Blossom

After the second day of February, tender buds sprouted on the trees, green grass emerged from the ground, and winter jasmine bloomed exuberantly, covering branches and slopes in a riot of color, brightening the entire sky.

Dou Zhao sat quietly on the curved bench of the octagonal pavilion in the back garden, dressed in a moon-white silk jacket and a blue eight-paneled Xiang skirt, as serene as a babbling mountain spring.

Old Master Ji had personally intervened, reaching an understanding with her fifth uncle by supporting his confidant—Fang Zhou, the Secretary of the Bureau of Scrutiny for Appointments in the Ministry of Personnel—to take up the position of Administration Commissioner in Zhejiang.

Once the engagement with the Wei family was dissolved, she and Ji Yong would be formally betrothed.

Why had the Ji family suddenly taken an interest in her?

And while she was still engaged to another, no less.

If this news were to spread, how could the Ji family maintain their standing in Jiangnan?

No wonder those who knew of the matter kept it tightly under wraps!

Dou Zhao neither underestimated herself nor overestimated her worth.

In terms of character, she was far from the virtuous and chaste women renowned for their filial piety. In terms of background, her birth mother had passed away early. In terms of looks, she was far from being a stunning beauty. As for family status, though the Dou family had risen to become one of the notable noble families in Beizhili thanks to her fifth uncle’s entry into the Grand Secretariat, he was still new to the position and lacked deep roots. In Jiangnan, where centuries-old aristocratic families abounded, the Ji family was one of them. Old Master Ji wouldn’t ally with the Dou family purely for familial interests—especially since the two families were already connected by marriage. Her sixth uncle, who had married a Ji family daughter, was a full brother to her fifth uncle, making him far closer kin than her, a distant cousin beyond the five degrees of mourning. There was no need for the Ji family to go to such lengths...

After much thought, only one possibility remained.

The Ji family hoped to use her to rein in Ji Yong.

Lost in contemplation, Dou Zhao’s gaze fell upon the nearby flowering quince.

The tree was covered in bright red blossoms, as radiant as a sunset and as fiery as flames.

Did Ji Yong know Old Master Ji’s true intentions?

And what did he think of it all?

Dou Zhao felt she ought to meet Ji Yong in person.

But before she could instruct Su Xin, Chen Qushui arrived with account books in hand.

“The heir of the Marquis wishes to see you,” he said, fiddling with an abacus. “From the sound of it, he seems to know about your reluctance to marry the Marquis of Jining.”

Dou Zhao felt a headache coming on.

Before the Wei family matter could be resolved, Ji Yong had gotten involved. And now, Song Mo was making his presence known...

“Tell the heir that my marriage is for my elders to decide,” she said. “Please ask him not to interfere.”

Chen Qushui hesitated.

Dou Zhao then told him about Old Master Ji’s visit.

Chen Qushui was stunned. “How could this happen?”

Compared to the Wei family, this match with the Ji family was far more suitable in terms of social standing."I want to break off the engagement, but tacitly allowing Song Mo to intervene—what kind of solution is that?" Dou Zhao said. "Besides, you know Song Mo's temperament. He never acts unless he's certain of success. But what happens afterward? The moment I break off the engagement with the Wei Family, the Ji Family will immediately come to propose marriage—and the Ji Family is nothing like the Wei Family. They can assist Fifth Uncle in court. Once this marriage is settled, it won’t be so easy to back out. If I stubbornly refuse to marry, not just Second Madam and Fifth Uncle, but even Father, Consort Cui, and Sixth Aunt probably won’t indulge me any further. People might even think I’ve lost my mind. At that point, it would be a deadlock. Would I really have to marry Cousin Ji? I’d rather marry the Marquis of Jining. At least the Marquis is easier to handle. With Cousin Ji, I’d have to sleep with one eye open. All I want in this life is to live comfortably and pass away peacefully in old age. I have no intention of assisting my husband in becoming a noble or leaving my name in history like Crimson Jade."

Chen Qushui couldn’t help but laugh. "I’m old, yet I’m not as fatalistic as you, young lady. But you do have a point. Ji Jianming may be extraordinarily talented, but he’s also arrogant and difficult to get along with. Moreover, the Ji Family has six main branches and thirteen collateral branches, plus their in-laws—altogether over a hundred households. Marrying into the Ji Family would indeed be worse than marrying into the Marquis of Jining’s Mansion."

Chen Qushui was the only one who understood her desire to remain uninvolved.

Heartened by his agreement, Dou Zhao’s mood lifted.

She said, "I think we should start with the Wei Family—as long as they refuse to break off the engagement, the Dou family won’t be able to discuss marriage with the Ji Family. When the Ji Family inevitably tries to pressure the Wei Family into withdrawing, as long as we expose their schemes, we’ll hold the moral high ground. Then Fifth Uncle won’t be able to force me into marrying into the Ji Family."

Chen Qushui pondered. "You mean to accuse the Ji Family of sabotaging your engagement... That way, even if Fifth Master wants to ally with the Ji Family, he won’t dare bear the reputation of colluding to persecute his niece!"

"Exactly," Dou Zhao smiled. "The Wei Family would be seen as faithless, and the Ji Family as bullies. I can use that as an excuse to retire from marriage altogether and live a secluded life. Given Western Dou’s half of the family fortune, I believe Second Madam will persuade Fifth Uncle to let me stay at home."

Chen Qushui frowned. "But what if the Ji Family and the Wei Family drag this out? The Marquis of Jining isn’t young, and his household lacks someone to manage its affairs. The Wei Family won’t let this drag on—at most, by this autumn, the marriage must be settled."

Dou Zhao chuckled. "Do you really think the Ji Family will let it drag on?"

Chen Qushui was puzzled. "Delaying would only benefit the Ji Family, since they’re the ones without justification."

"If the Ji Family were that rational, they wouldn’t be trying to steal another’s betrothed in the first place," Dou Zhao sneered. "Ji Jianming turned out the way he is—do you think his family bears no responsibility?"

Chen Qushui sighed wryly.

Dou Zhao said, "Help me arrange a meeting with the Marquis of Jining."

"Here or at Jing'an Temple Alley?""Naturally, it's Jing'an Temple Alley," said Dou Zhao. "After all, Fifth Madam manages the household here, which makes things inconvenient." She added, "While you're at it, drop a hint to Song Mo—make him think that although I'm heartbroken, I still hope to salvage my engagement. That way, he won't interfere and complicate matters further."

Chen Qushui nodded.

After discussing some details, Dou Zhao escorted him to the Hanging Flower Gate, where they unexpectedly ran into Ji Yong.

"Cousin Ji!" Dou Zhao greeted him.

His face flushed red as he mumbled a response, avoiding eye contact and striding past her with his head held high.

Amused and exasperated, Dou Zhao asked the page accompanying Ji Yong, "What did Cousin Ji come for?"

The page smiled. "Fifth Master is rarely on leave this year, so Editor Ji came to pay his respects. They discussed some scholarly matters."

Dou Zhao gave a noncommittal "Hmm" and returned to the main courtyard.

Ji Shi and Fifth Madam were deep in conversation, their expressions grim. When they noticed Dou Zhao enter, they abruptly stopped talking and simultaneously smiled at her. "You're back!"

Dou Zhao cheerfully stepped forward to greet her two aunts with a curtsy, then linked arms with Sixth Aunt.

Sixth Aunt stiffened slightly.

Fifth Madam laughed. "Look at you two standing together—you could pass as mother and daughter."

Sixth Aunt remained silent.

Dou Zhao giggled. When a steward came in to seek Fifth Madam's instructions, she took Sixth Aunt into the western wing and served her some homemade walnut cookies.

Sixth Aunt's expression darkened. Holding a cookie, she gently patted Dou Zhao's hand and whispered, "Shou Gu, if I've ever wronged you, you must forgive me."

Dou Zhao understood.

Caught between her and her own family elders, Sixth Aunt was in a difficult position. If Ji Yong had been unworthy, at least Sixth Aunt would have had grounds to object. But Ji Yong had passed the imperial exams at a young age and was hailed as the promising Third Scholar in the eyes of the world—Sixth Aunt's objections held no weight.

With a playful smile, Dou Zhao leaned against Sixth Aunt's shoulder and teased, "A child never blames their mother for being plain. Don’t worry—even if you give the gold necklace you promised me to Eleventh Sister-in-law, I won’t hold it against you."

"You silly child!" Ji Shi stroked Dou Zhao's hair, her heart aching. She silently resolved that if Ji Yong ever dared slight Dou Zhao in the slightest, she would stand up for her niece even if it meant severing ties with her sister-in-law.

"You needn’t worry," she murmured. "You’ll live well."

Dou Zhao's nose stung, and she nearly shed tears.

※※※※※

When Wei Tingyu learned Dou Zhao wanted to see him, he hurriedly had a fashionable blue-green Hangzhou silk straight robe with cloud patterns tailored and went to Jing'an Temple Alley.

This was the first time Dou Zhao had properly looked at Wei Tingyu since her rebirth.

His youthful face still bore fine down on his lips as he sat stiffly, visibly nervous—familiar yet strange to her.

"Have some tea," Dou Zhao gestured to the Biluochun on the side table.

"Thank you," Wei Tingyu mumbled, blushing as he lifted the cup for a sip.

Perhaps too tense or drinking too hastily, he choked on the tea and coughed.

Dou Zhao quickly signaled Su Xin to hand him a handkerchief.

Flustered, Wei Tingyu thanked her, though his expression relaxed slightly.

Dou Zhao cut to the chase: "Do you want to break off the engagement?""No, no," Wei Tingyu hastily waved his hands, his expression flustered. "I've never thought that way..."

Dou Zhao said, "I also believe there's nothing between you and my sister..."

"Fourth Miss!" Before she could finish, Wei Tingyu's face was already filled with shock.

Ever since they were discovered meeting at Great Xiangguo Temple, his sister had slapped Dou Ming without a word, his mother had been crying nonstop, even his brother-in-law who had always treated him like family looked at him with disappointment. Wang Qinghai went even further, gleefully asking, "Which sister is prettier, the elder or the younger?"

Only Dou Zhao believed there was no improper relationship between him and Dou Ming.

"Your sister and I—there's really nothing!" he said agitatedly. "Originally, your sister sent someone to tell me she had urgent matters to discuss regarding our marriage, asking me to secretly meet at Great Xiangguo Temple where her maid would be waiting..."

Dou Zhao truly believed him.

Dou Ming wasn't a fool.

"There's no need to explain," Dou Zhao said. "I believe you."

"Thank you, Fourth Miss." Wei Tingyu's face was full of gratitude.

"But after all that's happened, I'm exhausted both physically and mentally. The elders in the family are displeased," Dou Zhao continued. "Perhaps we should postpone our marriage for a while? Let everyone catch their breath and take this opportunity to think carefully about the future."

Wei Tingyu was stunned.

What did Dou Zhao mean?

She said she believed him, yet wanted to delay the wedding...

The windows of the Reception Hall were wide open, the vibrant colors of mid-spring visible outside, but Wei Tingyu couldn't feel any joy at all.