Dou Ming was no longer the timid child who felt intimidated by the Second Matriarch.
Dou Shiying had put in considerable effort to have a wet nurse teach her how to play the role of a refined young lady, one that met societal expectations.
Kneeling before the Second Matriarch, she cried bitterly, “A son should not speak ill of his father. Even if my mother is at fault, as her daughter, I cannot stand by and watch her be humiliated. Father has always favored my sister, who lost her mother at a young age and was raised by Aunt Cui. I do not expect my sister to speak well of my mother, but she should at least persuade Father.
I have a fiery temper and often speak without thinking; that is my fault. Yet, every time Father sees my sister, he returns home to quarrel with Mother. Doesn’t my sister bear some responsibility? Since arriving in the capital, she has neither visited Mother nor paid respects to Grandmother,” she said, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the Second Matriarch. “Grandmother, you have always taught me to observe propriety. Is my sister’s behavior in line with that?”
Dou Zhao listened nearby, her feelings complex.
Wang Yingxue was her stepmother, and Wang Xushi was her maternal grandmother. Logically, she should have gone to pay her respects. However, the Second Matriarch was intent on humiliating Wang Xushi and would not allow her to visit either Wang Xushi or Wang Yingxue. If it weren’t for this certainty, Dou Zhao wouldn’t have followed the Second Matriarch to Huai Tree Alley. Watching Dou Ming skillfully use Aunt Cui to provoke the Second Matriarch and cleverly redirect her attention with her words gave her a sense of reassurance.
At least Dou Ming had learned to think strategically; she was no longer the spoiled child who would only shout or hide in Wang Xushi’s or Wang Yingxue’s embrace when faced with adversity. This would make her future path much easier.
The Second Matriarch’s anger seemed to wane, and she refrained from scolding Dou Ming. However, due to her status, she could not argue with a younger generation.
Liu Momo seized the opportunity, stepping forward with a smile to stand beside Dou Ming. She bent slightly to support her and said, “Miss Five, what you say is not quite right. You learned to walk on the matriarch’s kang. The palm is flesh, and so is the back of the hand. The matriarch loves Miss Four just as she loves you. Just as you said, a son should not speak ill of his father; there are some things the matriarch cannot discuss with your younger ones. Otherwise, if your sister did not visit your grandmother, why would your grandmother have no complaints?” She continued, “Miss Five is now grown; you should think more carefully when faced with situations.”
Old habits die hard. At Dou Ming’s age, although she understood various principles, controlling her emotions was still challenging. She had come in anger, but when Dou Zhao turned and left without a word, she couldn’t help but think, “This is bad.” After some contemplation, she devised a way to extricate herself from the situation.
As Liu Momo came to support her, she hesitated briefly before rising, feigning tears.
The Second Matriarch recalled the trouble Dou Shiying had caused for the Dou family and felt a twinge of annoyance, losing her desire to discipline Dou Ming.
She waved her hand and said to Dou Ming, “I will discuss your mother’s situation with your father. You may return now! Focus on learning the rules from the wet nurse and do not let your parents worry about you anymore.”
This made Dou Ming seem like a troublesome child.
Dou Ming bit her lip but, thinking of how she had managed to withdraw from the situation in front of Dou Zhao for the first time in many years, couldn’t help but shoot a defiant glance at Dou Zhao before following Liu Momo out.
Dou Zhao was unconcerned about Dou Ming’s attitude. Dou Ming could not command the family’s steward or guards, much like a cat with its claws clipped—fierce but harmless.
Noticing the Second Matriarch’s fatigue, she exchanged a few polite words before taking her leave.
Two days later, the Second Matriarch finally informed Dou Shishu about the incident.
Dou Shishu immediately sought out Dou Shiying to discuss it.
Dou Shiying was still seething with anger. Speaking to her trusted cousin, her thoughts poured out like beans from a bamboo tube: “… Although Wang is foolish, the Wei family’s eldest aunt is even more detestable. She incited Wang to humiliate Shou Gu! What do they want? If they were dissatisfied with this marriage, they should have said so from the start. The He family is also a respectable household. Now, Shou Gu has waited three years for the Wei family, and just as the wedding date approaches, Wei Tingyu has such twisted thoughts, leaving Shou Gu in a difficult position, caught between a rock and a hard place!”
Dou Shishu’s expression turned serious upon hearing this. “Can Wang’s words be trusted?”
His skepticism made Dou Shiying’s face flush with embarrassment.
She lowered her head and murmured, “I have carefully examined the people around Wang… She did not lie. Moreover, aside from the Wei family’s eldest aunt, no one else has visited our home in recent days. Wang has been confined at home for quite some time; it’s unlikely she would suddenly think of doing this—she also said it was because the Wei family’s eldest aunt promised to help Ming Jie find a good match, and out of gratitude, she couldn’t refuse, so she agreed…”
Since entering the cabinet, Dou Shishu had been busy with official duties and social engagements, leaving his own children’s marriages entirely to the Fifth Madam, let alone his cousin’s daughter’s marriage.
“What’s wrong with Ming Jie’s marriage?” he asked. “Is it not going smoothly?”
Dou Shiying replied softly, “It’s just that it’s neither high nor low. The Wei family’s eldest aunt mentioned a family, which is the nephew of the Marquis of Changxing, Shi Ruilan…”
Dou Shishu frowned slightly. “Noble families are not determined by birth. As long as the child has talent, they can earn a fortune; if the child has poor character, even mountains of gold and silver will be squandered. For families like ours, it’s better to find a scholarly son-in-law. The reason I opposed Shou Gu marrying into the Jining Marquis’s household was for this very reason.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “I think it would be best if I spoke to Fu Zhi and asked him to help find a reputable, scholarly family for Ming Jie.”
Fu Zhi was the courtesy name of his in-law, Cai Bi.
Cai Bi was well-connected and adept at socializing, known for having many acquaintances. With his help in matchmaking, it would surely be more effective.
Dou Shiying hurriedly thanked Dou Shishu. Although her anger had subsided somewhat, she was not prepared to let the Wei family off the hook—Shou Gu hadn’t even married into their family yet, and they dared to entertain such thoughts. If she did marry in, wouldn’t she be left with nothing but bones?
For the first time, she seriously contemplated the matter of offspring.
Meanwhile, Wei Tingyu, while hastily seeking help from Song Mo with Zhang Yuanming, learned of his sister’s intentions. He scolded Wei Tingzhen thoroughly and then said to his mother, Tian Shi, “I do not wish to break off the engagement! The Fourth Miss of the Dou family is excellent. She is beautiful and was a betrothal set since childhood; there is no reason to casually break it off.”
Tian Shi was already uneasy about the situation. Since the engagement had not been broken, she felt relieved. Seeing her son unwilling to break it off, she did not want to force him and called Wei Tingzhen to persuade her: “Let’s just let this matter go! Your brother does not wish to break the engagement.”
Wei Tingzhen was frustrated by his brother’s lack of ambition but was scolded by Zhang Yuanming: “The Fifth Master of the Dou family is now a high-ranking official, and there are several scholars and jinshi in the Dou family. They will only become more prominent in the future. Even if the dowry is a bit less, what does it matter? With such a powerful family, you need not worry about a good life in the Jining Marquis’s household. Do not be short-sighted and only focus on the immediate!”
Excuses like “the eight characters clash” would not work anymore, and it had already raised the Fifth Madam’s suspicions. It was impossible to break the engagement on that basis, and since their mother and brother were not appreciative, Wei Tingzhen felt somewhat awkward.
“But the dowry is too little,” she muttered reluctantly.
“Why are you being foolish about this matter?!” Zhang Yuanming retorted. “The Marquis of Changxing family is indeed large and prosperous, but look at how much their daughters receive when they marry; the official family only gives three thousand taels of silver, not a single cent more. This does not even include the dowry and wedding expenses. Compare that to the Hu family’s daughter in Jiangnan last year, who received fifty thousand taels just in dowry. The amount of dowry does not depend on status but on how much the parents love their children.”
Wei Tingzhen felt embarrassed and said nothing more.
Wei Tingyu contemplated whether he should go to the Dou family to apologize, but thinking of his sister’s actions made him a bit timid. As time passed, he received news that Dou Zhao had entered the capital.
He could no longer sit still, so he brought fine tea and wine and went to pay a visit.
Dou Shiying was still angry and did not see Wei Tingyu at all.
Wei Tingyu awkwardly left Jing’an Temple Alley.
Tian Shi advised him, “When the time comes, we will prepare a generous betrothal gift to give Shou Gu a proper send-off.”
Preparing a generous betrothal gift required money!
Wei Tingyu thought of the twenty thousand taels that Gu Yu had yet to settle with him and went out again.
However, Gu Yu’s servant said, “Our young master and the heir of the Yan’an Marquis have gone to Kaifeng. Please ask the Jining Marquis to come back in a few days to find our young master!”
Wei Tingyu went twice more but still did not see anyone.
With no other options, he went to Duke Ying’s residence to ask Song Mo for help: “… I would appreciate it if the young master could pass a message to Young Master Gu.”
After a long silence, Song Mo replied, “So the wedding date has been set?”
Wei Tingyu replied sheepishly, “It’s just a matter of these few days.”
Song Mo responded with an “oh” and said, “Don’t worry; I will inform Gu Yu about this.” His tone was noticeably less enthusiastic than usual.
Wei Tingyu was puzzled.
News had long spread in the capital that Duke Ying wanted to remarry. Those with some family background were deterred by Song Mo’s reluctance to marry his daughter into the family, while those seeking to climb the social ladder were not to Duke Ying’s taste. As a result, in the vast capital, Duke Ying could not find a suitable match.
Song Mo was doing well and should have been living comfortably, so why did he seem so listless?
However, he had his worries and was not in the mood to concern himself with these matters. After chatting with Song Mo for a while, Wei Tingyu took his leave.
Gu Yu had indeed gone to Kaifeng.
Song Mo instructed his steward, Huo Li, “Prepare twenty thousand taels of silver; I will need it in a few days.”
Huo Li initially worried that Song Mo’s income would not cover the expenses of Yizhi Hall, but he was surprised to find that Song Mo had many ways to manage it. Yizhi Hall was not only more prosperous than before but also had a surplus. He also knew that some of Song Mo’s expenses were not above board, so he respectfully asked, “Should I prepare cash or silver notes?”
“Prepare silver notes!” Song Mo replied dejectedly. “Just hand them over to Chen He when the time comes.”
Huo Li nodded and left.
Song Mo gazed out at the blooming wisteria flowers, his mind in turmoil.
In Yuqiao Alley, Ji Yong was also troubled.
Ever since parting on bad terms with Dou Zhao, he had been unable to sleep well.
Could he just watch Dou Zhao marry that despicable Wei Tingyu, a man with no talent or character?