At the Xiangshan Villa.
Song Han’s howl caused Dou Zhao and the others to freeze, and the room fell into complete silence.
“Mama!” The sleeping Yuan’er rubbed his sleepy eyes and got up. “I need to pee!”
He stood on the kang bed, reaching out his little hands towards Dou Zhao.
Dou Zhao inwardly groaned.
Why did this little one wake up now?
Would this frighten the child?
Grandmother hurriedly picked up Yuan’er, coaxing him gently, “Be good, your mother is busy. Let great-grandmother help you with the potty!”
Children are very sensitive. Usually, he would have happily jumped into his grandmother’s arms, but this time, he twisted his small body, stubbornly insisting on Dou Zhao: “I want Mama! I want Mama!”
Dou Zhao walked over with a smile, kissed Yuan’er’s little face, and said, “Just say what you need. Making a fuss isn’t what good children do!”
Yuan’er clung tightly to Dou Zhao’s embrace.
The people in the room turned their backs, and Grandmother found a used washbasin to catch the urine.
Dou Zhao carried Yuan’er back to the kang bed and smiled, “Go back to sleep! When you wake up, Father will be back from work!”
Yuan’er held onto Dou Zhao’s hand, refusing to let go. “Mama, stay here with me!”
“Alright!” Dou Zhao was anxious but dared not show it.
She had thought Prince Liao would act like in her previous life, waiting until the Emperor’s health failed before making his move. She never imagined Prince Liao would be so bold as to take such a risk, disregarding the consequences.
Was it because the longer he waited, the more unfavorable the situation became for him?
Some thieves can steal for a thousand days, but no one can guard against thieves for a thousand days. Although Song Mo was very wary of Prince Liao, he couldn’t have anticipated such a sudden attack. She wondered if he had discovered Prince Liao’s sinister plot.
Dou Zhao suppressed the turmoil in her heart, took a deep breath, and gently patted Yuan’er to sleep as usual.
Yuan’er’s eyes remained wide open, his gaze shifting between Dou Zhao and Duan Gongyi, who stood guard at their bedside.
Dou Zhao smiled and gently pinched his little nose, saying, “Close your eyes quickly.”
Yuan’er giggled, his face full of curiosity, and asked, “Where did Wet Nurse go? Why isn’t she watching over me, but Master Duan is?”
This child was truly clever.
Dou Zhao smiled and said, “Today, Mama is watching over you, so I let Wet Nurse rest.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the previously quiet courtyard erupted with the sound of arrows and Song Han’s hysterical screams.
Duan Gongyi and the others tensed up.
Yuan’er, frightened, burrowed into his mother’s arms, trembling as he called out “Mama.”
Dou Zhao’s heart ached terribly, wishing she could slap Song Han dead.
She covered Yuan’er’s ears, kissing his soft black hair: “It’s alright, Mama is here, Master Duan is here. Don’t be afraid!”
Yuan’er gradually calmed down.
The courtyard also gradually quieted.
Faint groans could be heard, and then someone began to speak: “Madam Dou, your people are still alive. You care so much for your subordinates, how can you bear to watch them die in vain? You are of noble status, and we wouldn’t dare to treat you disrespectfully. If you’re willing to come with us, we’ll not only send people immediately to treat your guards’ wounds, but we’ll also respectfully escort you to Prince Liao’s residence. Dawn is approaching, and when I left, my master instructed me to bring you back before daybreak. If we can’t persuade you by then, we’re to set fire to the house. The villa is now surrounded by firewood soaked in lamp oil. Once the sky lightens, we’ll light the fire…”
Dou Zhao and the others’ expressions changed dramatically.
Chen Xiaofeng drew his sword and said, “I’ll go check if this is true.”
“No need!” Several people had already been killed or injured, and now it was best to protect whoever they could. Dou Zhao said somewhat dejectedly, “They wouldn’t lie about such a small matter…” As she spoke, she looked at Yuan’er in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes.
Duan Gongyi turned his head away.
Grandmother trembled as she held Dou Zhao’s hand.
The man outside continued to persuade Dou Zhao: “If Madam Dou doesn’t believe us, you can send someone to investigate. In war between nations, envoys are not harmed. As long as the person you send to gather information doesn’t leave the courtyard, we won’t harm them…”
Dou Zhao pretended not to hear.
She composed herself and smiled as she pulled her son out of her arms, saying softly, “Yuan’er, let’s play a game—in a moment, Master Duan will carry you out of this courtyard to find your father. If you can stay completely quiet, I’ll tell your father to take you horse riding at the villa. Can you do that?”
“Madam!” Duan Gongyi and the others’ eyes reddened as they knelt.
Yuan’er looked at Duan Gongyi and the others, somewhat confused.
“Get up, all of you!” Dou Zhao said calmly. “Yuan’er is the heir’s eldest legitimate son, and currently his only son. If he falls into Prince Liao’s hands, even if the heir submits to him, it’s unlikely Yuan’er would ever return to us. It’s more dangerous for him to stay here!”
Most people value sons more than women.
In Prince Liao’s eyes, Yuan’er was more important.
But to Duan Gongyi and the others, Dou Zhao was more important.
“What about you if we leave?” He shook his head vigorously.
“At worst, I’ll go to their residence as a guest.” Dou Zhao smiled nonchalantly as she stroked her son’s head, saying, “I’ll go out to negotiate with them, and you take Yuan’er and break out. They’ll certainly be too busy to deal with Grandmother then.” She turned to Grandmother and said, “You find a way to hide when the time comes. You’ll surely be able to turn danger into safety.”
Yuan’er was bewildered, unaware of his mother’s decision, but the tense atmosphere made him instinctively nestle back into Dou Zhao’s arms.
“You should go with Yuan’er and the others!” Grandmother said solemnly. “I’ll stay here to stall them. Through the window, they surely won’t be able to tell the difference between you and me.”