Chapter 193 — A Direct Strike

Ji Yong sank into thought.

The Sixth Master of the Han family was on the verge of death, yet the family had still, at the Han family's request, married Cousin Lingze over to him; when he heard of it, he did no more than give a scornful snort.

For he held that every person must bear the consequences of the choices they make.

Since Cousin Lingze had known perfectly well that marrying over there meant widowhood, and had married anyway, that was her choice, and no one else had any business interfering.

Dou Yan had been betrothed to Wei Fan since childhood; that she wished to marry Wei Fan was only natural and right—what fault could he find with her? By what right did he judge her choice to be wrong?

Because Wei Fan drank with courtesans alongside other men?

Had he not joined in such drinking himself?

Because Wei Fan looked at Zhao Zishu with a lecherous eye?

Had he not himself spent a night in the Beichan Temple alley?

Because Wei Fan had actually fallen for Dou Ming's trick?

Hmm... that point mattered a great deal. If it were himself in that position, he would never have done such a thing; it trampled Dou Zhiwei's bottom line, and Dou Yan would never forgive him.

So this time would Dou Chi refuse, no matter what, to marry Wei Fan?

At this thought, Ji Yong felt a small twinge of satisfaction.

But the very next moment, he felt deflated again.

Was that not also because Wei Fan knew nothing of the Dou family's affairs?

What exactly was his dissatisfaction with Wei Fan?

Even if Wei Fan were the worst of men, what business was it of his?

His grandfather had told him since childhood: never look only at the surface of a thing—always ask one more time, why? Only when you know the cause can you know what you are truly after; only then can you grasp what is in a man's heart and make him willing to serve your ends.

What exactly did he want to do?

Ji Yong cast aside those stray thoughts and, for the first time, asked himself in earnest.

He wanted Dou Yan to loathe Wei Fan; he wanted Dou Yan to break off her engagement with Wei Fan; he wanted to be with Dou Yan forever, just as they were now—bickering and teasing, laughing and squabbling—so long as he was with Dou Yan. Even her mockery and cold sarcasm, even her baffling quirks, even her contempt and perfunctory replies—he found them all amusing, all sweet as honey.

Ji Yong gave a great shout, and looked up to find that his great-grandfather had vanished.

He ran at once for his great-grandfather's study.

Old Master Ji was lounging with his legs crossed on the reclining chair, reading, and at the sight of Ji Yong coming in he hastily stuffed the book into a vase beside him.

.

His great-grandfather had been reading those privately printed editions from the market stalls again.

Old Master Ji hurriedly composed his features and cleared his throat. "Well? Have you thought it through? Do you know what it is you truly want to do?"

Ji Yong nodded. "I want Dou Yan to break off the engagement!"

Old Master Ji barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "So all that business you were up to before—that was not meant to make Dou Yan break off the engagement?"

Ji Yong said gravely, "Before, I only wanted Dou Yan to loathe Wei Fan. Now I know I was wrong. I should not trouble myself with what that damned Wei Fan does or does not do. I should make friends with Wei Fan and tempt him with profit into breaking the engagement." His mind raced. "All the world bustles and scurries for fame and gain. I have been to the Wei house—it is a shabby, broken-down place. The sea trade yields the greatest profit, and carries the greatest risk. I should take him into partnership in a voyage, let him lose every last penny, and then seize the chance to play matchmaker for him—introduce him to a father-in-law with a lavish dowry who is willing to help him rise again from the ashes. He will certainly break the engagement..."

Old Master Ji dug at his ear impatiently.

Ji Yong was taken aback. "Surely that will not work?"

His great-grandson, at last, was beginning to show some trace of youth.

"It will work, it will work. It will work," Old Master Ji said with a smile. "And then?"

"What?"

"I mean, after the Dou and Wei families break off the engagement—what then?"

Ji Yong scratched his head.

Truly, no gold is wholly pure. No man is wholly perfect!

Old Master Ji sighed. "Dou Yan is young. She cannot simply shut herself away at home and never marry again just because an engagement was broken. And even if she did—what of you? One day you will take a wife, and then you cannot go running to the Dou house every day, seeing Dou Yan whenever the whim takes you, as you do now."

Ji Yong's eyes went wide, and he said dismissively, "Then I shall marry her myself!"

The moment the words left his lips, thunder crashed and rolled through his head.

Was this—was this truly what lay in his heart?

He stared at Old Master Ji, his eyes growing wider still.

Old Master Ji burst out laughing. "At last the penny has dropped. Otherwise all that flailing about before would have been for nothing. Now do you know what you must do?"

"What else is there to do?" Ji Yong was still sunk in the shock of the moment, and had not yet caught up.

"Fool!" Old Master Ji pulled a book from his sleeve and smacked his great-grandson over the head with it. "You want to marry her, but does that mean she must be willing to marry you? Besides, there's still a betrothal between the Dou and Wei families. A betrothal is not something you can simply call off. You always boast that your wit is unmatched, that no one can compare with you. So how is it that at a time like this your head has turned to wood?"

Ji Yong's mind finally cleared, and he said at once, "Now that Dou Chi is willing to marry Wei Fan, with her temper she certainly won't agree to it. The Dou family wants Dou Yan to marry him now, only because they fear that if the business with Dou Ming comes to light it will ruin the good name of the Dou clan. So long as Wei Fan voluntarily withdraws from the betrothal, the Dou family can give Outsiders an explanation, and the marriage will naturally fall through. I'll go to Wei Fan at once and think of a way to delay the wedding date a while. Heaven only knows how many things happen in the capital every day. In a little while there will be fresh gossip for everyone to chew over. It won't be too late to withdraw from the betrothal then..."

Old Master Ji would have liked to take an axe and split Ji Yong's skull open. "And what is Wei Fan? If you can scheme against him, do you think others can't scheme against him just as easily? What use is it whether he agrees to withdraw or not? How did I teach you, from the time you were small? To catch the bandits, first catch their leader. Never mind these petty details; you must seize hold of the people and the things that can sway the whole situation. Reflect properly on this business. First you acted without understanding what was truly in your own heart; and after you acted, you still failed to see clearly who it was could affect the course of events. And now your head is still a pot of paste. Since you schemed to bring Wei Fan and Dou Ming together, and Dou Chi will not marry Wei Fan, the Dou family has been forced to accept this match merely to cover up the Dou Ming affair; and the Wei family, fearing the Dou family will call them to account for Wei Fan's misconduct, had no choice but to send a matchmaker and hastily fix a date. Everything is ready, and only the east wind is lacking. Yet instead of following the momentum of events and profiting by it, you go running about looking for someone to lean on. Truly, rotten wood cannot be carved! Even as he spoke, Old Master Ji sprang to his feet and shot Ji Yong a fierce glare. "Come, and see how I settle this matter for you!" Then he grumbled, "And mind you learn something from it!"

Ji Yong was left open-mouthed and tongue-tied.