Chapter 124 — The Message
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Shaanxi lies at the heart of the Central Plains; its Grand Coordinator governs eight prefectures, twenty-one subprefectures, and ninety-five counties, commanding the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission and forty-nine guard battalions and twenty-five companies of the Forward Commission. Yunnan lies on the southwestern frontier; its Grand Coordinator governs nineteen prefectures, forty subprefectures, thirty counties, eight Pacification Commissions, four Subduing Commissions, and five Consoling Commissions, commanding twenty guard battalions and twenty-four companies of the Yunnan Regional Military Commission.
Could the two even be compared?
Dou Xin sat gracefully on the broad heated kang by the window, eating cherries.
Shu came over to see her.
Dou Qu called for Ganlu to brew a pot of Biluochun: "Before long the new tea will be on the market, and I will have you over then to drink some."
"There is new tea every year," Shu said, uninterested in that, and gazed at her hopefully. "Tell me, now that Eleventh Uncle is betrothed, could we take the opportunity to go to the capital and have a look?"
Dou Chi was interested and encouraged Shu to go and see the world—she was to be married next year, and after that her chances of going out would grow even slimmer.
"Who from the family is going?" she asked Shu.
Shu said hurriedly, "Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother… they are all going."
With Dou Yan there, there was nothing to worry about.
Dou Xin said, "As long as Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law agree, all your expenses in the capital will be on me."
Shu was overjoyed and would not let go of Dou Zhiwei's hand. "Fourth Aunt is the best to me!" Then, shamelessly pressing her luck, she insisted she come along too. "On my own, Father and Mother will surely refuse, and I would have no one to talk to, and it would be awkward on the road and when stopping at inns…"
Dou Yan shook her head. "If you are worried that Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law will refuse, I will go and plead your case."
"Fourth Aunt has never been to the capital either, have you? I hear the capital is great fun, with so many temples, and temple fairs every few days. There is a place by Baiyun Temple that sells only antiques, the front gate of Puji Temple is mostly all sorts of jewelry, and there is a street called—what was it? I cannot remember. They sell shoes and socks from Jiangnan. Fourth Aunt, do come with me! Just think of it as keeping me company…"
Her manner was excessively eager.
Dou Yan fixed her eyes on hers.
Shu gave an embarrassed laugh.
Yet within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, she could hold out no longer and laughed charmingly: "All right, all right, I will tell you—it was Sixth Aunt. Now that Eleventh Uncle is betrothed, she very much wants you to come. She says she has invited you several times and you refused each time. Cousin Ji from the Ji family made a wager with Eleventh Uncle and Twelfth Uncle: if he could get you to come, Eleventh Uncle would give him the jade-lotus brush washer enshrined on the top shelf of his study, and Twelfth Uncle would give him that landscape painting by Zhao Boju…"
Dou Yan was both vexed and amused. "And what did you get out of it?"
Shu flushed with shame. "."
"So I am worth no more than a painting!" Dou Yan teased her.
"Oh, that is not what I meant!" Shu grew flustered. "I want Fourth Aunt to come to the capital with me and see the world too!" Then she suddenly grew a little wistful. "I am afraid I will never have another chance to go to the capital."
"Nonsense!" Dou Xin said. "A person's life is long. Never say never. If one day Boyan and the others pass the imperial examination and stay on in the capital like Fifth Uncle and Sixth Uncle, could you not go and visit?"
As the two were talking, Ganlu rushed in, and seeing Shu there, quickly composed herself and curtsied to Shu with a smile.