Chapter 520 — Promotion

Lady An had always trusted her husband; the truth dawned on her, and she sat racking her brains for a long while before saying, "If I remember rightly, in a few days it will be the birthday of Suxin, the senior maid who once served Lady Dou ... But Sulang has married into Lady Dou's household and no longer lives at the Yingzhen mansion, and besides, she is only a serving woman about Lady Dou. Would it not seem too eager if I went out of my way to send her gifts?"

Wang Yu said, "Could you not have your own senior maids or nurses strike up a conversation with her?"

"True enough!" Lady An laughed sheepishly. "I was in such a hurry I never thought of that."

She was a woman who acted as soon as she spoke. She at once summoned the personal nurse who attended her when she went out, and asked which of her own people might be able to get a word with Suxin.

"I can get a word in with her," the old nurse said with a smile. "That Suxin is an easy one to talk to, pleasant to everyone. Why, this year at the Ghost Festival I ran into Sulan at Puji Temple and even treated her to a bowl of doufunao."

An was overjoyed. She had her personal maid open a chest and take out twenty taels of silver for the nurse. "Go and wish Miss Suxin a happy birthday, and find some way to strike up a friendship with her. She is one of Madam Dou's people, brought along from Zhending—not an ordinary senior maid. One day we may need her to put in a good word for us before Madam Dou."

The nurse understood. She took the silver and went to Suxin's home.

But Suxin was not there.

Suxin's gatekeeper, a man past fifty with a broad Zhending accent, told her cheerfully, "Master Chen and Master Liu and several others from the Ying Duke's household have all been released. Our mistress has gone to the Ying Duke's to offer congratulations."

An came from a great house herself, and the nurse was a hereditary servant of the An family besides. They knew that when loyal servants of certain powerful families had done their masters a great service, the masters would sometimes raise the servant women up, or release a faithful servant from bond service—and that grander houses might even contrive an official standing for such servants. But such cases were exceedingly rare; in nearly fifty years of life the nurse had heard of only two or three.

She was startled and asked, "Released? Several of them? Master Chen and Master Liu too? Released where? And to do what?"

The gatekeeper said proudly, "All the masters of standing have been released—some to serve as constables at the county yamen, some enrolled in the military rolls to serve as centurions in the Imperial Guard. Eight or nine of them at least. The household is so short-handed now that our mistress will soon have to make a trip back to Zhending on Madam's behalf to pick a few guards from there!"

No wonder Madam had told her to find a way to keep close company with Suxin!

The nurse clicked her tongue in amazement, tipped the gatekeeper fifty coppers, left her congratulatory gift and her name, and returned to the Yan'an Marquis's household.

An could not hide her astonishment. "Eight or nine all at once? That many? Are you sure you heard correctly?"

"I did, I did," the nurse said quickly. "I asked most carefully—every one of them with a name to his name. I hurried back hoping Madam would decide what to do; perhaps we might make up some fresh pastries and fruits and send them over to the Ying Duke's house in haste, which would give us a chance to learn more."

An brought out two boxes of chrysanthemum cakes and a jar of osmanthus wine that had been gifts from the palace, and instructed the nurse, "The Ying Duke's household may not think much of these, but they are the token of our goodwill, and Madam Dou will not disdain them. Go quickly and come back quickly."

The nurse assented and hurried off to the Ying Duke's household.

The main hall of Yizhi Hall was quiet, but from the eastern wing came such a clamor of laughter and voices that it could be heard several lanes away.

The nurse who showed her in said with some embarrassment, "Several of the guards about Madam are to be released, and Madam has ordered a feast from the Restaurant of the Wine Immortal and decreed three days of merrymaking—so it is rather boisterous. You must forgive the noise."

The nurse made a few envious, polite remarks, but noted it all in her heart, and reported it to An the moment she returned.

Only then did An grasp her husband's purpose. She hurried to Wang Yu's study.

Wang Yu had a guest.

An asked a servant softly, "Who is it?"

The servant smiled. "The Jining Marquis."

Just then Wei Fan came out.

An could not help but look him over.

In the sunlight Wei Fan looked haggard, his clothes dull, like a down-and-out martial actor whose talents had gone unrecognized—far less presentable than Wang Qinghai behind him.

※

Brothers and sisters, today is New Year's Eve—have you all finished your reunion dinner?

o(n_n)o~

Another year has passed. Thank you all for your company through this year. May everything go as you wish, may your hopes come true, may your families be harmonious and joyful, and may you have peace and good health!

I wish you all an early happy New Year—and beg a red envelope of you—and those pink tickets, brothers and sisters, do toss me one...

I dare not compete with the Spring Festival Gala, so I am posting first.

※rs