Jilan (Xiu)
Seeing that Bai Shi was finding fault with everything but still couldn't do anything about it, Dou Yanzhou felt sorry for his mother. He glanced at Dou Yanxun again, thought for a moment, and couldn't help but say:
"Let's leave today's matter aside for now. We'll send a few servants to take good care of the girl's funeral arrangements. We can't afford any more mistakes. But no matter what, it was the other courtyard that caused trouble today, which made our parents so angry. It's clear that you handled this matter poorly, Second Brother. You can't let things turn out like this again."
He helped Bai Shi back to her seat, put his hands behind his back, paced around the hall a few times, glanced at Dou Huaisheng who remained silent, and then said:
“I know you’ve been quite free lately. I heard the other day that there’s a vacant, sinecure in the Ministry of Works. Although the salary is meager, it seems like a lucrative job that doesn’t require any responsibility. Besides, I have some connections with Vice Minister Zhang, who is in charge of this matter. If you’re interested, Second Brother, I’ll just let him know.”
Dou Yanxun had been kneeling in the hall for so long that his knees were now numb and had lost all feeling. However, he never liked to cry out in pain. He just kept hissing cold air and clenching his teeth to support his body with his hands.
Even so, his lazy demeanor remained unchanged. Upon hearing this, he glanced at his elder brother, a faint smile playing on his lips, before lowering his eyes again after a moment.
He neither confirmed nor denied it, but surprisingly, he did not refuse again.
This attitude was quite rare for Dou Yanxun, who had always avoided court affairs and had no ambition for advancement.
Dou Huaisheng remained silent, but he had also given the matter some thought. If this commotion wasn't quelled soon, it would truly become a laughing stock if word got out of the manor.
He allowed the respectful young maid to refill the long-empty white jade teacup, then slowly tapped the edge of the table with his fingertips before saying in a deep voice after a long while:
“Since your elder brother is willing to help you, you can’t keep refusing as you have in the past. The Ministry of Works has a lot of miscellaneous tasks. You have never held a position in the court before, so you should learn carefully from your elder brother. You can’t continue to be so lax as you are now.”
As the head of the family, Dou Huaisheng exuded a calm and authoritative aura from the moment he opened his mouth. His exceptionally sharp eyes were fixed on the illegitimate son kneeling below, watching him grit his teeth and force himself to endure, without looking away for a long time.
Only when Dou Yanxun finally responded softly with "Yes" did a slight smile finally appear on Dou Huaisheng's stern expression, and this silent confrontation between father and son seemed to have finally come to an end.
Madam Bai knew that Dou Huaisheng's actions were intended to quell the matter, and that everything was settled, so further discussion was pointless. Although she was extremely annoyed, there was nothing she could do. She could only sigh softly, and then, citing feeling unwell, she slowly walked out of the main hall with Fu Lian's support.
Seeing that the matter had escalated to such a great extent, it could only be shelved with the departure of the mistress. Everyone then left one after another, and the main hall finally returned to its previous emptiness and desolation, with only the lingering fragrance of incense remaining.
Dou Yanxun had been kneeling for most of the day. Although his body was numb, he still gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up. His elder brother had already accompanied their father as they walked out. The two were talking loudly about the day's court affairs, their voices gradually fading into the distance until they disappeared completely.
He endured the pain and slowly stepped forward, gently pushing open the carved nanmu door of the main hall, which had been slightly closed for a long time.
Suddenly, a fierce wind howled, rushing in through the doorway. The cold wind whipped at his soaked clothes; though it was only late autumn, the air was unusually chilling.
He gently brushed aside the strands of hair that fell across his face, his pale face utterly calm. Only his eyes, after gazing at the desolate scene of withered leaves fluttering in the courtyard for a moment, dimmed and dimmed until they were completely devoid of light.
He straightened his clothes and strode out.
.
Amidst the fragrant aroma that filled the room, only Jiao Han stood alone, a small, shivering figure.
She wiped her tear-streaked face with her slightly damp sleeve. Even though her back was to the door, the light still revealed tiny specks of dust dancing in the shadows.
Ever since hearing the news of Jiaorui's death at dawn, she had been gripped by endless fear and dread, and had spent most of the day kneeling and weeping, her head now throbbing with pain. Moreover, she still felt a lingering fear from the look Bai Shi had given her as she left.
Although her eyes were blurred with tears, she was still startled by the chilling ruthlessness in those eyes.
That was a look she knew all too well from the past.
Back when she was still serving by Lady Bai's side, whenever she made a slight mistake or failed to please her mistress, Lady Bai would give her a dismissive glance. Lacking the obedient and intelligent nature of Jiao Rui, she was never favored by Lady Bai and always deeply feared her former mistress.
But those looks were nothing compared to the coldness Bai Shi showed her today.
She suddenly became very afraid.
After a moment of wild thoughts, she finally braced herself with her hands, trying to stand up, but somehow, she was pushed back to the ground by a brute force from behind.
Someone was standing behind her!
Jiao Han was startled and immediately tried to turn around, but her hands were firmly gripped by the person behind her, making it impossible for her to move. Filled with fear, she hadn't even had a chance to cry for help before her mouth and nose were violently covered.
—Until the world returned to darkness. She stopped breathing.
.
In the backyard of the Dou residence, inside the Huanjia Hall.
Feng Daizhu leaned against the hibiscus-covered couch, her previously exquisite makeup now somewhat smudged. The clever maidservant beside her had already brought four or five soft, warm pillows to place behind her back. Even so, she was quite far along in her pregnancy, and after lying there for a while, she felt tired, but she was not sleepy at all.
Granny Zhao waited anxiously under the eaves in the courtyard, counting the time. It had been an incense stick's time since Dou Yanzhou left, but he still hadn't returned.
It had been a long time since such a major event had occurred within the manor.
Granny Zhao glanced around the hall and saw that Feng Daizhu looked exhausted, clearly very tired, yet she still refused to go back to her room to sleep no matter how much Granny Zhao tried to persuade her. Granny Zhao sighed inwardly and could only instruct a few maids to serve her tea and water attentively.
After all, everyone in the manor knew that the master's new wife was not only extremely wealthy and of noble birth, but also deeply devoted to him.
When the two were newly married, they had occasional disagreements. After all, the young mistress still had some childlike qualities, and sometimes when she got angry, no one could persuade her. The old master was often busy with official duties and couldn't find the time to help.
Even so, the old man never showed the slightest displeasure when he was with her. On the contrary, he always treated his beautiful wife with tenderness and care, doting on her and loving her dearly. Over time, the two could be considered a harmonious couple.
Their servants, seeing this, were naturally very pleased.
As time went on, good news kept coming. The young mistress soon became pregnant. Although it was still unknown whether it was a boy or a girl, the Feng family was powerful, and the young mistress was intelligent and knew how to please the master and mistress. Presumably, no matter what, the young mistress should be able to sit firmly in her seat as the future housekeeper.
But for some reason, or perhaps because she was getting older and more suspicious, she always felt that beneath this calm and composed exterior, there was a deep undercurrent surging within.
The old man had always been devoted to the girl in the other courtyard, which is why he was so worried when he heard news of her and hurriedly asked the old man to go and ease the situation. Now, it seems they have a deep brotherly bond; the old man even put down his chopsticks and rushed over as soon as he heard that something had happened at the other courtyard.
But once the marriage of the woman in the villa is finalized and the new bride enters the house, will everything still be as harmonious as before?
Moreover, while others might not know about the woman in the other courtyard, she, as an elder in the household, was quite aware of the situation.
As that child grew up, their personality and appearance became so similar to the mother of the previous child...
I'm afraid that if the old lady sees this every day, she'll develop a heart ailment that flares up every holiday. It's like a needle buried deep inside, causing endless headaches unless it's removed.
Thinking of those old stories, and looking at Feng Daizhu's tired face inside the coffin, yet still exceptionally beautiful, Zhao Mama could only sigh inwardly.
How long can this peaceful life within the manor last? If this tranquility is to one day vanish, it will surely be followed by another bloody storm, just like that rainy night many years ago...
And she only wished that the storms of the future would come later.
.
In just two days, the Dou family finally returned to peace after the rare period of turmoil.
The Lin and Dou families are about to become related by marriage due to the Empress's decree, which should be a joyous occasion. However, Lin has been at court for several days but has not been able to find a moment to catch up with Dou Huaisheng.
One is that Dou Huaisheng has only served as the Grand Astrologer for a little over a year, but his political career has been very successful. In the blink of an eye, he has been commended by the Emperor, and there are even rumors that he will be transferred to the Ministry of Personnel.
Secondly, Dou Huaisheng's second son, who used to be a carefree and irresponsible playboy, has suddenly changed his ways and gone to report to the Ministry of Works for some unknown reason. Although he is just a minor official in the Agricultural Reclamation Bureau, it is a significant improvement from his previous lax lifestyle of traveling around and looking after restaurants all day long.
As time went on, rumors began to circulate on the street that the Dou family's actions were merely an attempt to save face for their future in-laws.
After all, the Lin family's daughter went from being the crown princess, who seemed to have it all in her hands, to being forced to marry a dissolute playboy. No matter who you were talking about, Lin Youcheng, the future son-in-law, was somewhat unworthy of respect.
In less than half a month, Lin Fu finally found an opportunity to discuss his children's marriages with Dou Huaisheng.
The Dou family sent a very clever servant to deliver a visiting card and several boxes of gifts, inviting Lin Fu to sit and have tea at Shaojing Garden, which is now highly favored by the nobles of Mujing.
When the appointed day arrived, just as Lin Fu was about to step into the sedan chair that had been prepared in front of the door, he was stopped by a soft voice calling "Father" from behind.
Lin Xu stood gracefully in front of the mansion gate, wearing a wide, rose-red cloak with eight-treasure necklace patterns and a thin ribbon made of soft satin around her neck. The snow-white down fluttered in the wind, brushing against her jade-like, smooth cheeks, making her red lips and jade face even more beautiful in the wind.
"Is Father going out?"
Lin Fu felt a deep resentment at the thought that his daughter, whom he had pampered for so many years, was about to be taken away by the Dou family. His words softened slightly.
"Chuoyan, Father has arranged to have tea with Dou Huaisheng. It's windy right now, you should go back to your room and rest."
Upon hearing this, the little figure standing on the steps raised its head, its smile becoming even brighter.
"May I come with you, Father?"
Seeing Lin Fu hesitate, Lin Xu spoke in a soft, sweet voice, just like a cunning and clever little fox.
"Now that I'm engaged, I should at least meet my future father-in-law! Don't worry, Father, I'll just stay quietly by your side and make sure I don't miss any of the important matters you elders are discussing."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
