Chapter 125 — News of Death (Extra Chapter, Begging for Pink Tickets)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
"That is what I thought as well." Song Yan nodded. "In that case, matters will be easier to handle." Suddenly Dou Yan's snow-white face and long brows sweeping toward her temples rose before his mind's eye, and he could not help asking, "Does anyone know the Heir Apparent of the Jining Marquisate?"
Yan Che's eyes showed approval.
Since the Fourth Miss Dou was to marry into the Jining Marquisate, if the Heir Apparent could be on good terms with the Heir Apparent of the Jining Marquisate, that would be a check upon the Fourth Miss—she surely would not wish her husband to know all that had happened at the manor.
"The Jining Marquis passed away a few days ago." All those earth-shaking events began with some trivial matter. He kept constant watch on all manner of news from the capital, and now that Song Yan asked, he could answer at once. "Our family and theirs had some ties several generations back, but these past generations there has been no contact, and we have received no mourning notice. The Jining Marquis had only one son and one daughter; the son is the Heir Apparent, Wei Fan. After the old Marquis's forty-nine days are past, the Wei family should apply to inherit the title—with the Fifth Master Dou's help, there should be no problem. The daughter married Zhang Zongyao, and through the Zhang family we can come to know Wei Fan."
Zhang Yuanming, whose courtesy name was Zongyao.
Suddenly Song Yan was a little reluctant to meet Wei Fan.
He mused, "We will speak of this matter when the time comes."
Yan Che also felt this matter could not be rushed—the Jining Marquisate was nothing but a declining house barely holding itself together, while the Yingguo Duke's Household was a resplendent family whose imperial favor never waned; the two were as far apart as earth and heaven, and originally had no dealings at all. If Song Yan suddenly drew close to Wei Fan, it would doubtless arouse suspicion in many minds.
He would have to create an opportunity that came about as naturally as water flowing into a channel.
The two fell to talking of affairs at court: "His Majesty has shelved Lord Lu's memorial without issuing it. It truly gives one some cause for worry."
The Lu family had no ties to the Jiang family, but was connected by marriage to the Song family. Lu Zongyuan's third son, Lu Zhili, had married Princess Ninghuai, and his granddaughter by a daughter had been given to Zhang Xuming, the third son of the Duke of Jingguo. To have Lu Fuli submit a memorial was to cast a stone and feel for the road. Now His Majesty said nothing and simply shelved it, which made it awkward for them to keep putting others up to memorializing.
Song Yan was suddenly seized with irritation. "Why not divide our forces into two prongs? Find someone to impeach my uncle as well, and see how His Majesty reacts?"
"I fear the madam will not agree." It was the safest course, and Yan Che's face darkened. "The madam cannot bear that the Duke of Dingguo should have so much as a flaw in his white jade!"
Song Yan knitted his brows.
Yan Che's personal servant came stumbling in. Seeing Song Yan present, he forgot even to make his bow, and cried out, his face streaming with tears, "His Lordship the Duke of Dingguo—they say the punishment was too severe, and he died of his injuries..."
"What did you say?" Song Yan's face went deathly pale in an instant, and he seized the servant by the shoulder. The man felt as though his shoulder were clamped in iron pincers about to crush it, pain piercing to the marrow, yet he dared not utter a sound. He hastened to say, "Word has just come from Fujian. They say the Lord Defender of the Realm was tortured by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, then hurried along the road day and night without anyone to tend him, and his injuries were too grave... he has died of them..."