Blossom

Madam Yuan, wife of Duke Jing Zhang Pei, nearly died in childbirth while delivering her eldest son Zhang Yuanming. Zhang Yuanming was dull by nature, growing up to be both foolish and obese, which constantly irritated Madam Yuan. She much preferred her second son Zhang Jiming and youngest son Zhang Zuming. As a result, though Zhang Yuanming was already twenty-six, the Duke of Jing's household still hadn't established an heir. This not only made Wei Tingzhen uneasy, but beneath the seemingly prosperous surface of the Duke's household, undercurrents were swirling.

Wang Qinghai, the fourth son of Marquis Ting'an's household and a close friend of Wei Tingyu, naturally knew the full story behind this situation.

Hearing this, he fell silent for a moment before asking softly, "Then what do you plan to do?"

Wei Tingyu replied, "That's why I need to hurry back and talk to my father!"

Wang Qinghai's spirits lifted. "You mean..."

Wei Tingyu's face flushed instantly red. "We can't... can't let Miss Dou be jilted, can we? How would she live with that?" he stammered, his expression somewhat awkward.

Wang Qinghai burst into laughter and gave Wei Tingyu such a hearty slap on the shoulder that he nearly stumbled. "I knew it! Brother Wei is a true man who stands tall between heaven and earth, not someone who'd slink away in fear. Come on, I'll go with you to speak to the old Marquis."

Wei Tingyu nodded, threw an arm around Wang Qinghai's shoulders, and the two mounted their horses and rode off in a cloud of dust.

In the reception hall, Dou Zhao was still conversing with Chen Qushui: "...Have you considered carefully why the Dou and Wei families, when breaking off the engagement, didn't handle it themselves but had the He family step in instead?"

Chen Qushui had pondered this question too and answered cautiously, "I believe it might be because both Sixth Master and Seventh Master strongly opposed this marriage. Fifth Master didn't want to damage fraternal harmony over this, so he passed the matter to the He family. To Sixth and Seventh Masters, he could claim it was to make the He family back down; to the He family, he could provide an explanation—thus offending neither side. The main reason, however, is that Fifth Master is currently at a critical juncture in his bid to become Grand Secretary and can't afford the slightest misstep, especially regarding moral conduct that opponents might exploit—his ability to compete with Wang Xingyi stems precisely from his reputation for upright conduct and public-spiritedness over the years, earning widespread praise from colleagues..."

Dou Zhao nodded repeatedly and smiled. "We should seize this opportunity!"

"Opportunity?" Chen Qushui looked puzzled. "What opportunity? The matter has already blown up—would the Wei family really return the betrothal gifts to the He family? What would that make them? Selling a wife for glory—could the Wei family still maintain standing among noble circles after that?"

"Never say never about anything," Dou Zhao said. "There may be other things I don't know, but regarding the Wei family, I'm completely clear. At this point, the Marquis of Jining's household has long been distant from court and imperial circles, having declined to become a second- or third-tier noble family. They not only need powerful ministers' support to secure lucrative appointments to maintain their household, but also money to sustain their increasingly strained finances." She paused, then brought up Zhang Yuanming: "...He's both the legitimate heir and the eldest son, long past the age when he should have been confirmed as heir. For the He family, this would be a trivial matter. With Wei Tingzhen's advocacy and given how much the old Marquis and his wife dote on her, there's an eighty to ninety percent chance the Wei family would agree to have Wei Tingyu use Zhang Yuanming's heir confirmation as leverage in negotiations with the He family."

Her heart held even greater contempt for the Wei family. "What does the Fourth Young Miss mean?""I would like to ask you, sir, to personally make a trip to the Capital and have a good talk with Old Marquis Wei," Dou Zhao said with a smile. "Whether for the sake of face or benefit, leaving the betrothal token with the Wei Family is the best choice. After all, my fifth uncle could also become a Grand Secretary, and I have a substantial dowry." She then added teasingly, "This could also be an opportunity to clear my fifth uncle's name—it's not that our Dou family wants to break off this engagement, but because the Wei Family has ignored it for so many years. The groom's family should lower their heads when taking a bride, while the bride's family should hold their heads high when marrying off their daughter. The Dou family can't very well go knocking on their door, can they?"

Chen Qushui, however, hesitated. "Should we inform the Wei Family about the extent of your personal assets?"

"That won't be necessary," Dou Zhao replied with a laugh. "I'm afraid it might make it harder to extricate myself later. After all, as a daughter of the Dou family, it's only natural that my dowry would be more generous than that of an ordinary family."

She recalled the satisfied expression on Wei Tingzhen's face when she saw her dowry in her previous life after marrying into the Wei Family.

Chen Qushui understood and smiled. "I'll make sure to pin the blame squarely on the Wei Family."

Dou Zhao giggled twice.

※※※※※

Ji Yong was also smiling as he looked at the note in his hand.

The Wei Family had proposed that if the He Family could help Zhang Yuanming secure the title of heir, they would return the betrothal token to the He Family.

Not bad.

Dou Zhao was at least worth the title of heir.

He couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips and instructed his personal page, Zi Shang, "Bring my name card. We're going to the Marquis of Jining's Mansion." His tone sounded rather happy.

Zi Shang thus mustered the courage to ask, "What are we going to the Marquis of Jining's Mansion for? We're not familiar with those noble families..."

Ji Yong gave him a cold glance.

Zi Shang hurriedly called for maids to help Ji Yong change his clothes, then went to Ji Yong's study to fetch a name card, arranged for a carriage, and accompanied Ji Yong out.

They resided in the Ji family's public residence in the Capital, located in the central Nanxun Ward, where the Six Ministries, the Imperial Academy, and the Office of the Crown Prince were all situated. The three-section, five-courtyard mansion occupied a third of Yuhe Alley, making it quite imposing.

In the main courtyard, they encountered several young men dressed as scholars.

Upon seeing Ji Yong, they immediately made way for him from a distance.

Ji Yong didn't even lift his eyes, walking past them as if they were invisible.

Zi Shang, however, recognized the leader as Master Min from the Twelfth Elder's household. The others were unfamiliar, likely classmates of Master Min from the Imperial College.

He smiled at Master Min as a greeting when he heard someone in the group grumble, "Is this the young prodigy from your family who achieved fame early? He’s too arrogant! Though our knowledge may not match his, that doesn’t mean we won’t be Named on the Golden List someday..."

Zi Shang heard Master Min reply with a laugh, "Brother Jieyuan, you’ve misunderstood. My cousin isn’t arrogant—he’s just ‘devoted solely to the study of sages, turning a deaf ear to worldly affairs’ and doesn’t understand social niceties. Even if you’d met him before, if some time passed without seeing you, he’d forget what you looked like. He’s caused quite a few awkward situations because of this, but our family is used to it. Once you get to know him, you’ll see—he’s never been good at recognizing people since childhood..."

Fortunately, they had run into Master Min. If it had been Master Yu, not only would he not have defended the young master, but he might even have egged others on to cause trouble for him.Zi Shang quickly caught up with Ji Yong as they exited the main gate. Just as he was about to speak a few good words on behalf of Young Master Min in front of Ji Yong, he noticed a black-lacquered carriage draped in blue cloth stopping before them.

Descending from the carriage was Ji Yong’s father, Ji Qi.

A man in his forties, he wore the crimson official robes of the fourth rank, adorned with cloud-and-wild-goose insignia. Handsome in appearance and gentle in demeanor, he exuded an air of refinement.

Ji Qi smiled and asked his son, "Jianming, where are you off to?"

Without even blinking, Ji Yong replied, "I’m going to Jade Treasure Pavilion to see if they have any decent inkstones."

"Do you have enough money?"

Ji Yong ignored him and climbed straight into the carriage.

Zi Shang hastily answered for him, "Yes, yes, we have enough!"

Ji Qi took no offense and nodded, advising them to "be careful."

Zi Shang nodded repeatedly, hurriedly bowed to Ji Qi, and scrambled into the carriage.

Ji Qi watched their carriage depart from Daiqiao Alley before finally stepping back through the main gate.

※※※※※

The Marquis of Jining’s Mansion was located in Yuming Lane in the western part of the city, where the mansions of the Marquis of Yan’an, Marquis Changxing, and Duke Xing were also situated. Many of the founding meritorious officials from the previous dynasty had established their residences there, earning the area the playful nickname "Wealth and Nobility Lane" among the Capital’s residents.

At the entrance of the Marquis of Jining’s Mansion, Ji Yong encountered Chen Qushui, who had just emerged from the estate.

He was surprised.

Chen Qushui was even more astonished and stepped forward to greet Ji Yong.

But Ji Yong asked bluntly, "Why are you here? Where’s Fourth Miss Dou?"

Chen Qushui smiled. "Fourth Miss is in Zhen Ding. She sent me to the Marquis of Jining’s Mansion on some business."

Ji Yong frowned and pulled Chen Qushui aside. "What business did Fourth Miss send you for?"

Chen Qushui smiled without answering.

Noticing the faint joy in the other man’s expression, Ji Yong felt an uneasy premonition.

He snorted coldly. "Don’t think I can’t find out. Telling me now would just save me the trouble."

Chen Qushui replied evenly, "A man must be faithful to his charge. I beg Young Master Ji not to make things difficult for me."

Ji Yong clicked his tongue mockingly. "Who would’ve thought that Zhang Kai, the Fujian Provincial Governor, was a coward—yet his adviser is a man of loyalty and courage."

Zhang Kai, the Fujian Provincial Governor, had abandoned the city when the Japanese pirates attacked Fuzhou. He was beheaded by the Fujian Regional Commander, Duke Ding Jiang Meisun, and his head was displayed on Fuzhou’s city walls for three days—a fact known throughout the court and the public.

Chen Qushui’s expression darkened instantly, his demeanor turning icy. "Then I’m afraid you’ll have to trouble yourself to investigate, Recommended Man Ji." With that, he flicked his sleeves and boarded a nearby carriage, rattling away.

Zi Shang watched Ji Yong’s stormy expression with unease, his mind racing.

The young master had never been so blatantly disregarded before—he must be furious!

What would the young master do to this Mr. Chen?

But then again, this Mr. Chen seemed to be Fourth Miss Dou’s subordinate, and Fourth Miss Dou was formidable in her own right. She had feigned ignorance and beaten that Pang Kunbai half to death. If the young master targeted her man, would she come seeking retribution?

Though the young master was strong-willed, every time he encountered Fourth Miss Dou, it was like fire meeting water. No matter how fiercely the flames burned, she could douse him with just a few words, leaving him speechless for ages.

If Fourth Miss Dou and the young master clashed, would small fry like him get caught in the crossfire?

Tormented by these thoughts, Zi Shang heard Ji Yong grind out through clenched teeth, "Let’s go back."

The young master wasn’t going to the Marquis of Jining’s Mansion anymore?

He froze for a moment before quickly helping Ji Yong into the carriage.That evening, Zi Xi, who had been helping Ji Yong gather information, returned. Ji Yong was fuming and stomping around the room in a rage.

"That woman, can't she just stay put? I told her I'd help her, and naturally, I'd handle everything properly. Why does she have to show off like this?" After cursing, he slumped weakly into the Grand Preceptor's Chair, staring at the blue-green intertwining vine patterns painted on the ceiling and grinning. "But she really is clever and capable..." At this point, he suddenly jumped up and asked Zi Shang, "Which restaurant is the best in the Capital? I want to invite He Yu for a drink!"

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Dear readers, here's the extra chapter from yesterday.

P.S.: Please vote with your pink votes...(>_<)