Chapter 219 — Advance and Retreat (Bonus Update, Begging for Pink Votes)

He had never expected to be dragged down by Dou Qi, nor that Shao Wenji would mistake him for someone who had come for the same purpose.

As things stood now, that road was closed. Especially since Shao Wenji had assigned him and Dou Qi together; Dou Qi would certainly keep a close watch on him.

Song Yan could only, without betraying a thing, smile and thank Shao Wenji, then ask which men would be on imperial duty alongside him in the coming days.

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At this moment Song Cen was pacing the room like a cornered beast.

"I said this business would not work! Look at the Dou family—they sent men at once to probe into Song Yan's background. And too many people know of it; even if we wished to conceal it, we could not. This marriage is as good as gone!" he said anxiously. "If the Dou family will not agree to this match, are there any other prospects?"

Compared with offending the Emperor, Song Yan had married a princess. Once he held real power in the Yingzhengguo Estate, Song Cen was reduced to a figurehead, and became insignificant.

He had to settle Song Yan's marriage quickly; once the Emperor returned to the capital, there would be no way to do it.

But Tao Jun, sitting nearby in the grand master's chair drinking tea, laughed: "No sooner had I left than the Dou family sent men to inquire about the heir. That is precisely a sign that the Dou household is eager to marry off their daughter. Be at ease, my lord. I foresaw this long ago. Tomorrow at first light I shall go to Jiming Temple Lane!"

Song Cen could not be bothered to ask what plan he had, and only urged him: "Get this matter settled, and quickly!"

Tao Jun assented with a smile and left the study. Early the next morning, as though paying a call on an old friend, he took twelve gift boxes and went to Heming Temple Lane.

Hearing that Tao Jun had come calling, Dou Huaiying gave a cold laugh: "He still has the face to see me? Tell him to get out!"

Dou Huaiying was always gentle with others and seldom so sharp; the servant turned pale with fright and hurried to the gate.

Tao Jun was somewhat surprised to hear that Dou Huaiying had reacted so fiercely. But time was short, and he could neither afford the delay nor find another matchmaker who fit Song Cen's requirements as well as this one, so he pressed five taels of silver into the servant's hand and pleaded: "I beg you, brother, to announce me once more, and say that loose talk is to be feared, and that for the sake of my nephew's life I would not dare deceive Lord Dou."

Dou Huaiying governed his household with leniency; the servant thought it over and over, and for the sake of the five taels went back to report to Dou Huaiying.

"Loose talk is to be feared!" Dou Huaiying chewed over the phrase several times, and the more he thought, the more he felt it carried deep meaning. He ordered the servant in a low voice, "Let him come in and speak."

The servant hurriedly brought Tao Jun to the study.

Tao Jun's face was full of shame; the moment he entered he begged forgiveness again and again, saying: "It is all my fault for not speaking clearly. Our heir is accomplished in both letters and arms, one of the rarest talents among the noble houses of the capital. At nine he accompanied His Majesty to the autumn hunt at Huailai; when His Majesty tested riding and archery, the heir placed second in riding and fifth in archery, first among the sons of the nobility, and for this His Majesty even bestowed on him a farm at Daxing. From that time on, who knows how many great lords of the capital had their eyes on our heir, and often held him up as an example when reprimanding good-for-nothing youngsters; but the Zhenguo Lord held very high hopes for the heir, and his lessons were heavy, so the heir seldom went about outside, and the talk grew ever more absurd.

"After I returned and spoke of your honorable daughter to the Zhenguo Lord, he too sent men to make inquiries. I feared the Zhenguo Lord would reproach me for acting rashly, but who would have thought the Yingzhengguo Lord was delighted, and said, 'One who has not been tempered by Heaven is no true man; one who is not envied is but a mediocre talent.' From this it is plain that your honorable daughter must be quite outstanding. He even specially instructed me to come and sound out your lordship's temper, and to ask whether a time might be arranged in the next day or two for him to meet your lordship, so that this marriage might be settled.

"If it were truly as the capital rumors say, would our Zhenguo Lord ever connive at the heir's treating human life as grass?

"Whether it is true or false, rumor or slander, Lord Dou need only meet our Zhenguo Lord and ask, and all will be known.

"In all this world, has there ever been a case of the injured party crying justice for the one who wronged him?"

Tao Jun's words left Dou Huaiying in a dilemma.

A retainer often has the tongue of Zhang Yi; if his words were false and he agreed to the match, he would ruin Dou Chu's whole life; but if his words were true and he let the match slip by, where else would he find so good a match for Dou Yan?

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Sisters and brothers reading this, I beg for your pink votes!

(*^__^*) Hee hee...

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