Chapter 483 — Telling Tales
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Dou Yan made up her mind to let nature take its course and stopped fretting over the matter of Dou Huaide. After all, she was the one living this life; whether it turned out well or ill, no one else had the right to question her.
She began making preparations for autumn.
Song Cen, meanwhile, was pondering whether it was time for him to take a second wife—having no proper mistress in his household was simply not a workable arrangement.
But whom should he marry?
The very thought of it made Song Cen's nose twist with fury.
If not for that rebellious son Song Yan, how could he have lost even the authority to govern his own son and become a laughingstock among the capital's noble houses?
Still, at least the Empress had shown him grace and arranged an official post for Song Han, salvaging a little of his face.
Thinking it over, he ought to enter the palace and thank the Empress for her kindness.
Song Cen ordered Zeng Wu to open the storehouse.
Song Han came to visit Song Cen, bringing along sugar-roasted peanuts from Yao's Roasted Goods.
Song Cen was delighted. He drew an ancient painting from the previous dynasty out of a chest and said, "In a few days, we shall go together into the palace and kowtow to the Empress, to thank her for looking after you."
This, too, was the purpose of Song Han's visit.
His father was unreliable, and Song Yan could not be relied upon either. The only course left to him was to cling tightly to the Empress's sturdy leg—otherwise, what was he in the Embroidered Uniform Guard but a man idling away his days?
Song Han agreed happily. When he returned home, he had several new garments made. On the day of the audience, he dragged Miao Ruosu, Liu Hong, and Ji Hong into a long process of selection, and finally went to the palace wearing a straight robe of sapphire-blue Hangzhou silk patterned with clustered flowers.
The Empress saw that Song Han was tall, handsome, and refined in manner, and nodded repeatedly. She said to Song Cen with a smile, "Both of the Duke of Zhenguo's sons are men of outstanding appearance. Truly rare."
Song Cen, however, could not stomach hearing Song Yan praised. At once he said, "You are too kind to these two boys. Tian'en is well enough—honest and dutiful, loyal and forbearing. But Tianci is a thorn that cannot be touched, a man one cannot afford to provoke. If you do not believe me, send someone out to make inquiries—who does not know that the Duke of Ying has produced a regular devil of a son?"
The Empress laughed heartily and said, "It is plain that all parents are the same: other people's children are always fine, while one's own are never quite right in this way or that. If you ask me, your family's Yantang is already quite good enough. Look at all the civil and military officials at court—who is younger than Yantang? You should be content!"
Song Cen had a faint sense that the Empress did not disapprove of his criticizing Song Yan.
Could it be that Song Yan's refusal of the Prince of Liao's suit for Jiang Yan had made the Empress feel she had lost face?