Madam Gu's face turned cold, her breathing becoming unsteady.
"Stop talking nonsense! When Mingyan's life was hanging by a thread, how could Young Master Xie care about gender distinctions? How could you bear to watch her die?"
Just mentioning it was forbidden – Dou Mingyan was truly her Achilles' heel.
Dou Wenyi smiled, "Mother, why are you so anxious? If I were truly that heartless, why would I have jumped into the water to save her?"
She then changed the subject, "Grandmother's health isn't good, and I want to prepare more medicinal cuisine for her. Going to the main kitchen every day is quite inconvenient – the distance is far and there are too many gossiping people. Could I set up a separate small kitchen in Yi Lan Courtyard?"
She needed to make medicinal pills, which would require frequent use of a small kitchen. Of course, she also planned to thoroughly renovate this small kitchen.
Wasn't this meant to silence her? Then she would seize this opportunity to secure some practical benefits for herself.
"No." Madam Gu frowned and immediately rejected the idea.
In the manor, only Old Madam Dou and she herself had small kitchens in their courtyards. Neither Dou Mingyan nor the girls from the second branch had small kitchens.
Setting this precedent would likely invite gossip and criticism.
Dou Wenyi sighed regretfully, "By the way, Mother, I actually can't eat lychees at all, yet Xie Guidu sends them every year. Third Sister loves lychees the most, and the incident of her falling into the water was witnessed by the palace attendant. If any rumors spread… Grandmother has always doted on me, and keeping everything from her is truly unfilial. This marriage is indeed beyond my station – Grandmother would worry that I might suffer grievances…"
The embroidery handkerchief in Madam Gu's hands twisted into a tight knot, and she finally compromised, "Fine, since you're my daughter after all, it's only right that I indulge you more. If your father blames us, I'll take responsibility."
Dou Wenyi couldn't help but find it amusing – for Dou Mingyan's sake, she was willing to risk everything.
Her eyes sparkling with delight, she pressed her advantage, "Mother, what happened to that set of rosewood furniture that was originally in my courtyard? And all my jewelry and accessories? Did you store them in the warehouse? When can you help me get them back?"
The wood had been imported from Persia – rare and precious. Old Madam Dou had specially purchased it at great expense for Dou Wenyi, then hired skilled craftsmen who spent nearly five years crafting the complete set.
Madam Gu's face contorted.
The jewelry was manageable, but that furniture set was currently displayed in Lan Yue Pavilion. Could she really ask Mingyan to return it?
She and Dou Wenyi had long been estranged – she hardly expected much filial piety from her. But Mingyan was different; she was obedient, sensible, dignified, and virtuous – the ideal daughter in her heart.
Most importantly, she was the Crown Princess-to-be, destined for great wealth and boundless glory!
After a long silence, Madam Gu gritted her teeth and said, "You were away these past few years, and I was worried the servants might steal those things, so I had them stored away. You won't lack for anything."
Dou Wenyi smiled, "I knew you'd treat me best, Mother."
This was only the beginning. Every single item that rightfully belonged to her, she would reclaim them all, one by one.
Wasn't Dou Mingyan only able to throw her weight around because of her status as the 'future Crown Princess'?
Through this test, she clearly realized that even if the Dou family noticed Xie Guidu didn't truly care for her, they would still marry her off to Marquis Dingyuan Manor.
If she wanted to annul the engagement, she would have to find another way.
Unlike the undercurrents surging through Yi Lan Courtyard, Lan Yue Pavilion was filled with waves of miserable screams.
None of the maids and matrons involved in yesterday's incident were spared—all were severely punished with cane strikes.
Despite the immense resentment burning within Dou Mingyan, she dared not show it. With tear-filled eyes, she sobbed, "Father, please spare Hu Po for my sake! She has been by my side since childhood, and I have no other family left in my hometown!"
"If Hu Po makes another mistake, you know the consequences!" Dou Bochang ultimately relented out of pity.
"I understand. I will discipline the servants strictly from now on," Dou Mingyan replied, her face pale. This was the first time Dou Bochang had been so harsh with her.
"Do you know how to respond to the Crown Prince?" Dou Bochang's expression remained grim. If this marriage were to fall through, all their efforts would be in vain…
Dou Mingyan lifted her tear-streaked face, her voice choked with emotion. "Father, don't worry. Siyan treats me differently—he won't hold this against me. I will explain the situation to him personally."
Dou Bochang's expression softened slightly. "You are the future Crown Princess. The slightest misstep could lead to disaster. Some matters aren't judged by right or wrong, only by their outcomes. I have your best interests at heart—do you understand?"
Dou Mingyan sniffled. "Father, Yan'er understands."
Dou Bochang wasn't intervening on Dou Wenyi's behalf. He simply regretted that Mingyan had miscalculated and ended up being outmaneuvered by Wenyi instead.
What puzzled Mingyan most was how Dou Wenyi had anticipated her actions in advance and even used Xie Guidu to counter her scheme. Wasn't he the person she cared about most?
After a pause, Dou Bochang added, "For now, remain at the estate. All poetry gatherings and flower banquets are suspended."
This was effectively house arrest.
A chill ran down Dou Mingyan's spine, and a flicker of malice surfaced in her eyes. "Yan'er will remember."
After Dou Bochang left, several sharp crashes echoed through the room as teacups were swept from the table, shattering across the floor!
Mingyan vented her fury on every decorative object within reach.
The room was left in disarray.
Hu Po, enduring the searing pain in her buttocks, didn't dare make a sound.
After a long silence, she finally spoke to console her mistress. "Miss, you were born to stand above all others—there's a world of difference between you and that lowly creature. This isn't the time for petty squabbles. Once you marry into the Eastern Palace and become Crown Princess, who wouldn't bow before you? Your greatest blessings are yet to come!"
"The Crown Prince is your ultimate support! You must pull yourself together, clear up any misunderstandings, and secure his heart—that's what truly matters."
"As for that wretched Dou Wenyi… when you're the Crown Princess, you'll have countless ways to deal with her!"
With her beauty and talent, Dou Mingyan naturally had confidence in making Pei Siyan her devoted follower. But as long as Dou Wenyi remained a threat, she could neither eat nor sleep in peace!
The mere thought of that secret possibly being discovered…
An overwhelming terror nearly consumed her.
Dou Mingyan shuddered and forcibly suppressed the thought.
No matter what, she had to taint Dou Wenyi's reputation or marry her off as soon as possible. Whether to Xie Guidu, some beggar, rogue, or profligate—any would do!
Madam Gu acted swiftly. The very next day, she ordered workers to partition a small kitchen in Yi Lan Courtyard and install a stove.
The servants, ever observant of shifting winds, abruptly became warm and attentive toward the mistress and maid of Yi Lan Courtyard, as if sensing an impending change in the household dynamics.
Dou Wenyi instructed Cuizhi to discreetly bribe the craftsmen with silver. Soon, a rudimentary alchemy room began taking shape, exactly as she had envisioned.
In the following days, she immersed herself in medical texts, needing to find a detoxification method for Pei Siyan as soon as possible.
In her previous life, the antidote she had concocted for Xie Guidu was called the Nine Immortals Jade Dew Pill, capable of neutralizing hundreds of poisons. This medicine required thousands of herbal ingredients, including hundreds of rare and precious ones, with remarkably potent effects.
It should be able to alleviate Pei Siyan's headache condition.
One day, Cuizhi suddenly rushed into the medicine preparation room and reported, "Fourth Miss, Young Master Xie has arrived with numerous betrothal gifts to propose! Madam requests your presence."
Dou Wenyi's heart sank. She had originally made plans to dine on sliced fish at Fan Lou with Lin Zhiyi and Zhang Chengxian today.
Last time, Consort Zhang had intervened to help her only out of consideration for Zhang Chengxian's sake, and she had long intended to properly thank him in person.
Regarding such an important matter as the betrothal proposal, Gu Shi and Dou Bochang hadn't breathed a word of it to her—were they utterly determined to force an ox to drink water against its will?
Since they hadn't informed her in advance, they shouldn't blame her for showing no courtesy by leaving early.
Dou Wenyi changed her dress and headed out on her own. "Just tell them I'm not here—I've gone out to keep my appointment with Miss Lin!"