Blossom

Some households rejoice while others grieve.

Dou Zhao and Song Mo were peacefully resting, but Song Yichun, who had been busy all day, sat with a grim expression in the Grand Preceptor's Chair in his study, listening to Tao Qizhong report the news he had gathered over the past two days.

"...It's true that Fourth Miss Dou grew up in the countryside of Zhen Ding and was at odds with Wang Yousheng's daughter. It's also true that Fifth Miss Dou stole Fourth Miss Dou's fiancé, something everyone in the Dou and Wei families knew about. But unexpectedly, due to the sisterly bride swap, Seventh Master Dou compensated Fourth Miss Dou with the silver notes originally intended for Fifth Miss Dou's dowry..." At this point, Tao Qizhong couldn't help but frown and lower his voice. "I heard Seventh Madam Dou made a huge fuss over this, even refusing to appear at Fourth Miss Dou's wedding. Moreover, Seventh Master Dou quarreled with Seventh Madam over this and even called in the Wang Family to mediate. Even Grand Secretary Dou was involved. When I left, members of the Wang Family and Grand Secretary Dou were still at Jing'an Temple Alley. It seems that as soon as Fourth Miss Dou leaves for her marriage, her maiden family will be in turmoil! By then, it might become a laughingstock for the Young Lord."

Song Yichun was displeased.

He wanted to make things difficult for Song Mo, but he didn’t want to tarnish the reputation of the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion.

After some thought, Song Yichun said, "Have your men keep a close watch. If things really escalate over there, have Dou Shi delay her return to her maiden home."

This way, when people learn of the turmoil in Dou Shi's family, it might help mitigate the shock caused by the dowry of silver notes.

Tao Qizhong nodded repeatedly and discussed with Song Yichun: "...I’d like to make a trip to Zhen Ding."

Song Yichun was pleased with Tao Qizhong's prudence and agreed. Then he asked about Song Han: "How has his studies been lately?"

At Song Yichun's request, Tao Qizhong had arranged for a fellow townsman serving in the Imperial Academy to tutor Song Han every ten days.

"Lord Du said Second Master is very diligent. If he continues like this, in two or three years, he’ll be ready to take the imperial examinations."

Song Yichun was far from satisfied.

Everyone knew that descendants of noble families didn’t participate in the imperial exams, yet this old man insisted on bringing it up. Wasn’t this just fooling him?

He recalled how, when Song Mo was studying, every great scholar who taught him praised his brilliance, lamenting that he was born into the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion.

Song Yichun suddenly felt irritated and said gruffly to Tao Qizhong, "It’s getting late. You should rest first, sir."

Having served Song Yichun for over twenty years, Tao Qizhong knew this meant his master was unhappy. He sighed inwardly and withdrew with a somber expression.

Song Yichun didn’t notice these details at all, fully absorbed in thoughts about the Dou family.

If Seventh Master Dou really had a falling-out with his wife, perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to force his daughter-in-law to sever ties with her maiden family. That way, Song Mo wouldn’t be able to rely on the Dou family’s support.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.

But who should deliver this message to his daughter-in-law?

He couldn’t very well, as a father-in-law, speak to her directly.

Moreover, this matter couldn’t alert Song Mo. Given Song Mo’s intelligence, he’d likely see through the scheme immediately, which might not only tip him off but also give him a chance to grow closer to the Dou family.

Only now did Song Yichun deeply realize how troublesome it was not to have a capable woman by his side to handle such matters!Song Yichun's mind flashed with the delicate face of Jiang Shi.

He couldn't help but shudder, shaking his head fiercely as if to drive her image from his memory.

※※※※※

Meanwhile, two neighborhoods away from the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion, in the Marquis of Jining's residence, though the third watch had already passed, the lamps in the side courtyard where Tian Shi resided were still lit. Several old women attending to Tian Shi stood in the middle of the yard, all uneasy as they glanced at the maid of Wei Tingzhen standing under the veranda.

"What time is it now? Couldn’t the eldest paternal aunt have waited until tomorrow to settle whatever matter she has? Why must she insist on clarifying things at this hour?" one of the old women muttered discontentedly under her breath.

"Exactly," another chimed in resentfully, her words rallying the others in shared indignation. "She even summoned the Marquis and the young Madam. Doesn’t the eldest paternal aunt realize that even if the Marquis has done something wrong, he’s still the one upholding the household now? And he’s already married the young Madam—shouldn’t she at least spare him some dignity? Scolding him in front of his wife—what kind of behavior is that? I think we ought to remind the Dowager of this. Otherwise, if this goes on, the young Madam will surely start looking down on the Marquis!"

Recalling the muffled arguments between Wei Tingzhen and her brother from the inner chamber earlier, the old women nodded in unison.

At that moment, the very subject of their gossip, Wei Tingzhen, glared furiously at the silent Dou Ming, her almond-shaped eyes wide with rage, as if she wished she could swallow her whole to vent her hatred.

"Are you mute?" she hissed, her icy gaze fixed on Dou Ming, whose lips were pressed tightly together. "No one in our family blames you. We’re just asking you a few questions, yet you act as if I’m your sworn enemy—ignoring me outright and showing no respect to your mother-in-law. You married into this family in place of your sister, but has anyone ever spoken ill of you for it? Yet here you are, utterly ungrateful! Forget being modest and obedient—you don’t even have the basic manners or upbringing. Is this the kind of daughter the Dou Family of the Northern Mansion raises? Tomorrow, I’ll go ask Madam Grand Secretary Dou for an explanation—who taught you to treat your mother-in-law like this?"

Wei Tingyu, watching Dou Ming’s dazed expression, couldn’t help but argue with his sister again. "Sister, can’t you say less? Didn’t I already explain to you? That stack of silver notes was originally prepared by my father-in-law for Mingjier. Since Mingjier didn’t use them, should Tongde Bank have printed them for nothing? So my father-in-law gave them to Miss Dou the Fourth instead... What are you making such a fuss about now? Who talks the way you do?"

"What? Now that you have a wife, you no longer have a sister?" Wei Tingzhen sneered, speaking with righteous indignation. "Those silver notes were meant for Mingjier. If Dou Zhao could take back her dowry, why can’t Mingjier reclaim what was prepared for her? And even if she can’t get it back, shouldn’t your father-in-law have prepared an equal share for Mingjier, since she’s also his daughter?"

When Dou Zhao married, Wei Tingzhen, as a relative by marriage, had attended the wedding banquet.

Upon hearing about that stack of silver notes, she felt a suffocating rage rise in her chest, nearly choking her. She couldn’t even stay seated and immediately sent a maid to fetch Dou Ming, but after searching for a long time, she couldn’t find her. Distraught, she returned to the Marquis of Jining's Mansion, where she waited in her mother’s chambers until the third watch, when Dou Ming finally arrived to pay her respects morning and evening.Before she could finish speaking, the dazed Dou Ming wandered out in a trance, her spirit seemingly absent.

Her ghostly appearance startled Wei Tingzhen and Tian Shi.

Dou Ming felt utterly exhausted!

She couldn’t understand how her chest of silver notes had ended up as Dou Zhao’s!

Her mother had been crying nonstop, refusing to be comforted by anyone.

Her father insisted on sending her mother back to the Wang family, and no amount of persuasion could change his mind.

Her eldest uncle had invited Father into the study for a private talk, but in the end, he could only awkwardly send someone to inform her grandfather…

How had things come to this?

When Wei Tingzhen found out, she pressured Dou Ming to return to her maiden home and demand the silver notes back from her father. Her mother-in-law, upon hearing this, kept nodding in agreement, saying, “That’s only right.”

If Wei Tingyu hadn’t spoken up for her, Wei Tingzhen might have already ordered the old women servants to drag her back to the Dou family!

The thought flashed through her mind, and she suddenly remembered Wei Tingyu.

Yes, where was Wei Tingyu?

Dou Ming widened her eyes and looked around, spotting Wei Tingyu hurrying after her.

With a loud sob, she threw herself into his arms.

But then she heard Wei Tingyu stammer, “Don’t blame my sister—she’s doing this for our sake! Think about it, even if we get that chest of silver notes back, would my sister take even a single tael? It would all be yours…”

Dou Ming gaped at her husband, tears still glistening on her cheeks.

※※※※※

Exhausted after a long day, Young Madam Wang sat at her dressing table removing her makeup when her husband, already seven or eight parts drunk, staggered in.

She quickly stood up, helped him rest on the heated brick bed by the window, and personally poured him a cup of hot tea before preparing to resume her routine.

Unexpectedly, her husband grabbed her arm and, with a laugh, asked about the bride.

After all, Song Mo had nearly become his brother-in-law!

Unable to resist, Young Madam Wang chuckled and recounted—with slight exaggeration—how Song Mo had acted foolishly.

Wang Qinghuai abruptly sat up, his drunkenness fading by six or seven parts, his previously bleary eyes now sharp and piercing. “What did you say? Song Yantang actually let the woman of complete blessings from the bride’s side dictate everything?”

It was a gesture of respect toward the bride’s family.

Young Madam Wang was startled. “What’s wrong? I didn’t make this up about Lord Song. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Third Master Zhang—Third Madam Zhang was there too, as was Eldest Madam Lu.”

Wang Qinghuai fell silent, lost in thought.

Young Madam Wang grew uneasy and, after a long pause, cautiously asked, “What… what’s the matter?”

Wang Qinghuai gave a bitter laugh. “This Song Yantang is truly formidable! Thank heavens my sister didn’t marry him—otherwise, she’d either be dead or skinned alive by now!” He sighed deeply, adding with emotion, “Anyone who marries their daughter into the Song family to become Song Yantang’s stepmother must be a fool!”

Young Madam Wang didn’t understand.

Wang Qinghuai waved it off. “It’s all in the past now—no need to dwell on it. But there’s one thing I must tell you: either avoid interacting with that Dou Shi entirely, or if you must, stay sharp and never offend her!”

Young Madam Wang was even more bewildered.Yet she had always regarded her husband's words as sacred edicts. Seeing him rest, she didn't ask further but kept his words firmly in mind.

Wang Qinghuai lay with his eyes closed, but sleep eluded him.

Song Yantang's audacity was truly remarkable.

Not only had he deceived both the Emperor and Empress, but he'd also dug a pit for his own father to fall into, even dragging their Wang family along as unwitting "accomplices" in Song Yantang's scheme.

And judging by the Duke of Yingguo's demeanor today, it seemed he hadn't even noticed yet.

This was only because the principle of "filial piety" gave the Duke moral high ground. Without this concept of filial duty, what fate might have befallen the Duke...

A chill ran through him at the thought.

He just couldn't tell whether the Dou sisters' marital switch had any connection to Song Mo.

Otherwise, how could everything have aligned so perfectly?