Chapter 124 The Dou Family's Wealth Still Depends on Her
Dou Bochang hesitated before speaking, "I'll talk to your mother. The Ministry of Rites should have prepared for the Crown Prince's wedding long ago, but His Majesty isn't in a hurry, and the Crown Prince isn't interested either. Why don't we send Mingyan back to Youyang to visit her family and avoid the limelight?"
Dou Wenyi said quietly, "Father, even if Third Sister goes back, will Prince Rui not target us? Or does Father have some kind of leverage that he's afraid of being discovered?"
"Nonsense! Your father is an upright official, what evidence do I have against him?"
Dou Bochang tilted his head and looked her over suspiciously, then said meaningfully, "You and His Highness the Crown Prince seem to be getting quite close, and you can talk to each other, right?"
Dou Wenyi suddenly paused, her eyes flickering slightly as she avoided his probing gaze.
Last time she came back late, it was Pei Siyan who escorted her back to the mansion. Dou Mingyan threw a tantrum that day. Has Dou Bochang already realized that her relationship with Pei Siyan is not insignificant?
Dou Wenyi's eyelashes trembled, her expression a half-smile, "What exactly does Father want to say?"
Dou Bochang was filled with remorse. They had indeed neglected her far too much over the years, and now trying to mend their relationship was an impossible task. These were things that Gu should have been the one to inquire about, but the relationship between the mother and daughter was almost at its lowest point, so it was unlikely that they could get a single truth out of them.
Dou Bochang said earnestly, "Your second brother is coming back soon. His rating is first-class, and his official position... could you mention it to the Crown Prince?"
Dou Wenyi was completely speechless.
I thought he had changed his ways, but it turns out he's just insatiable. He's openly offering to send her to the Crown Prince's palace!
As expected, Pei Siyan understood their nature better.
Dou Wenyi's tone was sarcastic, and her refusal was straightforward: "Third Sister is the rightful Crown Princess. Whatever your thoughts are, why not have her deliver the message? Father overestimates me; I don't have that ability!"
"Fourth daughter! You can't write two 'Dou' characters in the same stroke. No matter what your future holds, you can't fight alone. You can't do without the help of your family. Your second brother won't be as unreasonable as your eldest brother. If you help him, he will definitely repay your kindness."
Dou Wenyi sneered inwardly. She was nothing yet, and their wicked schemes were already targeting her.
If she were to marry into the Eastern Palace, wouldn't they still bleed her dry?
In addition, Dou Ruzhang was indeed smarter than Dou Mingxiu.
In his previous life, he enjoyed a successful official career, but when she fell into dire straits, he also stood by indifferently and did not offer her any help.
"Father, please don't make things difficult for your daughter." Dou Wenyi picked up her teacup and saw the guest off.
Dou Bochang's expression turned slightly cold. He knew that she was not as easy to manipulate as Dou Mingyan. He was furious and stormed off.
Upon returning to the main courtyard, Madam Gu noticed his pale face and knew he had returned empty-handed.
What did she say?
"She tried to distance herself completely, but still insisted that Mingyan was the Crown Princess."
Madam Gu became somewhat agitated. "That night, the gatekeeper saw her get off the carriage from the East Palace, a lone man and woman... If word gets out, people will say she's after her brother-in-law. Does she even care about her reputation? You should have kept a close eye on her a long time ago!"
"Why don't we hurry up and find her a good match, someone honest and reliable to marry into? That would be better than her being a concubine."
Dou Bochang had a different view, and snorted, "Women's views! These sisters are not blood relatives, so what's wrong with them sharing a husband? If Mingyan can win the Crown Prince's heart, why should we worry so much?"
"Haven't you figured out what happened before? The Crown Prince treats Mingyan very coldly. What good is an unfavored Crown Princess to us?"
Madam Gu had doted on Dou Mingyan as her own daughter for many years, and she couldn't bear to hear him complain about her like this. Her expression immediately changed. "So you really intend to let Fourth Sister enter the East Palace as well? The two sisters don't get along. If something happens, the Dou family will lose face."
Dou Bochang's tone was cold and hard, "Foolish! Even without Fourth Sister, there are other prominent families who can make concubines. Can Mingyan surpass them?"
The political situation at court was turbulent and unpredictable, with the Crown Prince and Prince Rui locked in a fierce power struggle. Even Prime Minister Meng was affected, and he dared not imagine how the Dou family could withstand the wrath of Prince Rui and Prime Minister Meng if the day truly came when it came to a life-or-death struggle.
If Pei Siyan truly has no feelings for Dou Mingyan, then in the event of danger, the Dou family will only become a pawn to be discarded at any time!
There's no way to back out of this marriage. If Dou Wenyi can win Pei Siyan's favor, he'll have to be somewhat considerate, and only then can the Dou family remain safe and sound!
Dou Bochang continued, "Treat Fourth Sister well. Sometimes, even if you see through something, don't say it out loud. Don't be as reckless as before. Maybe our Dou family's wealth and prosperity will depend on her!"
Madam Gu toned down her tone and did not refute further.
The thought of having to deliberately try to please Dou Wenyi made me feel extremely uncomfortable!
——
The Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, Linfeng Residence.
When Xie Guidu returned from his shift, the thought of his daughter waiting for him to play with her made him quicken his pace. Recently, the court had dismissed many officials, suddenly increasing his responsibilities. For several days in a row, his daughter had been asleep when he returned.
He suddenly remembered his previous life, and his heart ached even more. He was often sent away from home, and the time he spent at home each year could be counted on one hand. The time he could spend with Dou Wenyi and Nannan was even less.
"Nannan?"
"Young Master... Nannan is nowhere to be found!" The old woman who was taking care of the young lady was dejected. They had searched the entire courtyard, but they still couldn't find her.
Xie Guidu froze on the spot.
Could it be that she was learning too much and her child couldn't handle it, so she ran away?
impossible!
She was imprisoned by human traffickers and suffered so much hardship, not even getting enough to eat. She had promised herself that she could endure any hardship. All she was supposed to do was learn manners and calligraphy.
He completely panicked, his chest heaving with anger, "What do you mean 'gone missing'? Go find it right now!"
The servants in the courtyard had no choice but to search everywhere.
At this moment, Mo Yu grabbed someone and threw him over, "Young Master, someone said they saw him sneaking into Linfeng Residence this afternoon."
"Your Highness, I didn't! They've framed me!"
Upon closer inspection, Xie Guidu recognized him as Zhang Er, the son of Zhang, the personal nanny of Madam Xue.
He suddenly remembered his previous life. Dou Wenyi had always said that Nannan's death was inextricably linked to Xue Shi and Xie Mengyao.
His heart tightened. "Where did you take Nannan?"
Zhang Er's expression changed instantly. "Your Highness, I didn't—"
Before he could finish speaking, he punched him hard in the stomach, and the man coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Beat them!"
"Young Master, spare me! I'll talk, I'll talk! It was the Lady of the Marquis! She said the young lady is a bastard, that you're raising her in the manor and she's not behaving properly, so she told me to steal her away..."
Where is the person now?
“On the main street, outside Donghua Gate, Jingmingfang.”
Lady Hou originally wanted him to kill the child directly, but Zhang Er couldn't bear it and dared not disobey Lady Xue's orders, so he had no choice but to leave the child on the street, because that place was bustling with people.
A little girl of three or four years old would probably be kidnapped very quickly.
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