Chapter 231 — Speculation

The emperor's headaches had flared up again. The medicine from the Imperial Medical Academy not only failed to help—he had begun to rave, and nearly strangled Consort Liu, who was attending him in bed. The empress feared that if word got out it would damage the emperor's dignity, so she replaced everyone serving in the hall with people the emperor trusted more, and all the physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy were confined to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. It was only this morning, when the emperor regained his senses, that the Jinwu Guard began its normal rotation of duty.

He had already gone two days and a night without closing his eyes.

"And you can still sleep!" Gu Yu plopped down angrily on the grand tutor's chair before the bed, picked up the tea a servant had just brought, took a sip, then spat it out with a "pfft" and shouted, "What mangy wretch brewed this tea? It's been steeped so long there's no fragrance left! Is this how you usually serve people? Someone who can still breathe, come here and pour me a fresh cup!"

Songluo rushed in in a panic.

Everyone said Young Master Gu was hard to serve, but after several dealings with him, he had found Gu quite amiable. Who would have thought that today Gu would turn on a man without warning and curse him until he was drenched in shame? If the heir had taken those words to heart, he had better hurry up and make room for someone else!

Face ashen, he carried the teacup out of the inner chamber. Before he knew it, he had taken a sip.

It was fine Biluochun, Young Master Gu's favorite, steeped to just the right temperature, its liquor pale and clear, its fragrance spilling everywhere.

It was no different from any other day!

Songluo stood at a loss, and then heard the heir say with a warm smile, "What sort of temper is this? If you have something to say, say it properly. What is the point of venting your spleen on servants? There is no glory in striking down the defenseless!"

At that, Gu Yu's face turned even uglier. "Brother Tianci, you are simply too forbearing—that is why you have spoiled these servants past all sense of station." Here he shifted course. "I ask you: is it true that Uncle Song has in fact betrothed you to the Dou family?"

"Yes!" Song Ran nodded.

Gu Yu shot to his feet, exclaiming, "Brother Tianci, do you even know that Fourth Young Lady Dou was originally Wei Peijin's betrothed? She was—" He had been about to say that Wei Fan had cast her off, but recalling that Fourth Young Lady Dou was now Song Zhi's intended, he choked the words back and put it another way. "The sisters swapped marriages. Who knows what strange dealings lie behind it? If your uncle acted rashly, how could you simply go along and accept it?" As he spoke he stepped forward and seized Song Yan's arm. "Brother Tianci, come, let us go into the palace to see the Empress and tell Her Majesty of this matter. Let Her Majesty decide it for you." Then he grumbled, "Why did you not tell me sooner? Had I known, I would have wrecked this match no matter what! You would have been better off marrying Jingyi. At least with me about, Jingyi, however spoiled, would never dare mistreat you..." He looked thoroughly regretful.

Song Yan smiled bitterly.

He too had wished to tell Gu Yu of his marriage sooner, but he did not know whether the match would come to anything in the end—how could he have told Gu Yu?

The wedding was nine days away, and still there was no stir from the Yunqi Temple alley.

Could he allow himself to think it: that though Dou Yan did not wish to marry, his suit had nonetheless left her wavering!

At the thought, Song Yan was abruptly like a sail filled by the wind, his spirits soaring.

He pulled free of Gu Yu's hand and said with a smile, "Have you ever met Fourth Young Lady Dou?"

Gu Yu started. "No!"

"You have been thick with Wei Peijin all these days. Before the marriage, did you ever hear Wei Peijin say a single word against Fourth Young Lady Dou? Or ever speak of breaking off the engagement?" Song Yan asked.

Gu Yu was dumbfounded. "No, never!"

"You! Do not take every rumor for gospel." Song Dan said, "Sisters swapping marriages—do you take that for children playing house? Marry the elder if you want the elder, marry the younger if you want the younger—" Here Song Zhi's expression turned abruptly cold and severe. "The business behind this is complicated. It is not so simple as you imagine."

Gu Yu fell into thought.

Song Sui smiled. "Enough, let us speak no more of this. My marriage is mine to decide. But you—how go matters in Kaifeng now? I have a venture in hand. I wonder whether it might interest you?"

Gu Yu hastily gathered his thoughts and said with keen interest, "If Brother Tianci thinks well of it, then it must be good! What sort of business is it?"

In the inner chamber of Yizhi Hall, Song Yan and Gu Yu sat talking beneath the lamp, while in a small side courtyard west of Yizhi Hall, Zi Aifeng sat writing beneath a lamp of his own.

Fourth Young Lady Dou... the retainer Chen Yanzhou... the Daxing estate... the Third Princess's household... betrothal...

The brush tip hung suspended over the final stroke.

He gave a dry laugh and set down the brush.

Though he had been in the household barely two years, he flattered himself that he had come to see clearly what sort of man the heir was.

If the heir did not approve of this match, how could he be so calm?

They had known each other before the marriage, and on the very day Fourth Young Lady Dou was to be wed, the sisters had swapped places... this match, he feared, was not so simple.

This time, the Duke of Zhenguo had in all likelihood been taken in by the heir once again.

Still, the heir was truly formidable. Over so great a matter he had remained calm and composed throughout, keeping everyone entirely in the dark.

At this thought, Zi Aifeng picked up the sheet of rice paper he had written on and studied it closely.

Yan Che must know, surely?

Otherwise he would not have put him off so perfunctorily that day.

Since the heir was willing to expend such effort on Fourth Young Lady Dou, one could well imagine he was deeply enamored of her.

It seemed he would have to think carefully about how to deal with this new mistress.

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Sisters and brothers, here is the make-up update for June 4. Tonight's update will be a little late—best to get up tomorrow morning and read it then!

o(n_n)o~

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