Chapter 414 — The First Clue

Jiang Yan was bent over her desk tracing characters from a copybook when Song Yan came in. She gave him a timid little smile.

Song Yan's irritation only deepened.

This was his sister — the treasure his mother had carried for ten months and brought into the world with such pain — and here she sat, wearing the cowed look of some poor household's daughter who had never seen the wider world. And the one who had brought her so low was his own father.

His face darkened despite himself. "Where is your sister-in-law?" he asked.

Jiang Yan's heart pounded like a drum. Fearing Song Yan would blame Dou Yan for not keeping her company, she rushed to defend her. "Sister-in-law was here with me the whole time — it was only because her accountant, Old Chen, came saying he had urgent business with her that she stepped away." Anxious that Song Yan believe her, she hurriedly picked up the sheet of calligraphy by her side. "See, this is what she wrote out for me to trace just now."

You think I would blame Shouyuan for this?

Song Yan's expression grew uglier still.

He glanced at the characters Jiang Yan had written, told her a few times over to "speak to your sister-in-law if anything comes up," then turned and went back to his study.

Jiang Yan let out a long breath, her whole body going slack with relief.

Song Yan was furious. He instructed Wuyi, "When the mistress has finished speaking with Old Chen, let me know."

Wuyi acknowledged the order and went off.

Song Yan pressed a hand to his brow and sank into his reclining chair.

In the small study not far away, Dou Yan was listening to Chen Yanzhou report on Song Han.

"So, apart from that Li Dasheng, there is nothing unusual about anyone around Song Han?" Her brows drew together slightly, her expression grave. "If I remember rightly, that Li Dasheng was the personal guard the Duke of Yingguo rewarded Song Han with, was he not?"

"Just so," Chen Yanzhou said. "He left the capital the very day Li Tiaoniang came to harm. According to Steward Huang, he had submitted his resignation three months earlier. But he had served the Second Young Master since childhood, and the Second Young Master could not bear to let him go — he kept him back several times, and only when it was clear Li Dasheng was set on leaving did he finally consent. Du Wei followed that thread, only to find that Li Dasheng never went back to his native village at all. He vanished the moment he left the capital. Most likely someone silenced him for good."

Song Han had lived in the Yingzhen Duke's household since he was small. Everyone around him had either been bestowed by Song Cen or arranged through the chief steward — which made investigating him a good deal easier.

Dou Yan likewise thought Li Dasheng had most likely come to a bad end.

"If Li Dasheng is dead, then whether or not he killed Li Tiaoniang, he was the Duke of Yingguo's gift to Song Han," she said. "Song Han can simply plead total ignorance and shift the whole blame onto the Duke of Yingguo."

Dou Yan and Chen Yanzhou were of one mind.

"What do you think — should we give the heir a hint about this?" he said. "He does not seem especially anxious; I fear he is still mindful of his brotherly bond with Song Han."

This was one of the reasons he had come to consult Dou Yan.

In his view, if this affair could be used to strip Song Han of his right to inherit the Yingzhen Duke's household, so much the better.

Dou Yan said, "No need! The heir knows what he is about. You need only watch from the sidelines." Then she added, "Whatever news Du Wei has, have him send word to us."

Song Yan never kept secrets from the Zhending household. Whether it was Chen Yanzhou or Duan Bing, whenever they went to ask, Du Wei and the others would always give them a full and honest account.

Chen Yanzhou smiled and said "Yes," then rose to take his leave.

Dou Yan sat alone a while, then told a little maid to fetch Ruozhu. "Has there been any activity on the Second Young Master's side these past days?" she asked.

Because of the business with Chuan'er, Song Cen had given the maids of the Guixiang Court a thorough dressing-down and casually installed two more maids in Song Han's rooms. Ruozhu had soon struck up a conversation with those two and become fast friends with them.

"Same as usual," Ruozhu said in a low voice. "Up at the third watch of the tiger hour every day, an hour of horse stance, breakfast at the first quarter of the dragon hour, pays his respects to the Duke at three quarters past, then goes to his lessons at the dragon hour proper…"

What he ate and drank each day, whom he saw, what was said — nothing was omitted, all of it clear and exact. She even reported, point by point, that yesterday afternoon he had paced outside the Bishui Pavilion for over an hour before at last going back to the upper courtyard with his head hanging.

Everything seemed entirely normal, just as before.

Dou Yan propped her chin on her hand, elbow on the table.

If Li Dasheng had acted on his orders, surely there would be some trace?

Even if all he had done was summon Li Dasheng in to give him instructions, there would have to be someone running errands for him, wouldn't there?

Where exactly was the problem?

What had she overlooked?

The more Dou Yan thought, the more interested in Song Han she became.

In the past she had disliked him and, fearing to alert him, had kept her distance. Now it occurred to her that she would do well to visit the upper courtyard often.

After all, Song Han was still young and not yet betrothed. In a few years, even though he was her brother-in-law, she would have to keep up appearances.

At that thought she stood up and was just about to tell Ruotong she was going to the upper courtyard when the Xiangzhu curtain stirred and Song Yan walked in.

"In heat like this, why haven't you had a maid fan you?" he grumbled the moment he saw Dou Yan. "At the very least have someone bring a block of ice!"

He was afraid of Dou Yan suffering in the summer heat, and had laid in twice as much ice this year as last.

Dou Yan said, "I was only sitting a little while with Old Chen here — what need is there to put a block of ice in this room? Set your mind at ease; if I am hot, I will have a maid fan me." Then she asked him, "Why have you come? Weren't you going to give Lu Ming some instructions?"

She had finally seen it clearly: if Du Wei was the household's "walking directory," then Lu Ming was the one who did his "private jobs." Whenever those two were involved, she had best not ask — there was never an answer that made for pleasant listening.

Song Yan did not want her to know about this either, and answered vaguely, "I wanted to ask what A-Yan said after she saw Li Liang."

Early yesterday morning, after seeing Li Liang off, Jiang Yan had gone to pay her respects at Li Tiaoniang's grave.

Song Yan, deciding that what the eye did not see the heart need not fret over, went off to the palace at first light.

Dou Fan did not believe it.

If she wanted to know what Jiang Yan and Li Liang had said to each other, she should have sent Du Wei. Why drag Lu Ming into it?

She did not call her out on it, only smiled and said, "She merely urged Li Liang to take care of his health." She kept hidden the matter of Jiang Yan quietly slipping Li Liang twenty taels of silver.

Song Yan gave a cold snort and grumbled, "Can you think of some way to stop A Yan from cringing like a frightened daughter-in-law whenever she sees anyone? How will she ever manage to call on the other households?"

"What is the hurry?" Dou Xin said. "She is in mourning now, and it is not fitting for her to be making calls anyway. Once she has grown used to life in the Yingguo Duke's household, we may teach her slowly."

"Just looking at her puts me in a fury." Dou Yan plopped down angrily beside Dou Zhiwei. "How is she not the least bit like Mother?"