Blossom

Apart from two or three guards she had her eye on who chose to stay in Zhen Ding and continue working as house guards for Western Dou, Duan Gongyi, Chen Xiaofeng, and others all followed her here. Not only that, they also brought seven or eight tall and sturdy young men from Zhen Ding, whose agile and powerful movements clearly showed they were trained martial artists.

Duan Gongyi explained with a smile, "These youngsters were introduced by relatives and friends. They seem decent, so we brought them along for you to take a look."

Dou Zhao was about to inventory the half of Western Dou's assets that had long been under her name, along with Eastern Dou, and would need many hands for the task.

"If Master Duan approves of them, then we’ll take them all!" she said cheerfully, instructing Su Xin, "Today, we’ll host a welcoming banquet for Mr. Chen and Master Duan. Invite Manager Fan from the stationery shop, Manager Cui, and Manager Tian as well. It’s a good opportunity for everyone to gather."

Su Xin acknowledged and left.

Dou Zhao then inquired about her grandmother, "…In her last letter, she mentioned the eggplants grew exceptionally well this year, and there were so many that she shared them with the neighbors. How is her health?"

"Still going strong!" Chen Qushui chuckled, pulling a letter from his sleeve. "Consort Cui asked me to deliver this to you."

Dou Zhao took the letter and glanced at the Hanging Flower Gate under the dripping eaves. Suppressing her eagerness to read it, she smiled and said, "You’ve just arrived—this isn’t the time for such matters. Your accommodations are all arranged. Once you’ve settled in, we’ll talk in detail."

Chen Qushui nodded with a smile.

Dou Zhao then called for Wuyi.

Wuyi was staring wide-eyed at Chen Qushui as if he’d seen a ghost.

Chen Qushui couldn’t help but smile faintly and nodded at Wuyi.

If not for the rigorous training under Chen He over the past few years, Wuyi would have jumped in surprise.

He mumbled, "Mr. Chen, please follow me!" and led Chen Qushui, Duan Gongyi, and the others to the freshly cleaned side houses on the west side.

Duan Gongyi looked around the newly whitewashed courtyard and side rooms and remarked to Mr. Chen, "This is the Duke of England's Mansion, after all. Though simple and unadorned, the residence still exudes grandeur."

Chen Qushui smiled without comment.

This had been arranged in advance by Dou Zhao and Song Mo.

Those like Chen Qushui and Duan Gongyi were each assigned a small courtyard with three rooms, a back-facing house, and a recessed space. The unmarried newcomers were given individual side rooms.

Inside, basic furniture was already in place.

Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaodong couldn’t help but marvel in admiration.

Chen Qushui, however, ran his fingers over the window frames covered with Korean paper and gave an almost imperceptible nod.

It seemed the Young Lord held Madam in high regard—not only vacating the western wing for her but also taking care to furnish it thoughtfully.

They should be able to integrate into the Hall of Cultivating Will soon enough!

Someone asked, "Mr. Chen, can we bring our wives and children to live here?"

"That will require discussion with Madam first," Chen Qushui replied with a smile, then instructed the rough-and-tumble men who were curiously inspecting their surroundings, "Hurry and freshen up. The banquet will begin soon."

Amid laughter, everyone returned to their rooms.

Chen Qushui turned and saw Wuyi.

The boy was staring at him unblinkingly.

Having served him for over half a year, Chen Qushui thought for a moment and walked toward him.Wuyi shivered and snapped back to reality, quickly saying, "Mr. Chen, Madam mentioned that matters regarding maids and pages can be discussed once you've settled in. For now, if you need anything, you can instruct Xiao Jiu. He'll be serving by your side from now on." With that, he pushed forward a fair-faced page boy of about fifteen or sixteen before scurrying off.

Elder Brother Chen had once said: Some things, even if you know them, you must pretend not to; other things, even if you don’t know them, you must pretend you do.

This was something he had to pretend not to know.

Wuyi pondered this as he quickened his pace.

At noon, Song Mo personally hosted a welcoming banquet for the visitors from Zhen Ding, with Master Yan, Xia Lian, and others joining as companions.

This gesture took Mr. Chen and his group by surprise, filling them with added gratitude.

Meanwhile, Tian Fugui, who had been pulled in at the last moment, trembled with excitement. His hands shook uncontrollably, nearly spilling the wine from his cup, as he muttered repeatedly, "Worth it. Worth it! To drink wine poured by the Young Lord of the Duke of Yingguo—this life is worth living!"

Cui Shisan shot him a fierce glare and whispered sharply, "Sit up straight. Don’t embarrass Madam."

"I know, I know," Tian Fugui mumbled in response, but his limbs felt weak, and his hands continued to tremble.

After several rounds of drinks, the banquet concluded, and he and Cui Shisan were summoned along with Mr. Chen and Guardian Duan to the study for tea.

Dazed, Tian Fugui barely registered how he entered the study, only noting its vastness and the abundance of books. He sat on a carved Chicken-wing wood chair worth sixteen taels of silver, sipped freshly brewed West Lake Longjing tea priced at five taels per packet, and was served by a poised and pretty maidservant no older than twelve or thirteen. She wore small gold earrings or a silver hairpin newly fashionable from Jiangnan, exuding both elegance and refinement.

A mere maidservant wouldn’t have the means to wear gold and silver—these must be rewards from the mansion.

If only his nieces and nephews could secure positions in the Duke of England's Mansion, they’d truly land in a nest of blessings! How wonderful that would be!

Lost in these thoughts, he suddenly heard Song Mo ask him, "When did you start serving Madam?"

Was the Young Lord speaking to him?

Tian Fugui gaped, only daring to believe his ears when he saw Song Mo smile faintly at him.

He gulped and blurted out, "On the day of Madam’s coming-of-age ceremony. Everyone was offering congratulations, and I thought I ought to do something special—didn’t officials present auspicious gifts for the Emperor’s birthday? So I decided to find something auspicious for Madam too. After asking around, I heard someone in Baoding Prefecture kept a pair of golden pheasants. I rushed there overnight..." In his flustered state, his mind went blank, and he spilled everything—how he coaxed and tricked his way into buying the pheasants, how he hid behind the rockery near the Reception Hall waiting for Dou Zhao to pass by—pouring it all out like beans from a bamboo tube.

Cui Shisan looked ready to devour Tian Fugui alive.

But Song Mo and the others burst into laughter.

Only then did Tian Fugui realize his blunder.

He stared at Song Mo in terror, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Good, good," Song Mo said amiably, still smiling. "Continue serving Madam with such dedication in the future.""Thank you, Young Lord!" Tian Fugui snapped back to reality and tried to stand up to bow, but his legs felt weak. After two failed attempts, he grew anxious. Meanwhile, Song Mo's gaze had already settled on Cui Shisan. "You're from the Cui family, aren't you?"

Cui Shisan stood up and bowed respectfully, answering, "Yes."

His manners were impeccable—neither servile nor overbearing.

Song Mo nodded inwardly and smiled. "Since you're from the Cui family and share close kinship with Madam, feel free to visit the mansion often when you have time. Chat with Madam."

Having spent years in the Capital interacting with high-ranking officials, Cui Shisan was no longer the naive man he once was. He took this as mere politeness and replied with a smile, "Yes."

Time would reveal sincerity, so Song Mo didn’t elaborate. Thinking that with the addition of Mr. Chen and the others, Dou Zhao would now have her own guards and incidents like the fire at the Duke of England's Mansion would never happen again, his mood lifted. He chatted amiably with Chen Qushui and the others, subtly conveying the message: "From now on, we’re all one family. Unity benefits us all, while division harms us—let’s coexist harmoniously." Yan Chaoqing further echoed Song Mo’s sentiments, recounting how the Dou family had once aided the Young Lord, his expression brimming with gratitude as if they were all his benefactors.

Chen Qushui understood this was Song Mo’s way of reassuring them. After modestly deflecting the praise, he expressed their stance: "We’ve all received Dou Zhao’s kindness. Wherever she goes, we’ll follow, and we’ll take our cues from her."

Liao Bifeng was deeply impressed by Dou Zhao upon hearing this.

To command such loyalty and have these men speak so boldly before the Young Lord—Madam was truly extraordinary!

He whispered to Yan Chaoqing, "After we disperse, let’s invite Mr. Chen for a private drink, shall we?"

Yan Chaoqing agreed and nodded with a smile.

Song Mo stood up and said to Chen Qushui and the others, "You’ve all had a long journey. Rest well these next few days. I’m sure Madam has much to discuss with you, so I won’t keep you any longer."

Everyone rose to see Song Mo off.

Song Mo headed straight back to the main chamber, where he found Dou Zhao sitting by the window on the heated brick bed, doing needlework. "Did I do well today?" he asked.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, setting aside her work. "Why are you acting more and more like a child?"

"I am younger than you, after all!" Song Mo retorted nonchalantly, picking up her needlework. "What are you making?"

"A winter robe for you," Dou Zhao replied with a smile. "The New Year is almost here."

Song Mo gazed at her fondly. After sitting with her for a while, he reluctantly said, "I’ll be visiting Gu Yu later. You should take the chance to speak with Mr. Chen."

Dou Zhao did indeed have matters to discuss with Mr. Chen.

She cheerfully agreed and saw Song Mo off at the door.

※※※※※At this moment, in a secluded three-courtyard house at the southeast corner of Tan Family Village in Lingshou County, the spirited Tan Juren stood respectfully before the white-haired Tan Laotaiye, speaking in a low voice: "The news came from Cangzhou, and there’s no mistake. Not only is Cangzhou in chaos, but unrest has also erupted in the Capital, Taiyuan, Datong, Tianjin, and other places. There are brothers fighting over prospects, friends turning against each other for silver, and even fathers and sons harming one another. The Young Lord of the Duke of Yingguo has masterful tactics—just a few thousand taels of silver have stirred endless turmoil in the martial world. It’s fortunate we took that child in without hesitation back then. Otherwise, who knows what might have awaited us!" As he spoke, his face darkened with worry. "At the time, he wanted us to deal with Fourth Miss Dou, but we refused. I wonder if he still remembers that?"

Tan Laotaiye remained silent, thoughtfully stroking his chest-length beard before finally asking, "How is Duan Gongyi faring in the Dou family now?"

"He seems to be doing well," Tan Juren replied. "Miss Dou the Fourth is taking him with her to the Capital. They say they won’t be back for a while. He’s already arranged for someone to look after the estate and plans to bring his elderly mother to the Capital soon."

Tan Laotaiye chuckled at this. "We haven’t sent any congratulatory gifts for Miss Dou the Fourth’s marriage, have we?"

Tan Juren’s eyes brightened.

Song Mo’s methods were ruthless, and since they lived in seclusion here, getting too close risked being implicated by him, while keeping too distant might incur his resentment. Fourth Miss Dou, however, was noble and principled—someone worth befriending.

"I’ll take care of it right away!" His voice couldn’t help but grow louder.