Chapter 512 — Not Letting Go
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 2 of 4
Great families enjoyed prominence, but they also bore peril. The Jiang family could not yet be called entirely safe, so it was just as well to leave the child with the Tan family. At most, he himself would keep a closer watch over him in the future.
He said no more about the child.
Jiang Baisun asked about Song Han. "How do you plan to deal with him?"
The matter of the Prince of Liao was kept secret, so Song Han's charges naturally could not stand.
"I plan to send him to the Northwest Camp," Song Yan said tactfully. "Jiang Yi may be transferred to the Northwest Camp as Vice Commissioner."
"That would be wonderful!" Jiang Baisun said. "The Northwest Camp is hard going, but the Vice Commissioner is a rank-three deputy. That boy Jiang Yi has come out ahead."
Song Yan chuckled.
Jiang Baisun sighed. "Speaking of him, I practically held him in my arms and raised him from a child. I never thought matters would end up like this."
Song Yan hesitated a moment, then said, "Fifth Uncle, do you know why the Duke hates my mother so?"
Jiang Baisun said with some helplessness, "It is simply that your mother was too capable, and made him feel he had lost face! Before our family fell into trouble, your father and mother did quarrel at times, but a word or two of persuasion was enough to settle it, like any married couple. Neither I nor your maternal grandmother ever glimpsed that your father's hatred for your mother ran so deep—otherwise your mother would never have been schemed against by your father."
Song Yan felt a pang of sorrow.
Jiang Baisun's expression dimmed slightly, and he began to speak of the situation in Liaodong.
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When the Wu family received the word, they discussed it for a long while and decided that the Embroidered Uniform Guard's fearsome reputation was too much, and that it would be better to enter the Imperial Insignia Guard instead.
Jiang Ling came to reply to Dou Yan, bringing several small jars of pickled vegetables that Mrs. Wu had made herself. "Very good with rice," she said. "Eat only a little, Sister-in-law, to whet your appetite."
Dou Yan enjoyed such exchanges between relatives. She had a jar sent to Jiang Yan, told Jiang Ling that Jiang Baisun was at home recovering from illness, and said apologetically, "Earlier I did not know the Emperor's and the Heir Apparent's intentions, so I never told you."
Jiang Ling was both startled and delighted. "Sister-in-law, please do not give it another thought. Our family has always led troops into battle. The men may be eating at the table one moment and dropping their bowls the next to receive an imperial decree—who has returned to the capital, who has stayed on the battlefield, these are things one cannot ask and cannot speak of. The women of our family are all used to it."
This was somewhat exaggerated, but not entirely idle talk either.
Dou Yan breathed a sigh of relief, and with a smile led Jiang Ling to pay her respects to Jiang Baisun.
Jiang Baisun was overjoyed to see Jiang Ling, teased her a few times, and only then did the two begin to speak of how they had fared since they parted.
Dou Yan had her personal maid Ruozhu serve them tea.
The two talked until the midday meal. Jiang Ling stayed to eat with Jiang Baisun before returning home.
The next day she sent over clothes, shoes, stockings, and other daily necessities.
Wu Liang even made a point of bringing Wu Zijie to visit Jiang Baisun.
For a time the household became quite lively.
Dou Yan was a little worried, and asked Song Yan, "Is this all right?"