Chapter 422 — Labor

Song Yan saw the lump on Song Luo's head, but he did not praise him.

Delighted, Song Luo withdrew.

Zi'ai Peak reported to Song Yan, one by one, every detail of the inventory taken at the Upper Court.

Song Yan was well satisfied. "Seal the Upper Court for now," he said, "and set steady old serving women to keep watch there. Make your preparations—in a couple of days I mean to take back the properties held under Song Han's name, and you shall again lead the accountants in going over the books."

Zi'ai Peak assented respectfully.

Song Yan returned to the inner chambers.

The ginseng chicken soup Dou Yan had earlier ordered the kitchen to stew for Song Yan was ready, and she was ladling it into a small bowl. Seeing his brows knit tight, she urged him gently, "Rice must be eaten one mouthful at a time, and troubles dealt with one at a time. You went the whole night without sleep—what good can come of it but to ruin your own health? Drink your soup, then be off to the yamen. With Mr. Liao busy over the household affairs, nothing will go wrong. And even if he proves unequal to it, is Mr. Yan not there as well?"

The false ledger Zi'ai Peak had cooked up the night before had opened not only Song Yan's eyes but Dou Yan's too.

Song Ke could not suppress a smile.

He tweaked Dou Zhiwei's nose and teased, "I had quite forgotten we keep a lady scholar under our roof."

Dou Yan lifted her brows and laughed. "When Mr. Yan falters, it will be time enough for me to step in."

Song Yan roared with laughter.

His spirits had lifted considerably.

After drinking the chicken soup, he took counsel with Dou Yan. "Why Father and Mother fell out is not a thing we can learn by asking Father. I wonder—could you find an occasion to sound out the Elder Lady Lu and Princess Ninghuai? Of the elders still living, those who know our family's affairs are only these two."

"I had thought the same." Dou Yan bade Ganlu bring in Song Yan's court robes, and said, "There is also our eldest aunt, our third aunt, and our fourth aunt—any of them might be asked. Their standpoints differ, their angles differ, and so they see things differently. It may even be that they know something of it."

"This matter I leave to you." Song Yan sighed. "What I cannot fathom is this: Mother was a woman of clear understanding, and between husband and wife there is no bond more intimate. What was it Father could not discuss with Mother, that he must for no reason at all swap his legitimate eldest daughter for a bastard child from outside, and then, to cover it up, poison Mother to death? What manner of brain has he?! And how did Mother ever wrong him, that he should do her such harm?!"

As he spoke, his anger flared up again.

Dou Yan stepped forward and stroked his chest. "Don't be angry, don't be angry!"

Song Yan drew a deep breath and said, "I am all right." A trace of apology showed on his face. "To have stirred all this up when you are so near your time—you get no peace either."

Dou Yan said, "When I have borne the child, I shall punish you by making you empty the child's chamber pot every night."

"Agreed, agreed." Song Yan gently stroked Dou Zhiwei's belly and exhorted her softly, "I am off to the yamen. Take care. I have left word with the guards at the palace gate: if any of our servants come looking for me, they are to report to me at once. If you feel at all unwell, send a servant straight to fetch me."

His fear was that Dou Yan would go into labor while he was on duty in the palace.

"I know. Set your mind at ease and go." Dou Yan saw him to the door.

Yet when, two days later, her labor did begin, she made no fuss at all—she quietly ate half a black-boned hen, and only then sent Ganlu to fetch the midwife.

Ganlu turned white with fright. Stammering, she said, "I will send someone at once to carry word to the heir apparent."

Dou Yan said, "What use is word to the heir apparent? Can he bear this child in my stead? Just tell Mr. Yan and Old Chen, and that will do."

Song Yan was in the palace.

Yizhi Hall was staffed entirely by Song Yan's people, with Yan Che and Chen Yanzhou keeping watch outside; even if Song Cen came in person, they could hold him off. What had she to fear?

Ganlu hurried off in a fluster.

Yet word that Dou Yan had gone into labor spread through Yizhi Hall all the same, and quickly.

Dou Yan had said there was no need to call Song Yan back, but Yan Che nonetheless sent Song Luo to carry word to him.

Jiang Yan came running, her face ashen.

"Sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, how are you?" She clutched Dou Zhiwei's hand tightly. Seeing Dou Yan clench her teeth against the pain and say nothing, tears pattered down her cheeks, and she said, "Shall I fetch you a basin of hot water? And the little quilt for my nephew—I will go and get it now."

The midwife attending Dou Yan could not help saying, "There are people for all of that. The young miss need only wait outside."

Other women in labor needed soothing through their terror; this one, instead, had to soothe the young miss.

Jiang Yan blushed red as a boiled prawn.

Her contraction past, Dou Yan comforted her gently. "I am fine. Your brother has arranged everything. The physician-woman was recommended by the crown princess; the midwife was found by my family's sixth aunt, and she has delivered my eleventh cousin's wife; two doctors from the Imperial Medical Academy are keeping watch outside; and Gao Xing's wife has borne two children and knows what she is about. You need not worry. Do as the midwife says—go sit in the hall outside. In a little while my sixth aunt and my eleventh cousin's wife will be here; help me receive the guests."

Jiang Yan nodded, and Ganlu ushered her out.

Her sixth aunt and Mrs. Han came hurrying over.

"Was it not to be the end of the sixth month? It is only the twenty-fifth—why has it come early?" her sixth aunt asked anxiously.

"This is the lady's first child; a few days early or late is common enough." The midwife and Dou Yan were both quite composed; it was her sixth aunt and Mrs. Han who were somewhat nervous.

"The ginseng? The physician-woman? Who is in charge of the kitchen?" she asked Gao Xing's wife gravely.

Ginseng was to sustain her strength and nurture her breath; the physician-woman was there to observe, listen, question, and feel the pulse, so as to inform the doctors outside; the kitchen must boil hot water and prepare food.

Gao Xing's wife hurried to show her sixth aunt, one by one, the medicinal herbs made ready and the hands assigned.

From beyond the curtain Ganlu announced, "The Fifth Madam and the Sixth and Tenth Young Madams from the Locust Tree Lane have arrived."

The Sixth Aunt gave Dou Yan a few instructions, then went to the hall.

Han Shi took the brown-sugar water from Gaoxing's wife and fed Dou Yan a few sips. "If it hurts too much, cry out. It'll be better once you cry out. Go easy on the fluids—later I'll have some eggs boiled for you." She took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Dou Yan's brow.

Dou Yan smiled at her.

Han Shi said, "We're all family here. Smile less and save your strength for the birth."

Dou Yan could not help laughing.

The Fifth Aunt had not come only with her two daughters-in-law; Gaosheng's wife had come as well.

She followed behind the Fifth Aunt and Guo Shi and Cai Shi, stepped forward to pay her respects to the Sixth Aunt, and said in a low voice, "My master gave orders earlier that if anything started here with the Fourth Young Madam, I was to come and look in."

The Sixth Aunt nodded.

The Fifth Aunt complained to the Sixth Aunt, "Why didn't you wait for me when you got word? I was in such a hurry I only brought a thirty-year-old ginseng root, and I don't know if it will do."

"Two century-old roots have long been prepared here, so we have medicine enough," said the Sixth Aunt. "But Shouyuan's inner courtyard has no elder, and I was beside myself with worry."