Dòu Zhāo walked out of Dòu Zhèngchāng's study.

  He smiled and asked Du Zhao: "What? Want to leave? Don't stay a little longer." As he spoke, his eyelids lightly lifted, and he glanced at the study.

  Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety.

  Why is this person so fond of prying into others' private lives? Has he read all his books in vain?

  Still a scholar!

  Dou Zhao was displeased in his heart and nodded slightly towards him before going into the Ji's residence.

  Ji Yong turned around and saw Wu Shan sitting there with a pale face, looking like a wooden chicken.

  He shouted for Wu Shan, but Wu Shan slammed shut the window of his study with a "bang".

  Ji Yong furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and followed Dou Zhao into the Ji family's house.

  Dòu Zhāo is bidding farewell to the Ji family.

  Ji pulled her hand and smiled warmly: "In the future when you have time, come to keep Sixth Aunt company." As if she wouldn't see her again.

  Dong Zhao felt a surge of guilt in his heart.

  Sixth Aunt treated her like a mother, but she failed to live up to Sixth Aunt's kindness.

  "I'm afraid when the time comes, you'll have to chase me away." She joked with Sixth Aunt.

  Ji Yong smiled and asked her, "Didn't you ask Wu Shan to help paint the fan? Where is it?" He looked her up and down, "Could it be that Wu Shan can't paint? Do you want me to help you paint one? I'm pretty good at painting, I learned from Jiangnan's famous artist Zhou Liu Yi!"

  Dong Zhao only felt a headache, but considering Liu Bo Mu's position, he couldn't say anything too rude, so he smiled and said: "Wu Si Ge said he finished painting and had the servant send it to the Western Palace."

  "Is that so?" Ji Yong still wanted to say something. Mr. Ji had already shouted at him in a warning tone, "Jianming, didn't you say two days ago that you were going to Mount Tai to watch the sunrise? Are all your things packed and ready? Is there anything else you haven't brought?"

  Ji Yong pouted and stopped talking.

  Dòu Zhāo saw a hint of helplessness flash across Ji's face.

  She hastily stood up: "Sixth Aunt, then I'll be off. The jasmine flowers you wanted, I'll have them sent over to you at dusk."

  "Trouble Shougu again." Ji Shi smiled. She let the big servant girl Cai Bu send Dou Zhao out of the door, then couldn't help but say to Ji Yong, "What did Grandfather say to you? Let you 'speak less and watch more'. You must not make Grandfather sad!"

  Ji Yong heard the words and hummed a sound "I know", but still couldn't help saying: "Don't you think that Ou Shan has no demeanor at all? He's not worthy of Shou Gu at all! Who made this match? It's simply a mess!"

  Ji's family was so angry that they couldn't speak for half a day: "What are you talking about? Whether others are worthy or not, what does it have to do with you?"

  Ji Yong did not utter a word.

  Ji's expression eased up, and he said in a gentle voice: "Sometimes things can't be judged by appearance, don't rush to conclusions. The words of Ya Wen are the first to be released."

  Ji Yong said "oh" and respectfully bowed to the Ji family before retreating.

  Ji gazed at his nephew's tall and straight figure, like a green pine tree, and let out a long sigh.

  Dong Zhaohere instructed Su Lan: "You go to the East Mansion more often these days. Once you hear any news, come and tell me immediately."

  Su Lan is a clever and resourceful person. In the past, it was inconvenient for her to place her own people in the East Mansion, but with Su Lan, she has become much more informed.

  Su Xin hesitated and said: "Miss, are you sure about this? Shouldn't we discuss it with Old Lady Cui or perhaps with the Seventh Master of the Capital?"

  She also thought Wu's family was a good match.

  Dong Zhao had no choice but to make an excuse, saying: "The Wu family has a close relationship with my fifth uncle, and my fifth uncle wants to enter the cabinet. He wants to compete with Wang Xun. I just want to live a peaceful life and don't want to get involved in this matter."

  Su Lan tilted her head: "But what if Master Wu wins? All the rumors outside say that with merit from assisting a dragon, one can become a prime minister. If we help Master Wu now, he will definitely treat Miss well in the future..."

  Before she could finish speaking, her sister Su Xin tapped her on the head: "What if Master Wu loses? We don't want others', and others don't want ours. Just like Miss said. None of us will help each other, we'll just live our own lives steadily. Besides, be careful what you say, or I'll have you stand at attention."

  Su Lan stuck out her tongue and hugged Du Zhao's arm.

  Dou Zhaoming thought of his daughter Yin Jieer, who would also hug her arm and act coquettishly when she was blamed, and couldn't help but smile. He put his arm around Su Lan's shoulder.

  "Miss, it's all because of you, you've spoiled her rotten!" A smile still lingered in his eyes and played on the corners of his mouth.

  Dong Zhaohaha laughed, suddenly discovering that he couldn't remember the faces of his children clearly. In the depths of his memory, only a vague image of someone who was either spoiled or obedient remained.

  She gazed out of the window, and tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

  Su Lan and Su Xin stared at each other, with Su Lan shrinking back even further.

  "Wiping away tears: 'It's nothing, just thinking of some things from before!'"

  Su Lan then took out a small pouch from her bosom, pulled out a piece of osmanthus cake and carefully said: "Miss, this was bought by my sister for me. When I think of Father, eating a piece of cake makes me feel better. You can have one too, and you won't think about those past things anymore."

  Dou Zhao choked back tears and put a piece of osmanthus cake in his mouth, smiling: "It's really delicious!"

  Su Lan smiled, her smile as radiant as sunshine, dispelling the gloom in her heart.

  She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and turned her face aside.

  Dong Zhaoda gathered his spirits and said, "Let's go find Mr. Chen, I'll have him invite Chen Xiaofeng and Duan Gongyi to be my bodyguards, who knows how he's doing? There are only a few people around me, it's always a bit worrisome when going out. Also, that 10,000 taels of silver for the example money, we should get it in hand as soon as possible, otherwise when the time comes and we've invited the people but have no silver to settle them."

  Su Lan retorted: "Return the silver? Didn't Miss give them a large sum of money as compensation?"

  "Reward is reward, wages are wages, how can they be the same?"

  The three of them returned to Dongfu with smiles and laughter.

  Grandma is sorting out the trunks, shaking her head at this one and that one. Du Zhao smiled and asked her: "Are you making autumn clothes or winter clothes?"

  Hong Gu smiled and pursed her lips on one side.

  Dong Zhao suddenly realized.

  Grandma is preparing things for her dowry chest.

  She broke out in a fine sweat on her forehead and pulled her grandmother along as she went into the outer hall.

  Grandma smiled and instructed her: "You help me write a letter to your father, asking him to find a way to bring several tailors and seamstresses from Jiangnan over here, so we can make some new clothes to wear."

  Do you need such a big lineup?

  Watching her grandmother's enthusiastic appearance, Du Zhao still agreed.

  Let's just humor her and make the old lady happy!

  Her grandmother started talking to her about which shop's shoes were good and which shop's hairpins were good. She didn't know where the old lady had heard it from, but it filled Du Zhao's heart with a strong warmth. After chatting for about two cups of tea, Gan Lu came in and reported: "Mr. Chen invites Miss to go to the study!"

  "Then go quickly!" Grandmother said hastily, "I'm afraid something has happened at the shop?"

  It should be for inviting the guards.

  Dong Zhao didn't say anything and went to the study room.

  Chen Qu Shui indeed found her for this matter: "Chen Xiao Feng and others all agreed without hesitation. However, they all proposed to finish this month first, and only after the master finds someone to take over can they come. Only Duan Gong Yi said that he could come in a couple of days. I asked around and learned that when Duan Gong Yi went to Lang's house as a guard, it was Lang's old master who invited him over. After Lang's old master passed away, the current head of the Lang family thought that Duan Gong Yi's salary was a bit high and wanted to reduce it several times, but couldn't bear to mention it because he had served the old master. Duan Gong Yi had long wanted to leave, but his mother was paralyzed in bed, needing him to care for her and money for medicine. He couldn't find a better job than Lang's guard, so he didn't dare open his mouth. When I went to find him, he let out a sigh of relief and proactively proposed taking five taels less silver than at Lang's house. I thought he was someone who could get started right away, so I offered him five taels more than at Lang's house, but he absolutely refused..."

  "What other people does he have at home?"

  "His wife passed away a few years ago," said Chen Qu Shui, "and didn't leave behind any sons or daughters. These past few years, the old lady's illness has used up all their savings, and there hasn't been enough money to remarry."

  "Then buy a servant girl to serve his mother." Dou Zhao said. "The monthly expenses of this servant girl will be borne by us."

  Chen Qu Shui smiled and responded. Duan Zhao asked again about the progress of the case: "Pang Xi Lou wants to sue the Duan family, has Lu Da Ren accepted the indictment?"

  "Agreed." Chen Quanshui smiled and said, "Not only did he accept the indictment, but also kept Pang Xilou in the back hall to drink a toast. Advising Pang Xilou to turn big things into small ones, and small things into nothing. That Pang Xilou is also amusing, after listening to Mr. Lu's words, he actually said it wasn't him who wanted to file a lawsuit, but his second brother asked him to help with the lawsuit. Telling Mr. Lu not to get angry..."

  The people of the Pang family were more interesting than she had imagined.

  Dong Zhao burst out laughing and said to Chen Qu: "I'll trouble you to pay more attention to this matter."

  Chen Qu smiled and responded, and for the next few days he arranged accommodations for the new guards, inquired about Pang Kunbai's condition, and listened to reactions from the capital, busy as can be.

  Ji Yongding set the date to go to Mount Tai, and he went to bid farewell to the Dou family's people next door. Naturally, he couldn't miss going to Wu TaiTai's place, who lived in the same guest house as him at the Dou's residence.

  Mrs. Wu smiled all over her face and invited Ji Yong to drink tea.

  Ji Yong didn't stand on ceremony and sat down below Mrs. Wu, asking: "Why haven't I seen Young Master Wu these past few days?"

  He lived in a guest house on the east side of Dongfu, while Wu Shan and his mother and sister lived in a guest house on the west side.

  Mrs. Wu smiled and said, "We're leaving for Kyoto in two days, but he's been studying hard at home, afraid of his father testing him on his lessons. He's been locking himself up in his room, studying late into the night, not letting anyone disturb him. If it weren't for Zhi Ge'er today, I'm afraid no one would have been able to get him out - he went out with Zhi Ge'er, saying some classmates were going to see him off."

  Ji Yong smiled and said: "It's no wonder that Wu Xian has good people skills, he is indeed a generous person. If it wasn't for him that day, we wouldn't have found that farm!"

  Mrs. Wu was taken aback and asked, "What's Tian Zhuang?"

  Ji Yong's smile was slightly delayed, but he quickly recovered and laughed: "Oh, that day we went out together and got lost, it was Wu Xian who helped us find our way." Then he picked up his teacup and took a few big sips, as if trying to cover something up.

  Mrs. Wu had her doubts.

  After sending Ji Yong away, he found a small servant beside Wu Shan and asked him questions.

  Although Xiao Shu had received Wu Shan's instructions, he didn't dare to deceive Madam Wu and soon told her all the details of Dou Zhao being kidnapped in a straightforward manner.

  Mrs. Wu's face changed greatly, and she repeatedly asked the little servant boy: "When you went there, was that Pang Kunbai already beaten to half death? And Fourth Miss was not injured at all, with many unfamiliar guards around her?"

  Young servant swore: "Madam, I dare not deceive you. If I have one false word, heaven will strike me with thunder and I'll die a terrible death!"

  Mrs. Wu made a gesture of silence and whispered to the servant, "Don't mention this again in the future, or you'll be beaten to death with sticks."

  The little servant shuddered and nodded repeatedly, backing out of the hall in a hurry.

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  Sisters and brothers, asking for pink votes...

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