Blossom

Dou Zhao spotted Song Han.

He was jostling through the crowd to buy something.

Someone shoved him aside, and he retaliated by pushing the person so hard they fell to the ground. As the person stood up, ready to fight, the Song family guards quickly intervened, pulling Song Han away. Chen He hurried over and whispered something to Song Han, who reluctantly nodded and stepped aside. Chen He then squeezed into the crowd.

The Song family guards spoke to the person who had shoved Song Han, seemingly asking how Song Han wanted to handle the situation.

Suddenly, Song Han looked up toward the Drunken Immortal Tower.

Dou Zhao was startled, thinking the guards had noticed her and reported to Song Han. She was about to ask Song Mo whether they should greet Song Han when she saw Song Han lower his head and wave dismissively at the guard, letting the person who had shoved him go.

Chen He, sweating profusely, handed Song Han a bag of fried snacks.

Song Han looked delighted as Chen He accompanied him into the Drunken Immortal Tower.

Dou Zhao turned around and noticed Song Mo was also silently observing Song Han.

"Second Master is here!" she said with a smile, sitting down at the large table that could seat over a dozen people. Yet the image of Song Han pushing someone kept flashing in her mind.

Song Mo poured Dou Zhao a cup of tea.

Song Han came clattering up the stairs.

"Sister-in-law," he said cheerfully, presenting the bag of fried snacks to Dou Zhao. "Old Yao's sugar-roasted peanuts—everyone who comes to the Drunken Immortal Tower buys a bag to take home and try."

Dou Zhao hadn’t expected him to buy the peanuts for her. After a brief moment of surprise, she happily accepted the paper bag and thanked him.

"Try some, Sister-in-law," Song Han said, clearly pleased that she liked his gift. "If you enjoy them, I’ll buy them for you often."

Seeing the enthusiasm in his eyes, Dou Zhao smiled and nodded. She opened the bag and tasted one.

Sweet but not cloying, crispy and delicious.

Dou Zhao nodded repeatedly and asked Su Xin to pour a small portion onto a Blue and White Porcelain Dish for everyone to try.

Everyone praised the taste and, at Dou Zhao’s prompting, thanked Song Han in unison.

Song Han smiled.

But the smile seemed forced, and when he looked at Dou Zhao again, the earlier warmth was gone—as if he resented her for sharing his gift with others, slighting his goodwill.

Dou Zhao grew thoughtful.

※※※※※

By the time they returned to the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion, it was noon.

Song Mo had to report for duty at the palace.

He said to Dou Zhao, "I have one day off every ten days, three of which I spend resting at the palace. The other six, I rise at Yin hour and leave duty at You hour. Today I’ll stay at the palace. If you need anything, have Wuyi send a message to Chen He." Then he added quietly, "Lu Ming is now the steward at one of my residences near Jade Water Pool. He has a group of men working under him, coordinating with Du Wei. If something urgent arises, have Su Xin inform Lu Ming."

In other words, the men under Lu Ming were Song Mo’s Martial Retainers.

No wonder Lu Ming had been absent lately.

Dou Zhao felt she had much more to say to Song Mo, but time was short. She could only say, "Mr. Chen and the others will arrive in the Capital in October. There are still some matters I need to discuss with you then."

Song Mo smiled. "No rush. You can talk to me anytime."

Dou Zhao chuckled.She really liked Song Mo's unhurried pace that suggested there was plenty of time ahead. It gave her a sense of peaceful tranquility, making her feel more at ease despite her occasional worries about what would happen four years later.

Dou Zhao smiled as she saw Song Mo off at the door.

Returning to her room, she began taking stock of her dowry, adjusting small decorative details according to her own habits and preferences. Early the next morning, she took the layout diagram of the Hall of Cultivating Will drawn by Chen Qushui and, accompanied by Su Xin and Su Lan, familiarized herself with the hall's arrangement by following the map.

Wuyi, who was attending nearby, was greatly alarmed. He quietly instructed Song Luo to quickly inform Yan Chaoqing while cheerfully helping Dou Zhao describe the various scenic spots. He also made mental notes of all the places Dou Zhao visited so he could report if the Young Lord or Master Yan inquired.

If Dou Zhao had intended to harm Song Mo, why would she have gone to such lengths to save him in the first place? Besides, they were now husband and wife—their fates were intertwined.

Yan Chaoqing smiled and said, "Wherever Madam wishes to go or whomever she wishes to see, you should accompany her properly. There's no need to make a fuss or report everything to me."

Wuyi broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this. When Dou Zhao asked him questions afterward, he was less slick and ingratiating, instead showing more earnestness and respect.

By the afternoon, everyone in the Hall of Cultivating Will had heard about the matter.

When Dou Zhao questioned the maids, old women, and married female servants of the hall, they answered frankly and exhaustively. She quickly gained a general understanding of the Hall of Cultivating Will.

The hall had been the residence of successive heirs to the Duke of Yingguo. To cultivate their ability to handle affairs independently, it functioned like a miniature Duke of England's Mansion, complete with an accountant's office, Affairs Office, Guard Office, stables, Laundry Room, and more. It even had its own side gate facing the Duke of England's Mansion's Side Gate, allowing its occupants to come and go without passing through the main or side gates of the mansion—a self-contained and highly convenient arrangement.

Having previously managed the Marquis of Jining's Mansion, Dou Zhao only needed to glance at the personnel roster and account books, along with the total monthly expenditures for the past six months, to estimate the hall's approximate annual expenses.

After pondering for a while and seeing that it was still early, she went to see Yan Chaoqing and asked for his advice: "If I wish to return to Jing'an Temple Alley, how can I obtain the Duke's permission?"

Yan Chaoqing tactfully replied, "The Duke attends court at the hour of Yin every morning and returns at the hour of You. He takes one day off every ten days."

Dou Zhao nodded and sent word to her father, saying she needed to see him.

The next day, after breakfast, she left the mansion through the Side Gate and returned to Jing'an Temple Alley.

Dou Shiying, who had no idea what was happening, had spent a sleepless night. Seeing Dou Zhao return alone, his expression grew even more grave.

He hastily pulled her into his study, closed the door, and urgently asked, "What happened? Where's Yantang? Why didn't he accompany you back? Did you two quarrel? Even lips and teeth clash sometimes, let alone newlyweds like you! Shou Gu, as a woman, you must be tolerant in all matters. Don't rush back to your parents' home at every turn—can they shelter you forever? In the end, you'll still have to spend your life with Yantang..."

Dou Zhao didn't know whether to laugh or cry."Father, could you stop jumping to conclusions and listen to me first?" Dou Zhao interrupted her father's assumptions. "I didn't quarrel with Yantang. I came back because I wanted to tell you something..."

She hesitated slightly, wondering how best to phrase it, but Dou Shiying had already pressed urgently, "If you didn't quarrel with Yantang, and today isn't the ninth day of the month or any special occasion, why have you come back alone?"

Dou Zhao simply pulled her father to sit on the heated brick bed by the window and smiled. "Do you remember when the heir apparent mentioned during my returning to her maiden home that he was studying the Spring and Autumn Annals ?"

"I remember," Dou Shiying replied, his face full of suspicion.

Dou Zhao pursed her lips in a smile. "He made that up to please you!"

"Ah!" Dou Shiying's eyes widened.

Dou Zhao explained, "Lord Zhongyi was erudite, and while studying under him, Yantang naturally dabbled in various schools of thought. But since he didn’t need to take the imperial exams, and his family also hired tutors to teach him archery and horsemanship, how could he be like those scholars who 'hear nothing outside their windows and read only the classics'? He must have found out you liked the Spring and Autumn Annals , so he studied it thoroughly. But in terms of real scholarship, he’s probably still quite shallow." Her words carried an unconscious protectiveness.

Dou Shiying noticed it.

He burst into laughter. "How old is he? Even if he were a prodigy, how much learning could he have?" As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly understood. "You rushed back here so hastily, disregarding propriety—were you afraid that if we heard he chose to study the Spring and Autumn Annals , we’d test him on it? Were you worried Yantang wouldn’t be able to answer and came to plead for him?" With that, Dou Shiying looked at Dou Zhao and laughed again, this time even more heartily, his gaze teasing. "Silly child, do you think your uncles and I are fools? At his age, we didn’t even know what to study ourselves! When he said he liked the Spring and Autumn Annals , we merely admired his early ambition and were pleased someone shared our interest. Why would we test him? Even if we did, we’d only ask him superficial questions like, 'In the fifth year of Duke Yin’s reign, when the duke shot fish at Tang, what advice did Zang Xibo give?' Do you think we’d act like those pedantic scholars in the Imperial Academy, determined to stump someone to show off our knowledge? Not just me and your sixth uncle—even your fifth uncle, when he was in the Imperial Academy, lectured the princes on the classics. We know exactly how much weight their words carry! Don’t worry, no one will give Yantang a hard time!" He added mischievously, "After over thirty years of study, I still wouldn’t dare claim familiarity with all schools of thought. You really flatter him!"

Dou Zhao’s face burned.

No wonder her father and fifth and sixth uncles had so easily believed Song Mo’s words—they never expected him to be deeply learned in the first place. They simply appreciated his willingness to study!But the disdain in her father's words—"Song Mo's meager knowledge is nothing in our eyes"—made her extremely uncomfortable. She felt that her father had wronged Song Mo and couldn't help but argue, "Song Mo isn't like those imperial princes and grandsons. He takes both his studies and archery very seriously. The reason he became the Commander of the Vanguard of the Golden Guard before even reaching his capping ceremony was because he ranked first in the Autumn Hunt evaluations for several consecutive years, not just because he's the heir of the Duke of England's Mansion. His calligraphy is also excellent and has earned the Emperor's praise... He's nothing like what you described! If I'd known you'd react this way, I wouldn't have told you about this at all..." She deeply regretted her impulsiveness and complained resentfully, "If this is how you are, how can I dare consult you about anything in the future?"

Seeing Dou Zhao's anger, Dou Shiying hurriedly said, "No, no, I didn't mean to look down on Yantang." Feeling his words lacked sincerity, he added ingratiatingly, "How about this—let Yantang study under me? I guarantee he won't be inferior to any scholar from the Imperial Academy!"

"I really shouldn't have told you," Dou Zhao glared. "Yantang doesn't even know I'm here! If he found out, how could he ever show his face at our house again?" Knowing her father's temperament, she demanded his promise: "You mustn't breathe a word of this to anyone! Not even the slightest hint to Sixth Uncle!"

Dou Shiying hastily swore an oath.

Only then did Dou Zhao's expression soften somewhat.