Chapter 226 — The Crossroads

Beneath the eaves, the great red lanterns cast a ruddy glow upon the ground, and from the courtyard rose the chirping of nameless insects.

Song Yan said in a low voice: "Dou Yan, you might think carefully about what I have said. Rather than struggle bitterly on like this in the Dou household, you would do better to come to the Hall of Cultivated Will. At least Chen Yanzhou, Duan Bing, and the others could stand openly at your side."

Dou Yan was silent.

Song Yan took his leave: "I will await your word."

Dou Chu spent a sleepless night.

Perhaps it was because Song Yan had left such a deep impression on her in her previous life.

No one's abilities had ever set her mind at ease the way Song Yan's did, and no household had ever made her as wary as the Yingguo Estate.

But Song Yan's words made sense as well.

Rather than struggle bitterly on in the Dou household, never knowing when she might rise above her lot, she would be better off marrying into the Yingguo Estate.

She would no longer need to hide and conceal herself as she did now.

To go, or not to go?

Song Yan had said he would await her word. Did that mean he was waiting for her to spread the rumor that she was afflicted with a grave illness, so that he might act accordingly and dissolve their betrothal? Or did it mean that once she gave him an answer, he would set about dissolving the betrothal between them?

Dou Yan felt as though she stood before a crossroads.

To marry into the Yingguo Estate was a hardship she could see plainly.

To remain in the Dou household was a plight she could foresee clearly.

Was there truly no third path open to her?

Since her rebirth, Dou Yan had for the first time found herself dazed and unable to decide.

She only feared that time itself might freeze at this very moment, and wished it would wait until she had made up her mind before the sun rose and set again.

And Song Yan, standing before the moon-shaped window of his study, could not help letting out a long breath.

It was already the third day, and there had been no stir at all from the Dou household.

Neither had word spread that Dou Yan was afflicted with a grave illness, nor had they made things difficult for the Song family in order to marry off their daughter to a higher station.

Whitewashing the rooms, furnishing the bridal chamber, sending out invitations, setting up the accounts... the wedding proceeded smoothly.

Dou Ming, upon receiving her invitation, rushed off to the Hening Temple Lane.

"My sister is truly betrothed to Song Yan, the heir of the Yingguo Estate?"

She asked Dou Huaiying, her face full of disbelief.

"As if it could be false." Dou Huaiying, having settled his eldest daughter's marriage, was not only in excellent spirits but also seemed dazed with joy, as though he had suddenly grown ten years younger. Recalling what his second daughter had done to the eldest, he instructed Dou Ming: "When the time comes for you to add to your sister's trousseau, remember to bring a generous gift. And you and the Marquis of Jining must remember to come back together for the wedding feast!"

Dou Ming was displeased at heart, but remembering that her father had been angry with her these past days, how dared she vent her temper? Not only did she refrain, she even clung to Dou Huaiying's arm and wheedled: "Don't keep calling him Marquis of Jining, Marquis of Jining. He is your second son-in-law, after all! His courtesy name is Peijin."

Dou Huaiying did not banter with her as he usually did, but gave a careless nod and said to her gravely: "Now that you are a married woman, you should stand and sit as a married woman ought. How can you go about tugging at my sleeve and acting coy at every turn?"

Dou Ming pouted and smiled playfully: "Isn't it just that I missed you, Father!"

Faced with such a daughter, Dou Huaiying shook his head and sighed, his expression softening a little.

Dou Ming asked Dou Huaiying, "However did the Yingguo Estate come to fancy our sister? I hear the young heir is a year younger than she is, and that he kills for sport, sparing not even his own guardsmen..."

"Enough of that nonsense!" Dou Huaiying rebuked him with a scowl. "She is your own sister. How can you carry on like some market gossip, believing every rumor the wind blows your way, spreading hearsay as though it were fact?" He went on, "I went to ask the Duke of Yingguo about this myself, and the Duke said there is no such thing. You are Shouyuan's sister, and I will not hear such talk from you again."

Dou Ming dismissed it with a sniff and was about to say more when Gao Sheng entered and announced, "My lord, Their Excellencies Cai and Xu of the Hanlin Academy have arrived."

Dou Huaiying's expression eased a little. He gave Dou Ming a few more words of reproof, "Never let this happen again," and the like, then straightened his collar and went out to the reception hall.

Dou Ming stamped his foot in vexation and turned away toward the side room where Wang Shuying was being held.

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My apologies; I know it is the weekend and many of you have been waiting for the story, but I have truly not been in good form, and only the fourth draft began to feel right. I shall keep writing today's update, though I doubt it will come together in one draft, so I cannot say for certain when it will be ready. If these next days' updates are late, I will make them up once I have finished these chapters and am feeling a little better.

o(n_n_o)~

Sisters and brothers who hold pink tickets, I beg you for your support.

Thank you all!

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