Ji Yong felt that Dou Zhao was infuriating.
How had she changed so much?!
She even had her eyes on someone like Wei Tingyu!
Was she still the Dou Zhao who once dared to challenge him?
Disappointed and dejected, Ji Yong returned to Yuqiao Alley.
In his study, Old Master Ji, who was composing poetry for his paintings, suddenly paused, looked up, and asked his long-serving attendant, Ji Fu, “Has Ji Ming returned?”
Ji Fu, with silver strands in his hair, was surprised and replied with a smile, “I’ll go check right now!”
Old Master Ji grunted in acknowledgment, finished the last line of his poem, and examined it closely, revealing a satisfied smile.
When Ji Fu returned, he said with a grin, “Young Master Ji has come back. However, something seems to have upset him; he’s sulking alone in his room and won’t talk to anyone!”
“Oh!” Old Master Ji raised his graying eyebrows and chuckled, “It seems the Dou family girl has quite a mind of her own and hasn’t been fooled by him.”
“The Dou family is a scholarly household. The fourth young lady has been raised with proper teachings, so she should have some sense,” Ji Fu said, adding a few drops of water to the nearly dried inkstone in front of Old Master Ji and rolling up his sleeves to grind the ink. “Otherwise, how could you have agreed to the marriage alliance with the Dou family back then?”
Old Master Ji shook his head. “Don’t you know? Very few people can avoid being led by Ji Ming. This Dou girl is not simple!”
Ji Fu laughed, “No matter how exceptional she is, she can’t compare to the Young Master Ji you taught!”
Old Master Ji was momentarily taken aback by the compliment, then burst into hearty laughter, pointing at Ji Fu. “You’ve been flattering me for decades; you should take a break sometimes!”
Ji Fu replied with a smile, “Look at what you’re saying! I never flatter anyone! It’s just that you never believe me; what can I do?”
His serious expression made Old Master Ji laugh again.
Ji Fu continued, “You haven’t praised anyone in years. Should we have the Young Mistress invite the Dou family matriarch over for a meal? Since she’s come to the capital, we should treat her well.”
“You’re quite thoughtful,” Old Master Ji said, dipping his brush into the inkstone. “We need to send an invitation to the Dou family matriarch. As for who from the Dou family comes, we needn’t worry about that.”
Ji Fu nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Song Mo at Yizhitang frowned upon hearing that Ji Yong had stormed out of Huai Tree Alley.
It seemed that Dou Zhao and Ji Yong had parted on bad terms, likely due to the incident in Qianfo Temple Alley.
He instructed Du Wei, “Find out what exactly happened.”
After lunch, Du Wei returned with the report: “It’s said that there was a dispute regarding a young lady from the Ji family marrying into the Han family.”
Song Mo was surprised.
How did the Han family get involved again?
As the thought crossed his mind, he heard Du Wei continue, “This afternoon, the fourth young lady of the Dou family went to the stationery shop on Gulou Street.”
It seemed that Chen Qu Shui and Duan Gongyi had followed her there.
While Song Mo was pondering this, Dou Zhao had already settled into the stationery shop’s account room.
Duan Gongyi stood guard at the door, while Chen Qu Shui discussed matters regarding Daxiangguo Temple with Dou Zhao: “… Wei Tingzhen received news and immediately changed her tune, rushing back to the Jingguo Duke’s residence. This matter ended up fizzling out.”
“I’ve always found it strange how the seventh madam suddenly acted like she was possessed, inexplicably targeting me. It turns out she had already conspired with Wei Tingzhen—Wei Tingzhen would help Dou Ming secure a good marriage, and she would help the Wei family find an excuse to break the engagement,” Dou Zhao said with a cold smile. “Unfortunately, because of the incident in Qianfo Temple Alley, Wei Tingzhen changed her mind at the last minute, causing the seventh madam to stumble badly!”
Chen Qu Shui nodded but lamented, “If it weren’t for the sudden appearance of Ji Bianxiu, this marriage would have likely been called off already!”
Indeed!
Ji Yong always acted so presumptuously and straightforwardly; this was a classic case of good intentions leading to bad outcomes!
Dou Zhao smiled bitterly and shared with Chen Qu Shui the details of her unpleasant encounter with Ji Yong: “I just hope he doesn’t meddle in this matter anymore; otherwise, he’ll only make things worse.”
Hearing the underlying meaning in Dou Zhao’s words, Chen Qu Shui asked, “Does the young lady have a plan?”
Dou Zhao nodded. “Isn’t the wife of the military selection officer, Zheng Langzhong, involved in the scandal with Wang Xushi? She must be quite dissatisfied. If we can start from here and ‘lure’ Wei Tingzhen into exposing the seventh madam’s scheme against me…”
“Good idea!” Chen Qu Shui’s eyes lit up before Dou Zhao could finish her thought. “In that case, regardless of how the matriarch and others feel, the two families won’t be able to marry. Moreover, the blame will fall on the wife of the Jingguo Duke’s son, and the seventh madam will surely find a way to make Zheng Tai’s wife pin the blame on her to avoid punishment.”
Dou Zhao nodded with a smile. “And since I’ve suffered such a blow, I’ll be disheartened and refuse to marry. It’s only reasonable that the elders of the Dou family can’t force me!”
“Exactly, exactly!” Chen Qu Shui clapped his hands.
Dou Zhao cautioned Chen Qu Shui, “So we must be wary of Ji Yong and Song Mo—Ji Yong only does what he thinks is right; Song Mo’s actions will be thunderous. I just want to break off the engagement without causing any fatalities.”
Chen Qu Shui agreed with Dou Zhao’s perspective: “Last time, I was careless, thinking everything was arranged, and then I returned to Zhen Ding. This time, with you overseeing it, I’ll personally handle it to ensure the marriage is called off.”
“Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Chen.”
After discussing a few more details, Dou Zhao noticed it was getting late and returned to Huai Tree Alley.
Dou Shiying was waiting for her there.
He was still in his official robes, indicating he had come directly from the court.
Dou Zhao personally brewed a cup of tea for Dou Shiying.
Dou Shiying gazed at her intently, as if trying to imprint her image in his heart, making Dou Zhao feel quite uncomfortable. She finally asked, “Did Father call for me for something?”
“Nothing much,” Dou Shiying replied with a smile. “It’s just that we haven’t had a proper conversation in a while, so I came to see you.” He continued, “I heard you went to the shop. How’s business there? The Shuntian Prefecture School has been supporting your stationery shop, so it seems that Manager Fan has some real skills.”
Dou Zhao silently thanked her third uncle for managing all the Dou family’s businesses.
She changed the subject to the marriage between the Dou and Wei families: “… I feel it’s not going smoothly. You might as well hire a master to take a good look and pick a few auspicious dates.”
If the wedding date could be postponed, it would be more favorable for her plans.
Dou Shiying frowned upon hearing this. “Have you heard something? Don’t worry; I’ll take charge of this matter. I won’t let Wang’s family off lightly. What she did this time was too excessive!”
“Father, don’t jump to conclusions,” Dou Zhao said. “You should listen to what the seventh madam has to say. Perhaps this is all a misunderstanding?”
She still needed Wang Yingxue to deal with Wei Tingzhen!
If something happened to Wang Yingxue, wouldn’t her plans have to change again?
“You don’t need to defend her,” Dou Shiying said, his eyes filled with anger. “All the past mistakes were mine. She didn’t want to be the main wife, and I promised to support her, ensuring she would have a comfortable life. That was only right. But what she did this time is truly disheartening…”
Facing her father, who was always out of touch, Dou Zhao felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.
She quickly said, “Father, have you considered that the seventh madam has been trying to establish herself for quite some time? While I was in Zhen Ding, she was in the capital, and we kept to ourselves. I’m about to get married, and it will be even harder to return home. What benefit does she gain from acting this way?”
Dou Shiying was taken aback.
Dou Zhao gently suggested, “You might as well have a good talk with the seventh madam to find out who pushed her to do this. Dou Ming isn’t young anymore; you should leave her some dignity.”
She remembered that in her previous life, Gao Mingzhu had encountered trouble at this time. The following spring, Wang Xingyi had chosen a poor scholar, Liu Qingzhu, as a husband for Dou Ming, who later became a successful candidate in the imperial examination. Although he was talented and virtuous and respected Dou Ming, she remained indifferent to him and often provoked Liu Qingzhu’s widowed mother, causing him great distress. Before Dou Zhao’s rebirth, Liu Qingzhu had been demanding a divorce.
However, at that time, Wang Xingyi was already a cabinet minister, while in this life, he was merely a governor of Yunnan. It was uncertain whether he would have the opportunity to know Liu Qingzhu. Would Liu Qingzhu have the chance to become Dou Ming’s husband?
Dou Shiying, upon hearing Dou Zhao’s hint, began to ponder seriously. “She hasn’t stepped out of the house for years… but this year, she suddenly said she was invited by the wife of the Jingguo Duke’s son to go to Daxiangguo Temple to listen to Buddhist teachings…” As he spoke, he thought of Wei Tingzhen and recalled the Wei family’s previous attitude toward Dou Zhao. His expression suddenly darkened as he pondered, could it be that Wei Tingzhen…
He could no longer sit still, distractedly exchanging a few words with Dou Zhao before rising to take his leave.
Dou Zhao sighed in relief, hoping that Ji Yong and Song Mo wouldn’t cause any more trouble.
In the following days, everything was calm, and she accompanied the matriarch around the capital.
However, Dou Ming came running over, pointing an accusing finger at Dou Zhao. “What did you tell Father? He wants to divorce Mother! Are you pleased now?!”
Su Xin snorted coldly.
A flicker of fear crossed Dou Zhao’s eyes, but she quickly masked it with arrogance. “Don’t forget, you’re about to get married! If your stepmother is divorced, you’ll have no face either! Let’s see if the Wei family still recognizes you as their daughter-in-law!”
Marriages were meant to unite two families, and at the Dou family’s level, divorce was impossible; they could only confine the person in a nunnery.
Dou Zhao didn’t believe Dou Ming’s words, but she still went to see the second matriarch and relayed Dou Ming’s claims verbatim, saying pitifully, “I’ve only been here a few days, and I don’t even know which way the door of Jing’an Temple opens, yet this matter has been pinned on me. I don’t want to suffer such injustice; please send someone to escort me back to Zhen Ding! I’ll just get married directly from there.”
“What nonsense for a young girl!” The second matriarch feigned anger, scolding her affectionately. “This matter will be decided by the elders. You’re just a young girl; you must never say such things again!”
Dou Zhao responded softly.
The second matriarch ordered someone to summon Dou Ming.