Chapter 289 — Perfunctory

The inexplicable hostility in his heart toward Dou Yan vanished in an instant, replaced by a faint stirring of sympathy.

Gu Yu was like a younger brother to him. Song Yan naturally hoped Gu Yu and Dou Yan could get along well; Gu Yu might be domineering, but his heart was soft and kind—which was one reason Song Yan had told him of Dou Zhiwei's ordeal.

"Since he's one of the Prince of Liao's men, that makes it simple," Song Dan said. "No need to say anything to him—just take back all the deeds bearing my father-in-law's seal, and I'll go explain things to the Prince of Liao myself."

Gu Yu was surprised. "You're going to Liaodong? How can you get away?"

Song Dan said, "A few days ago the Empress's ceremonial attendant told me she wanted me to make a trip to Liaodong to deliver some gifts to the Prince of Liao. But since I'd just married, the matter was set aside for the time being."

Gu Yu was itching to go. "Brother Tianci, when are you leaving for Liaodong? You must tell me—I'll go with you then. I haven't seen the Prince of Liao in ages. I hear he's taken three concubines in a row and fathered four sons." He chuckled. "I wonder how he's doing now?"

"Good!" With Gu Yu along to keep the Prince of Liao company, he could not only visit his fifth uncle but also speak with him alone for a few words. "We'll go together then!"

Gu Yu nodded.

Song Yan cautioned him, "Settle the Rishing Silver House business in the next couple of days. I need to give your sister-in-law an explanation."

Gu Yu, like a child, grew sulky again when he heard this was something Dou Yan wanted Song Yan to handle, and answered "yes" listlessly. Then he began telling Song Yan about the Liaodong scenery he'd read of in books.

Song Dan shook his head with a smile; after seeing Gu Yu off, he went to report back to Dou Yan: "...Rest easy. It's fine!"

Her guess confirmed, Dou Yan could not muster even the will to smile.

She murmured, "If he's borrowed the Prince of Liao's tiger-skin, why fear people knowing? And to go to such lengths to attach himself to the Crown Prince's men—isn't he afraid the Prince of Liao will hear of it and suspect him of divided loyalties? This whole business is far too strange!"

Song Yan pondered a moment, and his expression shifted slightly.

Dou Yan took the opportunity to slip away, leaving Song Yan room to think.

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Meanwhile, Ji Yong, having left the Shuntian Prefecture, was trembling with rage.

Thanks to his status as a metropolitan graduate of the two examinations, and bearing Dou Heng's card of introduction, Ji Yong was received by Huang Qi at the first opportunity—even though Huang Qi had only just taken over the Shuntian Prefecture and had not yet sorted out its affairs.

Learning that Ji Yong was connected to the Dou family and had come to inquire about the fire at the Yingzhenguo Mansion, Huang Qi spoke bluntly: "With the manpower of our Shuntian Prefecture, there's no way we'll catch all those thieves—ten to one we won't. It remains to be seen whether the Five Wards Military Command takes any action. But whatever happens later, for the sake of our shared fellowship in the scholar's world, I'll strengthen the patrols around the Yingzhenguo Mansion alley in future, and if the wife of the mansion's heir sends a card to the Shuntian Prefecture, it will be dealt with promptly. Please set your mind at ease, Dou Zhongzhi. Once things quiet down here, we must share a cup of wine together."

The implication was clear: the Shuntian Prefecture would follow the Five Wards Military Command's lead and expend no further effort investigating the fire at the Yingzhenguo Mansion.

And what was the Five Wards Military Command but a pack of good-for-nothings? Everyone in the capital's officialdom knew it. To count on them to catch thieves was worse than counting on them not to be frightened off by the thieves.

He voiced his thoughts on the spot.

To his surprise, Huang Qi merely chuckled: "And yet we can't help but concede—what can we do, when the Five Wards Military Command always finds a way to answer to the Emperor?"

He came within a hair's breadth of piercing that thin window paper and telling Ji Yong outright that the Five Wards Military Command would find some scapegoat to pin the blame on.

These useless creatures, drawing pay and doing nothing!

Ji Yong thought of the friendship between Huang Qi and Dou Heng, and forcibly suppressed the fire in his heart. With a stiff smile he exchanged a few pleasantries with Huang Qi, then rose to take his leave.

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To all the sisters and brothers reading this, here is today's update.

o(n_n)o~

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