Ji Yong fell into deep thought.

The sixth son of the Han family was on the verge of death, yet the family still insisted on marrying Lingze, their cousin, to him. Upon learning this, he merely scoffed and snorted in disdain.

He believed that everyone should bear the consequences of their choices. Since Lingze clearly understood that marrying him meant becoming a widow, yet still chose to go through with it, that was her decision, and others should not interfere.

Dou Zhao had been betrothed to Wei Tingyu since childhood. She wanted to marry him, which was only natural; what right did he have to criticize her? Why should he think her choice was wrong?

Was it because Wei Tingyu drank and caroused with others?

Hadn’t he participated himself?!

Was it because Wei Tingyu looked at Zhao Zhi with infatuation?

Hadn’t he spent a night in Qianfo Temple Alley himself?!

Was it because Wei Tingyu had been deceived by Dou Ming?

Hmm… this was significant. If it were him, he would never allow such a thing to happen. That crossed Dou Zhao’s bottom line, and she would never forgive him for it!

Wasn’t Dou Zhao now absolutely refusing to marry Wei Tingyu?!

As Ji Yong thought of this, a small sense of pride swelled within him.

But the next moment, he felt deflated.

Wasn’t it because Wei Tingyu didn’t understand the Dou family’s affairs?

What exactly was his dissatisfaction with Wei Tingyu?

Even if Wei Tingyu was not ideal, what did it have to do with him?

His grandfather had always told him to look beyond the surface and to ask why. Only by understanding the reasons could one grasp the essence of things and know how to win a person’s heart, making them willingly serve him.

What did he truly want?

Ji Yong dismissed those distracting thoughts and asked himself seriously for the first time.

He wanted Dou Zhao to dislike Wei Tingyu; he wanted Dou Zhao to break off the engagement. He wanted to continue bickering and joking with Dou Zhao as they did now. As long as he was with Dou Zhao, even if she mocked him or spoke nonsense, even if she looked down on him, he found it amusing and was more than willing to endure it.

Ji Yong shouted, but when he looked up, he found his great-grandfather was gone.

He hurried to his great-grandfather’s study.

Old Master Ji was reclining in a drunken chair, reading a book. Upon seeing Ji Yong enter, he quickly stuffed the book into a nearby vase.

Ji Yong couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disdain.

His great-grandfather was reading those privately printed editions again.

Old Master Ji cleared his throat and asked, “What’s the matter? Have you figured it out? Do you know what you want?”

Ji Yong nodded. “I want Dou Zhao to break off the engagement!”

Old Master Ji barely suppressed an eye roll. “So all those things you did before weren’t aimed at making Dou Zhao break the engagement?”

Ji Yong replied earnestly, “I only wanted Dou Zhao to dislike Wei Tingyu. Now I realize I was wrong. I shouldn’t care about what that damned Wei Tingyu did; I should befriend him and entice him to break the engagement.” His mind raced, “In this world, everything revolves around fame and profit. I’ve been to Duke of Jining’s residence; it’s a shabby place. The maritime trade has the highest profits but also the greatest risks. I should partner with him in shipping, let him lose everything, and then help him find a wealthy father-in-law who would support his comeback. He would break the engagement…”

Old Master Ji impatiently dug at his ear.

Ji Yong was astonished. “Is that not feasible?”

His great-grandson was finally showing some signs of youthfulness.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Old Master Ji said with a smile. “And then what?”

“What do you mean, and then what?”

“I mean, what happens after the Dou and Wei families break off the engagement?”

Ji Yong scratched his head.

Indeed, no one is perfect, and no gold is without flaws!

Old Master Ji sighed. “Dou Zhao is still young; she can’t just stay home forever after being jilted, can she? Even so, what about you? When you eventually marry, you can’t just keep running to the Dou family whenever you want to see Dou Zhao!”

Ji Yong’s eyes widened, and he casually replied, “Then I’ll just marry her!”

As soon as he said it, a thunderous realization struck him.

Was this truly his heartfelt desire?

He looked at Old Master Ji, his eyes widening even more.

Old Master Ji laughed heartily. “Finally, you’ve come to your senses! Otherwise, all your previous efforts would have been in vain. Now you should know what to do, right?”

“What else is there to do?” Ji Yong was still in shock from his earlier revelation.

“Fool!” Old Master Ji pulled out a book and smacked Ji Yong on the head. “Just because you want to marry her doesn’t mean she has to marry you! Besides, the Dou and Wei families are still bound by their engagement; it’s not something that can just be broken off! Haven’t you always prided yourself on your intelligence, claiming no one can match you? How come you’ve turned into a blockhead at this moment?”

Ji Yong’s mind finally returned to normal, and he quickly said, “Given Dou Zhao’s temperament, she doesn’t want to marry Wei Tingyu right now. The Dou family wants Dou Zhao to marry, but they’re afraid that Dou Ming’s situation will tarnish their reputation. As long as Wei Tingyu voluntarily breaks off the engagement, the Dou family can explain to outsiders, and the marriage will naturally fall through. I’ll go find Wei Tingyu and figure out a way to delay the wedding date. So much happens in the capital every day; in a few days, there will be new gossip. It won’t be too late to break off the engagement then…”

Old Master Ji nearly wanted to split Ji Yong’s head open with an axe. “What kind of person is Wei Tingyu? If you can scheme against him, can’t others do the same? What does it matter if he agrees to break the engagement? How have I taught you since you were young? Capture the leader first! Don’t get bogged down in the details; focus on the key people who can influence the situation. Reflect on this incident: first, you didn’t understand your true feelings before acting; then, you failed to see who could influence the course of events. Now, your mind is still muddled—since you’ve already set up Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming, and Dou Zhao doesn’t want to marry Wei Tingyu, the Dou family is only reluctantly accepting this engagement to cover up Dou Ming’s situation. The Wei family, fearing the Dou family would pursue Wei Tingyu’s misconduct, hastily arranged a wedding date. Everything is in place, except for the right moment. Instead of leveraging the situation, you’re looking for external support… Truly, you’re a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved!”

As he spoke, Old Master Ji stood up abruptly and glared at Ji Yong. “Come, let me show you how to handle this!” He then added, “Learn from me!”

Ji Yong was left speechless.

Old Master Ji dismissed him. “A true man seeks revenge and justice; when it’s time to act, you must act. If you want to take someone’s wife but don’t dare to act, you’ll end up with nothing. Remember this lesson well. It’s the same in the court. What do you truly want? To benefit the world? Or just for yourself? You need to be thick-skinned and ruthless to achieve great things! Being overly principled is for scholars in the Hanlin Academy; being overly obsequious is for minor officials in the Six Ministries. You must have a broad vision and be able to guide the world, not be bogged down by the gains and losses of a single city or province…”

Ji Yong nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice.

Old Master Ji raised his eyebrows, feeling a sense of pride in his role as an elder.

It seemed that some matters shouldn’t be overly scrutinized.

Although Dou Zhao was betrothed to the Wei family, if she could manage Ji Yong, then she would be a good match!

The thought crossed his mind, and Old Master Ji couldn’t help but smile broadly.

With Dou Zhao watching over Ji Yong, he would eventually live a normal life, marry, have children, and pursue a career!

Old Master Ji took Ji Yong to meet Dou Shishu.

Dou Zhao quickly sensed that things had changed.

First, there was her smiling Fifth Aunt. Her smile had become genuine and joyful; not only did she stop questioning Dou Ming’s situation, but she also began to manage the household affairs in Huai Tree Alley, even finding time to joke with the maids and daughters-in-law around her.

Next was the Second Madam. She recovered quickly from her illness. Every time Dou Zhao went to pay her respects, the Second Madam looked at her with affection and indulgence, often holding her hand and examining her closely, saying to Liu Mama and others, “Shou Gu is too plain; she needs a few decent pieces of jewelry.” Then she would have Liu Mama bring her mirror case, rewarding Dou Zhao with a gold hairpin or a string of jade bracelets, showing an unusual fondness for her.

Then there was Madam Liu, who had asked her a few days ago, “Do you know what’s going on? Dou Ming has been sent back to Jing’an Temple Alley for supervision. The Wei family came to discuss the betrothal gifts, and your Fifth Aunt said you’re still too young, that the wedding can wait a while. When I asked your Fifth Aunt what was going on, she stammered and wouldn’t tell me anything, just told me to wait for the wedding feast.”

But now, she seemed like a different person. Not only was she absent-minded, but she also appeared somewhat afraid to face Dou Zhao. When she saw her, she no longer approached her warmly to chat but instead avoided her, even daring not to meet her gaze…

The entire Huai Tree Alley felt as if it had been freshly tidied after a storm, with everyone returning to their previous calm and leisurely routines.

Under what circumstances would Madam Liu feel ashamed to face her?

At present, it seemed to revolve around her marriage!

She had been clamoring to break off the engagement with the Wei family, and Madam Liu had supported her. Although Fifth Uncle and her father hoped she would marry, the matter had not reached a final decision, and it was not something Madam Liu could dictate. She couldn’t possibly feel guilty about this.

So what was it?

For some reason, Ji Yong’s figure suddenly flashed in her mind.

He had orchestrated the secret dealings between Dou Ming and Wei Tingyu, and then he had not appeared before her again.

This was unreasonable!

Could it be…

Dou Zhao’s heart raced.

No, it couldn’t be!

The Ji family had high hopes for Ji Yong; they wouldn’t let him marry a girl like her, who had “flaws.”

If Ji Yong didn’t have the Ji family’s support, he could never have swayed the Dou family.

Madam Liu had always believed that only someone like Wu Shan, who treated her sincerely and had both virtue and talent, would be a good match for her. Although Ji Yong was talented, he was also capricious and lacked stability; marrying him would be difficult for anyone, making him an unsuitable husband…

Dou Zhao called out, “Su Xin! To find out who Fifth Uncle has met these past few days and what he has said!”

If her guess was correct, this matter must have received the approval of the entire Dou family. Otherwise, the Fifth Aunt wouldn’t look so relieved, and the Second Madam wouldn’t gaze at her with such admiration every time.

Dou Zhao furrowed her brows tightly.