Chapter 191 — A Lesson

The Second Old Madam, accompanied by the Sixth Madam, née Ji, was playing a card game with the wives of Fifth Uncle's two sons, née Guo and née Cai, and Dou Yong's wife, née Han.

Seeing Dou Yan come in, the Sixth Madam rose quickly and waved to her with a smile. "Come here, quick, and take a look at your great-aunt's hand for her."

The Second Old Madam's eyes were not good, so when she played cards someone always had to stand behind her and quietly call out the tiles for her, and at the critical moments play a few hands on her behalf.

Dou Shi had said that in recent years the Sixth Madam's own eyes had grown poor as well, and that reading the cards for the Old Madam like this must be a strain on her too.

Dou Yan seated herself smiling at the Old Madam's side.

The Old Madam chatted with Dou Yan in a desultory way, while Guo and the others listened from the side.

"Did you see your father?"

"I did."

"Why did you not stay a while longer at home?"

"A few of the younger men from the Hanlin Academy came to call on Father and invited him along to Longhua Temple to hear the abbot expound the sutras, so I came back first."

The Second Old Madam nodded.

Dou Qu pointed at the tiles on the table. "Great-aunt, *kong* and *yi*." Then she drew a *kong* tile for the Second Old Madam, and a *yi* tile, and tossed them onto the table.

Cai, eager to please, chimed in before the Old Madam. "Fourth Sister's eyes and hands are quicker than anyone's—we could not beg a single lucky draw from the Xuanming Sect now."

The Second Old Madam chuckled.

At last everyone's attention settled back on the card table.

By the time the evening meal was to be served, Dou Yan had won more than a dozen taels of silver for the Second Old Madam.

Cai took Dou Zhiwei by the arm. "Who would have thought Fourth Sister was such an expert? She has helped the Xuanming Sect win all our silver."

"You little rascal!" In but a few days the Old Madam had taken a liking to this lively granddaughter-in-law, and her tone was at once fond and easy.

The Sixth Madam and Han both laughed.

Guo's eyes darkened in spite of herself.

The Fifth Madam came in.

"Mother, where would you like the evening meal laid?"

Ever since the Second Old Madam had moved into the Huai Tree Alley house, the Fifth Madam had insisted, no matter how busy she was, on paying her respects morning and evening and waiting on the Old Madam at table, keeping to a daughter-in-law's duty. This pleased the Old Madam greatly, and for that reason she was very lenient with the Fifth Madam and excused her from waiting at table; but the Fifth Madam was most insistent, and in the end it was agreed that she would wait only at the evening meal. Because of this the Old Madam had more than once admonished Dou Bingheng to treat the Fifth Madam kindly.

The Fifth Madam's face looked somewhat grim today.

Dou Yan guessed she was fretting over the rumor that the Wei family meant to break off the engagement.

She was not the matriarch of the Dou clan, it was true, but in the capital Dou Bingheng held the highest office, and while a wife takes her honor from her husband, she takes on duties and obligations as well—and this matter had fallen to her.

Dou Yan found an opportunity to instruct Suxin. "Go and tell Young Master Ji that I have something to say to him, and that he is to come over when he has the time." In her heart she could not help but sigh. Back in Zhending, though there were many elders above her, she and Grandmother had lived in the West Dou compound, and whenever anything came up everyone came to report it to her. Her word was law, and she could decide everything herself. Now that she had come to the capital, though there were fewer elders above her, she had moved into the Huai Tree Alley house, and whatever happened, people reported it either to Dou Bingheng or to the Fifth Madam, or at the very least to the Sixth Madam—there was nothing left for her. Even seeing Old Chen had become most inconvenient, to say nothing of seeing Ji Yong.

When all was said and done, Zhending was better!

Perhaps for just this reason, Ji Yong did not come to see her until five or six days had passed.

By then the Fifth Madam had already heard the news that Wei Wan had taken a fancy to the young lady of the Ting'an Marquis's household, and in a fury she had shut the door and sat down with the Sixth Madam to plot a countermeasure.

Ji Yong flung himself carelessly into the armchair by the kang and asked Dou Yan, "What did you want with me? Surely you are not going to tell me you mean to break off the engagement with Wei Fan?" There was a note of mockery in his voice.

It seemed Ji Yong still brooded over her insistence on marrying Wei Fan.

Dou Yan asked him, "What did you have Dou Ming do for you?"

Ji Yong started slightly. "So you know!" Then, curious, he said, "How did you find out? Did you catch Dou Ming out in something?" He sighed. "I knew Dou Ming could not be relied upon, but I never thought she would give herself away so quickly. What did she tell you…"

Dou Yan only watched his eyes quietly and said nothing.

Under her gaze Ji Yong grew uncomfortable, and said loudly, "All right, all right, what are you staring at me like that for? You only want to know what I had Dou Ming do, do you not? I will tell you, then. I saw that the Wei Fan boy had no steadiness in him, so I had Dou Ming coax Wei Fan into escorting her to Puji Temple…"

When all was said and done, it was still meant to give the appearance that Dou Ming and Wei Fan had secretly exchanged gifts.

Dou Yan closed her eyes, and only after a good while did she master her feelings. Then she asked him, "And then?"

"What?" Ji Yong was puzzled for a moment, but quickly caught on and laughed. "It was only to see whether Wei Fan would take the bait…"

Dou Yan looked into his eyes and cut him short. "I thought you would respect my decision."

Ji Yong's voice broke off. The careless smile faded little by little, giving way to something grave.

"Or is it that you do not trust my judgment?" Dou Yan went on. "So that whatever decision I make, so long as you think it wrong, you will find some way to correct it for me, until I act according to your wishes?"

That was not it.

Ji Yong wanted instinctively to deny it, but the words died at his lips; whatever defense he might make, it seemed it would ring hollow.

"Cousin Ji." Dou Yan gazed at him earnestly. "I hope you will have a little more faith in me, and stop meddling in my marriage. If I need your help, I will ask you for it." As she spoke, the corners of her mouth lifted in a smile for him.

Ji Yong could not bring himself to smile.

For the first time in his life, he felt as though a great boulder had been set upon his heart, crushing the breath from him.

Suddenly a clamor arose from outside.

This was the inner court of the Dou residence—how could there be such an uproar here?

Dou Yan's brows knitted slightly.

Suxin came running in in a fluster; heedless of Ji Yong's presence, she blurted, "Bad news! The Fifth Young Lady was going with the Marquis of Jining to visit the Puji Temple, and Steward Gao caught them and blocked them at the main gate."

She had known such a thing might happen, yet now that it had come, hearing it with her own ears still made Dou Yan's face change.

Dou Ming had stirred up this great commotion on purpose, hadn't she?

If she had gone touring the Puji Temple with Wei Fan, not only would her own name be ruined, but the Dou family's reputation as well. The Second Old Madam would never let her off. Yet if she failed to go with Wei Fan, she would have no way to account to Ji Yong. This was the best course of all—it stopped Ji Yong's mouth, and kept the affair from blowing up beyond saving or making herself the target of everyone's scorn.

She glanced at Ji Yong.

Ji Yong's face was exceedingly grim.