Chapter 105 Destroying the Heart

For the next few days, the street where the Dou family lived was deserted.

Every now and then, heavily armored imperial guards wielding swords and halberds would storm into the Zhang family's residence to search for evidence. Although Emperor Muzong did not issue an order to confiscate the property, the sheer scale of the raids was terrifying.

Dou Wenyi was deep in thought and remained silent.

Cuizhi knew she was upset, so she carefully lowered her voice and said, "Master has issued a forbidden order that no one is allowed to inquire about the Zhang family."

Dou Wenyi raised her hand and rubbed her temples. Dou Bochang always believed in self-preservation, so how could he be grateful for the Zhang family's help in such a critical moment?

It's already good enough that he didn't kick someone when they're down.

"Rumors are flying everywhere that the Zhang family is involved in the case of the rebellious king..."

The case of the rebellious king

Rumor has it that Emperor Muzong was not originally the crown prince, and he would not have been chosen regardless of whether the succession was based on the legitimate heir or the most virtuous. Emperor Muzong was able to stand out from the many princes because his elder brother, Prince Xian, died young, and it is rumored that Prince Xian was poisoned.

After Emperor Muzong ascended the throne, many members of the imperial clan were dissatisfied and claimed that he was the mastermind behind the poisoning of Prince Xian. Prince Zhao and Prince Yong used this incident as a pretext to write a proclamation and unite with the imperial clan and noble families to launch a rebellion, which led to a three-year catastrophe for the Great Zhou Dynasty.

As a result, this matter became a taboo for Emperor Muzong for many years.

Prince Rui and his men have even come up with such a cunning scheme; they won't rest until they've brought the Zhang family to their deaths!

Bihe lifted the curtain and came in, saying respectfully, "Miss, Master is waiting for you in the study."

Dou Wenyi nodded and instructed, "Cuizhi, keep an eye on the Zhang family's movements for me. I'll go to the study now."

Dou Bochang was practicing calligraphy in his study, and he wrote a pile of various cursive scripts.

The recent gifts bestowed upon Dou Wenyi by Consort Zhang and His Highness the Crown Prince made him feel that the marriage proposal from the Zhang family was excellent.

But fate is unpredictable; who could have known that the Zhang family would soon face a great calamity?

Since Dou Mingyan went to the palace to learn etiquette last time, she seems like a different person. She stays in Lanyue Pavilion all day and doesn't come out. I'm afraid she suffered a lot of grievances in the palace.

Emperor Muzong is now in his prime, and with this incident involving the Zhang family, the delicate balance between Prince Rui and the Crown Prince seems to have been broken.

Prince Rui is showing signs of surpassing the Crown Prince.

Dou Bochang's position as the Crown Prince's future father-in-law was far too dangerous. Everyone knows that fortune and honor are found in danger, but he was unwilling to risk his life to become the Emperor's father-in-law!

"well……"

Dou Bochang tossed the wolf-hair brush onto the brush holder on the table and let out a long sigh.

Upon hearing from the servant that the Fourth Sister had arrived.

Dou Wenyi, with a serene expression, bowed to Dou Bochang behind the desk and said, "Your daughter greets Father. May I ask what brings you here?"

Yi'er has clearly developed the manners and demeanor of a well-bred young lady, as if she had grown up overnight. She is composed, dignified, and even makes him feel that he can rely on her.

Looking back on this period of time, whether she was handling banquets or matters at the kiln, she remained calm and composed, and handled everything extremely well.

"Sit down and talk." Dou Bochang sighed, but also felt that he had to be on his guard when talking to her.

An inexplicable pressure emanated from him.

It's like facing a colleague or a superior.

How absurd! He's the head of the household!

Thinking of this, Dou Bochang cleared his throat and said with a stern face, "You've always been close to the Zhang family, so you absolutely mustn't go to their house again recently! Luckily, you didn't agree to the marriage with the Zhang family back then, otherwise I'm afraid you would have to break off the engagement again!"

Dou Wenyi lifted her eyelids, unable to resist her sarcasm, "What do you mean by that, Father? Are you trying to distance yourself from the Zhang family? Third Sister is still the Crown Princess. Even if you want to distance yourself, can you really sever your identity as the future father-in-law of the Emperor?"

Dou Bochang was hit where it hurt, and felt a surge of anger. His position was now extremely precarious, like being on a hot plate. How could she not see the situation clearly?

"No wonder your mother always says you are disobedient. I think you have no respect for your elders. Can your third sister's matter be compared with this? Corrupting military supplies is already a capital offense, plus the case of rebelling against the king. Even with Consort Zhang involved, according to His Majesty's attitude, even without evidence, he will still think the Zhang family is guilty."

"Even if the Ministry of Justice manages to uncover the truth of the case and clear his name, once they lose the Emperor's favor, the Zhang family will only face dire consequences!"

"Can't you even understand this simple logic?"

Dou Wenyi felt a chill run down her spine and sneered repeatedly, "Isn't Father just trying to protect himself? Don't forget, you got your current official position by pulling strings with the Zhang family."

"You speak so grandly, but you just think His Highness the Crown Prince is doomed? Let me tell you, the Great Zhou will only belong to the Crown Prince. Neither Prince Rui nor Prince Duan will amount to anything."

"It's just that Father, as the future father-in-law of the emperor, can't trust his son-in-law and wants to be a fence-sitter. I'm afraid Prince Rui also looks down on you, after all, Prime Minister Meng is his father-in-law."

Her words were incredibly hurtful.

Dou Bochang's face turned pale and then flushed. He pointed at her nose and angrily shouted, "You unfilial daughter! I'm your father! Do you have any respect for your elders?"

Dou Wenyi's eyes turned slightly cold as she continued, "Even if Father wants to emulate those treacherous servants, he needs the corresponding resources. So, I advise you not to entertain any such thoughts!"

After saying that, she got up and left without looking back.

Dou Bochang was furious, his chest heaving with rage.

He was stunned for a long time before he realized that she still dared to give him attitude.

This is truly a reversal of the natural order!

But she seemed to have said something right just now. Even if he wanted to pledge allegiance to Prince Rui, he would have to have some bargaining chips. Could it be that he would let Dou Yingxue from the second wife marry Prince Rui as a concubine?

Dou Bochang suddenly understood and headed straight for the second room.

Dou Wenyi went directly to Shouhetang. Her grandmother looked much better recently, and it seemed that she had been eating and taking her medicine seriously.

Seeing that she looked worried and downcast, Madam Dou guessed that she was upset because of the Zhang family's situation.

She couldn't help but sigh, "Yi'er, there are some things we can't change, so we can only accept our fate."

Dou Wenyi shook her head solemnly, "Grandmother, I know, but I'm still not reconciled. I want to pawn some of the treasures bestowed upon me by Consort Zhang for any eventuality."

Although she had informed the Zhang family about selling their property beforehand, it was unclear whether Madam He had taken her advice to heart.

If the Zhang family is convicted, their property will inevitably be confiscated, and there will be many places where they will need money.

As expected, Yi'er is loyal and grateful, which makes Old Madam Dou very gratified. "What's so difficult about that? Just go to Baohui Pawnshop on Xihua Street. They have a very good reputation."

Dou Wenyi chatted with her grandmother for a while before leaving.

What she didn't expect was that Pei Siyan immediately received the news right after Cuizhi pawned the priceless white jade chessboard.