Dong Zhao's tone was somewhat urgent, which made Chen Qu Shui very suspicious of the source of her words.

  No wonder it was Old Man Wu and Fourth Miss who said something?

  But he immediately dispelled this idea.

  How could Dou Shi Jue possibly discuss such matters of the imperial court with his own niece who had not yet reached adulthood?

  He was somewhat perplexed.

  Dòu Zhāoyě realized that his tone was too hasty and the taste of perfunctoriness was too strong, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh in his heart.

  After all, it's still because of being too timid and lacking confidence!

  She simply said: "People say that being too clever is close to being a monster... sometimes thinking too much isn't necessarily a good thing!"

  Chen Qu Shui thought about it and felt that it was indeed the case.

  Otherwise, Fourth Miss wouldn't have explained it to herself either.

  It seems I was just being paranoid.

  Chen Qushui sneered at himself in his heart and asked Dou Zhao about his future plans: "As for the Wang family, do you have any further instructions?"

  "This matter will be put on hold for the time being." Du Zhao thought that the fire had already been lit, and if it was fanned too hastily, it might extinguish the spark. It's better to let it burn slowly and add some fuel later, which would make the fire burn more vigorously. Therefore, he said, "Pay attention to Zeng Yifen's physical condition, and if possible, keep Wang Xingyi in Shaanxi."

  Who can enter the cabinet, although the emperor's will played a decisive role, but such over-promotion is after all a minority. As long as Wang Xingyi stays in the local area, his hope of entering the cabinet is very small, let alone there are many people staring at him with envy on the side. If he still lets him enter the cabinet smoothly, it can only be said that he is too lucky, it's heaven's will.

  Chen Qu Shui Dao: "You mean... let's get in touch with Old Man Wu?"

  "My fifth uncle must have had plans for this matter," Dou Zhao said tactfully, "We just want to help him, but we don't have the qualifications or ability. The main thing is to find out more about the situation. If something unexpected happens, we won't be too passive."

  "I understand." Chen Quanshui smiled and said, "I'll also think of a way to let Fan Wenshu and the people from the head office interact more."

  Dong Zhao smiled and nodded.

  Chen Qu Shui went to Kyoto twice in a row and brought back good news each time.

  "First, someone accused Wang Xingyi of falsely claiming military merit, and then someone else accused him of embezzling military funds." Sitting in the flower hall, sipping on iced green bean soup, his voice carried a hint of comfort. "Although the Emperor did not take action, he dispatched his trusted eunuch Peng Qian to serve as the supervisor of the Shaanxi Provincial Military Commission, showing that there is still some discontent with this matter. To the point where Zeng Yifen recently proposed promoting Wang Xingyi to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but the Emperor did not agree."

  It seems that Zeng Yifen ultimately still favors Wang Xingyi.

  Dong Zhaodao said: "Is there any news about my fifth uncle?"

  "Just like with Zeng Yifen and before," said Chen Quanshui.

  Dong Zhao murmured: "If we can get Ji Yan's uncle, Ji Song, to drop out early, perhaps the Ji family will support Fifth Uncle..."

  Chen Qu Shui was taken aback.

  There is no eternal enemy, only eternal interests.

  Unexpectedly, Fourth Miss has already grasped the threshold of officialdom!

  Knowing is one thing, but doing is another. It's like those officials under the governor, no matter how good their ideas are, without the support of the governor, they're just pie in the sky.

  He couldn't help but remind Du Zhao: "Fourth Miss, even if Zeng Yifen and Ye Shipei personally took action, it's not necessarily possible to let someone like Ji Zirong advance...".

  Ji Songzi Rong

  "I knew it!" Dou Zhao laughed. "I was just thinking about it." Suddenly, he felt a bit like those idlers in Kyoto who spend their days lounging in tea houses, talking big but having no idea where to start when it comes to actual action.

  Time slowly passed to the beginning of August, during which Duan Shiying came over with two letters asking about Duan Ming's situation. Duan Zhao replied one by one: "Following Mr. Song to study, calligraphy has made great progress... Practicing pipa for an hour every day... Going to the East Mansion to greet the second lady three or five times, and getting her liking very much. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second lady specially instructed her to go with them to Fayuan Temple to burn incense... Shu sister has been engaged, her fiancé's surname is Wu, from Pingshan County. His ancestors were once scholars, three years older than Shu sister, and studied in the Duan family school. Duan Ming embroidered a pair of lotus flowers on a pillow and gave it to Shu sister.

  Dowager Concubine Sheng was very pleased.

  He instructed Du Zhao: "If she doesn't listen, you can discipline her directly. If she dares to be rude to you, tell her I said so."

  No matter who said it, in the end, she will be the one remembered with hatred.

  Dòu Zhāo didn't understand Dòu Shìyīng.

  Ji Yong is back.

  He gave Dou Zhao a red lacquer gold-inlaid box, which was heavy, and when Su Xin took it over, she almost lost her grip.

  Dong Ming laughed and said, "What did Brother Ji give to your sister? It's so heavy! Could it be gold, silver, or precious stones? Sister, quickly open it and take a look!"

  Ji Shi glared at Ji Yong fiercely, thinking that since he wanted to give Dou Zhao something, he should have given him something recognizable, so as not to let others make wild guesses and say some out-of-place words.

  Ji Yong burst out laughing and said: "I'll give your sister a nice gift. If Fifth Miss is curious, why not open it and take a look?"

  Dong Zhao knew that it wasn't anything good as soon as he heard the sound, and wanted to stop Dong Ming. But thinking about Dong Ming's stubbornness, she decided to let her open the box instead.

  Inside the box were a pair of iron balls, shining brightly, about the size of an infant's fist.

  Everyone in the house was stunned.

  Ji Yong smiled and took the iron balls in his hands, starting to manipulate them.

  The sound of the iron ball is sometimes high and sometimes low, crisp and pleasant to hear.

  "Isn't it interesting?" He smiled and looked at Dòu Zhāo, "When there's nothing to do every day, turning like this can strengthen the body, Fourth Sister won't have to walk around the courtyard anymore."

  Is this something for girls?

  Dou Zhaoqi was choked with anger. Pishi smiled wryly and said "thank you" as he put away the Su Xin.

  Ji's eyes flashed with a hint of disappointment, but he quickly regained his earlier cheerfulness and showed the Ji family the Shu embroidery he had brought back from Baoding Prefecture: "...the blue-green weaving pattern has several strands of bright red. In a few days when it gets cold, Auntie can make a cloak, it will definitely look great."

  Ji smiled and accepted it.

  Then there was a peach wood hairpin for Aunt Cui, a gold-inlaid jade bangle for the second wife, and Buddhist beads for the first wife...

  Dong Ming was taken aback and said: "Ge Di's family has a tablecloth, what about mine?"

  Ji Yong thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "I also brought something back for the Fifth Miss." He instructed his attendant: "Take out the large embroidered silk handkerchief from that 'Plum Blossom' box."

  The little servant went out at the sound of his voice.

  Dong Mingjiao pouted and said: "Why did you give me a big woolen handkerchief? Brother Ji is really biased!"

  Ji Yong smiled and said: "I only brought these things back. Otherwise, you and your sister can exchange them."

  Dong Ming thought of the iron balls and immediately said: "I'm not going to exchange them!"

  "Then there's nothing that can be done. I didn't know you don't like silk flowers, next time I'll send you something else." He looked quite helpless.

  Dong Ming glanced at Ji Shi and didn't say anything else, smiling sweetly as she thanked Ji Yong, letting the maid next to her take the handkerchief flower.

  Dong Zhao saw that the silk flower was made of velvet, but it looked lifelike, and a butterfly even rested on its surface. A pair of antennae trembled slightly, which was quite interesting.

  Dong Ming smiled and glanced at his sister, letting Ji Hong help her put the silk flower on her head.

  After a few days, when Dou Shao and Dou Ming came to pay their respects to the second lady, they found that the older maidservants of the Ji family were all wearing velvet flowers on their heads, but with different colors and different insects resting on the flowers.

  Dong Ming's face turned red and white, she grabbed a maid and pointed to the silk flower on her head and asked: "What is this?" Her voice was extremely sharp, scaring the maid so much that she quickly replied: "It was given by Ji Gongzi." After finishing speaking, she felt that what she said wasn't right, and in a panic, she added: "Ji Gongzi bought many silk flowers back from Baoding Prefecture, and gave one to whoever he met. I served tea to Ji Gongzi, and he also gave me one... and Caiyun from the second madam's quarters served fruit to Ji Gongzi, and got one too..." Her face had already turned pale with fear.

  Dong Zhao saw Dong Ming's face twisted in anger and hastily sent the maid away: "Nothing, Fifth Miss was just asking a question, you go attend to your duties!"

  The maidservant ran away like a wisp of smoke escaping from a tiger's mouth.

  Dong Zhao warned Dong Ming in a low voice: "This is the courtyard of the second lady, if you don't want to be confined, then suppress your temper."

  Dong Ming let out a cold hum and his face didn't calm down for a long time.

  Dong Zhao said to Ji Yong: "You didn't even bring a gift for Dou Ming, and you don't have to humiliate her like this!"

  Ji Yong said with a straight face, "I didn't bring her anything in the first place. She asked me for something in front of my aunt, so I just went along with it. Is this also my fault? Who would ask someone for something in front of others?"

  Dong Zhaowu was speechless.

  "Alright, alright." Ji Yong smiled and said, "I'll let it go for your sake, so that's settled then?" Then he said, "Fourth sister, is the iron ball fun? I've heard people say that whoever passes through Baoding Prefecture on their way to the capital will buy one of those iron balls as a gift..."

  Dong Zhao shouted out Su Xin's name.

  Su Xin smiled and took out the iron balls from her waist bag, rotating them with a smooth and natural motion, the sound like a soft humming of a little tune.

  Ji Yong smiled slightly and chuckled.

  Dòu Zhāo flung his sleeves and left.

  Dong Ming fell in love with Ji Yong from then on.

  On the fifteenth of August, at a family banquet, the big red lantern on the table suddenly caught fire, everyone was flustered and feared they couldn't escape in time. Only Ji Yong sat there calmly, before the servants could rush over, he poured a cup of tea to douse the lantern and put out the flames.

  A few days later, a young servant beside Dou Ming disappeared.

  Dong Ming was searched for half a day but couldn't be found. In the evening, someone discovered him in the toilet at the back alley of Xi Dong - he had been tied up with ropes, his face smeared with ink, and a smelly sock stuffed into his mouth, placed in the corner of the toilet's cesspit, with many yellow and white things hanging from his head.

  Dong Zhao's face turned pale, and he asked Dong Ming: "What exactly happened?"

  Dong Ming did not make a sound.

  "You don't have to say it, next time it might be your turn..."

  Before she finished speaking, Dou Ming suddenly shouted: "I just let someone give his horse a few beans, and he is so ruthless..."

  Dong Zha thought of those few spirited horses with shiny coats.

  Is this still not enough?

  Dong Zhao said in a low voice: "Who told you that you can't put croton beans in horse feed?"

  Dong Ming was taken aback.

  Dong Zhao's eyes flashed with a cold light like a knife blade.

  Dong Ming involuntarily took a few steps back and said in a low voice: "Yes, it's Tan Ge!"

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  Book-reading brothers and sisters, today many annoying trivial matters delayed the update, which was also postponed for several hours. You can also read it tomorrow morning.

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