Blossom

Having lived two lives, Dou Zhao understood that some things could only be proven with time.

She entrusted this matter to Ruo Zhu to keep an eye on.

Because Chen Jia had returned.

Though his attire was neat, the exhaustion between his brows was unmistakable.

After paying his respects to Dou Zhao, he said in a low voice, "The man Yi Gui married is named Wei Quan, courtesy name Bai Rui, eight years her senior. A native of Jiangxi, his father once served as county magistrate in Qingyuan County but passed away early, leaving the family with no steady assets. He relied on his elder sister, who married a private tutor residing at home—a successful candidate in the imperial examination. At fifteen, when his sister died, he quarreled with his brother-in-law over trivial matters and was driven out of the house. With no hope for an official career and no possessions to his name, he sought refuge under the local gentry He Qingyuan of Qingyuan County as a retainer.

"He Qingyuan has a son named He Hao, who came to the capital two years ago for the prefectural examination. Wei Quan and a steward from the He Family were tasked with making arrangements along the way. At the time, He Hao rented a courtyard in Hat and Shoe Alley, not far from Comb Lane. Somehow, Wei Quan became acquainted with the Li family and coaxed Li Liang into marrying Yi Gui to him."

Dou Zhao was stunned. "So, Wei Quan has no real connection to the Li family and is merely a hanger-on living off others' generosity?"

"Though unrelated to the Li family, the man does have some cunning," Chen Jia said tactfully. "Back then, Li Liang personally went to Qingyuan County to inquire about him. Over the years serving He Qingyuan, Wei Quan not only acquired a small half-acre property but also bought over ten acres of farmland in the countryside. Moreover, he is quite handsome and conducts himself generously. His father, during his tenure as county magistrate in Qingyuan, built many good connections, so Wei Quan’s reputation there remains decent."

Dou Zhao frowned. "If that’s the case, why did Li Liang and his wife quarrel?"

Chen Jia gave a light cough before lowering his voice. "After Yi Gui married Wei Quan, they seemed harmonious. But on the sixteenth of the first month during the Lantern Festival, Wei Quan took Yi Gui out to admire the lanterns, and she suddenly went missing..."

Dou Zhao was horrified. "How could someone just disappear? Did the Wei Family report it to the authorities? What did the officials say?"

Unprepared for her agitation, Chen Jia hurriedly reassured her, "Madam, please calm yourself. I’ve already settled Yi Gui in Longfu Temple, not far from here. If you wish to see her, I can discreetly bring her into the residence at any time."

Hearing the implication in his words, Dou Zhao’s expression turned grave. "What exactly happened? Don’t hold anything back—explain it to me carefully."

Chen Jia bowed and complied. "As a retainer of the He Family, Wei Quan naturally sought to please He Hao. Over time, the two became entangled. Even after his marriage, He Hao continued to visit the Wei residence as before. Yi Gui’s striking beauty caught He Hao’s eye, stirring improper thoughts in him.

"At first, He Hao tried to woo Yi Gui with sweet words, but when she refused, he turned his attention to Wei Quan.

"Though Wei Quan had no scruples, he was unwilling to give up Yi Gui.

"So He Hao promised him many benefits—not only transferring a hundred acres of fertile land under his own name to Wei Quan but also redeeming one of Wei Quan’s former lovers and gifting her to him. With that woman whispering in Wei Quan’s ear, he soon changed his mind."“On the Lantern Festival, he used the excuse of taking Yi Gui to see the lanterns in Baoding Prefecture to bring her to a prearranged meeting place with He Hao. He handed Yi Gui over to He Hao, then falsely claimed she had gone missing, even reporting her disappearance to the authorities in both Baoding and Qingyuan…”

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but curse, “Beast!”

Given the differences between men and women, Chen Jia felt somewhat awkward discussing such matters with Dou Zhao.

He lowered his head and took a sip of tea before continuing, “He Hao is married to his maternal aunt’s daughter. His wife’s family provided a large dowry of farmsteads, and she bore him two sons. He Hao didn’t dare bring Yi Gui home, so he kept her in the He Family’s residence in Baoding.

“At first, Yi Gui resisted fiercely, preferring death to submission. But after learning Wei Quan had given her to He Hao and being violated by him, she refused to eat or drink.

“He Hao then stayed in Baoding, attending to her day and night.

“Over time, He Yuanqing grew suspicious.

“At first, he thought his son was keeping a seductress outside and came to catch them in the act.

“But when he saw Yi Gui, he developed wicked intentions and took her from his own son.

“He Hao, unwilling to accept this, exposed the matter to his mother.

“Taking advantage of He Yuanqing’s absence, Madam He forced Wei Quan to sign a wife-selling contract, then secretly had Yi Gui bound and sold to a traveling merchant passing through Baoding.

“Yi Gui resisted again and attempted suicide by hanging in the inn. Fortunately, I arrived just in time. I intimidated and coaxed the merchant, paid him thirty taels of silver, and bought Yi Gui back, secretly bringing her to the Capital.”

Chen Jia observed Dou Zhao’s expression as he spoke. “Since I wasn’t sure how Madam wished to settle Yi Gui’s situation, I didn’t dare bring her here recklessly…”

Dou Zhao wasn’t sure how to handle the young girl either.

If she didn’t take her in, Yi Gui would have nowhere to go.

But if she did, Yi Gui’s birth mother and maternal uncle were still alive.

Dou Zhao asked, “Is the girl very beautiful?”

“Extremely so,” Chen Jia replied, recalling her pale, rain-soaked-pear-like face, hauntingly lovely. He couldn’t help adding, “In my eyes, she bears some resemblance to the Young Lord.”

Dou Zhao’s heart lurched, and she demanded sharply, “Are you certain?”

Chen Jia nodded solemnly. “If Madam doesn’t believe me, I can arrange for you to see her discreetly someday.”

Dou Zhao naturally trusted Chen Jia’s judgment.

Suddenly, she realized this matter was beyond her capacity to handle alone.

After a moment’s thought, she told Chen Jia, “Return for now. Assign people to watch over the girl carefully—ensure nothing happens to her. I’ll discuss this with the Young Lord before deciding anything further.”

Chen Jia guessed Yi Gui might be Song Mo’s half-sister. Not daring to pry further, he bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Huzi, waiting at the door, immediately approached and whispered, “What did Madam say?”

Chen Jia glared at him and warned sternly, “Is that any of your business?” He then ordered, “Take a few men to Longfu Temple personally. Ensure the young lady is well-fed and cared for—no mishaps. As for the others, pay them off to keep silent. I’ll arrange postings for them with colleagues in the south. They are never to return to the Capital. If I ever see them again, they’d best watch out for my blade.”Huzi shrank his head in fear but couldn't help saying, "Didn't you say Madam might use this girl against the Duke of Yingguo? Wouldn't it be better if more people knew? They've all been with us for years..."

Before he could finish, Chen Jia slapped him across the face, his gaze terrifyingly cold. His voice was even more sinister: "If you want to live, keep your mouth shut."

Huzi had followed Chen Jia for so many years, even during his most destitute times, Chen Jia had never struck him like this.

Cold sweat broke out all over his body from fright. He hastily agreed and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Chen Jia watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

From Madam Dou's demeanor, it didn't seem like she intended to use Yi Gui against the Duke of England's Mansion. This matter was clearly far more complicated than he had imagined.

By diving headfirst into this, was it ultimately a curse or a blessing?

For some reason, the image of his first encounter with Yi Gui surfaced in his mind.

She had hugged her elbows, shivering in a dark corner of the guest room. Her frightened gaze resembled that of a cornered young animal, while the exposed snow-white skin on her arms bore blue and purple bruises—like a piece of fine jade deliberately damaged, evoking a pang of heartache.

Chen Jia sighed again.

What did it matter if she was a noble girl?

The more clever and beautiful she was, the harder it would be for her to survive in such an environment.

He heaved his third long sigh of the day, then turned to lead his horse away, slowly departing from the imposing Duke of England's Mansion.

Dou Zhao lingered outside Song Mo's study for a long time, unsure how to broach the subject with him.

Keeping it from him felt unfair, as she couldn't bear to see him deceived; yet telling him risked causing him pain.

Meanwhile, Song Mo, having waited endlessly without seeing Dou Zhao enter, grew increasingly restless—like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Unable to focus on his documents, he finally lifted the curtain and stepped out onto the study's steps. With a smile, he teased her, "Are you waiting for me to invite you in?" Then he joked, "Though the weather is nice today, the wind carries some heat. If you wanted me to come out, you could've at least chosen a shadier spot instead of suffering in the middle of the courtyard!"

Dou Zhao couldn't help but shoot him a mock glare, though her mood lightened considerably.

Once seated in the study, she carefully recounted the matter to Song Mo.

Song Mo had known Dou Zhao was investigating the Li family's affairs. Trusting her methods implicitly, he hadn't interfered. Now, hearing her words, he was astonished: "You're saying that girl resembles me? That can't be. Even if Father had raised her outside, if he wanted to bring her home—especially as a girl—it would've just meant a few extra meals and clothes, plus preparing a dowry when she married. She might even have married into a family beneficial to the Duke of England's Mansion. Mother wouldn't have stopped him, and Father wouldn't have neglected her, leaving the Li family to raise her so carelessly."

"That's precisely why I find this suspicious!" Dou Zhao said. "If it were just some object, it'd be one thing—but this is a living person. Judging by the Li family's behavior, that girl might know nothing... What do you think we should do?"

After a moment of silence, Song Mo replied, "Let me meet her first, then we'll decide."Dou Zhao let out a sigh of relief and hesitated, "If she really is the Duke of Yingguo's child left outside, are you planning to acknowledge her?"

Song Mo appeared somewhat agitated and replied, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!"

It was indeed a difficult situation.

The Li family had raised her with ulterior motives, and Yi Gui was already married—and to a scoundrel at that. Whether they acknowledged her or not, any rumors spreading would cause trouble.

Dou Zhao felt a headache coming on.

Now it was Song Mo's turn to comfort her: "Things will work out when the time comes. As long as we stand united, what obstacle can't we overcome? Even if rumors do spread, isn't the Duke of England's Mansion still Father's? What does it have to do with us?"

That was true.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but smile at Song Mo.