Chapter 266 — A Look at Each Other

Tao Jun said, "We had always assumed the Dou family's fourth young lady was sent to live in Zhending because her stepmother, Madam Wang, disliked her. It turns out that wasn't so at all—that Wang woman was originally a concubine elevated to wife, and she was already three months with child when she entered the household. The fourth young lady's aunt on her mother's side is a formidable woman, and she seized on that point and would not let it go. When the fourth young lady grew up, she showed her stepmother no respect whatsoever, and Dou Juan had no way to handle it. That was why the fourth young lady was left in Zhending."

Song Cen listened, and his face darkened. "So then the Dou family's fourth young lady is not the poor, friendless creature we took her for?"

"That was this old man's oversight," Tao Jun said self-reproachfully. "I never imagined the Wang family could do nothing about the Zhao family, and that for the sake of appearances they would claim it was Madam Wang who refused to raise the fourth young lady." Here his tone shifted. "But I did learn this: the Dou family's fourth young lady is exceedingly fierce, and ordinary people simply cannot control her. Even Dou Juan's people give her a wide berth. Madam Wang had her eye on the Marquis of Jining, and so the Dou family turned a blind eye and let mother and daughter make their scenes, with no one stepping forward for the fourth young lady. Later, when the fourth young lady in person demanded her dowry, the Dou family's seventh master handed over a whole chest of silver drafts—and that too was because she had made such scenes a habit and Dou Juan had no choice but to smooth things over."

Song Cen thought of the dowry Dou Zhiwei had brought, and of how on her very first day in the household she had dared to cross swords with Song Jin, needle wrapped in silk. He could not help believing some of it. The daughter-in-law he had taken for gentle and mild had turned out to be a roaring lioness, a veritable she-devil. Troublesome as that was, she was, like the others, a daughter the Dou family held in no favor, and that made him feel considerably better.

"Then what are we to do now?" he asked Tao Jun. "I've heard that the eldest daughter of Wei Prefecture's Hua Tang is of outstanding beauty and character, but she set her sights too high, and past twenty she is still unmarried. I had thought to sound out this Miss Hua—if she proves docile and good-natured, I might take her in, and she could help discipline Tian'en..." The implication being that this plan would now likely come to nothing.

Tao Jun sighed inwardly.

No wonder people said that even an honest official could not sort out family affairs.

Better that he meddle as little as possible in the household affairs of Yingzhenguo Manor.

Tao Jun said tactfully, "You are still in your prime, and you ought to have someone at your side for company. If this Miss Hua is truly as accomplished and beautiful as they say, taking her in to look after your food and daily needs would be no bad thing."

Which was as good as saying nothing at all.

Song Cen sighed, rewarded Tao Jun with two hundred taels of silver, and said, "You've had a hard journey to Zhending. Go and rest well for a couple of days—the Marquis of Anlu says he will act as go-between for this match, but the practical arrangements, I'm afraid, will still have to fall to you."

Tao Jun smiled and assented, then withdrew.

His attendant was waiting anxiously beneath the covered walkway. Seeing him come out, the man betrayed no expression and walked with him out of Xixiang Court. Only then did he ask in a low voice, "What did Lord Zhenguo say?"

Before coming, the two had already agreed on their story.

"Lord Zhenguo has no suspicions," Tao Jun said. "But what else could I say? Think about it—that Dou woman, fierce as she is, will have the whole household knowing of it within days. Better that people think her shrewish and ungovernable than let them think her soft and easily bullied; this way we keep ourselves out of it." It sounded like an explanation of why he had done it, yet more like he was convincing himself.

The attendant nodded again and again.

Song Cen, meanwhile, was pacing about the room.

Should he or should he not ally himself with the Hua family by marriage?

By any reasonable reckoning, the Hua family could be of no help to him at all. But if he did not take another wife, then over time that Dou woman would be all the harder to hold in check.

And yet that Dou woman was so difficult to deal with—a gentle-natured wife would never be able to master her; but a shrewd, capable one... he had truly had his fill of that.

It truly left him caught between a rock and a hard place!

Dou Yan, at this moment, had gone to the residence of Princess Ninghuai.

Princess Ninghuai's residence was separated from the Lu family mansion by a single street. The two sisters-in-law were on the best of terms, and the two households were consequently very close.

Hearing that Dou Yan had come to call on her, Princess Ninghuai was much surprised, and asked the female official in her confidence, "Has anything happened of late?"

The official smiled. "I hear the heir of Yingguogong was summoned, and went into the palace with his lady wife early this morning."

That was perfectly ordinary.

Princess Ninghuai could think of no reason why Dou Yan should wish to see her.

Then the little maid who had brought the news said with a beaming smile, "Your Highness, the heir's lady of Yingzhenguo Manor says that she has just received the imperial edict, and has been enfeoffed as a 'lady.' She has come especially to thank you!"

Princess Ninghuai understood at once and smiled. "Show her in!"

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Sisters, brothers, the second update is here!

Thank you all for the pink votes—at this final critical moment, I ask for your continued support!

ps: These past two days have been one thing after another. Just now I posted the chapter and actually forgot to click "publish"... I have no idea why... ~~~~(_

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