Blossom

At the main gate, Chen Qushui and Su Lan encountered Dou Shiying, who had just returned from outside.

Seeing Chen Qushui holding account books, he was quite surprised and couldn't help but look up at the sky.

In the azure sky hung a crescent moon, dotted with a few scattered stars.

Chen Qushui hurriedly explained, "The young mistress suddenly ordered me to organize the accounts for the past six months. I've been working until now to report back to her..."

Dou Shiying nodded, patted Chen Qushui on the shoulder, and slurred his words in praise, "Good! Very good! Serve Fourth Miss well, and I won't treat you poorly!" He looked very pleased.

Su Lan muttered quietly to herself.

Seventh Master must have been drinking at someone's house again? Coming back and spouting drunken nonsense. If they waited for Seventh Master's praise, they'd have starved long ago.

Chen Qushui thanked him respectfully and, together with Gaosheng who had come out to greet them, escorted Dou Shiying back to his room before following Su Lan to the Reception Hall.

Dou Zhao had already received word and was waiting properly dressed in the Reception Hall for Chen Qushui.

Su Lan served tea and snacks before quietly withdrawing to stand guard outside the door.

Chen Qushui cupped his hands in apology and said, "I've always felt ashamed to face my old friends. Even when occasionally contacting former acquaintances, it was only to ask for favors. Now that I'm in my twilight years, I've become more clear-headed than before. These past two days, I went to visit some old friends, causing Fourth Miss to worry."

Dou Zhao wasn't the type to demand her subordinates report every detail to her. Smiling, she asked about his visits before they turned to the main topic.

"My visit to old friends this time had purpose," Chen Qushui said thoughtfully. "The Duke of England's Mansion is full of unpredictable changes, as you must have noticed. Before, these matters didn't concern us much—even if things changed, it wouldn't affect your life. But now it's different. You're engaged to the heir, and we'll be settling in the Capital. We must prepare for rainy days and make plans early, not relying entirely on the heir." Considering Dou Zhao's close relationship with Song Mo, and knowing Song Mo's decisive nature and commitment to his word, Chen Qushui worried Dou Zhao might not view Song Mo objectively. Pausing slightly, he explained, "We all know the heir's character and integrity, but some situations might be beyond even his control, leaving us vulnerable. My suggestion is that we should cultivate connections—with officials associated with Cui Shisan, my old friends... Should anything happen at the Duke of England's Mansion, we'd have backup plans and cards to play. Even if we can't help the heir, we can at least protect your life and prevent you from being trapped in danger!"

Dou Zhao was very surprised.

"So you approve of my marrying into the family?" she asked Chen Qushui.Chen Qushui tactfully said, "Although the heir is formidable, there are several advantages to marrying him. First, the prestige of the Duke of Yingguo's household is strong enough. After rejecting the Ji family's marriage proposal this time, the Fifth Master will likely expend great effort to mend relations with the Ji family. While the Dong Dou faction may not voice it openly, they will always harbor resentment. If you remain at home, we will inevitably engage in a battle of wits with Dong Dou, with the outcome uncertain. But if you marry into the Duke of Yingguo's household, no matter how displeased the Dong Dou faction may be, they will have no choice but to reconcile with you under the shelter of the Duke's influence. This would effortlessly mend relations with Dong Dou, and for their own interests, they would always treat you with respect—this might not be a bad thing for you. Second, we and the heir know each other well. Once you marry, you won’t have to worry about being suppressed. Even if you propose living separately, the heir likely wouldn’t find it shocking. Third, the heir can help you reclaim the dowry under your name. We can cultivate our own stewards, and within ten years at most, we can separate from the Dou family." At this point, his expression brightened with enthusiasm. "Miss, we would no longer have to live under the Dou family’s thumb!"

Dou Zhao was well aware of this.

But they had to survive the palace coup four years later!

The Duke of Yingguo's household had to remain standing!

Yet she couldn’t possibly explain these future events to Chen Qushui.

After some thought, Dou Zhao tentatively said, "When the nest is overturned, no egg stays intact. Noble families rely heavily on imperial favor, which is as unpredictable as thunder and rain. Marrying into the Duke of Yingguo's household would bind us to its fate. If the Duke’s household were to fall like the Duke of Dingguo's, no amount of scheming would save us. I still feel uneasy about this."

Chen Qushui replied, "Do you know another purpose of my visit to my old friend?" He smiled faintly. "I suspect the heir is not the biological son of the Duke of Yingguo!"

"That’s impossible!" Dou Zhao exclaimed, knocking over the teacup beside her.

The tea quickly spilled onto the stone floor, dripping with a soft patter.

If Song Mo wasn’t Song Yichun’s biological son, how could he have so righteously killed his father and brother in her past life?

Chen Qushui chuckled as he righted the teacup for Dou Zhao, his eyes twinkling slyly. "You see? If even you didn’t think of it, how could the heir have anticipated it? Yet the world is full of such unexpected twists!"

Dou Zhao had to admit Chen Qushui’s reasoning made sense.

Her mind was in turmoil, unable to think clearly."According to Duan Gongyi's recommendation, the heir has superb martial skills, yet he was beaten half to death by Song Yichun, who couldn’t even harm a chicken. In the end, it was merely due to the father-son relationship, catching the heir off guard," Chen Qushui said. "One cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because one is standing on the mountain itself. But we are different. We are outsiders and can see things more clearly. I’ve also carefully considered the concerns you’ve raised, miss." He leaned slightly forward, his eyes burning with intensity as he looked at Dou Zhao. "This is like a game. If we can expose it, we’ll understand why Song Yichun treats the heir this way. With the heir’s talent and methods, dealing with Song Yichun would be no trouble at all... Once internal threats are eliminated, external ones won’t be a worry! How could the Duke of England's Mansion possibly collapse?" He leaned back against the Grand Preceptor's Chair, raising his eyebrows with ambition and laughing heartily. "Miss, every man dreams of 'wielding power while awake and resting on a beauty’s lap while drunk.' There are many women in this world who can help the heir expand his lineage, but with this pledge of loyalty, you could walk sideways through the Duke of England's Mansion for the rest of your life! Isn’t that much better than being stuck in the Dou family, squabbling with women and children?"

Dou Zhao had already calmed down by this point.

She couldn’t help but pour cold water on Chen Qushui’s enthusiasm: "But if we find out the heir isn’t Song Yichun’s biological son, what awaits us is likely being silenced, isn’t it?"

Chen Qushui chuckled and said, "I’ve thought it over, and there are only two possibilities for Song Yichun wanting to kill the heir. Either the heir isn’t his flesh and blood, or the heir poses a threat to Song Yichun’s life. After hearing about your engagement to the heir, I inquired into some matters and sought out an old friend to help investigate the heir’s background. The heir’s wet nurse was selected from the Imperial Wet Nurse Bureau, a native of Wanping County. She left the mansion at the age of three and is still alive today, often boasting about having once been the heir’s wet nurse. According to her, she arrived at the Duke of England's Mansion ten days before the heir’s birth. When Madam Jiang gave birth, the midwife who attended her had been recommended by the Empress and had previously assisted in the Empress’s own deliveries. Not only was the late Dowager Lady Sun of the Duke of England's Mansion present in the birthing room, but the late Dowager Lady Mei of the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion was also there. The old Duke of England waited in the courtyard. After the heir was bathed, the two dowager ladies personally carried him to the door of the birthing room for the old Duke of England and Song Yichun to see. Later, Dowager Lady Mei, at Dowager Lady Sun’s invitation, personally oversaw the arrangements in the upper courtyard, directing the maids to care for Madam Jiang during her confinement. Dowager Lady Sun, along with the wet nurse and a group of maids and old women, took care of the heir. The old Duke of England spent all his time outside of court holding his grandson... The likelihood of the heir being switched is almost nonexistent."

Dou Zhao didn’t believe for a moment that Song Mo wasn’t Song Yichun’s son, but she couldn’t help but admire Chen Qushui’s meticulous approach. After a moment’s thought, she said, "So you suspect the heir poses a threat to Song Yichun’s life?"

Chen Qushui nodded solemnly. "Either it’s a threat to Song Yichun’s life, or it’s something that infringes upon his interests to the point where he’d rather kill his own son than yield."

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but furrow her brow.

"Time is too pressing," Chen Qushui sighed. "Otherwise, with the heir in the open and us in the shadows, we could quietly get to the bottom of things before you enter the mansion. That would be much safer!"

But was it really that simple?Dou Zhao was extremely hesitant.

Chen Qushui persuaded her, "Miss, as the saying goes, 'Great rewards come with great risks.' The greater the potential gain, the higher the risk. Fortunately, we know the inside story of the Duke of England's Mansion. Marrying into that household is still better than marrying into another family, only to discover after the wedding that they are 'fair without but foul within.' Moreover, we are already prepared. We have a plan for what might happen after you marry, and with careful arrangements, we have at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of overcoming any difficulties. What is there to hesitate about? You must understand that in this world, there are neither free lunches nor effortless gains." Noticing the tense atmosphere and Dou Zhao's stiff expression, he deliberately lightened the mood and joked, "Unless the heir commits treason, I guarantee you can withdraw unscathed, without a single scratch. What else is there to worry about?"

Dou Zhao's expression turned peculiar upon hearing this.

Because Song Mo would indeed commit treason in the future!

Chen Qushui was taken aback and asked, "What's wrong? Did I say something incorrect?"

Or had Dou Zhao discovered something she hadn’t told him?

"Nothing," Dou Zhao replied sullenly. "I still need to think this through carefully."

After hearing Chen Qushui's words, her mind became even more unsettled.

Should she marry into that household or not?

Could time just stop, allowing her to make up her mind before fate moved forward?

After seeing Chen Qushui off, Dou Zhao stood in the courtyard, clenched her fists, and let out a frustrated scream, startling Dou Shiying, who had just finished washing up and was about to retire for the night. He rushed out in slippers, exclaiming, "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Dou Zhao slumped her shoulders and replied listlessly, "I saw a dark shadow just now and got a fright, but when I looked closer, it turned out to be just a cat."

Dou Shiying sighed in relief, then beckoned to her mysteriously. "Come here, my child. I have something to tell you."