Blossom

Chapter Forty-Six: Half

Dou Zhao returned to Dong Dou in her family's carriage.

Inside the carriage, Dou Duo asked his son, "What did Yuanji say to you?"

Earlier, with the steward present, he hadn’t been able to inquire deeply. He only knew that Dou Shishu had returned, likely due to the conditions proposed by the Zhao Family. But he couldn’t understand what use Dou Shishu’s return would serve—the Zhao Family’s demands were clearly meant to corner him, shifting the blame onto his shoulders. Zhao Ruifu would never agree to sign the consent letter unless he received half of Western Dou’s assets. With victory already in his grasp, Zhao Ruifu wouldn’t relinquish his demands just because of Dou Shishu’s words. Nor could Dou Duo simply hand over half of Western Dou’s property to Dou Zhao based on Dou Shishu’s acknowledgment. And the Wang Family would never allow Wang Yingxue to remain in the Dou household without the Zhao Family’s consent.

No matter how he looked at it, it was an impossible situation!

Dou Shiying replied bluntly, "Fifth Brother told me everything that has happened at home recently."

Then he fell silent, leaving Dou Duo waiting in vain. Eventually, Dou Duo pressed again, "So what exactly did Yuanji say to you?"

"Fifth Brother said that Brother-in-law’s demands are reasonable in sentiment but not in principle," Dou Shiying explained. "However, given what happened to Gu Qiu, Brother-in-law’s anger is justified. Asking our family to compensate Shou Gu is understandable—if we were in his position, we might have demanded even more. If it weren’t for Lord Wang’s appointment as Governor of Gansu, the three families could have sat down to discuss this properly, negotiating a sum that the Zhao Family finds fair and that you could accept. We might even have refused Brother-in-law’s demands outright, and Lord Wang would likely have understood. But the timing is unfavorable now. The Zhao Family may not care, but affairs of the court cannot be delayed—if Lord Wang is impeached, no one else has the prestige and resolve to enforce the ban on the border horse markets. The Emperor’s hopes for stabilizing the northwest would come to nothing, and Lord Zeng might once again face the risk of forced retirement. Fifth Brother asked me to persuade you—for the greater good, he urges you to think carefully before acting."

Dou Zhao curled her lip.

In her past life, Wang Xingyi had only managed to shut down the horse market at Lian Pass, failing to ban horse trading altogether.

Even if the court forbade it, did the commanders of the Nine Garrisons have no other means? What would the Commanders-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery live on otherwise?

At its core, the horse markets were difficult to ban because they served as the private coffers of the entire northwestern military. This was also the main reason Wang Xingyi opposed opening the markets in the first place. Similarly, Shi Ruilan’s arrogance and the inability of censors to impeach him stemmed from the same issue. It was no longer just a matter of whether to open the markets—it had become a power struggle between civil and military officials. In the end, Dou Qijun only succeeded in bringing down Shi Ruilan because the new Emperor ascended the throne and decided to take control of the Lian Pass horse markets, appointing Han Wei, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs’ writing brush eunuch, as concurrent Shaanxi Military Commission Supervisor, stationed permanently in Xi’an to oversee the border horse markets...

Dou Duo sneered, "We’re just living off Dong Dou’s resources. The greater good? What does that have to do with us? We don’t have that kind of vision."

Still fuming over being forced to stay at Dong Dou for a full day and night by the Dowager, he pointed at Dou Zhao and added, "If she were a son, I’d gladly give her not just half but all of the family’s assets. But to hand over our ancestors’ legacy to a little girl who’ll take it to another family? I’d rather let the entire Dou family suffer alongside Zeng Yifen."Dou Shiying remained silent, gently stroking Dou Zhao's head as if to comfort her and ease her fears.

The three of them arrived at the Eastern Residence in silence.

Fifth Uncle personally greeted them at the main gate.

"Little Uncle," he said courteously, "I should have come to pay my respects to you first. But this is not a private matter—I must also hear the opinions of Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law. So I prioritized duty over personal courtesy. Once this matter is settled, I will visit your residence to apologize and seek your guidance."

Fifth Uncle spoke candidly with a smile, his gaze open and sincere. His earnest attitude left no room for Grandfather to find fault, forcing him to suppress his frustration and enter the main hall with a displeased expression, accompanied by Fifth Uncle.

Dou Shiying handed his daughter over to Tuo Niang. "Be good and go play. Father will come to Sixth Aunt’s place to pick you up later."

Dou Zhao nodded. After Grandfather and Father entered the hall, she lingered outside for a while before seizing an opportunity to slip in unnoticed.

Fifth Uncle was speaking: "...So after much deliberation, I’ve decided that Shou Gu’s dowry will be provided by our Dong Dou!"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Both Grandfather and Father couldn’t hide their shock, especially Grandfather, whose face turned ashen. "Do you even realize what you’re saying? Do you know how much half of Western Dou’s assets is worth? This is our ancestral property!" As he spoke, he glanced toward Second Madam.

Second Madam sipped her tea expressionlessly, as if her son had just given away not a quarter of the Dou family’s wealth but a mere sacrificial red porcelain bowl.

"I know," Fifth Uncle replied warmly, his demeanor as gentle as spring. "Our ancestors worked hard to leave behind such vast wealth precisely so their descendants could live better lives. If this inheritance becomes a burden, we can let it go without regret. In this world, virtue determines ownership. I believe that even if we sacrifice a quarter of our assets, with me—" His gaze swept over the faces of every Dou descendant present, "—with Lan Ge'er, with Zhi Ge'er, our family will only grow more prosperous and flourishing."

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but nod inwardly.

Lan Ge'er was from the eldest branch, and Zhi Ge'er from the second.

No wonder her Fifth Uncle had risen to the Grand Secretariat. If nothing else, his impeccable way with words was something she could learn from.

Dou Duo was speechless for a long moment.

This Dou Shishu—how bold, how capable!

No wonder he had taken charge of this matter.

No wonder, among all the Dou descendants, he had risen the highest in official rank!

He was ruthless not only to others but also to himself.

A quarter of Dong Dou’s assets—he was willing to discard them just like that.

At this thought, Dou Duo frowned.

Wait a minute... His own son wanted to elevate a concubine to wife, yet instead of using his own ample silver, he was forcing his nephews to foot the bill... This wasn’t Fifth Brother relinquishing ancestral property—this was coercion, blatant coercion!

Dou Duo’s eyes reddened with fury.

He couldn’t let Fifth Brother succeed!

Dou Duo glanced at his nephews and their wives.

Da Taitai kept her eyes downcast, her fingers idly toying with her purplish-red sandalwood prayer beads.

Second Madam sat rigidly, as still as an ancestor’s portrait in the ancestral shrine.

Dou Shibang, who was usually quick to smile, now sat stiffly, his expression grave.

Only Dou Shiheng lounged casually in his seat, appearing somewhat out of place.Dou Duo asked Dou Shiheng, "Do you agree as well?"

"I agree," the sixth uncle said, sitting up straight with a serious expression. "I never approved of legitimizing Wang Shi, but since it's already decided, giving Shou Gu some Personal Savings for security seems like a good idea. Ruifu has finally done something reliable for once." He never minced his words.

Dou Duo sneered, "Fine, then you can pay Zhao Ruifu! I won’t contribute a single penny."

You want to make things difficult for me? Well, let’s see how you handle this.

To his surprise, Dou Shishu let out a long sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "I was worried you wouldn’t agree, Uncle... Since that’s settled, Third Uncle, please bring out the account books. Let’s divide the property clearly in front of everyone so Uncle knows exactly where things stand."

Dou Shibang immediately brought in a stack of account books. "Uncle, I think since this is Shou Gu’s dowry, it should mainly consist of land and property." He flipped open one of the books and spread it before Dou Duo. "Look, this is one of our farmsteads in Xingtang—over two thousand acres, all contiguous, yielding three to four hundred taels of silver annually. Then there’s the farmstead in Quyang, about fifteen hundred acres, bringing in another three to four hundred taels..."

Though Dou Duo didn’t handle daily affairs, it didn’t mean he never reviewed the accounts.

The properties Dou Shibang pointed out all belonged to the eastern branch.

Were they really planning to subsidize Dou Zhao with their own funds?

A deep confusion flickered in Dou Duo’s eyes.

Dou Shishu smiled faintly and said to Dou Shibang, "Third Brother, you can discuss the details with Uncle later. Right now, we need to draft a contract—since everyone agrees Shou Gu’s dowry will be equally shared by all six branches, we should put it in writing. Words alone aren’t binding."

"Ah, how careless of me," Dou Shibang chuckled. "I forgot you still need to return to the Capital." He turned to Dou Duo. "Uncle, who do you think should draft this contract?"

"I thought it was just the three branches covering the cost?" Dou Duo said. "Why is it now all six branches?"

Dou Shishu explained with a smile, "I originally intended for our three branches to cover it, but Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, and Fourth Brother insisted on contributing. I figured having their support would strengthen our position, so I agreed."

Sweat beaded on Dou Duo’s forehead.

He had only one son.

He wasn’t afraid of offending Second Uncle’s line—there was still Eldest Uncle’s line to rely on.

But among cousins, it was like the Grand Secretariat: alliances shifted with interests. Today, you might join forces with me against him; tomorrow, he might team up with me against you. It was all just politics.

But now, by protecting his own assets at the expense of the other six branches, he was effectively uniting them against him—the one who had taken their share. None of the six branches would ever side with his line again... His branch would be completely isolated. Even if Wanyuan were a newly minted Recommended Man now, what if he became a Presented Scholar? Wouldn’t he still need to seek office? Wouldn’t he still face challenges in his career?

As Dou Duo pondered, Dou Shibang swiftly finished drafting the document.

"Uncle, please check if anything’s missing. If not, we’ll proceed with sealing it."It was just a thin slip of paper, yet Dou Duo felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds in his hand.

Even now, he couldn't believe that Dou Shishu would actually contribute his own money.

Yet the document before him left no room for doubt.

Once the fingerprint was pressed onto it, there would be no turning back.

As Dou Duo thought this, sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped onto the document, spreading slowly like a tear.

A shadow flickered before his eyes, and suddenly, the document was snatched from his grasp.

"I understand Father's concern—he feared I wouldn't agree." Dou Shiying tore the contract to shreds, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into the corner. "There's no need for Fifth Brother to say more. Shou Gu is my daughter, and her dowry should naturally come from me. I agree to cover half the silver."

※

A commenter asked whether Wang Xingyi was in favor of opening the horse market or not. The answer is: in favor.

Then, blushing, they admitted, "I wrote it wrong."

As for the names Cai Lan and Cai Shu, they seem to belong to the same series as Wei Yanzhen’s daughter.

Indeed, they are part of the same series—all derived from The Book of Songs ... Each has its own origin, so I won’t go back and revise it further.

※RQ