Chapter 173 — As If Lost

Song Ran nodded. "I happen to have business at the estate in Daxing tomorrow," he said. "Send Chen Yanzhou an invitation."

Everyone in the room was taken aback.

A moment ago they had still been discussing a visit to the Third Imperial Son-in-Law, Shi Chonglan—how had Song's mind changed in the blink of an eye?

Zi Aifeng, newly arrived and by his own reckoning still unacquainted with Song's temper, glanced at Yan Che. Yan Che was looking down at his tea and saying nothing, so Zi Aifeng held his tongue as well.

Chen He acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Zi Aifeng took up the thread where he had left off. "The Duke of Zhenguo may wish to take a second wife, but the heir has already reached the age of fifteen, and the second young master is past childhood. Families of good standing may not be willing to marry a daughter into such a house, while families of lesser standing would serve no purpose in an alliance and would do nothing to help matters as they stand. The Duke's refusal of Peng Feng's daughter—Peng Feng being the Guard Commander of Xuanzhou—and his suit for the youngest sister of the Marquis of Changxing shows plainly enough what the Duke intends. If you, my lord, take this occasion to call on Shi Chonglan and let the Shi family see that the heir harbors great ambitions, then given the Shi family's usual manner of doing things, they will most likely refuse the Duke's suit. It would be a sound move."

Yan Che nodded slightly and added his own praise. "The Shi family has always prized profit above sentiment and delights in marrying into great and powerful houses—otherwise Shi Chonglan would never have taken a princess to wife. It is for just this reason that the Duke wishes to marry a Shi daughter. The heir's plan is well judged: if the Shi family comes to feel that they can gain nothing from such a match, and may even risk offending the heir, they will certainly refuse it.

There is an old saying in officialdom: never deceive a young man—meaning that youth holds boundless possibility. He may one day become a man of power himself, and Song's momentum is fierce besides. If Shi Ruilan agrees to give his sister to Song Cen, he will have burned every bridge and set himself squarely against Song.

Song Yan made no reply and seemed somewhat distracted.

Zi Aifeng assumed that Song Yan was troubled over Song Cen's marriage and was thinking of the friction between Song Yan and Song Cen. He could not help leaning forward to offer counsel. "My lord, there is no one in the household to manage its affairs, and it is only natural that the Duke should take a second wife. No one can stand in the way of that. But it would be a different matter entirely if you were to marry first. The Duchess would be a second wife filling a dead woman's place, while the heir's wife would be a first wife in her own right—one holds the claim of seniority, the other the claim of legitimacy. Which of them will have the running of the Zhenguo household? At such a time it comes down to whose standing is the more distinguished." Here he glanced at Yan Che again and softly spoke the words the two of them had settled on beforehand. "The sister of Wang Yu, Marquis of Yan'an; the second daughter of the Sun maternal uncle of the Dowager's own family; and Princess Jingyi, born of Empress Wan—all have reached marriageable age. Your mourning ends in the first month of next year, my lord. It is the very time to make early plans!"

Song Yan gave a derisive laugh. "I expect my father has the same idea in mind."

Zi Aifeng smiled and said nothing.

Song said, "We will speak of this later. For now, let him go knock against the Shi family's wall—that will do him good." He seemed unwilling to discuss it further.

Such were his words. Yet if the Shi family did not refuse the Duke of Yingguo outright, the match might still come to pass.

Zi Aifeng hastened to ask, "And what of the Third Imperial Son-in-Law?"

"Arrange it for the day after tomorrow, then," Song Yan said indifferently.

Would that not be too late?

Zi Aifeng was about to press Song Yan further when he felt a tug at his sleeve, and then heard Yan Che's voice. "In that case, we shall take our leave. You should rest as well, my lord—you leave for Daxing first thing tomorrow."

Song Yan grunted in assent.

Yan Che and Zi Aifeng rose and took their leave.

Once they were out of the main courtyard, Zi Aifeng asked Yan Che in a low voice, "Who is this Chen Yanzhou, that the heir should treat him with such courtesy? From the heir's tone, he seems to serve as some family's advisor—why not invite him here?"

Yan Che truly did not know how to answer.

To explain who Chen Yanzhou was would mean speaking of the Fourth Miss Dou—and plainly the heir's greatest concern at present was to keep the Fourth Miss Dou from being drawn into matters. Yet he could not leave Zi Aifeng ignorant of Chen Yanzhou's identity either; Zi Aifeng was now the heir's advisor, and a man who knew nothing of his lord's affairs would easily misjudge them and spoil everything.

The Fourth Miss Dou was soon to be married. Even if the heir's ties with Wei Fan were never so close, there could be no more coming and going between them as there was now.

How the heir had come to know the Fourth Miss Dou—that could be told to Zi Aifeng when the chance arose.

Yan Che quickly settled on his account. "Chen Yanzhou's given name is Bo. He was formerly an advisor to Zhang Kai, the Fujian governor who abandoned his city and fled. Later he returned to his native Zhending and took a post as accountant in the seventh branch of the Dou family at Beilou, where he is much regarded by Lord Dou and helps look after Lord Dou's eldest daughter, who remains in Zhending. When the heir met with trouble, Chen happened to be in the capital; having received kindness from the Duke of Dingguo, he once lent the heir his help. And because the Dou family took him in when he was in dire straits, he remembers the old debt and will not resign his post, so he has remained with the Dou family ever since. Now that he has come to the capital, the heir is certainly bound to show him the courtesy of a host."

Yet Zi Aifeng sensed a flaw in Yan Che's words.

If it were truly so, the heir ought to be concerned with whether Chen Yanzhou was faring well in the Dou household. But from the heir's tone, it was the young lady's marriage that concerned him greatly.

At this thought, Song Yan's pensive expression rose again in Zi Aifeng's mind.

His heart stirred.

Could the heir…?

But he quickly pressed the notion down.

He had not gone through that calamity at the heir's side, and some time must yet pass before he won the trust of the heir and those closest to him.

There was no hurry. Sooner or later he would find out.

Zi Aifeng smilingly asked Yan Che about Song Yan's journey to the Daxing estate. "Should I go along when the time comes?"

"That depends on how the heir arranges it," Yan Che said. He too had perceived Song's mind, and thought that if any word of it got out, the consequences would be disastrous. He had resolved not to let Zi Aifeng go along, and so his words carried a note of evasion. "Chen Yanzhou is, after all, in another's employ—we must first see whether he can get away."

Zi Aifeng murmured an assent and changed the subject. After returning, he instructed the servant he had brought with him to watch for any calling card from Chen Yanzhou.

The next afternoon the servant came back and reported, "No calling card from anyone named Chen Yanzhou."

Could this Chen Yanzhou have refused the heir's kindness?

Zi Aifeng could not help muttering to himself.

But Chen Yanzhou had already arrived at the Daxing estate.

How could he send a reply to Song Yan in his own name? Would that not expose him to the eyes of the Duke of Yingguo?

Since Song's invitation could not be declined, he would simply come and see him in person.

Song Yan was in high spirits at the sight of him and invited him to taste some tea.