Chapter 307 Facing the Moon
In contrast to the joyous and festive atmosphere in Yizhitang, the servants in Xiangxiangyuan were trembling with fear and dared not go out.
Song Yichun was like a trapped beast, pacing around the room furiously: "...This little beast, I don't know what he did to please the emperor, he fooled the emperor around, and even acted like he was going to stand up for him. If I had known this would happen, I should have been ruthless and got rid of him, why would I open a ancestral hall..."
Tao Qizhong, who was standing aside with his hands hanging down, had other concerns.
He called out "Duke" to interrupt Song Yichun's endless curses, glanced at the room without a single servant, and whispered, "Tell me, how did the emperor know about the rift between the prince and you? Most people wouldn't care about such things!"
Song Yichun was stunned.
Tao Qi said, "Duke, I think you can't be careless about this matter. You have to find a way to speak in front of the emperor. Even if you can't explain what happened today, it will prevent someone from putting you in front of the emperor in the future. There is only a thief who can be a thief for a thousand days, but there is no one who can guard against thieves for a thousand days. If this goes on, we will be too passive."
Song Yichun fell into deep thought.
For a moment, the room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
However, a small figure nimbly flashed past the window next to it, hid behind the flower wall beside it, and quickly disappeared.
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After Dou Zhao rewarded the maid, Dou's family and Song Mo's friends and relatives also got the news one after another. In particular, Huang Qihuang, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, who would have to deal with Wucheng Bingmasi frequently in the future, and the Duke of Dongping, who was now temporarily serving as the commander of Wucheng Bingmasi, sent their capable stewards to deliver a generous gift. Therefore, when Dou Zhao returned to her parents' home to stay for the month, Jing'an Temple Hutong was particularly lively. Not only did the whole family of Huaishu Hutong come, but also Ji from Maoer Hutong and Han, who was about to give birth, came.
Dou Shiying felt particularly honored, and did not ask why Dou Zhao did not attend Dou Ming's banquet last time. He directly asked Dou Zhao: "How many days do you plan to stay at home? I can also ask my family to prepare."
Staying for the month does not mean that you have to live in your parents' home for a full month, but it is a selective stay for a few days in the month after the girl gets married.
"I can only stay for two or three days." Dou Zhao smiled apologetically, "The prince will take office in two days, and he will urge the government to investigate the fire in our house. I can only stay a few more days next time I go back to my mother's house."
Married daughters cherish the opportunity to spend time with their parents, so they stay at least four or five days. Some even stay for a month. It is very rare for them to stay for just three days like Dou Zhao. Fortunately, Dou Shiying thought that since his daughter was married to someone else, she should pay attention to her husband's family. He did not think it was an offense and said with a smile, "Stay for two or three days, then stay for two or three days. I will ask Yantang to pick you up when the time comes."
Song Mo quickly stood up and replied "yes", with a hint of joy in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
Dou Shiying looked at him and laughed.
I'm afraid the son-in-law wants his daughter to go home earlier!
The look he gave Song Mo became more gentle, and he told Song Mo about his job: "You are young, so it is inevitable that some people will not accept you. But you must not be arrogant. You must know that those old officials are the most difficult to deal with. Most of them are experienced and proficient in money and grain. They even have personal relationships with the clerks in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. Sometimes they are not able to accomplish things, but if they want to use tricks, they will be accurate every time. You still have a long way to go in the future, so don't be petty with them. Be humble and prudent, be tolerant and generous, and learn to overcome strength with gentleness..."
Dou Zhaoqiang tried hard not to laugh out loud.
It's good enough that Song Mo doesn't punish others, but others want to punish him? Usually they are just grasshoppers after autumn, few of them can jump long. Moreover, all these words of his father are to teach people to be humble and tolerant. If he really does what he says, I'm afraid Song Mo will be eaten by others without leaving any bones. However, Song Mo usually treats people without showing any emotions, so is it necessary for him to show such a happy look in front of his father now?
This guy is too pretentious!
Song Mo, however, looked like he was obediently accepting what was being taught. He listened attentively and kept nodding his head and saying "yes", as if everything Dou Shiying said was the golden rule. This made Dou Shiying more and more excited as he spoke in front of this son-in-law of the third rank.
Gao Sheng poked his head in the doorway.
Dou Zhao hurriedly asked, "What's the matter with the senior management?" and interrupted Dou Shiying's chatter.
Gao Sheng was embarrassed and kept saying, "It's okay, it's okay."
Dou Shiying's face darkened.
Dou Zhao hosted a banquet, but Dou Ming did not go, saying that he wanted to go back to his parents' home to stay for the month. However, he did not even give Dou Zhao an explanation afterwards. Later, Dou Ming hosted a banquet, and although Dou Zhao said that it was wrong to have the gift but not the person, her words did make sense.
The two sisters were each given fifty lashes of the cane.
So this time he specifically asked Gao Sheng to personally invite Dou Ming, and told Dou Ming to come, and also asked Gao Sheng to tell Dou Ming: "No one should mention the past. From today on, the two sisters should be close and warm, like a family."
Seeing Gaosheng's look at this moment, Dou Shiying was completely confused.
Dou Ming actually turned a deaf ear to his words and didn't take them to heart at all.
But if he asked in detail in front of Dou Zhao, wouldn't the relationship between the two sisters be even worse? Moreover, the son-in-law was present... Once this was said, how could the daughter still have face in front of the son-in-law?
He suppressed his displeasure and asked, "Have you arranged the banquet outside?"
"It's arranged, it's arranged!" Gao Sheng didn't know how to answer, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he heard that.
Another servant came to report: "The fifth elder is here, drinking tea with the sixth elder in the hall!"
Everyone was stunned.
A married daughter goes back to her parents' home to stay for a month. This is the women's business. Why did he, her uncle, come here too?
Dou Shiying muttered to himself, and said to Song Mo: "Let's go and meet your fifth uncle. He is very familiar with those people in the Ministry of Revenue. You should take advantage of the opportunity of being in charge of the Jinwu Guards' salaries to get acquainted with them. In the future, the money and rations will be allocated faster, and both the superiors and the subordinates will look at you differently."
Song Mo replied "yes" politely, and followed Dou Shiying out without being servile or arrogant. His words flattered Dou Shiying without any disguise: "I have long wanted to ask my father-in-law to introduce me to someone, but I was afraid that he would think I was unstable, so I never dared to ask..."
Could his unfamiliarity with the Ministry of Revenue delay the military pay of Marquis Changxing?
How could he settle the river engineering bills on time and without paying a penny if he wasn't familiar with the Ministry of Revenue?
Dou Zhao really couldn't help it, so he lowered his head and smiled silently, then went to the flower hall where the female relatives were entertained.
My aunt was talking to my sixth aunt and my fifth aunt. When they saw her come in, they waved at her.
Dou Zhao walked over with a smile on his face and saluted the elders one by one.
The fifth aunt looked her up and down and said with a smile, "This rose-red silk jacket looks really smart on the fourth aunt."
"Who says it's not!" Cai immediately smiled and continued, "The kingfisher hairpin that Fourth Auntie wore today is also very beautiful. Look at the phoenix head, it's so lively, and the eyes are sparkling, like a living thing."
Dou Zhao just smiled slightly.
Everyone was talking at the same time, and the atmosphere was very lively.
After lunch, everyone set up a few tables in the flower hall to play mahjong.
Dou Zhao finally managed to refuse, and Zhao Zhangru pulled her into the small hall behind the flower hall to talk.
Because of Dou Zhao's marriage, my aunt has delayed a lot of time. She plans to set off in early October. If everything goes well, she can go back to celebrate the New Year. Therefore, Zhao Zhangru is a little depressed: "I don't know when we sisters can see each other again?"
Dou Zhao thought of her eldest cousin Zhao Biru, who would be living in Kyoto with her husband in a few years. "Who can predict what will happen in this world? Look at me. I never dreamed that I would marry Song Yantang three months ago. You shouldn't be so depressed."
Zhao Zhangru's eyes widened: "You call your brother-in-law Song Yantang!"
Dou Zhao coughed twice and said softly, "I just said something out of turn!" Then he winked at Zhao Zhangru jokingly, "Don't tell anyone!"
Zhao Zhangru laughed happily and asked about the robbery in the Duke of Ying's mansion: "Have you caught the thieves? Did you really reward others with 1,000 taels of silver?"
"Of course it's true!" Dou Zhao and Zhao Zhangru were talking when they saw their sixth aunt come out of the flower hall. She smiled and said to them, "I'm old now and my waist isn't working well. I can't sit for long. Come out and walk around."
Zhao Zhangru hurriedly stood up and took a thick cushion: "Please sit down!"
Sixth aunt sat down with a smile and asked them, "What are you talking about? You sound so happy."
"Let's talk about the bounty at the Duke of England's mansion." Zhao Zhangru talked to his sixth aunt with a smile, and his sixth aunt listened with a smile.
Dou Zhao's heart moved slightly, and he winked at Su Xin.
Su Xin entered the flower hall.
After a while, he came out and said to Zhao Zhangru, "Miss, my aunt asked you to go over and show her the cards."
"Ah!" Zhao Zhang was surprised, but he still stood up, bowed to his sixth aunt and took his leave, then followed Su Xin to the flower hall.
Dou Zhao took Ji's arm and said, "Sixth aunt, let me walk with you in the corridor!"
Ji's eyes were full of kindness when she looked at Dou Zhao.
The two of them were walking slowly in the corridor outside the flower hall. The maids and servants were standing under the corridor of the flower hall, so they could be ready to respond to the calls from the people in the flower hall at any time and also take care of the two people walking in the corridor.
Ji then spoke in a low voice: "Shou Gu, what should I do? Your twelfth brother did something ridiculous, and I dared not tell anyone. I was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. I could only complain to you..." Before she could finish her words, tears started falling.
Dou Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he vaguely guessed that Dou Dechang and Ji Lingze's crimes had been exposed.
She hurriedly comforted Ji: "Sixth aunt, there is a solution to everything. Don't worry, if I fail, there is still the prince. Now is not the time or the place to talk. I will stay at home for a few days. There is no one to take charge of the family. I will ask my father to ask you to stay and help. If you have anything to say, we will talk tonight."
Dou Zhao's calmness infected Ji.
She nodded, took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, and walked around the corridor twice with Dou Zhao. When she calmed down, she patted Dou Zhao's hand and whispered, "Good girl, I'm fine. Let's go in!"
Dou Zhao said "hmm", then walked into the flower hall with his sixth aunt with a smile.
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