Dou Ming jumped up, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Wang Yingxue. “Are you out of your mind?”
Wang Yingxue sneered, “Do I look like I’m crazy?” She then revealed that she had invited Wei Tingyu to their residence under Dou Ming’s name. “If you weren’t relying on him being at your beck and call, would you have dared to invite him to Daxiangguo Temple?”
Dou Ming screamed, “Is this how a mother behaves? Can’t you stand to see me happy? You’re pushing me to do something like this?!” Remembering how she had been threatened by Ji Yong, she felt a mix of fear and grievance, her voice growing sharper. “You don’t know anything! You don’t know anything! You just go through life staring at your own feet, never caring about my affairs…”
Her words pierced Wang Yingxue’s heart, and tears welled up in her eyes. “How can you say I only stare at my feet? If it weren’t for you, would I endure the humiliation of staying in the Dou family? If it weren’t for you, would I have tested the waters with Duke of Jining? If it weren’t for you, would I be facing your accusations now? For all these years, you’ve blamed me for not being like other mothers who can give you honor, but have you ever considered that if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have a secure place in the Dou family? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be the legitimate daughter of the Dou family! What’s wrong with me wanting you to marry Duke of Jining?”
“Marriage is meant to unite two families. Now your sister is crying and refusing to marry; can’t we take advantage of this situation?”
“You say my words are harsh? Then go find someone who speaks nicely to you!”
“Your eldest aunt may speak kindly, but look at the marriage proposal she brought you—Liu Qingzhuo lost his father at two, raised by a widowed mother, relying on his maternal uncles. Now he’s just a juren, and he still has to take the imperial exam, get selected, and deal with superiors and subordinates. Are you prepared to pour all your dowry into this? If it’s just to support that widow, I have nothing to say but don’t forget, he has an uncle, and the whole family is waiting for him to succeed to repay their kindness!”
“Your grandmother speaks kindly, but she wants to marry you to Tan Ge. With your dowry, as long as Tan Ge doesn’t gamble away the money, you can live comfortably by relying on Nan Ge’s favor. Your second aunt speaks kindly too, but every time she sees me, she asks, ‘Since Mingjie’s sister received half of the West Dou family’s fortune, and you have no sons, wouldn’t it be better to leave it to Mingjie rather than to illegitimate children?’ I heard that Shou Gu has an annual income of fifty thousand taels. When Mingjie marries, her husband should prepare at least a hundred thousand taels as her dowry, right? She’s telling me that if your dowry is less than a hundred thousand taels, she won’t agree to this marriage…”
“Stop! Please stop!” Dou Ming collapsed onto the bed, crying loudly. “Don’t say anymore!”
Seeing her daughter in such despair, Wang Yingxue felt a twinge of regret for her harsh words. She moved to sit beside Dou Ming, gently stroking her daughter’s smooth hair. “Mingjie, I’m your mother. If I don’t care for you, who will? If he has no feelings for you, I wouldn’t be saying this. You must believe me; I misjudged your father. I valued him too much and let my heart lead me before thinking things through, which naturally led to mistakes. But this time, I won’t be wrong. I have my ways to ensure you marry properly and become the respected matriarch of Duke of Jining’s household!”
“No, I don’t want that!” Dou Ming lifted her head, tears streaking her face. “I don’t want something my sister looks down on…”
“Silly child, who is your sister? If she truly looked down on Duke of Jining, she would have dealt with him long ago. Why would she go through all this trouble? That Pang Kun is still being supported to walk today!” Wang Yingxue looked at Dou Ming with both love and pity. “But look at now; your sister has tolerated your secret meetings with Duke of Jining at Daxiangguo Temple, which shows how much she values him.”
Dou Ming was momentarily stunned.
She recalled the recent gossip among the household servants about Wei Tingyu spending the night at Nanfeng Pavilion… and that the Wei family was interested in the youngest legitimate daughter of the Yan’an Marquis family… Her sister had endured it…
Seeing the dawning realization on her daughter’s face, Wang Yingxue softened her tone. “I am your biological mother; how could I harm you? Don’t you want to marry into a good family? Duke of Jining’s wife is gentle and kind, and Duke himself is handsome and upright. Your sister married the heir of Duke of Jingguo; if you marry him, you’ll be the Duchess of Jining, walking proudly wherever you go. Isn’t that what you desire? What more could you want?”
Dou Ming seemed to hear the sharp taunts of the young lady from the past echoing in her mind: “You’re just a concubine’s child, yet you dare to pretend to be a legitimate daughter. How shameless!”
As if entranced, she asked Wang Yingxue, “What do you plan to do?”
Yes, what was she planning to do?
Wang Yingxue, full of confidence in front of her daughter, felt a wave of uncertainty wash over her as she stepped out of Dou Ming’s inner chamber.
Arranging a substitute bride sounded easy, but it was fraught with difficulties.
First, there was the question of whether Dou Shiying would agree. Even if she managed to deceive Dou Zhao, it wouldn’t be easy. Moreover, Dou Zhao would come to witness the ceremony, along with Aunt Zhao, who would help, and the Fifth and Sixth Madams, as well as Mrs. Cai, who was invited to be the matron of honor, and relatives coming to celebrate… Not to mention that she had been stripped of her rights to manage the household. Even if she were the legitimate Seventh Madam of the Dou family, it wouldn’t be easy to pull off.
Thinking of this made her head throb.
First, she needed to stay in Jing’an Temple Alley.
Wasn’t their father entrusting the Gao family with a marriage proposal for Mingjie? As a mother, she had to see it through.
Dou Shiying was usually easy to persuade when it came to matters concerning his daughter.
She could use this as an excuse!
When a bride leaves her parents, she can use the excuse of not leaving until the auspicious time has passed, allowing Dou Ming to bow to Dou Shiying and leave. With so many guests present, even if Dou Shiying discovered it, he would be caught off guard and wouldn’t dare to make a scene in such a setting.
Then there was Dou Zhao.
The only opportunity for a substitute bride would be after the bride had finished dressing and was waiting for the bridal sedan chair.
At that time, besides the Fifth and Sixth Madams and Aunt Zhao, there would also be the matron of honor and the maids accompanying the bride.
The maids would be easy to deal with—Dou Zhao would return to Jing’an Temple Alley to get married, and all her people would be there. Dou Zhao’s maid would be encountering this for the first time, and with some clever tricks regarding customs and etiquette, she could easily send those maids away.
As for the Fifth Madam, she could say that a guest wanted to see her and find a way to keep her in the flower hall.
The tricky part would be the Sixth Madam and Aunt Zhao, who would surely stick close to Dou Zhao…
Wang Yingxue pondered.
If only Mrs. Cai could lend her a hand!
Then she could find an excuse to send the Sixth Madam and Aunt Zhao away.
And Dou Zhao… before the wedding, she would need to drink lotus seed and lily soup… a bowl of lotus seed and lily soup laced with sleeping powder… As long as someone from the kitchen could coax Gao Sheng’s wife to bring it in…
Wang Yingxue lay in bed, tossing and turning, thinking for a long time. She felt that this plan wasn’t entirely unfeasible, but if she went through with it, there were many loopholes, making it hard for her to commit.
Just then, a message arrived from Liuyehutong, saying that Gao Shi had invited Liu Qingzhuo to dinner tomorrow and wanted her to bring Dou Ming along to take a look.
Wang Yingxue’s mood soured instantly. She lazily replied, “I understand,” and went to Dou Ming’s room.
Dou Ming was sitting on a stool by the window, holding a pipa and lost in thought.
Wang Yingxue approached quietly and said softly, “Your eldest aunt wants us to go for dinner tomorrow. Liu Qingzhuo will be there, so you can take a look…”
Dou Ming’s fingers, clutching the pipa, turned pale.
Wang Yingxue sighed. “This matter is up to you. I will always stand by your side. Even if it’s a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, I will bear it for you.”
Dou Ming remained silent.
Wang Yingxue left the room.
Before long, the sound of the pipa rang out sharply behind her.
When Dou Shiying returned home, he was pleased to hear from Wang Yingxue that the Gao family had introduced a marriage proposal for Dou Ming. The groom was only twenty-two, already a juren, and he felt very satisfied. He instructed Gao Sheng to give Dou Ming three hundred taels of silver for her attire and asked Wang Yingxue to convey to Dou Ming, “A man’s talent and a woman’s beauty are important. A man must have superior talent to support a family; looks and family background are not the most crucial.”
Dou Ming lowered her eyes in response but spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
She knew that by agreeing, the marriage would be settled, and her future would be determined, leaving no room for regret.
Liu Qingzhuo was of average height, robust, and had a simple, honest appearance. He wore a brand-new cobalt blue silk robe, and at first glance, he looked like a country boy who come to the city to make a living, lacking any scholarly elegance.
Dou Ming felt deeply disappointed.
Wang Yingxue pulled Dou Ming away from the flower hall’s screen, using the excuse that they needed to discuss the matter with the Dou family. After lunch, they hurried back to Jing’an Temple Alley.
Before Wang Yingxue could speak, Dou Ming locked herself in the study.
Wang Yingxue sneered into the room.
Why should her Mingjie be promised to such a person? Wang Nan’s wife, Gao Mingzhu, was charming!
She twisted her handkerchief, lost in thought.
Mrs. Cai, being the Fifth Madam’s relative, had presided over the household for many years. Her husband was a Hanlin Academy scholar with extensive connections, and most officials were familiar with her. She was also a skilled and resourceful person, holding considerable prestige among the noble families in the capital. Meanwhile, she was just an inconspicuous woman in the Dou family, unable to help Cai Bi rise in status or bring her any glory. Why would she help her?
Wang Yingxue recalled the rumors about Cai Bi’s opportunism in the capital and felt a surge of determination.
In this world, there was nothing that couldn’t be bought; it all depended on how much you were willing to pay.
Wang Yingxue’s gaze fell on the banknote for the three hundred taels of silver that Dou Shiying had given her to help Dou Ming with her attire…