Chapter 203 — Bowing in the Hall

He smiled without betraying a thing and stepped out of the main hall of the Jining Marquis's residence: "It's nothing—just a bit stifling in there."

A mid-autumn night, cool as water—and Tianci found it stifling?

If that was so, why had he been charging inward just now?

Gu Yu muttered to himself.

Song Yan said, "You stay here and watch the excitement. I'll step out for a turn, catch some air, and be back."

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At the Dou house in Yunqi Temple Lane, lanterns and colored silks hung everywhere, and great red Double Happiness characters met the eye at every turn.

Dou Yan sat at the head of the bed, gazing quietly at her unconscious father, and asked Suxin in a low voice: "Does my father know that Dou Ming was married off in my place, and that it has to do with Elm Tree Lane?"

At her urging, her aunt had been helped back to the guest room by her cousin to rest, while the Fifth Madam and the others she had left cooling their heels in the hall. Only she and Suxin remained in the inner chamber.

"Yes," Suxin nodded, then whispered, "You ate the lotus-seed and lily soup and then fainted dead away. Before long the Wei family's bridal chair arrived. The Fifth Madam came in and dragged the aunt and the young lady out to watch the commotion. Then the Seventh Madam came in and brought the Fifth Miss through the back door, and Mrs. Cai helped her change clothes and put on the phoenix headdress. It was only when the wedding party shouted 'If we don't leave now we'll miss the auspicious hour' that Mrs. Cai finally let the Wei family's complete-fortune woman in to look."

"The Fifth Miss kept her head down, and Mrs. Cai supported her as they hurried to the hall.

"The Seventh Master discovered that the one in the bridal clothes was actually the Fifth Miss. He was so shocked he stood frozen for a long while before he came to his senses. But Mrs. Cai was shouting, 'Quick, quick, quick—any later and we'll miss the hour for the bows!' The Fifth Miss had barely made her curtsey to the Seventh Master before Mrs. Cai and the others swept her out of the flower hall. The Seventh Master chased after her, but the Seventh Madam blocked his way, and outside a great string of firecrackers was popping and crackling, drowning out the Seventh Master's voice.

"By the time the Seventh Master got through, the bridal chair had already left Yunqi Temple Lane.

"The Seventh Master flew into a rage on the spot. In front of everyone he slapped the Seventh Madam across the face and demanded to know what on earth the Fifth Madam thought she was doing.

"The Fifth Madam rushed to defend herself, and hurriedly called the eldest young master in, telling him to go at once to the Jining Marquis's residence and stop the Fifth Miss from bowing in wedlock with the Marquis of Jining.

"Hearing this, the Seventh Master grew even angrier. He said, if not for the Fifth Madam's help, how could the Fifth Miss possibly have been married off in place of the Fourth Miss? Don't take everyone else for a fool. And he asked the Fifth Madam whether this was the Fifth Master's idea or her own.

"The aunt and the young lady had been shown into the small parlor behind the hall, waiting with the Seventh Madam for you to come and take your leave. Seeing 'you' hurry off, they had rather blamed Mrs. Cai for her lack of foresight. Then they heard the commotion and came running out, only to learn that the Fifth Miss had taken your place in the bridal chair... The aunt seized the Seventh Madam and wanted to confront the Wang family. If the young lady had not cried out 'Where is Shouyuan?' just then, I fear everyone would still be quarreling in the hall."

So that was why her father had been so furious with the Fifth Aunt.

Dou Chiyou let out a long sigh.

The eldest cousin—he had followed the Fifth Uncle since childhood. In Huai Village Lane, whatever they said, he did.

The Fifth Aunt had probably sent him there to make the substitution a settled fact, not to stand up for her, wasn't that so?

Dou Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Have you seen Sixth Aunt?"

"No," Su Xin said, shaking her head. "Sixth Madam hasn't shown herself once since Eleventh Young Madam called her away."

It seemed they were using the Ji family to keep Sixth Aunt occupied.

Whether Dou Ming ultimately succeeded in taking her place and marrying Wei Fan would depend on whether the Wei family acknowledged Dou Ming tomorrow.

But either way, she now had an excuse never to marry again.

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Sisters and brothers, I wasn't satisfied with what I'd written, so I did a major overhaul, and it's come much later than planned. My apologies.

I'll post the draft first for everyone to look at, and catch the bugs a bit later.

o(n_n)o~

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