Chapter 235 — Leaving the Palace

Ma Youming had always held these castrated slaves in contempt, but seeing the man's courtesy, he could hardly be rude himself.

After the two had exchanged greetings, Cui Yijun smiled and said, "His Highness Prince Zhaohua instructed that the Young Lord need not come to give thanks. If His Highness has leisure that day, he will come impose upon the Young Lord for a cup of wedding wine; if not, then when he finds a free moment, he asks the Young Lord and the Young Lady to come to the palace for tea, and the Young Lady may pay her respects to the Crown Princess." Then he stepped closer and said in a low voice to Song Yan, "His Majesty is keeping His Highness Prince Zhaohua to dine with him this evening."

The Emperor's condition was not stable.

Song Yan gave him a knowing smile. "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch." He slipped him two red envelopes.

"Not at all, not at all!" Cui Yijun did not stand on ceremony with Song Yan; he pocketed the red envelopes and drew out a flat, thin purse, which he handed to Song Yan. "Young Lord, your wedding day is in two days, and I must stay to serve my master. I fear I'll have no time to come offer congratulations—this is a small token of my regard. I hope the Young Lord won't disdain it."

Ma Youming only just managed to keep a look of disdain off his face.

Song Sui, his expression unchanged, smiled and accepted the pouch, murmuring a few words about how, if he found the time, he must surely come drink a cup of wedding wine. Then Gu Yu came running up, breathless, calling out "Tianci-ge" from far off.

Cui Yijun's face shifted slightly the moment he saw that little hellion Gu Yu. He hurriedly offered Gu Yu a bow, then scurried off with his two young eunuchs in tow.

Gu Yu found it passing strange. "Has this Cui Pianyi been up to some mischief again? Why does he bolt the moment he sees me?"

Cui Junyi had a fondness for petty advantages, and every scion of the noble houses knew it. Behind his back, they all liked to call him "Cui Pianyi"—Cui the Bargain.

Song Yan, seeking to smooth things over, tucked the pouch into his sleeve and asked Gu Yu, "Did the Empress grant you leave to exit the palace?"

Gu Yu nodded. "She told me to return to the palace with you when the time comes."

Song Yan told Gu Yu to greet Ma Youming.

Gu Yu, none too willing, muttered, "Lord Ma."

Perhaps because they were in the palace and Ma Youming had an image to maintain, or perhaps because Song Yan's earlier words had left him somewhat distracted, this time he did not tease Gu Yu. He merely smiled and gave a slight nod, exceedingly courteous.

Gu Yu had matters on his mind and could not be bothered with Ma Youming. He dragged Song Yan out of the palace.

The Yingzhenguo Manor's carriage had already received word and was waiting outside the palace gates.

Gu Yu was the first to leap into the carriage. As soon as Song Yan was seated, he could not wait to tell him everything he had overheard after climbing over the wall.

Dou Yan was actually lending money at usury!

No wonder that Chen Yanzhou was so familiar with the affairs of the court—he must have been in close dealings with those low-ranking officials.

Dou Yan, why would she do such a thing?

And that Risheng Silver House—why was she so pessimistic about its prospects? Why would she rather give up fifty thousand taels of her own private savings and insist that Seventh Master Dou withdraw his shares?

In that moment, Song Yan suddenly wanted to see Dou Yan, to ask her plainly about everything that confounded him. How could he spare a thought for anything Gu Yu was saying? He could not help but fall into deep thought.

Having spoken his mind, the great stone weighing on Gu Yu's chest rolled away, and he felt immensely relieved. He assumed Song Yan would certainly come up with a plan, and caring not how Song Yan meant to act, he followed him back to the Yingzhenguo Manor.

Song Yan's uncle Song Maochun, along with his uncles Song Fengchun and Song Tongchun, were chatting and laughing with Song Cen about the next day's cuizhuang ceremony. Hearing that Song Yan had returned, Song Maochun said to Song Cen, "Tianci must have friends of his own. Apart from Qin'er and Duo'er, why not have Tianci invite a few friends to join the cuizhuang procession? It would make things livelier."

It was as though the matter of expelling Song Yan from the clan had never happened at all; his tone was utterly intimate.

Song Fengchun, hearing this, grew somewhat displeased. "Our Jun'er is not so young anymore either. It would be just the thing for him to go along with his elder brothers and broaden his horizons. Why not let him join the cuizhuang procession as well?"

When the Yingzhenguo Manor held a wedding, every prince and minister in the capital would come to offer congratulations—the perfect occasion for the younger generation to show their faces before those great men and become familiar to them. Why should his son alone be left out? The eldest branch had already wrung no small advantage out of the second!

Song Maochun had the very same design in mind. He smiled and said, "Jun'er is still young..."

Song Cen had no patience for such stale talk. He thought Song Maochun's idea was a good one—it would be just the thing to show everyone that there was no discord between father and son.

He instructed Lü Zheng, "Ask the heir to come and speak with me."

Lü Zheng departed at once, and before long returned, reporting, "The young heir says that Young Master Gu is presently a guest at the manor and he cannot leave him for the moment. As soon as Young Master Gu departs, he will come to see you immediately."

※

Sisters, brothers, I beg you for pink votes!

~~~~(_

※