Chapter 43 — Changing Course (Bonus Update for 90 Pink Tickets)

Wang Xingyi's hand fell on Wang Zhibing's shoulder with the weight of a thousand catties.

A servant was peeking around the edge of the flower beds.

Wang Xingyi's expression darkened, a cold dignity settling over him. "What is it?"

The servant scurried over, trembling. "My lord, a man surnamed Du is here, claiming to be a steward of the Dou family of Zhending. Their Fifth Master shares the same examination year as you, and he has been sent by their Old Master to deliver a letter."

"Could it be Dou Zhenzhi?" Wang Zhibing said, puzzled.

Zhenzhi was the courtesy name of Dou Duo.

"It must be him," Wang Xingyi said with a cold laugh. "Did he not say that Yingxue killed his daughters-in-law? A blood feud admits no compromise under heaven—so what business could he have with us?" With that, he ordered the servant, "Bring the letter here."

The servant trotted off and returned with the letter.

Wang Xingyi glanced at it, then handed the envelope to his son.

Wang Zhibing took the letter, full of misgivings, and scanned it in a few swift passes, finishing it quickly. "Dou Zhenzhi actually wants you and their steward to go together and petition Zhao Ruifu to agree to elevate Yingxue to the status of legal wife?" He could make no sense of the situation at all, and for a long moment could not react.

Wang Xingyi gave a snort of laughter. "Now do you understand why I said what I said?"

Wang Zhibing did not.

Wang Xingyi sighed helplessly and patiently instructed his son. "If the Dou family truly did not want to elevate Yingxue, then never mind the Pang family coming to make a scene—even if Yingxue clung on and refused to leave, they could have forcibly dragged her away. The matter has dragged on until today only because the Dou family has plans of its own. When you came back and told me, I was still somewhat uncertain, but now I can guess at eight or nine parts out of ten. Most likely Dou Yuanji saw that our honored teacher places great trust in me and feared I would steal his thunder. He wanted to use the matter of Yingxue's elevation to sell me a favor. But in the end Dou Duo and the Zhao family both refused. Dou Duo not only refused—he hoped, through you, to provoke me into letting Yingxue die, pulling the firewood out from under Dou Yuanji's cauldron. But now Dou Zhenzhi has suddenly changed his mind. He shifts the blame onto the Zhao family—it is not that he refused, but that Zhao Rui refused." He mused a moment. "If I guess rightly, the East Dou and the West Dou are likely on good terms in appearance only. The reason Dou Duo changed his tune at the last moment is simply that the West Dou has only one seedling, Dou Huaiying, and he has no examination degrees to his name. Weak and isolated, seeing that I am now Governor of Gansu, they wish to ally with our family by marriage and borrow my influence to join forces against Dou Yuanji."

Wang Zhibing's gaze was full of admiration as he looked at his father, and he said in sincere submission, "Then what should we do now?"

Wang Xingyi seemed not to hear. He murmured to himself, "Could Yingxue really have killed the Zhao woman?"

Wang Zhibing was stunned.

Wang Xingyi was already speaking aloud. "Dou Zhenzhi's letter says he has twice sent men to negotiate with Zhao Ruifu about Yingxue's elevation, and both times Zhao Ruifu avoided meeting them. He asks me to meet with this Zhao Ruifu. Whether Dou Zhenzhi means to bypass Dou Yuanji and make me owe him a favor, or to show me how much effort he has spent on Yingxue's elevation, or to prove to me that the Zhao woman's death truly had to do with Yingxue, or to use my official authority to pressure Zhao Ruifu into agreeing—and incidentally to see what medicine Zhao Ruifu is hiding in his gourd?" It was as if his earlier words had been no more than a momentary slip of the tongue.

Wang Zhibing hesitated considerably. "Father, the Dou family says on one hand that our sister killed the Zhao woman, and on the other hand, out of regard for the esteem in which Elder Ge values you, they want to elevate Yingxue... Fickle and devoid of principle... they are not people to befriend... Our sister may not have an easy life there..."

He gazed at his father, stumbling over his words.

"I know," Wang Xingyi said with contempt. "I would like to see just what they mean to scheme out of me." Here he paused. "As for Yingxue—urge her again for me, lay out all these considerations before her. If she still insists on being with that Dou Huaiying... then whatever bitterness comes, she will have to swallow it herself..."

The meaning was that he would no longer help her.

Wang Zhibing looked at his father in astonishment.

"To be fair and just is easy; to be impartial and unwavering is hard," Wang Xingyi murmured. "Though I hope she can live well, I cannot live her life for her. Some things she must understand herself."

Wang Zhibing nodded heavily. "Father, I understand. After I have seen this Zhao Ruifu, I will set out for Zhending at once."

When the Second Old Madam learned that Dou Duo had secretly contacted Wang Xingyi and asked him to help persuade Zhao Si to agree to elevate Wang Shuying, it was already mid-autumn in the ninth month, when osmanthus fragrance drifted on the air and chrysanthemums were yellow and crabs fat. Along with this news came word that both Dou Huaiying and Dou Heng had won places on the provincial examination list.

The whole Dou household was wild with joy. Dou Duo even had a basketful of Chengping first-year copper coins brought out and sent two stewards to stand at his gate, handing them out to everyone they saw. The entire county of Zhengding flocked to the West Dou's door.

Ji shi herself combed Dou Yan's hair into twin knots, set a pearl headband on her head, and changed her into a bright red brocade-lined jacket of ten-pattern silk. Smiles spilling unstoppably from her eyes, she asked, "Is Shouyuan happy?"

To live through everything a second time, even the happiest things lose some of their surprise.

But she still smiled brightly and answered "happy," as befitted her station.

Ji shi planted a loud kiss on her cheek and took her hand. "Come, let us go congratulate your grand-aunt and get you a red envelope."

Dou Xin nodded with narrowed eyes, and went with Ji shi to the Second Old Madam's quarters.

But no sooner had they lifted the curtain and stepped in than they heard a crash of shattering porcelain from the inner room, followed by the Second Old Madam's furious roar: "What does he mean by this? Is he afraid we will do her niece harm? Thirty years—why does he not say, let us guarantee she lives past fifty?"

Ji shi knew she had come at a bad time and quickly led Dou Yan away to the eldest aunt's rooms.

Dou Yan was very curious about whom the Second Old Madam meant, and what could have made her so angry, but she was in no hurry. Her Sixth Aunt would surely work it out soon enough; she need only stay close to her.

At that thought, she felt a little worried again.

As she grew older, there would likely be few years left in which things came to her so effortlessly.

After a cup of tea at the eldest aunt's, they returned to their own rooms.

Cailan, who had been standing in the side corridor, followed them in.

She first glanced at Dou Chu, then bent her knee and saluted Ji shi before saying in a low voice, "The Fifth Master came by. He says the Zhao family's uncle has agreed to elevate Concubine Wang..."

"Ah!" Her Sixth Aunt was greatly startled.

Dou Fan, by contrast, breathed a sigh of relief.

So her uncle was not merely a man of courage without strategy.

A thankless task like this—let whoever wants it do it; there is no need to drag oneself into the water.

In her previous life, her uncle had given up too much for her. In this life, she would rather suffer a little herself than see him repeat the mistakes of that former life.

Wang Shuying wanted to be elevated. Then let her be elevated.