Blossom

Upon hearing that his widowed great-granddaughter was to remarry, Old Master Ji was so shocked he couldn't catch his breath and fainted.

Ji Yong and Ji Qi were terrified, their hands and feet turning cold. In a panic, they rushed forward—one pinched Old Master Ji's philtrum while the other loudly scolded the pages to fetch a doctor.

After a long while, Old Master Ji slowly regained consciousness and immediately asked where Ji Yong had gone: "...He frequents Cat Alley—there's no way he wouldn't know about this!"

Ji Qi hurriedly defended his son: "Jianming just started at the Office of the Crown Prince's Tutors and has been busy socializing with colleagues these days. He hasn't even been home—how could he know about matters in the inner courtyard? Even we didn't know Lingze went out to buy a hairpin and then disappeared..."

Old Master Ji slapped Ji Yong across the face: "Useless fool! You can't even manage household affairs properly, no wonder Dou the Fifth pushed you aside. You'll never be more than a Vice Minister in this lifetime!"

The Ji residence in Capital's Yuqiao Alley was managed by Ji Yong's wife.

Ji Yong covered his face, not daring to say a word.

Old Master Ji roared, "As long as I live, there will be no remarried women in the Ji family! Go tell the Dou family—if they have no shame, we still have our dignity. If they want to marry, they can take Ji Lingze's memorial tablet instead! No—our Ji family has no remarried daughters. Their affairs have nothing to do with us!" He then pointed at Ji Qi. "You take Ji Lingze back to Yixing and drown her in the pond. I'll deal with her parents—back then, they said their daughter was suffering in the Han family. I pitied her for being widowed so young and fought hard with the Hans to bring her home. And this is how she repays me? Secretly seducing her own cousin—shameless wretch! She deserves to die!"

With even his elder brother being struck, Ji Qi naturally didn't dare speak either. He hastily agreed and went to negotiate with the Dou family.

When Ji Yong heard the news, he was shocked: "You mean Zixian and my cousin have already been found? How so quickly?"

Zi Xi cautiously replied, "The Young Lord of Duke of Yingguo helped locate them. He brought Dou's Seventh Master and took both the young master and the young lady back to Jing'an Temple Alley. The paternal aunt just invited an official matchmaker to propose marriage for them. Old Master is furious—even the First Master was slapped. Old Master said he'd drown the young lady in a pond, and if the Dou family wants to marry her, they can take her memorial tablet instead..."

"Why must you ramble so much!" Ji Yong snapped impatiently. "I ask one question, and you give me ten answers. Go to the Dou residence and find out how they agreed to this marriage."

Zi Xi bowed and left the Ji residence.

Ji Yong paced anxiously in his study.

Dou Dechang didn't have the influence to make the Dou family agree to this marriage—otherwise, he wouldn't have hidden with Ji Lingze at Great Xiangguo Temple without consulting them first. The only one who could have stirred things up to this point was Song Mo.

By going with the flow and forcing the Dou family to accept Dou Dechang marrying Ji Lingze, he not only pleased Dou Dechang but also demonstrated his capability and tactics to Dou Shiying... And Dou Zhao—though she seemed at odds with her father, she cared deeply for him. With this incident, Dou Shiying must be panicking and clueless. By solving his dilemma, Song Mo would earn Dou Zhao's gratitude.

Damn that Song Mo—what a cunning fox!He slammed his palm down on the tea table.

The teacups and teapot rattled loudly, his hand stinging with numbness.

Ji Yong couldn't help but curse under his breath.

Zi Shang came in to ask where Ji Yong would like dinner served.

After some thought, Ji Yong said, "I'll join Old Master Ji for dinner!"

He strode off to Old Master Ji's study.

Old Master Ji was in the midst of roaring, "What? The Dou family refuses to release her? Are you all useless? Just because they say no, you come back empty-handed, letting the Dou family detain her—"

"Great-grandfather," Ji Yong sauntered in casually, "you're at the age of knowing destiny. Too much anger harms the liver!"

Seeing Ji Yong only made Old Master Ji angrier. He turned from Ji Qi to berate Ji Yong: "Where have you been these days? Always disappearing. Do you know Ji Lingze has eloped with Dou Twelve? If this gets out, where will the Ji family's reputation be?"

Ji Yong chuckled lightly. "If the Dou family isn't afraid of losing face, why should we be? Besides, Zi Xian isn't a bad match—your widowed great-granddaughter remarrying a Successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations? Could there be a better deal? I don't understand why you're so angry! If it were me, I'd have already prepared dowry gifts for Lingze. Since the Dou family is determined to marry her, why play the villain?"

His words left Old Master Ji speechless and pensive.

Ji Qi couldn't help but interject, "Though Han Liu is gone, Lingze remains his wife, the Han family's daughter-in-law. Even if we agree, the Han family likely won't."

"That's Song Mo's problem!"

Ji Yong curled his lip, a hint of schadenfreude flashing across his face. "Which is why I say Great-grandfather's grown muddleheaded. The first marriage follows the father's will; the second follows the woman's. The Ji family could play the good role but instead takes the lead for the Han family, pleasing neither side and wasting this opportunity."

Old Master Ji closed his eyes in silence.

Ji Qi knew his grandfather realized his mistake but couldn't back down or concede to Ji Yong.

In recent years, Ji Yong had advanced steadily in his career, leaving no room for error. Though his tongue remained as sharp as ever and his nature just as cold, he now looked out for family interests. His youth and rising prestige within the Ji family had earned him increasing respect, while Old Master Ji's influence gradually waned.

Ji Qi asked, "What do you suggest we do now?"

"Naturally, I'll handle negotiations with our aunt," Ji Yong declared shamelessly. "Once the Han family agrees, why would the Ji family refuse?"

Old Master Ji opened his eyes and shot Ji Yong a cold glance. "I suspect you just want to curry favor with the Dou family."

"You've seen through me," Ji Yong replied indifferently. "I still bear the Ji name. After you've played the villain, I'll play the good cop, offending neither the Dou nor Han families. Isn't that ideal?"

Old Master Ji snorted coldly.

Ji Yong smiled. "Then it's settled. I'll head to Cat Alley now to spare my aunt a sleepless night." Ignoring Old Master Ji's stormy expression, he strode out the door.Ji Shi listened as Ji Yong explained that the Ji family's earlier commotion was merely an act for the Han family's benefit—in truth, the Ji family was quite willing to renew marital ties with the Dou family. Overjoyed, Ji Shi realized her grandfather couldn't have suddenly changed his mind; this outcome must be Ji Yong's doing. With reddened eyes, she grasped his hand and choked out, "I just didn't want to ruin Zixian's future!"

"I know," Ji Yong replied. "I actually feel rather sorry for Zixian. With so many fish in the sea, why must he insist on marrying Cousin Lingze? But what's done is done. We can only try to contain the situation to protect Zixian's reputation."

Ji Shi nodded repeatedly, finding Ji Yong more considerate than ever before.

She sighed, "The Dou elders disagreed too. It was only through Yantang's mediation that things worked out. Regarding the Han family matter, we'll likely need Yantang's help again."

"His cleverness is renowned among the nobility," Ji Yong said, eyes gleaming. "Entrusting this to him is most appropriate."

Ji Shi nodded emphatically. The next day, she personally visited the Duke of England's Mansion and recounted the entire affair to Song Mo.

Dou Zhao frowned upon hearing this. "Yantang is your son-in-law. Is it proper for him to intervene?"

If the Han family were reasonable, they wouldn't have forced Ji Lingze to marry during the sixth Han master's critical illness.

Blushing crimson, Ji Shi said, "I'm just afraid delays might bring trouble, and your sixth uncle refuses to handle this..."

"No matter," Song Mo interrupted, gently squeezing Dou Zhao's hand. "We can't have Father-in-law negotiating with the Han family. I'll handle it."

"Yantang!" Ji Shi's face brimmed with gratitude.

Dou Zhao tightly clasped Song Mo's hand.

This idea of humbly pleading with the Han family—it must be Ji Yong's scheme, she thought.

Song Mo gave a cold mental snort but offered Dou Zhao a confident smile.

Peaceful resolution with the Han family was never his intention. Instead, he dispatched men to investigate the Han clan's affairs.

As a prominent Jiangnan family with over a century of history and numerous descendants, how could the Hans lack skeletons in their closet?

After Song Mo sent them a letter, the Han family promptly consented to Ji Lingze's marriage. Song Mo then threw himself into arranging Dou Dechang's wedding—from selecting the woman of complete blessings to consulting the Imperial Observatory for an auspicious date—he bustled about tirelessly.

Dou Shiying praised his son-in-law to everyone: "Without my son-in-law, our household would be in chaos."

Knowing Dou Dechang had been kidnapped and rescued by Song Mo, people unanimously praised Song Mo's filial piety and capability.

Dou Shiying seized the opportunity to invite guests: "The wedding's set for the second day of the sixth month—an auspicious date chosen by the Imperial Observatory. He's marrying a Ji family girl, his cousin." As for which cousin, the Imperial Academy scholars knew better than to pry.

When news spread, Ji Yong was livid, thinking bitterly: That fool Dou Dechang gets all the luck!Yet she was pulled aside by Ji Yong's mother, who was crying her heart out and pouring out her grievances: "Your uncles blame me for not keeping Lingze in check, but after all, I'm just her aunt-in-law. How could I possibly watch her every move without blinking? Sixth Uncle forced virtuous women into prostitution, and someone died because of it. He committed such a heinous act and got caught—instead of reflecting on himself, he blames our Ji family for not helping him... And that Song Yantang is no better, why must his methods be so ruthless? Doesn’t he fear the day when the tables might turn and he falls into the hands of the Han family?"

"Can you say less?" Ji Yong said with disgust. "The Han family, continuing like this, is only headed for ruin. Dreaming of competing with Song Mo? Ridiculous!"

Hearing this, Ji Yong's mother grew displeased and chided, "You child, instead of speaking up for your uncles, you side with Song Yantang. Whose family name do you even bear?"

Ji Yong rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving his mother behind.

His mother hurried after him.

But Ji Yong had already vanished.

Puzzled, she asked Zi Xi, "What’s gotten into him?"

Zi Xi could only reply, "Perhaps the workload at the Office of the Imperial Diarists is too heavy!"

He no longer had the courage to report anything further to Ji Yong's mother.