Wei Tingyu, of course, would never stop Dou Zhao. He merely nodded in silent approval.
With her husband's consent, Dou Zhao slowly rose to her feet. Her gaze swept over the gathered young noblemen with the bearing of one looking down from a mountain peak. Her red lips curved slightly as she spoke with calm disdain,
"Gentlemen, your words just now were sweet indeed… but how much of it came from the heart?"
"What does Madam mean by that? How could we not be sincere?"
The young lords faltered under her scrutiny, their voices weakening despite their attempts at boldness. After all, it wasn't rare to flatter the wrong person and land in trouble—but few would strike back so openly and without mercy as Dou Zhao just had.
She spared them no face.
"Young Lord Liu Xuezhen," she called coldly, her eyes landing on a man who had just stood up. "I hear you've failed the imperial exams six times."
Her words hit like a slap.
"Instead of studying hard at home, you flit from banquet to banquet. Do you truly believe your shallow talents will one day open the path to officialdom?"
The hall burst into muffled laughter.
Well, he deserved that! Who asked him to act like a peacock in front of Dou Zhao?
"This is improper, Madam Marquis!" another young noble, unable to remain silent, stood up and saluted respectfully. "While we may not possess outstanding literary talent, we did come here today with honest intentions—hoping to meet the young ladies of your honored house…"
By now, these young men had finally caught on: as long as they didn't behave like that idiot Pang—spewing crude, obscene remarks—neither the Marquis nor his lady would stir up trouble.
And so, voices quickly rose claiming sincerity, pledging their genuine desire to seek wives.
"Chen Shiyuan, Young Lord Chen," Dou Zhao turned to the speaker, her expression as calm as a still lake. "I hear your family business failed. You've sold your ancestral home and now seek a dowry to cover your losses, is that not so?"
"Er…" Chen Shiyuan's face turned crimson. He hadn't expected Dou Zhao to know his affairs so thoroughly.
Around the room, more young men began to fidget uncomfortably. Clearly, their situations weren't much better.
Lady Wang Yingxue, seated among the womenfolk, looked utterly stunned. Then rage filled her eyes as she shot a deadly glare toward Dou Shiying's direction.
Good heavens! If Dou Zhao hadn't exposed them, she never would've known!
How many of these so-called young nobles—these so-called future pillars of the empire—had come here not to form true marriages, but to exploit their daughters?
And yet her daughter, Dou Ming, had been paraded out for these wolves in sheep's clothing?! What if one of them tricked her into marriage? It would be too late for regrets!
Her resentment toward Dou Shiying and Dou Shishu deepened.
At the women's tables, the young ladies were no less shaken.
So many traps lay hidden beneath the surface? Thank heaven they hadn't blindly walked into one, or else their entire lives would be ruined!
Just then, Dou Zhao's soft voice rang out again,
"I happen to have a response for the couplet just recited."
She smiled, clearly pleased with herself, and picked up a sheet of paper to write swiftly.
"Marquis, what do you think of my matching line?" She beamed as she handed her work to Wei Tingyu like offering a precious treasure.
Wei Tingyu read it, chuckled, then nodded approvingly before reciting it aloud:
"Easy to find a heartless man,
Hard to seek a priceless gem—
Why place hollow hopes in letters of false affection?"
"Madam's literary grace is unmatched," Wei Tingyu praised her, gently brushing aside a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek as she bent over to write.
"Thank you for your praise, My Lord," Dou Zhao's face lit up with joy, a bright smile breaking across her face. In Wei Tingyu's eyes, that moment made her seem young again, as if the spirited girl he once knew still dwelled within her.
Then, Dou Zhao turned back to face the crowd, her voice clear and resolute:
"What I despise most—are men with no talent, no virtue, who chase power and wealth like moths to flame!"
"You think yourselves scholars because you can write a few lines? Then you pass judgment on women, as if choosing a bride is no more than picking goods from a market shelf."
"You speak of using my husband as your example?"
"Then act like true men—not just speak empty words!"
"Shield your families from hardship! Take charge for your wives!"
"Now ask yourselves: which among you can truly claim to have done this?"
Her words struck like thunder, each one heavy with righteousness. The room fell into a deafening silence.
The young nobles, whether willing to admit their shame or not, could only lower their heads in silence.
At the women's tables, many ladies were moved to tears.
Their admiration for Dou Zhao deepened further. If not for her husband's unwavering support, how could a married woman dare to speak such bold words—especially in her natal home, at a banquet full of outsiders?
No, her courage came from one source: the unshakable backing of the Marquis of Jining.
Wei Tingyu glanced at Dou Shiying and Dou Shishu beside him. The two old men looked utterly dumbfounded, too shocked to speak—and he couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
By all rights, according to the "script," once Dou Zhao said her piece in front of the men, they should've erupted in outrage, accusing her of disgracing the Dou family and driving her out in shame.
Yet now, the only thing those two old foxes could manage… was stunned silence.
Indeed, even toward their own kin, the elders of House Dou knew only how to trample the weak and flatter the strong.