Ji Yong said this without a hint of smile in his eyes.

  Is he still holding a grudge against himself for saying that he "doesn't follow the rules" last time?

  I didn't expect him to be so petty and vengeful.

  Dong Zhaixiao said: "You guys are going to Daci Temple to eat vegetarian dishes! I won't go, the New Year is approaching and there's still a lot of things to do at home!"

  Her answer obviously made Ji Yong very dissatisfied, and a hint of cold smile even appeared on his face.

  Dong Zhaquan pretended not to see, and said to Dong Zhengchang and Dong Dechang: "How are Uncle Wu, Aunt Wu, and Uncle Liu? Does my father have any news?"

  "Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu are both well, Tenth Sister is about to give birth, Aunt Wu hopes that Tenth Sister will have a daughter, first the flowers bloom, then the fruit ripens. Father dislikes the noise at Uncle Wu's place, so in September he moved to Jing'an Temple Hutong to live with Seventh Uncle. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Father went to Dashengguo Temple to dig up antiques, while Seventh Uncle went to Tianning Temple to listen to Buddhist lectures. My father has put on some weight, but Seventh Uncle is still as thin as before..."

  Dou Bochang, the sixth among his brothers, was the eldest son of his fifth uncle. Dou Jichang, the tenth among his brothers, was the second son of his fifth uncle. Dou Bochang married a granddaughter of Cai Bi, an academician of the Hanlin Academy, and had two sons in succession; Dou Jichang married a daughter of Guo Xian, a minor official of the Taichang Temple. These two sisters-in-law had met each other only a few times in their previous lives and had no close relationship with each other. In this life, they had not seen each other even once - Cai's family was delighted as soon as she entered the door, but his fifth aunt was afraid that she would not be able to withstand the hardships of the journey and disturb her fetus. Then she gave birth twice in succession, neither time being convenient for her to return home to worship their ancestors. Guo's family had no news for four years after entering the door. She could have returned home, but with Cai's presence before her, she did not dare to come back.

  Dong Zhaotang heard Dong Zhengchang's words and only then did she know that she was pregnant. She thought about how in her past life, she had given birth to a daughter, but afterwards, there were no more children. In the front, there was the powerful sister-in-law Cai Shi, and in the back, there was Bai Niang who had given birth to four sons. Even though her father had risen to become the Left Vice Commissioner of the Ducha Yuan, a second-grade official, she had never been able to speak loudly in the Dong household. Her heart suddenly felt a pang of sympathy, and she smiled: "So tenth sister is going to give birth to a little one? Then I'll make some small clothes for the little one and have someone bring them over."

  "Great!" said Du Zhengchang with a smile. "Father wants us to go to Kyoto again with Mother after the New Year. How about you come with us, Fourth Sister?"

  Is it with Sixth Aunt?

  Dong Zhao was summoned by Emperor Xian of Han from his hometown in Zuopingyi, but he declined the offer and went into hiding.

  Ji's eyes sparkled with joy at the corners of his eyebrows, and he hastily asked Dou Zhengchang: "Is this what your father said?"

  Dòu Zhèngchāng nodded: "Yes, Father also asked me to bring a letter back for Mother. I was in a hurry to go and pay my respects to Grandmother just now, and didn't have time to give it to you yet."

  Ji's smile grew even brighter as she heard this, and the imperial nanny who was serving Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang on their way to the capital glanced at her.

  The queen smiled and nodded.

  .

  She said to Dòu Zhāo: "You haven't seen your father for some years, have you? Why don't you come with us to the capital this time? We'll be staying at the Ji family's residence in the Fourth Alley of Kyoto. We'll only be there for half a month at most before returning..."

  That is to say, people who don't need to meet Wang Yingshuai can also avoid visiting the Wang family.

  Dōshō doesn't want to go back to Kyoto.

  The Hou Mansion of Jining is just three streets away from Sihou Hutong.

  She didn't expect to meet an old acquaintance again.

  "I'm still not going." She smiled and said, "Dou Ming is still at home..."

  Ji Yong suddenly said coldly: "Do you want to take care of Dou Ming or don't you want to move into the Ji family's mansion?"

  It's only natural that she wouldn't want to move into the Ji family's mansion even if she didn't think about it!

  Dong Zhao pretended not to hear, and continued smiling as he said to Ji Shi: "And then there's Cui Niangniang, who loves to eat five-flower pork the most. If I don't keep an eye on her, no one can stop her."

  Ji thought she was just unwilling to meet Wang Yingxue, feeling melancholy in her heart and no longer making things difficult for Dou Zhao. Smiling, she brushed off the conversation: "Kyoto is full of treasures, what do you want? I'll help you get it later!"

  Dong Zhaotou thought of Su Lan's fondness for Wosi sugar and didn't stand on ceremony with the Ji family, smiling: "Then I'll trouble you to bring back two packs of Wosi sugar...and also ten boxes of Fuxiangzhai's eight-piece set, I want to give them as gifts...also bring some Linji's candied fruits, plum, apricot, and olive. Winter melon seeds...bring back two packs of each."

  "You're not afraid of crushing the carriage!" Ji Shi laughed, but a hint of confusion flashed through her mind.

  Dòu Zhāo has never been to Kyoto before, how can she be so familiar with Kyoto's local customs?

  Was it Du Ming who showed off in front of her, so she deliberately ordered these?

  Ji's heart ached slightly as he pulled Duo Zhao's hand, "But don't worry. I'll help you get everything back just the same."

  Except for Ji Yong's cold face, everyone else was laughing loudly.

  Dong Zhengchang even joked with Dong Zhao: "Fourth sister, do you want clothes and jewelry? I heard that Kyoto's East Main Street is full of shops selling these things, and I haven't been there to take a look. Why don't you also ask Mother to bring some clothes and jewelry for you? With fewer people carrying luggage, Mother will definitely let us brothers go together..."

  The atmosphere in the house is very warm and harmonious.

  Despite this, Du Zhao's indifference to Ji Yong's words still added a hint of eeriness to the warmth between them.

  He Yu looked at Dou Zhao and then at Ji Yong, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

  Thirteen-year-old Xie Yuan, the eldest son of the Ji family, was praised by his father again and again. He knew that he had entered the capital and specially set up a banquet at home to entertain him.

  Extremely knowledgeable, humble and elegant, like a warm winter sun, he was widely praised by the Kyoto scholars for his learning and demeanor. Who would believe that he would be so enraged and humiliated by being ignored by this young lady from the Dugu family?

  He Yu's mouth corners slightly curled up, he lowered his head to take a sip of tea, but in his mind flashed the scene when he first met Duan Zhao.

  The morning dew shone on her smooth forehead, fine sweat beads sparkling like dew drops, her cheeks flushed, eyes bright and spirited, the whole person was like a carefree blooming flower, more dazzling than the sky's aurora.

  A flash of dizziness crossed his mind.

  He Yu involuntarily compared Suo Yang with several sisters in his family.

  The He family was renowned from dawn till dusk. By now, they were even more prosperous and thriving, with a dazzling display of wealth and splendor. In terms of food, clothing, and transportation, few families could rival theirs, and the sisters in the household were exceptionally elegant and refined, each with their own unique charm. However, compared to Du Zhao, it seemed like something was lacking. To be honest, although Du Zhao was beautiful, she couldn't be considered a stunning beauty; her attire was elegant, but not particularly exquisite or one-of-a-kind, and couldn't even compare to Ji Yong's - that plain-looking dark green robe he wore. The texture was fine and clean, with a subtle sheen, like it had a layer of frost. It was made from the renowned diagonal weave fabric of Jia Ding, which cost three to four silver coins per bolt for the plain color, and even more expensive when dyed in dark green. This was the usual attire of young masters from wealthy families who had a solid foundation. However, Ji Yong didn't like to show off in this way, so he didn't bother with it.

  It's unclear why, but Dou Zhao has a certain air about her that his other sisters don't have.

  Just as she didn't want to bother with Ji Xianming, she could ignore him without forcing herself, pretending or faking it. But among his sisters, there were those who were gentle and kind, strong and resilient, intelligent and wise beyond their years. There were those who were skilled at reading the situation, and if they encountered such a scenario, even if they didn't like it in their hearts, they would still put up with it out of fear of being blamed by their parents or brothers, or losing their mother's favor. No one could express their true feelings as straightforwardly and sincerely as she did.

  A thought flashed through his mind, and he felt a slight tremble in his heart.

  His sisters were like a bouquet of flowers, a beautiful painting. Although they delighted the eye, they always lacked a few points of vitality. Dòu Zhāo, on the other hand, was like a tree, a clump of bamboo, straight and luxuriant, following the changing seasons, growing and withering, carefree and natural, unshakeable by anyone.

  "Fourth Miss," He Yu suddenly interrupted Dou Zhengchang's words and sincerely invited Dou Zhao, "Why don't you put aside trivial matters tomorrow and come with us to Da Ci Temple for a vegetarian meal? It's more fun to steal leisure time amidst busyness!"

  Dong Zhao naturally declined with polite excuses.

  There is no reason for Ji Yong to refuse but agree with He Yu.

  Ji Yong's complexion looked much better.

  A hint of disappointment flashed across He Yu's face.

  Dong Zhao thought of Dong Zhengchang and they hurried on the road, tired. As soon as he entered the door, he didn't even have time to say a few intimate words with Ji Shi, so he stood up and bid farewell: "I'll go ask Second Madam for peace, and take a look at Jiu Tang Gejia's Ming Ge'er."

  Ming Ge Er is the son of Dou Huan Chang.

  Ji thought of the guest, He Yu, still at home and reminded her to come over and play when she had time. She then asked Cai Shu to see her out before chatting with He Yu for a bit, after which they each retired to their rooms to rest without another word.

  She was locked in an inner room talking with Wang's nanny.

  "Have you seen Miss Han from the Han family?" Ji Shi couldn't hide the joy and curiosity between her eyebrows, "What's her temperament like? What does she look like?"

  Dou Zhengchang is seventeen years old this year, and he has long passed the age of marriage. The Ji family does not think much of girls from Northern Zhili, and they are determined to find a suitable match for him among their relatives.

  The Huzhou Han family is her sister-in-law, which is also the mother's maiden home of Ji Yong, and has been an official family for generations. Not only have they produced jinshi, but they have also produced zhuangyuan and bangyan, and are one of the few large families in Jiangnan that can be counted on one's fingers. Moreover, they have intermarried with the Ji family for generations, and their relationship is very close.

  She wrote to her sister-in-law several times asking for help in making a match for Dou Zhengchang, but her sister-in-law had never met Dou Zhengchang and politely declined each time. This time, Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang came to the capital, actually to meet with Han Shi.

  Ji heard that Duan Shichang said that Duan Shixiang had let her take the two sons to Kyoto again, and she knew that this marriage was settled, so she hastily pulled Wang's nurse to ask about the situation.

  The king's wife smiled and curtsied, saying: "Congratulations, madam, you're going to be a mother-in-law soon." Then she laughed and said, "No wonder you entrusted this matter to Seventh Aunt. Seventh Aunt is indeed reliable! The tenth daughter of the Han family, whom she introduced, has a gentle and kind personality, not to mention her elegant appearance. Her behavior is also very steady and faultless. I've also inquired privately, and it's said that the tenth daughter of the Han family has been fascinated with calligraphy since childhood, and her handwriting is even better than that of the young master of the Han family. However, as Seventh Aunt said, nobody is perfect, and we don't need to be too particular about it. What's important is that she can help her husband and raise their children..."

  Ji nodded without stopping: "Sister, you're right. A person with no flaws is not real, I'm most afraid of those perfect people with no defects at all... Such flawless people are usually pretending..."

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  Happy International Women's Day!

  Today's update will be a bit late, company dinner...

  PS: Those who still owe a debt on International Women's Day are asking for pink slips~~~~~

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