Blossom

Song Mo turned sideways to gaze at the wild peach trees across the river. Not everyone could accept a wife whose status surpassed their own.

Dou Zhao assumed Song Mo was reluctant to marry a princess. After some thought, she smiled and said, "During Emperor Taizong's reign, Feng Jian, the Earl of Yongcheng, became the consort of Princess Yongping. Not only was he trusted by the Emperor and appointed as the Right Clan Leader of the Imperial Clan Court, but he also served successively as the Commander-in-chief of Datong and the Five Armies Commandery, quelling the Tuode Rebellion, earning widespread admiration. In contrast, during Emperor Renzong's reign, Dong Lin, the heir of the Earl of Guang'en and consort of Princess Huaishu, lost his heirship due to drunken indiscretion and died in exile as a commoner. Being a royal consort isn't inherently bad—it depends on how one conducts oneself." She added, "Everything in this world has its pros and cons, and these vary with individual circumstances. It's a matter of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."

Song Yichun was only in his forties, with another decade or two ahead of him. Under the weight of filial piety, Song Mo would need to exert twice or even three times the usual effort to make Song Yichun wary. Such a life would be unbearably difficult.

Dou Zhao believed that rather than living in constant vigilance, it would be better to marry a princess. After all, scions of noble families rarely became influential ministers who shaped the nation's fate. It was wiser to seek comfort and ease.

Song Mo smiled faintly.

During Emperor Taizong's era, royal consorts could lead armies and wield power as distinguished nobles, whereas in Emperor Renzong's time, they were reduced to indulging in frivolous pleasures, living aimlessly as idle aristocrats. This shift was partly due to the stabilization of imperial authority and the Emperor's reluctance to let noble families hold real power, but it was also because the pampered descendants of these families, detached from practical affairs, grew increasingly decadent.

Dou Zhao, well-versed in history, surely understood this.

She was merely trying to comfort him, to soften the blow of his Father's oppression so he wouldn't falter too visibly.

Dou Zhao always treated him like a child, coaxing or advising him whenever they met.

It felt strange.

As the eldest grandson of the Duke of Yingguo's household, he had been raised on talk of responsibility, duty, upholding the family's honor, and fulfilling ancestral ambitions. Whether it was his Father, Mother, or even his uncle, all believed in his talent—that under his leadership, the Duke of Yingguo's household could shed its "powerful minister" label and become "loyal retainers," transforming into a true centennial dynasty, immune to the shifts of imperial favor.

Dou Zhao always seemed somewhat concerned about him. Yet it wasn't that she doubted his abilities—she never questioned his decisions. Nor was it full confidence—she maintained an inexplicable vigilance toward his affairs, as if he might at any moment sink into quicksand beyond rescue, her gaze tinged with scrutiny.

Whether it was the former or the latter, Song Mo found it intriguing. He even sensed that he often unconsciously exploited this aspect of Dou Zhao—saying things he knew would worry her or doing things he knew would unsettle her... like a mischievous child, delighting in the game.

Sometimes he wondered how he had become this way, so unlike his usual composed self... and he attributed it to their first meeting being too shocking. To Dou Zhao's own calm, self-possessed, rational, and confident nature, which allowed him to drop all pretense in her presence.At this moment, Song Mo, as usual, followed his heart and said, "How do you know about the princesses' circumstances? Even Master Yan couldn’t find out much. I told him that if I were to marry a princess, it must be someone gentle-tempered, because I intend to take concubines."

Dou Zhao burst into laughter, eyeing him up and down with a critical gaze before teasing, "You? If you’re truly set on taking concubines, even a strong-willed princess might not stop you. But be careful. The consort of Princess Nanping frequented brothels in his youth, and in his old age, when he was bedridden with paralysis, the princess had all his concubines executed. She even sent her personal maids to ask him every other hour whether he still dared to take concubines..."

Song Mo laughed heartily. "How do you know so many royal anecdotes?"

Dou Zhao countered with a smile, "Don’t you usually read books?"

Song Mo laughed again, his clear laughter echoing through the woods like a babbling brook, startling a flock of birds into a chorus of chirps.

※※※※※

Upon returning from the back hills, Dou Zhao immediately went to see Chen Qushui and told him about Ji Yong’s scheme to frame Wei Tingyu for staying overnight at a male brothel.

Chen Qushui paled in shock. "How did Editor Ji find out? What else did Song Mo say?"

He was certain he hadn’t left any traces.

"Nothing else was mentioned," Dou Zhao replied, equally troubled. But since they were in Zhen Ding and Song Mo’s words had been brief, given Ji Yong’s usual methods, they couldn’t use Song Mo’s account to expose Ji Yong’s flaws. She had other concerns. "With Cousin Ji stirring up trouble, even a minor issue could escalate. Few can persuade him otherwise. As for Song Mo, coming all this way to warn me—it’s likely his way of repaying our earlier act of saving his life. He even asked if I wanted to break off the engagement. How could I admit to that?" She gave a bitter smile. "He probably noticed something from the incident at Thousand Buddha Temple Lane. If he decides to 'help' like Cousin Ji did, things could get even worse—the Capital is his territory, with all the advantages of home ground. If he interferes, it won’t just be a reckless stunt like Ji Yong’s!" She pondered. "The situation has already spiraled beyond our expectations. If we let it continue, who knows what else might happen? I’m thinking—should we make another trip to the Capital..."

Hearing this, Chen Qushui immediately objected. "No! If this gets exposed, the Dou family elders and the Wei Family will blame you." Then, ashamed, he added, "It’s all my fault for not handling things properly!"

"Don’t say that, Mr. Chen," Dou Zhao sighed. "With Cousin Ji and Song Mo involved, it’s like facing a once-in-a-century storm—who could withstand it? If my marriage to the Wei Family weren’t tied to the rest of my life, I’d stay far away and just go through with it." But whenever she recalled the tears she had shed in secret during her early years married to Wei Tingyu, or the grievances she couldn’t voice, she felt a chill run through her.

She would never marry Wei Tingyu.

Dou Zhao had thanked the heavens countless times for sending her back to the days before her mother’s death, allowing her to see her mother’s face again—rather than returning to the time after her marriage to Wei Tingyu. If that had happened, she’d likely be exhausting herself now, scheming for a way to divorce him.She persuaded Chen Qushui, "You see, with our actions, didn’t Wei Tingzhen immediately jump out? Hong Gu can only be used once. To smoothly break off the engagement with the Wei Family, we’ll likely have to start from the inner household. It would be inconvenient for you to go alone."

Chen Qushui remained silent.

He found Dou Zhao’s reasoning quite sound. Moreover, he thought that in the worst case, there was still Song Mo to rely on, so he nodded in agreement.

If things really came to that, they would have no choice but to let Wei Tingyu down!

Dou Zhao went to bid farewell to her grandmother: "Sixth Aunt sent Mr. Chen with a letter, insisting that I must go to the Capital. She mentioned that the eldest granddaughter of the Marquis of Jining's Mansion—the one who married into the Duke of Jing’s household as the heir’s wife—has repeatedly asked Fifth Aunt about me, wondering why I’m still in Zhen Ding. Sixth Aunt’s intention is for me to go to the Capital ahead of time."

This had always been her grandmother’s wish, so she readily agreed.

Dou Zhao wrote a letter to Sixth Aunt, saying that her grandmother was urging her to go to the Capital.

Understanding the implication, Sixth Aunt immediately replied, asking about her travel dates.

Dou Zhao then took Sixth Aunt’s letter to see Second Madam.

After all, Second Madam and Dou Zhao had lived together for over a decade. To say there was no affection at all would be too harsh—though sometimes, reason outweighed emotion. Without the interference of personal gain, their bond became tender and warm.

"Why do women dislike seeing their daughters marry far away?" Second Madam held Dou Zhao’s hand and sighed to Second Aunt, who sat beside her. "Once Shou Gu leaves, I’m afraid I’ll never see her again in this lifetime."

Second Aunt quickly comforted her, "In a couple of years, Shou Gu will surely bring her husband back to celebrate your birthday. Isn’t that right?"

Dou Zhao’s heart stirred at these words.

If Song Mo could spot the flaws, others would sooner or later as well. Since the previous plan hadn’t worked, they had to change tactics and find another way. If they muddied the waters, opportunities would surely arise...

She also persuaded Second Madam, "Why don’t you come to the Capital with me? I’ve heard that during Emperor Renzong’s reign, the Empress Dowager issued an Imperial Decree summoning the mother of Grand Secretary Liang Qing to the Capital for an audience. Liang Qing was from Nanchang Prefecture, thousands of miles away, while Zhen Ding is only four or five days from the Capital. Why not accompany me to visit Fifth Uncle? It’s been years since you last saw him, hasn’t it? Now that Fifth Uncle is a Grand Academician, his duties keep him too busy to leave..."

Second Madam was tempted.

"Exactly, exactly!" Second Aunt chimed in. "You could even witness Shou Gu’s wedding in person."

Second Madam couldn’t help but nod.

Dou Zhao smiled eagerly. "Then it’s settled. I’ll write to Sixth Aunt and Father."

Travel by land or water carried risks, and some people never left their hometowns in their lifetime. For the elderly Second Madam to go to the Capital was a significant event.

Upon receiving the news, the three Dou brothers in the Capital discussed arrangements. They decided that Dou Zhao would accompany Second Madam to stay at Dou Shishu’s residence, while Sixth Madam would temporarily move to Huai Shu Hutong. The household affairs at Mao’er Hutong would be managed by Han Shi, who had recently married into the family.

Dou Shiheng nodded repeatedly and personally escorted Ji Shi to Huai Cun Hutong.Fifth Madam had never lived properly with Second Madam since her marriage and was feeling somewhat apprehensive. Ji Shi's arrival delighted her beyond measure. After exchanging endless pleasantries, she vacated the main quarters, pulling Ji Shi along to inspect courtyards, arrange rooms, plan menus, assign maids, wives, and old women for service, and contact Zhen Ding for the entourage list—keeping herself frantically busy. Her two daughters-in-law, Guo Shi and Cai Shi, also pitched in to help, while Han Shi dropped by occasionally. Within a few days, everything was settled.

On the fourth day of the eighth month in the Gengshen year, Dou Zhao returned to the Capital with Second Madam—a place she had in truth been absent from for fourteen years, though in others' eyes, she had never set foot there before.