Chapter 2 — The Divergence
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
She said coldly: "Song Yan is not married and has no heirs. His residence at Shichahai is a cloud of beauties, a match for the emperor's inner palace—mostly gifts from officials currying favor with him or seeking something from him. I have heard of women who hanged themselves in his house and were carried out the back gate, of women who wished to shave their heads to show their resolve and were sent by him to nunneries, of women who, because a colleague or subordinate took a fancy to them, were given away by him as wives or concubines, and of women who, unable to bear his tyranny, eloped and fled. But I have never heard of any woman he went to great lengths to drag back. Hadn't you better find out the facts before you speak?"
Wei Fan sat there as though struck by lightning, eyes vacant, not moving for a long while.
Dou Yan paid him no mind, and turned over and lay down.
The candlewick crackled a few times, and she heard Wei Fan say in a small voice behind her: "I—didn't I promise Dahe? It wouldn't do to go back on my word, would it? Besides, Dahe also invited the Earl of Yong'en and the others—it's not just me. We agreed to go into the palace together tomorrow and lodge a complaint against Song Yan before the emperor. If I'm the only one who doesn't go..."
Dou Yan said carelessly, "Aren't I ill?"
"Yes! Yes!" Wei Fan said happily. "I have to stay home and look after you!"
Dou Yan laughed despite herself, and was just about to caution Wei Fan a few more words, lest the Earl of Yong'en and the others talk him round and change his mind again, when Cuileng hurried in: "Marquis, Madam. The Marquis of Yan'an is here!"
"Ah!" Wei Fan looked uneasily at Dou Yan's expression.
The Marquis of Yan'an, Wang Yu, was the elder brother of Wang Qinghai.
"It wouldn't do to avoid him," Dou Yan said after a moment's thought. "Coming to call on you at the third watch of the night—he must have something urgent. All you have to do is insist that you must look after me. As for the rest, agree to nothing."
"Good!" Wei Fan, having got his plan, was cheered and went out to the outer court.
Dou Yan instructed Cuileng: "Go quickly and see what the Marquis of Yan'an wants with the Marquis."
Cuileng assented and withdrew.
When the fourth watch drum sounded, Wei Fan came into the inner chamber, beaming with joy.
"Madam!" he said, raising his brows. "Guess what the Marquis of Yan'an came to see me about?"
Dou Yan had already got word, but still played along and asked with a smile, "What about?"
"The Marquis of Yan'an forbade Dahe to meddle in the Zhou family's affairs and put him under house arrest. And fearing the rest of us would still go into the palace tomorrow as planned, he came in person with gifts, calling at each house to thank us one by one! We were the first household he visited. And the Marquis of Yan'an said the very same thing as you, Madam!"
Dou Yan said, "That's good. Now the Marquis can rest easy."
"No wonder they say a virtuous wife in the house is a treasure." Wei Fan flattered Dou Yan. "Thank goodness for you, Madam—otherwise I'd have made a fool of myself." Then he mumbled that he meant to squeeze Dou Yan over to the inner side of the bed, and loudly made a show of declaring, "I want to sleep in the bed! I don't want to sleep on the wooden couch!"
This counted as an apology.
Dou Yan yielded the outer side of the bed.
Before long, Wei Fan was emitting little snores.
Dou Yan had slept poorly these past days and, unable to sleep for the noise, thought for a moment and then nudged Wei Fan.
"What is it?" Wei Fan opened his eyes blearily, then closed them again.
"Marquis, I have something to say to you."
"Oh!" Wei Fan answered, and only after a good while lazily sat up, leaned against the headboard, and yawned. "What do you want to say?"
Dou Yan told Cuileng to fetch Wei Yanyu's sable cloak and drape it over him, and then said slowly, "I am thinking of settling the marriage of Wei'er."
Wei Yanyu started.