Chapter 163 — The Third Place Scholar
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Lady Han realized she had misspoken, and her face flushed scarlet.
Not wishing to embarrass his wife, Ji Qi changed the subject. "Has any word come from Grandfather?"
Lady Han relaxed a little and muttered, "The letter only went out a few days ago. How could there be word so soon?"
"Then you must keep a close watch on Jianming." Ji Qi gave a few more instructions and left for the yamen.
After thinking it over, Lady Han went to Ji Lingze's rooms.
It so happened that Lady Liu, the fourth young madam of the Han family, and Han Su, the tenth young miss of the Han family, were also visiting Ji Lingze.
The room was full of Han kinswomen, and the atmosphere was consequently all warmth and intimacy.
Lady Liu was a daughter of the Liu family of Yixing who had married into the Han family of Huzhou. Having known Lady Han since childhood, she seized Lady Han's hand the moment they met and congratulated her in a loud voice, then took the tea from the maids' hands and offered it to her in person. Settling herself snugly beside Lady Han, she made a few pleasantries before asking about Ji Yong's marriage prospects: "...His aunt cannot simply indulge your cousin's whims. There are times when one must be firm."
Ji Lingze pressed her lips together in a smile and exchanged a glance with Han Su.
The Liu family had many daughters; Lady Liu herself had two full sisters still unwed, one of whom had once matched couplets with Ji Yong and earned the praise of the Ji family's old master.
Lady Han was already vexed over the business between Ji Yong and Dou Zhiwei, and hearing this put her out of temper. She frowned and said, "Jianming grew up in the old master's household; his marriage must naturally be decided by the old master. I am only a woman of the inner quarters—in judgment and in insight I cannot begin to compare with the old master. In this matter I shall simply wash my hands of it and wait contentedly to become a mother-in-law!"
Inwardly, however, she was thinking that if the old master, to cut short his son's foolish hopes, should settle a match for him out of hand, it had better not be a girl of the Liu family. If for no other reason, a girl with such a gossiping, loose-tongued manner would certainly never please her son.
Then a trace of regret rose in her.
She had come intending to sound out news of the Dou family's fourth young miss, but with Lady Liu here, it seemed there would be no asking now.
Lady Han made small talk with Lady Liu, schooling her patience.
Ji Yong, meanwhile, was talking with Dou Yan.
Dou Yan had failed the metropolitan examination.
"Why must you hurry back so?" Ji Yong urged Dou Yongjun to stay. "Better to wait for the results of the palace examination. You can read the model essays of the top scholars, and by comparison see just where you fall short." He added, "I have business in Zhending as well. We can travel back to Zhending together then."
The Ji family already had a residence in the capital—what business could he have in Zhending?
Dou Yan was astonished.
Ji Yong laughed. "My fourth sister's coming-of-age ceremony fell right at the time of my examination, and I never even sent her a congratulatory gift. After the palace examination I must sit for the selection of Hanlin bachelor, and once I am observing government affairs at the Hanlin Academy, I fear I shall have little chance to leave the capital. This is just the moment to get out and travel a little."
He spoke with perfect candor, and everyone knew that Dou Yan was already betrothed, so Dou Yan suspected nothing. He laughed and said, "You want to slip away for some fun, and you drag me along as your shield. Well, what can I do? You are my elder, so I shall take the loss." He agreed to go to Zhending with Ji Yong.
Ji Yong was delighted and had a table of dishes set out. The two ate and talked of the metropolitan examination until the moon stood high overhead.
Within a few days it was the first day of the third month.