Chapter I. Disputes

　　Dou Zhao felt that he might not live long. 　　The old generation often say, dream of death to life, dream of life to death. 　　These days she always dreamed that she went back to the childhood, sitting under the arbor full of wisteria flowers swinging two fat little legs, white and fat like steamed bread like nippers are feeding her. 　　The wind blew, hanging wisteria vines crowded together, tired stacked wisteria flowers music, like a group of whispering together the little girl. 　　She thought it was funny, and ran over with a smile, grabbed a vine, and pulled down a blooming wisteria flower with her hand. 　　The nursemaid chased after her: ''Fourth Miss, be good, after eating this meal, the seventh master will return from the capital. At that time, he will bring fourth miss a lot of delicious food, and nice shoes and socks ......" 　　She didn't even look at Nurse Maiden, avoiding the silver spoon that Nurse Maiden extended over, and grabbed another vine to pull off a wisteria flower. 　　A clear and pleasant woman's voice then came from her ears, "What? Fourth Miss disobeyed again?" 　　As soon as the nursemaid heard this voice, she immediately turned around and bent her knees in the direction of the voice and bowed, respectfully calling out "Seventh Grandmother". 　　She, on the other hand, pinched the wisteria flower and rushed over, "Mother, mother ......" 　　The young woman tenderly hugged her. 　　She offered the wisteria flowers in her hand to her mother as if she were a treasure. 　　The spring sunlight shone on the red gold strut in her mother's hair and the large red all-over gold tunic-sleeved jacket, refracting dazzling rays of light, her mother's body, as if gilded with a layer of gold leaf, piercing her eyes, while her mother's face, melted in that golden halo of light, making it impossible for her to see her expression. 　　"Mother, mother ......," she forced the sourness in her eyes and tilted her head high, trying to see her mother clearly. 　　Her mother's face, however, became more and more blurred. 　　A little maid ran over, joyfully reporting, "Seventh grandmother, seventh master has returned from the capital!" 　　"Really!" Mother stood up in surprise and joy, lifted up her skirt and ran outside. 　　She chased after her with her two short, fat little legs, "Mother, mother!" 　　But her mother walked faster and faster, and was about to disappear into the spring light. 　　She got up in a hurry and yelled loudly at her mother's freckled back, "Mother, mother, father didn't come back alone, he also brought a woman with him! She will take your position as the rightful wife and force you to go to the end of your rope and hang yourself ......" 　　But for some reason, these vital words lingered back and forth in her mind and on the tip of her tongue, she just couldn't make a single sound, she could only watch her mother's figure fade away into her line of sight. 　　Her heart raced and she scurried around looking for her mother. 　　In the white light was a group of bickering adults. 　　She ran over to them. 　　As she peeled through the crowd, she anxiously asked, "Have you seen my mother? Have you seen my mother?" 　　They all just focused on arguing, and none of them paid any attention to her. 　　Mother, where on earth did she go? 　　She looked around blankly. 　　Suddenly, she saw a flower hall with colorful glazes on the finials, and the door was half-covered, as if there were shadows moving around. 　　Could it be that her mother was hiding there? 　　She happily ran over, "squeak" and pushed open the door. 　　Half of the large red gold Xiang skirt swaying in the air, under the train of the skirt, revealing two feet, one foot wearing only snow-white damask socks, one foot wearing a large red embroidered mandarin ducks playing in the water of the damask surface embroidered shoes ...... 　　She screamed harshly and woke up from her dream in a sweat. 　　Into the eye is still familiar octagonal palace lamps, quietly standing in the corner of the wall, glittering emitting a bright but not too soft light. 　　The room was silent, the eldest maid Cui Leng was sitting on a small stool at the head of the bed, dozing. 　　Dou Zhao took a deep breath. 　　It turned out that the scream was also in a dream! 　　She forced down the trepidation in her heart. 　　With this illness of her own, the family was in a state of disarray, especially the several maids who served close to her, rotating day and night, not daring to blink an eye, so she must have been exhausted. 　　Dou Zhao did not alarm Cui Leng, looking at the light in the corner, can not help but think of the dream just now. 　　When her mother died she was only one year and eleven months old. Do not remember anything. If not for her mother's loyal servant Tuo Niang found her later, she was not even clear about how her mother died, and how could she know these details? 　　It is clear that this is all her daydreaming and nightdreaming, listening to the words of Tou Niang, of course fabricated! 　　Dou Zhao heart felt stuffy, can not breathe hard, can not help but turn over. 　　The sound of rustling clothing rubbing together seemed exceptionally clear and loud in this silent night. 　　Cui Leng was immediately awakened, thinking that she had fallen asleep while on night duty, and shouted "madam" in fear. 　　Dou Zhao smiled placidly at her and said, "My mouth is a little thirsty." 　　"I'll pour you some tea." Cui Leng leapt to her feet and let out a long breath, letting go of her heart. 　　Dou Zhao took a sip of the hot tea and asked her, "What hour is it now? Has the Marquis returned?" 　　"It's just past the hour." Cui Leng nagged, "Marquis, still, hasn't come back yet." Appearing apprehensive. 　　Dou Zhao's gaze couldn't help but sink. 　　She had suffered from a wind chill when she went to her aunt, Duke Jing's wife Wei Yanzhen's residence, to enjoy the chrysanthemums on the day of the Chongyang Festival, and she had a bit of a fever afterward. At first, no one took it to heart, including Dou Zhao. Thought to ask the imperial physician to take a few pairs of drugs will be good, who knows a few pairs of drugs down, the disease not only did not see good, but more serious, ten days ago, even bedridden, the family this panicked, please doctor, do puja, worship the bodhisattvas, making a fuss, husband Jining Marquis Wei Tingyu even let the maid across the screen supported a couch, resting there every night, serving her tea. 　　Yesterday afternoon, Marquis Tingan's fourth master Wang Qinghai came to find Wei Tingyu, the two muttered outside for a long time, Wei Tingyu excused himself to go out to eat with Wang Qinghai, and has not yet returned. 　　Wang Qinghai word Dahe, and Wei Tingyu from the same family of public ministers, grew up together, are fond of riding and cuju, the relationship is particularly good, often together with the companionship of polo, cuju, hunting, horse racing. If it is usual, Dou Zhao certainly do not think, continue to sleep her peaceful sleep. But just half a month ago, Wang Qinghai's father-in-law, Zhou Shaochuan, Dongping Bu, was copied by the Emperor and taken away his title due to corruption and imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, and he was running around in all directions for his father-in-law, and she was afraid that Wei Tingyu would also get mixed up in it. 　　"You have the granny on duty at the second gate go to the outer courtyard to see if the Marquis is resting in his study." Dou Zhao worriedly said, "If the Marquis isn't in the study, tell the person on duty at the main gate that he should be invited back to the upper room as soon as the Marquis returns." 　　Cui Leng answered and left. 　　But after a cup of tea, she hurriedly folded back, "Madam, the marquis is back!" She said, her tone slightly paused, and added, "The Marquis just came back from outside, and as soon as he came back, he came straight to madam's upper room." 　　"I see." Dou Zhao struggled to sit up. 　　Cui Leng was about to help her re-do a codpiece when Wei Ting Yu had already entered the inner room. 　　Although he had already passed his prime, Wei Ting Yu was not like those princes and feudal lords who lived as privileged a life as he did, who either appeared to be depressed due to the emptying of their bodies through drink and sex, or who appeared to be swollen and fat due to their pampered bellies. He is tall and straight, his features are handsome and elegant, agile, full of vitality between hands and feet, instead of better than when he was young, at first glance, but only twenty-five, six years of age, is the Kyoto famous man of beauty. 　　Seeing Dou Zhao sitting with his clothes on, he was surprised and said, "How come you haven't slept yet?" 　　Dou Zhao, however, asked, "What is Fourth Master Wang looking for Marquis?" 　　"Oh!" Wei Tingyu's gaze was a bit evasive, "Nothing much, it's just that he's bitter in his heart, and he's looking for me to have a drink ......" 　　"Marquis!" Dou Zhao couldn't help but raise his voice, nonchalantly interrupting Wei Tingyu's words, "Wang fourth master is here to find marquis help, right? The Marquis has thought carefully about why Dongpingbo was imprisoned. If you're in this mess, what kind of trouble will you be in if you get caught in the crossfire? Even if you don't pity your concubine, but your mother-in-law is old and your children are still young, you don't care about all of them?" 　　"You also don't always treat me like a three year old." Wei Ting Yu laughed, "Dong Ping Bo was just drunk and said a few nonsense words, touching the Emperor's scales, which was sentenced to prison. Not to mention me, who in Kyoto doesn't know about this? Don't you worry, this matter I have my own decision, won't drag you and the children down." The tone was rather perfunctory. 　　The current emperor is through the palace change boarded the great treasure, the most scrupulous about other people privately discuss this matter. The so-called Dong Ping Bo's drunken nonsense, I'm afraid that this is why. 　　More than ten years of husband and wife, Wei Tingyu's temperament Dou Zhao knows as well as anyone. 　　He said so, Dou Zhao more worried, must Wei Ting Yu to give her a promise can not: "...... anything related to the Zhou family, you do not interfere!" 　　Wei Ting Yu was said by her anger grew, unhappy: "What do you mean by this? Dahe is my closest friend, he's in trouble now, if I sit back and do nothing, is that still a person?" Then sneered, "Luckily, Dahe didn't ask me to beg my father-in-law, otherwise, wouldn't you be flipping the boat with my dead!" 　　Dou Zhao's father Dou Shiying is the Hanlin Academy of palmistry, Zhanzifu less Zhanzifu, the official but four, but very much valued by the emperor, often called into the palace by the emperor, to the Prince and the Prince feast speech. 　　Listening to this heartbreaking words, she was so angry that she almost went out of breath. 　　Wei Ting Yu see can't help but feel weak, whispered: "Do you know what big river looking for me to do?" Saying this, he couldn't help but open his eyes angrily and said indignantly, "That dog thief Song Mo, he even took the Zhou family's thirteenth and fourteenth young ladies into his room!" 　　Dou Zhao was shocked, "What about Mrs. Zhou?" 　　"Also in the mansion." Wei Tingyu's voice was like a gnat, and she looked embarrassed. 　　Dou Zhao sucked in a breath of cool air. 　　Mrs. Zhou is Dongping Bo's step-room, niece of Miyun Wei Commander Cao Jie, this year is just thirty-two years old, outstanding posture, the Zhou family's thirteenth and fourteenth misses are a pair of sisters born of Mrs. Zhou, the green is better than the blue, not yet reached maturity, the proposer has already stepped through the threshold. 　　"He abandoned virtue and power like this, going against the grain, and the Emperor doesn't care?" 　　Wei Ting Yu laughed coldly: "He killed his father and his brother, but the Emperor only punished him with three years of salary and exempted him from his official position, letting him pay for his sins. Do you think the Emperor will chastise him for this?" 　　Dou Zhao was silent.