Chapter 181 — A Change of Heart (Begging for Pink Votes)
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
The maid had already drawn close and whispered urgently in her ear: "Madam, a great misfortune! The Marquis of Jining was dragged off to the South Wind Hall by the Fourth Miss of the Dou family's cousin—this year's newly named tanhua, Ji Jianming—and was made to stay the night there... That Ji Jianming meant no good, and it was only thanks to the heir of the Duke of Yingguo that the Marquis was saved. The Marquis begs you to return at once."
It struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. Wei Wan's legs went weak; had the maid not been quick to catch her, she would have collapsed to the ground.
Seeing that Wei Wan's expression had turned strange, the company fell silent as one.
The maid, now the target of every noble lady's stare, was frightened out of her wits and kept whispering "Madam" to Wei Wan.
Wei Wan gave a start and came back to herself.
Her brother had always been an honest sort—how had he ended up at the South Wind Hall?
And that Ji Jianming—if he was Dou Zhiwei's cousin, why would he mean her brother harm?
Her brother had been rescued by the heir of the Duke of Yingguo's household. Apart from Song Yan, how many others knew of this?
Confusion piled upon confusion, and her mind was in utter turmoil, unable to seize upon a single answer. But she knew that at this moment there was something more important than getting to the bottom of it—she must keep her usual calm and composure, and not let these cunning ladies and madams glimpse the slightest hint, or there would be no concealing the matter of her brother's visit to the South Wind Hall.
At any other time, this would have been nothing more than a trifling romantic escapade. But now the Dou and Wei families were about to formally exchange betrothal gifts, and her brother's conduct was as good as a slap across the Dou family's face. Would the Dou family seize upon this to make an issue of it, take the initiative to break off the engagement, and ruin her brother's name?
And how could the timing be so neat?
Dou Zhiwei's cousin Ji Jianming had been present as well—could this have been a plot from the very start?
Wei Wan dared not think too deeply. She knew only that with her brother in such trouble, she could not afford to provoke the Dou family further. Otherwise, if the Dou family bore a grudge and seized upon her brother's visit to the South Wind Hall to make a great fuss, it would be disastrous.
She changed her stance at once, forcing a smile. "Mrs. Zheng is mistaken! When the Director of the Imperial Observatory matched the Eight Characters of the Fourth Miss of the Dou family and my brother, he declared that the Fourth Miss was destined to bring prosperity to her husband and sons. It happened that my father fell ill and passed away, and Mother, fearing the Fourth Miss might not be able to wait, wished to bring her into the household sooner, and bade me go to the Dou family to discuss the wedding date. Everyone in Zhending Prefecture should know of this."
So then—it was Wang Shuying and her mother, along with Mrs. Zheng, who had been slandering the Fourth Miss of the Dou family?
Uproar swept the hall.
The eyes the company now turned upon the three of them held a measure of contempt.
Wang Shuying and her mother and Mrs. Zheng could not conceal their astonishment. Wang Shuying, her face contorted with indignation, had just begun to cry "You—" at Wei Wan when Wang Xu shi pulled her back. With a darkened face, before the abbot of the Puji Temple had even begun his sermon, they slunk away in disgrace.
Wei Wan followed close on their heels, save that Wang Shuying and the other two went to Willow Leaf Lane, while Wei Wan returned to the Jingzhen Garrison Manor.