At the old madam’s words, Dou Minghuai dropped to his knees again with a thud.
Madam Yao moved as if to help him, but in the end, dared not.
“If you still acknowledge me, this decrepit old woman, then go out and take twenty lashes. First, as punishment for disrespecting Yuer. Second, for disrespecting your younger sister. Do you accept?”
“Old Madam, isn’t twenty lashes too many…” Madam Yao’s heart ached terribly. Her son had already knelt in the snow for an hour, the chill not yet dispelled. If he were beaten twenty more times now, he would not recover for ten days or half a month.
The old madam gave a cold snort, her eyes flashing with icy light. “If you do not accept, then let his father take him out himself!”
Madam Yao panicked and dared not speak further.
In the end, Dou Minghuai could not escape punishment. When the lashes fell, his screams were like a pig being slaughtered. Madam Yao wept and wailed inside the room, her tears falling one by one.
Jin Yudian, who had originally been in the right, now realized her mistake. She dared not even meet her mother-in-law’s eyes. If that handkerchief had not been exposed, or if the matter had been handled privately, things would never have escalated to this beating. Earlier, Second Master had already been punished at the docks by the Princess’s household. Though not openly stated, everyone knew it was the imperial family expressing displeasure at the Duke’s residence and standing up for Dou Xueci. Now this scandal had erupted again. If he were not punished, word would spread, and the imperial family’s dissatisfaction would only deepen.
Thus, Dou Minghuai’s beating was sealed the moment Jin Yudian cried and made a scene. She glanced at Dou Xueci, seated on the old madam’s couch, feeding her soup. *Such cunning, such calculation!* This was a pit dug deliberately, waiting for her to fall in.
Outside, the screams gradually faded. When Dou Minghuai was carried back, the flesh on his back was torn and mangled, a ghastly sight.
That night, not a single soul in the Duke’s residence slept peacefully.
By midday the next day, news arrived at the second gate.
The case at the Capital Prefecture had been resolved—both sides had reconciled.
Half a year ago, Dou Mingxiao had beaten Kang Xuan for alleged theft, and Kang Xuan had even been expelled from the academy. Now the judgment declared it all a misunderstanding. But since Kang Xuan’s leg had been broken, compensation of fifty taels of silver was paid, along with an apology to settle the matter.
Now, with silver in hand, Kang Xuan was reinstated at the academy, free to prepare for next year’s autumn examinations. Since ancient times, commoners could not fight officials. This outcome was only possible because Dou Xueci had worked behind the scenes.
Back then, Dou Mingxiao and Kang Xuan had met at a poetry gathering. Dou Mingxiao won first place, with the prize being a pair of jade-and-glass pendants. Later, Dou Minghuai claimed the pendants were lost. During the search, they were “found” on Kang Xuan, cementing his reputation as a thief.
After sending her shadow guards back to the capital, Dou Xueci instructed them to find witnesses.
At the time, Kang Xuan had been engaged in a poetry match with classmates and had never approached Dou Mingxiao. But those classmates, intimidated by Dou Mingxiao’s status, had not dared to testify, though they carried guilt in their hearts. Now, with Dou Xueci’s intervention, one of them immediately went to the yamen to testify, leaving no room for dispute.
When Madam Zou learned of this, she was so angry she could not eat. She had hoped to use the incident to drive out Dou Xueci’s nanny and her son, but now she had lost her excuse.
“Madam, the young lady has arrived.”
As she brooded, a maid led Dou Xueci inside—deliberately pricking her eyes—for Nanny Wan followed close behind.
“Why come at such a time? It’s snowing today, and the roads outside are slippery. Have you eaten yet?”
Suppressing her inner loathing, Madam Zou rose and warmly led Dou Xueci to sit at the table.
“Elder Sister.” Zhuang Wanqing also rose to greet her, as she usually dined with Madam Zou.
Dou Xueci acted as though she had not heard, sitting to the side. A maid quickly laid out an extra set of dishes and chopsticks.
“No need, I’ve already eaten. I came to collect the account books and the storeroom keys. Since today’s wind and snow are heavy, I waited and waited, but no one from Mother’s quarters came. I had no choice but to come myself.”
Dou Xueci wore a goose-yellow Song brocade jacket embroidered with lingzhi patterns, trimmed with fur at the collar and cuffs. Upon entering the room, she felt it was overly warm—the brazier burned fiercely. Her own Zhenhua Pavilion, by contrast, was like an ice cellar.
Madam Zou’s expression did not change as she poured her a bowl of tea.
“They were meant to be delivered to you. But the stewardess fell ill with a chill, and some old accounts remain unsettled. It may take a few days. Later, I will personally bring them to you.”
Dou Xueci’s eyes, slightly upturned like phoenix eyes, gave her a naturally cold and distant air when expressionless. She had long known Madam Zou would not easily relinquish authority. Her gaze lifted, fixing directly on Zou Nianqiu.
Slowly raising her hand, Liu Yun immediately placed an account book into it.
“Yesterday, when I returned, I found several things missing from my rooms.”
Liu Yun clenched her fists beside her. Her mistress spoke so politely!
It was not merely “several things missing”—the place had been stripped bare, like a den of thieves had passed through. Everyone knew her young lady possessed treasures aplenty: gifts from the Duke, from the old matriarch, and rewards from the palace. Zhenhua Pavilion was famed as a hall of rare treasures, rivaling even the Heavenly Palace. Now, it was nothing but an empty shell.
Zhuang Wanqing lifted her head, eyes flustered, glancing at Zou Nianqiu. Receiving a reassuring look, her heart settled.
“It was I who saw your rooms unoccupied, fearing the servants might pilfer. So I moved the items out.”
“Where did Mother move them to?”
Zou Nianqiu sipped her tea, her expression unchanged. “When Wanqing first entered the household, she was always lacking this or that. Since your rooms were left empty to gather dust, I had things moved to Yaohua Pavilion. But don’t worry—now that you’ve returned, Mother will select the best items and send them back to you.”
Dou Xueci’s slender, jade-like fingers stroked the account book.
The meaning was clear: they would not be returned. Truly, the behavior of a bandit.
“But those were things I had always used.”
Zou Nianqiu’s brows furrowed slightly. “They are only lifeless objects. Your younger sister suffered much hardship outside. She even saved my life. It is only right to compensate her. Besides, from childhood you’ve had every fine thing—what difference do those few items make?”
When no outsiders were present, Zou Nianqiu was always like this. She would speak endlessly of Zhuang Wanqing’s “life-saving grace,” forcing Dou Xueci to repay the debt, to treat her well.
“Younger sister? Since when did Mother give birth to another daughter for me?” Her sharp, beautiful phoenix eyes swept over Zhuang Wanqing.
Zhuang Wanqing lowered her head like a frightened rabbit, her eyes already reddening.
Zou Nianqiu’s heart felt pierced with needles. She quickly embraced Zhuang Wanqing’s shoulders in pity. Even so, she dared not lose her temper at Dou Xueci. Instead, she said, “Didn’t Mother write to you in her letters? I acknowledged Wanqing as my adopted daughter.”
“Mm.” Dou Xueci replied coldly, then added, “But I never acknowledged her as my adopted sister.”