Chapter 318 — The Meeting

One of the guards turned back curiously and murmured, "Who was that? Looked rather imposing!"

"The Duke of Ying's personal guard," Guard Chang heard Chen Yanzhou say. "His surname is Chang, and he commands the whole guard of the Ying Duke's manor—no wonder he looks so formidable!"

The tone and cadence of it, falling on Guard Chang's ears, seemed to carry a faint edge of mockery no matter how he listened.

Guard Chang did not dare linger. He turned and went straight to the Osmanthus Fragrance Court.

"My lord, something terrible has happened!" he reported in a low voice to Song Cen. "That clerk who ran off—he's in the Yizhi Hall right now, with the newly recruited guards..."

"What did you say?" Song Cen's hand trembled as he ate his morning meal, and he nearly spilled his congee down his front. "Are you sure you saw him clearly?"

That night, Song Zhi's disappearance had been a thorn driven deep into his heart. It not only made him grind his teeth at the very thought, but also bred in him a nagging unease—who, after all, had rescued Song Yan? Had whoever took Song Yan away seen through his motives? Could it be a force Song Yan had quietly cultivated? Might it appear again at the critical moment, to help Song Chu...

These unanswered questions gnawed at him like ants, bit by bit, leaving him unable to eat or sleep in peace whenever he thought of them.

And now, the most suspect person of all had appeared.

Song Cen's eyes turned red at once. "Go and find out what is really going on—quickly!"

Guard Chang answered and hurried off.

But Song Cen called him back. "Take Master Tao with you!"

This was the sort of matter men like them, rough soldiers, had no idea how to investigate.

With Tao Jun along, Guard Chang could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

How could Song Cen eat another bite of his morning meal?

Slipping on his shoes, he got down from the kang and paced the room like an ant on a hot pan.

Meanwhile, Dou Yan received an invitation from Locust Tree Alley.

The note said that the Second Old Madam invited her to play cards at Locust Tree Alley the next day.

Dou Yan mentioned it to Song Yan, and the following day she prepared twelve boxes of gifts and set off for Locust Tree Alley.

Locust Tree Alley was very quiet, hardly the look of a place expecting guests.

Guo and Cai were waiting to receive her at the hanging-flower gate.

After the greetings were exchanged, Cai went cheerfully to take Dou Yan by the arm. "It's Grandmother who missed our Fourth Miss and is using cards as an excuse to see you!"

Dou Yan stepped soundlessly to one side, evading Cai's hand, and smiled. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I would have brought more loose silver along."

"With all the dowry our Fourth Miss has, one hair plucked from her is thicker than my leg. I was just wondering how to get a little something out of our Fourth Sister, and here she comes knocking at the door," Cai said with exaggerated gusto. "We'd all love to lend the Fourth Miss a few taels—just so we can earn a bit of interest in return."

Since she knew about usury, she must be one who liked to play with money as well.

Dou Yan smiled and, with Guo and Cai attending her, went to see the Second Old Madam.

The wind now carried a piercing chill, so the Second Old Madam sat on the large kang by the window, watching through the glass of the lattice as the servant girls watered the flowers and fed the birds.

Seeing Dou Yan and the others come in, she at once ordered the maids to serve tea and cakes. By the time Dou Yan and her party entered, the little maids were just coming in with the tea and refreshments.

After paying her respects to the Second Old Madam, Dou Yan said, "When did the eastern wing get glass windows? This room is so much brighter for it!"

"It was your Fifth Aunt's idea of filial piety—she insisted on having it put in for me," the Second Old Madam said with delight. "I couldn't argue her out of it, so I let her have her way. Still, with the glass in, the room is a great deal brighter."

The Second Old Madam chatted idly with Dou Yan, and neither of them said a word about the matter of the Western Dou's half of the estate.

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Brothers and sisters, since I had the day off, my mind settled down as well. After finishing the chapter, I went back and revised it properly before posting it, and I feel it reads much better than before.

o(n_n)o~