In the imperial examinations, whether one’s essay could gain the favor of the chief examiner depended significantly on the quality of one’s handwriting. To write beautifully, good ink and inkstones were essential.
Looking at the dragon and phoenix-patterned ink sticks in the rosewood box, Dou Shiheng’s mustache quivered with anger as he glared at his brother. “You rascal, Wanyuan! How could you hide such fine ink? Were you afraid I’d ask for some?”
He had two sons taking the exams this year!
Dou Shixing chuckled, “I simply forgot about them. I’ll find you some good ink later.”
Only then did Dou Shiheng’s expression soften.
Dou Dechang spoke quietly to Song Mo, “How’s that matter progressing?”
“It’s the New Year, and I haven’t encountered Wang Ge yet,” Song Mo replied. “After the Lantern Festival, I’ll enter the palace to find Wang Ge. Anyway, with the seals locked during this period, Fan Shichou can’t do much even if he wanted to.”
Dou Dechang nodded.
Dou Shiheng called out, “Real men should speak openly. Why are you two whispering? That’s not how scholars behave!”
As the youngest son, Dou Dechang was naturally lively and unafraid of Dou Shiheng. Taking advantage of being a guest in Jing’an Temple Lane and knowing Dou Shixing’s indulgence towards children, he joked, “If I want to go with my fourth brother-in-law to visit Thousand Buddha Temple Lane, should I announce that loudly too?”
“You impudent brat!” Dou Shiheng’s eyes bulged like brass bells. “Do you want to be grounded?”
Dou Shixing and Song Mo couldn’t help but laugh.
Dou Dechang’s antics had lightened the atmosphere in the study.
When men gather, they either discuss women or state affairs. With two younger members present, they naturally couldn’t talk about women, so state affairs it was.
Song Mo, sensing an opportunity, first inquired about Dai Jian: “…I’ve heard he comes from humble origins, so he particularly values wealth. Is this true?”
His son-in-law, not being a scholar, naturally knew less about such matters. Glad for his curiosity and with nothing else to do, Dou Shixing took it as a chance to enlighten the younger generation.
Dou Shixing spoke frankly: “Who says Dai Jian particularly values wealth? The one who truly values money is Minister Yao, born into an aristocratic family. He’s skilled in numerology and served as Minister of Revenue for six years. Even the Emperor secretly borrowed money from the Ministry of Revenue. It’s said that even the sweeping maids in their household can do arithmetic. All daily expenses are recorded. If future generations were to compile a food and commodity chronicle, they wouldn’t need to look for other sources; Minister Yao’s account books would suffice to know the prices of that time!”
He laughed heartily as he spoke.
Fearing they might misunderstand, Dou Shiheng hurriedly added, “Don’t listen to his nonsense! Minister Yao is frugal with state funds but generous in helping relatives, friends, and colleagues. His accounting is merely a habit. As for background, Minister Dai’s family did have some good farmland, enough to support his education and career. It’s Prime Minister Liang who lost his father early and relied on his widowed mother’s laundry earnings to pay for his education. Despite his intelligence, his academic progress was slow and intermittent. He only passed the provincial exams after thirty. Then he spent years as a lowly Hanlin academician before finally entering the cabinet, first suppressed by Zeng Yifen, then by Ye Shipei, silent like a puppet. Once in power, he had to repay old favors, support relatives and friends, and pave the way for his descendants. He couldn’t help but focus on wealth.”
There were many scholars like Liang Jifen.
Dou Shiheng sighed as he spoke.
Dou Shixing disagreed: “His love for wealth is understandable. But I can’t stand how he pretends to be above it all while coveting money. He acts as if Minister Yao owes him hundreds of taels every time they meet. He even looks down on newly promoted scholars from wealthy backgrounds, assuming they either bought their way in or relied on family influence, rarely acknowledging true talent and learning. It’s a bit much.”
Even Dou Shiheng couldn’t deny this point.
He remained silent.
Song Mo shook his head inwardly.
The topic had strayed far from the original point.
“It seems even Grand Councilors are ordinary people,” he smiled, steering the conversation back. “Among the Grand Councilors, Minister Mu’s family background is relatively wealthy, right?”
“Yes!” Dou Shiheng nodded. “Not just Minister Mu, but Minister He also comes from a prestigious family. Although Minister Dai’s background is slightly less illustrious, he’s not short of money either…”
Dou Shixing interjected: “That’s why our Prime Minister Liang always feels uncomfortable when the Grand Councilors gather!”
Dou Dechang burst out laughing, earning another scolding from Dou Shiheng.
Song Mo pondered silently.
It seemed neither Dai Jian nor Mu Chuan would antagonize the Kuang family over money.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The situation had become more complex and intriguing.
Who was pulling the strings behind the scenes?
Wei Tingyu didn’t appear in Jing’an Temple Lane until near lunchtime.
Dou Ming, still in her postpartum month, was considered unclean and couldn’t visit relatives or friends. Wei Tingyu used the excuse that Dou Ming needed care, had a cup of tea in the hall, and left.
Dou Shixing was also cold towards Wei Tingyu, instructing Gao Xing to see him out while he returned to his study.
Thinking of the Wei family’s troublesome affairs, Dou Shiheng’s expression darkened, and the atmosphere in the study became somber.
Dou Dechang loudly complained of hunger: “Seventh Uncle, when are we having lunch? I only had half a bowl of porridge this morning.” His words livened up the atmosphere again.
Dou Shixing laughed and instructed the servants to set the table.
Halfway through the meal, Dou Bochang and Dou Jichang arrived from Locust Tree Lane with their wives and children.
Dou Shixing was visibly delighted: “What brings you here?”
Both Dou Bochang and Dou Jichang’s parents-in-law were in the capital.
Dou Bochang smiled: “We paid New Year’s respects to our in-laws yesterday. Knowing it’s Fourth Sister and Brother-in-law’s first time paying New Year’s respects to their maiden family, we came to join the festivities. It also ensures Fourth Brother-in-law has enough people for mahjong if he wants to play.”
Dou Shixing beamed with joy, quickly instructing the maids to have the kitchen prepare a new feast.
However, Dou Bochang and Dou Jichang said they had already eaten lunch at home: “…Had we known, we should have come to Seventh Uncle’s house for a free meal.”
But Dou Shixing wouldn’t let them sit idly by. After some back and forth, a new set of dishes and wine was prepared.
The inner courtyard, now filled with children’s laughter and chatter, added a special festive and lively New Year’s atmosphere.
While the Sixth Aunt and other elder women gathered on the kang to discuss family matters, Madam Cai pulled Dou Zhao aside and whispered: “It’s good you didn’t go that day! I’ve seen shameless people before, but none as shameless as the Wei family! To try and take a daughter-in-law’s dowry, and to speak of it so righteously. How can Wei Tingzhen, a matriarch of a meritorious family, act so unreasonably? No wonder her mother-in-law looks down on her and favors the daughters-in-law from the Shi and Feng families.”
The reason Dou Zhao hadn’t been told about Dou Ming’s miscarriage was that she was pregnant, and the sisters’ relationship was tense. They worried about upsetting both Dou Ming and Dou Zhao. However, when Madam Guo and Madam Cai visited Dou Ming on behalf of the Dou family, the Sixth Aunt sent some nourishing herbs in Dou Zhao’s name. Dou Zhao had only just heard about this from the Sixth Aunt and knew nothing of what had transpired when Madam Guo and Madam Cai visited the Wei family.
In her previous life, although her dowry wasn’t substantial, the Wei family had never tried to claim it. How had things changed so much in this life that Madam Tian and the Wei family had become almost unrecognizable?
Dou Zhao frowned, “What exactly happened?”
Madam Cai then recounted how Madam Tian was dissatisfied with Dou Ming, how Wei Tingyu sided with Wei Tingzhen to force Dou Ming to hand over her dowry, and how the Wang family ignored Dou Ming’s plight. She narrated the events like a storyteller.
Dou Zhao was very surprised: “How could the Wang family ignore Dou Ming’s situation?”
Seeing that the Sixth Aunt and others were engrossed in their conversation and not paying attention, Madam Cai lowered her voice: “I heard that the Second Madam of the Wang family was very unhappy about the Seventh Aunt living with them for years. She instigated the Second Master and the Old Madam of the Wang family to cause several scenes. The First Madam of the Wang family remained silent, and in anger, the Old Madam took the Seventh Aunt to live in the Wang family’s suburban villa. Most people in the capital don’t know about this.
The letter sent by the Fifth Miss to Willow Leaf Lane fell into the hands of the Second Madam Wang, who suppressed it. When the Old Madam Wang brought the Seventh Aunt back to the capital for the New Year and sent someone to visit the Fifth Miss, the truth came out. But it was too late. Seeing no response from Willow Leaf Lane, Wei Tingzhen severely humiliated the Fifth Miss and even sold her two most trusted first-class maids. The Wang family has been searching for them for over half a month without any trace. Now everyone in the Wei mansion knows that their Madam is at odds with the eldest Miss, and no one dares to serve in the Fifth Miss’s room!”
“What’s the situation now?” Dou Ming’s dowry was much more substantial than Dou Zhao’s had been in her previous life. If it fell into the hands of the Wei family… Dou Zhao felt sick as if she had swallowed a fly. “Hasn’t the Fifth Aunt reasoned with the Wei family?”
“Who says they haven’t?” Madam Cai, fearing Dou Zhao might misunderstand the Locust Tree Lane family, hurriedly explained, ” Wei Tingyu used Dou Ming’s miscarriage as an excuse to invite the Seventh Uncle to the Ji Ning Marquis’s mansion. Who knew it was to discuss the Fifth Miss’s dowry? The Seventh Uncle was furious. If my mother-in-law hadn’t arrived in time, the two families might have had a huge fight, completely falling out… Now the matter is left unresolved, saying it will be discussed after the Spring Festival. But from the Wei family’s tone, they either want the Fifth Miss to hand over her dowry to be managed by the Dou family, or they’ll divorce her. The Seventh Uncle was so angry about this that he didn’t go to work for several days…”
Hearing that her father had fallen ill from anger, Dou Zhao thought she would remain calm, but in reality, she felt as if a knife had been plunged into her heart, almost rendering her speechless with pain.
“How could you all do this?” she couldn’t help but scold, “Such an important matter, how could you not tell me? Father already has no one to take care of him. If we don’t return to attend to him, won’t he be even more alone and helpless!”
“Please don’t be angry, Fourth Miss!” Madam Cai hurriedly explained, “It was the Seventh Uncle who specifically instructed us not to tell you. He was afraid you’d get upset and it might affect your pregnancy…”