Young Master Dou looked at them and sneered coldly: "What are you surprised about? Do you really think such petty tricks from that woman could escape my notice?"
"Sheâs never been very clever, and now sheâs acting even more foolishly, becoming someone elseâs tool."
Back then, when he was being abused by Ms. Meng and driven to a state of rage, the Young Marquis once said: "You donât need to be so exasperated. Your stepmother only knows how to use such crude tactics; sheâs really not very smart. If she were smart, she wouldnât abuse you but instead would praise you to your demise, acting like the good person while ruining you. And even after being ruined by her, you would have to be grateful to her in return."
At that time, he didnât think deeply about these words, but over the years, that womanâs methods remained so brutal, he finally understood the wisdom in the Young Marquisâs words from back then.
Indeed, Ms. Meng is truly foolish.
Ah, the Young Marquis is indeed very clever!
However, although Ms. Meng is foolish, she is deeply favored by the old man. No matter how Ms. Meng abused him, even going so far as to poison him or send someone to assassinate him, the old man never truly punished her.
Regarding Ms. Meng, Young Master Dou harbors hatred, yet heâs not heartbroken. The one who truly breaks his heart is Manager Dou... Young Master Dou couldnât understand why the old man, being his biological father, could watch his own son suffer various attempts on his life and remain indifferent.
Indeed, thereâs always a biased father with a biased stepmother, only doting on the second and third brothers.
Itâs a pity that Dou Ke was born with a knack for business, more suitable to be in charge of the Dou Family compared to the second brother, who only knows how to squander money, and the third brother, who only knows how to study endlessly!
"Dou Cang, tidy up those nine corpses with preserving materials used, and once Iâm done with the bankâs affairs, weâll take the bodies and the Meng Family assassins to file a complaint with the Jingzhao Governor."
Dou Cang, one of the Shadow Guards raised by Young Master Dou, responded: "Master, is this really a good idea?"
Bringing corpses to the Jingzhao Governor to lodge a complaint would infuriate the old master.
Young Master Dou snorted coldly: "Whatâs wrong with it? I already said back then, if that woman dares to make my life difficult, the entire Dou Family better not think theyâll have it easy!"
The old man is most concerned about face; no matter how that woman treats him in private, as long as it isnât brought to light, there was no penalty.
But ever since he nearly died at that womanâs hands at age six, and ran to the Capitalâs largest restaurant to cause a scene, alerting the Capital people to Ms. Mengâs abuse, the old man punished Ms. Meng.
Since then, he has grasped the old manâs weakness, refusing to engage in hidden warfare, always making everything public.
However, this also strained the father-son relationship more and more, but he no longer cares. He just wants to survive using this method.
"Yes, Iâll go handle the corpses immediately." Dou Cang promptly took his men to handle the corpses, while those living assassins were taken to another place for confinement.
Young Master Dou further instructed others: "Fetch water to put out the fire."
His tone wasnât particularly urgent because, with Young Master Douâs wealth, even if the house burns down, it can be rebuilt as long as the house containing the contracts and the warehouse with the Silver are unharmed.
After finishing up on this end, Young Master Dou immediately led people straight to the courtyard where the contracts were kept: "Company Commander Qin, are you still there?!"
"Still here." Qin San Langâs voice came from inside the house.
Young Master Dou, hearing this, immediately rushed into the house with his people, looking at Qin San Lang by the light and urgently asked: "How about it? Are you hurt?"
"No injuries." Qin San Lang pointed at Meng Wu: "This manâs arm is broken. Find a doctor to check him out, or else he might die from excessive bleeding."
Young Master Dou: "Yes, yes, Dou Meng quickly send someone to bring Doctor Zhou to examine Company Commander Qin, lest Company Commander Qin has some internal injury heâs unaware of."
"..." Dou Meng flinched, glancing at his young master, feeling fear. Young master, since when did you have such preferences? Didnât you have Dou Zhi find you a girl not too long ago? How have your tastes changed so quickly?
But if you must change tastes, canât we find a scholarly weakling? Someone like Company Commander Qin is truly out of your league; youâll end up getting chopped.
Seeing Dou Meng unmoving, Young Master Dou shouted angrily: "What are you standing around for? Go quickly to bring a doctor."
"Yes." Dou Meng shook off his wild thoughts and quickly went out, summoning his Shadow Guards to bring Doctor Zhou from Zhou Familyâs Clinic.
Inside, Qin San Lang asked Young Master Dou: "Is Good Brother An doing well? Heâs carrying the contracts, nothing can happen to him."
Young Master Dou laughed: "Rest assured, Company Commander Qin, your brother-in-law is very reliable, both he and the contracts are perfectly safe."
They hid in the government officeâs cell; those assassins would never guess that in a million years.
What!
Meng Wu, hearing this, suddenly looked up. Could it be that the contracts are not in this room? Then their sacrifice tonight was for nothing? What a joke!
Young Master Dou looked at Meng Wuâs shocked expression and laughed: "Thatâs right, the contracts are not here at all. Thereâs only a pile of scrap paper in this room, even if you burned it down, it wouldnât matter."
Meng Wu, hearing this, showed an expression of fury, feeling tricked. He had indeed been duped!
However, a twitch crept across his cheek, as if in a smile: Haha, do they think the plan to sneak into the bank and burn the contracts was all they had? Just wait, at the most by tomorrow, news will spread that the Silver Dou Ke and the Ouyang Family were transporting will be robbed by bandits.
Without the Silver, enraged farmers wonât just destroy the bank, theyâll tear Dou Ke to pieces.
And those powers hiding in the shadows will send out rumors, continuing to stoke the farmersâ rage, leading them to ransack the government office, even causing a direct rebellion.
By then, Dou Ke, the Ouyang Family, and this lowly soldier who chopped off his arm will all be executed!
Seeing the twitching in Meng Wuâs cheeks, Young Master Dou frowned, and said to Meng Wu: "Why is your face twitching? Are you going to end up paralyzed?"
"Heâs laughing. When someoneâs jaw is dislocated, only the facial muscles and eyes can move, so when they laugh, it looks like this." Qin San Lang explained, then looked at Meng Wu and said: "I know what youâre thinking, but unfortunately youâre mistaken. The Silver en route wonât be robbed; those bandits will be annihilated by the Prefecture garrisonâs soldiers."
What!
Meng Wu was completely stunned, looking at Qin San Lang in disbelief. How could a mere countryside soldier have the power to mobilize the Prefecture garrisonâs soldiers?
Young Master Dou laughed: "Oh, you mean you were laughing at that? Then you were happy for nothing. Do you really think weâve been busy these past few days for no reason? We already planned counters for whatever you aimed to do."
Upon hearing this, Meng Wuâs cheeks twitched again: No, he doesnât believe it. This must be a lie!
"You donât believe it?" Young Master Dou said: "Well, you better do. General Guo holds Company Commander Qin in high regard, plus this is an opportunity to gain merit, so he naturally is willing to dispatch troops."
He finished with a cold expression and continued: "Ms. Meng better not have mixed assassins in with the bandits to rob the Silver, or else the Meng Family will be done for!"
Robbing the bankâs Silver, and getting annihilated by the army, would be a clan-exterminating crime should it reach the Capital.
And the Dou Family would also be implicated, so Young Master Dou still hoped that Ms. Meng wasnât that foolish.