Chapter 468 — An Inquiry

Third Madam Song felt a certain reproach toward First Madam Song.

In years past, First Madam Song had always come and gone with them as one of their circle, yet over the last two years she had gradually drifted away. When it came time to add to Jiang Yan's trousseau, First Madam Song had merely sent someone to inform them, then gone off to the Yingzhenguo estate with her eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Tan, leaving them entirely to one side.

Not without irony, she remarked to Fourth Madam Song, "Our eldest sister-in-law's mind turns quickly enough—she hurried over early."

Fourth Madam Song smiled faintly and made no reply, though inwardly she thought: if you had not been so fond of pushing to the front, and had not, from the moment Dou Chu entered the house, indulged your own daughter in taking the lead, why would Song Yantang and Dou Yan treat us aunts with nothing but surface courtesy?

She warned herself to consider whether she too ought to learn from First Madam Song and keep her distance from Third Madam Song.

As the two women sat each nursing her own thoughts, Princess Ninghuai and Old Madam Lu arrived.

Dou Yan, surrounded by a throng of maids and serving women, went forward to welcome them.

Fourth Madam Song could not help clicking her tongue in wonder. After she returned home, she spoke of it to her husband: "It seems those servants' rumors are no lie—Jiang Yan truly is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Yingzhenguo estate."

Song Tongchun frowned to himself and grumbled, "How could Second Brother do such a thing? Whose child is Song Han, really? Second Brother was very proper in those years—could Song Han have been brought back from somewhere?" The more he thought, the more Song Han seemed unlike a child of the Song family. "Yantang goes without saying—gracious in bearing, accomplished in both letters and arms. Even Song Qin and the others are sharp enough; they take to books and martial arts without effort. Yet I hear Song Han is downright dull—years of the Four Books and Five Classics, and he has never once sat for the examinations. And look at his features: he resembles Second Brother and Yantang only four or five parts in ten. There is a saying that a child grows to look like whoever raises him—perhaps even those few parts are owed to having been reared in Second Sister-in-law's rooms since childhood. No wonder Yantang would rather spend extra silver to buy back Second Sister-in-law's dowry." Here he lowered his voice and cautioned his wife, "This is between you and me—it must never leave this room. Passing off a concubine's son as legitimate, raising another family's child as one's own—either charge would be enough to finish Second Brother. And once the Song family's name is ruined, we shall all suffer for it."

Fourth Madam Song said displeasedly, "Do you take me for a fool? Rest easy—I shall tell no one."

Song Tongchun pondered a moment, then said, "That being so, speak to your sisters-in-law in your own family. When Jiang Yan is married, everyone should go and present gifts."

Fourth Madam Song agreed.

Of course she would not tell outsiders.

But her own mother, her own sisters-in-law—how could they be outsiders?

Swiftly, the rumor of Song Han's doubtful origins began to spread quietly among the in-laws and old acquaintances of the Yingzhenguo estate.

Song Han, naturally, knew nothing of it.

Song Yanzhi had no mind to trouble himself with such things.

He had received a letter of apology in the Prince of Liao's own hand, and Geng Li's manner had been humility itself.

Returning to the inner chambers, Song Ke said with feeling to Dou Yan, "No wonder he is so ambitious. On this point alone, he deserves to be called a man of the four seas."

When Jiang Yan was abducted, Song Chu's first impulse had been to suspect the Prince of Liao, but once he calmed down, he immediately sensed something amiss.

The Prince of Liao stood in dire need of able men. His wish to take Jiang Yan as his consort was no more than a means of securing the support of the Yingzhenguo estate and winning Song's friendship. Even if Song had refused him, in his present straits he could never have risked alerting his enemies by seizing her by force.

Song Yan focused his investigation on Shi Chuan.

He soon understood exactly what had happened.

And Dou Yan loathed the Prince of Liao above all for having hounded Song Yan.

Were it not for him, how would Song Yan in his former life have been driven to kill the Crown Prince? How would he have been despised by all under heaven? How would he have slain his father and murdered his brother?

Hearing the note of reluctant admiration for the Prince of Liao in Song's voice, her scalp prickled. She laughed and said, "Naturally—before one mounts the throne, who is not a man of the four seas? But once enthroned, who does not 'put away the bow once the birds are gone'? Sons of the dragon, every last one of them—not a single one is easy to deal with."

Song Yan laughed despite himself, but he had to admit Dou Zhiwei had a point.

The two of them set the matter aside for the moment and gave themselves wholly to preparing for Jiang Yan's wedding.

Song Han, however, was fretting over whether or not to attend Jiang Yan's wedding.

By rights, Jiang Yan was nominally a cousin of the Yingzhenguo estate, and he, as the estate's Second Master, need only go and present a gift. But the wedding was still more than a month away, and already Princess Ninghuai and Old Madam Lu were making frequent trips to the Yingzhenguo estate. When relatives and friends saw that, they would surely compare Jiang Yan's wedding with his own. If he attended, he would be standing there stark naked for all to slap him in the face.

Yet if he did not go—his own cousin married, every relative and friend of the Song family present, and he alone absent—would people not conclude that he no longer had any influence over the Yingzhenguo estate?

He thought of how, a few days earlier, he had gone to Puji Temple for a vegetarian meal and actually had to wait outside for a seat.

Had it been in former days, such a thing could never have been dreamed of.

A bone stuck in his throat; he turned and went straight back to Four Lanes.

Without the Yingzhenguo estate's umbrella, he was nothing but a commoner with no rank or degree.

He must enter officialdom, and moreover he must hold authority over a region.

If only it could be a hereditary assistant commissioner or sub-prefect, so much the better.

Whether by his father's seniority or by Song's, either could secure him an honorary post.

It seemed this matter must go through his father.

As Song Han sat brooding in his study, he was told that Miao Anping had come to call. Before the servant could finish his report, he said impatiently, "I am very busy. Whatever he wants, let him go speak to the Madam."

The servant swallowed the rest of what he had meant to say. When he saw Miao Anping, however, he dared not repeat the words as they were, but said tactfully, "Our master is occupied just now. Please, Uncle, have a cup of tea first. When he is free, he will come and renew old acquaintance with you."

Miao Anping nodded, and drank seven or eight cups of tea in the reception hall without once setting eyes on Song Han.

When it dawned on him, his lips trembled with rage. Flinging his sleeve, he went to the inner courtyard and said to Miao Zhi, "I came meaning to show you a way to make a tidy little profit, but it seems you lot turn up your noses at it. From now on, don't you dare say your maiden family does nothing for you—it is not that we do not look after you, but that your eyes have grown out of the top of your head, and you look down on your poor relations."

If Miao Anping had any decent prospects, the Miao family would have prospered long ago—would they have waited for him?