When Yan Chaoqing returned, Wuyi immediately went up to meet him and told him about how Song Yichun had sent Da Taitai (The Eldest Madam) to manage the household, how Da Taitai had invited Dou Zhao over for a talk, how Dou Zhao ignored her, and how she was subsequently reprimanded by Song Yichun.
Yan Chaoqing’s face darkened at once.
He asked Wuyi, “What did Madam say?”
“Madam didn’t even glance at Da Taitai,” Wuyi said animatedly. “Da Taitai is throwing a tantrum in the Reception Hall right now!”
Yan Chaoqing thought for a moment and said, “Send a few people to follow Madam. If Da Taitai dares to disrespect her, don’t hold back either.”
Back when Song Yichun wanted to remove Song Mo from the family registry, not a single person in the Song family had stood up for him. Such elders were merely opportunists—befriending them was useless, as they would only bring trouble in critical moments.
Wuyi left happily.
Though Yan Chaoqing knew Dou Zhao had the Bie sisters by her side, it was better to be safe than sorry. Worried that Dou Zhao might suffer, he called Xia Lian over to discuss: “Do you think we should station a few people at the second gate?”
Xia Lian disagreed. “To avoid suspicion, it’s better to steer clear of such situations. I think it would be better to hire a few female bodyguards from the escort agency tomorrow to handle night patrols.”
Yan Chaoqing thought this was a good idea and instructed him, “Get this done quickly.”
Xia Lian went to a familiar escort agency.
Meanwhile, in the Reception Hall, Da Taitai, who had been throwing a tantrum, found her anger dissipating when she noticed the stewardesses had all slipped away.
Only then did Dong Shi dare to approach and console her mother-in-law: “The Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion will eventually be handed over to Third Uncle. Why must you play the villain?”
Song Mo was the third son in the Song family.
Da Taitai nodded with a gratified smile. “With such insight, it’s no waste that I brought you here.”
Dong Shi was taken aback.
Da Taitai glanced around.
The maids she had brought quickly took their positions at the door.
Only then did Da Taitai lower her voice and say, “The Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion, in the end, belongs to the Duke of Yingguo. Your second uncle is in the prime of his life—it will be a long time before Yantang takes charge. Meanwhile, we rely on the Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion for our livelihood. If we can please the Duke, he might casually assign us some tasks, and wealth would come effortlessly. But if we displease him, even a few disdainful glances from him could make our lives unbearable. So, how could we dare to offend the Duke?”
Da Taitai continued, “This time, your second uncle asked me to manage the household affairs of the Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion. To put it plainly, he wants me to make things difficult for Dou Shi. The rift between father and son has already reached the point of open conflict. Since your second uncle has this intention, how could I refuse? Otherwise, he would surely suspect we’re siding with Yantang.” At this, she sighed deeply and said gloomily, “But Yantang, raised by Madam Jiang since childhood, only acknowledges the Jiang family and has never cared for the Song family. Like last time—when your uncle’s carriage accidentally bumped into a pancake vendor, it should have been a simple matter for the Duke’s household to resolve. But the yamen runners, trying to curry favor with the Duke’s household, mistakenly reported it to Yantang. What should have been settled with a single word from him ended with him siding with outsiders, forcing your uncle to pay twenty taels of silver…”
Dong Shi couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.Since a matter that could be resolved with twenty taels of silver, why insist on bringing it to the Duke of England's Mansion? Not only would the Duke's household owe those constables a favor, but it would also earn them a reputation for bullying others with their influence.
Her father-in-law and mother-in-law were good in every way, except for their obsession with saving face.
They would rather spend fifty taels to send those constables away than pay twenty taels in compensation to the pancake seller.
Da Taitai had no idea what her daughter-in-law was thinking. Seeing her respectful expression, she was quite pleased and said, "There are some things you younger generation don’t understand. Your second uncle, though fond of looking after family, can be utterly ruthless if provoked. Our family’s current standing relies entirely on him. When he asks a favor of me, it’s only right that I oblige. But as you said, the Duke of England's Mansion will eventually pass to Yantang. While staying close to your second uncle ensures comfort during his lifetime, what will you do after he’s gone? I can’t just think of myself and ignore your future."
Dong Shi’s interest was piqued. "What do you mean, Mother?"
Da Taitai beckoned her closer, signaling her to listen carefully.
"Aside from the Hall of Cultivating Will, every corner of this mansion is filled with your second uncle’s people. All my fussing is just a show for that Dou Shi—you must go to her and apologize. Say I’ve grown senile, that your second uncle merely invited me here to help oversee things in the absence of elders, but I overstepped by meddling in the Duke’s affairs. Tell her not to take it to heart. Then elaborate on how our family depends entirely on your second uncle, how his word is more binding than an imperial decree to us… In short, make it as pitiful as possible. Move her to sympathy, make her believe we’re truly helpless. Meanwhile, I’ll keep making a scene here, while you focus solely on winning her over. Even if she curses me, you must agree with her. Remember, your future depends on her." She then asked gravely, "Do you understand my meaning?"
"It’s about playing good cop, bad cop," Dong Shi replied. "I grasp your intent. But the cursing part..."
"No pain, no gain. Follow my instructions, and you won’t go wrong. I won’t blame you for it."
Reassured, Dong Shi went to see Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao was idly sketching floral patterns at the time.
She had a favorable impression of Dong Shi and, upon hearing of her visit, asked Su Xin to usher her in.
After exchanging pleasantries, the sisters-in-law sat side by side on the heated brick bed by the window. Dong Shi immediately noticed the scattered floral patterns on the bedside table. Having never spent time alone with Dou Zhao before, she had worried about finding conversation topics. Delighted by this discovery, she picked up a pattern and smiled. "Are you designing floral patterns, sister-in-law? I recently came across a few lovely ones—would you like me to trace them for you?"
Wasn’t this how sisters-in-law bonded—through such small gestures?
Dou Zhao agreed cheerfully and had Su Xin fetch paper for Dong Shi to sketch.
Seizing the opportunity, Dong Shi brought up her mother-in-law, Da Taitai. "...That’s just her temperament, but she means no harm. Please don’t take it to heart, sister-in-law..."Dou Zhao listened with a faint smile, her clear gaze not only pure but also carrying an air of worldly insight that made Dong Shi extremely uncomfortable. The latter's previously smooth speech faltered: "...My mother-in-law really had no choice..."
No choice but to show me displeasure in front of the Duke of England's Mansion servants?
No choice but to send her daughter-in-law to feign weakness, trying to please both sides?
She'd seen plenty of such two-faced behavior before.
What a pity for Dong Shi, who still thought they could become sisters-in-law who chatted about the weather together.
Dou Zhao leisurely sipped her tea, treating Dong Shi like nothing more than a buzzing fly by her ear.
Dong Shi soon realized her awkward position.
Flustered, she stopped mid-sentence, thinking how her in-laws had already curried favor with the Duke of England—they'd want for nothing in their lifetime. But when it came time for her to manage the household, she'd have to deal with Dou Zhao. Not only that, but her sons and grandsons might all need Song Mo's patronage someday. Gritting her teeth, she suddenly knelt before Dou Zhao with a "thud," her face flushed with shame: "Sister-in-law, I know you're upset. Let me apologize on behalf of my mother-in-law. If you're still angry, I'll apologize publicly before the entire household later..."
Dou Zhao glanced at Su Xin.
Su Xin immediately stepped forward to help Dong Shi up.
"You overestimate the matter, sister-in-law," Dou Zhao set down her teacup, took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and said, "I generally don't bother with such trivial matters. I can see both you and your mother-in-law are clever women, so I won't make things difficult—rather than kowtowing to apologize before all the household servants, making masters seem like servants and servants like masters, why not just hand over the tallies your father-in-law gave you?" She smiled gently. "There's no need to trouble Eldest Aunt with household affairs anymore. I'll manage everything properly."
That smile struck Dong Shi as unbearably piercing.
She gaped for a long moment before stammering, "This... this isn't appropriate..."
Dou Zhao's expression suddenly darkened. She slammed her hand on the kang table with a loud "smack," sending porcelain rattling: "Do you take me for a fool? Trying to keep your cake and eat it too—that depends on whether you have the capability! There's no chance of pleasing both sides! Either hand over the tallies now so we can maintain some civility when we meet, or follow my father-in-law's lead and keep finding ways to make trouble for me. But let me be clear—don't think holding the Duke of England's tallies makes you the Madam of the Duke of England's Mansion, free to do as you please. If you make me unhappy, don't blame me later for not saving face and leaving you humiliated!"
How could such a vulgar woman exist?
Wasn't the Dou family known for its scholarly traditions and propriety?
How could they have raised such a daughter?
Dong Shi nearly fainted.
"You... you... you..." she pointed at Dou Zhao, her face deathly pale, at a complete loss for words.
Dou Zhao sneered and picked up her teacup.
Su Xin loudly called out, "Escort our guest out."
Dong Shi fled in disarray.
Dou Zhao instructed Su Xin: "Take all the tea and cups she drank from to the Reception Hall in the upper courtyard. Spilling them in my courtyard would only dirty my floors!" She was determined to humiliate Da Taitai and her daughter-in-law, and to make everyone understand that Da Taitai's bluster was empty—she was still the one who called the shots in this household.Su Xin called for a page with a smile and instructed him to carry the teacup Dong Shi had used to the Reception Hall on a tray.
The Eldest Madam was truly furious this time: "Utterly ungrateful! Utterly ungrateful! Doesn’t she fear the Duke might grow disgusted with her?"
Dong Shi hesitated before saying, "Money emboldens a person. I suspect Dou Shi may not care how the Duke treats her. Otherwise, when the Second Uncle summoned her for a talk, she wouldn’t have dared to delay until he was nearly ready to depart before showing up!"
Indeed, she had only found it strange at the time but hadn’t considered it from this angle.
This niece-in-law was unyielding—clearly not someone easy to deal with.
She couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead.
She felt as though she had taken hold of a hot potato.
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