Chapter 262 — Entering the Palace

After the two had exchanged greetings, Wang Ge repeated what Chen He had said, and added with a smile, "The Young Master need not worry. With the Empress Yi speaking up for you, the Emperor will certainly not make things difficult for you or the Young Madam."

The household might address Dou Yan as "Madam," but Dou Fan did not want to give Wang Ge any handle against her, so she said quickly, "This concubine is full of trepidation and dare not presume to the title of 'Madam.'" Then she pressed a red packet into Wang Ge's hand. "This concubine is a rustic sort, shallow in learning and experience. Tomorrow, when I have my audience at the palace, I must ask Your Eunuch for much guidance."

Wang Ge said quickly, "What are you saying, Madam? The Young Master and I are no ordinary acquaintances." Then he tried to return the red packet to Dou Yan. "If you do this, you will be the death of me."

Dou Yan said, "It is precisely because you and the Young Master are no ordinary acquaintances that, having taken such pains to bring us this message, you ought to be asked to stay for a cup of tea before you go. But I fear the imperial command is upon you and I would delay your duties. This is no more than a little tea money!" And she pushed the red packet back.

Song Yan also smiled and said, "It is only to ask Your Eunuch to have a cup of tea. Pray do not refuse."

Only then did Wang Ge put the red packet away. After a few polite words, he left Yizhi Hall.

Dou Yan relaxed slightly.

Song Ji comforted her. "No need to be nervous. He is nothing but a petty eunuch of the seventh rank. If he shows you any disrespect, I have ways of dealing with him."

Dou Yan shot him a glance, thinking: You only dare talk so glibly because you don't know what kind of man he will become.

Her rare girlish manner was such a novelty to Song Yan that he actually laughed and teased her: "What? You don't believe me?"

"Of course I trust you!" Dou Yan saw that Song Yan was like a little child squabbling over a piece of candy, and she shook with laughter, urging him, "Go and have your evening meal! We enter the palace first thing tomorrow morning, and after supper I still have to sort out my traveling things." At this she remembered that she did not know what would be best to wear into the palace tomorrow. She said to Song Yan, "Send someone to take Suxin to the Princess of Ninghuai's residence, will you? I want to ask the Princess what I ought to wear to the palace tomorrow."

By the rules of propriety she was still a bride, and could enter the palace wearing the full-sleeved jacket of an official's wife. But palace regulations were strict, and she feared that doing so might breach some taboo and give people a handle against her.

Song Yan said in surprise, "You need to ask the Princess about this?" But he still instructed Chen He to accompany Suxin to the Princess of Ninghuai's residence.

Dou Yan and Song Yan returned to their rooms and ate their evening meal, then moved into the inner chamber, where they drank tea and waited for Suxin.

Song Yan took the opportunity to tell Dou Yan what sort of people the palace consorts were, what families they came from, and what grudges lay between them. Then, afraid that Dou Yan might take his words too much to heart, he said, "These are, after all, matters of the inner palace, and some of what I know is merely hearsay. As to how things really stand, you must judge for yourself. I tell you these things only so that you will not be caught wholly unprepared when the moment comes."

"I understand," Dou Yan said. "I will take advantage of this visit to the palace to observe the consorts carefully."

Life in the palace was lonely, and sometimes those consorts were fonder of gossip than the women of the marketplace, and nine times out of ten such gossip turned out in the end to be true, making them better informed than even the grand secretaries of the Grand Secretariat.

The two were still talking when Suxin returned.

"The Princess of Ninghuai says you are simply to wear a true-red full-sleeved lined jacket into the palace," she said. She curtsied to Dou Yan and Song Yan. "These past years the Emperor has grown ever fonder of homely talk, and you are a bride, so this dress will suit you well. She also says you need not be flustered when you speak: whatever the Emperor asks, answer as you would answer your own uncle, respectful but not without warmth. As for the Empress, she is the easiest person in the world to talk to; so long as you are respectful at heart, it does not matter even if you answer wrongly. It is at the Empress Dowager's that you must mind your words: the Dowager is advanced in years and her hearing is none too good, yet nothing offends her more than having others know she is hard of hearing, so when you answer Her Majesty, remember to speak up."

Song Yan could not help laughing at this. "I never thought you would win the favor of the Princess of Ninghuai! In all my years, the words she has spoken to me do not add up to as many as she has spoken to you today!"

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Sisters and brothers, I wish you all a happy weekend!

Tomorrow's extra update will be at about 2:30 in the afternoon.

ps: Begging for pink votes... o(n_n)o~

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