Wang Qinghai to Song Yan and Gu Yu, but the moment the words left his mouth, he realized that Wei Fan was already a marquis and ought to have been the one to whom Song Yan and Gu Yu were presented. Yet of Song Yan and Gu Yu, one was the heir of the Duke Ying's estate, and the other the nephew of Empress Wan. Even if Wei Fan was already a marquis, in terms of rank and nobility, he likely could not be mentioned in the same breath as these two...

Seeing that Song Yan and Gu Yu looked unruffled, he was finally set at ease.

Wei Fan and Wang Qinghai, however, gave the matter no such thought.

The heir of the Duke of England—that was a personage a hundred thousand li removed from them, visible but unattainable; and Gu Yu—who in the capital did not know of the capital's little tyrant? The former, by their station and standing, they could never have crossed paths with. The latter, by their character and conduct, they disdained to associate with. But meeting them now, the two could not help but size up Song Yan and Gu Yu.

Song Yan wore a straight-cut robe of jade-belt white, a sachet and a mutton-fat jade pendant hanging at his waist. His finely wrought brows and eyes were like ranges of mountains winding away, his calm pupils like the deep, still waters of a pool; his bearing was lofty and refined, his manner elegant. A beautiful youth such as this, who ought to inspire goodwill at a single glance, stood there with a smile at the corners of his lips, yet was like high mountains and flowing rivers—amid the stillness there was an irresistible force like Mount Tai pressing down, rousing in others a faint, unspoken wariness. Beside him stood Gu Yu, white of teeth and red of lip, like the vast night sky beside a bright star, his luster wholly eclipsed by Song Yan.

The two could not help exchanging glances.

Song Yan, too, was taking the measure of Wei Fan and Wang Qinghai.

Wei Fan looked to be seventeen or eighteen, wearing a straight-cut robe of fine moon-white cloth; because he was in mourning, a palm-sized patch of coarse hemp was sewn to the hem. He had sword-shaped brows and starry eyes, and was tall and upright. Wang Qinghai appeared a year or two older than Wei Fan, wearing a straight-cut robe of sapphire blue figured with purple medallions; his nose was straight and his mouth square, and his complexion was faintly dark. What was rare was that both had clear eyes—at a glance, they were the sort who had been well educated and had grown up with the wind ever at their backs.

Song Yan exchanged pleasantries with Wei Fan: "I never expected to run into the Marquis of Jining and Fourth Master Wang here. The gongs have not yet sounded—why not stay a while longer before leaving? I hear Zeng Chusheng of the Guanglian Troupe has been engaged to perform today—since the onset of his asthma he has rarely taken the stage in person, and it is no small feat for the Duke Jing's estate to have secured him. Why not stay and hear the opera before you go?"

His voice was gentle and his tone cordial, which quite overwhelmed Zhang Yuanming with favor; he hastened to say, "Yes, indeed—such chances are rare. Why not stay and hear the opera before you go?"

How could Wei Fan not know what a rare chance it was to make the acquaintance of the heir of the Duke of England? But he was in mourning.

After hesitating a long while, he still declined with a look of regret, wording it tactfully: "Many thanks for the heir of the Duke of England's kind intent, but I am in mourning and truly cannot linger. Should the occasion arise, I shall play host and invite the heir of the Duke of England to gather with us." Though his expression was somewhat constrained, his few words were spoken with generosity and propriety.

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Making up for the March 24 update!

(*^__^*) Hee hee...

Today's bonus update may be a little late—I am just now looking up materials, so the time is a bit uncertain...

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