Blossom

Dou Ming returned to the Marquis of Jining's Mansion in a daze, barely aware of how she got there.

Upon entering the main chamber, she saw Wei Tingyu standing in the center of the hall, his face as cold as ice.

"Where have you been?" His voice was even colder than his expression. "How could you just run off without a word? I searched everywhere for you. If I hadn't run into Granny Jin, I wouldn’t even have known you’d returned..."

Dou Ming had no desire to speak. She walked straight past Wei Tingyu without a glance and entered the inner chamber.

Wei Tingyu flew into a rage and followed her inside. "I'm talking to you! What do you mean by this? How could you say my mother was ill?"

Dou Ming raised a hand to silence him and said flatly, "When we went to the Jingguo residence, didn’t your mother say she wasn’t feeling well? Was I lying?"

Wei Tingyu was left speechless.

It had been Madam Jingguo’s birthday, and to give his sister face, he had wanted to present her with an expensive gift. However, with the New Year approaching, the demand for gifts had surged, and the prices of fine antiques and jewelry in the shops had risen by thirty percent. The cheaper items were beneath his standards. That day, Dou Ming had opened her dowry storage to retrieve some porcelain to decorate their rooms. Spotting a pair of exquisite Ru kiln plum vases, he suggested giving them to Madam Jingguo as a birthday gift, adding, "Consider it as if I bought them. I’ll have the steward bring you the silver later."

Dou Ming had immediately flared up, accusing him of coveting her dowry.

He had thought to himself, It’s not like I’m not paying—if you’re unwilling, just say so. Why make such a scene?

The argument had escalated until his mother, to diffuse the tension, pretended to have indigestion and discomfort, which finally calmed Dou Ming down.

Now, faced with her retort, Wei Tingyu was caught in a dilemma—answering "no" or "yes" would both be wrong.

He stormed out, the door curtain flapping violently behind him.

Dou Ming lay stiffly on the bed, tears streaming down her face.

Her mother had feared that her husband’s family might covet her dowry, which was why she had sought a match with a prestigious household. Yet, she had never imagined that noble families could be even more despicable than humble ones. At least with the latter, any designs on her dowry were overt. The former, however, cloaked their greed in righteousness, justifying it with lofty principles...

Tomorrow, Wei Tingzhen would likely come to interrogate her about the dowry additions. What was she to do then?

And that wretch Gaosheng—how dare he reprimand her in front of her father, as if she had returned to scheme for the Dou family’s wealth! She had to find a way to make him suffer, to teach him that servants had no place meddling in their masters’ affairs.

The thought left her tossing and turning, as if frying in a pan of oil, unable to sleep.

But Wei Tingzhen arrived sooner than she had anticipated.

Before the mansion’s lanterns were even lit, Wei Tingzhen hurried in with bundles of gifts. Before her foot had fully crossed the threshold, she anxiously asked Wei Tingyu, who had come to greet her, "Is Mother truly alright? Don’t you dare hide anything from me!"“It’s really nothing,” Wei Tingyu couldn’t bring himself to tell his sister about his argument with Dou Ming. “You didn’t need to make a special trip back home.” Madam Jingguo disliked Wei Tingzhen not only because of her son but also because she couldn’t stand how Wei Tingzhen treated her mother like a deity. Wei Tingyu hadn’t known this before, but after serving in the Five Cities Garrison for some time and growing closer to the Jingguo household, he began to see the underlying dynamics.

As he accompanied Wei Tingzhen to the West Wing Courtyard where Tian Shi lived, he asked, “Does brother-in-law know you’re here? Have the guests at the Jingguo residence left?”

“The guests are still there, but your brother-in-law knows,” Wei Tingzhen reassured him, understanding his concern. “I used the excuse of helping him change clothes and fetching something from the storeroom to slip away—everyone said the Private Performance was excellent, so they added two more acts.”

Wei Tingyu sighed, feeling guilty that his mother had to feign illness for his sake.

The siblings entered Tian Shi’s main hall together.

Tian Shi was reclining on the heated brick bed by the window, her personal maid reading Buddhist scriptures to her.

Startled to see her son and daughter arrive together, she hurriedly asked what was wrong.

“Nothing, nothing,” Wei Tingzhen said with a smile. “I just heard you were unwell and came to check on you.”

Tian Shi glanced at her son and gave her daughter a vague reply.

Relieved to see her mother was indeed fine, Wei Tingzhen turned to Wei Tingyu and asked about Dou Zhao’s dowry: “…Did you know about this?”

Wei Tingyu had already heard some murmurs at the banquet and nodded. Tian Shi, however, was hearing it for the first time and looked at her children in shock, urgently demanding an explanation.

Wei Tingzhen recounted the incident in detail, then frowned. “They’re both daughters, yet the Dou family treats Dou Ming and Dou Zhao so differently?” She pressed Wei Tingyu, “Could there be something we don’t know?”

Since the incident of the sisters switching marriages, she had always doubted Dou Ming’s character.

Wei Tingyu, irritated, replied, “What could there be? Don’t overthink it, sister.”

Now that Dou Ming was part of the Wei family, baseless speculation would only embarrass him. Besides, with their mother present, any real trouble would only worry her further.

Wei Tingzhen bit back her words and simply advised Wei Tingyu, “Visit your in-laws more often. It’s clear your father-in-law genuinely dotes on his daughters. Even the crumbs from their table would be better than what we have.”

Wei Tingyu disliked this talk and responded half-heartedly.

Wei Tingzhen could only sigh inwardly. After sitting with her mother for a while, she went to see Dou Ming.

Zhou Momo, following Dou Ming’s instructions, claimed she was unwell and resting.

Not daring to linger at her maiden home, Wei Tingzhen left with a cold laugh.

Wei Tingyu stood under the veranda for a long time before heading to the study in the outer courtyard.

Zhou Momo grew concerned and softly asked Dou Ming, “Should we send some food to the marquis?”

“Don’t bother with him,” Dou Ming snapped, preoccupied with her dowry issues. She consulted Zhou Momo, “Do you think I should visit Willow Leaf Alley tomorrow? With Grandmother’s support, I won’t have to fear anyone’s questions.”

Zhou Momo replied, “I’ll send a note to Willow Leaf Alley first thing in the morning.”Dou Ming nodded.

Little did she know this matter had aroused Tian Shi's suspicions.

Without showing any sign, Tian Shi sent her trusted old servant to Zhen Ding. By the time the old woman returned from Zhen Ding, it was already late November, when every household began preparing for the New Year.

The old servant whispered something into Tian Shi's ear.

Tian Shi turned deathly pale, clutched her chest, and cried out, "What misfortune has befallen our family, to let such a woman without virtue enter our doors!" before fainting away.

Wei Tingzhen left behind all matters at the Duke of Jing's residence and rushed over. When Tian Shi opened her eyes, Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming were keeping vigil by her bedside.

Tian Shi glanced at Dou Ming, then turned her face away coldly, saying, "Dou Ming, leave us. I have words for these siblings alone."

Dou Ming was slightly angered but seeing Tian Shi's resolute attitude and the crowd of maids and old women standing in the room, she feared Tian Shi might say something unfavorable that would humiliate her. She curtsied and withdrew with all the maids and old women.

Tian Shi abruptly sat up, grabbing Wei Tingzhen's hand. "Do you know? That Wang Shi was already pregnant with Dou Ming before entering the Dou family! It was precisely for this reason that Wang Shi could enter the Dou household, even driving Dou Zhao's birth mother Zhao Shi to her death! That's why before Wang Shi entered, Dou Zhao was given half of the Western Dou's properties. The dowry everyone's talking about now is actually the property the Dou family allocated to Dou Zhao back then."

Half of Western Dou's properties!

Which meant the rumors were true—Dou Zhao had two to three hundred thousand taels of silver in dowry under her name.

Wei Tingzhen's heart pounded wildly.

She whispered, "If Peijin had married Dou Zhao back then, all that property under her name would belong to the Wei family now!"

Tian Shi nodded tearfully, her face streaked with tears. "Poor Gu Qiu, like a sister to me, and I've brought her enemy's daughter into our home, treating her like my own child. If Gu Qiu knew in the afterlife, she'd surely hate me. All my life I've been upright, treating others with fairness and integrity. Yet in my old age, I'm caught up in such disgrace, tarnishing my reputation!"

Wei Tingzhen felt a pang of pain so sharp it made her tremble.

She looked at her brother.

Wei Tingyu appeared utterly devastated.

Her brother must also be grieving over the fortune that slipped through their fingers.

It was all her fault for underestimating the Dou family. Had she investigated thoroughly, she might have uncovered this earlier and hastened the marriage. Now Dou Zhao could have been her sister-in-law...

But the thought passed quickly as Wei Tingzhen justified herself.

That Wang Shi was a viper-hearted woman. Even if they had known, she would have found a way to marry Dou Ming into their family. If anyone was to blame, it was Wang Shi. And Dou Ming—had she refused, who could have forced her into the bridal sedan?

With this thought, Wei Tingzhen couldn't help but resent Dou Ming. She comforted her mother, "The Wang family is a respectable official household. Who could have imagined they'd raise such children? If anyone's to blame, it's that shameless Wang Shi, who rushed to become a concubine, stammering all the way."

"No!" Tian Shi seemed not to hear Wei Tingzhen's words. She threw off the covers and tried to get out of bed. "I must invite monks to perform rites for Gu Qiu, begging her forgiveness for my being deceived..."

Completely forgetting all her previous wavering over Dou Zhao's marriage."Please don't do this," Wei Tingzhen held her mother back. "It's freezing outside. Whatever it is, just tell us directly." As she spoke, she glanced toward Wei Tingyu, only to see her younger brother standing there dumbfounded, as if possessed.

She quickly called out, "Peijin!"

"Oh!" Wei Tingyu snapped out of it but stumbled out of Tian Shi's inner chamber.

Dou Ming, who had been anxiously waiting outside, rushed forward. "How is Mother?"

Wei Tingyu stopped and stared blankly at Dou Ming.

The face was the same, the figure unchanged, yet why did it no longer stir his heart as it once had?

Did she truly love him for who he was? Or was it because he had once been Dou Zhao's betrothed?

Pushing Dou Ming aside, Wei Tingyu walked straight past her without another word.