Dou Zhao’s attitude was resolute, leaving Madam Ji disappointed as she returned.
Ji Lingze couldn’t help but quietly ask her aunt, “Is Cousin Dou’s relationship with her stepmother that bad?”
Madam Ji had brought Ji Lingze to Zhending to attend Dou Zhao’s coming-of-age ceremony with an ulterior motive.
Ji Lingze was already betrothed to the sixth son of the Han family from Huzhou. The young man had been studying in the capital, and Ji Lingze’s wedding was set for October of that year. This was one of the reasons why Ji Lingze had arrived in the capital early. After her marriage, she would reside in the capital with her husband. The Wei family would complete their mourning period next July, and they would surely set a wedding date with the Dou family soon after.
Once Dou Zhao moved to the capital, she would have a companion. Moreover, Ji Lingze was exceptionally intelligent, having been educated since childhood by her knowledgeable aunt who had returned to her maiden home. She was graceful yet quick-witted in her interactions with others. The Han family was also an established official family, with two members currently in office – one serving as a county magistrate in Huguang, and the other as a secretary in the Ministry of Works, overseeing river engineering projects throughout the empire.
Dou Zhao’s association with Ji Lingze could only bring benefits and no drawbacks.
Noticing Ji Lingze’s apparent confusion about Dou Zhao, Madam Ji didn’t want her to misunderstand and think Dou Zhao was unfilial. She quietly recounted the past grievances to Ji Lingze.
Ji Lingze listened in astonishment, finally sighing, “If it were me, I’d probably find it hard to remain calm too!”
“Indeed,” Madam Ji sighed. “That’s why we can’t entirely blame Shou Gu.” She added, “It seems I’ll have to return next year for a while to help Shou Gu prepare for her wedding.”
Ji Lingze smiled, “Aunt, you’re so good to Cousin Dou!”
“Of course,” Madam Ji smiled, gesturing with her hands. “I’ve watched her grow from this tiny to this big. There’s no difference from my child.” She continued, “She’s been alone and helpless since childhood. In the future, you must treat her as your cousin.”
“I understand!” Ji Lingze linked arms with her aunt, teasing, “You’re being a bit too partial. It’s not enough that you’ve had Ji Ming recognize her as a cousin, now you want me to do the same. It’s a good thing Meng Chun isn’t here. If he were, would you have him recognize her as a cousin too?”
Ji Meng Chun, whose given name was Ji Yang, was Ji Yong’s cousin. Though not as famous as Ji Yong, he was known for his amiability and steady demeanor, holding more prestige among the younger generation of the Ji family than Ji Yong.
Madam Ji replied righteously, “Of course!”
Ji Lingze couldn’t help but laugh, “Do you know that Ji Ming now keeps a note saying ‘Dou Si’ under the large desk in his study? He looks at it and mutters to himself several times every day before starting his studies.”
Madam Ji was shocked, “What happened?”
“The Thirteenth Uncle saw it when he visited Ji Ming,” Ji Lingze explained. “He didn’t dare ask Ji Ming directly, so he questioned Zi Shang and Zi Xi. They didn’t hide anything, saying that Ji Ming’s determination to take the imperial examinations was due to Cousin Dou’s mockery. They said Ji Ming had never been bested by anyone before, yet he’s repeatedly been thwarted by Cousin Dou. When the Thirteenth Uncle heard I was coming to Zhending, he asked me to find out what was going on between Ji Ming and Cousin Dou. He’s worried that Ji Ming might act on impulse and play tricks on Cousin Dou, causing a rift between relatives and making things difficult for you in the Dou family.”
“I had no idea about this,” Madam Ji furrowed her brow. Upon returning to the capital, her first order of business was to summon the brothers Dou Zheng Chang and Dou De Chang for questioning.
Dou Zheng Chang became anxious upon hearing this, “Should we tell Father about this? Given Ji Ming’s temperament, it might not be Fourth Sister’s fault!”
Dou De Chang, however, disagreed, smiling, “If Cousin Ji had the upper hand, why would he be so resentful? I think it’s best if we pretend not to know for now. We’ve been studying at the Shuntian Prefectural School these days anyway. If he’s up to something, we’ll surely notice if we pay attention. The examinations are approaching, and if this issue causes any problems for Cousin Ji, it would be our fault.”
Madam Ji nodded, thinking her second son’s reasoning was sound. She repeatedly instructed her two sons, “Keep a close eye on the situation. We’ll address it after Ji Ming’s metropolitan examination. If this knot can be untied, that’s best; if not, we’ll have to seek help from your great-grandfather.”
The two brothers nodded, quietly observing Ji Yong in their daily lives.
Ji Yong, however, seemed oblivious. He studied diligently every day, rising at the first crow of the rooster and retiring late at night, reviewing all the essay collections from the past five years. On the ninth day of the second month, without paying respects to the Ji family ancestors, Zi Shang and Zi Xi went out to select a well-crafted examination basket, packed his usual writing materials, and some food, and entered the examination hall. By the time Ji Qi and others arrived, Ji Yong was nowhere to be seen.
Ji Qi couldn’t help but stamp his foot, scolding Zi Shang and Zi Xi for their thoughtlessness.
Zi Shang and Zi Xi, who had taken the blame for Ji Yong countless times, knelt trembling and begging for forgiveness. However, they weren’t truly afraid, knowing that unless they offended the old master, no one else in the family would punish them without Ji Yong’s approval.
Sure enough, Ji Qi merely sighed a few times before letting Zi Shang and Zi Xi rise.
After the three examination sessions were over, Ji Qi didn’t dare ask how well he had done. If his son thought he did well but ended up failing, he would lose face in front of his father and might become even more reluctant to see him. If his son thought he didn’t do well, wouldn’t all his hard work these past months be in vain, and he’d still feel he had lost face in front of his father… So Ji Qi decided not to mention it at all, only saying that his mother, Lady Han, knowing he had taken the examinations, had rushed over from Yixing and personally prepared his favorite dishes, waiting for him at home.
Ji Yong thought for a moment, then followed Ji Qi back to Yuqiao Hutong.
Ji Qi breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Yong had been raised by the Ji family’s old madam since birth, and when he was a bit older, he was under the care of the old master. Lady Han had fewer opportunities to see her son than Ji Yong’s servants did, and her feelings towards her son were complex.
She was proud of Ji Yong, but sometimes felt that this son she had given birth to didn’t belong to her, but to the Ji family. He had merely been born through her womb. Occasionally, she would think, “If only my son weren’t so clever.” But she never dared to mention these feelings to anyone, nor did she feel it was her place to inquire about Ji Yong’s affairs. She simply took his hand and asked about his daily needs.
If even his parents were like this, the other members of the Ji family were even less likely to bring up uncomfortable topics. They all treated Ji Yong as if he had just returned from visiting a friend, asking about this and that, but never mentioning the examinations.
In truth, Ji Yong felt he had done quite well, believing he could at least place in the top five. He wanted to discuss it with someone, but since no one brought it up, how could he mention it himself?
Even if he did bring it up, they would only respond with perfunctory phrases like “You’ll surely top the list.”
If only Dou Zhao were here.
She would ask him what questions were on the exam, and how he answered them, and might even ask why he answered the way he did.
Thinking of this, he recalled Dou Zhao’s bright, almond-shaped eyes.
Always full of energy, never showing a moment of fatigue.
His mother’s cautious questioning suddenly made Ji Yong feel bored, and he experienced a deep sense of powerlessness.
He wasn’t the type to compromise, so he simply stood up, impatiently said, “I’m going to my room,” and strode away.
Lady Han sighed.
She and her son truly had nothing to talk about.
Lying on his bed, Ji Yong thought of the small camphor wood box in the study of his residence at the Shuntian Prefectural School.
He instructed Zi Shang, “Go and bring that box here.”
Zi Shang complied and left.
On his way back, he encountered Lady Han.
Feeling uneasy, Lady Han had called for Ji Lingze to chat.
Seeing Zi Shang go out so late, she inquired about it.
Zi Shang, being astute enough to earn Ji Yong’s trust, respectfully approached and answered her question.
Lady Han found it strange but didn’t ask further.
Early the next morning, she went to her son’s room to help him tidy up, but he had already left for his residence at the Shuntian Prefectural School.
“Why so early?” Lady Han was quite disappointed.
The maid serving in Ji Yong’s room quickly explained, “Madam, the young master said that most of the books at the Shuntian Prefectural School are the Four Books, Five Classics, and essay collections, which he won’t need anymore. He wants to give them all to the two young masters of the aunt’s family. He’s meeting them there to move the books. He’s not planning to stay at the Shuntian Prefectural School.”
Lady Han’s face lit up upon hearing this. She asked the maid, “Does this mean the young master did well in the examinations?”
The maid didn’t dare answer such a question and could only mumble, “This servant doesn’t know. When the young master returned last night, he paced around the house until Zi Shang came back before retiring.”
Lady Han was startled by this. Her eyes inadvertently caught sight of a corner of a camphor wood box peeking out from under Ji Yong’s square pillow.
She walked over, pulled out the box, and opened it.
Inside was a camphor wood hairpin.
It was a simple, long hairpin style, intricately carved with various camellia flowers. Some were about to bloom, some were still buds, while others were in full bloom. The craftsmanship wasn’t particularly exquisite, nor was the material especially fine, but the design was quite novel. Moreover, while wooden carvings often exude an air of rustic naturalness, the flowers on this hairpin, clustered together, each seemed to be competing to bloom, giving off a sense of radiant brilliance.
The carver’s skill was ordinary, but the designer of the hairpin must have been a master artist!
This judgment suddenly popped into Lady Han’s mind… followed by an image of young Ji Yong standing on tiptoe on a small stool, bent over a large drawing table in the garden pavilion, sketching the family’s camellia flowers…
She couldn’t help but gasp, quickly closing the box with a “snap,” and urgently asked the maid, “This is…”
The maid smiled, “This is the box Zi Shang brought yesterday.” Then, looking confused, she added, “Last night, I saw the young master put it in his trunk, how did it end up under his pillow…”
Lady Han’s head buzzed, and she inexplicably felt a sense of trepidation.
She carefully replaced the box, hurriedly instructed the maid, “Don’t let the young master know anyone touched his things,” and rushed back to her inner chamber. She told her wet nurse, Nanny Han, “Wait by the festooned gate. As soon as the young master returns, come and inform me immediately.”