Chapter 494 — Year's End
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
Ji Yong had already pressed the flower into Yuanheng's hand. Then he patted the boy's head and turned to stride out of the courtyard.
When Ji Yong had patted his son's head, Song Yan had barely managed to keep himself from striking the man's hand away. Now, seeing Ji Yong gone, he calmly took the camellia Ji Yong had given Yuanheng and casually laid it on the beauty's seat beneath the covered corridor. He said "Let's go" to Dou Yan and carried Yuanheng toward the front hall.
Dou Yan was a clever woman, and she felt that Song Yan seemed a little sensitive where Ji Yong was concerned.
She meant to find a chance to speak with Song Yan about it, but no sooner had they reached the front hall than they encountered an utterly unexpected person—Kuang Zhuoran of Panyu.
He had come to the capital to sit for next year's spring examinations; arriving so early, his purpose was to pay his respects to Dou Yan, Dou Huaide, and Song Yan.
Dou Huaide was very taken with Kuang Zhuoran. He caught him by the arm and said, "Who knows? We may yet become fellow graduates of the same year!"
The company in the front hall were rather startled to hear this. "You mean to sit for the examination again next year?"
As a rule, someone in Dou Huaide's position, lacking full confidence, would sit out a session—for if he were to place as a mere tongjinshi, that would be no laughing matter.
Dou Huaide had discussed it with no one beforehand, and he confessed with a trace of guilt, "I mean to press my advantage!"
Dou Heng and Dou Huaiying both wore expressions of disapproval. Song Sui, feeling this was neither the time nor the place for such a discussion, smiled and asked Kuang Zhuoran, changing the subject: "When did you arrive in the capital? Where are you staying?"
Kuang Zhuoran was naturally quick-witted, and after the upheaval in his family he had grown all the more seasoned in his dealings. He hastened to answer with a smile, "I arrived only yesterday and am staying at an inn for the time being. I thought I would first call on Boyan and the other elders before renting a house..."
Dou Yan chimed in from the side, "Rent a house? Why not come and stay with me!"
For a time, Dou Huaide's matter was quite forgotten.
Dou Huaide's eyes flickered. He scooped up Yuanheng and went out into the courtyard to look at the fish.
Song Yan was thoughtful. That evening, when he returned home, he spoke of it to Dou Yan. "Tell me—could this have something to do with that married aunt of the Ji family?"
Dou Yan's heart gave a jump at his words. "Whatever made you think of that?"
Song Yan said, "When a man suddenly wants to stand on his own, what else could it be for, if not a woman?"
Dou Yan was overcome with shame.
First there was Song Yan, and now there was Ji Yong.
If he had not glimpsed the events of this life, he likely would never have perceived the palace coup at all—which showed that no matter how the world changed, the capable remained capable wherever they were placed.
Kuang Zhuoran moved in with Dou Yan for the time being, while Dou Huaide shut himself away to study; apart from one visit to Kuang Zhuoran, he did not set foot outside the Yunqi Temple alley again.
Dou Shi knew he would pass the imperial examination, so he paid no mind to the change in Dou Huaide.
She had Liu Zhang keep an eye on the changes in Song Han.
Tao Er's wife came with word that Jiang Yan had been diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse.
Dou Yan was overjoyed and set out with half a cartload of parcels and bundles to visit Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan, confined to the inner chambers by Chen Jia with nowhere permitted to go, blushed crimson at the sight of Dou Yan; she murmured for a long while, at a loss for what to say.
Dou Yan smiled brightly. After chatting with Jiang Yan about family matters for a good while and taking supper at the Chen household, she returned home and at once sent the matron who had attended her through her own confinement to the Yuqiao alley.