Chapter 234 — Back-to-Back

.

Dou Huaiying bolted to his feet and fled: "His Majesty has already returned to the palace. I fear that one day he may remember and summon me to court for an audience. I must go back to my study and read, so as not to disgrace myself before the throne."

Dou Yan followed Dou Huaiying to the study, then instructed a servant: "Ask Steward Gao to come here!"

Dou Huaiying hid himself in the side room with his books, pretending not to have heard a thing.

Dou Yan instructed Gao Sheng: "Go to Manager Zhang now and tell him this: you wrote to Zhending asking for silver, and the third uncle who manages the family's affairs learned that Father meant to buy into the Risheng Silver House. Fearing it would harm the ties between the Dou family and the Tongde Silver House, he wrote back to dissuade Father. After much deliberation, Father has decided not to buy into the Risheng Silver House. However, he had earlier promised Manager Zhang fifty thousand taels. Should Manager Zhang lack the funds to open his silver house, Lord Guo may stand as guarantor, and our Dou family will lend him a sum—interest-free, repayable whenever he likes."

What a neat excuse.

Offend neither side.

The Fourth Young Lady was truly born for business.

If only she were a young master—then what would the Western Dou have to worry about!

Gao Sheng dared not take a position; he glanced toward Dou Huaiying.

Dou Huaiying buried his head in his book.

Gao Sheng understood that Dou Huaiying had tacitly consented, and hastened to answer with a smile, "Yes."

This way, if the Prince of Liao succeeded, it would count as a kindness rendered. If the Prince of Liao fell, it could be framed as a loan to Guo Yan—and by the ties between the Dou family and Grand Secretary Zeng, even if the Emperor moved to settle accounts, it would not warrant death. Yet they would stand firm among the scholar-officials, preserve Father's reputation, and bide their time for the future.

Dou Yan glanced at his silent father, then deliberately raised his voice to instruct Gao Sheng: "When you go to Manager Zhang this time, take Cui Min and Zhang Fugui along with you. Collect every document bearing Father's seal or stamp—not a single sheet may be missed. Be careful that Manager Zhang does not turn hostile and disown us."

Gao Sheng had more than enough loyalty, but not enough shrewdness.

How could one treat others as thieves to be guarded against?

Especially when one had broken one's word first!

Dou Huaiying lifted his head, about to say a word or two, when he caught Dou Chu's cold, sidelong glance sweeping toward him. He muttered a few low sounds under his breath—mumblings even he did not understand—and lowered his head again.

Gao Sheng knew his own shortcomings. Hearing that Dou Yan had sent men to go with him, he looked toward Dou Huaiying again; seeing him play deaf and dumb, he could not help letting out a long breath. He answered respectfully and withdrew.

Dou Xin instructed the servants to wait on his father properly as he read, and had a maidservant wash a plate of fruit and bring it in. He set it on his father's desk with his own hands, then turned and went back to his room.

Dou Huaiying immediately slumped into the grand master's chair as though all the wind had gone out of him.

Dou Yan returned to her own wing.

Sujuan came up to greet her with a beaming smile: "Young Lady, a letter has come from the outer courtyard. Steward Gao has already reached Wanping and will arrive in the capital by tomorrow morning."

Dou Yan felt as though she were being fried in a pan of oil.

She did not know whether her father's contract could be recovered; in three days came her wedding day with Song Zhi, and she still had not made up her mind which way to turn.

Refuse—and a rare chance would be lost!

Accept—and then what?

She tossed and turned all night, and when she rose the next morning there were faint dark circles under her eyes.

But the little maidservant came in to announce: "Steward Gao of Zhending is here!"

Accompanying Gao Xing were Song Weimin and his nephew Song Yan.

"The Fourth Young Lady is to be married now, so it is time I took my leave of the school," Master Song said with a smile in farewell to Dou Huaiying. "All these years I have been indebted to Your Excellency's care; this old man is deeply grateful. But there is no banquet under heaven that does not end. When fate grants us another chance, I shall meet with Your Excellency again."

Dou Huaiying pressed him again and again to stay, but saw that Master Song was resolved to go. He asked Master Song at least to stay and drink at Dou Zhiwei's wedding feast before leaving.

Master Song gladly agreed, and he and Song Yan took up lodgings in the guest rooms.

Gao Xing had only two sons. The elder was fourteen, named Gao Jia; the younger, ten, named Gao Zan. When he heard that Dou Huaiying had bestowed his whole family upon Dou Yan, and that he would again serve alongside Duan Bing and the others, he was so overjoyed that he went several nights without sleep, thinking only of the glory and wealth that would follow once he and his wife and sons went with Dou Yan to the Zhenguo Estate.

He brought his wife and sons first to kowtow to Dou Huaiying, then went to see Dou Yan.

Dou Yan gave him a few words of instruction about serving diligently in the days to come, and then Cui Min and Zhang Fugui arrived.

Suxin shot a look at Gao Xing.

Gao Xing hastily rose and took his leave.

Dou Yan received the two men in the study.

Cui Min said: "...When Manager Zhang heard that the master could not buy in, he did not press the matter. He said he would find other means for the silver to open the silver house, and would not go so far as to borrow from the master. He then said that the reason he wished to go into business with the master and the other gentlemen was chiefly out of admiration for their great learning, and a wish to make their acquaintance—business being secondary. He asked whether the master might reconsider, and, like Lord Guo, take only a small share—after all, having come to know one another, might he not lend his silver house some countenance!"

Hardly had he finished speaking when Zhang Fugui—who had long wished to show his worth before Dou Yan but had never found the chance—hastened to say: "Young Lady, that Manager Zhang is no good sort, I tell you—his mouth drips honey, but when the Thirteenth Master asked him for the master's investment contract, he hemmed and hawed and put it off, refusing outright. The way I see it, he means that the master may go without so large a share, but if the master wishes to withdraw altogether, that is utterly out of the question."

Just as she had expected.

Dou Yan's brows drew faintly together.

Her father was merely an ordinary Hanlin scholar, mild of temper, with nothing in his career particularly worthy of attention. For the other party to press so relentlessly, nine times out of ten the intent lay elsewhere—the sword was aimed at her fifth uncle, Dou Bingheng.

This affair, she feared, would have to be approached through her fifth uncle.

She instructed Cui Min: "Go quietly to the Grand Steward of the Huai Tree Alley. Tell him your father assigned you this task and that you cannot manage it alone, and ask him to step in and help you retrieve your father's share subscription document. As for how exactly to do it—you two have dealt with those officials often enough these past two years; you should be well versed in such matters!"

Cui Min's eyes lit up, and he nodded again and again.

Zhang Fugui looked at Dou Zhiwei with a trace of admiration in his eyes.