Chapter 436 — Discussing the Betrothal Gift
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
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Miao Anping fairly cried out, "Then—then what's to be done?"
The guard sighed. "When the lord bids a minister die, the minister cannot but die; when a father bids a son perish, the son cannot but perish. However formidable our heir may be abroad, before the Lord Protector of the Realm he must still keep to the duties of a son. At most he can vent his temper like this—what more can he do?"
Miao Anping was overcome with wild joy and, seizing Xie Wan by the arm, hurried him home.
Xie Wan, however, hesitated.
The reason he had been willing to act as matchmaker for the Miao family was the hope of gaining a word with Song Yan, son-in-law of the Dou clan of the North Tower. What had the second lord of the Ying Protector's Estate to do with him? The minor betrothal had not yet begun, and Song Sui had been driven off in a rage—was there any need for him to go to the Miao house?
But Wanping County was only so large, and Miao Anping pressed him urgently. The bearers, reflecting that the Miao family had now attached themselves to the Ying Protector's Estate, dared not slight him; by the time Xie Wan came to himself, the sedan had already halted before the great gate of the Miao residence.
He had no choice but to descend.
Miao Zhi's uncle, her father, and her father's younger brother all came pouring out to welcome him.
Xie Wan entered the gate with his chin held high.
Miao Anping, however, drew his father aside behind the pomegranate tree.
"Father, I tell you, I ran into the heir of the Ying Protector's Estate just now." He hastily recounted all that had passed. "So you see, this Song Yantang is soft within his own house, and today he was not even present. Tell me—can we not bargain over this betrothal gift and settle on a different sum?"
Miao's father's heart gave a violent throb, and he found his son's suggestion entirely workable.
He at once sought out Miao Zhi's eldest uncle to confer.
Miao Zhi's eldest uncle pondered a long while, then said, "No horse grows fat without night grazing; no man grows rich without windfall wealth. Let us try it first, and if it fails, we shall think again."
Miao's father and Miao Anping nodded without ceasing.
The three of them went to the hall.
They had drunk a cup of tea with Xie Wan when the party from the Ying Protector's Estate arrived to deliver the betrothal.
The Song family's matchmakers were a registrar named Qiao Lu from the Five Armies Command, and a fellow student of Song Cen's named Li Wen from the days when Song Cen sat for the county examination.
At the mention of the matter, Song Cen was filled with resentment.
He had originally wished to ask the Third Imperial Son-in-Law to preside as matchmaker, but the Third Imperial Son-in-Law, on the pretext that he had never in his life presided over a match, would on no account take it up. He had then to settle for the next best and ask the Marquis of Anlu to come forward. Little did he expect that the Marquis of Anlu still bore a grudge against Song Yan for making things difficult for him; not only did he fail to bring the man, but Song Cen had to endure a thorough mocking at the Marquis's residence. He was so furious that he stamped about at home, roundly cursing Song Yan, and then bethought himself of his own maternal uncle, Lu Fuli—but Lu Fuli pleaded that he was old and his energies failing, unable to bear the clamor, and told him to invite someone younger.
So back and forth the thing dragged on, and time was lost; they had no choice but to hastily make matchmakers of one of their own subordinates and a fellow graduate with whom they had some dealings.
Xie Wan looked at the two of them, and the corner of his eye twitched.
He himself was, after all, a graduate of the two lists—and was he to drink at the same table with a petty clerk and a xiucai?
Pressing his brow, he pleaded that he had caught a chill from the wind and thrust the whole business upon the county assistant, Ma Hao.