Blossom

The Shuntian Prefecture School Alley next to the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion got its name from the location of the prefecture school. Scissor Lane was consequently packed with stalls and shops selling various snacks, among which was a wonton shop called Maoji. Their wontons had thin wrappers and generous fillings, served with small fish and shrimp in a delicious broth. He occasionally visited Maoji for a bowl, chatting with the owner, also a fellow Jiangnan native, which instantly dispelled his homesickness and lifted his spirits.

By the time he left Cassia Fragrance Courtyard, the lanterns had just been lit.

Tao Qizhong hesitated briefly before heading to Maoji Wonton Shop.

As usual, the shop was bustling, every seat occupied.

Under the dim yellow light, amidst the clamor of voices and the rising steam, faces became indistinct.

Yet the owner of Maoji immediately recognized Tao Qizhong.

Wiping his hands on his apron, he approached with a smile, "Mr. Tao, the usual? Shall I set up a table for you at the back door?"

Tao Qizhong smiled and thanked him.

The owner personally cleared a table and brought a bowl of wontons to Tao Qizhong.

Tao Qizhong took a sip of the broth.

From the neighboring table came the hushed conversation of two men.

"...Really? The Dou family are scholars—how could they agree to a sister-swap marriage?"

"Why would I lie? Fourth Miss Dou and Fifth Miss Dou share the same father but different mothers. They say there wasn’t enough time to prepare, so Fifth Miss was married off using Fourth Miss’s dowry. Now that Fifth Miss has taken Fourth Miss’s place as the marquise of the Marquis of Jining’s household, Fourth Miss naturally wants her dowry back. I even helped carry the dowry—of course I’d know!"

"I heard the Dou family gives twenty thousand taels of silver as dowry for their daughters. If the dowry is taken back, wouldn’t the Marquis of Jining suffer a loss?"

"What loss? The twenty thousand taels came from the family coffers. Fourth Miss only took back what her own birth mother left her. At most, it’d be one or two thousand taels. And Fifth Miss’s maternal grandfather is Wang Yousheng, the Yunnan governor—you know, the one who won battles wherever he went? Now that Fourth Miss has reclaimed her birth mother’s belongings, Fifth Miss’s mother and the Wang family will surely give her a hefty dowry supplement. If anything, the Marquis of Jining’s household came out ahead!"

Hearing this, Tao Qizhong couldn’t help but turn to look.

The speakers were two men in coarse short coats, burly and dark-skinned. Though one had an honest face and the other a shrewd one, both had calloused hands and dirt under their fingernails—clearly manual laborers.

He cupped his hands in greeting and called out, "Gentlemen, might I ask—are you referring to the Dou family of Beizhili? The household of Dou Wenhua, Lord Dou?"

Dou Shishu, who served as a Grand Academician of the Wenhua Hall and had long held a high position in the Ministry of Personnel, had aided many. In scholarly circles, to show respect—

The two men, seeing Tao Qizhong’s scholarly attire, quickly stood and bowed in return, murmuring deferentially, "Indeed, the household of Grand Secretary Dou, Minister of Justice and Grand Academician of the Wenhua Hall."Tao Qizhong noticed that although the two men were dressed shabbily, their speech and demeanor showed they were familiar with proper etiquette. Recalling their earlier words, he realized they were accustomed to working for wealthy and noble households. His attitude softened further as he smiled and said, "On this cold night with nothing to do, I found your conversation quite amusing. I may have been a bit improper earlier—please don’t take it to heart."

"Not at all, not at all!" the two men hurriedly replied respectfully. The sharper-looking one added, "From your tone, sir, it seems you’re acquainted with the Dou family. What would you like to know? We’ll hold nothing back and share everything we know."

The more honest-faced man, however, looked displeased and kicked the sharper one under the table. The latter pretended not to notice and eagerly invited Tao Qizhong to join them at their table.

Tao Qizhong saw through this and chuckled, "Why don’t you both come sit with me instead? It’s quieter over here."

The honest-faced man hesitated, but the sharper one was overjoyed. He picked up his half-finished bowl of wontons and immediately moved to Tao Qizhong’s side. The honest-faced man could only sigh helplessly and follow suit.

Tao Qizhong smiled. "Now that we’re sitting together, the owner can free up a table for other customers and earn a few extra coins."

The sharper one eagerly agreed, while the honest-faced man relaxed slightly at these words.

Most of the time, Tao Qizhong spoke with the honest-faced man. "You mentioned helping move the dowry for the Dou family’s fourth young lady—what exactly happened there?"

The man answered straightforwardly, "After such an incident, everyone felt embarrassed. Once the bride returned to her maiden home to acknowledge her relatives, the Dou family quietly moved the dowry items left by the fourth young lady’s birth mother back under cover of night. Since they were short-handed and I often help the Dou family with heavy labor, they called me to assist. Besides wages, we each received a tael of silver as a reward. I just finished the job and treated my friend here to a bowl of wontons."

Though Maoji’s wontons were cheap, for laborers like them, enjoying a bowl like this was still a rare luxury.

Tao Qizhong nodded and then inquired about the matter of the sisters switching places in the marriage arrangement.

The sharper one could spin ten sentences from a single question, but since he was only repeating what the honest-faced man had told him, he couldn’t offer much substance. The honest-faced man, on the other hand, knew quite a bit—but like an oil lamp wick, he only brightened when prodded and remained dim otherwise. Tao Qizhong paid for their wontons, then asked the shop owner for a pot of aged baijiu and four side dishes. The three of them drank slowly by the back door of the wonton shop until the second watch drum sounded before parting ways.

As the wind blew, Tao Qizhong began to feel the effects of the alcohol.

Leaning against the wall, he ambled into the alley beside the Duke of England's Mansion.

The guard at the side gate spotted him and hurried over to support him, flattering, "Mr. Tao, where have you been, sir? Why didn’t you bring any pages with you? It’s pitch black out—what if you’d tripped or gotten hurt? The Duke’s affairs would be thrown into chaos!"

Tao Qizhong chuckled and tossed the guard a small piece of silver. "Buy yourself a drink."The guard on duty grinned from ear to ear, repeatedly expressing his gratitude with even more enthusiasm: "Shall I help you back to your room, sir? Just earlier, the Duke sent someone to ask where you'd gone. If you wish to go out alone in the future, do let us know. That way, if the Duke looks for you, we'll know where to find you..."

What could the Duke want with him? If it were truly urgent, surely someone would have been sent to search for him, knowing he had returned to the mansion. They would have sent someone to fetch him again.

Tao Qizhong's mind was a bit hazy at the moment. He mumbled an "Mm" and went back to his room to rest.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly woke up, remembering the matter.

Had he gone to see the Duke afterward or not?

He couldn't recall clearly, rubbing his temples as he sat up in bed. He called for a page to bring him tea and asked, "Did the Duke send anyone to look for me?"

"No," the page replied with a smile. "But the Second Master came to see you in person." Here, the page paused, lowering his voice. "It seems the Duke gave the Second Master quite a scolding, and he nearly got a paddle beating for it. The Second Master came to ask you to put in a good word for him with the Duke."

Tao Qizhong sighed deeply upon hearing this.

Truly, he was nowhere near Song Mo's caliber!

If Song Mo were to marry the princess, given his abilities, the Duke and the Second Master might soon find themselves living under Song Mo's shadow!

The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately recalled the incident at Maoji Dumpling Shop.

Hadn't he initially found the matter of the Dou family's fourth young lady quite intriguing?

Tao Qizhong sprang up and ordered the page, "Quick! Help me get dressed—I must see the Duke at once!"

The page was taken aback.

Realizing his own excitement, Tao Qizhong waved him off. "You may go for now. I'll call if I need anything."

After all, he had only heard rumors. It would be better to verify some things first, lest he make a mistake in front of the Duke.

The page withdrew as instructed.

Tao Qizhong paced his room until dawn, then summoned the page again to help him freshen up. Without even having breakfast, he left the Duke of England's Mansion alone.

Song Yichun's chest ached with frustration whenever he thought of Song Han's studies. The pain was self-inflicted, leaving him no one to complain to. Yesterday, he had wanted to invite Tao Qizhong for a game of chess, only to find he had left the mansion. This morning, when Song Yichun tested Song Han on his studies, though the boy managed to recite the assigned passage, he stumbled through it, provoking another fit of anger. Hoping to vent to Tao Qizhong, he sent a page to summon him, only to learn Tao Qizhong had gone out again. His temper flared instantly.

What on earth was Tao Qizhong up to?

Knowing full well he was being sought, yet avoiding him—was Tao Qizhong starting to waver in his loyalty, thinking that once Song Mo married the princess, he himself would be utterly overshadowed by Song Mo, reduced to a mere figurehead in the Duke of England's Mansion?

Song Yichun's veins bulged with rage as he roared at the page, "What are you waiting for? Go find him! Turn the Capital upside down if you must, but bring him back to me!"

The page stammered a hasty "Yes," but as he turned to leave, he collided headlong with Tao Qizhong.

Tao Qizhong clutched his chest with an "Ouch," but without so much as a glance at the page, he pushed past him and strode forward to bow deeply to Song Yichun."Lord Duke, I have an excellent candidate for the Young Lord's marriage!" He smiled as he looked at Song Yichun.

※※※※※

Dou Shiying stood on the steps of the main chamber, watching the bustling servants moving items in and out, his heart heavy.

Gu Qiu's belongings left for her daughter had been retrieved, but where was his daughter's marital fate?

Thinking of Dou Ming's barely concealed joyful smile, his gaze darkened as he headed toward the eastern wing.

The hall was somewhat cluttered. Zhao Zhangru was crouched before two chests retrieved from the Marquis of Jining's Mansion, chatting with Dou Zhao: "...Auntie's chest must belong to the same set as ours. Ours is carved with eight hundred arhats, while yours depicts Peng Zu paying respects for longevity—both made of rosewood with ivory inlays."

Hearing this, Dou Zhao smiled faintly and pointed to a small kang screen nearby: "This one is also rosewood, inlaid with mother-of-pearl."

"Where? Where?" Zhao Zhangru leaned in closer.

Dou Zhao showed her.

Both young women, already past the typical marrying age when most would already be wives and mothers, now laughed together like carefree children.

Dou Shiying felt as though his heart were being carved by a knife.

Aunt (Mother's Brother's Wife) approached quietly at some point, gazing at the two radiant young women before softly calling out, "Eldest Son-in-law," and asking, "What are your plans?"