Chapter 237 — An Inquiry (Extra Chapter: Begging for Pink Tickets)

When great households held weddings or funerals, the hardest thing to manage was the matter of precedence among kin. If the son-in-law and the brother-in-law were seated at the head table, where were the superiors and colleagues to sit? So besides the few trusted men who must be appointed to form the accounting office, several others skilled in social graces and thoroughly versed in the etiquette of weddings and funerals had to be appointed to form a protocol office, to preside over, arrange, and manage every ceremonial duty during the festivities. Otherwise, one might offend someone without ever knowing it—or worse, just as the banquet was about to begin, a slighted son-in-law or brother-in-law might fling back his sleeves and stalk off, turning a joyous occasion into a farce!

And in a household like the Yingzhengguo Estate, where the guests were either princes or high nobility, if there was no prior agreement on how things were to be done, offending some guest would be far more troublesome than a son-in-law or brother-in-law storming out.

Ma Youming, for instance, had received his invitation rather late and had taken it as a slight, nursing a quiet displeasure.

Hearing Song Yan's words, Yan Che could not help but feel his spirits lift.

Ever since the Song and Dou families had been joined by marriage, this was the first time Song Yan had taken an interest in his own wedding.

By rights, since this match had been schemed for by Song Yan himself, and since he was not a man to be led about by others, he ought to have been deeply concerned about the wedding. Yet he behaved rather carelessly—and this carelessness was not the sort of outward laxity concealing inward vigilance meant to lull the Yingguogong, but rather a genuine letting-go, leaving every matter to the Yingguogong's arrangements and truly allowing him to take charge.

Yan Che sensed that something unpleasant had most likely passed between Dou Yan and Song Yan.

In the past, he had thought there was no good to be had from Song Yan associating so frequently with Dou Yan—first, because Dou Yan was then betrothed to Wei Fan; second, because Song Yan's concern for Dou Zhiwei had gone beyond the ordinary, and he feared that Song Yan, impulsive as he was, might do something unworthy of his good name. Now that Dou Yan and Wei Fan had broken off their engagement, and Song Yan had reached the age for marriage, and with Dou Zhiwei's abilities making her entirely capable of managing a household, he could think of no woman more suitable for Song Yan.

Yan Che worried that Song Cen might discover he had been deceived and change his mind midway, and he also feared that Song Yan and Dou Yan might part ways over some misunderstanding. He wanted to find a chance to talk with Song Yan, yet could never find the right opportunity; beset by gains and losses, he had not slept well for days.

Now Song Yan had cast aside his former indifference and recovered his old calm and self-possession, the mind that planned from within the command tent—how could Yan Che not be glad?

It seemed the path between the two of them was now bright with willows and flowers!

Yan Che breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Does the heir have any ideas?"

Song Yan said, "What sort of people should be invited to help with a wedding?"

Yan Che then explained in detail what a "full-fortune matron" was, what a "bride-fetching lord" was, and what a "master of ceremonies" was.

Song Yan listened attentively. When Yan Che had finished, he told him and the others about his encounter with Ma Youming, then asked, "Whom did Father invite to be the full-fortune matron?"

Yan Che had entrusted all the arrangements for Song Yan's wedding to Cuivei Peak.

Hearing this, Zi'ai Peak said quickly, "The wife of the Marquis of Changxing was invited."

Song Yan frowned slightly.

Though the wife of the Marquis of Changxing was of noble rank, she had no father-in-law living, so she could not be called a full-fortune matron.

He thought for a moment, then said, "The full-fortune matron and the protocol office need not concern us. Father will not throw his own plans into confusion. As for the bride-fetching lords, invite Ma Youming, Dong Qi, Shen Qing, Wang Yu, Zhang Xuming, Lu Zhan, and Gu Yu," he said, pausing a beat, "and add Tian'en as well. To carry the gold and silver ewers, invite Lu Zhan's eldest son, Lu Gui; for the masters of ceremonies, invite Wang Yu's wife and Zhang Xuming's wife."

In a few words the ceremonial program was settled.

Zi'ai Peak drew in a sharp breath.

Lu Zhan was the eldest son of Lu Fuli; inviting Lu Zhan's wife to be the full-fortune matron and his son to carry the gold and silver ewers was reasonable enough, for the Lu family was the Zhenguo Lord's maternal kin, and the Lu household had several generations living under one roof. The eldest madam was moreover blessed with both sons and daughters and had long enjoyed a reputation for virtue. But the bride-fetching lords were all scions of the eminent—among them three heirs to princely titles—and the wife of Wang Yu, master of ceremonies, was an outer-court titled lady of the super-first rank, while Zhang Xuming's wife was none other than a granddaughter of Princess Ninghuai... Such a roster verged on that of a prince's wedding! No—even a prince's wedding was not so grand.

He could not help wiping the sweat from his brow.

It seemed the heir regarded his future heir's wife with no ordinary seriousness!

Yan Che, however, shot Song Yan a glance of complicated feeling.

The heir had grown up!

He understood that husband and wife are one body, that Dou Zhiwei's honor was his dignity, and that only with his dignity could Dou Zhiwei's glory be achieved.

If the madam's spirit in heaven could see this, she should be able to rest easy.

At this thought, Yan Che's heart ached and his eyes grew moist despite himself.

Gu Yu's expression, though, was very ugly.

Had he not said so himself—that fourth young lady of the Dou family was no fitting match? Why would Brother Tianci not listen to him? To give her face, he had even set aside his grievance with Dong Qi for the time being. Brother Tianci was too... too much taken with this fourth young lady of the Dou family!

Did that fourth young lady of the Dou family even know what Brother Tianci had done for her?

Thinking of this, he felt wronged on Song Yan's behalf and could not help saying, "Brother Tianci, let us not invite Dong Qi after all. The man is sly and cunning, and having no ability of his own, he resents you at every turn..."

Song Yan cut him off lightly: "Doesn't that Dong Qi often make a show of admiring me? Then let him come this time and run a few errands. With so many eyes upon him, I doubt he will go back on his word. As for the business along the bridal procession, with Wang Dahai there, nothing will go amiss."

As for what Dong Qi thought in his heart... what did it matter!

At Song Yan's words, Gu Yu grasped the crux of the matter.

To be able to take Dong Qi down a peg and make him add luster to Song Yan's wedding—Gu Yu cheered up at once and said, winking and grimacing, "I'll go deliver the invitation to Dong Qi myself." He looked for all the world like a man eager to see the world thrown into chaos.

Seeing that Gu Yu's attention had been diverted, Song Yan smiled slightly and asked Yan Che to write out invitations to Ma Youming and the others.

Zi'ai Peak, meanwhile, went to the protocol office and informed its people of the names Song Yan had chosen.

Yan Che chuckled and first wrote out the invitation to Dong Qi, handing it to Gu Yu.

Gu Yu set off from the Yingzhengguo Estate in high spirits.

Gazing at the pitch-black alley outside, he felt a pang of regret.

He should have spoken with Brother Tianci a little more.

Then again, he thought, if Brother Tianci were not marrying the fourth young lady of the Dou family, how delightful such a lavish and lively wedding would have been!