Chapter 133 Yi'er, do you miss me?
As blood gradually soaked through Amber's dress, her arms hung limply at her sides. Dou Mingyan collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
The Dou family was terrified. Even though they would occasionally punish their servants in the past, there was never a precedent of killing someone.
Madam Gu couldn't help but look away, feeling a chill run down her spine. She tugged at Dou Bochang's sleeve and murmured, "Sir, please do something for the old lady!"
Dou Bochang's brows furrowed coldly, and he shouted sternly, "Enough! Drag her away and let the doctor examine her. If she still doesn't confess honestly, I'll make her suffer to death!"
He glanced coldly at Dou Mingyan and said, "Guards! Lock the Third Miss in Lan Yue Pavilion and forbid anyone from entering or leaving."
Dou Wenyan's hair was disheveled. After the emotional rollercoaster, her once beautiful cheeks were red and swollen, with tear stains, making her look disheveled and distorted.
What was shattered today was not amber, but her ties to the Dou family.
Madam Gu felt a tightness in her chest and beckoned to her maid to help her down.
As the crowd dispersed, Dou Bochang called out to Dou Wenyi, "Even if they didn't get the seal, my signature is still valid. What should we do?"
Dou Wenyi looked up at the boundless night sky, and without wanting to hide anything from him, told him the whole story.
In fact, Granny Cao had given a different seal to the contact person. Dou Wenyi also sent guards to secretly follow the contact person, so that when he returned, they would know who Dou Mingyan was secretly plotting against.
At that time, Amber was hiding by the low wall of the side gate. After exchanging the secret signal with the person she was meeting, Granny Cao immediately had Amber restrained. Then, she took the opportunity to throw another seal over.
After listening to her detailed explanation, Dou Bochang sincerely admired his daughter's courage and resourcefulness, which was truly impressive. However, after today's incident, he realized that he and Dou Mingyan had become estranged. If she were to truly become the Crown Princess, would she still treat the Dou family well?
Dou Bochang regretted it too late; he had been far too indulgent towards her in the past.
Dou Bochang looked tired, but his eyes were still unusually sharp. "What kind of seal did you replace?"
“That year, we went to have seals carved together. The shopkeeper first gave you a draft of a bloodstone seal, which also had the words ‘Shengzhi Jushi’ carved on it. You thought the border had an extra relief line, so you threw away that seal and asked the shopkeeper to recarve the current seal.”
She found it novel and picked it up when he wasn't looking.
Dou Bochang did recall this incident. A strange light flashed in his eyes, and he felt a surge of excitement. "You're trying to pass off a fake as the real thing to avoid alerting them? If they don't compare them carefully, they won't be able to spot the difference. Once they use that seal, it could prove that they're forging evidence?"
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
In this way, they can turn the tables on their opponents!
Dou Wenyi nodded. "Furthermore, Father, you must not be careless. You must go to the Jingzhao Yin (the Prefectural Governor) to report the case first thing tomorrow morning. Be sure to ask them for the filing documents. Just say that someone has been imitating your seal recently, and that your calligraphy, paintings, and manuscripts have been stolen from the house, just in case."
Throughout the night, his mood was in turmoil, and he thought he had reached a dead end. Only now did he finally feel at ease.
He realized that as long as he didn't go against his own daughter, there seemed to be nothing difficult.
Dou Bochang stroked his beard, sincerely seeking her opinion, "We should probably inform the Crown Prince, just in case!"
The father and daughter were in rare unison for a moment, and she said calmly, "Of course, this matter was originally aimed at him, so he definitely has to put in the effort!"
After leaving the study in the main courtyard, Dou Wenyi returned to Yilan Courtyard, changed into a black dress, and then went to the East Palace.
The coachmen all thought they would encounter trouble, but when the guards at the city gate saw the tokens they were holding, the carriage traveled smoothly all the way to the East Palace.
When Eunuch Anxi entered the hall to announce the arrival of the guests, Dou Wenyi, wearing a veiled hat, waited respectfully in the side hall with her head bowed.
Inside the Chaoyang Palace, a delicate fragrance wafted through the air as Pei Siyan discussed state affairs with several trusted court officials.
Yin Congjian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, was deeply worried. "This time, Du Siren, the supervisor of the Xuanjia Army, and Song Ying, the military commissioner, are vying for power. The army's food supplies have already started to be delayed. I'm afraid that the soldiers at the front will not have enough food and will go hungry, which could lead to a mutiny!"
Another person said, "Du Siren is Prince Rui's man, and Song Ying is the Emperor's confidant. They are fighting fiercely, but it's the Xuanjia Army that's suffering, making things difficult for Commander Zong at every turn!"
"Du Siren and Song Ying are birds of a feather, neither of them are good people!"
"Prince Rui has suffered heavy losses these past few times, and he must be eager to regain face. I'm afraid he might go mad and use the Xuanjia Army to establish his authority!"
Yin Congjian was very dissatisfied with Prince Rui. "Your Highness, the Xuanjia Army is the foundation of the Great Zhou, protecting our home and country. Prince Rui has no bottom line. He only cares about his immediate interests and treats national affairs as a joke. Isn't this giving the Northern Di an opportunity to take advantage of us? If trouble comes out, can Prince Rui bear the responsibility?"
Pei Siyan tapped the table lightly with his long, slender fingers, looked at Yin Congjian, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. "My good younger brother has always coveted the Xuanjia Army, but has never been able to find a way to do so. All his scheming is just to make Commander Zong retire from the army, isn't it?"
"He was just too arrogant. Unfortunately, the few idiots he sent over couldn't control the Xuanjia Army at all!"
"Someone come here! Bring me pen and ink!"
Eunuch Anxi, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward to serve. He carefully ground the ink with his sleeve and lowered his voice, "Your Highness, the Fourth Miss has arrived and is waiting in the side hall."
Pei Siyan paused, a drop of ink soaking into the paper.
A flicker of joy crossed his eyes. He placed the wolf-hair brush on the jade brush holder, coughed lightly, and said, "That's enough for tonight. Everyone, you may all leave!"
Yin Congjian was caught off guard. The matter of the Xuanjia Army was still unresolved, and he had thought they would have to discuss it late into the night. "Your Highness? The matter of the Xuanjia Army cannot be delayed!"
"I know." Pei Siyan couldn't wait to get up and leave first.
Yin Congjian watched his departing figure with a suspicious look on his face. He immediately blocked Eunuch Anxi's path and said with a half-smile, "Eunuch Anxi, His Highness has been in very good spirits lately, and his temper has improved a lot. You have served him well!"
Anxi knew he couldn't suppress his gossipy nature, but what kind of person was he? He kept his mouth shut.
"Your Highness is happy, and we servants are happy too. We dare not take credit for it!"
With that, he flicked his whisk and drifted away.
Inside the side hall, all was quiet. Suddenly, Dou Wenyi felt someone embrace her from behind.
The man's strong chest enveloped her delicate body, his arms tightly encircling her waist, his hot breath brushing against her ear, "Yi'er, have you missed me?"
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