“This is Chang Wu,” the person outside replied politely. “There’s a fire out front. Mr. Tao is worried about Madam and sent us to check on her safety.”
Song Yichun’s attack on Song Mo in the Wu Wu year had served as a touchstone, revealing not only people’s loyalties but also everyone’s stance in Duke Ying’s household.
While Duke Ying’s residence and Yizhitang appeared united to outsiders, behind closed doors they were adversaries.
With a fire at Duke Ying’s residence, why wasn’t Mr. Yan sending someone to check on Madam? Why was it Mr. Tao’s people coming to inquire about her?
This was completely illogical!
The young servant boy looked at Wu Yi in confusion.
Wu Yi, already sensing trouble, shouted “Song Luo” as he leaped towards the tightly closed main courtyard gate. “Quick, go inform Madam that old scoundrel Tao Qizhong has sent people here. They mean to harm her. Tell her to hide quickly and find a way to alert Mr. Yan.” As he spoke, he slammed against the door like a stone slab with a loud “bang”. “Come help! We can’t let them break in!” He braced his shoulder against the door.
Everyone had seen the young master’s respect for Madam.
If anything happened to her at their hands…
The servants in the main courtyard dared not think further. Before Wu Yi finished speaking, they rushed over, mimicking him by pressing their bodies firmly against the door.
Hearing the commotion, the people outside revealed their true intentions. They began cursing crudely and kicking at the door, trying to break it down.
Song Luo’s face turned pale. She no longer dared to linger and ran towards the main house with all her might, shouting, “Madam, it’s terrible! Tao Qizhong is taking advantage of the chaos to harm you! You must hide quickly!”
Dou Zhao and Su Xin, who had been talking, were startled. They hurriedly slipped on their shoes and ran out.
“What happened?” Dou Zhao looked at the panting Song Luo before her.
Song Luo quickly recounted what had transpired.
Dou Zhao’s face darkened, but inwardly she was puzzled.
Attacking one’s superiors was a grave offense – Tao Qizhong surely knew this! Even if it were Song Yichun’s order, wouldn’t he fear tarnishing his hands and disgracing his descendants? Moreover, Song Yichun wasn’t even in the residence now. If things went wrong, Song Yichun could easily disavow any involvement, making it solely Tao Qizhong’s idea. Was he truly that loyal to Song Yichun? Besides, she was merely Song Mo’s wife. Even if she died, how would it significantly impact the struggle between Song Yichun and Song Mo? On the contrary, Song Mo could use this incident to pressure Song Yichun.
Su Xin was horrified upon hearing this and urgently said, “Madam, let me go check!”
“We’ll go together,” Dou Zhao replied.
Yizhitang was divided into inner and outer courtyards, with the main house situated in the center of the inner courtyard. It was a compound with four entrances and five rooms, plus two side rooms. From the main gate to the hanging flower gate, there was an entrance hall in between, spanning about ten zhang. If anything happened, they would have a chance to retreat.
“Madam…” Su Xin and Song Luo protested in unison, both opposing her going.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures. I need to assess the situation to make decisions. Don’t waste time hesitating. We might need to arrange for someone to seek Mr. Yan’s help,” Dou Zhao reasoned.
Su Xin, naturally, and Song Luo, who had matured considerably since the Wu Wu year incident, both recognized the wisdom in Dou Zhao’s words. Su Xin called Su Lan over, while Song Luo grabbed a door bolt from the hanging flower gate and followed closely behind Dou Zhao. Together, they passed through the hanging flower gate.
The shouting and cursing from outside grew clearer.
Dou Zhao halted her steps.
These couldn’t possibly be guards from Duke Ying’s household!
Duke Ying’s household would never employ such crude guards!
Her expression changed slightly.
A jailbreak at Shuntian Prefecture… a fire at Duke Ying’s residence… Tao Qizhong and Yan Chaoqin led their respective guards to fight the fire… and now she was under attack… It was as if an invisible thread connected all these events.
Dou Zhao watched Wu Yi and the others, their faces flushed red, using all their strength but barely able to keep the main courtyard gate from collapsing. She commanded Wu Yi in a stern voice: “Find some wooden poles to brace the main gate. Then all of you retreat to the hanging flower gate and defend it at all costs.”
The most urgent task now was to notify Mr. Yan.
While Su Xin and Su Lan were skilled, they were still women, and she needed someone to protect her. Sending others to climb over the wall was risky, as there might be ambushes outside.
Dou Zhao’s mind raced as she quickly retreated to the main courtyard with Su Xin and Su Lan.
Song Luo’s shouts had alerted everyone in the courtyard about the attackers. Gan Lu and the others were pale with fear, but Lu Yi’s wife and several other servants had somehow procured kitchen knives and fire pokers from the kitchen. They surrounded Dou Zhao, clamoring, “Madam, just say the word and we’ll fight them to the death! I can’t believe anyone would dare cause trouble in Duke Ying’s residence!” They looked more like servant women ready to catch an adulterer in a wealthy household than people preparing for a life-or-death struggle.
Despite the tense situation, Dou Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight before her.
Everyone exchanged confused glances.
Dou Zhao’s eyes moistened slightly, her emotions surging.
She had always been strong-willed, becoming even more determined in the face of life-threatening situations.
Looking at the faces around her – some frightened, some excited, some indignant, some angry – Dou Zhao felt a surge of courage.
While Su Xin and Su Lan were skilled, they were her trump cards, and she didn’t want to reveal them yet. Now, with Lu Yi’s wife and her group, she was certain that the inner courtyard of Duke Ying’s residence would be lively in the future.
If she had felt any fear before, it was now completely gone.
“Good!” she laughed loudly. “If those bandits dare to break in, we’ll make sure they never leave!”
Everyone’s spirits lifted at her words.
Dou Zhao stood on the steps of the main house, waiting for Wu Yi and the others to retreat to the hanging flower gate.
The air was thick with ash from the big fire, making it difficult to breathe.
Suddenly, an idea struck her.
“Lu Yi’s wife, take some people and quickly pile up the firewood from the woodshed in the middle of the courtyard and set it on fire,” Dou Zhao ordered. “When Mr. Yan and the others see the flames from here, they’ll surely come.” This way, there was no need to send someone to report, saving time and solving their current predicament.
“Madam, what a brilliant idea!” Lu Yi’s wife’s eyes lit up, looking at Dou Zhao with admiration. Seeing this, the others also gained confidence in their escape. The courtyard was suddenly filled with high spirits and morale.
This was exactly what Dou Zhao wanted.
Only by firmly believing in the possibility of winning could they have a chance to win.
The maids spontaneously joined the servant women in carrying firewood.
Although the courtyard was quiet with no one speaking, everything was orderly, and everyone was energetic.
The manservants who had retreated with Wu Yi felt reassured seeing this. When Wu Yi noticed the firewood in the courtyard, he was briefly surprised but quickly understood. When he looked at Dou Zhao, his eyes couldn’t hide his astonishment.
Dou Zhao, however, had no time for this. She instructed him, “Lead the men to guard the hanging flower gate. No matter what, don’t let them break through! Can you do it?”
Wu Yi’s expression turned serious as he saluted, “Madam, I swear I won’t fail!”
Dou Zhao nodded approvingly and ordered them to use the heavy furniture from the side rooms to barricade the hanging flower gate.
The group of villains had caught up and began a new round of attacks.
Hearing about something is one thing, experiencing it firsthand is another.
The deafening impacts and vulgar curses not only made the maids and manservants tense but also worried Dou Zhao – if they broke through the hanging flower gate, her people would lose their barrier and have nowhere to hide.
Fortunately, Lu Yi’s wife quickly set the firewood ablaze.
The roaring flames shot skyward, illuminating the sky and brightening the hearts of the maids and servants.
The people outside roared, “These damned women thought of this trick… Put more effort into it, or we’ll return empty-handed…”
The outsiders shouted, intensifying their attacks.
This couldn’t go on.
Dou Zhao watched the shaking hanging flower gate, feeling the heat waves from the flames. An even bolder idea came to her.
“Lu Yi’s wife, do we have any ladders in our courtyard?”
“Yes!” Lu Yi’s wife, who had never experienced such a situation before, felt her earlier bravado melting away with each “bang” she heard. She gathered her courage and asked, “What does Madam need the ladders for?”
Dou Zhao didn’t answer her but continued asking, “How many are there?”
Lu Yi’s wife silently counted in her mind and replied, “There are four. One in the kitchen…”
Dou Zhao interrupted her, “Go with some of the older women to boil water quickly, and send someone with Su Lan to bring all four ladders here.”
Although Lu Yi’s wife didn’t understand what Dou Zhao intended, she respectfully answered “Yes” and went to boil water. Su Lan directed several older women to fetch the ladders.
Dou Zhao explained, “We’ll pour boiling water down on them. I’d like to see if they can still ram the gate so forcefully then!” She then encouraged everyone, “Mr. Yan and the others must have seen the fire by now. They should be here soon.”
“Madam is as clever as Zhuge Liang,” everyone’s spirits lifted again as they praised Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao smiled gracefully.
Learning of Dou Zhao’s plan, Lu Yi’s wife stoked the fire with renewed vigor. Soon, two pots of boiling water were carefully carried over.
Fearing that her people might get scalded before the villains, Dou Zhao had Su Xin and Su Lan, with their steady hands and strength, stand on the wall to pour the water. She instructed Lu Yi’s wife, “Keep boiling more, don’t stop!”
Lu Yi’s wife was reluctant to leave until she saw Su Xin and Su Lan place two ladders side by side, jointly carry a pot of boiling water to the top of the wall, and pour it out with a “splash”. Hearing the screams from outside and the villains shouting angrily, “On the wall! Watch out for the wall! Get a long pole and knock them down!” she finally returned to the kitchen, beaming with satisfaction.
By the time Lu Yi’s wife brought the third pot of boiling water, they heard chaotic footsteps outside, along with the terrified voices of Xia Lian and others calling, “Madam, Madam…”
Dou Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.
Su Lan excitedly poked her head out, waving to the familiar faces rushing towards them: “We’re here!” Then she hurled the boiling water and the pot down together. Although the now-wary group of bandits managed to dodge it, she was still very pleased.