Blossom

Tao Qizhong stared at Song Mo in shock.

If the Duke of Yingguo were to kill all the guards who had been loyal to him and were merely following his orders—only to incur Song Mo’s wrath—who would dare to serve the Duke in the future?

Yet compared to Song Han, this demand seemed almost trivial.

After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “Could Second Young Master be allowed to return to the upper courtyard to rest?”

Song Han had always lived with his parents in the upper courtyard.

So that was it!

Song Mo inwardly mocked himself.

The reason Father had compromised so quickly was likely because he feared Song Mo would use Song Han as leverage against him.

In Father’s eyes, he was nothing but a heartless, shameless wretch who wouldn’t even spare his own brother!

Perhaps when disappointment reached its limit, expectations simply vanished.

Song Mo’s heart suddenly grew calm.

He replied indifferently, “I will preside over the memorial rites every seventh day for Mother. On the forty-ninth day, I will carry the funeral banner.”

With this, all past grievances would become a farce.

Song Mo would once again be acknowledged as the Duke of Yingguo’s heir, the conflict between father and son would be downplayed—perhaps dismissed as a mere “misunderstanding”—and the Duke would no longer pursue Song Mo for the killings.

This would undoubtedly be unbearable for the Duke.

But there would be time for that later.

The immediate priority was ensuring Song Han’s safety—the Duke only had these two sons. If he was already at odds with his eldest, losing the younger one would force him to adopt a cousin’s son to inherit the Duke of Yingguo’s title.

For a man who took such pride in lineage and the prestige of being the Duke, that would be worse than death.

Without hesitation, Tao Qizhong agreed on Song Yichun’s behalf: “As the eldest son, it is only right for the Young Lord to preside over the rites and carry the banner. Who else could take your place?”

From this day forward, Father would surely spend every waking moment plotting how to replace him with Song Han.

Song Mo felt no fear. He sneered inwardly and declared, “From now on, I will not interfere with the affairs of the Duke of England's Mansion, but the Hall of Cultivating Will shall be beyond the Duke’s jurisdiction.”

Ever since his uncle’s downfall, one crisis had followed another. He needed time to organize the resources his uncle had left him and to uncover the true reason behind his father’s schemes. Only then could he truly resolve the threats against him.

Tao Qizhong shared Song Mo’s thoughts.

After so many deaths, the Duke of England's Mansion needed time to recover and to divert attention. A period of peace was essential.

“An eagle must be allowed to soar the heavens,” Tao Qizhong said with a smile. “The Young Lord is grown and should learn to manage the Duke’s affairs. Starting with the Hall of Cultivating Will is ideal. When the Duke was still the Young Lord, he also began by managing the Hall.”

“Is that so?” Song Mo smiled faintly. “In that case, after Mother’s forty-ninth-day rites, Father must divide her dowry between Tianen and me.”

Tao Qizhong was taken aback.

Song Mo continued, “Father is still in his prime and will likely remarry soon. Distributing Mother’s dowry to us before a new Madam enters the household will demonstrate his impartiality. With Mother’s dowry to support him, I can rest assured that Tianen will be well cared for in the upper courtyard.”

When the Madam had entered the household, her dowry had been worth nearly ten thousand taels of silver. Over the years, through shrewd management, it had likely grown to thirty or forty thousand taels.Both Song Mo and Song Han were at an age where they were neither too young nor too old, and neither had married yet. It was understandable that the Duke managed Madam's dowry, but why would Song Mo think of dividing it?

However, his request wasn’t unreasonable.

The main reason was that the Duke was still in his prime. Neither of his sons had reached marriageable age, and with no one managing the household in The Duke of England's Mansion, it was inevitable that the Duke would remarry. If he did, dividing Madam's dowry between the two sons beforehand would be seen as a gesture of respect toward Madam and the two sons she bore—especially Song Mo. He already had someone managing the dowry left by the late Dowager Lady Lu, and over the years, there had been no issues. Handing over Madam Jiang Shi's dowry to him would appear perfectly natural in the eyes of outsiders.

From Song Mo’s tone, it seemed he intended to hand over Second Master Song Han only after the dowry was divided...

Tao Qizhong smiled and said, "Dividing assets is a tedious matter. I’m afraid it won’t be resolved anytime soon..."

He spoke slowly, observing Song Mo’s expression, clearly testing his reaction.

Song Mo found it all rather tiresome.

If Song Han was so important, why would Father care so much about Madam’s meager dowry?

He listened impassively as Tao Qizhong finished speaking, then replied, "Then let’s take our time. Neither of us brothers is in a hurry."

This confirmed Tao Qizhong’s understanding of Song Mo’s stance.

He sighed inwardly and said with a smile, "Since the Young Lord is unwell, I won’t disturb you further. I’ll report back to the Duke and arrange the memorial rites for the twenty-first day."

Song Mo had made his demand. Whether Father agreed or when he agreed would depend on who had more patience.

He gave a slight nod and had his guards escort Tao Qizhong out.

A guard came to report: "Physician Yang has arrived."

One of the main reasons Song Mo had summoned Yang Xiushan was to inquire about his mother’s condition.

Yang Xiushan was stunned speechless for a long moment upon seeing his injuries. When he finally regained his composure, he urgently asked, "What happened?"

Song Mo had already prepared his explanation and replied half-truthfully, "After Mother passed, Father was in a terrible mood. I rushed back in a panic and blamed him for not informing me sooner. I spoke out of turn, and Father beat me severely."

"This is far too harsh!" Yang Xiushan shook his head repeatedly and suggested Song Mo summon Huang Zhongli as well. "His family specializes in bone injuries."

Song Mo had been contemplating how to pressure his father, and Yang Xiushan had just handed him a perfect opportunity.

He readily agreed and immediately sent someone to fetch Huang Zhongli. Then, he turned the conversation to his mother’s illness.

"It was mostly due to emotional distress," Yang Xiushan sighed. "Such ailments of the heart require remedies of the heart."

As a frequent visitor to The Duke of England's Mansion, he knew how close Song Mo had been to his mother. He nearly remarked that Song Mo should have stayed by Jiang Shi’s side, but upon seeing his injuries, he swallowed the words.

Before Huang Zhongli arrived, Gu Yu showed up first, carrying a large assortment of medicines and tonics.

The sight of Song Mo made him gasp.

Yang Xiushan often treated the women of the Yunyang Earl’s household and was acquainted with Gu Yu. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Xiushan tactfully excused himself to write a prescription, leaving the room to Gu Yu.

The moment Yang Xiushan left, Gu Yu sat heavily on the brocade stool by Song Mo’s bed, his face dark. "What happened? Why did you ask me to keep Uncle detained for a few hours?"Heart for heart—Song Mo knew he might need Gu Yu's help in restraining his father in the future.

Without hiding anything, Song Mo briefly recounted the events.

Gu Yu's expression changed drastically. "How could this happen?" he exclaimed.

"I don't know either," Song Mo replied with a bitter expression. "If I could find the reason, perhaps I could untangle this knot."

"Every family has its own troubles," Gu Yu said mockingly. "Everyone thinks I'm a fool. But I know—those who dare to reprimand me in front of my aunt are the ones who truly care for me." His expression turned solemn and cold as he added, "Brother Tiance, just tell me what you need me to do. I’ll go through fire and water without hesitation."

Disregarding any talk of insubordination or filial impiety, he stood firmly by Song Mo’s side without question.

Song Mo’s eyes moistened. After a long pause, he said, "There’s nothing I need from you for now." He then shared the details of his conversation with Tao Qizhong. "First, focus on recovering from your injuries. Then, find a way to protect yourself and uncover why Father treats me this way. After the mourning period ends, we’ll find you an official post."

Once he entered officialdom, Song Yichun wouldn’t be able to use such crude methods against him.

Gu Yu nodded. "Don’t worry. During the mourning period, I’ll visit you regularly. Not just alone—I’ll occasionally bring along one or two influential young nobles from the Capital. I’ll also mention you to my aunt and the Emperor from time to time."

"Thank you!" Song Mo was deeply grateful.

"Ah, what’s there to thank?" Gu Yu flushed slightly. In all his years, this was the first time someone had thanked him so earnestly—and it was Song Mo, whom he respected greatly. "I’m not much help anyway."

Time was merciless. After three years of mourning, who knew if the Emperor would still remember him? With Gu Yu frequently mentioning him to the Emperor and Empress, even if his father tried to stop him, he’d still have a way to secure a position after the mourning period.

"This is already the greatest help to me," Song Mo thanked him again.

"Let’s not talk about this anymore," Gu Yu waved his hand awkwardly. "Do you need guards? I have two skilled ones left—gifts from my aunt. If you want them, I’ll give them to you..."

Those guards were the Empress’s lifeline for Gu Yu. Without them, how could he have earned the nickname "Little Tyrant" in the talent-filled Capital?

"No need," Song Mo couldn’t help but smile. "I still have people left by my uncle."

"How could I forget that!" Gu Yu slapped his forehead. "Then do you need silver? I don’t have much personal savings, but I have many unregistered antiques and paintings. I can pawn them—should be able to scrape together ten thousand taels or so."

"I don’t need any of that," Song Mo felt warmth in his heart. "Keep them for yourself." Knowing Gu Yu’s sincerity, he added, "If I ever need anything, I’ll ask you without hesitation."

Gu Yu nodded repeatedly. "Then you must remember to tell me!"

"Of course," Song Mo smiled. Just then, a guard entered and announced, "Physician Huang has arrived."

Gu Yu hurriedly welcomed Huang Zhongli on Song Mo’s behalf.

Huang Zhongli was in his fifties, tall and burly—at first glance, he looked more like a martial artist. Despite his robust build, his large, fan-like hands were remarkably dexterous.He took Song Mo's pulse and then examined the injured area, his brow tightly furrowed. "The external injuries are manageable—they'll heal in three to five months. But the internal damage..."

Gu Yu was startled. "What? Can it not be treated?"

"Not exactly," Huang Lishan replied. "It will likely take three to five years to fully recover."

Gu Yu let out a long sigh of relief. "As long as it can be healed! Just tell me what medicine is needed. If necessary, I’ll ask the Empress for it." His spoiled, reckless demeanor immediately surfaced, making Song Mo shake his head with a smile.

Huang Lizhong, however, had a temper of his own and replied with a veiled jab, "The ingredients are all quite common, but they must be boiled with rootless water, which is a bit troublesome."

Rootless water referred to rainwater.

Rain was scarce throughout the year, especially in the dry climate of the Capital.

Gu Yu muttered, "Do we have to move to the south of the Yangtze River then?"

Song Mo knew Huang Lizhong was teasing Gu Yu, but he was also moved by Gu Yu’s sincerity and chuckled, "We can just collect rainwater in buckets when it rains."

"Why didn’t I think of that!" Gu Yu burst into laughter.

But Song Mo’s mind stirred.

Three years ago, the Emperor had gifted him a small farmstead in Daxing, less than sixty li from the Capital.

Perhaps that place could be of use!