Dou Ming's face was pale and he sat on the bed with his eyes staring blankly, like a soulless puppet, looking lifeless.

Nanny Zhou hugged her and burst into tears.

Dou Zhao stood in front of the window, looking at everything in front of him coldly.

Ever since Dou Ming was rescued by Duan Gongyi, she has become what she is now.

If the Pang family acted uprightly, how could Dou Ming mistake Yu Er for someone sent by the Pang family? And how could he fall into Yu Er's trap?

But the world is so wonderful.

They always like to play those conspiracies and tricks, but in the end they are taken advantage of by those conspiracies and tricks.

Does this count as a good swimmer drowning?

While she was thinking, Su Xin hurried in and whispered, "Miss, Guard Duan is here!"

Dou Zhao glanced at Dou Ming, turned around and walked out of the inner room.

No one noticed that Dou Ming's fingers moved slightly.

In the hall, Duan Gongyi was respectfully bowing to Dou Zhao: "Fourth Miss, I have handed the person over to the government as you ordered. Prefect Lu said that he will handle this matter impartially and will never let Wang Laoqi and Mo Ergu talk nonsense. Please rest assured." When he said this, his tone was a little light-hearted - if it weren't for being a bodyguard in the Dou family, how could Lord Lu, a double-listed Jinshi and a fourth-rank prefect, speak to him so politely? This made him feel upright and made him feel more at ease than how much money he got.

"We have Lao Duan as our guard." Dou Zhao said gratefully, and asked Mo Ergu, "Did she tell us anything?"

Duan Gongyi smiled bitterly, "It's the same as saying nothing. Yu Er had been close to Wang Laoqi when he was in Lingbi County. This time he just said that he had committed a crime in Wang's family and was short of money, so he kidnapped a rich girl on the way to exchange for some silver. The servant named Shang'er was also killed. If you want to know what Yu Er is doing, you can find out something by going to Kyoto."

"I'm afraid we'll have to trouble Guard Duan to go over here." Dou Zhao pondered, "Such a big thing has happened. Even if we can suppress the rumors outside, we still have to tell the elders at home. It's not appropriate for the Fifth Miss to stay in Zhending in this state. I plan to let Su Xin go to see my father on my behalf, or let Dou Ming go back to Kyoto and tell the Wang family about this matter. First, to see if we can find some clues, and second, to let them know that the reason why the Fifth Miss was deceived was because she believed Yu Er's words, so that they can act more generously in the future, and not always act as if they can't show up in public, and have to be secretive and sneaky when they say something."

Duan Gongyi was a courageous man, and after his experience with Lord Lu, he felt much more confident about visiting Yunnan Xunfu's family.

He said "yes" in a deep voice, thinking of how Dou Zhao treated him with great respect. He only asked about the results and not the process when it came to security matters. He never checked the accounts of the ten taels of silver he gave him every month for entertainment expenses. He also handed over such a big matter to him, showing his gratitude to him. He treated Dou Zhao more sincerely, with less respect between master and servant and more frankness between friends. He then reminded Dou Zhao, "Su Xin is just a young girl after all. Will the Wang family listen to her?"

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "Isn't there still the Second Madam?"

Duan Gongyi was puzzled.

Dou Zhao smiled and said, "I'll keep it a secret for now, you'll know when the time comes."

As they were talking, two strong old women came in, escorting a maid who looked as pale as death.

Duan Gongyi knew that Dou Zhao was going to deal with the affairs of the inner house, so he quickly stood up and left.

Ji Hong knelt on the ground woodenly.

Dou Zhao said: "It is a good thing to be loyal to your master, but you can't be confused about right and wrong, good and evil because of this. Fortunately, the fifth lady was found today. If she hadn't been found, what would you have done? The Dou family can't keep you any longer. When the matchmaker comes later, you take your things and go with her!"

Ji Hong was stunned, and tears immediately fell.

"Thank you, Fourth Miss, thank you, Fourth Miss!" She kowtowed to Dou Zhao, "Thank you, Fourth Miss, for not killing me!"

If something like this had happened to someone else, he would have been beaten to death.

Now at least I have saved my life!

Dou Zhao waved his hand, signaling two servants to take Ji Hong to see the matchmaker.

The two maids understood, bowed and pushed Ji Hong out of Qixia Courtyard.

Nanny Zhou walked out of the inner room with red and swollen eyes.

She knelt in front of Dou Zhao, feeling ashamed and embarrassed: "Fourth Miss, I know that nothing I say will be of any use. I am too ashamed to serve Fifth Miss anymore. I only ask Fourth Miss to find some obedient people to serve Fifth Miss. No matter what Fifth Miss wants to do, she won't be able to do it... I will be grateful to Fourth Miss for the rest of my life." After saying that, she kowtowed three times to Dou Zhao.

Madam Zhou was different from those maids and old women. She was Dou Ming's wet nurse and had the grace to raise him. She did not have a contract to sell her body, but only a written employment document. If she wanted to leave during the employment period, she only had to pay a few taels of silver. The reason why she had been taking care of Dou Ming so hard and uncomplainingly was that she truly regarded Dou Ming as her own child.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but sigh secretly: "Madam, you should stay! I think Dou Ming is very scared. I'm afraid she will have to be taken care of for a while. You have been nursing her since she was a child. With you by her side, she will get better faster."

Nanny Zhou was surprised.

Dou Zhao said: "However, the other people around Dou Ming need to be replaced. I will discuss this with Aunt Cui and see how to handle it."

Only then did Nanny Zhou come to her senses.

"Fourth Miss, no wonder everyone praises you for being kind-hearted!" She wiped her tears and said, "You are so generous and don't bother with Fifth Miss. This is Fifth Miss's blessing!"

"I don't deserve the blessing." Dou Zhao said calmly, "I just hope that after this incident, she can learn a lesson and not always think of those crooked ways in the future. She should think and act in the right way. Daddy didn't let her go back to Beijing. If she wanted to go back, she should just try her best to beg Daddy and her grandmother, but she shouldn't follow others to go back to Beijing without knowing the reason. If she didn't have this thought in mind, how could Yu Er trick her into falling for it?"

Madam Zhou nodded repeatedly: "Miss Four is right. I will slowly tell Miss Five about it in the future."

As they were talking, the doctor came over.

Because the doctor was over fifty years old and had been associated with the Dou family since childhood, Dou Zhao did not avoid him. After the doctor took Dou Ming's pulse, Dou Zhao invited the doctor to sit down in the flower hall and asked about his condition in detail. He gave the prescription to Ganlu to get the medicine, and personally sent the doctor to the second gate. After that, he went to his grandmother, but he did not dare to tell his grandmother about Dou Ming's abduction. He only said that Dou Ming insisted on going to Kyoto, and the servants in Qixiayuan actually helped her secretly hire a carriage outside. If it were not for Nanny Zhou who told her, Dou Ming would have secretly run back to Kyoto, so he had to punish the people in Qixiayuan.

Dou Mingyin didn't think much of his grandmother. He only came to greet her every now and then and said hello. He was better off going to the Second Lady's place more often. In addition, Dou Zhao specifically told her to keep it a secret. So his grandmother didn't know what happened last night. She just lamented that Dou Shiying had done something wrong: "... He gave birth to a good child, but he raised her to be a mess." She also told Dou Zhao, "You are her elder sister. Even if she has done something wrong, you should teach her a lesson and not let her do whatever she wants."

Grandmother was very worldly-wise and had long seen that Dou Zhao had always kept a respectful distance from Dou Ming. Although she thought this was not good, Dou Zhao had grown up in front of her and had been close to her since childhood, so she was unconsciously partial to Dou Zhao and pretended to be deaf and dumb about some things.

Dou Zhao also understood in her heart, and replied with a perfunctory smile - it's not that she doesn't want to care, but Dou Ming's parents are still there, so it's not her turn to care. But this time, she made up her mind to send Dou Ming back to Kyoto, maybe Dou Ming's wish would be fulfilled, and Dou Ming would be more obedient.

After coming out of her grandmother's room, she began to reorganize the people in Qixiayuan.

Xidou called in a doctor and released someone to sell him, and Dongdou soon noticed something was wrong.

The Second Lady called Dou Zhao over to talk.

Dou Zhaozhang blushed and told the Second Lady about Dou Ming, saying, "...I really can't say such things, and I don't know how to tell you, so I can only postpone it for one day."

The Second Madam was so angry that she almost suffocated. The Second Madam and Madam Liu pinched her philtrum for a long time before she finally recovered.

"Evil creature, evil creature!" The Second Lady scolded, "I knew that there was no good person in the Wang family!" She then asked Dou Zhao, "Have you found out why Yu Er kidnapped Dou Ming?"

No longer calling her Sister Ming.

Dou Zhao told the Second Madam everything he had found out, and also told her that he planned to let Su Xin visit the Wang family.

The Second Lady nodded repeatedly, patted Dou Zhao's hand and said, "Good boy, it's really hard for you! After all, it's all your father's fault..."

A son should not speak of his father's faults.

The second wife coughed a few times.

The Second Lady also realized that she had said something wrong, so she quickly changed the subject and comforted Dou Zhao for a while. She also asked Dou Zhao if he had any difficulties, and if he did, he could just come to her.

Dou Zhao received the Imperial Sword and naturally thanked again and again.

The Second Lady said, "However, Su Xin is of humble status and she is a young girl. It is not appropriate for her to tell the Wang family. I think it is better to write a letter to your Fifth Uncle and ask Madam Liu to accompany Su Xin to Kyoto to meet your Fifth Aunt. This matter will be left to your Fifth Aunt to handle. After all, you are the elder sister and you have not yet married. Don't get yourself involved."

Dou Zhao was waiting for the Second Lady to say this.

The Second Lady's greatest strength is her ability to judge the situation.

At first, in order for her son to leave a good impression in front of Zeng Yifen, she had been in a stalemate with her brother-in-law for a whole day and night, and supported Wang Yingxue; when Wang Xingyi had the possibility to compete with her son for the position of Grand Academician of the Inner Court, she could also humiliate Wang Yingxue without hesitation. Now, her fifth uncle had entered the court, and Wang Xingyi had changed from the Shaanxi Patrol to the Yunnan Patrol. It was time for her to avenge the "enduring humiliation" in front of the Wang family. If she didn't take the opportunity to trample Wang Xushi so hard that she couldn't raise her head, she would not be the second wife of the Dou family!

It was as if she had always remembered Mrs. Wu - as soon as Dou Shishu entered the pavilion, she told everyone she met that the reason Wu Shan was able to pass the exam and get the first place was all because Master Du, who studied under the Dou family, prescribed a small stove for Wu Shan, and the reason why Master Du prescribed a small stove for Wu Shan was because when Dou Shishu was in trouble, Wu Songnian once invited Dou Shishu to drink.

Dou Shishu became a man who would repay a drop of kindness with a spring of water. However, the Wu family, who gradually distanced themselves from the Dou family after their son passed the imperial examination, became an ungrateful family.

But Mrs. Wu could not make an excuse, let alone take her son and daughter to visit the Dou family as often as before.