Blossom

Ji Yong watched the departing carriage with a dark expression.

Zi Shang's heart pounded nervously.

The young master had never been ignored like this before, and he had no idea what method Ji Yong might use to deal with Mr. Chen.

However, this Mr. Chen seemed to be Fourth Miss Dou's subordinate.

Fourth Miss Dou was formidable in her own right—she had feigned ignorance and beaten Pang Kunbai half to death. Not only could the Pang family not cry foul, but they ended up compensating Fourth Miss Dou with twenty thousand taels of silver. If she found out the young master had targeted her subordinate, would she come to settle the score with him?

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

If Fourth Miss Dou and the young master clashed, would he, a mere minnow, be caught in the crossfire?

As Zi Shang agonized over this, a steward-like figure hurried out from a side gate.

He bowed to Ji Yong. "Recommended Man Ji, our marquis invites you to the Reception Hall for tea."

Ji Yong gave him a haughty nod, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode through the gates of the Marquis of Jining's Mansion ahead of the steward.

The steward was taken aback but quickly caught up to lead the way.

The Wei family's Reception Hall was lush with greenery. Outside the window, thick-trunked bauhinia trees bloomed vibrantly, but the furnishings inside resembled a middle-aged woman past her prime—no amount of makeup could hide their wear and age.

Ji Yong curled his lip and chose a relatively new Grand Preceptor's Chair to sit in.

Maidservants served tea and snacks.

The steward accompanied the Marquis of Jining inside.

After exchanging pleasantries and seating themselves according to rank, the marquis chuckled warmly. "Recommended Man Ji, you are truly a young man of great promise! May I ask what brings you here today?" His tone was genial, his smile kindly, like an elder doting on a junior.

But Ji Yong's mind was already racing.

Originally, he had planned to use the Dou family's silence to persuade the Wei family to keep the betrothal token from Dou Zhao's engagement and renegotiate terms with the Dou family. This would achieve both his goal of securing Zhang Yuanming's position as heir and allow the Wei family to gain fame and fortune while maintaining moral high ground. Unexpectedly, he had run into Chen Qushui at the gates of the Marquis of Jining's Mansion.

Others might be fooled by Chen Qushui, thinking him just an obscure accountant for the Dou family, but Ji Yong knew better—for the past two years, Chen Qushui had been employed by Dou Zhao. The Dou family couldn't order him around; even asking for his advice would be impossible given Chen Qushui's pride.

His presence here could only mean he was acting on Dou Zhao's orders to resolve the matter of the betrothal token. Ji Yong didn't know what Chen Qushui had said to the Wei family, but judging by his expression and capabilities, he had clearly succeeded in his mission.

There was no point in Ji Yong meeting the marquis now.

Yet, for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet.

He wanted to know what Chen Qushui had discussed with the marquis. Had the Wei family decided to return the token to the Dou family as he had envisioned, then quietly annul the engagement with Dou Zhao once the storm passed? Or had they suddenly realized Dou Zhao was not only capable but also came with a substantial dowry, enough to revive their declining household, and changed their minds to propose marriage? Or perhaps something else entirely—something he hadn't anticipated—had occurred...Just as he never expected Dou Zhao to send Chen Qushui to visit the Marquis of Jining's Mansion, he also hadn’t sent anyone to monitor the movements in Zhen Ding.

Had he not encountered Chen Qushui today, he might still be smugly believing everything was under his control.

He disliked this sense of losing control intensely.

Ji Yong couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

Shouldn’t Dou Zhao have obediently stayed at home, waiting for him to settle this matter for her? How could she suddenly jump into action without a word? Not only had she disrupted his plans and arrangements, but she had also caught him off guard, nearly causing him to stumble…

He hadn’t encountered such a situation in years!

Why would she do this?

Weren’t they supposed to be on the same side?

He had already told her he would resolve this matter for her. Did she doubt his capability? Or had she simply disregarded his words entirely?

These chaotic thoughts made Ji Yong restless and irritable, and thus, he showed no courtesy toward the Marquis of Jining.

He said coolly, “I just ran into Mr. Chen, the accountant of the Dou family, at your gate. He usually takes care of Fourth Miss Dou in Zhen Ding, yet he suddenly appeared in the Capital. Presumably, it’s regarding the marriage agreement between your household and Fourth Miss Dou from years ago. I’ve also heard that your family intends to exchange the betrothal token with the He family for the title of the heir to the Duke of Jingguo. So, I came to visit Your Lordship to find out whether you ultimately plan to return the token to the Dou family or hand it over to the He family…”

The Marquis of Jining’s face darkened instantly.

Whether the Wei family intended to return the token to the Dou family or give it to the He family was none of his damn business!

He had only entertained this young man out of respect for his status as a member of the Ji family. Yet here he was, overstepping his bounds—peeking into others’ private affairs at such a young age, talented but lacking virtue. Even if he topped the imperial exams, he’d only end up struggling as a poor scholar in the bureaucratic sea.

“Young Master Ji, aren’t you meddling a bit too much?” The Marquis of Jining picked up his teacup without courtesy and loudly called, “Escort the guest out!”

Ji Yong naturally wouldn’t wait to be driven out.

The moment the Marquis lifted his teacup, Ji Yong stood up. Before the words “escort the guest” were fully spoken, he said coldly, “My family and the Dou family are connected by marriage. This year, I was honored to be invited by Second Madam of the Dou family to celebrate the New Year with them. Before I returned to the Capital to reunite with my father, she entrusted me to keep an eye on the situation here, fearing that Fourth Miss Dou might suffer injustice at the hands of her uncles. She asked me to discreetly inform you that if you keep the token with the Wei family for now, once the dust settles, she is willing to purchase it back at a high price—especially if the Dou family’s elders are unable to intervene or deliberately conceal the matter from her…”

Before he could finish, the Marquis of Jining seemed to choke on his words, staring in stunned silence for a long moment. Yet inwardly, his mind raced with calculations.

He had indeed looked down on Fourth Miss Dou, the so-called “unwed eldest daughter” of the Dou family. But if, as this Recommended Man Ji suggested, he could exchange the token for a substantial sum, the Wei family could immediately escape their current predicament. With funds to bribe the palace eunuchs, his son could secure a good position, and the Wei family could swiftly regain its standing. However, regarding his daughter… If he followed Mr. Chen’s proposal, he would have to marry her to Fourth Miss Dou. While they would receive a dowry and some support for his daughter, they would ultimately be at someone else’s mercy.

Truly a dilemma!If only there were a way to satisfy both sides.

The thought flashed through his mind, and he felt a sudden inspiration.

Why rush into a decision?

Now, the He family wanted that jade pendant, the Dou family wanted it too, and even Second Madam of the Dou family had her own secret plans behind her son’s back. As the saying goes, haste makes waste. Why not wait and delay a bit? Who knows, he might even get a better price for it!

The only question was whether the Ji family was truly related by marriage to the Dou family. He would have to investigate carefully.

Having made up his mind, the Marquis of Jining felt invigorated.

Ji Yong could tell at a glance what he was scheming and felt a surge of contempt, followed by sudden pity for Dou Zhao.

What kind of terrible marriage arrangement had her mother made for her?

If she married into this family, would she even have a chance at survival?

No matter what, he couldn’t let Dou Zhao marry into this household!

Ji Yong silently resolved in his heart as he listened to the Marquis of Jining put on a sanctimonious act: "Our Wei family fought alongside Emperor Taizong in the southern and northern campaigns, earning our place in the ancestral temple. Though our descendants may lack talent, we have never forgotten the achievements of our ancestors and dare not bring shame upon them. Since the Dou family has exchanged tokens with us, how can this marriage be so easily dismissed…"

As he rambled on, the steward who had earlier led Ji Yong in peeked cautiously into the Reception Hall.

The Marquis of Jining frowned slightly and cut off his speech, displeased. "What is it?"

The steward hurried in with a submissive air, bowing repeatedly. "My Lord, the paternal aunt has returned…"

The Marquis was taken aback.

The steward then whispered something into the Marquis’s ear.

Ji Yong disdained eavesdropping, but Zi Shang pricked up his ears and caught every word.

"Someone must have informed the paternal aunt that you decided to keep the jade pendant. She came back crying with her child, saying she couldn’t go on living. Madam and the paternal aunt are now weeping in each other’s arms, and no one can console them. The Young Lord is standing by and sent me to fetch you immediately, saying that if you don’t go now, Madam and First Madam might faint from crying…"

The Marquis of Jining adored his wife and children dearly.

Moreover, with such a sudden turn of events, he ought to explain things properly to his daughter.

He could no longer sit still. After exchanging a few polite words with Ji Yong, he once again signaled the end of the meeting by offering tea.

Ji Yong said no more and stood to leave the Reception Hall.

The Marquis hurried off to the inner courtyard.

Zi Shang relayed what he had overheard to Ji Yong.

Ji Yong said, "I’ll wait for you in the carriage. Follow the Marquis and see what happens. From the looks of it, he’s spineless—I wouldn’t be surprised if his daughter’s tears and tantrums make him change his mind again."

Zi Shang gaped. "Go… into the inner quarters…?"

"What are you afraid of?" Ji Yong shot him a disdainful glance. "The Marquis of Jining’s Mansion is so large, and their household is already stretched thin just covering daily expenses. They can’t possibly have enough servants to maintain every corner. Just avoid the main courtyards, and you’ll slip into the inner quarters without trouble. Even if someone recognizes you, just say I had more business with the Marquis, but you couldn’t find anyone along the way and ended up lost…"

What else could Zi Shang do? He followed Ji Yong’s instructions and stealthily trailed the Marquis into the inner quarters.

True to form, he encountered almost no one on the way and even saw some neglected courtyards overgrown with weeds, looking desolate.

Once again, the young master was right.He muttered to himself and made his way unimpeded to the main courtyard, climbing in from the backyard.

Maids and old women were standing under the veranda of the main house. Pressing against the back window, he caught intermittent words from the Marquis of Jining: "...Both are my flesh and blood. While I care for your younger brother, I can't abandon you either... Listen to me on this matter, it won’t go wrong... Would I ever harm you...?"

Zi Shang quietly retreated and ran into trouble at the Hanging Flower Gate—an old woman stopped him: "Who are you? I don’t recognize you."

"I sweep the outer courtyard," Zi Shang blurted out in a flash of inspiration. "I saw no one at the Hanging Flower Gate earlier, so I wandered over here."

"How could there be no one?" The old woman was puzzled.

But Zi Shang had already darted away, shouting, "I need to get back to duty!" as he fled the Marquis of Jining’s Mansion.

Ji Yong asked him, "How did it go?"

Zi Shang repeated everything he had heard word for word.

Ji Yong nodded and asked Zi Shang, "Which tavern in the Capital is the best? I’m treating He Yu to drinks!"

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Sisters, brothers, triple updates today! Triple updates!

I finally wrote it out!

And I heavily revised 108 chapters...

Praise me, give me pink votes...(>_<)

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