The alley next to Duke Ying’s residence, named Shuntianfu Xue Hutong, got its name because the Shuntian Prefecture School was located there. Jianzi Lane was crowded with stalls and shops selling various snacks, including a wonton shop called Mao Ji. The wontons there were known for their thin skin and generous filling, complemented by small fish and shrimp, making the broth exceptionally delicious. This suited Tao Qizhong’s taste as a native of Jiangnan. Occasionally, he would visit Mao Ji for a bowl and chat with the shop owner, who was also from Jiangnan, which would quickly dispel his homesickness and lift his spirits.

When he left Xixiang Courtyard, it was already dusk.

Tao Qizhong hesitated for a moment before heading to Mao Ji Wonton Shop.

As usual, the shop was bustling, with no empty seats.

Under the dim lights, the noisy chatter and the steaming heat blurred people’s faces.

Yet, the owner of Mao Ji recognized Tao Qizhong immediately.

Smiling, he wiped his hands on his apron as he approached, “Mr. Tao, as usual, shall I set up a table for you at the back door?”

Tao Qizhong smiled and thanked him.

The owner personally set up a table and brought a bowl of wontons to Tao Qizhong.

Tao Qizhong took a sip of the broth.

From the next table, he overheard two men speaking in low voices.

“… Really? The Dou family are scholars; how could they agree to such a thing as sisters exchanging marriages?”

“Why would I lie to you? The fourth and fifth Miss Dou are half-sisters. It was said that there wasn’t enough time to prepare, so the fifth Miss Dou married the fourth Miss Dou’s dowry. Now that the fifth Miss Dou has married into the Jining Marquis’s residence as the Marchioness, naturally, the fourth Miss Dou wants her dowry back. I helped carry the dowry; how could I not know!”

“I heard the Dou family gave a dowry of twenty thousand taels of silver for their daughter. If they take the dowry back, wouldn’t the Jining Marquis lose out?”

“Lose what? The twenty thousand taels were given by the public treasury. The fourth Miss Dou only took back what her birth mother left her. I reckon it’s only about one or two thousand taels. And the fifth Miss Dou’s maternal grandfather is Wang Yousheng, the Governor of Yunnan, the one who wins battles wherever he goes, you know? Now that the fourth Miss Dou has taken back what her birth mother left her, the fifth Miss Dou’s mother and the Wang family will surely give her a large sum to add to her dowry. In the end, the Jining Marquis’s residence still profits!”

Hearing this, Tao Qizhong couldn’t help but turn his head.

The speakers were two men in coarse cloth jackets, burly and dark-skinned. Although one had an honest face and the other a shrewd one, both had calloused hands and dirt under their fingernails, clearly laborers.

He cupped his hands towards them and called out, “Gentlemen, are you talking about the Dou family of Northern Zhili? The residence of Lord Dou Wenhua?”

Dou Shishu, known as Dou Wenhua due to his position as Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall and his long service in the Ministry of Personnel, was respected by many in the scholarly community, who referred to him by this title rather than his courtesy name.

The two men, seeing Tao Qizhong dressed as a scholar, realized they were in the presence of a learned man. They quickly stood up, bowed, and repeatedly said, “We wouldn’t dare,” confirming, “Yes, it’s the residence of the Minister of Justice and Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, Lord Dou.”

Tao Qizhong, noting their coarse attire but polite manners, and recalling their conversation, realized they were accustomed to working for wealthy families. His attitude softened, and he smiled, “It’s a cold night, and I found your conversation interesting, so I couldn’t help but listen in. Please don’t take offense.”

“Not at all!” they replied respectfully. The shrewd-looking one added, “From your tone, sir, you seem familiar with the Dou family. If there’s anything you want to know, we’ll tell you everything we know.”

The honest-looking one, however, looked displeased and kicked the shrewd one, who pretended not to notice and eagerly invited Tao Qizhong to join their table.

Tao Qizhong, understanding the situation, smiled, “Why don’t you come over here? It’s quieter on this side.”

The honest-looking one hesitated, but the shrewd one, delighted, brought his half-eaten bowl of wontons over to sit beside Tao Qizhong. The honest one, seeing no choice, followed suit.

Tao Qizhong laughed, “By sitting together, we free up a table for the owner to serve more customers and earn a bit more.”

The shrewd one agreed enthusiastically, and the honest one relaxed at this.

Tao Qizhong mostly spoke with the honest one, “You said you helped move the fourth Miss Dou’s dowry. What’s the story there?”

The man explained honestly, “Such an incident is embarrassing for everyone involved. After the bride returned home and recognized her kin, the Dou family took advantage of the darkness to move back what the fourth Miss Dou’s birth mother left her as a dowry. They didn’t have enough hands, and since I often helped the Dou family with heavy work, they called me to lend a hand. Besides the wages, they gave each of us a tael of silver as a reward. I just finished the work and invited my brother here for a bowl of wontons.”

Although Mao Ji’s wontons were cheap, for laborers like them, enjoying a bowl like this was a treat.

Tao Qizhong nodded and smiled, asking about the sisters exchanging marriages.

The shrewd one was eager to speak, but he only knew what the honest one had told him, so he couldn’t say much. The honest one knew more but was like a lamp wick that only lit when prodded. Tao Qizhong paid for their wontons and ordered a pot of old baijiu and four dishes to accompany the drinks. They drank slowly at the back door of the wonton shop until the second watch before parting ways.

As the wind blew, Tao Qizhong felt a bit tipsy.

He leaned against the wall and slowly made his way into the alley next to Duke Ying’s residence.

The gatekeeper saw Tao Qizhong and hurried to support him, flattering, “Mr. Tao, where have you been? Why didn’t you take a servant with you? It’s so dark; what if you got hurt? The Duke’s affairs would be in chaos!”

Tao Qizhong chuckled and gave the gatekeeper a small piece of silver, “Buy yourself a drink!”

The gatekeeper was so pleased that his eyes narrowed into slits, thanking him profusely and becoming even more attentive, “Shall I help you back to your room? The Duke sent someone to ask where you went. If you want to go out alone in the future, just let us know. If the Duke looks for you, we’ll know where to find you…”

Tao Qizhong wondered why the Duke was looking for him. If it were urgent, he would have sent someone to find him. Knowing he was back, they would send someone again if needed.

Feeling a bit dizzy, Tao Qizhong mumbled an acknowledgment and went to rest.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly woke up, remembering the matter.

Did he end up seeing the Duke?

He couldn’t recall clearly, rubbing his temples as he leaned against the bed. He called for a servant to bring him tea and asked, “Did the Duke send anyone to find me?”

“No,” the servant replied with a smile, “but the second master came looking for you.” He paused, then added in a low voice, “It seems the Duke got angry with the second master, and he almost got punished. The second master came to ask you to say a few good words for him in front of the Duke.”

Tao Qizhong sighed deeply.

Indeed, he was not as good as Song Mo!

If Song Mo married a princess, with his abilities, the Duke and the second master would have to live under his shadow!

The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately remembered the conversation at Mao Ji Wonton Shop.

Wasn’t he initially intrigued by the Dou family’s fourth Miss Dou’s situation?

Tao Qizhong jumped up and instructed the servant, “Quick, help me get dressed. I need to see the Duke!”

The servant was taken aback.

Tao Qizhong realized he was too excited and said, “You may leave. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

He had only heard rumors; it was better to verify things before speaking to the Duke to avoid making mistakes.

The servant withdrew.

Tao Qizhong paced in his room until dawn, then called the servant to help him freshen up. Without even having breakfast, he left Duke Ying’s residence alone.

Song Yichun, thinking about Song Han’s studies, felt a dull pain in his chest, a consequence of his own making, with no one to blame. Yesterday, he wanted to play chess with Tao Qizhong, but he had gone out. This morning, when Song Yichun tested Song Han’s studies, although he recited yesterday’s lesson, he stammered, making Song Yichun angry again. He wanted to talk to Tao Qizhong, but when he sent a servant to fetch him, Tao Qizhong was out again, causing Song Yichun’s anger to flare.

What exactly was Tao Qizhong doing?

Knowing full well that he was needed, yet avoiding him, did he think that once Song Mo married a princess, he would be overshadowed and become a mere figurehead in Duke Ying’s residence, thus becoming indifferent?

Song Yichun, with veins bulging on his forehead, shouted at the servant, “Go find him! Even if you have to search every inch of the capital, bring him back!”

The servant, flustered, turned and bumped into Tao Qizhong.

Tao Qizhong exclaimed, clutching his chest, but without looking at the servant, he pushed past him and strode forward to greet Song Yichun.

“Duke, I have a good candidate for the heir’s marriage!” he said, smiling at Song Yichun.

Dou Shiying stood on the steps of the main house, watching the servants move things in and out, feeling heavy-hearted.

The items left by Gu Qiu for her daughter were retrieved, but where was her daughter’s marriage?

She thought of Dou Ming’s barely concealed joy, her gaze darkening as she went to the east wing.

The hall was a bit messy, with Zhao Zhangru squatting in front of two boxes retrieved from the Jining Marquis’s residence, talking to Dou Zhao: “… This box from Aunt must be part of a set with ours. Ours has the Eight Hundred Arhats carved on it, and yours has Peng Zu celebrating his birthday, but both are made of purple sandalwood with ivory inlays.”

Dou Zhao smiled, pointing to a small screen nearby, “This is also made of purple sandalwood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl.”

“Where? Where?” Zhao Zhangru leaned over.

Dou Zhao pointed it out to her.

The two young women, both past the age of marriage, were laughing like children, unaware of the world’s troubles.

Dou Shiying felt as if her heart was being cut with a knife.

Her aunt approached quietly, looking at the two lovely young women, and softly called, “Eldest son-in-law,” asking, “What are your plans?”