Dou Zhao's ancestor was a traveling peddler with no permanent property. By chance, he married a maidservant from a merchant family in town. Using his wife's dowry of ten taels of silver, he bought 1.2 mu of land in Beilou Village of Zhen Ding and settled there, establishing roots and multiplying his descendants.
This marked the origin of what would later become the renowned Dou Family of the Northern Mansion.
Dou Zhao's great-grandfather began as an apprentice at his mother's former employer's silk shop at age ten. By fourteen, he had completed his apprenticeship, and by twenty, he became the assistant manager of the fabric store. When the shop owner wanted to marry him to his daughter's personal maid, he refused, unwilling to have his descendants forever bound to serving employers. Instead, he wished to marry Hao Shi, daughter of a poor Successful Candidate in the Imperial Examination from the west side of town.
At twenty-one, he used eight taels of silver he had painstakingly saved to propose to Hao Shi, losing his position as assistant manager in the process.
He returned to Beilou Village with Hao Shi, taking up his father's peddler's carrying pole and inheriting the thirty mu of fertile land his father had toiled a lifetime to acquire. He farmed during busy seasons and peddled goods during slack periods.
The following summer, Hao Shi bore him a healthy baby boy.
At the village entrance, he encountered a cotton merchant.
Zhen Ding Prefecture grew cotton.
The merchant sought someone familiar with local farmers to help purchase cotton.
Dou Zhao's great-grandfather volunteered. With skills honed at the fabric shop, he could spot adulterated cotton at a glance, estimate weight by feel, and was proficient in abacus and bookkeeping.
When summer ended, beyond the agreed payment, the merchant rewarded him with an extra ten taels and arranged to hire him again the next year.
By winter, Dou Zhao's great-grandfather had traveled throughout Zhen Ding County's villages. Come next summer, he knew exactly which households grew how much cotton, the quality of their crops, and their temperament in dealings. His cotton purchasing, weighing, accounting, storage, and record-keeping were flawless. The merchant could simply sit under a tree shade, fanning himself while drinking tea.
"Seems my presence makes no difference—I'm just adding lodging and meal expenses," the merchant joked, proposing: "Here's an idea. I'll advance you some funds to purchase cotton yourself, then deliver it to me. We'll settle based on quality. What do you think?"
Thus began the Dou family's rise through cotton trading.
By Dou Zhao's great-great-grandfather's generation, the Dou family transported cotton purchased from Zhen Ding, Huolu, Yuanji, Pingshan, and Xingtang counties to Jiangnan, exchanged it for silk to sell in Sichuan, then transported Sichuan's medicinal herbs to the capital for silver, crafting new jewelry styles for Zhen Ding's nobility.
Dou Zhao's great-great-grandfather could focus solely on studying for imperial examinations.
Yet despite burning midnight oil, he only attained the rank of Successful Candidate in the Imperial Examination.
This didn't prevent him from marrying the daughter of Zhao Juren (Recommended Man) from Anxiang Village in neighboring Xingtang County.
The Zhao Family was nothing like the Dou family!
They possessed a genealogical record.
Though owning merely 120 mu of land, their ancestry traced back to King Mu of Zhou's era. Moreover, "Zhao" was the imperial surname of the previous dynasty—the Zhao ancestors had relocated here from the old capital Bianjing during the dynastic transition.
The Zhao Family of Anxiang also became Dou Zhao's maternal relatives.
After Dou Zhao's great-great-grandfather married Zhao Shi, they had two sons: the elder Dou Huancheng and the younger Dou Yaocheng.The two brothers had been exceptionally bright since childhood, studying under their maternal grandfather Zhao Juren. When they grew older, they were sent to the Imperial Academy in the Capital for further education.
In the thirteenth year of Zhide reign, both brothers passed the imperial examinations simultaneously. The elder brother ranked third in the second tier, while the younger placed thirty-seventh in the same tier. This marked the true rise of the Dou family's wealth and status.
Later, the elder brother passed the examination for Bachelor of the Imperial Academy and remained at the Imperial Academy, observing government affairs at the Court of State Ceremonial. The younger brother was assigned as a county magistrate in Jinxian County, Nanchang Prefecture.
Dou Zhao's great-grandfather was ultimately short-lived, passing away just a few years after this period of glory. At the time of his death, neither brother was present.
The brothers returned to their hometown for mourning. After completing the mourning period, they returned to the Capital to await new appointments. As a former Bachelor of the Imperial Academy who had served at the Court of State Ceremonial, the elder brother quickly secured a position as Censor of the Censorate. The younger brother struggled for over half a year before finally, through his brother's connections, obtaining the position of Recorder of Yunnan Provincial Surveillance Commission.
In the younger brother's impression, Yunnan was a land of harsh mountains and treacherous waters, with miasmic rains and barbaric mists—a place where officials sometimes died suddenly on their way to assume office, hardly fit for human habitation.
If he continued waiting in the Capital for an appointment, there were two problems: first, as newcomers to officialdom, they might not secure good positions; second, with capital officials being promoted every three years, by the time he got a decent post, his brother would likely have already been promoted to sixth-rank official.
The more he thought about it, the less appealing it seemed. He eventually resigned and returned to Zhen Ding County.
Zhao Shi lived a respectable and comfortable life, with only one concern—that both her sons were serving as officials far from home. She feared dying like her husband, without her sons present for her final moments. Naturally, she was overjoyed when Dou Yaocheng returned home.
After all, her elder son's official career was progressing smoothly. Having the younger son back meant he could fulfill filial duties and help manage family affairs.
Compared to their ancestors, Dou Yaocheng, with his Presented Scholar credentials, was naturally far more capable in business. Instead of selling jewelry with the silver from the Capital, he began lending it as usurious loans—to impoverished Imperial Academy scholars, newly appointed seventh-rank officials who needed funds for social engagements and official attire, or high-ranking regional officials returning to the Capital for reports who required money for gifts.
As these officials were promoted or dismissed, the Dou family expanded into supplying stone materials for river projects, military provisions for the Nine Garrisons, and salt licenses for southern rivers... Silver poured in like water, leaving Zhao Shi and Dou Huancheng both dazzled and apprehensive.
Dou Huancheng, now Vice Commissioner of the Right at the Censorate, repeatedly warned his brother: "The moon wanes after reaching fullness; water overflows when full. You should show more restraint."
Dou Yaocheng dismissed this: "Fortune favors the bold. I'm just borrowing your influence. When you retire, I'll stop this business."
But Dou Huancheng found these profits unclean: "Trading southern goods in the north at least earns honest money through hard work. What you're doing is collusion between officials and merchants—profiteering from national crises!"
Dou Yaocheng sneered: "Now you find the money dirty? You didn't mind when buying rare Song editions, or when supporting colleagues' orphans..."
"You!" Dou Huancheng trembled with anger.
The brothers parted on bad terms. Seeing this distressed Zhao Shi, who pleaded with Dou Yaocheng: "Listen to your elder brother! At the Censorate, he oversees all offices and has seen much. He wouldn't steer you wrong."Dou Yaocheng didn’t want to worry his mother, nor was he willing to bow to his elder brother, so he casually said, “Look at those officials—who isn’t scrambling to curry favor? Without even asking, people bring them food, drinks, and silver, afraid their gifts might be refused. I’m not like Elder Brother. If I don’t earn silver in a day, I won’t have food to eat that day.”
But Zhao Shi took his words to heart. She chuckled and said, “Do you think your mother is senile?” Yet inwardly, she reflected that her elder son had only a modest salary, yet every time he returned, he would present her with ginseng, bird’s nests, or precious gems. The wife and children of the main branch had new clothes and jewelry for every season, year after year—proof that their lives were indeed quite comfortable. The elder son’s words made sense, but the younger son’s business wasn’t easy either. Last time he went to Songjiang Prefecture, he had to entertain those officials with endless drinking until even the smell of alcohol made him sick. Despite this, the silver he earned was never kept for himself—it all went into the family coffers, with all profits split equally with his elder brother.
Thinking this, her heart softened toward her younger son.
Having an official title made all the difference.
No wonder people in this world would break their heads trying to become officials.
The old lady’s favor tilted toward this younger son, who doted on her daily with warmth and care.
Meanwhile, Dou Yaocheng, having abandoned the path of officialdom, saw his business flourish under capable managers, growing larger and more prosperous. Gradually, his focus shifted to indulgence.
At first, it was just gathering friends for merry drinking. Later, he began frequenting opera houses and pleasure quarters.
When Zhao Shi found out, she admonished her younger son: “You’re a man of status—how can you drink at the same table as those lowborn women? Why not buy a few clever maidservants, hire famous performers from Zhen Ding Prefecture to train them, and raise your own Opera Troupe? It would bring you face, provide amusement, and liven up festivities during holidays.”
With his mother’s blessing, what restraint did Dou Yaocheng have left?
His revelries grew increasingly reckless.
The rift between the two brothers deepened.
Seeing this was untenable, Zhao Shi sought advice from her elder brother.
Uncle Zhao pondered and said, “Even brothers must settle accounts openly. Why not divide the family while you’re still here? Let each live their own life, and there’ll be nothing left to argue about.”
After long contemplation, Zhao Shi steeled herself: “Better than leaving behind the scandal of an unfair division after my death. I’ll bear the blame for splitting the family. After all, I’m already halfway into the grave.” She then summoned her elder son: “…Stop quarreling over such trivial matters!”
“Mother, this is no trivial matter,” Dou Huancheng objected, trying to persuade her. “An official career brings fleeting glory, but literature lasts forever. The foundation of a family’s standing lies not solely in scholarly achievements—family ethos is indispensable. With scholarly success but no moral discipline, one might resist the temptations of extravagance, but if they falter, the fall from luxury is more wretched than an ordinary life. With moral discipline but no scholarly success, one can act honorably and live with integrity, untouched by corruption, blessed by fortune. Our uncle’s family is just such an example…”"I know, I know," Zhao Shi replied perfunctorily. "It's me who wants to divide the household. I can't bear to see you all quarreling like this any longer. Especially your brother—ten years of diligent study, only to end up like this. As brothers, if you don’t take care of him, who will? But even the closest bonds, like those between brothers or husband and wife, wear thin over years of constant strife. Do this for my sake, as an act of filial piety—divide the household."
Dou Huancheng swore before his mother, "I will take care of my brother. There’s no need to divide the household..."
Zhao Shi shook her head. "Listen to me. Though your father left behind a vast fortune, it’s not even a third of what the Dou family owns now. I want to split the family property into three parts—one for me, one for you, and one for your brother. I’ll live with your brother, and when I pass, my share will go to him..."
Was this about dividing the household, or dividing the property?
Was this his mother’s wish, or his brother’s?
Dou Huancheng didn’t dare dwell on it. He nodded in agreement.
Zhao Shi invited Uncle Zhao, the then-magistrate of Zhen Ding County, and the families of both daughters-in-law to act as mediators in the division.
Since his mother was living with his brother, Dou Huancheng relinquished the grand residence in Zhen Ding County and built a five-courtyard blue-brick house in the eastern part of town.
From then on, the Dou family split into two branches.
Dou Huancheng’s line, residing in the east of the city, became known as "Dong Dou" (Eastern Dou), while Dou Yaocheng’s line, living in the west, was called "Xi Dou" (Western Dou).
Dou Yaocheng was Dou Zhao’s great-grandfather.
Just as Dou Huancheng had feared, within a few years, infighting among Dou Yaocheng’s wives and concubines led to a fatal incident, exposing many unsavory secrets within the household. Though the matter was suppressed, the Western Dou branch suffered greatly. Dou Yaocheng died before reaching forty, and his descendants dwindled, leaving only Dou Zhao’s grandfather, Dou Duo, to survive.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Dou branch flourished.
Dou Huancheng had two sons and three daughters, nine grandsons, three granddaughters, eleven grandsons-in-law, and nine granddaughters-in-law. Among them, two sons and one son-in-law successively earned the title of Presented Scholar.
He never forgot his promise to his mother and always looked after Dou Yaocheng’s line with care.
After Dou Yaocheng’s death, Dou Huancheng took the young Dou Duo under his wing, managing his estate and personally tutoring him in his studies. Once Dou Duo had established his own family and career, Dou Huancheng returned the estate to him without discrepancy. Even in death, Dou Huancheng left a will: "Eastern and Western Dou are one family—separate in residence but united in lineage."
Dou Duo had a deeper impression of his uncle than of his own father. He regarded Dou Huancheng as a father figure and treated his cousins as true brothers. When his son, Dou Shiying, was born, he was ranked alongside the "Shi" generation of the Eastern Dou family to symbolize their unity and inseparability.
Thus, though Dou Zhao’s father was an only child, he was referred to as "Seventh Master."
The one called "Third Master" was Dou Shibang, the eldest son of Dou Zhao’s second granduncle.
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