Blossom

Dou Zhao's head spun as she tried to stand up, but Su Juan's pained cry reached her ears. She then realized the carriage had overturned completely—she was now sitting on what had been the roof. Bie Suxin crouched beside her, watching anxiously, while Bie Sulan peered out through the window. Behind them, Su Juan had curled into a ball in the corner, writhing in pain.

"Young Miss, are you alright?" Bie Suxin asked again, her voice laced with concern.

"I'm fine," Dou Zhao replied, though her voice came out hoarse.

Bie Sulan turned back, her face uneasy. "Sister, what should we do? Those two with the three-section staffs are incredibly skilled, and there's another with a knife. The house guards are no match for them."

"Let me see!" Dou Zhao crawled to the window.

Seven or eight burly men surrounded them, all with menacing expressions. Apart from the two wielding three-section staffs and the one with a knife, the rest had already been struck down by the Dou family's guards. However, six or seven of their own guards were injured, leaving only the leader and two more agile ones barely holding their ground—though it was clear they were about to be overpowered. Their carriage driver had been thrown into a ditch not far from the wreck, his face submerged in the muddy water, motionless. It was obvious he was beyond saving. Liu Wan, who had come to warn them, trembled as he hid in the roadside bushes, too terrified to move.

Dou Zhao's mind raced.

This was supposed to be an era of peace and prosperity. Zhen Ding County hadn't seen bandits in years, let alone a murder case. These men had specifically targeted the Dou family's carriage—clearly, they had planned this. But were they after the Dou family's carriage in general, or hers in particular? If it was the former, it was manageable. She just happened to be caught in the crossfire, and Second Madam and Dou Shibang would handle it. But if it was the latter... what could they possibly want from her?

If it was for money, her uncle wouldn't harm her, and the Dou family wouldn't want her hurt either.

That left only one possibility.

Extortion!

Dou Zhao broke into a cold sweat.

If these men were merely after quick riches, they should have targeted her third uncle, who managed the Dou family's affairs, or her third cousin, who often traveled—both were well-known figures.

What truly frightened her was the thought that these men might have been hired.

And the only ones who knew about her substantial wealth and her whereabouts were members of the Dou family!

Second Madam was merely her grandaunt by marriage, and her third uncle was just a cousin.

Would this person influence Second Madam and her third uncle to abandon her?

With over half the assailants already dead or injured, would they kill her in a fit of rage?

For the first time, the shadow of death loomed so close to Dou Zhao.

She turned to the Bie sisters. "Are you absolutely certain you can protect me if we fight our way out?"

Bie Suxin and Bie Sulan exchanged glances, hesitation written across their faces.Dou Zhao hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth and saying, "Su Xin, isn't Chen Xiaofeng working as a house guard for someone? Go find him immediately and tell him what's happening here. I'm offering a reward of ten thousand taels of silver. Then go back and check on Consort Cui. Send someone to inform Dou Qijun that I've been robbed. Su Lan, slip out of the carriage quietly and try to follow behind to see where they take me. As long as they don't threaten my life, don't intervene. Meet back here later. Su Juan, you can't even outrun me—sending you away would only endanger you. Stay with me!"

Su Juan tightly clung to Dou Zhao's arm.

But Bie Suxin and Bie Sulan cried out, "Fourth Miss!" in unison. "How can we abandon you and leave? What if those bandits harm you? Let us protect you and fight our way out! Even if we lose our lives, we'll ensure your safety."

"Following my plan is more reliable," Dou Zhao said firmly. "While those three are occupied with the house guards, slip away quickly."

Bie Sulan still hesitated.

Bie Suxin, however, grabbed her sister's arm and said, "Miss, I'll obey you. But if anything happens to you, we sisters won't live on alone." Without waiting for Dou Zhao's response, she turned and slipped away.

Dou Zhao sighed.

She could only hope the Dou family had nothing to do with this!

Soon, two shrill screams rang out from outside. The carriage curtain was yanked open, and Scarface, brandishing a bloodied broadsword, barked, "Which one of you is Fourth Miss Dou? Come out now!"

Thinking about it was one thing—witnessing it was another.

Dou Zhao was terrified, her limbs weak, and the sight of blood made her nauseous. She wished she could vanish into the ground.

Scarface's gaze locked onto her. "You, come out," he said, grabbing her and hauling her out of the carriage. "Where are the others?"

At her feet, one of the Dou family's house guards clutched his stomach, groaning as blood gushed between his fingers.

Despite having lived two lives, this was the first time Dou Zhao had seen such a scene. She couldn't help but retch violently.

Scarface ordered the two men with three-section staffs, "Right the carriage and get our men out of here."

The Dou family's lead house guard, lying on the ground, gasped out, "Who... who are you? Release Fourth Miss now, and you might still have a chance to live—"

One of the men with a three-section staff struck the lead guard, who rolled his eyes and passed out.

Dou Zhao noticed that the Dou family's house guards were all still alive.

One of the bandits glanced into the carriage and said, "No time. If we delay any longer, the authorities will catch on. As long as we have Fourth Miss Dou, that's enough." With that, a sharp pain shot through Dou Zhao's neck, and she lost consciousness.

※※※※※

The commotion outside the Dou residence had died down, leaving only lingering echoes.

Wu Shan entered the study shared by Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang, where he found Dou Dechang and Ji Yong engaged in a game of Go, with Dou Zhengchang observing.

Ji Yong held the white stones, Dou Dechang the black. The two were evenly matched, each gaining and losing ground—a true battle of equals.

Wu Shan brightened at the sight.

Then Ji Yong picked up the folding fan beside the table, waved it a few times, and said coolly to Dou Dechang, "I'll give you two more stones."Dou Dechang's face immediately twisted in distress.

Wu Shan couldn't help but sigh and said with a smile, "Twelfth Brother, I'll be leaving for the Capital the day after tomorrow."

All three of them looked up.

Wu Shan cleared his throat lightly and said, "I'm not sure when I'll be back, so I'd like to invite everyone to admire the flowers at the Source of Dharma Temple."

Ji Yong asked curiously, "What rare flowers are there at the Source of Dharma Temple?"

"Just an old osmanthus tree, nothing special," Wu Shan replied with a smile. "But if we go to the Source of Dharma Temple, my younger sister, Fourth Sister, Shu Jie'er, and Yi Jie'er can all join in the fun."

Ji Yong nodded, "Count me in then!"

Wu Shan invited Dou Dechang, "Shall we go tell Fourth Sister? See when she's free."

Dou Dechang had long wanted to stop playing chess and stood up with a smile, "Great! I'll go with you."

Dou Zhengchang, feeling unable to face Ji Yong's overwhelming presence alone, also smiled and said, "I'll come too."

Ji Yong glanced at Dou Dechang and then Dou Zhengchang, a flash of cunning in his eyes. "Then I'll join as well! I can check on Consort Cui's pulse while I'm at it."

Wu Shan and the Dou brothers exchanged helpless looks and had no choice but to bring Ji Yong along to the western residence.

As soon as they got off the carriage, Wu Shan saw Su Xin, Dou Zhao's maid, jump off a hired carriage in a fluster.

He quickly asked, "Su Xin, why aren't you attending to Fourth Sister?"

Bie Suxin turned around, forced a smile, and curtsied to Wu Shan and the others before hurrying inside, "I have urgent matters to discuss with Consort Cui—"

"Stop right there!" Ji Yong's face darkened as he shouted. "What exactly happened to Fourth Sister? If you dare lie even once, I'll immediately call a slave trader to sell you off!"

Bie Suxin's face turned red and then pale.

Wu Shan shot Ji Yong a glare and said gently, "Su Xin, don't be afraid. We mean no harm—we're just worried Fourth Sister might be in trouble and want to help..."

Bie Suxin, though strong-willed, was just a girl who had recently come of age. With Dou Zhao's fate uncertain, she was already at her wits' end. Hearing Wu Shan's gentle words, her tears fell uncontrollably: "Fourth Miss... Fourth Miss has been kidnapped!"

"What did you say?" The group's expressions changed drastically.

Bie Suxin then recounted the entire incident to Wu Shan and the others.

"Quick, notify Third Uncle and have him send help!" Dou Zhengchang said, his face ashen, but Wu Shan and Dou Dechang stopped him. "We can't make this public," Wu Shan said, his gaze icy. "We must send our own people to rescue her!"

Hearing this, Bie Suxin felt slightly reassured.

"Then let's use my men," Ji Yong suggested, waving his folding fan with a smile as he looked at Wu Shan and the others.

Wu Shan and Dou Dechang exchanged a glance before resolutely agreeing, "Fine."

Ji Yong summoned his attendants and swiftly mounted his horse.

Wu Shan and the Dou brothers were stunned.

Ji Yong widened his eyes in confusion. "Aren't you coming along?"

Dou Dechang's lips twitched. "Of course we are!" With the help of Ji Yong's attendant, he climbed onto a saddle.

Ji Yong instructed his attendant, "Ride with the young master. If he falls off, I'll hold you responsible." With that, he whipped his horse and galloped toward the city gates.

Dou Dechang couldn't help but complain loudly, "Is there anything this guy can't do?"Ji Yong's attendants all lowered their eyelids, pretending not to hear.

※※※※※

When Dou Zhao woke again, she found herself lying on a slightly worn daybed, her clothes still intact. She couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Su Juan slept beside her, and there was no one else in the room.

She sat up.

Her head still felt a bit dizzy, but it wasn't serious.

She listened carefully to the surroundings.

Only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.

Dou Zhao quietly got out of bed and cautiously pushed the window lattice open a crack.

Outside was a small courtyard paved with bluestone, lined with poplar trees whose trunks were already as thick as wine cups. A stone mill stood in the eastern part of the yard, where a hen and her chicks pecked at small stones nearby. The surroundings were eerily quiet, with no one in sight. It was a typical small farmhouse.

Dou Zhao was considering whether to peek through the door crack when she heard the voices of the kidnappers from the main room next door: "Damn it, who knew the Dou family's house guards would be so tough? We were only supposed to knock them out, but now people are injured, and our own men are hurt too. Who knows if he'll still honor the deal?"

Another voice, sinister and cold, replied, "If he honors it, we take the money and scram. If he doesn't... heh heh heh, we'll spill everything to the Dou family. Just sit tight and wait for the silver."