Blossom

Dou Zhao smiled faintly, her confidence radiating from the corners of her eyes and brows, making her appear even more captivating.

"When I read historical records, I noticed that the Emperor fears nothing more than a general amassing military power for personal gain," she said lightly. "Duke Ding has been impeached for killing innocent civilians to claim merit and nurturing bandits to strengthen his own position. These charges must be quite severe, no?"

Surely, any educated person would know this?

Yan Chaoqing chuckled. "Indeed, it is somewhat troublesome," he replied perfunctorily.

As if oblivious to his tone, Dou Zhao continued unhurriedly, "When ordinary people are wronged, they would plead their case to an upright official, presenting facts and evidence, or calling upon neighbors to testify on their behalf."

Yan Chaoqing was taken aback and glanced at Song Mo.

He saw Song Mo, who had been idly tracing the rim of his teacup lid with a finger, suddenly pause. Meanwhile, Dou Zhao's clear voice continued to resonate in their ears: "If the official is discerning, the truth will quickly come to light. But if the official is muddle-headed, one might suffer a paddle beating and still endure injustice. Moreover, the Emperor is not the one presiding over such disputes!"

Both men found themselves leaning in to listen.

"Even the most sagacious ruler has his own biases," Dou Zhao remarked calmly. "Often, if he says you are loyal and benevolent, then you are; if he claims you harbor treacherous intentions, then you do."

Such bold words...

Yan Chaoqing couldn't help but wipe his forehead with his sleeve.

Song Mo, however, subtly straightened his posture, his eyes—which had been fixed on Dou Zhao—suddenly gleaming with a brilliant light.

Unaware of this, Dou Zhao kept her attention on Yan Chaoqing and continued at her measured pace: "Han Xin, arrogant from his achievements, lost all military power and posed no threat of rebellion—yet Empress Lu had him killed. Xiao He controlled the King of Han's finances and governance but sought only lands and estates, so the King harbored no suspicions. Wang Jian led the entire nation's army into battle yet repeatedly sent envoys to the King of Qin demanding wealth and lands—prompting the King to laugh heartily. Yet I’ve heard that Duke Ding is diligent in governance, compassionate toward the people, and incorruptible in his duties—a pillar of the state and a trusted minister of the court. Is this true?"

Yan Chaoqing stared at Dou Zhao, utterly astonished.

When Duke Ding was accused, everyone believed him to be wronged. Madam had already reached out to some of Duke Ding’s former subordinates to plead his innocence.

Some had even proposed the same approach as Dou Zhao, but Madam feared it would tarnish Duke Ding’s reputation—and what if the Emperor truly believed the accusations?

The suggestion was quickly drowned out by other voices.

Had they been mistaken all along?

What the Emperor cared about was not the specifics of the imperial censor’s impeachment or Duke Ding’s actions, but rather what Duke Ding—with his growing prestige—might do to the Emperor or the court.

If those memorials pleading Duke Ding’s innocence were submitted...

The thought sent a chill through Yan Chaoqing’s body, as if he had drunk icy water in the depths of winter.

Song Mo, meanwhile, lowered his head in contemplation.

As a child, his mother often took him back to her maiden home. His earliest memory was standing in the Jiang Family’s training hall, pushing stone rollers with his cousins.

When his eldest uncle was accused, his mother was frantic with worry. She rushed between the inner palace and noble households, seeking help. Because he admired his uncle the most, his mother feared his involvement might be misconstrued as his father’s doing—risking the Emperor’s wrath and leaving his uncle without even a shelter from the storm. That was why she decided to have Yan Chaoqing accompany him south to escort his fifth uncle’s children.

They thought he knew nothing of it all.In truth, he understood the situation all too well.

Originally, he had planned to hand the child over to the person designated by his fifth uncle and then return to the capital to stir up public sentiment and demand justice for his uncles...

But as Song Mo gazed at the child now taken by Dou Zhao, he hesitated.

His eldest uncle had once served as the Emperor’s personal guard in his youth. Given who his uncle was, how could the Emperor not know his character?

How could the Emperor so easily believe the censors’ accusations and condemn his uncle?

Perhaps... he should reconsider this matter more carefully?

Chen Qushui stared at Dou Zhao’s faintly smiling face, utterly bewildered.

Before Song Mo and Yan Chaoqing arrived, she had discussed this matter with him. She had said the only way to break the deadlock was to present a pledge of loyalty to Song Mo.

He agreed with this idea.

But saying it was easy—doing it was another matter.

Even if they wanted to offer their loyalty to Song Mo, it still depended on whether Song Mo would accept it or even needed it!

So at the time, he had proposed mutual hostages: "...I will represent the young lady and go to the Capital. They can send someone to stay by her side, posing as a guard. After all, these guards were all hired by you—one more or less wouldn’t be noticed by Dong Dou. As long as the young lady returns safely to the Dou family, she’ll be secure."

Surely they wouldn’t dare to act against the Dou family?

Even if the person accompanying her intended harm, the guards by her side wouldn’t allow it.

But Dou Zhao countered, "What if the Duke of Dingguo’s Mansion is exterminated?"

Then that child would become the Jiang Family’s sole surviving heir.

In that case, Song Mo would hunt her down to the ends of the earth.

He froze, muttering after a long pause, "That... surely wouldn’t happen?" Yet deep down, he knew—if they weren’t facing a life-or-death crisis, why would the Madam of the Duke of Yingguo send her brother-in-law’s child to be raised by outsiders, and even dispatch her own son to escort them personally...

But Dou Zhao’s hypothesis was too shocking!

He couldn’t help but say, "Even so, the Duke of Dingguo’s Mansion is filled with skilled warriors and strategists. The Duke of Yingguo moves freely between the palace and the court. If even they are powerless, how could we possibly turn the tide?"

Dou Zhao smiled without answering.

Yet Chen Qushui knew she had already made up her mind.

Considering that while Dou Zhao occasionally acted boldly, she was still meticulous, he didn’t press further.

Who could have guessed she had such a plan in mind?

Though the suggestion itself was simple—something anyone could think of—the real challenge lay in the choice!

For a high-ranking regional official like the Duke of Dingguo to be condemned wasn’t merely a question of guilt or innocence. It involved intricate interests and relationships at every level. Even the Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion couldn’t identify the mastermind behind it—such were the depths of the conspiracy. Even someone like him, steeped in political maneuvering for most of his life, wouldn’t dare speak carelessly of it, let alone a young girl who had never even left Zhen Ding County...

The thought made him shift uneasily.

He could only hope the Fourth Miss was right!

Otherwise, this storm of blood and violence might sweep even her into its path, endangering her life.

Amid the silence, Dou Zhao was likely the only one who remained utterly composed.

In her past life, whenever people spoke of the Duke of Dingguo, they would mention the Ten Thousand Word Blood Petition submitted by the people of Fujian after his death.

If such a method had failed, then they had to try another.

Perhaps things could still change.

As for Yan Chaoqing, he felt he couldn’t stay a moment longer.This possibility must be reported to Madam as soon as possible, so she can thoroughly discuss it with the family's advisers and make a decision.

He felt a sense of urgency, as if time was slipping away. Unable to wait any longer, he hastily called out, "Young Master!"

But before Yan Chaoqing's voice had even faded, the previously silent Chen Qushui suddenly stood up and also loudly addressed, "Young Master!" He bowed respectfully and said, "Right now, we can still explain to outsiders that the young lady found your movements suspicious, thinking you had abducted a child from some wealthy family, while the young master, seeing our numbers and formidable skills, believed he had fallen into a den of thieves. The young lady wanted to rescue the child, and the young master wanted to escape—hence the misunderstanding. But if reinforcements arrive, this matter will be hard to conceal. Why don’t I accompany you to the capital, while you send someone to escort our young lady back to Zhen Ding? When the child’s guardians arrive, we can hand the child over directly..."

Though he didn’t know the reason, he keenly sensed the change in Song Mo and Yan Chaoqing.

Since things had shifted, it was best to send Fourth Miss Dou back to the Dou residence quickly!

He decided to add fuel to the fire and stepped forward at the opportune moment...

Dou Zhao was surprised by Chen Qushui’s decisiveness, but since he had already spoken, she couldn’t say much.

Yet Song Mo was no ordinary man—whether he would accept this proposal was uncertain. Unable to suppress her doubts, she glanced at Song Mo.

For a moment, all eyes turned to Song Mo.

※※※※※

The rain poured down in torrents, and the sky loomed darkly, as though it might collapse at any moment.

In a grove not far from the Dou family’s farmstead, two men wearing bamboo hats and rain capes stood on a slope, gazing at Dou Zhao’s farmstead. One was burly, the other well-proportioned, and behind them stood over thirty sturdy men clad in black water jackets, their faces concealed by black cloth. From a distance, they resembled charred wooden stakes.

A boy of about twelve or thirteen leaped as nimbly as a grasshopper to the side of the well-proportioned man and reported respectfully, "Sixth Master, I’ve made contact with the young master’s men. But the situation isn’t good—the child has been taken, and the young master and Master Yan are negotiating with the other party."

"Impossible!" The burly man looked up in shock, revealing a plain and unremarkable face. "Who took the child?"

"The owner of the house!" the boy replied. "I heard the child’s caretaker was struck by Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles, and they’re currently removing them."

The well-proportioned man let out an intrigued "Oh?" and asked curiously, "Someone still has those these days? Who owns the house?"

The boy glanced at the burly man and said quietly, "It’s the Dou family’s farmstead. It seems they encountered the fourth young lady..." His voice trailed off.

The well-proportioned man was startled. "The Dou family’s fourth young lady? What’s she doing out here in such heavy rain instead of staying home?"

The boy couldn’t help but smile wryly. "This is the fourth young lady’s farmstead! With the endless rain, she was worried about the crops..."

Then the burly man noticed the well-proportioned man’s face alternating between pale and flushed. He couldn’t resist asking, "Do you have history with this Miss Dou the Fourth?""I don't know her," said the well-proportioned man, his face turning slightly pale, his voice hoarse. "But Fourth Miss Dou of the Dou family is known for her chivalry and righteousness. When a brother in our circle was falsely accused, it was Fourth Miss Dou who helped clear his name. Later, when that brother died from severe injuries, she also provided money and effort to arrange his burial and took in his family. Many of us in the circle joined the Dou family as house guards because of Miss Dou the Fourth's righteousness. There's even someone from my own sect among them..." He gritted his teeth and continued, "We agreed beforehand—you handle your own grudges, and we'd just keep watch outside. But now this involves Miss Dou the Fourth... I must trouble you to inform the young master that this humble Tan wishes to act as a mediator for Miss Dou the Fourth..."

The burly man was dumbfounded.