Chapter Forty-Five Agreement (Pink Ticket 120 Plus More)

  Dong Zhaoming saw off Liu Baomu as she left.

  My fifth uncle is a vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he asked for leave, who will he ask?

  It was Zeng Yifen, his superior and Minister of Personnel, who concurrently held the position of Imperial Tutor.

  Haha!

  Dong Zhaonan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  I don't know if Wang Xingyi heard this news and would rush back to Kyoto to explain to his fellow disciple Zeng Yifen why Wu Bobo wanted to take a leave of absence.

  Tuo Niang looked at Dou Zhaomo and suddenly laughed inexplicably, shouting in surprise "Miss".

  "It's okay, it's okay." Du Zhao laughed even more happily, shaking Cao Zhu's arm "Cao Zhu, I want to go home, I want to see my dad!"

  "Miss Ke has already given orders; when she returns, she will have you escorted back to the manor." Cai He felt embarrassed.

  Dong Zhaobu doesn't care, and insists on going back.

  She is now a child, being noisy and willful are all normal.

  Cai Yu had no choice but to call a little maid to invite Ji Shi to show her.

  Ji's family is in the flower hall.

  She glanced at Er Tai Fu sitting in the main seat, then glanced at Lan Ge and Da Sao and Er Sao sitting opposite her, with a subtle mood.

  The second lady looked at Dou Shi-zhu, Dou Shi-yang, the third lady, Dou Shi-heng and Ji-shi who were sitting opposite her, but she was filled with anger in her heart.

  What's the point of discussing, the three brothers Lao San, Lao Wu and Lao Liu had already discussed it among themselves. The three wives were like ducks being pushed onto a perch, they didn't know why the second mistress had called them over in the first place, how could they discuss anything?

  Under the nest, there are no intact eggs. She understands this principle, but she is forced to clean up the mess for the Western House. However, her anger cannot be dissipated. If she were to oppose it, given Old Five's temperament, she fears that a multitude of arguments would already be waiting for her. Can she outdo Old Five? One careless move might give others the impression that she is evasive and unwilling to take responsibility. As the matriarch of the Duan House, what authority would she have left in the Duan family?

  The second wife glanced at the first wife.

  The lady's face was pale. Her eyes were swollen, but her expression was very calm.

  After being a housewife for over a decade, now that her husband has passed away and her child is still young, this widow has plans of her own.

  Among the uncles and brothers, Wu Laifu's future prospects are the best. Lan Ge will still have to rely on this Fifth Uncle for help in the future, they absolutely cannot fall out with Wu Laifu.

  When the old master was alive, he had been an official in Jiangnan for many years. They had quite some savings; without mentioning these, even if they gave half of the East House's property to Shougu and divided the remaining half among the other six houses, it would be enough for them to live on for two or three generations. Why bother making a fuss over money?

  As long as there is someone, don't worry about having no money!

  However, the second house has the most children. If they propose that the six houses share the expenses together, I'm afraid the second house will not agree.

  Fortunately, she has now shed her responsibilities as a clan mother, so these things no longer require her to take the lead.

  The lady tightly pursed her lips.

  The second wife's resentment grew.

  If I had known this earlier, I shouldn't have listened to Er Tai's wife and followed my husband.

  In order to let her sons study well, she was afraid of being labeled "unfilial". She left all four sons in Zhending. Now the eldest son Dou Wenmao is studying and training with his father in Kyoto, while the second son Dou Yuchang, third son Dou Xiuchang, and fourth son Dou Guangchang, who ranks fifth among his brothers, are studying at home. Wenmao has passed the age of 30 but is still only a Xiucai; Yuchang reads well, but compared to his two uncles Dou Shiheng and Dou Shiying, he is much worse; Xiuchang doesn't need to be said, he got married early and had several children. But when it comes to reading books, he's not as good as his own son Zhi Ge'er; Guangchang is only slightly better than Xiuchang...

  She thought of these things and smiled: "What did Fourth Brother say?"

  Dong's fourth old master, Dong Shiyu, stopped making progress in his official career and finally gave up the idea of being nominated for the golden list a few years ago. Through the recommendation of Dong Shixiong, he became a famous historian in the imperial clan of Xinyang, the eldest son of the emperor, Xinyang Wangfu, and was said to be very liked by King Xinyang. Two years ago, his whole family moved to Xinyang.

  Dong Shixu listened, hesitated for a while, took out an envelope from his sleeve and signaled the maid to hand it over to the second lady: "This is the reply letter from my fourth brother. I originally thought it was somewhat inappropriate, so I didn't take it out..."

  The second lady scolded Du Shi Huan a hundred times in her heart.

  Xinyang is a thousand miles away from Kyoto, as soon as I open my mouth, you can take out Lao Si's letter... You're not premeditating, I'd rather die in this hall!

  But in his heart, he knew that the situation was already beyond salvation!

  Lao Si had long been in cahoots with Lao Wu...

  She didn't need to read the letter, she already knew what was written on it.

  But she still couldn't help but open the letter.

  As expected, Dou Shiwen not only agreed with Dou Shixiong's distribution of the East House property, but also suggested that Shou Gu's dowry be shared equally among the six families.

  The second wife handed the letter over to the first wife.

  The lady looked at him with a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.

  The second lady secretly sighed in her heart, and then heard the first lady laugh and say: "Fourth Uncle has the same idea as me. I think we can just follow what Fourth Uncle said. This is not a matter of one family or one room, it's related to Fifth Uncle's future and the rise and fall of the Duan family."

  "I didn't bring out Fourth Brother's letter earlier, precisely because I was afraid the two sisters-in-law would misunderstand." Duan Shixiong listened and hastily said with a smile: "Speaking seriously about this matter, it's all because I didn't handle it well that we have today's situation. The good intentions of the two sisters-in-law are appreciated by me. Since this is something I decided on, let me be the one to take responsibility for it? We can't drag everyone down with us."

  "Is there anything else you'd like to say, Second Mistress?" Second Madam had already smiled and said, "He's also discussed this with me, and I agree. You all don't need to argue anymore, it's been decided." Second Madam clapped her hands and instructed Liu Mama, "Go tell Steward Du to invite Old Master Zhao from the Western Mansion over, saying that I have urgent matters to discuss with him." She also said to Du Shixiong, "You've always managed the affairs of both households. Take some time these next few days to sort out the accounts, so when the people from the Zhao household come, we can discuss which properties should be transferred into Shougu's name."

  Dong Shibang hastily stood up and respectfully replied "yes".

  The little maid of the Ji family saw this scene and didn't dare to come forward, running back to say that she couldn't get close to Lady Liu. Cai Shu had no choice but to constantly coax Du Zhao.

  Just then, Liu's wife came out with a message and couldn't help but laugh at the sight: "What's going on here?"

  Cai Wu hurriedly told Liu Mama about what had happened.

  Liu's old servant, who was also Dou Shi Zhen, had to be given some face. If it were an ordinary day, she would have asked a few questions out of concern and that would have been the end of it, she wouldn't have taken matters into her own hands. But thinking about what happened in the flower hall earlier, with her understanding of Master Dou Wu, as long as it was something Master Dou Wu wanted to do, nothing could stop him. The Fourth Miss of the Western Manor suddenly rose to a level that couldn't be ignored.

  She couldn't help but laugh and say, "I was ordered by the Old Mistress to invite Steward Du to go to the West Mansion. Why don't we let Steward Du send you over there, and you can leave a message for Sixth Mistress? As close relatives, who wouldn't miss each other? It's no wonder Fourth Miss insisted on going back."

  With Liu Mama's words, Cai Yu's courage grew, and she instructed the little maid beside her a few words before accompanying Tuo Niang to escort Du Zhao back to the West House.

  Gao Shengzheng instructed a young servant to move Du Shiying's trunk.

  Jian Dou Zhao has returned. Hurriedly went forward to pay respects.

  "Dou Zhao asked him: 'Where is my father?'"

  "Seventh Master has gone to Qixia Temple."

  Dong Zhao turned around and wanted to leave, after a moment's thought, let Haitang accompany Cai Shu, and took Tuan Niang to Qixia Temple.

  From a distance, she saw Mrs. Pang standing proudly in the courtyard, ordering the maids and servant girls to serve tea and pour water.

  Dong Zhao Yuan went towards Dong Shi Ying's study.

  The corner gate of the backyard of Qixia Courtyard is diagonally opposite the study of Dou Shiying.

  The corner gate was slightly ajar, with no one guarding it.

  She entered Qixia Temple without any obstacles.

  In the backyard of Xiaya Courtyard, there are several magnolia trees. When they bloom, they shine like a brocade of clouds and mist, so this courtyard is named Xiaya Courtyard.

  Dong Zhao was listening to his father and Wang Yingxue talking in the warm pavilion behind the inner chamber.

  "...I'm just an ordinary man, selfishly wanting to live a happy life, wanting to forget everything that happened before." The speaker is the father. "But every time I see you, I think of how Gu Qiu died and my heart feels like it's being stabbed... Ying Xue, let's start anew!"

  Wang Yingshu was stunned: "You, what do you mean?"

  "Ying Xue, don't you understand yet?" Du Shiying looked at Wang Yingxue with a complex expression and muttered. "If we are together, apart from the title, I can give you nothing else..."

  Dou Zhaoyi was furious in the warm pavilion.

  What is called starting again?

  What is meant by nothing can be given except for a title?

  A woman, you are willing to give her a name, what's more important than that!

  She could no longer bear it and stormed out of the warm pavilion, heading straight for the Qixia Courtyard.

  Pang was like a gecko, lying on the windowsill eavesdropping, her maid was keeping watch beside her.

  The servant woman of the Duan family stood far away under the eaves of the corridor, with a hint of disdain in her expression.

  Dong Zhao stood there quietly, with a hint of a smile on his face as he gazed at Pang Shiyuan.

  Pang's maid suddenly discovered Du Zhao.

  Her face turned bright red as she kept pulling at Madame Pong's hem: "Second Mistress, Second Mistress..."

  "Stop arguing!" Mr. Pang said impatiently "As soon as you speak, I won't be able to hear anything!"

  "It's not" that maid was so anxious in Du Zhao's eyes that she almost cried "It's the fourth miss, Miss Du's fourth daughter has arrived..."

  "Who?" Pang turned his head and saw Dou Zhao not far away.

  "Oh, it's Fourth Miss after all!" She casually patted her clothes and tidied up her hair, smiling "Fourth Miss, how did you come here? Who accompanied you?"

  In her past life and present life, Duan Zhaodu admired her ability to talk to herself.

  The people in the house heard the noise and rushed out.

  "Shòu gū?" Dòu Shìyīng stared at her daughter with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "How did you get here? Weren't you supposed to be at your sixth aunt's place? Who brought you here?" As she spoke, she looked around and spotted Tuo Niang, her expression darkening as she was about to scold her. But before she could say anything, Dòu Zhāo intervened: "It was Cǎi Shū who accompanied me." With that, he turned around and headed outside. "We still have to follow the carriage of the household manager later!"

  She didn't want to stay here for another moment.

  "Slow down!" Du Shiying shouted from behind as she chased after her daughter "I'll go with you to pay respects to grandfather..."

  Wang Yingxue followed out and stood on the steps, watching as Dou Shi's father and daughter gradually walked further and further away, slowly disappearing from her sight.