Chapter 502 — Summer Night
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 1 of 4
Beneath the great red lanterns, Song Han's face seemed to grow even paler.
He said in a low voice, "Come out, all of you!"
Five or six guards stepped out from behind him, dropped their weapons in the courtyard, and raised both hands high.
Duan Bing did not approach. He only smiled and said, "Is this all of them?"
"This is all of them!" Song Han said, his face ashen. "The rest are not my men!"
Duan Bing nodded to the men beside him.
Several agile guards came forward with ropes and bound every one of Song Han's people.
Song Han watched, his face flushing red and paling by turns.
Duan Bing said with a smile, "Forgive the offense," and, producing a rope from somewhere, walked toward Song Han.
Realizing what he meant to do, Song Han stumbled back several steps and shouted, "You dog! What do you think you're doing?"
Duan Bing's face darkened. "Second Young Master, you instigated the murder of the heir's wife and eldest legitimate grandson of the Yingzhen Duke's household. Even before His Majesty, that is a capital offense. I call you 'Second Young Master' out of respect, so do not throw that respect back in my face!" Then he roughly bound Song Han and dragged him toward the small row of servants' rooms west of the back garden.
The Xiangshan villa was property of the Duke of Yingguo. When Song Han was small, he had often come here with Lady Jiang to escape the summer heat, and he knew those small rooms were where the villa's serving women lived. Regret crept over him. He had never imagined Dou Yan would be hiding here! But how had she discovered his scheme?
He thought and thought but could not fathom where he had given himself away. He could only press his lips together and stumble along as Duan Bing hauled him into the last side room at the very back of the servants' quarters.
The window lattice of the room was covered with blankets, so that from outside it looked pitch-black. Inside, however, two palace lanterns were lit. With no ventilation the room was somewhat close and hot, but a faint fragrance of wintersweet drifted in the air, so it was not unbearable. Yuanheng lay fast asleep on the large heated kang by the window, sweet and fragrant. An unfamiliar old woman fanned him with a palm-leaf fan, while Jingui and Yingui stood nearby in attendance. Dou Yan sat at the edge of the kang, her eyes fixed on him as cold as distant stars, betraying neither anger nor pleasure.
Song Han's heart quailed. He hastily called out "Sister-in-law," and tears fell from his eyes. "I have been raging in the courtyard all this time, but no one paid me any mind, and I could not even send word to you and the Old Madam. Thank heavens you and Yuanheng are unharmed. I was terrified you might have met with disaster, and then I should have been guilty of a crime no death could expiate..."
Dou Yan felt only disgust.
She said coolly, "Second Young Master, you must be tired from playing your part. I, who have been watching the play, am the one who is tired. Tell me what really happened, and I will treat you as one who was taken captive and pursue the matter no further. But if you mean to keep circling around me, then I shall have no choice but to hand you over to the heir to deal with. Second Young Master had best make up his mind quickly. The weather is hot, and I have not the patience to wait while you weigh this side and that and plot back and forth!"
Song Han struggled to step forward. "Sister-in-law, you cannot wrong me so..."