Chapter 224 — Bewilderment

Dou Ming, at this moment, ...

Unused to such work, her hand was a little heavy. At first Wei Fan could bear it, but then he could not help letting out a hiss and turning his face away.

Dou Ming froze mid-motion, and a glimmer of tears welled at the corners of her eyes.

"Take a rest—let me do it myself!" Wei Fan said hurriedly. With that, he took the handkerchief from her hand and wiped himself clumsily.

Wang Qinghai, who had escorted Wei Fan back, studied the purple swelling on Wei Fan's cheek, his face dark: "Think again—not a single clue?"

Since Wang Qinghai had married the youngest daughter of Zhou Shaochuan, the Earl of Donglin, Wang Yu had begun handing some of the family's minor affairs over to him. These past days Wang Qinghai had been staying in Kaifeng, overseeing the supply of stone for the repair of the old course of the Yellow River. Because of Wei Fan's wedding, he had made a special trip back from Kaifeng, only to run into this business of one sister being married in place of another.

This was Wei Fan's family matter, so Wang Qinghai naturally could not say much. Judging that Wei Fan should have some leisure these days, he had invited him to a small gathering at the Cuihua Tower.

Wei Fan was heavy with cares. After a few cups of wine, before Wang Qinghai could speak, he began to unburden himself.

"...The Dou family is a household of some standing in North Zhili. I never in my dreams thought such a thing could happen... At the time I was so flustered that I lifted the veil, did not dare look even once, and ran out to toast the guests... When I came back I was so drunk I knew nothing at all... Later Ming was crying and carrying on and even trying to hang herself, and everything was in chaos. I had no time to think it over—my head went blank with a buzz, and I agreed to the match." As he spoke, he drained the cup before him and, taking up the wine pot, poured himself another. "On the third-day visit to the bride's home, I was so ashamed I could hardly bear it. The moment I opened my eyes I was thinking: if I ran into the Fourth Miss, what should I say... Who would have thought the Fourth Miss would avoid us..."

"The die is cast; what use is there in speaking of it now?" Wang Qinghai consoled him. "Since you have already accepted this marriage, you should live properly with your Lady Dou! This wavering of yours harms yourself, harms Lady Dou, and plants a thorn in the Fourth Miss's heart besides!"

"I know," Wei Fan said gloomily. "I am only thinking of what the Fourth Miss said."

Wang Qinghai could not help uttering a startled "Eh?" "What did the Fourth Miss say to you?"

Wei Fan said: "At the time, wasn't it Ming who arranged to meet me at the Puji Temple? Later a Dou servant found out and wanted to break off the engagement with our family. The Fourth Miss then asked me to the Longhua Temple alley, and said she believed there was nothing between Ming and me. She also said everyone was in low spirits, and that we should put the wedding off a while." As he spoke, a look of bewilderment came into his eyes. "But Ming said the Fourth Miss, because I had agreed to her Puji Temple appointment, was consumed with jealousy and would sooner die than marry me..."

Wang Qinghai shook his head inwardly.

The first time he had seen Dou Ming, he had thought she had a pair of far too nimble eyes. People like that usually have a great many little schemes.

As things looked now, in this business of one sister taking another's place, Dou Ming clearly was not so innocent as she claimed.

But what could he say?

Better to tear down ten temples than one marriage.

He could only soothe Wei Fan with kind words: "I once heard my mother mention in passing that there may have been things in this we know nothing about. But be that as it may, it is all past now; to pursue it further will only make things awkward for everyone. You had best simply consider yourself to have played the faithless lover..." Seeing the gloomy air, he joked, "What man has not played the faithless lover a time or two!"

Hearing this, Wei Fan did not laugh; instead he grew restless.

On the pretext of visiting the privy, he left the private room.

When he waited a long while and still saw no sign of him, Wang Qinghai sent a servant to look—and found Wei Fan beside the privy, beaten black and blue, slumped limp upon the ground...

Asked by Wang Qinghai about what had happened, Wei Fan shook his head with some shame and anger: "Those men did not say a single word. They pulled a sack over my head and set to beating me with sticks..." Here his tone paused slightly, and then he said loudly, "Now I remember—the sack was made of silk, very smooth..."

"Made of silk?" Wang Qinghai mused. "Then whoever did this must be rich or noble... Who would want to harm you?" He asked Wei Fan, "Think carefully—have you offended anyone?"

Wei Fan thought very earnestly, then shook his head again.

But Dou Ming, listening nearby, suddenly went pale.

She had thought of Ji Yong.

Only Ji Yong could do such a thing!

Only Ji Yong would make trouble for Wei Fan!

She could not help shivering, and clutched tightly at Wei Fan's lapel: "My lord, you—you had better go out less from now on? And if you must go out, take a few more guards with you—those people strike from the dark while you are unprepared, and you are at too great a disadvantage!"

Wei Fan nodded and smiled to reassure her: "It's nothing. I'll be more careful from now on."

Just then the imperial physician they had sent for arrived.

Dou Ming withdrew to the side room. Wang Qinghai stayed while the doctor examined Wei Fan, who said they were only flesh wounds, and that a few doses to quicken the blood and disperse the stasis would soon set him right. He then told Wei Fan's personal servant to go with the doctor for the medicine, and said a few parting words to Wei Fan: "Rest well and heal. As for the Cuihua Tower, I will go and ask again, and see whether anything can be found out."

To be beaten by ruffians in the dark was, after all, no pleasant matter, and moreover the culprits had come prepared. Neither Wang Qinghai nor Wei Fan reported it to the authorities; they sent trusted guards to question the Cuihua Tower's manager and waiters.

Wei Fan thanked Wang Qinghai apologetically.

Wang Qinghai laughed and gave his shoulder a punch: "We two are brothers—what is all this talk for!" Then he rose to take his leave.

Wei Fan saw him all the way to the main gate.

Wang Qinghai returned to the Ting'an Marquisate and went straight to Wang Yu's study.

Wang Yu was there talking with Gu Yu.

The last time Gu Yu had asked to borrow silver, Wang Yu had scraped the sum together, only for Gu Yu to say that Song Yan's shop in Guangdong had brought in a considerable sum, and that he was not short of silver for the time being.

Though the money had not been lent after all, Wang Yu's generosity, decisiveness, and boldness had left a deep impression on Gu Yu, and he had gradually shed some of his perfunctoriness toward Wang Yu and grown somewhat closer to him.

His visit to Wang Yu this time was because he knew Wang Yuan had made a great deal of money trading silk in the south, and he wished to propose a silk business venture with Wang Yu.

Who in the capital did not know the name of Gu Yu, the little tyrant of the capital?

Though these two years he had rather moderated his bullying of the markets, among the capital's three teachings and nine schools of trades, who dared not give this young lord face?

Wang Qinghai did not conceal anything, and in Gu Yu's presence told Wang Yu of how Wei Fan had been set upon in the dark, and asked his elder brother for help: "...send a couple of men to look into it for me, would you?"

Wang Yu frowned hard.

To dare lay a cudgel to the Jining Marquisate—whoever they were, they were no lambs either!

Gu Yu, however, had taken an interest. "What use is it to beg your brother for this? Why not beg me?"