Blossom

Wang Qinghuai did not caution his younger brother on this matter. He knew his brother's temperament—the more difficult Wei Tingyu's situation became, the more his brother would try to help him. Conversely, if Wei Tingyu prospered, his brother might gradually drift apart from him. If his brother knew of his attitude toward the Marquis of Jining's Mansion, he might recklessly rush to admonish Wei Tingyu.

Some things are best left to take their natural course!

Having made up their minds, the Wang couple gradually began sending gifts to the Marquis of Jining's Mansion in place of personal attendance.

Of course, all this happened later.

Chen Jia was the first to learn of Wang Yuan's words, and he was utterly shocked.

It was precisely because he knew of the relationship between Song Mo and Wang Yuan that he had risked seeking refuge with them. Yet he never expected Song Mo to hold such sway over Wang Yuan.

Or perhaps it was because Song Mo enjoyed the Emperor's favor, forcing Wang Yuan to yield somewhat?

Chen Jia emerged from his hiding place and returned to the small courtyard he rented in the inner city of the Capital.

Several of his Imperial Bodyguard colleagues were already waiting for him at the gate.

"Congratulations, congratulations!" they chorused. "The misunderstanding with Lord Wang has been cleared up, and you can once again serve the Emperor with loyalty!"

Given the nature of the Imperial Bodyguard's duties, Chen Jia had anticipated that his colleagues would soon hear the news, but he hadn't expected them to appear at his residence so quickly.

Two years!

For two years, none of his colleagues had dared to associate with him!

He spent all his savings treating the well-wishers to a feast at Donglai Shun. Cups clinked, and by the end, his memory grew hazy. He recalled only that everyone had eagerly inquired about his connection to The Duke of England's Mansion—nothing else.

An unfamiliar page entered to assist him with his morning ablutions, claiming to have been sent by one of his colleagues.

Chen Jia couldn't tell whether he felt sorrow or joy.

Mechanically, he finished his breakfast and headed to the Pacification Office of the Northern Imperial Bodyguard.

Along the way, people greeted him with smiles. Before he could even meet the Pacification Officer, the personal attendant of Metropolitan Commander Shi Chuan appeared at the office. Chuckling, the attendant asked, "Who is Chen Zan Zhi? Our lord wishes to speak with him." Once again, under the envious gazes of his peers, Chen Jia was summoned to the Imperial Bodyguard headquarters.

Shi Chuan, uncharacteristically amiable, exchanged a few pleasant words with him, advising him to perform his duties well and to seek him out if he ever faced grievances. Then, he signaled the end of the audience by lifting his teacup.

Though no promises of promotion were made, the warmth and favor were unmistakable.

Despite his usual composure, Chen Jia found himself unsettled by the relentless string of changes. It wasn't until he stumbled out of the Imperial Bodyguard headquarters that he regained his bearings.

Immediately, he gathered his most trusted subordinates from the Imperial Bodyguard and ordered them, "By any means necessary, find out who the Duke of Yingguo's heir brought to the farmstead that day."

One of them hesitated. "The Duke of Yingguo's heir's farmstead is heavily guarded, and he just spoke up for you, elder brother. If we alarm them... we truly can't afford to provoke him!"

If Chen Jia wanted to establish himself in Song Mo's eyes, he needed to connect with the person behind the screen that day.

But this was something he had no intention of sharing with anyone else.

He cautiously investigated those around Song Mo.

Meanwhile, Song Mo was swamped with work.He was either inviting people for drinks or to watch operas. Every morning when Dou Zhao opened her eyes, he had already left the bed, and by the time she fell asleep, he had just returned.

Yet, he still had the energy to pester Dou Zhao.

Concerned for his health and seeing no way to refuse him, Dou Zhao took out two thirty-year-old ginseng roots from her dowry to brew tea for Song Mo as the weather turned cooler.

Song Mo chuckled and grew even more mischievous with Dou Zhao.

She was both exasperated and annoyed.

But Song Mo never tired of it.

Sometimes, he simply wanted to see Dou Zhao helpless against his antics.

Thus, after each encounter, he would caress Dou Zhao’s curvaceous figure as if she were a treasure, only to find that whenever he did so, she would curl up in his arms, exuding a lazy, enchanting allure.

Perhaps Dou Zhao also enjoyed being with him?

Gazing at her face, still flushed with lingering passion, Song Mo tightened his embrace, pressing her closer. He kissed her forehead and whispered about recent events: "Wang Ge already knows my intentions. At the right opportunity, he’ll pass on the message. But this ‘right opportunity’ could come tomorrow or take several months. However, Father will return in two or three days, and he’s bound to lash out at us. No matter what he says, don’t take it to heart—just treat it as the ramblings of a madman..."

Dou Zhao was too exhausted to even open her eyes. Song Mo’s caresses relaxed her entire body, and all she wanted was to sleep. Unwilling to listen to his chatter, she murmured drowsily, "I know, I know. With you here, I won’t suffer any losses..."

Song Mo couldn’t help but laugh.

Where did she get such confidence?

Yet hearing her words softened his heart, as if it could melt into tenderness.

His touch soon took on a more provocative edge.

Startled, Dou Zhao quickly opened her eyes. "Aren’t you meeting Eunuch Wang tomorrow?"

"What does that have to do with what we’re doing now?"

Song Mo had already skillfully found the pearl nestled in the valley.

Dou Zhao’s body burned with desire.

Song Mo was eager to proceed.

But hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by knocking.

Dou Zhao stopped him. "It must be urgent."

"Then let them wait," Song Mo replied, his breath already heavy.

A hushed conversation took place outside before Gan Lu’s voice called, "Young Lord, Madam, the Duke has returned and is in a rage at the main courtyard. He demands your presence at once!"

Song Mo frowned. "Why is he back early?"

With the house catching fire, thieves breaking in, and the Hua family breaking off the engagement, Dou Zhao thought Song Yichun’s return was overdue!

Gently pushing Song Mo, she urged, "Hurry up!" Seeing his joyful expression replaced by sternness, she inexplicably whispered to comfort him, "After we see the Duke, I’ll take good care of you."

The moment the words left her mouth, she was stunned at herself.

Song Mo burst into laughter.

But in his heart, he knew this was Dou Zhao’s way of cherishing him, unable to bear seeing him suffer even a little.

"Shou Gu!" He buried his face in her cascading black hair. "You’re so good to me."

Her heart instantly tingled, her limbs going weak as if she could no longer hold him.

So... she also liked sweet nothings.

※※※※※The two lingered affectionately for a while before getting up. After washing and dressing, they went to the upper courtyard of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion.

In the Capital, among the nine city gates, only the Xizhi Gate for water transport opened at the Chou hour (1-3 AM), while the other eight gates closed at the You hour (5-7 PM) and opened at the Mao hour (5-7 AM).

Judging by Song Yichun's travel-worn appearance, he had clearly entered the city directly through the Xizhi Gate.

Dou Zhao and Song Mo stepped forward to pay their respects to him.

But before they could straighten up, Song Yichun's teacup came flying at them.

Song Mo took a step forward, pulling Dou Zhao behind him.

Song Yichun trembled with rage, his lips quivering: "Rebellion! This is outright rebellion! As a son, how dare you raise your hand against me!"

Song Mo remained silent, his cold gaze fixed on Song Yichun.

Song Yichun felt a chill in his heart under Song Mo's icy stare, devoid of any human warmth. Seeing Dou Zhao hiding behind Song Mo without speaking, he glared at her fiercely and angrily said, "Have you ever seen a daughter-in-law like this in the world? I pitied you for lacking proper upbringing, so I asked the elders of our clan to teach you how to manage the household. And what do you do? You drive our family elders away with your behavior..."

He would not allow anyone to tarnish Dou Zhao's reputation.

"Father, your words are mistaken!" Song Mo cut off Song Yichun before he could finish, standing his ground firmly. "There was a fire in the house, and Eldest Aunt was frightened, which is why she handed the household tallies to Madam. Madam had already managed the household affairs in the western residence back in Zhen Ding. Although Eldest Aunt returned home to recuperate, Madam has kept the household affairs in perfect order—this has been witnessed by the young madam of Yan'an Marquis's household and Third Madam of Jingguo Duke's mansion, among others. If Father doesn't believe me, you may inquire about it yourself. To scold Madam without understanding the situation—what would the Dou family think if they heard of this? I implore Father to think twice before speaking in the future!" As he spoke, his sharp, blade-like gaze turned toward Tao Qizhong, who stood silently in the corner. "Do not listen to slanderous words and ruin the reputation of the Duke of Yingguo's mansion, nor damage the bonds between relatives!"

Tao Qizhong couldn't help but feel indignant.

What does this have to do with me?

But who cared what he thought?

Song Yichun was left speechless for a moment before finally saying, "Even so, you shouldn't have offered such a hefty reward! Do you have any idea how much silver that costs? After all your studies in household management, where has it all gone?"

In truth, he wanted to confront his son about the Bai family breaking off the engagement, but faced with his son, he couldn't admit weakness by acknowledging that his son had not only ruined his marriage plans but also caused a rift between him and the Marquis of Anlu. So he had no choice but to nitpick over trivial matters.

"Father is reluctant to spend the silver, isn't he?" Song Mo understood his father's intentions perfectly. Seizing the flaw in his words, he deliberately twisted Song Yichun's meaning, engaging in a verbal dance. "After the fire, repairing the house already cost a considerable amount. I considered that the New Year is approaching and feared the mansion's funds might be tight, so I used the silver from the Hall of Cultivating Will for the reward. Father need not worry—if there's no silver to repay, so be it. The business in Guangdong has been profitable these years, and the income from Mother's dowry is substantial. The Hall of Cultivating Will won't miss this bit of silver!"

Song Yichun's expression turned as ugly as it could possibly be.He finally couldn't hold back anymore and said, "While inspecting Datong, I encountered Marquis Changxing. The Marquis acted as guarantor for a marriage alliance with Datong's Deputy General Wang Hong. Make preparations—the two families will be exchanging engagement gifts in a few days."

"Congratulations, Father!" Song Mo laughed. "Though I actually think our family should form a marriage alliance with Marquis Changxing's household instead! After all, the Marquis is the Emperor's favored minister, while I'm merely a lowly Commander of the Vanguard of the Golden Guard—he probably doesn't even consider me worth noticing! Moreover, I believe Father should properly discuss your own marriage plans too, so we won't have to prepare for this match today and that match tomorrow, only to end up disappointed for Father in the end. I think it would be better to wait until both families have settled the marriage arrangements before having us make preparations! As for Marquis Changxing, I should properly thank him on Father's behalf!"