Chapter 294 — Claiming the Reward
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
"Then let's send more men to patrol around the Yingzhen Ducal Estate," Huang Qi said. "If anyone starts quarreling over the reward, we can lend the estate a hand."
Song Yan did not much care. He instructed Zi Aifeng: "Those runners guarding the estate gates—give them one midday meal a day."
Zi Aifeng answered reverently that it would be done.
The men of the Shuntian Jing'an City Garrison cheered.
From time to time, word of the thieves came in.
Song Yan left the matter to Yan Che and Xia Lian, while he himself spent his days at home practicing calligraphy.
Dou Yan asked him, "Is it all right for you not to go to the palace?"
Song Yan said, "Aren't I helping the Shuntian Jing'an City Garrison track down the thieves?"
Dou Yan burst out laughing.
Song Yan took her hand. "Are your affairs all settled?"
Dou Yan had formally taken charge of the household affairs of the Yingzhen Ducal Estate.
"It's nothing but firewood, rice, oil, and salt," Dou Yan said. "Very simple."
Song Yan smiled faintly.
With Dou Zhiwei's intelligence, such things were perhaps truly easy for her.
He said, "It's chrysanthemum-viewing season again. If you have time this afternoon, I'll take you to the flower market at Fengtai for a stroll! Who knows, you might find a chrysanthemum you like. We'll buy it and bring it home—next year your flower beds will have a few more varieties."
Rare chrysanthemum varieties were not so easily come by. But Song Yan was in high spirits. Dou Yan, unwilling to dampen them, thought she would simply treat it as an outing to cheer him up, and agreed with a smile. The two of them, with light baggage and few attendants, went to the flower market at Fengtai.
Those flower growers were used to dealing with wealthy families. Though they did not recognize Song Yan and Dou Yan, they saw that one wore court boots of fine calfskin and the other a pair of southern pearl earrings the size of lotus seeds, and that both bore themselves with uncommon distinction. Knowing these were no ordinary folk, they attended them with great care and brought out the finest chrysanthemums they had.
To Dou Yan, however, they seemed quite ordinary—not to be compared with the flowers and plants she had left behind in Zhending. She looked them over casually and bought a few pots for amusement's sake.
Song Yan could tell none of these pleased her. He drew a flower grower aside and asked, "If plants are transplanted at this time of year, will they live?"
"That depends on what kind of plant it is," said the grower, a man of about forty with an honest, homely face. "If it's hosta or snapdragon, it doesn't matter—they're sown in autumn and bloom in spring. But morning glory or marigold won't do. Those are sown in spring and bloom in summer..."
"Ah!" Song Yan had not known there was so much learning in growing flowers, and he found the man's speech and manner refreshingly straightforward. He asked him to keep an eye out for rare plants. "My wife is very fond of tending flowers and plants. When you find some, just deliver them to the Yingzhen Ducal Estate."
The grower was astonished and overjoyed, and stammered his assent again and again.
Song Yan and Dou Yan returned to the Yingzhen Ducal Estate.
Song Cen's courier was waiting for Song Yan.
Hearing that Song Yan had returned, he went at once to Yizhi Hall to seek an audience.