Chapter 221 — Swift Thunder
Purple Streets of Chang'an Page 2 of 2
She only doubted Dou Huaiying's judgment: "Have you really gone and inspected him yourself?"
"A matter this grave—would I deceive you?" Dou Huaiying, as if afraid of being overheard and the news carried to the Huai Shu Alley, lowered his voice by a good third even though no one was serving in the room. "I even met a fellow graduate of my examination year, who said he often saw Song Yantang attending upon the heir, courteous and polished, modest and respectful; a little cold in temperament, perhaps, but never one to gossip about others' faults. He is a young nobleman who knows well when to advance and when to yield, and understands propriety." He added, "Out in the world they spread the most odious tales about our Shouyuan, yet you and I both know—what has this matter to do with Shouyuan? So it is true indeed that rumors stop with the wise; a plainer saying there never was."
Once a person's heart leans one way, he cannot help speaking a good word for that side, nor help making excuses for it.
His aunt was still somewhat uneasy. "Weigh the matchmaker as you weigh the match. In matchmaking one must also look at what sort of character the matchmaker has. If that Tao Jun comes again to press the suit, let me see him too."
Dou Huaiying nodded in assent, then said with a worried frown, "Who knows when that Tao Jun will come again? Since my fifth cousin has set his heart on the Ji family, he will certainly find some way to make me agree. This must be done quickly, and it must be kept from the Huai Shu Alley..."
Before he had finished speaking, a servant came in to report: "Sir, the old master of the Ji family has sent someone to deliver an invitation. He asks you to go to the Yu Qiao Alley tomorrow to attend the opera. He says several of the senior scholars of the Hanlin Academy will be there as well, and begs you to be sure to honor them with your presence!"
Dou Huaiying and his aunt could not help exchanging a glance.
Another servant came in to report: "Sir, that Master Tao who came to visit you together with Lord Xu has come again..."
"Quickly, invite Master Tao in!" Before the servant's voice had died away, Dou Huaiying and his aunt had already cried out urgently, as if by prior agreement.
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"Well? Well?" In his study, Song Cen had gone over once more every family in the capital likely to agree to a match with the Song. It was not that no family as suitable as the Dou could be found; it was only that they had already spent a great deal of time on the Dou, and to change course now would likely be too late.
Hearing that Tao Jun sought an audience, he gave no thought to appearances and went out to receive him in person.
Seeing that there were servants about, Tao Jun, his face beaming, made his bow to Song Cen and said with meaning-laden emphasis, "I pay my respects to the Lord of Zhenguo."
At once Song Cen felt as though he had drunk a bowl of iced mung-bean broth on a June day; his whole body was at ease, and he could not help letting out a long breath of relief.
"You have worked hard, Master!" Overjoyed, he clapped his hands and bade a servant brew a pot of his treasured Taiping Houkui tea.
This was a reward for Tao Jun.
Tao Jun's heart was light.
Having played the sycophant before Dou Huaiying for half the day, he could at last speak standing upright.
Song Cen quickly dismissed the servants in the room and spoke with Tao Jun in confidence.
"Lord Dou's meaning is that matters such as the exchange of horoscopes should not be made public, but the betrothal gifts must be sent with great fanfare; at the same time as the gifts are sent, the marriage contract is to be written and the wedding date fixed." Tao Jun spoke softly. "I think the Dou family most likely wishes to marry off the Fourth Miss before word of the sisters' exchange of marriages gets out, so that they may give an account to the world and leave no opening for gossip. This suits our own designs exactly."
Song Cen nodded again and again, thinking this was nothing short of a match made in Heaven. "I have already received word: the Emperor will return to the palace on the twelfth. If we send the betrothal gifts before then, any other family would surely find it too hasty, but since the Dou family wishes to dispel the rumors arising from the sisters' exchange of marriages, they will certainly agree. By the time the Emperor returns to the palace, the rice will be cooked; would the Emperor then take back his minister's son-in-law? And if the Emperor asks, I was at the forbidden palace and heard not a whisper of rumor—could the Emperor then convict me of disrespect? At most it will leave the Emperor somewhat displeased; when the time comes we need only pay more visits to Her Majesty the Empress and perhaps even beg the Prince of Liao to speak on our behalf, and the matter will quietly fade—after all, the Emperor's intent was to have Song Yan marry the Princess of Jingfu and thereby slap Consort Ning in the face; surely Her Majesty the Empress will not take it too much to heart." Then he instructed Tao Jun, "No time to lose; go now and quietly arrange all the particulars of the betrothal with the Dou family, and I will pay a visit to the Dou residence first thing tomorrow morning. When Lord Dou sees how sincere we are, he should readily agree to the match."
Tao Jun rose and said with a smile, "I shall go at once and deliver an invitation to the Dou family."
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Sisters, brothers, I beg for your pink votes!
o(n_n)o~
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