Dou Ming sat on the bed, her face pale and eyes vacant, resembling a lifeless puppet. Nanny Zhou embraced her, weeping uncontrollably.

Dou Zhao stood by the window, coldly observing the scene before her. Since Dou Ming’s rescue by Guard Duan, she had been reduced to this state.

If the Pang family had acted honorably, how could Dou Ming have mistaken Yu Er for their agent? How could she have fallen for Yu Er’s flawed trap?

Yet, the world works in mysterious ways. They always favored playing with schemes and intrigues, only to fall victim to those very machinations. Could this be considered a case of an expert swimmer drowning in water?

Lost in thought, Suxin hurried in and whispered, “Miss, Guard Duan has arrived!”

Dou Zhao glanced at Dou Ming before leaving the inner chamber. No one noticed Dou Ming’s fingers twitch slightly.

In the hall, Duan Gongyi respectfully bowed to Dou Zhao. “Fourth Young Miss, I’ve handed the culprits over to the authorities as you instructed. Magistrate Lu assured me he’d handle this matter impartially and prevent Wang Laoqi and Mo Ergu from spreading rumors. Please rest assured.” His tone carried a hint of excitement—if not for his position as a guard in the Dou household, how else would a fourth-rank prefect and double-degree holder like Magistrate Lu speak to him so courteously? This gave him a sense of legitimacy that felt more satisfying than any amount of silver.

“Thank you for your efforts, Guard Duan,” Dou Zhao said gratefully, then inquired about Mo Ergu. “Did she reveal anything?”

Duan Gongyi smiled bitterly. “Her words were as good as nothing. She said Yu Er had been close with Wang Laoqi since their time in Lingbi County. This time, he claimed to have committed a crime at the Wang residence and needed money. He kidnapped a young lady en route to exchange for some silver. The servant boy called Shang’er was also killed. If we want to know Yu Er’s motives or gather more information, we might need to inquire in the capital.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you with another trip, Guard Duan,” Dou Zhao said thoughtfully. “Despite suppressing external rumors about this incident, we must still inform the family elders. Given Fifth Young Miss’s condition, it’s not appropriate for her to remain in Zhending. I plan to send Suxin to meet my father on my behalf and have Dou Ming return to the capital. This will serve two purposes: first, to see if we can find any leads, and second, to let the Wang family know that Fifth Young Miss was deceived because she believed Yu Er’s words. They should act more straightforwardly in the future and not be so secretive and evasive in their dealings.”

Emboldened by his experience with Magistrate Lu, Duan Gongyi felt more at ease about visiting the Yunnan Provincial Governor’s family. He firmly agreed, appreciating Dou Zhao’s respect and trust in him. She never questioned his methods, only results, and even allocated him ten taels of silver monthly for social expenses without auditing. Entrusting him with such a significant family matter showed her high regard for him. This fostered a sense of genuine friendship beyond the typical master-servant relationship. He thus reminded Dou Zhao, “Suxin is just a young girl. Will the Wang family listen to her?”

Dou Zhao smiled. “Isn’t there still the Second Madam?”

Duan Gongyi looked puzzled.

“I’ll keep that a secret for now,” Dou Zhao said with a smile. “You’ll understand when the time comes.”

As they spoke, two strong maidservants escorted an ashen-faced servant girl into the room.

Realizing Dou Zhao was about to handle internal household matters, Duan Gongyi quickly excused himself.

Ji Hong knelt woodenly on the ground.

Dou Zhao addressed her, “Loyalty to one’s master is commendable, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of discerning right from wrong. Fortunately, Fifth Young Miss was found today. What would you have done if she hadn’t been? The Dou family can no longer keep you. When the matchmaker arrives, take your belongings and leave with her.”

Ji Hong was stunned, then tears began streaming down her face. “Thank you, Fourth Young Miss! Thank you for sparing my life!” She kowtowed repeatedly to Dou Zhao.

Had it been anyone else, she might have been beaten to death for such an incident. At least now she had escaped with her life.

Dou Zhao waved her hand, signaling the two maidservants to escort Ji Hong to meet the matchmaker.

The maidservants understood, curtsied, and pushed Ji Hong out of Qixia Courtyard.

Nanny Zhou, her eyes red and swollen, emerged from the inner chamber. She knelt before Dou Zhao, feeling both ashamed and guilty. “Fourth Young Miss, I know nothing I say matters now. I’m no longer fit to serve Fifth Young Miss. I only ask that you find some well-behaved people to attend to her. Even if Fifth Young Miss wants to do something, she won’t be able to… I’ll be forever grateful to you, Fourth Young Miss.” She then kowtowed three times to Dou Zhao.

Nanny Zhou was different from the other maids and servants. As Dou Ming’s wet nurse, she had nurtured her from infancy. Moreover, she didn’t have a contract of indenture, only an employment agreement. If she wanted to leave during her employment period, she would only need to pay a few taels of silver in compensation. Her tireless care for Dou Ming stemmed from genuinely regarding her as her child.

Dou Zhao sighed inwardly. “Nanny, please stay. I can see that Dou Ming is severely frightened and will need time to recover. You’ve raised her since she was little; having you by her side will help her heal faster.”

Nanny Zhou was taken aback.

Dou Zhao continued, “However, the other people around Dou Ming should be replaced. I’ll discuss with Aunt Cui about the best way to handle this.”

Nanny Zhou finally came to her senses. “Fourth Young Miss, no wonder people praise you for having the heart of a Bodhisattva!” she said, wiping her tears. “Your magnanimity in not holding this against Fifth Young Miss is truly a blessing for her!”

“I don’t deserve such praise,” Dou Zhao said calmly. “I only hope that after this incident, she’ll learn her lesson and stop resorting to underhanded methods. She should think and act righteously. Father didn’t allow her to return to the capital, but if she wanted to go back, she should have tried every proper means to persuade Father and her grandmother. She shouldn’t have followed someone else secretly and ambiguously to return to the capital. If she hadn’t harbored such thoughts, how could Yu Er have tricked her?”

Nanny Zhou nodded repeatedly. “Fourth Young Miss, your words are wise. I’ll gradually explain this to Fifth Young Miss.”

As they were talking, the doctor arrived.

Since the doctor was over fifty and had been visiting the Dou family since childhood, Dou Zhao didn’t avoid him. After he examined Dou Ming’s pulse, Dou Zhao invited him to the flower hall to discuss the condition in detail. She then handed the prescription to Ganlu to fetch the medicine, personally escorted the doctor to the second gate, and then went to see her grandmother.

Dou Zhao didn’t dare tell her grandmother about Dou Ming’s kidnapping. She only said that Dou Ming had been clamoring to go to the capital, and the servants in Qixia Courtyard had secretly hired a carriage for her. If Nanny Zhou hadn’t informed her, Dou Ming would have sneaked back to the capital. That’s why she needed to deal with the people in Qixia Courtyard.

Dou Ming didn’t hold her grandmother in high regard and only paid her occasional visits, less frequently than she visited the Second Madam. Moreover, Dou Zhao had specifically instructed to keep the incident secret, so her grandmother was unaware of what had happened the previous night. She only sighed about Dou Shiying causing trouble: “…Such a good child, ruined by his upbringing.” She then advised Dou Zhao, “As her elder sister, even if she makes mistakes, you should guide her gently. Don’t let her run wild.”

The grandmother, wise in worldly matters, had long noticed Dou Zhao’s respectful but distant attitude towards Dou Ming. Although she felt this wasn’t ideal, Dou Zhao had grown up under her care and had always been close to her. She unconsciously favored Dou Zhao and chose to turn a blind eye to certain matters.

Dou Zhao understood this and responded with a perfunctory smile and agreement—it wasn’t that she didn’t want to manage Dou Ming, but with both of Dou Ming’s parents alive, it wasn’t her place to do so. However, this time, she was determined to send Dou Ming back to the capital. Perhaps fulfilling Dou Ming’s wish would make her more obedient.

After leaving her grandmother’s room, she began reorganizing the staff in Qixia Courtyard.

With all the commotion of calling doctors, releasing and selling servants in the West Dou residence, the East Dou residence quickly noticed something was amiss.

The Second Madam summoned Dou Zhao for a conversation.

Dou Zhao, her face flushed, told the Second Madam about Dou Ming’s situation, adding, “…It was too shameful to speak of, and I didn’t know how to tell you. I could only delay it day by day.”

The Second Madam was so angry she nearly fainted. The Second Mistress and Nanny Liu had to pinch her philtrum for a while before she could breathe normally again.

“Wretched girl, wretched girl!” the Second Madam cursed. “I knew there wasn’t a single good person in that Wang family!” She then asked Dou Zhao, “Have you found out why Yu Er wanted to kidnap Dou Ming?”

She no longer called her “Ming’er.”

Dou Zhao told the Second Madam everything they had discovered and her plan to send Suxin to visit the Wang family.

The Second Madam nodded repeatedly, patting Dou Zhao’s hand. “Good child, you’ve been through so much! After all, it’s all your father’s fault…”

A child should not speak of a father’s faults.

The Second Mistress coughed dryly a few times from the side.

The Second Madam realized she had misspoken and quickly changed the subject, comforting Dou Zhao for a while. She asked if Dou Zhao had any difficulties and told her to come to her if she needed any help.

Having received this carte blanche, Dou Zhao expressed her gratitude profusely.

The Second Madam then said, “However, Suxin’s status is too low, and she’s just a young girl. It’s not appropriate for her to speak with the Wang family. I think it’s better if I write a letter to your Fifth Uncle and have Nanny Liu accompany Suxin to the capital to meet your Fifth Aunt. We’ll let your Fifth Aunt handle this matter. After all, you’re her elder sister, and you’re not yet married. It’s best not to involve yourself directly.”

This was exactly what Dou Zhao had been waiting for.

The Second Madam’s greatest strength was her ability to assess situations and act accordingly.

In the past, to leave a good impression of her son with Zeng Yifen, she had stood firm against her younger brother-in-law for a day and a night, strongly supporting Wang Yingxue’s promotion to principal wife. Later, when Wang Xingyi potentially competed with her son for the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, she didn’t hesitate to slight Wang Yingxue. Now, with the Fifth Uncle having entered the Cabinet and Wang Xingyi transferred from Shaanxi Governor to Yunnan Governor, it was time for her to avenge her past “humiliation” before the Wang family. With such a major mistake made by the Wang family’s servant, if she didn’t take this opportunity to humiliate Madam Wang Xu thoroughly, she wouldn’t be the Second Madam of the Dou family!

It was just like how she always remembered Madam Wu—as soon as Dou Shixu entered the Cabinet, she told everyone that Wu Shan’s success in achieving the top score in the imperial examinations was entirely due to Teacher Du from the Dou family clan school giving Wu Shan extra tutoring. The reason Teacher Du gave Wu Shan extra tutoring was that when Dou Shixu was down on his luck, Wu Songnian had once treated him to a meal.

Dou Shixu became someone who repaid even the smallest kindness with great generosity. Meanwhile, the Wu family, who had gradually distanced themselves from the Dou family after their son topped the imperial examinations, became ungrateful wretches.

The irony was that Madam Wu couldn’t defend herself, nor could she continue to visit the Dou family frequently with her son and daughter as she had done before.