ATLAS TRANSLATES

Dou Zhao felt dizzy as she tried to stand up, then heard Su Juan’s cry of pain. She realized the carriage had overturned, and she was sitting on what was now the roof. Bie Suxin was crouching beside her, watching her anxiously, while Bie Sulan was lying at the window peering outside. Behind them, Su Juan was curled up in pain in a corner.

“Miss, are you alright?” Bie Suxin asked her worriedly again.

“I’m fine,” Dou Zhao heard her own voice sounding hoarse.

Bie Sulan turned back, saying nervously, “Sister, what should we do? Those two with the three-section staffs are very skilled, and there’s another one with a knife. The guards are no match for them.”

“Let me see!” Dou Zhao crawled to the window.

Seven or eight men were attacking them, all burly fellows with unfriendly faces. Except for the two with three-section staffs and the one with the knife, the others had been struck down by the Dou family guards. Six or seven of the Dou family guards were also injured, with only the leader and two other more agile ones still struggling to hold on, though they looked like they would soon be overwhelmed. Their carriage driver had been thrown into a small ditch not far from the carriage, face down in the water, motionless – clearly in grave danger. Liu Wan, who had come to bring them news, was trembling and hiding in the roadside bushes, too scared to move.

Dou Zhao’s mind raced.

These were peaceful times – Zhending County hadn’t seen bandits or murder cases in many years. These men had specifically targeted the Dou family’s carriage, clearly coming prepared. But were they after any Dou family carriage? Or specifically her carriage? If it was against the Dou family, that would be simpler – she just happened to be caught up in it, and Second Madame and Dou Shibang would handle it. But if they were targeting her… why?

If it was for money, her uncle wouldn’t harm her, and the Dou family wouldn’t want her harmed.

That left only one possibility.

Ransom!

Dou Zhao broke out in a cold sweat.

If these men just wanted to make some money, they should have targeted Third Uncle who managed the family affairs or Third Cousin who often traveled outside – they were well-known.

The worry was that these people were acting on someone’s orders!

And those who knew about her substantial assets and could track her movements were only people from the Dou family!

Second Madame was just her father’s aunt, and Third Uncle was just her father’s cousin.

Would this person influence Second Madame and Third Uncle to abandon helping her?

With half their men dead or injured, would these bandits kill her in anger?

For the first time, the shadow of death loomed so close to Dou Zhao.

She asked the Bie sisters, “Are you completely confident you can protect me and fight our way out?”

Bie Suxin and Bie Sulan looked at each other, both showing hesitation.

Dou Zhao thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, “Suxin, isn’t Chen Xiaofeng working as a guard somewhere? Go find him immediately, tell him what’s happening here. I’m offering a reward of ten thousand taels of silver. Then go back and check on Concubine Cui, and send someone to notify Dou Qijun that I’ve been robbed. Sulan, slip down from the carriage quietly and find a way to follow them, see where they take me. Don’t intervene as long as they don’t threaten my life. Meet back here afterward. Su Juan, you can’t even outrun me – letting you go would only endanger you, so stay with me!”

Su Juan tightly held onto Dou Zhao’s arm.

But Bie Suxin and Bie Sulan called out “Fourth Miss” in unison and said, “How could we leave Miss alone? What if those bandits hurt you? Let us protect you and fight our way out! Even if we lose our lives, we’ll ensure Miss’s safety.”

“Following my plan is safer,” Dou Zhao made her decision. “While those three men are occupied with the guards, hurry and slip away.”

Bie Sulan still hesitated.

But Bie Suxin grabbed her sister’s hand and said, “Miss, I’ll do as you say. But if anything happens to you, we sisters won’t live on alone.” Before Dou Zhao could respond, she turned and slipped away.

Dou Zhao sighed.

She hoped the Dou family had nothing to do with this!

Soon, two piercing screams came from outside, and the carriage curtain was yanked open. A scarred face brandishing a bloody sword shouted inside, “Which one is the Dou family’s Fourth Miss? Come out!”

Thinking about something was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes was another.

Dou Zhao was terrified, her limbs went weak, and the sight of blood made her nauseous. She wished there was a hole in the ground she could hide in.

The scarred man’s gaze fell on Dou Zhao: “You, come out.” He reached in and pulled Dou Zhao from the carriage, asking, “Anyone else?”

At her feet, one of the Dou family guards was groaning, clutching his stomach as blood seeped through his fingers.

In her two lives, this was the first time Dou Zhao had seen such a scene. She couldn’t help but vomit.

The scarred man ordered the two with three-section staffs: “Right the carriage and take our brothers away.”

The lead Dou family guard lay on the ground, struggling to speak: “Who… who are you? Release Fourth Miss quickly! You might still have a way out…”

One of the men with a three-section staff went up and struck the lead guard, who rolled his eyes and passed out.

Dou Zhao realized all the Dou family guards were still alive.

A bandit looked into the carriage and said, “No time left, the officials will discover us if we delay. Having the Dou family’s Fourth Miss in our hands is enough.” With that, Dou Zhao felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, and she lost consciousness.

?????

The entertainment in front of the Dou mansion had dispersed, leaving only echoes in the ears.

Wu Shan walked into Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang’s study to find Dou Dechang and Ji Yong playing Go, with Dou Zhengchang watching from the side.

Ji Yong had white pieces, Dou Dechang black. They were evenly matched, each having their gains and losses – truly worthy opponents.

Wu Shan was pleased.

Then Ji Yong picked up his folding fan from the table, fanned himself a few times, and said casually to Dou Dechang, “I’ll give you two more stones.”

Dou Dechang’s face immediately twisted in frustration.

Wu Shan couldn’t help but sigh and smile, “Twelve, I’m leaving for the capital the day after tomorrow.”

All three looked up.

Wu Shan cleared his throat softly and said, “I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’d like to invite everyone to view flowers at Fayuan Temple.”

Ji Yong asked curiously, “What special flowers does Fayuan Temple have?”

“Just an old osmanthus tree, nothing special,” Wu Shan smiled. “But if we go to Fayuan Temple, my sister, Fourth Sister, Miss Shu, and Miss Yi can all come along for the fun.”

Ji Yong nodded: “Count me in!”

Wu Shan invited Dou Dechang: “Let’s go ask Fourth Sister? See when she’s free.”

Dou Dechang had long wanted to stop playing Go, and smiled as he stood up: “Sure! I’ll go with you.”

Dou Zhengchang felt he couldn’t face Ji Yong’s dominance alone, so he smiled, “I’ll come too.”

Ji Yong looked at Dou Dechang, then at Dou Zhengchang, a flash of cunning in his eyes, and said, “Then I’ll come along too! I can check Concubine Cui’s pulse while we’re there.”

Wu Shan and the Dou brothers looked at each other helplessly, and had to bring Ji Yong to the West Mansion.

They had just stepped down from the carriage when Wu Shan saw Suxin, one of Dou Zhao’s maids, frantically jumping down from a hired carriage.

He quickly asked, “Suxin, why aren’t you attending Fourth Sister?”

Bie Suxin turned around, forced a smile and curtsied to Wu Shan and the others, then turned to leave: “I have to see Concubine Cui…”

“Stop!” Ji Yong’s face darkened as he shouted. “What’s happened to Fourth Sister? If you dare lie, I’ll call a slave trader to sell you immediately!”

Bie Suxin’s face alternated between red and white.

Wu Shan glared at Ji Yong and said gently, “Suxin, don’t be afraid. We mean no harm, we’re just worried Fourth Sister might be in trouble and want to help…”

Though strong, Bie Suxin was just a young girl who had barely come of age. With Dou Zhao’s fate unknown, she was already at her wit’s end. Hearing Wu Shan’s gentle words, her tears fell uncontrollably: “Fourth Miss… Fourth Miss has been kidnapped!”

“What did you say?” Wu Shan and the others’ faces changed drastically.

Bie Suxin went ahead and told them everything that had happened.

“Quick, notify Third Uncle to go rescue her!” Dou Zhengchang said, face pale, but was stopped by Wu Shan and Dou Dechang: “This matter can’t be made public.” Wu Shan’s gaze was like millennia-old ice. “We need to find our own people to rescue her!”

Bie Suxin listened and felt slightly reassured.

“Then use my people?” Ji Yong fanned himself, smiling as he looked at Wu Shan and the others.

Wu Shan and Dou Dechang exchanged a glance and firmly agreed “Alright.”

Ji Yong called his attendants and took the lead, leaping onto horseback.

Wu Shan and the Dou brothers were startled.

Ji Yong widened his eyes and looked at the three in confusion: “Aren’t you planning to go yourselves?”

Dou Dechang’s mouth twitched as he said, “Of course we’re going!” With help from Ji Yong’s attendant, he mounted the horse.

Ji Yong instructed his attendant: “Share a horse with Young Master. If Young Master falls off, I’ll hold you responsible.” With that, he spurred his horse toward the city gate.

Dou Dechang couldn’t help complaining loudly: “This fellow, is there anything he can’t do?”

Ji Yong’s attendants all lowered their eyes, pretending not to hear.

?????

When Dou Zhao regained consciousness, she found herself lying on a semi-new luohan bed, her clothes intact. She couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Su Juan was sleeping beside her, and there was no one else in the room.

She sat up.

Her head was still a bit dizzy, but otherwise fine.

She listened carefully to the surroundings.

There was only the rustling sound of wind through tree leaves.

Dou Zhao carefully got off the bed and cautiously pushed open a small crack in the window lattice.

Outside was a small courtyard paved with bluestone, with a row of poplar trees planted, their trunks as thick as wine cups. There was a stone mill in the eastern part of the courtyard, where a hen was leading several chicks pecking at small stones. All around was quiet, with no people in sight. It was a typical farmhouse courtyard.

As Dou Zhao was considering whether to peek through the door crack, she heard the bandits’ voices from the hall next door: “Damn it, who knew the Dou family guards would be so tough. We originally agreed to just knock them out, but now people are injured, our brothers are all wounded too. Wonder if he’ll take responsibility?”

Another voice, sinister and cold, said: “If he takes responsibility, we’ll take the money and leave; if he doesn’t, heh heh heh, we’ll tell the Dou family about this. Just wait to collect your silver.”