Chapter Text
Dou Zhao never wanted to be anyone’s wife. Knowing her parents’ story, she saw marriage as the end of a woman’s happiness. The tale of her grandmother only confirmed her belief. A man was someone she could neither trust nor rely on. Early on, she focused her life on gaining independence and creating her own source of income to secure her future. Fortunately for her, her grandmother supported this endeavor.
She spent years training her collaborators and forging connections between various businesses she established. Her ingenuity and foresight ensured that everything practically ran itself. The network was completely self-sufficient, independent of external companies or suppliers. Everything—farmers responsible for sowing and harvesting, courier companies delivering goods to the right places, workshops transforming raw materials into finished products, and merchants selling the final items—was managed by her people. Most importantly, they were all loyal to her.
Dou Zhao spread rumors about herself, ensuring they circulated regularly in casual conversations. People whispered that she was a faithless woman, that she disliked children, beat her servants, and mistreated her father’s concubine. A particularly persistent rumor claimed that she had begged for marriage with a man who chose death over her embrace. That one always brought a smile to her lips. It was a good rumor—one hard to dismiss and nearly impossible to silence. Just like the one alleging she had lost all her money on failed investments and needed a husband’s wealth to recover from her debts.
She believed these stories would ensure that no one would ever ask for her hand in marriage…
Until the Duke of Ying appeared.
Of course, as soon as the marriage proposal arrived, along with the lavish betrothal gifts, her father’s concubine didn’t wait for anyone’s consultation. She eagerly seized the opportunity and agreed to the match. Dou Zhao had no choice, no chance to escape. Before she realized what was happening, she was dressed in red robes, carried in a sedan chair to her new husband’s home.
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The Duke of Ying had a problem. His eldest son had already surpassed the acceptable age for remaining unmarried and was approaching an inappropriate age for a bachelor, especially for a man from an influential family like theirs. He had heard the murmurs condemning him for letting his son waste his youth in the military.
The Duke knew that, sooner or later, he would have to arrange a marriage for Song Mo. However, he couldn’t let this marriage strengthen his son’s position within the family. He couldn’t allow his second, favored son, Song Han, to lose his chances at inheriting the title.
If Song Mo fathered an heir, Song Han’s odds of taking over the family would diminish further. But that was the expectation of marriage—to produce children. The Duke saw no way out of the situation. He could no longer delay the matter of Song Mo’s marriage, nor could he allow his son to produce an heir.
Caught in a dilemma, feeling the watchful eyes of other ministers on him, the Duke summoned a matchmaker to his home and asked her about suitable young women.
“Please take a look, Duke of Ying,” the matchmaker said, pointing at a portrait. “This is the second young lady of the Hua family. She’s sixteen years old, talented in music, well-mannered, and obedient—a very quiet girl.”
She said, unrolling another portrait of a young lady. Duke of Ying gazed at it, captivated by the girl’s beautiful eyes and delicate features. She was strikingly beautiful and would certainly suit Song Han perfectly."
He shook his head, unable to agree to such a match. A girl so lovely, despite the age gap between her and Song Mo, would quickly find her way into his heart. It wouldn’t be long before she bore him a child, even if his reserved and withdrawn son distanced himself from her for her own safety. Lost in thought, Duke of Ying pondered how to extricate himself from this predicament. He wondered whether the matchmaker had other, more suitable candidates in mind.
"My son grew up in the military," he began in a conversational tone, then lowered his voice, as if confessing an embarrassing secret. "He needs a girl with a stronger character... Perhaps someone older, who could challenge him?"
The matchmaker hesitated, visibly uncertain about such an unusual request.
"There... there is someone," she said after a moment, gesturing to her assistant. The assistant placed a small chest before her, from which the matchmaker carefully extracted another scroll of fabric. This one appeared older, having been opened and closed many times, perhaps repeatedly dismissed. Duke of Ying’s curiosity was piqued by the thought of a woman who had likely turned away numerous suitors.
"The Fourth Young Lady of the Dou family," the matchmaker announced, unrolling the scroll. From the portrait, a pair of cold, confident eyes stared back at Duke of Ying. The woman’s smile, though softened by the artist’s brush, carried an almost lethal quality. Duke of Ying wouldn’t have been surprised to see such a woman standing over a cooling corpse with the same expression.
"Tell me about her," he suggested, searching for more intriguing details in the painting. He noticed how the young lady’s hands were tightly clasped, as if restraining herself to remain still. Her hairstyle added an air of gravity and maturity, making her appear far older than her actual years. It seemed as though she had deliberately prepared for this portrait to repel suitors rather than attract them.
"Her father is a third-grade finance minister, and her uncle, the family head, is the deputy minister under Wei. The young lady was raised in the countryside by her grandmother, Old Madame Cui, after her mother’s early passing. She is skilled with the sword and participated in an archery competition in Futing two years ago," the matchmaker explained, fanning herself as though irritated by the prospect of having such a candidate in her portfolio. It was as if the very knowledge of this unconventional young lady among her marriage prospects caused her physical discomfort.
"She has a strong will and a confident personality. She manages her own businesses independently."
The Duke paused for a moment, studying the lifeless gaze of the woman in the portrait, searching for signs of her character that might indicate whether she would be a suitable match for his son.
"How old is she?" he asked after a brief silence. Though he had already made his decision, he knew that if the woman was too old, it could be poorly received by the rest of the family and provoke criticism among his colleagues—something he could not afford.
"She turned 25 this spring," the matchmaker replied.
The Duke concluded that while 25 was considered old for an unmarried woman, it wasn’t so old as to raise accusations of sabotaging his son’s marriage. Even at that age, she should still be fertile, though certainly not as agreeable or pliant as a much younger candidate.
"She sounds like the perfect candidate," he declared after a moment, causing the matchmaker to lift her gaze to him in surprise.
"Contact her family. Obtain the astrological signs of the Fourth Young Lady of the Dou family, consult the astrologers, and select an appropriate date," he instructed.
The matchmaker hurried out of the room, leaving the portrait behind. Duke of Ying glanced at it once more, hoping the woman was indeed as unpleasant as she appeared.
He called for his loyal servant, who had been by his side for many years, and tasked him with investigating the history and rumors surrounding the Fourth Young Lady. He needed to know everything about her.
This was his one chance to deal with the matter of Song Mo. He couldn’t choose a golden apple for his son. He needed a young lady as rotten and disagreeable as possible.
The Duke knew that Madame Jiang, no matter how deeply she loved her children, would never allow Song Mo to take a concubine. He had to ensure his son’s wife would be the right kind of match...