Blossom

She propped her elbow and gazed at Song Mo, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of her eyes.

Song Mo felt uneasy under her scrutiny and asked, "What is it?"

Dou Zhao blinked and asked with a smile, "Among the Four Books and Five Classics, did you really choose The Spring and Autumn Annals to study?"

Song Mo cleared his throat and replied earnestly, "Of course! The Spring and Autumn Annals conveys profound meanings with concise words, each sentence offering sharp critique. Reading it is highly beneficial for moral rectification, especially Zuo's Commentary . Its straightforward rhetoric and profound charm maintain an air of grace even amidst warfare, blending emotion and beauty—"

"That’s good then!" Someone once said the louder one speaks, the more guilty they feel. Dou Zhao nodded with a smile, cutting off his praise. "My father is well-read. Though he was appointed by the Emperor to lecture the princes on The Book of Changes , like my sixth uncle, his favorite is The Spring and Autumn Annals . My sixth uncle excels in Zuo's Commentary , while my father specializes in Guliang's Commentary . Since you enjoy The Spring and Autumn Annals , Father and my uncle will have another companion for scholarly discussions. They’ll surely be delighted!"

As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Song Mo’s face, and the more she looked, the more she sensed a stiffness in his expression.

Dou Zhao quickly turned away, lifting the carriage curtain to peer outside while murmuring, "Young Master, are we taking North Imperial Street this time?"

Song Mo absentmindedly hummed in agreement, inwardly sighing in frustration.

Had he known this would happen, he should have claimed to prefer The Doctrine of the Mean , which Duke Zhongyi excelled in.

Now, in his eagerness to please his future father-in-law, he had declared his choice of The Spring and Autumn Annals ... If his father-in-law decided to test his knowledge, how could his superficial understanding compare to the expertise of a Presented Scholar, especially with Dou Shishu, an expert in Zuo's Commentary , watching closely? He’d surely be exposed!

And the likelihood of such a scenario was high.

It was like two chess enthusiasts meeting—they’d inevitably challenge each other.

Deception always incited greater anger than avoidance!

Had he just shot himself in the foot?

He couldn’t help but rub his chin.

Before his father-in-law discovered the truth, he needed to find a way to remedy this.

But no matter what, he couldn’t have someone else answer for him—especially if his father-in-law wanted to gauge his depth.

The safest approach was to start diligently studying The Spring and Autumn Annals from now on... But scholarship wasn’t like building a wall, where money alone sufficed. It required time—time to gather materials and craftsmen. Yet, he faced the imminent risk of being put on the spot.

At this thought, Song Mo sighed inwardly.

From the corner of her eye, Dou Zhao caught his slightly troubled expression and nearly burst out laughing.

She had always known this fellow was a clever trickster!

At just fifteen or sixteen, with daily martial training, archery practice, and earlier years spent accompanying Duke Ding on campaigns, even if he didn’t sleep for twelve hours a day, he couldn’t possibly have read all three volumes of The Spring and Autumn Annals , let alone comprehended its depth!

She had immediately recognized his attempt to curry favor with her father.

Yet, for some reason, her father and uncle had actually believed him!

Now, let’s see how he wriggles out of this one!Dou Zhao suddenly recalled her previous life when she had just married Wei Tingyu—it was truly a case of "no one cared about the depth of her painted brows, only her sister-in-law tasted the soup she made." A wave of bitterness washed over her heart, and as she looked at Song Mo now, all traces of playful thoughts vanished.

She pointed toward the Wanping County Office and asked Song Mo, "Is Shichahai just past there? I’ve heard many people have moved there recently. Fifth Uncle’s house was originally bought by himself, but he never expected to live there for over twenty years. Now, with a wife, children, and even grandchildren, it’s become quite cramped. Fifth Uncle invited Sixth Uncle to move together, but Sixth Uncle refused, saying it was too far from Father and inconvenient. Fifth Uncle awkwardly dropped the matter." She pursed her lips in a smile. "I can see you really like Jing Jie'er. If they moved here, it would cut the distance to us in half." She hoped to divert Song Mo’s attention.

Hearing this, Song Mo chuckled. "Since childhood, I’ve envied Uncle’s large family with so many siblings. When I was little, I even threw tantrums, begging Mother to give me a younger sister, which made her laugh until she doubled over..." Perhaps reminiscing about those days, his smile was tinged with nostalgia.

Since Dou Zhao had decided to marry Song Mo, she had to uncover why Song Yichun wanted him dead. Otherwise, wouldn’t she be sitting atop a volcano day and night, never knowing when it might erupt and reduce everything to ashes?

His words sparked an idea, and she smiled. "How old were you then, Second Young Master?"

"Two or three..." Song Mo replied with a laugh. "I don’t remember clearly, only that Tianen was already running around by then."

Jiang Shi wasn’t that old back then!

"Why didn’t Mother give you a younger sister?" Dou Zhao feigned curiosity.

Song Mo scratched his head sheepishly. "Later, Grandmother scolded me, saying children are gifts from the Bodhisattva, not something you can just ask for. But I did donate a thousand taels of silver to the Great Xiangguo Temple over this matter."

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Song Mo flushed slightly and nudged her with his elbow. "Hey," he protested, "I know it was silly, but you don’t have to laugh like that! Haven’t you ever done anything foolish growing up?"

"I don’t think you’re silly," Dou Zhao giggled. "It’s just amusing. Did Mother say anything about it?"

"I did it secretly," Song Mo admitted. "Back then, my monthly allowance was only fifty taels, and even holiday gifts were recorded. I had to borrow the money from Fifth Uncle. Later, when I followed Uncle’s men to Fujian to suppress pirates, I learned that victories came with spoils, so I repaid the debt. I think Mother probably knew, but she never mentioned it, so I wasn’t foolish enough to bring it up either." His expression dimmed slightly as he added softly, "I wonder how Fifth Uncle is doing now. When I last saw him, he seemed very despondent." He sighed. "Fifth Uncle was always generous. If he were still in the Capital, he’d be scouring every antique shop and jewelry store for wedding gifts for us. Before our engagement was even settled, the whole Capital would’ve known I was getting married..." His words were heavy with melancholy.Dou Zhao couldn't help patting Song Mo's hand and said, "As long as the green hills remain, there'll never be a shortage of firewood. Even if Fifth Uncle can't lead the Jiang Family's clan to regroup like Third Uncle did, once the situation cools down in a few years, we can find a way to secure a general pardon. Returning to our hometown to live as simple farmers wouldn't be bad either!"

Song Mo was slightly startled but immediately suppressed his instinct to pull his hand away. He replied, "Thirty years east of the river, forty years west. The Jiang Family's century of glory has reached a time to return to simplicity and recuperate." Yet his body suddenly stiffened, betraying the tension in his heart.

Dou Zhao smiled and asked, "Then tell me, what kind of person is Fifth Uncle?"

Her calm demeanor quickly eased Song Mo's tension.

With a smile, he reminisced, "Fifth Uncle was very handsome. Everyone says I resemble him a bit. He was generous, valued loyalty, and had an open personality, mingling with people from all walks of life. Back then, when people in the Capital mentioned Fifth Master Jiang, no one failed to praise him with a thumbs-up..."

Song Mo recounted old stories with a smile, as if transported back to those days filled with endless studies that once frustrated him but now seemed like an incredibly happy time.

Dou Zhao listened with great interest, gradually picturing a chivalrous figure like Jiang Bosun in her mind.

The carriage quietly came to a stop in front of the Duke of Yingguo's residence.

Unnoticed, the rain had stopped, and a rainbow appeared in the sky.

Song Mo helped Dou Zhao alight from the carriage. Spotting a puddle in front, he instructed Chen He, "Assign a more careful coachman for Madam." Then, guiding Dou Zhao around the puddle, they ascended the steps.

Chen He, the coachman, and the guards at the gate all seemed frozen in place, only snapping out of it after Dou Zhao and Song Mo had entered. The coachman tugged at Chen He, protesting his innocence, but Chen He had no time for his complaints. He quickly ordered a page nearby, "Assign him another duty," and hurried after them. The guards at the gate buzzed with whispers.

Song Yichun's mood had been as gloomy as the rainy weather ever since Song Mo and Dou Zhao left.

Before Song Mo's marriage, he hadn't arranged for a bedroom servant for his son.

Many newlywed couples struggle when the husband performs poorly on the wedding night, leading to reluctance in sharing a bed afterward.

Yet not only had his son consummated the marriage, but he had also shown unusual tenderness and attentiveness during the returning to her maiden home visit.

Men are like this—once they gain benefits, they naturally become compliant.

Song Mo must be getting along well with Dou Shi.

But should he hand over the authority to manage the household to his daughter-in-law?

He wanted to discuss it with Tao Qizhong, but Tao hadn't returned from Zhen Ding yet.

Meanwhile, Mr. Du from the Imperial Academy sent another letter, stating that he had been ordered by the Emperor to lecture the princes and thus could no longer tutor Song Han...

Song Yichun was so furious that a stifling rage clogged his chest, refusing to dissipate.

He summoned Song Han, gave him ten harsh lashes, and drove him out, his anger still unrelieved half a day later.

Thinking back to when Jiang Shi was alive, he never had to worry about such matters, an inexplicable fury surged within him. After the rain, he paced back and forth along the covered corridors of the Fragrant Osmanthus Courtyard, finally feeling slightly better.

Upon hearing that Song Mo and Dou Zhao had returned and were coming to pay their respects, he returned to the main house with a dark expression and sat down.But when he heard Song Mo say that he planned to take Dou Zhao to Jiang Shi's grave early the next morning to offer incense, his mood soured once more.

Song Yichun decided to set aside the matter of Household Affairs for the time being.

"I understand!" he waved his hand gloomily.

Yet Song Mo pressed on, "I want to take Tianen with us tomorrow—during Qingming Festival, Tianen was occupied with studies, and during the Lantern Festival, my younger brother said he was afraid... The last time he offered incense for Mother was last year at the start of winter."

Song Yichun glanced at Dou Zhao, who had been standing respectfully beside Song Mo since entering, her beauty undeniable despite her silence. Remembering Dou Shishu's eloquence, he waved his hand dismissively to indicate his acknowledgment.

Song Mo and Dou Zhao withdrew.

Only then did Song Yichun realize that he had not instructed Dou Zhao to observe the daily ritual of paying respects to elders morning and evening.