Chapter 391 — Old Matters
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
"But Old Lady Lu thought it a fine arrangement."
Here Song Shize could not help a long sigh. His face looked somewhat bleak.
"When the Duke of Zhenguo heard, he was so overjoyed he went round in circles, seized Lady Jiang's hand and thanked her again and again, put an arm about Old Lady Lu's shoulder and called her 'Mother' with great affection, and went out in high spirits.
"The old Duke of Zhenguo learned soon after that the young woman had been hiding in Wanming Temple all along.
"And the young woman was willing to abort the child, if only she might enter the Song household.
"The old Duke of Zhenguo kicked the Duke of Zhenguo on the spot, and glaring at him with reddened eyes, said: A woman like this, you still want to take into the house? Do you think your days are too idle, and you are looking for trouble?
"The Duke of Zhenguo clutched the place where the old Duke had kicked him, and asked in bewilderment: 'Was it not you who said that so long as she was willing to abort the child, she would be let into the house? So why, now that she is willing to abort the child, do you go back on your word?'
"And with that, as if something had dawned on him, the Duke of Zhenguo bolted for the door. As he ran he shouted: 'I knew it, you were deceiving me! Once you had tricked out the place where Tiaoniang was hiding, you meant to deal with us — you never intended to let her into the house at all...'
"The old Duke of Zhenguo was half dead with rage. He had his page boy pin the Duke of Zhenguo down and handed him over to me to watch, then took Steward Li and went to Wanming Temple himself.
"Before long the old Duke of Zhenguo returned.
"His face was worn with fatigue as he said the matter had been settled.
"The Duke of Zhenguo, who had been pacing the room all the while like a caged beast, suddenly shoved the old Duke of Zhenguo aside and ran out.
"I was worried, and with the old Duke of Zhenguo's tacit consent, I followed.
"The bedding on the kang was all blood. The young woman lay limp upon the kang, not a trace of color in her face, a look of terror still frozen on it.
"The Duke of Zhenguo held the young woman and wailed.
"I went up and felt for her breath. There seemed to be none left, so I withdrew.
"Before long, a maid attending the young woman brought the young woman's elder brother.
"He pushed the door open in a daze. He went into the room.
"Presently a sound of bitter grief came from within.
"After that, the young woman's elder brother and the Duke of Zhenguo came to blows.
"I watched the Duke of Zhenguo take the beating without resisting at all, so I dragged him out, and sat with him over a few cups at a small tavern beside Wanming Temple, and waited until he had drunk himself into a stupor before bringing him back to the mansion.
"The old Duke of Zhenguo sent me again to see to the aftermath.
"The young woman's elder brother was a man of stiff backbone; he flung back every ounce of silver the old Duke of Zhenguo had bestowed. His widowed mother, though, was a piece of work: the moment her son turned his back, she came out and gathered up all the silver the old Duke had bestowed, and even haggled with me, squeezing out two thousand taels more in silver notes.
"Afterward I went back to Baoding, and Steward Li was assigned to serve at the Duke of Zhenguo's side.
"I heard from Steward Li that from that time on the Duke of Zhenguo never strayed again.