Blossom

Dou Zhao's words seemed like a riddle, and Chen Qushui couldn't guess their meaning. His pride wouldn't allow him to ask Dou Zhao without careful consideration, so the topic was dropped.

After seeing Chen Qushui off, Dou Zhao stood in a daze on the veranda of the main house for a while.

In her past life, the Marquis of Jining had suddenly passed away from illness on the ninth day of the fifth month in the thirteenth year of Chengping.

She had "coincidentally" met Tian Shi on the nineteenth day of the eighth month in the fifteenth year of Chengping, after the Marquis's mourning period had ended, when Tian Shi went to Kaiyuan Temple to perform rites for her late husband.

It was already the third month of the thirteenth year of Chengping. If nothing unexpected happened, the Marquis of Jining would pass away in just over a month. Wei Tingyu would then observe a three-year mourning period, naturally delaying this marriage.

Who knew what the situation would be like three years later?

She wasn't worried.

In the following days, the spring rain fell continuously, and Dou Zhao busied herself tending to her peonies.

Chen Qushui brought her news: Zeng Yifen had passed away.

"The Grand Secretariat finally has an opening," Dou Zhao said with a smile, inviting Chen Qushui to sit at the stone table by the warm flowers. She personally brewed Biluochun tea and remarked, "I wonder who will become the Grand Secretary? And which vice minister will enter the Grand Secretariat? The Capital is bound to have some sleepless nights these days!"

Chen Qushui accepted the tea from Dou Zhao with a smile and analyzed, "Ye Shipei and Yao Shizhong are the most likely candidates. However, Dai Jian has the support of Wang Yuan, the eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, so he also stands a chance."

Dou Zhao was surprised. "So Dai Jian has Eunuch Wang's backing..."

Chen Qushui was even more surprised to hear Dou Zhao refer to Wang Yuan as "Eunuch Wang" and asked, "How do you know Wang Yuan?"

How could she not know Wang Yuan?

In her past life, during Liao Wang's palace coup, Wang Yuan had been the late emperor's trusted eunuch and had emerged unscathed. After Liao Wang ascended the throne, though he no longer served as the eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he became the chief eunuch of the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility. It was said that the emperor's favorite concubine, Lady Jiang, had fallen out of favor because she offended Wang Yuan, and her two sons were eventually placed under the care of her rival, Virtuous Consort Qi. Wang Yuan also particularly disliked being called "gonggong" (a common term for eunuchs). Thus, whether they were inner or outer court ladies, everyone respectfully addressed him as "Eunuch Wang."

Dou Zhao had simply grown accustomed to the term.

She feigned ignorance and said, "I read in books that such people are called 'eunuchs,' so I used that term." Afraid Chen Qushui would press further, she quickly changed the subject. "Isn't Ye Shipei the deputy Grand Secretary? Now that Zeng Yifen has passed, shouldn't he naturally succeed as Grand Secretary? Why do you say it's only a possibility? And who are Yao Shizhong and Dai Jian?"

These were topics Chen Qushui was very interested in, and Dou Zhao's explanation seemed plausible. He didn't dwell on it and replied with a smile, "In principle, that should be the case. But during Zeng Yifen's time, he suppressed Ye Shipei severely, making him the scapegoat for several major political issues, which damaged his reputation. Additionally, Ye Shipei is advanced in age and his energy is waning. These factors could all prevent him from becoming the Grand Secretary.

"Yao Shizhong rose from the position of supervising secretary in the Ministry of Revenue and is a renowned financial expert. In recent years, the Emperor has borrowed heavily from the Ministry of Revenue to build his mausoleum. There have also been two major floods in the south, reducing tax revenues. Yet, military provisions for suppressing pirates in the south cannot be reduced at all, leaving the national treasury strained. Perhaps the Emperor will appoint Yao Shizhong as Grand Secretary to address the treasury's emptiness.""As for Dai Jian, considering Wang Yuan managed to exile Ding Wei—a eunuch who had served the Emperor since his days in the princely residence—to Shaanxi as a military supervisor, you can imagine just how formidable this man is. It’s said Dai Jian arranged for his nephew to marry Wang Yuan’s adopted daughter, thus becoming in-laws with him. This man is talented, capable, and utterly shameless—he might just pull off an unexpected victory!"

If it were anyone else, they might doubt Chen Qushui’s reasoning. But Dou Zhao knew all too well how formidable Wang Yuan was, so she found Chen Qushui’s words quite plausible. The imperial court might appear dignified, but in reality, all sorts of absurdities could occur. After Liao Wang ascended the throne, he even appointed Master Yuantong, the abbot of Longshan Temple, as the Vice Minister of Rites, solely to oversee his Buddhist rituals. Longshan Temple was subsequently granted the title of Great Longshan National Protection Temple, flourishing overnight from an obscure little monastery into the foremost ancient temple... Once, she had inadvertently overheard the Empress complaining to the Empress Dowager, saying Master Yuantong had persuaded the Emperor to donate the golden tiles from the throne hall to the temple for building a grand hall—and the Emperor hadn’t even objected. The Empress Dowager had been so furious she cursed Master Yuantong as "that Ji thief"...

At this thought, Dou Zhao’s heart lurched, and her expression changed dramatically.

Master Yuantong’s secular surname was Ji, his courtesy name Mingjian, and his sobriquet No-Duality.

Could Ji Yong...? No, no, impossible!

She had met Master Yuantong twice.

He was tall, with fair skin and handsome features. Not only was his smile warm and gentle, but his demeanor was also humble and gracious—conversing with him felt like a spring breeze. How could he resemble Ji Yong, with his biting sarcasm, arrogant manners, and overt shrewdness...? But if you stripped all that away... when Ji Yong put on airs, he did bear some resemblance to Master Yuantong...

Dou Zhao abruptly stood up, knocking over the teacup beside her.

"Fourth Miss, what’s wrong?" Chen Qushui’s expression darkened, assuming she was still pondering who might join the Grand Secretariat. "Have you thought of something?"

Whether Dou Shishu could enter the Grand Secretariat would affect Wang Xingyi’s promotion, which in turn would impact their future plans in the Capital.

"Nothing, nothing!" Dou Zhao murmured. "I just recalled something from the past... I’m not sure if it’s true..." Then she suddenly asked Chen Qushui, "Do you know what Ji Jianming’s sobriquet is?"

She simply couldn’t reconcile Ji Yong with that monk.

Chen Qushui was taken aback. "I’ve never paid attention to that. Should I look into it?"

Ji Yong had quietly investigated him thoroughly, while he knew nothing in return. Though he had stormed off at the time, pretending it hadn’t unsettled him would be self-deception. He, too, was curious how someone as young as Ji Yong could possess such unnerving tactics.

Dou Zhao nodded repeatedly, her emotions in turmoil. "It would be best if you could also look into his activities in Yixing..." Perhaps they might uncover some clues.

Chen Qushui nodded.

Dou Zhao thought of Sixth Aunt’s hesitant words and Ji Yong’s reckless behavior...

Could Ji Yong really be that Master Yuantong?

For a moment, neither Chen Qushui nor Dou Zhao felt like continuing their conversation.

※※※※※

Meanwhile, far away in the Capital, Dou Shiying strode out of Dou Shishu’s study with a grim expression, pausing under the grapevine outside to let out a long sigh.Dou Shiheng followed him out, smiling. "What's the matter? Can't bear to part with Shou Gu?"

"Indeed!" Dou Shiying sighed deeply again. "Once she becomes someone else's daughter-in-law, she'll have to serve her in-laws and manage household affairs. She's still so young—how could she possibly handle all that?"

The Wei Family had just sent matchmakers to formally propose to Dou Shiying on behalf of Wei Tingyu.

Dou Shiying felt hesitant.

Was he really going to marry off his daughter just like that?

He came to discuss it with Dou Shishu.

But Dou Shishu just laughed and said, "What else do you want to do? Hold a contest to choose a son-in-law? Don't forget, the He Family backed off precisely because of the prior agreement between the Dou and Wei families. Now that the He Family isn't bringing up the marriage alliance anymore, you're not thinking of breaking off with the Wei Family, are you? How would we explain that to the He Family later?"

"That's not what I meant," Dou Shiying said. "I just don't want to marry Shou Gu off so soon, and I don't even know what kind of person this Wei Tingyu is..."

"Didn't you investigate him before? Both Sixth Brother and his wife thought he was a good match." Dou Shishu couldn't help but chuckle. "Besides, an engagement isn't the same as a wedding. After the engagement, there's still the dowry to prepare. It's common to wait two or three years before the actual marriage. I'm sure the Wei Family understands that. You can't keep Shou Gu at home forever, can you?"

Though the reasoning made sense, Dou Shiying still felt uneasy. After exchanging a few more words with Dou Shishu, he noticed Dou Shiheng approaching and stood up to leave. Unexpectedly, Dou Shiheng followed him out.

"Come on, let's go drink at my place." Sensing Dou Shiying's inner conflict, Dou Shiheng pulled him toward his own home.

With his own home feeling cold and unwelcoming, Dou Shiying had no desire to return. He accompanied Dou Shiheng to Mao'er Hutong.

On the way, he asked Dou Shiheng, "What did you need Fifth Brother for? Was it about the cabinet appointment?"

He was worried that Dou Zhao's marriage might cause a rift between the He and Dou families.

"Nothing major," Dou Shiheng replied. "I heard Fifth Brother was back, so I came to see him." Dou Shishu had been helping at the Zeng Family these past few days. He added, "Don't overthink it. A man must walk his own path—relying on others won't get you far. I believe Fifth Brother understands this too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to let the He Family retrieve the jade pendant from the Wei Family back then."

Dou Shiying nodded, and the two entered through the Hanging Flower Gate.

Ji Shi was directing maids and old women to set the table. Seeing them arrive, she quickly called for maids to bring water for them to wash their hands and faces, then sent an old woman to the kitchen to prepare additional dishes.

Dou Shiying made himself at home, changing into one of Dou Shiheng's robes before joining them for lunch.

Noticing that neither Dou Zhengchang nor Dou Dechang were present, he asked with a smile, "Where have those two brothers gone?"

Ji Shi served him a bowl of soup and replied cheerfully, "They went to Yuqiao Hutong."

A few members of the Han Family from Huzhou had come to meet Dou Zhengchang and were staying at the Ji Family residence in Yuqiao Hutong.

Dou Shiying inquired about Dou Zhengchang's marriage plans. "When will the engagement take place?"

Ji Shi beamed. "We've selected a few auspicious dates, all in the sixth or seventh month. We've already sent someone to discuss it with the Han Family, so we should hear back in a few days."

Dou Shiying sighed wistfully. "How nice it is to welcome a daughter-in-law!"

Dou Shiheng shot Ji Shi a meaningful glance, and she immediately understood.

Thinking about Shou Gu's impending marriage, her heart ached just the same!"Although the Wei Family has declined, they are still a proper marquisate after all. Wei Tingyu is their only son and was appointed heir early on," she persuaded Dou Shiying. "Tian Shi has a gentle temperament, and that young man is handsome, cheerful, and sincere. Though he's still a bit impulsive now, what young man isn't at his age? Our Shou Gu is clever—once they're married, she can gradually teach him, and he'll naturally become more steady with time."

Dou Shiying nodded slowly.

Neither of them mentioned the Wei Family's financial situation—Dou Zhao's personal wealth was more than enough for them to live lavishly.

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Dear sisters and brothers, I had to rush out for an urgent matter, so this update is a bit late. My apologies.

Regarding the part about serving tea to see guests out—that was indeed an oversight and has been corrected now.

o(n_n)o~

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