Chapter 178 A Move More Skillful
At this moment, the bodyguard Lie Feng entered and bowed. "Your Highness, His Highness has sent word that you should not worry about your half-brother's matter. He has his own plan and will handle it well."
Dou Wenyi looked slightly surprised. "What's wrong with Dou Ruzhang now?"
Lie Feng succinctly stated, "Young Master Dou was beaten up and his leg was broken. He will probably have to stay in bed for more than three months."
Dou Wenyi's expression changed, from worry to joy, "Who hit him?"
The duties of the Deputy Transport Commissioner of Jianghuai were numerous and complex. The Great Zhou Dynasty was full of talented people. Once Dou Ruzhang recovered from his injuries and returned to the court, that lucrative position would naturally be no longer available to him.
If Dou Ruzhang can successfully step down from that sensitive position, not only will his safety be guaranteed, but he will also no longer implicate the Dou family and the Crown Prince.
Pei Siyan's method was simple and crude, but it really worked!
"Meng Duo, the third young master of the Meng family."
"What exactly happened?" Dou Wenyi was slightly taken aback; his question had confused her.
Meng Duo was Meng Jingshu's younger brother. He was the son of Prime Minister Meng, who had him late in life and spoiled him. He spent many years in brothels and was a dissolute and extravagant playboy.
"When Lord Dou hosted a banquet for his colleagues at Lanxiang Courtyard, it was Meng Duo's lackey Hu Er who bullied him by calling Lord Dou a bastard and a dog of the Meng family."
"The two had a verbal altercation in front of their colleagues, but Lord Dou restrained himself and did not lay a hand on them."
"When Miss Sisi refused to accompany Meng Duo, she came instead to listen to the young masters reciting poems, which completely enraged the Third Young Master Meng."
"Who? Xu Sisi?"
Xu Sisi's father was originally a military officer, but he was framed by a villain and became a slave overnight. He was then adopted by the famous courtesan Li Zhen'er. She was stunningly beautiful, talented, and possessed both beauty and skill. She had a melodious singing voice and was an exquisite pipa player. At a young age, she had already become famous throughout Tianning City.
In her past life, Dou Wenyi successfully assassinated Wanyan Tai under her protection. Before the operation, she even entrusted her divorce papers to her. It's unknown whether she survived...
The two women had known each other for less than a month, yet they were already able to entrust their lives to each other; they were truly friends who would risk their lives for each other.
Xu Sisi was quite famous among officials and scholars. It was rumored that even Emperor Muzong wanted to have a relationship with her, so it was not surprising that she did not take Meng Duo seriously.
Given her intelligence, the fact that she would do such a thing knowing that Dou Ruzhang and Hu Er had a grudge against each other suggests that she was acting under someone else's orders.
Almost instantly, Dou Wenyi guessed the gist of it: "Xu Sisi is His Highness's person?"
This time it was Lie Feng's turn to be surprised. "The Crown Princess guessed correctly. She is His Highness's spy."
No wonder, when Tianning City was besieged, all those songstresses were crying and sobbing, but she remained calm and composed, bravely facing death!
Dou Ruzhang's promotion was already irregular; the young master of the Meng family broke his leg.
Not only did they disrupt Meng Xiang's chess game, they also lost morally. Pei Siyan really made a brilliant move.
However, even if Dou Ruzhang's time in this position was short, it was still only a month. The Meng family must still have a backup plan!
Dou Wenyi gave a few brief instructions and decided to go back to the Dou family first. "Someone, prepare the car. I'm going back to the Dou family first."
——
The winter twilight was heavy, and everywhere was cold and gloomy.
Dou Wenyi returned to the Dou family home, feeling a chill in her body. The gatekeeper was quite surprised to see her and hurriedly ran up to greet her with a smile, "Fourth Miss, oh no, why is the Crown Princess back?"
"Something's up."
Dou Wenyi looked dazed. Was this place no longer her home, but only her 'mother's home'?
She stepped into the main courtyard, where the entire scene was laid out before her.
Dou Bochang sat at the head of the table, his eyes slightly closed, looking weary.
Aunt Xu sat at the lower end of the table, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her face. "Master," she cried, "Ruzhang finally made it through, but now his leg is broken. The doctor says he'll have to stay in bed for at least three months. His bright future is ruined just like that. The Meng family has gone too far..."
Madam Gu, on the other hand, looked disdainful, with the corners of her lips turned up, as if she were watching the show with a detached, indifferent expression.
When Dou Bochang's gaze fell on Dou Wenyi, his eyes suddenly lit up as if he had seen a savior. However, he still had to maintain the dignity of his elders, so he composed himself and asked, "Yi'er, you've heard about it?"
Aunt Xu looked at her with a pitiful voice and an expectant expression, "Your Highness, a scoundrel like Hu Er dares to insult officials of the court. They are deliberately provoking us. They are not attacking our Ru Zhang. They clearly do not respect the Crown Prince."
“They always try to harm our Dou family. This time they broke our leg. Next time, do they want to make our Dou family line end?”
Upon hearing this, Dou Bochang recalled the humiliation he had suffered, and with a loud bang, he smashed the teacup on the ground. "Shut up!"
Dou Wenyi glanced at her coldly; Aunt Xu's ability to stir up trouble was still top-notch.
Behind this matter is a power struggle between the Crown Prince and the Meng family. The struggle for the throne is the most dangerous thing. A slight mistake can lead to annihilation. Without power, how can one talk about justice?
Dou Wenyi said coldly, "Alright, don't you all know why Second Brother was promoted? How come it's okay for Prime Minister Meng to promote him out of turn, but it's not okay to scold him for scheming? He dares to take any official position. Throughout history, whether it's the Salt Commissioner or the Transport Commissioner, how many of them have had a good ending?"
"Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise! Second Brother's decision to retire at the height of his career may not be a bad thing. Why are you all in such a hurry?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Xu's lips twitched, instinctively wanting to secure more benefits for herself, "Then, regarding this matter, what about His Highness the Crown Prince..."
Dou Wenyi's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Auntie is quite clever. If Second Brother had real ability, he wouldn't be allowed to stay idle at home every day. If he doesn't have ability, his stance is wrong, and he can't resist temptation, even if His Highness wanted to use him, he wouldn't dare."
After this veiled criticism, Aunt Xu's expression was a fascinating mix of emotions; she couldn't find a word to refute it.
Dou Wenyi composed herself and said, “Until things are settled, you should all stay at home and not go anywhere. Father, why don’t you take a few days off as well? Also, if anyone comes to the door, no matter who it is, do not see them.”
Dou Bochang nodded solemnly and said, "Alright. Did you all hear me clearly?"
"What about Grandmother? Does she know about this?"
"I haven't told her yet."
"I'll go see my grandmother." Dou Wenyi got up and went to Shouhe Hall.
When Dou Wenyi arrived, Old Madam Dou was almost ready to retire.
She had actually heard about Dou Ruzhang's matter before, and she was indeed shocked. However, she was a person who had seen a lot of things, so she didn't care too much. She was only worried about Dou Ruzhang's safety.
Old Madam Dou grasped her hand, her emotions slightly agitated, "The Crown Prince's health...is not improving either, what are you going to do?"
Dou Wenyi felt a warmth in her heart. "Grandmother, don't worry, he'll be fine."
As she spoke, she revealed some more details to her.
The more Madam Dou listened, the more alarmed she became. "...Something's not right. I'm afraid Ruzhang has definitely been compromised!"
Sure enough, her grandmother was perceptive. Dou Wenlian nodded, "That's possible."
Old Madam Dou felt a heavy weight in her heart. "He manages the tidal transport and dispatch, which involves complicated accounts. In just one month, I'm afraid he hasn't even had time to check the accounts and the warehouse. If the accounts and the actual goods don't match, and he has already signed off on them, he will be held responsible!"
"With the tidal waters being deep and there being losses, shipwrecks, and various other issues, it's impossible to guard against them all. These transport officials and their subordinates are all in cahoots. They are adept at falsifying accounts, and they have two or even three sets of account books."
"Fourth daughter, nine out of ten transport commissioners are corrupt, and Dou Ruzhang is just a scapegoat."
"After going through all this trouble, their target is still the Crown Prince!"
Dou Wenyi's breath hitched, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
If Gu Zixiao, the transport commissioner of Jianghuai, is not clean, then who is behind him?
They can falsify accounts, and with Dou Ruzhang as a stepping stone, everything will be framed against Pei Siyan!
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