revenge
Night had fallen, and due to the curfew, the hustle and bustle of the capital had subsided.
In a corner of the inner city, the waters of the two moats meandered, shimmering faintly. Between two crowded, secluded alleys, a courtyard stood quietly and peacefully. The facade was low, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and there wasn't even a plaque on the door; from a distance, it looked like an ordinary family's home. The courtyard gate was always half-closed, and moss climbed from the threshold to the stone steps. If it weren't for the occasional dim light shining from the courtyard, it would be extremely difficult to tell that someone actually lived there.
The bamboo shadows swayed in the courtyard, the summer night was cool, and moonlight poured down on the bluestone path. Dou Yanxun leaned alone against the veranda. A lone lamp on the table swayed in the wind, its dim light making his shadow appear longer and shorter.
A pot of sake sat beside the table, now empty. He simply gazed silently at an old locust tree in the courtyard. All was quiet except for the occasional chirping of insects; the branches cast long, slanting shadows on the ground, creating a dense mass of light.
It was just like a spider web, completely surrounding his shadow until it was swallowed up.
He rarely indulged himself like that.
Since his divorce from Lin Xu, he rarely returned to the Dou family home. Most of the time, he would either stay overnight at the East Palace under the pretext of business, or simply come to this desolate courtyard to be alone. Only when his family came to invite him too many times would he return to the mansion to pay his respects to Dou Huaisheng according to etiquette. Otherwise, he no longer wanted to set foot in that house.
Sometimes he would even prefer to go to a restaurant with a few former colleagues, even if he didn't drink any alcohol, just sitting quietly in the bustling crowd, and it seemed to relieve his mind for a moment.
In the ensuing silence, with not a sound coming from the rooftops, a dark figure suddenly flashed by and silently landed in the courtyard. The person was dressed in black night clothes, with a slender figure and a black veil covering their face, revealing only their prominent nose and overall silhouette.
Dou Yanxun kept his eyes gently closed, showing no surprise whatsoever.
Since finding Lin Xu's residence again, he often rested in that small courtyard. Yan Ya, always sharp-witted, never showed himself to avoid being noticed. Today, he had just arrived at this abandoned courtyard when Yan Ya came looking for him; he must have been holding back for a long time.
Yan Ya bowed, but didn't bother with pleasantries. He said hurriedly, "Young Master, something has happened at home."
Home... Dou Yanxun didn't lift his eyelids, he just felt tired.
For years, he had harbored a deep hatred for the Dou family, and with Xuxu having endured countless hardships and near-death experiences there, he was unwilling to hear even a peep about those people and events. Before Dou Yanxun could wave his hand, Yan Ya whispered a few more words anxiously, and as his words fell, the night wind in the courtyard suddenly picked up, and the lamplight beside him flickered violently.
His eyes, which had been half-closed, suddenly opened.
The interior was pitch black, but it lacked any of the gentleness and nonchalance he displayed during the day. Instead, it radiated a sharp, cold light, causing even Yan Ya, who was looking at him, to feel a chill in his heart. Apart from the numerous times he had faced death in his youth, he had rarely seen his young master like this.
Dou Yanxun stood up, the loneliness and indifference that had enveloped him vanished instantly, his clothes billowing, leaving only endless killing intent all around. "Take your swords, let's set off immediately."
.
Meanwhile, in the south of the city, the Dou family mansion was deep and secluded, its heavy gates concealed. All was quiet, and the same cool moonlight shone as always. In a side room of the east courtyard, the flickering lamplight cast a dim yellow glow on the window paper.
Madam Bai sat upright on the couch, still dressed elegantly despite the late hour, her hair neatly styled, but her eyes held a chilling expression. She twirled a string of nanmu beads in her hand, making a rustling sound.
Aunt Guo, however, stood to the lower end, her usually kind face now filled with anxiety, large beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. She couldn't help but glance around, then forced herself to lower her voice and say:
“Madam, wasn’t our actions tonight a bit too hasty? Although we’ve drugged him, we don’t know how long the drug will last. Besides, putting everything else aside, if this gets discovered, and if Second Master finds out…”
Upon hearing this, Madam Bai's eyes sharpened. Without even glancing at Aunt Guo's timid and fearful appearance, she coldly interrupted her:
"What are you afraid of? So what if it was rushed? We still managed to bring the child back safely, didn't we? If you're worried about anyone, heaven, earth, you, me, and Fuzhen and the people we had tonight are all my trusted confidants. Who are you worried about spoiling the news? As for Dou Yanxun... his heart is no longer with the Dou family. He rarely comes back even once a month! No matter how powerful he is, he won't find out in a short time! Besides, the scouts saw him leave early this morning. I think he was clearly turned away, and he won't be looking for her again for the next few days. Everything is in order, so what is there to be afraid of!"
Aunt Guo lowered her eyes, listening to Madam Bai's stern rebuke but daring not to utter a word of resistance. For many years, she had always been subservient to Madam Bai, and even if she was unwilling, she had no way to resist, just like today. Thinking of this, she bit her lip and remained silent, the handkerchief in her hand crumpled into a ball.
In the corner of the room, Mianxue, who had only recently been brought in by Bai's people, was curled up in her swaddling clothes. The effects of the medicine had long worn off, and when she woke up to find that her surroundings had changed, the child cried incessantly. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, her fair and delicate face was already red from crying. Bai was so annoyed by the sound that she ordered Fuzhen, who was standing by, to stuff cotton balls into Mianxue's mouth in order to get some peace and quiet.
Mianxue could no longer cry out, only let out low sobs. Her voice was delicate and soft, yet it carried a heart-wrenching terror that made Aunt Guo's heart tremble.
As a mother herself, she naturally knew how cruel this was to a newborn baby less than a year old. But since she had become Bai's accomplice, how could she disobey her mistress? With A-Chu soon to be eleven, if it weren't for the hope that A-Chu could marry into a good and noble family in the future and no longer have to be a lowly concubine's daughter, suffering all kinds of grievances, how could she be willing to be Bai's lackey!
Bai Shi was unaware of what Aunt Guo was thinking. She simply smiled coldly and took a sip of the warm tea beside her. She slowly stood up, coldly watching Mianxue, whose face was flushed red in the distance. Her eyes were overflowing with boundless pleasure and unbridled joy.
God knows how long she had been planning this, and finally this day had come!
With her eldest son demoted, the Dou family was also implicated and never recovered. In her eyes, all these misfortunes were caused by her good-for-nothing illegitimate son and Lin Xu. Thinking back to her initial approval of this marriage, she was filled with regret. She even hated herself for not eliminating Dou Yanxun along with Xia Shi and that child…
At that time, Xia Shi was alluring and had given birth to two sons. She was also favored by Dou Huaisheng. If I hadn't used my methods, that slut would probably have been riding roughshod over me long ago! However, I had just done something wrong, and seeing Dou Yanxun as nothing more than a lowly illegitimate son, I ultimately couldn't get rid of him. I never expected... that my leniency back then would ultimately leave behind endless trouble!
Thinking of this, Bai's already deep voice grew even colder, almost as if she were gritting her teeth as she said:
"That vile woman Lin Xu is utterly vicious! How dare she ruin my son's future! I'll make her taste the bitterness of being separated from her own flesh and blood! As for that traitor... does he think he can escape responsibility now that he's climbed up to the Crown Prince? His father and elder brother have suffered such a fate, and he's just stood by and watched. It's more than just a misfortune for the family! As long as Mianxue's safety is in my hands, he can forget about staying away. Sooner or later, he'll have to crawl back to the Dou family and serve the family properly!"
Seeing that Bai was so angry, Aunt Guo and Fuzhen were too frightened to even breathe and dared not try to persuade her any further.
It was past midnight. Bai had been planning this for a long time, and soon the people she had arranged would arrive.
By then, everything will have settled, and there will be no more evidence. The child will no longer exist. No matter how Dou Yanxun and Lin Xu search, they will definitely find no clues.
Thinking of this, Madam Bai felt a surge of satisfaction. Ever since her eldest son left the capital to serve alone in a remote rural area, she had been unable to sleep at night, her hatred seeping into her very bones. How could she not avenge this? How could she let those two off so easily?
Before I could think about it, I heard a rustling sound outside the window.
Madam Bai frowned, clearly displeased that her people had arrived so late. With a single glance, Fuzhen understood and immediately left her room to open the courtyard gate. However, before she could notice the slightly disordered footsteps, so different from the cautious manner of her own family, it was already too late—
In an instant, the gate to the east courtyard was flung open with a bang, and at the same time, a gust of cold wind carrying flames rushed in. The person at the head of the group was thin, dressed in plain clothes, her hair disheveled—it was Lin Xu, her expression anxious. Behind her followed several tall guards, the scabbards in their hands gleaming coldly in the lamplight.
Where is my child?
Looking at Lin Xu's suddenly cold gaze and sharp aura, which was completely different from her gentle and docile demeanor when she was a daughter-in-law at home, Bai Shi couldn't help but sneer repeatedly.
"What? So what if you're an abandoned woman? Don't you even know the proper etiquette of respecting elders and superiors? It seems that after being the daughter-in-law of the Dou family for so long, you haven't learned any of the rules. On the contrary, your old habits are hard to change!"
Seeing that Bai Shi was indeed still awake late at night and offered no rebuttal to her words, Lin Xu knew that Mianxue must be hidden in this courtyard by Bai Shi! Filled with hatred, she no longer wanted to waste any more words with Bai Shi, and only said coldly and sharply:
"I ask you, where is my Mianxue!"
Bai twirled her prayer beads, her robes billowing in the wind. She said coldly, "I've forgotten that you're a mother now. How can you not even protect your own child, instead disturbing your former mother in the dead of night? Don't you understand any manners at all?"
Before she could finish speaking, she coldly said to Fuzhen behind her, "Fuzhen, teach Lin some manners."
Fuzhen was taken aback, naturally knowing what the rules Bai was talking about were. She looked up at Lin Xu, feeling utterly terrified, her steps hesitant, but ultimately dared not disobey, and could only bite the bullet and step forward.
Lin Xu was shocked to find that Bai Shi was still so ruthless after so many days, and even more determined to kill him. Before she could react, a tall guard behind her attacked. The guard wielded a long sword and slashed forward with lightning speed, striking Fu Zhen squarely on the right shoulder!
In the chaos, a muffled "crack" was heard, and blood gushed out instantly. Fuzhen screamed and staggered to the ground, blood gushing from her shoulder.
Everyone was shocked, and Aunt Guo was so frightened that her legs went weak.
These guards were ordered to protect Lin Xu at all costs; how could they allow a mere maid to humiliate her? Despite this, Zhu Ling's eyes widened in disbelief, her anger surging to the top of her head. She stared intently at Bai Shi, her voice trembling with rage:
"Madam Dou, have you gone mad? Our lady is the adopted daughter of the eldest princess and is also the Lady of Zhao'en, personally bestowed by the Emperor! How dare you, a mere mistress of the Dou family, lay a finger on her? Hand over Mianxue at once!"
Bai Shi remained calm, instead letting out a chilling sneer as she sneered, "Madam Zhao'en? Ha, just a lowly maidservant. Who gave you the right to speak when your mistress is speaking? But I truly don't understand your nonsense... In this vast courtyard, have you heard even the slightest sound of a baby crying?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the lights flickered, but the surroundings were as silent as death.
Lin Xu was horrified and dared not think any further. "What...what did you do to my child?"
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