Chapter 173 — As If Lost
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Song Ran nodded. "I happen to have business at the estate in Daxing tomorrow," he said. "Send Chen Yanzhou an invitation."
Everyone in the room was taken aback.
A moment ago they had still been discussing a visit to the Third Imperial Son-in-Law, Shi Chonglan—how had Song's mind changed in the blink of an eye?
Zi Aifeng, newly arrived and by his own reckoning still unacquainted with Song's temper, glanced at Yan Che. Yan Che was looking down at his tea and saying nothing, so Zi Aifeng held his tongue as well.
Chen He acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Zi Aifeng took up the thread where he had left off. "The Duke of Zhenguo may wish to take a second wife, but the heir has already reached the age of fifteen, and the second young master is past childhood. Families of good standing may not be willing to marry a daughter into such a house, while families of lesser standing would serve no purpose in an alliance and would do nothing to help matters as they stand. The Duke's refusal of Peng Feng's daughter—Peng Feng being the Guard Commander of Xuanzhou—and his suit for the youngest sister of the Marquis of Changxing shows plainly enough what the Duke intends. If you, my lord, take this occasion to call on Shi Chonglan and let the Shi family see that the heir harbors great ambitions, then given the Shi family's usual manner of doing things, they will most likely refuse the Duke's suit. It would be a sound move."
Yan Che nodded slightly and added his own praise. "The Shi family has always prized profit above sentiment and delights in marrying into great and powerful houses—otherwise Shi Chonglan would never have taken a princess to wife. It is for just this reason that the Duke wishes to marry a Shi daughter. The heir's plan is well judged: if the Shi family comes to feel that they can gain nothing from such a match, and may even risk offending the heir, they will certainly refuse it.
There is an old saying in officialdom: never deceive a young man—meaning that youth holds boundless possibility. He may one day become a man of power himself, and Song's momentum is fierce besides. If Shi Ruilan agrees to give his sister to Song Cen, he will have burned every bridge and set himself squarely against Song.
Song Yan made no reply and seemed somewhat distracted.
Zi Aifeng assumed that Song Yan was troubled over Song Cen's marriage and was thinking of the friction between Song Yan and Song Cen. He could not help leaning forward to offer counsel. "My lord, there is no one in the household to manage its affairs, and it is only natural that the Duke should take a second wife. No one can stand in the way of that. But it would be a different matter entirely if you were to marry first. The Duchess would be a second wife filling a dead woman's place, while the heir's wife would be a first wife in her own right—one holds the claim of seniority, the other the claim of legitimacy. Which of them will have the running of the Zhenguo household? At such a time it comes down to whose standing is the more distinguished." Here he glanced at Yan Che again and softly spoke the words the two of them had settled on beforehand. "The sister of Wang Yu, Marquis of Yan'an; the second daughter of the Sun maternal uncle of the Dowager's own family; and Princess Jingyi, born of Empress Wan—all have reached marriageable age. Your mourning ends in the first month of next year, my lord. It is the very time to make early plans!"
Song Yan gave a derisive laugh. "I expect my father has the same idea in mind."
Zi Aifeng smiled and said nothing.
Song said, "We will speak of this later. For now, let him go knock against the Shi family's wall—that will do him good." He seemed unwilling to discuss it further.
Such were his words. Yet if the Shi family did not refuse the Duke of Yingguo outright, the match might still come to pass.
Zi Aifeng hastened to ask, "And what of the Third Imperial Son-in-Law?"