The sudden visit of the Duke of Yingguo, Song Yichun, to Jing'an Temple Alley caught even Chen Qushui, who had been focusing his attention on Huai Tree Alley, off guard with an unusual sense of foreboding.
This was a matter concerning Jing'an Temple Alley, and Dou Zhao should have been more informed about it than he was.
He hurried to see Dou Zhao.
However, Dou Zhao had gone shopping on Drum Tower Street with her aunt and cousin.
By the time he arrived at Drum Tower Street, Dou Zhao and her companions had already returned to Jing'an Temple Alley.
Chen Qushui hastened back to Jing'an Temple Alley.
Upon entering, he encountered Gaosheng.
Gaosheng greeted him with a beaming smile: "What perfect timing, Mr. Chen! The Fourth Miss has just returned and is speaking with the master. Is there an urgent matter at the shop?"
"Not exactly urgent," Chen Qushui replied evasively. "There's a business deal I'm uncertain about and wanted to seek the Fourth Miss's opinion."
Gaosheng offered warmly, "Would you like my assistance?"
Compared to the life of the Dou family, Dou Zhao's small stationery shop was hardly worth mentioning.
"I'll have to ask the young lady first," Chen Qushui deflected.
Gaosheng, unsuspecting, nodded with a smile and personally escorted him to the accountant's office, instructing a page, "Once the master and the Fourth Miss finish their conversation, immediately inform Mr. Chen." The unusually enthusiastic reception made Chen Qushui uneasy. By the time Dou Zhao and Dou Shiying concluded their talk, it was already time for dinner.
Dou Zhao met Chen Qushui in the reception hall.
Chen Qushui informed her of Song Yichun's visit to Dou Shiying and asked, "Do you know why the Duke of Yingguo came to see the Seventh Master?"
Their relationship with Song Mo had always been kept in the shadows. If the Duke of Yingguo found out, the consequences were unpredictable!
Dou Zhao was stunned: "What did you say? The Duke of Yingguo came to visit my father?"
Chen Qushui nodded: "I've already looked into it. It seems Tao Qizhong from the Duke of England's Mansion arranged the meeting through Xu Zhiji, a colleague of the Seventh Master at the Imperial Academy. But as for the exact reason, time was too short to uncover."
Beads of sweat formed on Dou Zhao's forehead.
The Duke of Yingguo and her father were two individuals with no prior connection.
The world was vast, and she was an unknown figure. Under normal circumstances, the Duke of Yingguo would never have noticed her.
If there was any link between them, it was Song Mo.
If the Duke of Yingguo knew she was the one who had sought Song Mo's help, he would have countless ways to deal with her—certainly not by paying a polite visit to Jing'an Temple Alley.
This meant it was highly unlikely the Duke of Yingguo knew of any connection between her and Song Mo.
So why did he visit her father?
Dou Zhao recalled Song Mo's serene, night-sky-like gaze.
That day, when he learned that Dou Ming had married Wei Tingyu in her place, he had said, "Dou Zhao, I will marry you."
She had dismissed it as the impulsive words of youth.
She hadn't taken it seriously.
Moreover, she was certain he could never persuade the Duke of Yingguo to agree to marry her.
Thus, she confidently told him, "If we can become husband and wife, it must be fate."
Could the Duke of Yingguo's visit be to propose marriage on Song Mo's behalf?
Dou Zhao thought of her earlier suggestion that Song Mo marry a princess.
After the sister-switch marriage, her father's greatest hope was to find her a match no worse than Wei Tingyu. But how had Song Mo convinced Song Yichun to agree to marry her?
She recalled her previous advice to Song Mo about marrying a princess.Even if he intended to leak the news to Song Yichun, how did he manage to appear in Song Yichun's line of sight without drawing attention? And how did he make Song Yichun think she was the ideal daughter-in-law?
Song Mo had once again demonstrated his formidable prowess.
Dou Zhao took out a handkerchief and wiped her forehead.
She instructed Su Xin, "Quickly. Find out what business the Duke of Yingguo had in meeting my father."
Su Xin hurried off to carry out her orders.
Chen Qushui was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Dou Zhao had always been meticulous, so he had focused his efforts on Huai Tree Alley. Who would have thought that this time, Dou Zhao would be completely in the dark!
He wasn’t Dou Zhao, and Dou Zhao couldn’t possibly share every detail of her conversation with Song Mo with Chen Qushui. At this point, Chen Qushui hadn’t even considered the possibility of Dou Zhao’s marriage. Instead, he muttered to himself, "I knew Tao Qizhong went to seek Xu Zhiji’s help. Later, when Xu Zhiji brought him to meet Seventh Master, I thought it was just a routine introduction. Although I had someone keep an eye on them, I didn’t investigate thoroughly." He lamented, "If I had known, I should have informed the young lady earlier."
Dou Zhao was even more anxious than he was, but she still comforted him, "What’s done is done. Panicking won’t help. The priority now is to find out the Duke of Yingguo’s intentions!"
"I know that all too well," Chen Qushui said with a bitter smile. "But this matter is too significant, and I can’t calm down." Since it was already late, he couldn’t stay long and had to leave Jing'an Temple Alley full of doubts.
It wasn’t until the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) that Su Xin returned, her face filled with shame.
"Young lady," she said uneasily, "I couldn’t find out anything... Tao Qizhong met with the master separately, without Lord Xu present. When the Duke of Yingguo spoke with the master, all the servants were dismissed, and Chief Steward Gao personally served tea... Chief Steward Gao is extremely tight-lipped. Even Gao Sheng’s wife was completely in the dark and couldn’t answer any questions."
Dou Zhao frowned deeply and said, "There must be something unusual. Think carefully—was there anything out of the ordinary? For example, what did Chief Steward Gao do after the Duke of Yingguo left? After Tao Qizhong met with Father, did Father summon anyone for questioning or go somewhere?"
"I remember now!" Su Xin’s eyes lit up at her prompting. "After Tao Qizhong met with Seventh Master, Seventh Master went out with Chief Steward Gao. Chief Steward Gao drove the carriage himself, but no one knows where they went. Also, a few days ago, didn’t Seventh Master instruct Chief Steward Gao to put away all the red wedding decorations and festive items? Just now, when I went to see Chief Steward Gao, I noticed he was directing pages to inventory lanterns, drapes, incense, and candles..."
Dou Zhao’s expression changed drastically as she listened, realizing her guess was almost certainly correct.
Before Su Xin could finish, she urgently said, "Go find Mr. Chen immediately. First, ask him to investigate where my father went with Gao Sheng. Second, have him find a way to send a message to Song Yantang—tell him I have an urgent matter to discuss!"
After all, the two families hadn’t formally exchanged betrothal gifts yet. She hoped it wasn’t too late!
Su Lan solemnly acknowledged the order and found an excuse to go to the stationery shop on Drum Tower Street.
Dou Zhao didn’t sleep a wink that night.
The next day, she had no intention of going out.Aunt thought she was just tired and told her to rest well, but Zhao Zhangru teased her for not having as much stamina as herself, staying by her side to chat idly.
Dou Zhao responded absentmindedly until the afternoon when Chen Qushui finally arrived.
His expression was grim.
"A few days ago, Chief Steward Gao drove Seventh Master to the summer retreat palace. It’s said he met a fellow scholar serving in the Court of State Ceremonial," Chen Qushui said gravely. "As for the heir, I’ve already asked Master Yan to pass on a message. Master Yan mentioned that the Emperor will soon move to the Forbidden Palace in the next couple of days, so the heir will be very busy. But if he receives the message, he will surely find a way to see you. He advised you to remain patient."
How could things be such a coincidence?
Dou Zhao felt the sweat on her forehead grow heavier.
Could Father have gone to see Song Mo?
The thought horrified her.
If Father really went to see Song Mo... wasn’t this like lifting a stone only to drop it on her own foot?
Regret washed over her.
She should have been clear and direct with Song Mo from the start, telling him outright that she didn’t want to marry, instead of being vague and ambiguous.
Chen Qushui, meanwhile, frowned deeply. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Yan Chaoqing’s smile when he said "remain patient" had been laden with hidden meaning, as if something was about to happen—something Yan Chaoqing was deliberately keeping from him.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Two days ago, the Ji family’s patriarch sent an invitation to Seventh Master, asking him to drink at Yuqiao Lane. But instead, Seventh Master went to Wanming Temple in the southern outskirts, leaving everyone searching for him. Do you think his avoidance of the Ji family might have something to do with the Duke of Yingguo?"
What was happening to her in this life?
First Wu Shan, then He Yu and Ji Yong, and now Song Mo was getting involved too!
In her past life, she couldn’t even find someone who truly cared for her.
Dou Zhao sighed, pondering how to share her suspicions with Chen Qushui when a sudden burst of celebratory drums and gongs erupted outside.
Aunt and her cousin entered together.
Both wore expressions of barely contained joy, especially Zhao Zhangru, who, ignoring Chen Qushui’s presence, grabbed Dou Zhao’s hand with a grin. "Shou Gu, that jade ruyi of yours really does bring good fortune," she teased.
Dou Zhao was stunned.
Aunt chuckled and scolded her daughter lightly before turning to Dou Zhao with a kind smile. "Don’t listen to your cousin’s nonsense. She’s just jealous of you."
A sense of foreboding surged in Dou Zhao’s heart.
She instinctively looked toward Chen Qushui.
Their eyes met, and in each other’s gaze, they saw deep concern.
Aunt stepped forward, taking Dou Zhao’s hand with a delighted smile. "Shou Gu, congratulations! The Duke of Yingguo personally came to propose marriage on behalf of his eldest son—the heir of the Duke of England's Mansion, Song Yantang. Your father met him and found the young man’s character and appearance outstanding. He has already agreed. The Duke of England's Mansion is here with the betrothal gifts!"
"What did you say?" Dou Zhao gasped.
Chen Qushui’s mouth fell open, staring at Dou Zhao in shock, unable to react for a long moment.
※※※※※
Before Fifth Madam’s sedan chair had even reached Jing’an Temple, she heard the crackling of firecrackers ahead, followed by the deafening clamor of drums and music.
Curious, she lifted the sedan curtain and asked the old women accompanying her, "Which family is celebrating?"
The old woman quickly replied, "Shall I go and ask, madam?""No need," said Fifth Madam. "I was just asking casually. It's more urgent to go to Seventh Master's house."
Old Master Ji had specially arranged a banquet for Seventh Uncle, yet Seventh Uncle didn't even send a word and stood them up, making both the Ji and Dou families lose face. Her husband had specifically asked her to come and inquire what had happened.
Since she had ordered them to hurry to Dou Shiying's house, the sedan bearers quickened their pace and soon arrived at Jing'an Temple Alley, only to find the entrance blocked by a dense crowd of people.
Fifth Madam lifted the sedan curtain again, displeased, and asked sternly, "What's going on here?"
An old woman accompanying the sedan jogged over and said, "Fifth Madam, they say it's the engagement of the eldest young lady of the Dou Hanlin family in Jing'an Temple Alley. Everyone is gathered at the Dou residence gate to watch the excitement!"
"What did you say?" Fifth Madam was shocked and spoke urgently, "Are you sure? Which Dou Hanlin is it?"
In Jing'an Temple Alley, apart from Seventh Master, which other Hanlin could it be?
The old woman muttered to herself but didn't dare to say more. Though she knew exactly which family it was, she still ran over to ask again.
"How could this be?" Fifth Madam slumped back into the sedan, feeling as if a cloth were stuffed in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
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