Dong Zhao felt that he might not live for much longer.

  The older generation often says, "Dreams can kill or bring life."

  These days, she often dreams of returning to her childhood, sitting under a trellis full of wisteria flowers, swinging her two chubby little legs, and being fed by a plump and white wet nurse who looks like a steamed bun.

  The wind blows, the drooping wisteria vines are crowded together, and the dense clusters of purple flowers rustle, like a group of little girls huddled together whispering to each other.

  She thought it was fun and ran over with a smile, grabbed a vine, and easily plucked a blooming wisteria flower.

  The wet nurse chased after her: "Fourth Miss, be good and eat this bowl of rice. Seventh Master will return from the capital soon. At that time, he'll bring many delicious foods for Fourth Miss, as well as beautiful shoes and socks..."

  She didn't even glance at the wet nurse, avoiding the silver spoon she held out and instead plucked a purple wisteria flower from a nearby vine.

  A soft and pleasant female voice came from beside her ear: "What? Fourth Miss is being disobedient again?"

  The milkmaid immediately turned around and curtsied in the direction of the voice, respectfully shouting "Seventh Granny".

  She pinched a few purple wisteria flowers and rushed over: "Mother, mother......"

  The young woman gently hugged her.

  She held out the purple wisteria flowers in her hand like a treasure for her mother to see.

  The spring sunlight shone on the mother's hair, where a golden hairpin and crimson sleeves reflected dazzling rays of light. The mother's body seemed to be coated with a layer of gold foil, making her eyes feel dry and sore. Her face melted into that mass of golden light, rendering her expression indistinguishable.

  "Mother, mother..." She forced back the sourness in her eyes, raised her head high, trying to get a clear look at her mother.

  Her mother's face was becoming increasingly blurred.

  A little maid ran over, happily reporting: "Seventh Granny, Seventh Master has returned from the capital!"

  "Really!" Her mother stood up in surprise and delight, picked up her skirt and rushed out.

  She trotted after him on her two short little legs, shouting: "Mother dear, mother dear!"

  But his mother walked faster and faster, and was on the point of disappearing in the spring light.

  She rushed up, shouting loudly at her mother's back: "Mother, mother, father didn't come back alone, he brought a woman! She will take your place as the legitimate wife, forcing you to be helpless and die by hanging yourself..."

  But for some reason, this crucial sentence kept echoing in her mind and lingering on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't utter a single sound. She could only watch as her mother's figure gradually disappeared from her line of sight.

  She was anxious and frantically searched everywhere for her mother.

  In the white light, there is a group of adults who are arguing incessantly.

  She ran over there.

  Pushing through the crowd, he anxiously asked: "Have you seen my mother? Have you seen my mother?"

  They were all too busy arguing with each other and didn't even notice her.

  Mother, where did you go?

  She looked around in confusion.

  Suddenly saw a room with a colorful glass inlaid flower hall, the door was half closed, as if someone's shadow was swaying.

  Is mother hiding there?

  She happily ran over and pushed open the creaky door with a "creak".

  A half-length, bright red skirt with golden embroidery was swaying in the air. Under the hem of the skirt, two feet were visible: one foot wore a pair of snow-white silk stockings, and the other foot wore a pair of bright red silk shoes embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water.

  She woke up from her dream with a loud shriek, drenched in sweat.

  The lamp in front of me is still the familiar octagonal palace lamp, standing quietly in the corner of the wall, softly emitting a bright and gentle glow.

  The house was quiet and still, with only the soft sound of Daiyu's gentle snores coming from the small stool at the head of her bed.

  Dong Zhaoshen took a deep breath.

  It turned out that scream was also in the dream!

  She suppressed the panic at the bottom of her heart.

  His illness has turned the whole household upside down, especially the several maids who attend to him personally, taking turns day and night, not even daring to blink their eyes, they must be exhausted.

  Dou Zhao didn't disturb Cui Leng, staring at the lamplight in the corner of the wall, and couldn't help but think of his dream just now.

  Her mother died when she was only one year and eleven months old. She doesn't remember anything. If it weren't for her mother's loyal servant, Yu Niang, finding her later, she wouldn't even know how her mother had died, let alone these details.

  It's all her own imagination, thinking day and night, after hearing what Tuo Niang said, she naturally fabricated it!

  Dong Zhao felt stifled and uncomfortable in his heart, as if he couldn't breathe, and couldn't help but turn over.

  The rustling of clothes sounded exceptionally clear and loud in this quiet night.

  Cui Leng was immediately startled awake, thinking that she had fallen asleep while on night duty, and anxiously cried out "Madam".

  Dong Zhaoan stroked her hair and smiled, saying: "My mouth is a bit dry."

  "I'll go pour you some tea right away." Cui Leng jumped up, let out a long sigh of relief, and put her mind at ease.

  Dong Zhao took a sip of hot tea and asked her: "What time is it now? Has Master Hou returned?"

  "It's just past midnight." Cui Leng murmured, "Master Hou, he...he still hasn't returned." She looked very anxious.

  Dong Zha's eyes sank involuntarily.

  She went to her sister-in-law, Wei Yan Zhen's house to admire chrysanthemums on the Double Ninth Festival and caught a cold. Afterwards, she had a low-grade fever. At first, no one took it seriously, including Du Zhao. They thought that after taking some medicine prescribed by the imperial physician, she would recover. However, after taking several doses of medicine, her condition not only didn't improve but worsened. Ten days ago, she was bedridden and couldn't get up. The people in the house were frantic, inviting doctors, holding Buddhist rituals, praying to Bodhisattvas, and making a big fuss. Her husband, Wei Tingyu, even had a maid set up a couch behind a screen every night to serve her tea.

  Yesterday afternoon, Wang Qinghai, the fourth master of the Ting'an House, came to find Wei Tingyu. The two whispered outside for a long time. Wei Tingyu made an excuse to go out and have dinner with Wang Qinghai, but he has not returned yet.

  Wang Qinghai, also known as Dahai, and Wei Tingyu came from the same noble family and grew up together. They both enjoyed horse riding, archery, and cuju (an ancient Chinese football game). Their relationship was particularly close, often going on excursions to play polo, cuju, go hunting, and racing horses together. If it were an ordinary day, Duan Zhao would not have minded and continued sleeping soundly. However, just half a month ago, Wang Qinghai's father-in-law, Zhou Shaocan, the Earl of Dongping, was accused of corruption and had his title revoked by the Emperor. He was imprisoned in the imperial prison, and Wang Qinghai was busy running around to help him. Duan Zhao feared that Wei Tingyu would also get involved.

  "Have the second gate's attendant go to the outer courtyard and take a look, whether Master Hou is resting in the study or not." Duan Zhao said worriedly, "If Master Hou isn't in the study, then inform the person on duty at the main gate that as soon as Master Hou returns, please ask him to return to the upper house."

  Cui Leng responded and left.

  But in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she hastily returned: "Madam, the young master is back!" She said, pausing slightly, and added another sentence, "The young master just came back from outside, as soon as he arrived, he rushed straight to your room."

  "I understand." Du Zhao struggled to sit up.

  Cui Leng was just about to help her re-braid her hair when Wei Tingyu had already entered the inner chamber.

  Although he had passed the age of thirty, Wei Tingyu did not resemble those who lived a life of luxury like him, or those who were worn out by wine and women, or those who were pampered and indulged to the point of being dull and obese. He was tall and slender, with refined features, quick movements, and full of vitality in every gesture, his spirit even more radiant than when he was young, at first glance, he looked like a twenty-five or six-year-old, one of Kyoto's most famous beauties.

  Seeing Du Zhao wearing clothes and sitting, he was surprised: "How haven't you slept yet?"

  Dong Zhao asked: "What does Wang Siye want to see Lord Hou about?"

  "Oh!" Wei Tingyu's eyes darted around evasively, "Nothing much, just feeling a bit down and wanted to grab a drink with you..."

  "Lord Hou!" Dou Zhao's voice rose, rudely interrupting Wei Tingyu. "Isn't Fourth Master Wang here to ask for Lord Hou's help? Has Lord Hou carefully considered why the Duke of Dongping was imprisoned? If Lord Hou gets involved in this muddy water and provokes trouble, what kind of consequences will follow? Even if Lord Hou doesn't care about me, his mother is old, and the children are still young, does he not care about them at all?"

  "You shouldn't always treat me like a three-year-old," Wei Tingyu said with a smile. "The Duke of Dongping was just drunk and spoke some nonsense, which offended the emperor's dignity, that's why he was imprisoned by imperial decree. Don't mention me, who in the entire capital doesn't know about it? You don't have to worry, I have my own plan for this matter and won't implicate you or the children." His tone was somewhat perfunctory.

  The current emperor ascended the throne through a palace coup and is most concerned about others privately discussing this matter. The so-called drunken remarks of the Duke of Dongping probably originated from this.

  After more than a decade of marriage, Wei Tingyu's temperament was as clear to her as the back of her hand.

  He said that, Dòu Zhāo became even more worried and insisted that Wèi Tíngyú make a promise to her: "… Whatever is related to the Zhōu family, you must not interfere!"

  Wei Tingyu was angered by her words and said displeased: "What do you mean? Dahai is my best friend, he's in trouble now, if I don't help him, am I still human?" Then she sneered, "Fortunately, Dahai didn't ask me to beg his father-in-law, otherwise, wouldn't you want me to die with him!"

  Dou Zhaos father Dou Shiying was a Hanlin Academy scholar, a junior academician of the Imperial Academy, and a minor official of the fourth rank. However, he was highly respected by the emperor and often summoned to the palace to give lectures to the crown prince and other princes.

  Hearing these heart-piercing words, she was so angry that she almost fainted.

  Wei Tingyu felt uneasy and said in a low voice, "Do you know why Dahe came to me?" As he spoke, his eyes widened in anger and he exclaimed, "That scoundrel Song Mo actually locked up the 13th and 14th young ladies of the Zhou family!"

  Dong Zhao was shocked and lost his composure: "What about Lady Zhou?"

  "It's also in the mansion." Wei Tingyu's voice was as soft as a mosquito, his expression awkward.

  Dong Zhao took in a breath of cool air.

  Madam Zhou is the second wife of the Duke of Dongping, the niece of Cao Jie, the commander of Miyun Wei, and is only thirty-two years old this year. She has a beautiful appearance. The thirteenth and fourteenth misses of the Zhou family are a pair of sisters born to Madam Zhou, who are even more beautiful than their mother. They have not yet reached adulthood, but many people have already come to ask for their hands in marriage.

  "He abandoned virtue and duty like this, going against the norm, doesn't the Emperor care?"

  "Wei Tingyu sneered: 'He murdered his father and brother, but the Emperor only punished him by deducting three years of salary, removing his official position, and letting him redeem himself. Do you think the Emperor will blame him for this matter?'"

  Dong Zhaomo was silent.

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  Sisters and brothers, I've started a new pit!

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  Rebirth essay.

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