Before Wei Tingzhen could speak, Fan stepped forward and stood in front of her, coldly addressing Madam Zheng, “I wonder what you mean by that, Madam Zheng? Perhaps you are unaware that our family’s old master developed a fondness for the *I Ching* in his later years. Whenever a boy or girl was born in our household, he would consult the oracle. We even had a Taoist master from Longhu Mountain visit us. As a result, several of our family members also took up this interest and began studying the *I Ching*. Particularly, our Seventh Master has even lectured the Emperor on it, excelling in predicting auspiciousness and avoiding misfortune. If our Fourth Miss is true as you say, why has our Seventh Master never mentioned it?”
As she spoke, she glanced at Wei Tingzhen. “Our Fourth Miss’s engagement to Duke of Jining was arranged when they were children, and three years ago, they formally exchanged marriage tokens. The old Duke of Jining, wishing to be thorough, even invited the head of the Astronomical Bureau to match their birth dates. At that time, the head of the Bureau declared that this union was a ‘match made in heaven.’ In his joy, the old Duke even gifted the head of the Bureau a piece of Shoushan stone. This matter is well-known among the Dou and Wei families. How can Madam Zheng link the old Duke’s passing to our Fourth Miss?”
She continued, “Life and death are natural occurrences. Since you do not often visit our household, I wonder where you heard these rumors. Or perhaps you are simply assuming things?” Her gaze fixed on Wang Xushi. “As a woman, you are much older than our Fourth Miss and should be addressing her as an elder. Do you not realize how harmful such words can be to her? How can you speak so carelessly?”
Madam Zheng’s face flushed with anger, and she retorted, “Isn’t it true that the Fourth Miss’s mother passed away when she was two, and her grandfather died when she was nine…”
Fan interrupted her angrily, “In just a few months, we will celebrate our matriarch’s birthday. The Fourth Miss has grown up by her side! Madam Zheng, do not go too far with your words!”
The two women faced off, their words sharp and unyielding. Everyone present understood the implications of Fan’s remarks and fell silent, some glancing at Wang Xushi, others at Madam Zheng and Wang Yinxue, but most turned their attention to Wei Tingzhen, eager to see how she would respond.
Wei Tingzhen, the elder sister of Wei Tingyu, often represented the Tian family’s stance, which could influence Duke of Jining’s position. Even Madam Wang, who had previously avoided the topic, now listened intently.
A sense of pride swelled within Wei Tingzhen. This was precisely what she wanted. Whether Dou Zhao truly had a hard fate that clashed with his relatives was irrelevant. What mattered was that once everyone was aware of the situation, she could steer the narrative to favor the Wei family.
“Um…” Wei Tingzhen feigned a troubled expression at the right moment. Sometimes, hesitating to speak was also a form of response. Some people shook their heads in regret, others pondered thoughtfully, while a few displayed a gleeful curiosity, enjoying the unfolding drama.
Wei Tingzhen struggled to suppress a smile. Fan believed she could protect Dou Zhao’s reputation, but little did she know that the more she insisted, the more intrigued everyone became, drawing even more attention to the matter.
As she contemplated whether to assert that “ever since the engagement, my mother has fallen ill” or to mention that “when the birth dates were matched, the head of the Bureau also said that my brother’s fate was good, and whoever married him would enjoy wealth and honor, without considering whether Dou Zhao’s fate was incompatible with that of her elders,” she noticed her maid, who had been waiting outside the hall, tiptoeing in, drenched in sweat.
Wei Tingzhen was taken aback, momentarily distracted from her thoughts. The maid approached her anxiously, whispering urgently, “Madam, something terrible has happened! Duke of Jining was taken to the South Wind Pavilion by Dou Zhao’s cousin—this year’s newly appointed top scholar, Ji Jianming—and stayed there overnight… Ji Jianming has ill intentions, but thankfully, the heir of Duke Ying comes to his rescue. Duke of Jining wants you to return quickly!”
It felt like a bolt from the blue. Wei Tingzhen’s legs went weak, and if the maid hadn’t quickly supported her, she might have collapsed to the ground.
The onlookers noticed Wei Tingzhen’s change in complexion, their expressions varying in response. The maid, under the scrutiny of the noble ladies, appeared flustered, repeatedly calling out to Wei Tingzhen, “Madam!”
Wei Tingzhen snapped back to reality. Her brother was usually honest; how could he have gone to the South Wind Pavilion? And what about Ji Jianming? Since he was Dou Zhao’s cousin, why would he harbor ill intentions toward her brother?
Her brother mentioned that the heir of Duke Ying had come to his aid, but aside from Song Mo, how many people knew about this? Questions flooded her mind, but she understood that at this moment, there was something more important than uncovering the truth—she had to maintain a facade of nonchalance, not allowing these sharp-eyed ladies to catch a hint of her distress. Otherwise, it would be impossible to conceal her brother’s visit to the South Wind Pavilion.
Under normal circumstances, this would merely be a trivial scandal. However, with the Dou and Wei families about to formalize their engagement, her brother’s actions were tantamount to slapping the Dou family in the face. Would the Dou family use this incident to back out of the engagement, tarnishing her brother’s reputation?
Moreover, how could things align so perfectly? Ji Jianming, Dou Zhao’s cousin, was also present. Could this have been a scheme all along?
Wei Tingzhen dared not dwell on these thoughts. She knew that with her brother in such a predicament, she could not further provoke the Dou family. If they held a grudge and made a big deal out of her brother’s visit to the South Wind Pavilion, it would be disastrous.
She quickly shifted her stance, forcing a smile. “Madam Zheng, your words are misguided! When the head of the Bureau matched the birth dates of Dou Zhao and my brother, he remarked that Dou Zhao would bring many blessings. When my father passed away, my mother was concerned about Dou Zhao feeling wronged and wanted to hasten the marriage, urging me to discuss the wedding date with the Dou family. This is something everyone in Zhengfu should know.”
So, it seems that Wang Yinxue and her mother, along with Madam Zheng, were slandering Dou Zhao?
A stir rippled through the crowd. The onlookers regarded the three women with disdain. Madam Zheng, Wang Yinxue, and her mother struggled to mask their shock, while Wang Yinxue appeared utterly bewildered.
It was Wei Tingzhen who had brought this up; they had agreed on everything beforehand. How could she suddenly change her tune?!
Her mother, fearing disbelief, had even invited Madam Zheng to lend credibility to their claims. With Wei Tingzhen’s sudden betrayal, wouldn’t everyone blame them for the fallout? She had offended the Dou family and put her mother in a difficult position…
Furious and humiliated, Wang Yinxue stepped forward to confront Wei Tingzhen, but Wang Xushi, noticing her daughter’s agitation, quickly pulled her back, hissing, “Do you want to embarrass us even more?”
“Mother!” Wang Yinxue felt deeply wronged, her eyes reddening with tears.
Wang Xushi’s face darkened. Without waiting for the abbot of the Great Xiangguo Temple to speak, she exchanged forced pleasantries with Madam Zheng and Wang Yinxue before leaving in a huff.
What could Wang Xushi say? If anyone were to blame, it would be her daughter’s unreliability.
Wang Yinxue seethed with resentment toward Wei Tingzhen’s sudden reversal, cursing her as soon as she got into the carriage. Wang Xushi, however, shouted, “Be quiet!” and threw a fan at her daughter’s face. “I’ve spoiled you to the point of being uncontrollable! You’ve embarrassed your father!”
Wang Yinxue lowered her head, tears streaming onto the straw mat in the carriage.
Meanwhile, Wei Tingzhen took advantage of the distraction and quietly left the Great Xiangguo Temple.
Upon seeing Wei Tingyu, she immediately unleashed her frustration on him.
Wei Tingyu protected his face, crouching in a corner as his sister’s weak punches landed on him.
The room filled with maids and wives quickly retreated, none daring to intervene.
After tiring herself out, Wei Tingzhen kicked Wei Tingyu, demanding, “Get up!” Her face was icy as she pressed him for an explanation.
Wei Tingyu, fearing her wrath, recounted the events in detail.
“You fool!” Wei Tingzhen couldn’t help but scold him. “How have I taught you? Speak only half a sentence to others; don’t lay your heart bare. And you, doing whatever you were told, even being tricked into going to Qianfo Temple! If it weren’t for the heir of Duke Ying arriving, how would you have handled it…?”
Wei Tingyu listened obediently.
The siblings exchanged harsh words, but their confusion only deepened.
Why did Ji Jianming treat Wei Tingyu this way?
A deliberate cough echoed from the inner chamber.
Wei Tingzhen and Wei Tingyu looked up in unison to see Zhang Yuanming smiling as he entered.
“Pei Jin is here too!” His warm smile and relaxed tone addressed Wei Tingzhen, “What’s going on? Pei Jin is sulking here, and why are you angry with him?” He then gestured to Wei Tingyu, “Brother-in-law just received a bottle of fine pear blossom wine; let’s go have a drink.”
He was trying to defuse the tension for Wei Tingyu.
Wei Tingyu, whose courtesy name was Pei Jin, felt immensely grateful.
Under normal circumstances, he would have followed his brother-in-law without hesitation.
However, Ji Yong’s attitude loomed over him like a sword, leaving him restless and uncertain about when trouble might arise, making him hesitant to leave.
Wei Tingyu cast a timid glance at his sister.
Wei Tingzhen snorted coldly.
Zhang Yuanming noticed the unusual atmosphere and, sensing the tension, asked seriously, “What happened?”
Wei Tingzhen was too furious to speak.
Wei Tingyu, glancing at his sister’s expression, stammered as he recounted the events again.
Zhang Yuanming’s expression gradually turned grave.
After a moment of thought, he asked Wei Tingyu, “So you’re saying that Young Master Gu left first, and then the heir of Duke Ying and Young Master Gu came to your rescue?”
Wei Tingyu nodded earnestly.
“Gu must have only realized the situation afterward, or perhaps he mentioned it to the heir of Duke Ying by chance. Sensing something was amiss, the heir rushed to Qianfo Temple,” Zhang Yuanming mused, rising to pull Wei Tingyu along. “Let’s go find the heir of Duke Ying!”
Song Mo was not at home.
After sending off the suspicious Gu Yu with a smile, he went to the moat outside Xuanwu Gate to ride horses.
Xia Lian was resting under the shade of a willow tree by the moat.
Chen He stood nearby, watching the dashing Song Mo under the blazing sun, constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead. He murmured, “If you want to ride horses, you can go to the fields in Daxing. It’s dusty and hot here…”
Xia Lian chuckled, pointing to a fruit-selling girl who had passed by for the fifth time, and said, “Look at that girl selling fruit; she’s already passed by here five times. And that young woman entering the city has been sitting by the roadside for an hour, staring at the heir without blinking. Over there in the tea house, a few women haven’t moved at all… Can you see such amusing sights in Daxing?” He joked, “We wouldn’t want to waste such a spectacle!”
Chen He shot Xia Lian an annoyed glare, muttering, “How can you speak of the heir like that…”
Before he could finish, Song Mo galloped over.
“Chen He,” Song Mo’s face was flushed from the sun, drenched in sweat, his light blue silk summer shirt clinging to his body, revealing his well-defined physique. “Let’s go to Daxing!”
“Now?” Chen He looked up at the blazing sun, his eyes wide.
Song Mo nodded, urging his horse toward Xuanwu Gate.
Chen He scratched his head, puzzled.
Xia Lian, however, speculated in his heart whether the heir was heading to Daxing or Zhen Ding.
If he intended to inform Dou Zhao about Duke of Jining, should he remind him?
Dou Zhao was such a clever person; she must have already known Duke of Jining’s character. Some matters could be glossed over, but once known, a decision had to be made. Marriages were arranged by parents; could they be easily canceled?
The heir was still too young and might not understand these social intricacies.
On the other hand, Dou Zhao was perceptive and meticulous, leaving no room for error… which would benefit Duke of Jining!