Chapter 218 — The Break

His voice was somewhat shrill, but the Fifth Madam, who had always considered Dou Huaiying mild-tempered, paid it no mind. She smiled and said, "Old Master Ji came in person to make the proposal—how could your Fifth Brother not know? Your Fifth Brother's view is that, with such a thing having just happened in the family, and seeing that Jianming and Shouyuan are, so to speak, cousins who grew up together, if anyone were to think ill of it, not only would Ming be talked about shamefully, but Shouyuan and Jianming too would be pointed at. The Jining Marquis is another matter—at worst he loses face—but Jianming is still young, with a great future ahead of him. If it drew an impeachment from the censors, that would be trouble. Better that the two families quietly exchange the betrothal cards first, and set the wedding date after the beginning of spring next year..."

Dou Huaiying thought of the maidservant of the Huai Tree Alley who knew just how far to go and when to stop; of how, after Dou Ming had been married off in Dou Yan's place, when he reproached Fifth Sister-in-law, she had been calm as though everything were well in hand; of Tao Jun's faintly fawning smile; of the terrified look on Gao Sheng's face when he mentioned Song Yan... The corner of his mouth twitched.

Did he truly look so weak and easy to bully?

One after another, they all came to hoodwink him!

The fury that had been pressed down in the depths of his heart ever since he learned of Song Yan's reputation now blazed up as if oil had been poured on it.

"What more do you want?" He rose to his feet in agitation, his fair face flushed red with anger. His gentle eyes were full of indignation. "I have only two daughters! Have you not harmed them enough?"

At these words the Fifth Madam's face burned hot, and she argued stubbornly, "How can Seventh Uncle speak like that? It was my fault that I did not stop Ming at the time. Am I not trying to make it up to Shouyuan now? Besides, Jianming is far more outstanding than that Wei Fan—at such a young age he is already a palace graduate of two examinations, and who knows but that he may one day become prime minister and enter the Grand Secretariat. And Old Master Ji came in person to propose the match, which shows how greatly he regards Shouyuan. What is there for you to be dissatisfied with..."

"Enough!" Had the Fifth Madam said nothing, it might have been better; the more she said, the angrier Dou Huaiying became. He gave a scoffing laugh. "Round and round, it all comes down to wanting an alliance with the Ji family, to courting Ji Jianming! By what right did Fang Zhou, a bureau director of the Ministry of Personnel's Bureau of Investiture and Registration, become Zhejiang's provincial administration commissioner? By what right was Dou Ming married into the Jining Marquis's household, Wang Shuying? Don't think I know nothing! I tell you, I am marrying off my daughters, not selling them!" As he spoke he pointed at the door. "Fifth Sister-in-law, you manage the household affairs of Huai Tree Alley and are a very busy woman. It's getting late, so I won't keep you!"

Fifth Madam had never seen Dou Huaiying fly into such a rage.

She sat frozen for a long while before she came back to herself. Only then did she realize: on the matter of the Dou and Ji families' alliance, Dou Huaiying was utterly opposed.

Then what was to be done?

She hurried to say, "Seventh Uncle, don't let your temper decide this! You ought to think it over carefully. A match as fine as Jianming—once you let this village pass, there'll be no such shop again..."

But Dou Huaiying would not hear another word from her. Blue veins pulsed faintly at his temples as he called out loudly for Gaosheng to "see the guest out."

Seeing that Dou Huaiying was in the heat of his anger and judging that anything more she said would fall on deaf ears, Fifth Madam decided to wait until his temper cooled. She did not wait for a second summons, but rose and took her leave.

Dou Huaiying, for his part, seemed to have had every sinew drawn out of his body, and slumped limp onto the broad kang by the window.

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Ji Yong did not know how he had left Yunqi Temple Alley.

By the time he came to his senses, he was standing before the gates of Yunqi Temple.

The bustling crowd streamed past him without pause, and now and then someone would bump his shoulder, murmuring again and again, "Excuse me, excuse me."

Zishang answered for Ji Yong, while Zixi kept close to Ji Yong's side, never leaving him by so much as a step.

A carriage suddenly drew up before Ji Yong.

"Ji Jianming!" He Yu leapt down from the carriage and came straight at Ji Yong, driving a fist into his face.

Caught off guard, Ji Yong was struck so hard he staggered and fell to the ground.

Zixi and Zishang cried out and rushed over, only to be blocked by the He family guards, who had been prepared for exactly this.

Ji Yong, coming back to his senses, felt a stinging ache in his eyes, and something warm and wet was trickling from his nose.

Wiping his nose by instinct, he shouted, "What the devil has gotten into you?"

"What has gotten into me?" He Yu pressed forward and struck Ji Yong again. "Have you forgotten what you once said to me?"

Ji Yong twisted aside and dodged He Yu's fist, only to be pinned beneath him.

A fire was already smoldering in his heart, and he could not be bothered to ask He Yu just what he had promised him; struggling, he and He Yu fell into a tangle of blows.

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Begging for pink votes, sisters and brothers!

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