Chapter 13 Intending to send her back to the Taoist temple

Madam Gu's breath hitched, and she almost forgot to cry.

Master Xuanming is the Imperial Preceptor's junior brother, a guest of honor of countless meritorious nobles; how could he be allowed to slander him?

She wanted to berate her eldest son, but seeing his resolute tone and considering what had happened today, it seemed that... she choked on her words and couldn't bring herself to utter a curse.

Madam Gu looked at Dou Bochang for help, but his face was ashen and he remained silent.

Dou Mingyan's eyes flickered slightly. She never expected that Dou Wenyi would have such scheming intentions. She deliberately misled others to doubt Master Xuanming.

She exchanged a glance with her maid Baochuan, then closed her eyes and fainted... Baochuan caught Dou Mingyan and exclaimed, "Madam, Master, something terrible has happened! The Third Miss has fainted!"

Dou Mingxiu, blinded by concern, yelled at Baochuan, "Wasn't she perfectly fine just now?"

Baochuan replied timidly, "Third Miss has always been frail; she must have been overcome by anger and cannot withstand such exertion..."

Madam Gu was extremely anxious, her expression complex. She turned back and gave her a deep look, the meaning of which was all too clear: things were in complete chaos, and her matter should end here.

Dou Wenyi pursed her lips. Madam Gu genuinely cared for Dou Mingyan and couldn't bear to see her suffer the slightest grievance. She had also genuinely wanted to make it up to her earlier, but it meant nothing to Dou Wenyi!

Madam Gu quickly helped Dou Mingyan up, tears welling in her eyes, "Mingyan, my child, don't frighten your mother—"

Dou Bochang looked anxious. "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and fetch a doctor!"

After saying that, he didn't care about Old Madam Dou and hurriedly helped the others send Dou Mingyan back to Lanyue Pavilion.

Standing beside Old Madam Dou, Granny Cao muttered softly, "This illness really came at the right time."

Old Madam Dou glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Dou Wenyi sneered inwardly. She had only made a small test, but Dou Mingyan couldn't sit still. She really did have some connection with Master Xuanming.

She can feign illness and cause trouble today, but once the seeds of doubt are sown, they won't disappear so easily!

Dou Wenyi helped Old Man Dou back to Shouhe Hall.

"Don't argue with your mother. One day she'll understand that she's the best daughter."

Dou Wenyi knew that her grandmother's words of comfort were well-intentioned, after all, harmony in the family brings prosperity.

Her mother gave all her love to Dou Mingyan and Dou Mingxiu; she couldn't fight for it, nor did she want to.

She made this scene because she needed to clarify the rumors that she was a 'jinx', and it would be even better if she could drag Master Xuanming down with her.

After all, she needed to carefully plan to break off the engagement with Xie Guidu.

Dou Wenyi snuggled into Old Master Dou's arms like a spoiled child, "Grandmother, I'm really fine. I'm content with you loving me."

Madam Dou's eyes welled up with tears.

When Gu gave birth to her, she suffered greatly, bleeding profusely and barely surviving. She spent more than a year recovering and also developed rheumatism, which would flare up on rainy days.

Therefore, the Koo family never liked this child.

But she always harbored a deep affection for her child, only to have her heart turned cold due to the repeated neglect from Madam Gu…

The old lady saw it all and felt deeply pained.

She hugged Dou Wenyi, offered her some words of comfort, and then put her back.

After Dou Wenyi left, Old Madam Dou soon received the news that Cheng Ge'er's fever had subsided.

Granny Cao gritted her teeth in anger: "Madam, today's events are really strange, as if someone is deliberately trying to pin the title of 'jinx' on Fourth Miss."

Madam Dou: "Oh, they even used Gu's help."

Granny Cao grew angrier the more she thought about it. "This person is far too malicious! What good could they possibly gain from sowing discord between mother and daughter? Who do you think is behind this...?"

Old Madam Dou glanced at her sideways and snorted coldly, "You old hag, still pretending to be confused with me. Don't alert the enemy before you have evidence. Go and investigate properly."

Granny Cao beamed with joy, "Alright!"

"Send that Master Xuanming away immediately, and forbid anyone from inviting him to the mansion in the future." Old Madam Dou felt guilty; she had failed to protect her granddaughter.

Granny Cao hesitated for a moment, "Madam, but he is the Imperial Preceptor's junior brother. Won't we offend the Imperial Preceptor?"

Old Master Dou was seething with anger. "Even the Imperial Advisor has to bow to me! With just his foul mouth, he ruined Fourth Sister's life. He's committing a terrible sin!"

When Dou Wenyi returned, it was already late at night, and Yilan Courtyard was shrouded in silence.

A bright moon hung high in the sky, its gentle light filtering through the lush branches, creating a hazy, dappled glow. A peony blossom fell upon her as it passed through the corridor.

Dou Wenyi looked up and saw a figure peeking out from the top of the wall. The man jumped lightly and landed right in front of her.

Zhang Chengxian wore a crimson brocade robe, his handsome eyebrows and bright eyes carrying a hint of intensity.

He grinned, revealing two prominent canine teeth. "How was it? Did you handle it well?"

Dou Wenyi glanced around instinctively and sincerely thanked them, "Thanks to you this time, I'm so grateful!"

"Why should we thank each other? ... It's just that my younger brother keeps bothering me, saying he wants to play with you. If you have some free time, could you spend some time with him?"

Zhang Chengxian touched his nose, racking his brains to come up with this excuse.

"OK."

Seeing how readily she agreed, Zhang Chengxian felt a sweet feeling welling up inside him for no reason.

"By the way, I only asked you to invite Sun Siqi over for me. What else did you do for me?"

Zhang Chengxian smiled shyly, "My brother told Father about you saving him, and the old man has been insisting on visiting to express his gratitude, which I couldn't stop him from doing. Today, he met Uncle Dou and boasted that he would help him get a promotion."

Dou Wenyi suddenly realized why Dou Bochang had been looking at her strangely.

“My dad isn’t cut out for this, you should try to persuade him.”

Zhang Chengxian shook his head firmly. "No, a gentleman's word is his bond. My father won't agree. Besides, if Uncle Dou gets promoted, he'll treat you better. Why not?"

The relationship between their two families had finally eased up, and besides, after she broke off the engagement, maybe... he could take advantage of her proximity!

Zhang Chengxian's eyes revealed a hint of self-satisfaction. "In two days, it will be the second round of the Imperial Pharmacy exam. My aunt has people in the Imperial Food Bureau. Should we have someone copy the exam questions?"

Dou Wenyi almost forgot about such an important matter. "No need, I'm not really going to the palace."

She has passed the initial examination for the position of Imperial Physician. If she is absent from the second round of selection without a valid reason or refuses to take the exam due to illness, she will be considered to have disregarded the Emperor's grace and will be sentenced to imprisonment for the crime of "fraudulently evading service" according to the law.

"It's getting late, I'll head back now." With that, Zhang Chengxian leaped onto the wall.

Looking at his bright, sun-like eyes and brows, Dou Wenyi smiled faintly, and memories of him flooded back.

Zhang Chengxian, a playboy whom everyone considered a good-for-nothing, went to the frontier during the two years when palace intrigue was at its fiercest, and stayed there for more than ten years.

The Zhang family was accused of selling official positions and titles because they were involved in the power struggle for the throne.

Overnight, his entire family was wiped out, even his young children were not spared. In his previous life, he seemed to have never married, and later became a powerful general who commanded respect in the region.

Pei Siyan's ability to unify the country and completely eliminate the iron cavalry of the Northern Barbarians was undoubtedly due to his contributions.

The young man before me was in the prime of his life, carefree and dashing. How could he have known that one day he would experience the calamity of losing his family and his country being destroyed?

Where did the Zhang family's decline begin?

——

Dou Bochang and Gu returned to the main courtyard. Gu carefully helped him wash up, and the two took off their clothes and lay on the bed.

After more than a decade of smooth sailing, Dou Wenyi made her lose face in public today, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Over the years, she has worried herself sick over her, but Dou Wenyi is not only ungrateful, she also goes against her in every way, and looks at her with cold and resentful eyes, as if everyone owes her something!

He's a complete ingrate, what kind of child is that?

Madam Gu, harboring a bellyful of grievances, spoke tactfully, "...Master, ever since Fourth Miss returned, things at home have been anything but peaceful, with constant turmoil. Mingyan is also ill, and I'm constantly on edge. It was the same at the temple last time. Why her of all people..."

"She stayed at Yuqing Temple for four years, receiving daily guidance from the Bodhisattva. Even the greatest sins... should have been resolved by then. Is it really that the will of Heaven cannot be defied?"

She really wanted Dou Wenyi to go back to the Taoist temple, out of sight and out of mind...