Chapter 189 — Taking Action
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
He cupped his hands and bowed, putting on the look of one moved to tears with gratitude.
Dou Ming pressed her lips together and smiled.
Wei Fan scratched his head sheepishly.
Once again the two passed each other by.
Having got his two sentences from Dou Huaiying, Wei Fan felt the matter had been smoothed over, and so he went to the Jingzhen Duke's residence and asked Wei Wan to help him engage a matchmaker to discuss the wedding date with the Dou family.
Wei Wan knew her brother had just been to the Crane Cry Temple Lane. She asked at once, "What did Lord Dou say?"
Wei Fan laughed. "Nothing much—just some talk about how 'it takes a hundred years of cultivated karma for two people even to share a boat crossing,' and how 'there are many days ahead, and you must learn to live together with mutual respect,' and the like."
Wei Wan frowned. "He didn't mention the dowry?"
"Isn't that the matchmaker's business?" Wei Fan said, puzzled. "Wouldn't it be rather improper for me to bring it up?"
Wei Wan was speechless with frustration.
Dou Yan was no longer young, and the Wei family had shown signs of wanting to break off the engagement. Dou Huaiying had vented his anger and had put on his airs. Ought he not now say something about the dowry, to make it up to the Wei family?
Looking at her brother's blank, uncomprehending face, she could not be bothered to explain further. After consulting with their mother, Mrs. Tian, she asked the Lady of Yan'an for help, and bearing the official matchmaker's credentials, went to the Dou family to discuss the wedding date. The matchmakers were the Marquis of Yan'an and Zhang Jiming, the Second Master of the Jingzhen Duke's household.
Dou Huaiying was so angry he could not speak, and in his heart he secretly grieved for his eldest daughter.
How had she come to be promised to such an ill-matched family?!
And he blamed Zhao Guqiu for having betrothed her daughter too early.
He said to Mrs. Ji, "There is no hurry about the wedding date. I have asked people from the Imperial Observatory to help choose an auspicious day. We will wait for their reply before saying anything further."
Since Dou Yan was to be married, Dou Huaiying had long since asked Mrs. Ji to take charge of the arrangements.
The one the Dou family had invited to speak on their behalf was Cai Bi's wife; the matchmakers were Yang Sen and Cai Bi.
Yang Sen and Dou Bingheng were close friends.
Mrs. Ji discussed matters with Mrs. Cai: "It is the wish of our Seventh Master to wait until the Imperial Observatory has calculated the day before going further."
"That will do very well," said Mrs. Cai, who, like her husband, was a person enamored of power and influence. With a happy event in the Dou household, she was only too glad to carry word back and forth between the two sides.
And so the Wei family waited for the Dou family to settle on a date.
They waited all the way to the Beginning of Winter.
Wei Fan grew anxious.
Wei Wan, however, suddenly understood.
So the Dou family had not forgotten the original grievance at all!
Her embarrassment turned to fury. "Didn't they tell us to wait?" she said. "Then we will wait!"
Then came the Laba Festival.
Dou Zhiwei's stratagem had worked.
All through the capital, people were saying that the Wei family was dissatisfied with the match and meant to break off the engagement.
That the Dou family's Fourth Miss had been in the capital nearly half a year and the wedding date still had not been fixed—that was proof enough.
And it is always the parties most concerned who are the last to hear the news.
When the Dou family learned of it, it was the Spring Festival.
The Fifth Madam's breath caught in her throat and she nearly choked on her own fury.