Song Mo turned to gaze at the wild peach trees on the opposite bank of the river, remaining silent.
Not everyone can accept a wife of higher status than themselves.
Dou Zhao believed that Song Mo was reluctant to marry the princess. After a moment of thought, he smiled and said, “During Emperor Taizong’s reign, Duke of Yongcheng, Feng Jian, became the husband of Princess Yongping. He was not only trusted by the emperor but also served as the Right Minister of the Imperial Clan Court. He held various military positions, including the General of Datong and the Commander of the Five Armies, and he quelled the Tuo De Rebellion, earning the respect of the people.
In the time of Emperor Renzong, the heir of Duke of Guang’en, Dong Lin, was the husband of Princess Huaishu, but he lost his title due to drunkenness and was demoted to commoner status, dying far from home. Being a husband to a princess is not necessarily a bad thing; it all depends on how you conduct yourself.” He continued, “In this world, everything has its pros and cons, and due to individual circumstances, the advantages and disadvantages vary. It’s just a matter of which outweighs the other.”
Song Yichun was not yet forty and still had at least another ten or twenty years to live. The weight of filial piety pressed down on Song Mo, requiring him to exert double or even triple the effort to keep Song Yichun in check. Such a life was too difficult to bear.
Dou Zhao felt that rather than sleeping with one eye open, it would be better to marry the princess. After all, it was hard for the offspring of noble families to become influential ministers who could affect the state. It would be better to find a way to live more comfortably and freely.
Song Mo smiled faintly.
In the time of Taizong, a husband to a princess could lead troops into battle and wield significant power; however, during Renzong’s reign, a husband to a princess could only indulge in pleasures, living a life of drunkenness and idleness. This was certainly related to the stability of imperial power, as the emperor did not wish to see noble families hold real power, and it also stemmed from the fact that the offspring of noble families were often spoiled and lacked both literary and martial skills, leading to their gradual decline.
Having read extensively, Dou Zhao understood this principle well. She merely sought to comfort herself, making it easier to endure her father’s oppression.
Dou Zhao seemed to always treat herself like a child, either coaxing or advising him every time they met.
This feeling was quite strange.
He was the legitimate grandson of Duke of Ying. Since he could remember, he had heard words like responsibility, burden, glory, and the importance of not forgetting the aspirations of his ancestors from his father, mother, and even his uncle. They all believed in his abilities, trusting that he could lift Duke of Ying from the stigma of being a “powerful minister” to become a “pure minister,” allowing Duke of Ying to become a true century-old family, no longer affected by the changes of imperial power.
Dou Zhao seemed to always worry about him. Yet, to say this worry stemmed from a lack of faith in his abilities was not quite right; she had never doubted his decisions. Conversely, to say this worry came from belief was also incorrect; she maintained an inexplicable vigilance regarding his affairs as if he might fall into a quagmire at any moment, her gaze often carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Regardless of whether it was the former or the latter, Song Mo found it amusing. He even sensed that he often unconsciously exploited Dou Zhao’s mindset, either saying things he knew would worry her or doing things he knew would cause her concern… like a childish attempt to attract attention, yet he found it enjoyable.
Sometimes he wondered how he had become this way, completely lacking his usual steadiness. He attributed it to their first meeting being too shocking and to Dou Zhao’s calm, self-controlled, and rational demeanor, which allowed him to be unguarded in her presence.
At that moment, Song Mo, as usual, followed his heart and teased, “How do you know about the princesses? Even Mr. Yan hasn’t found out much. I told Mr. Yan that if I were to marry a princess, I must find one with a gentle temperament—after all, I plan to take a concubine in the future.”
Dou Zhao burst into laughter, scrutinizing him with a critical eye, and teased, “With your temperament, if you are determined to take a concubine, even if the princess is strong-willed, she probably won’t be able to stop you! But you should be careful. The husband of Princess Nanping was a notorious womanizer in his youth, but in his later years, he became bedridden. Princess Nanping had all his concubines executed and sent a personal maid to ask him every hour if he still dared to take a concubine…”
Song Mo laughed uncontrollably, “How do you know so many royal anecdotes?”
Dou Zhao retorted with a smile, “Don’t you read books regularly?”
Song Mo laughed again, his laughter ringing like a clear spring echoing through the forest, startling a flock of birds into a flurry of chirping.
After returning from the back mountain, Dou Zhao immediately went to Chen Qu Shui to inform him about Ji Yong’s scheme to frame Wei Tingyu for spending the night at the Nanfeng Pavilion.
Chen Qu Shui was taken aback, “How did Ji Bianxiu find out? What else did Song Shizi say?”
He believed he had not revealed any clues.
“Nothing else was mentioned,” Dou Zhao replied, feeling a headache. However, being far away from Zhen Ding, Song Mo’s words were concise. Given Ji Yong’s style, they could not find any flaws in Song Mo’s words. She had other concerns, “With Ji Biao Ge causing such a stir, even small matters could escalate into big issues, and few can persuade him. As for Song Shizi, he came to inform me, which is likely a way to repay the life-saving favor we extended to him.
He even asked if I wanted to break off the engagement; how could I dare to admit it!” Dou Zhao sighed, “It’s likely that the matter in Qianfo Temple Alley has alerted him. If he, like Ji Biao Ge, tries to meddle, it would be disastrous—Kyoto is his territory, with the advantage of time, place, and people. We cannot bypass him; if he intervenes, it won’t be as simple as Ji Biao Ge’s antics!” She pondered, “The situation has already exceeded our expectations. If we let it develop further, who knows what will happen? I’m thinking we might need to go to Kyoto again…”
Upon hearing that Dou Zhao intended to go to Kyoto, Chen Qu Shui immediately opposed, “No! If the matter is exposed, both the elders of the Dou family and the Wei family will blame you, Miss.” Then, feeling ashamed, he added, “It’s all my fault for not handling things well!”
“Mr. Chen, please don’t say that!” Dou Zhao lamented, “With Ji Biao Ge and Song Shizi together, it’s like a once-in-a-century storm; how many can withstand it? If it weren’t for the marriage with the Wei family affecting my future, I would keep my distance from them. I would just marry and be done with it.” Yet every time she recalled the tears she secretly shed during the first few years of her marriage to Wei Tingyu, the unspoken grievances made her feel a chill.
She would never marry Wei Tingyu again!
Dou Zhao had thanked the heavens more than once for allowing her to return to the time before her mother passed away, enabling her to see and remember her mother’s face, rather than being thrust back into the days after marrying Wei Tingyu—if that were the case, she would likely be desperately seeking ways to divorce him now.
She persuaded Chen Qu Shui, “Look, with our actions, hasn’t Wei Tingzhen jumped out? Hong Gu can only be used once. If we want to break off the engagement with the Wei family smoothly, we probably still need to start from the inner courtyard. It would be inconvenient for you to go alone.”
Chen Qu Shui fell silent.
He found Dou Zhao’s words quite reasonable. Moreover, considering that there was still Song Mo, he couldn’t help but nod.
If things reached that point, he would have to apologize to Wei Tingyu!
Dou Zhao went to bid farewell to her grandmother, “Aunt Liu asked Mr. Chen to bring me a message, saying that I must go to Kyoto no matter what. She mentioned that the eldest aunt of the Jining Marquis family, the one who married into the Jingguo Duke’s family and became the heir’s wife, has brought me up to Aunt Wu several times, asking why I am still in Zhen Ding. Aunt Liu means for me to go to the capital early.”
This had always been her grandmother’s wish, and she readily agreed.
Dou Zhao wrote a letter to Aunt Liu, stating that her grandmother urged her to go to the capital.
Upon hearing the news, Aunt Liu immediately replied, asking about her travel date.
Dou Zhao then took Aunt Liu’s letter to see the Second Matriarch.
Having lived together for over a decade, it would be too absolute to say there were no feelings between the Second Matriarch and Dou Zhao. However, sometimes feelings could be overshadowed by reason and interests. Without the calculations of interests, emotions became warm and tender.
“This is why women dislike their daughters marrying far away!” She held Dou Zhao’s hand and sighed to the Second Madam sitting beside her, “If Shou Gu goes, I fear I won’t see her again in this lifetime.”
The Second Madam comforted her repeatedly, “In a couple of years, Shou Gu will surely bring her husband to celebrate your birthday. Don’t you think so?”
Dou Zhao felt a stir in her heart upon hearing this.
If Song Mo could see through the flaws, others would eventually see them too. With their previous schemes failing, they could only change their approach and seek new paths. If they could stir the waters, there would surely be more opportunities than now…
She also encouraged the Second Matriarch, “Why don’t you come with me to Kyoto? I heard that during Emperor Renzong’s reign, the Empress Dowager once issued a decree allowing the mother of the Prime Minister, Liang Qing, to enter the capital to meet the emperor. Liang Qing was from Nanchang, which is a thousand miles away from Kyoto, while Zhen Ding is only a four or five-day journey. Why don’t you come with me to see Uncle Wu? You haven’t seen him in years, have you? Uncle Wu is now a Grand Scholar in the Cabinet, busy with official duties. Even if he wants to show filial piety, he probably can’t get away…”
The Second Matriarch couldn’t help but feel tempted.
“Exactly! Exactly!” The Second Madam chimed in, “You can also see Shou Gu get married in person.”
The Second Matriarch nodded in agreement.
Dou Zhao quickly smiled, “Then it’s settled! I’ll write a letter to Aunt Liu and my father right away.”
Traveling by boat and horse is fraught with danger; some people never leave their homes in their entire lives. For the elderly Second Matriarch to go to Kyoto was a significant matter.
In Kyoto, the three Dou brothers received the news and discussed letting Dou Zhao accompany the Second Matriarch to stay at Dou Shishu’s residence. The Sixth Madam temporarily moved to Huai Tree Alley, while the household affairs in Cat Alley were entrusted to the recently married daughter-in-law, Han.
Dou Shiheng nodded repeatedly and personally escorted Ji to Huai Tree Alley.
Since marrying in, the Fifth Madam had never lived properly with the Second Matriarch, and she felt anxious. Ji’s arrival delighted her, and she showered her with polite words. She cleared out the main room, pulling Ji to assign staff to clean the courtyard, arrange the rooms, set the menu, and organize the maids, daughters-in-law, and old women, while also contacting the list of those who would accompany them from Zhen Ding, busying herself to no end. Her two daughters-in-law, Guo and Cai, helped her, and Han occasionally came to check-in. In just a few days, everything was arranged.
On August 4th of the Gengshen year, Dou Zhao returned to Kyoto, a place she had not visited for fourteen years, but to others, it seemed as if she had never been there at all.