Blossom

At this thought, Dou Zhao's eyes grew slightly moist.

Soon, Song Mo sensed her emotions.

He wished for Dou Zhao to always be happy when she was by his side.

"Hey!" Song Mo teased playfully as he gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief, smiling. "How can someone as wealthy as you cry? What are the rest of us supposed to do—those who think owning a few shops makes us rich? Stop being sad. I'll count money with you. Just think about your daily earnings, imagine sleeping on piles of silver notes, and your mood will lift in no time."

Dou Zhao couldn't help but burst into laughter, snatching the handkerchief from him and wiping her face haphazardly. "You're the one sleeping on silver notes!" she retorted, though inwardly she knew that without Song Mo's warm embrace, she wouldn't have shed tears over such trivial matters.

"I wish I could!" Seeing her laugh, Song Mo grew even more playful, feigning a sigh. "But I don’t have that luxury! I still have to support my family, save up for my son’s marriage and my daughter’s dowry. Unlike some people who can hoard their wealth without spending a penny and still stash away private savings."

Dou Zhao laughed so hard she could barely breathe, leaning on his shoulder. "How about I give you half of it?"

"No, no." Song Mo shook his head solemnly. "I’ve finally managed to win my father-in-law’s approval. If I took half your fortune, wouldn’t he turn on me immediately? I was planning to squeeze some family heirlooms out of him—this would ruin everything! Besides, your money already belongs to our children. Why would I trade my father-in-law’s treasures for silver that’s already as good as mine?"

Dou Zhao was laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath.

Song Mo smiled faintly and pulled her into his arms again.

"Let’s not dwell on the past," he murmured, kissing her forehead. "Let’s look ahead and save up for our son and daughter, so they can live even better than we do."

"Alright!" Dou Zhao’s eyes welled up with tears again.

"Silly girl," Song Mo ruffled her hair. "Since you brought such a generous dowry, I’ll lend you Zhong Bingxiang for a while. But remember—no more than six months. He has to return to Guangdong after that. Make sure Zhao Liangbi learns a few tricks from Shopkeeper Zhong while he’s here."

"Understood!" Dou Zhao beamed.

Truly confident people never feel diminished by others’ wealth, status, or reputation.

She had always known Song Mo would accept her dowry without hesitation.

Dou Zhao gazed at the bright red lanterns outside the window, her heart as radiant as their fiery glow.

※※※※※

Outside the Duke of England's Mansion, Chang Guard, leading a patrol of guards, noticed lights suddenly flickering in the previously vacant West Wing Courtyard of the Hall of Cultivating Will. Pausing to listen, he could even faintly hear sounds of commotion.

He turned to the guards beside him. "Who moved into the West Wing Courtyard?"

Ever since Song Mo had executed the guards who once stormed the Hall of Cultivating Will, Chang Guard had lived in constant fear, worried Song Mo might one day settle scores with him. He had considered fleeing, but knowing that nowhere in the world was safe if Song Mo truly wanted him dead—except perhaps under the Duke of England’s protection—he had gritted his teeth and stayed.Yet deep down, he remained fearful of Song Mo and avoided him whenever possible, as if doing so would make Song Mo forget his existence.

Of course, he knew this was wishful thinking, but he had no other options.

The Hall of Cultivating Will was also a place he preferred to stay away from.

Upon hearing this, a guard said, "I heard a group of people sent by Madam has arrived. The Young Lord cleared out the West Wing Courtyard of the Hall of Cultivating Will to accommodate them."

"Does it require so much space?" Chang Guard couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

The guard replied, "There are thirty or forty of them. And it seems some family members haven’t even arrived yet."

Another guard chimed in, "Did Madam have so many attendants back in her maiden home? Even if the Emperor were marrying off a princess, he wouldn’t bestow all her former servants upon her. Besides, their monthly allowances would have to come from Madam’s dowry. The Hall of Cultivating Will already has guards—why go through the trouble?"

Chang Guard’s heart stirred at this.

Could these people be the Martial Retainers trained by Song Mo? Using Madam’s name, the Young Lord arranged for them all to stay in the Hall of Cultivating Will... What is the Young Lord thinking? Could he pose a threat to the Duke?

The thought made him restless. After hastily instructing the guards, he hurried to the Cassia Fragrance Courtyard.

Since Song Mo had ruined two marriage arrangements for him in a row, his social engagements had dwindled. With long, idle nights to fill, he had recently retrieved a few pieces of chicken-blood stone from the storeroom, intending to carve some seals as gifts for the upcoming New Year.

But as he gazed at the vividly colored stones, his mind drifted to the Shoushan stones left behind by his mother, Madam Lu.

Unfortunately, they were all in Song Mo’s possession.

The thought soured his mood.

When informed of Chang Guard’s request for an audience, he initially waved it off with a cold "No." But recalling Chang Guard’s diligent service lately, he changed his mind and said, "Let him in."

Chang Guard promptly shared his findings with the Duke of Yingguo, adding, "Originally, both we and the Hall of Cultivating Will had only forty guards. Now the Hall has thirty more... I fear if the Young Lord intends to act, we may not be able to restrain him."

"Don’t guards cost money?" Song Yichun shot Chang Guard a glance, his face dark as storm clouds.

Why had his mother given all her dowry to Song Mo?

He ordered Chang Guard, "Go and find out exactly how many men the Young Lord has recruited, their skills, and whether they truly have any connection to Madam."

If the Dou family were involved, things could get complicated.

Chang Guard had no choice but to stiffly acknowledge the order. After tossing and turning all night, he arrived at the gates of the Hall of Cultivating Will early the next morning, hesitating over how to gain entry. Just then, seven or eight robust men escorted out an elderly scholar dressed in a blue Taoist robe.

"Mr. Chen, shall we head to the Great Xiangguo Temple first or the White Cloud Temple?" one of the men asked the elder.

The old man smiled. "Today, I’ll follow your lead. Wherever you suggest, we’ll go."

The group laughed heartily, and the elder joined in, his smile warm and refined, his demeanor extraordinary.

Chang Guard’s eyes widened in shock.

Wasn’t that Chen Qushui, the one who had fled the Duke of England's Mansion?

What was he doing here?Guard Chang's heart pounded wildly.

His mind was in turmoil, with seven or eight thoughts flashing through his head, yet he couldn't grasp a single one. Only a sense of foreboding surged within him.

Instinctively, Guard Chang wanted to avoid the situation.

But Chen Qushui had already approached with Chen Xiaofeng and others.

Spotting Guard Chang surrounded by several guards, Chen Qushui gave a slight nod and calmly walked past him.

One of the guards turned back curiously and whispered, "Who's that? He looks quite impressive!"

"That's the Duke of Yingguo's personal guard," Guard Chang heard Chen Qushui reply. "Surname Chang. He also oversees all the guards at the Duke of England's Mansion—of course he's impressive!"

The tone and inflection sounded to Guard Chang as if laced with a hint of mockery.

Not daring to linger, Guard Chang turned and headed straight for Cassia Fragrance Courtyard.

"My lord, trouble is afoot!" he reported in a low voice to Song Yichun. "That escaped adviser is now at the Hall of Cultivating Will, mingling with the newly recruited guards..."

"What did you say?" Song Yichun's hand trembled as he was having breakfast, nearly spilling his porridge. "Are you certain?"

The mysterious disappearance of Song Mo that night had lodged itself like a thorn deep in his heart. Not only did it make him gnash his teeth in frustration, but it also filled him with a creeping dread—who had rescued Song Mo? Did they know of his intentions? Could it be a force secretly cultivated by Song Mo? Might they reappear at a critical moment to aid him again...

These unanswered questions gnawed at him like ants, consuming his peace and leaving him restless day and night.

Now, the most suspicious figure had surfaced.

Song Yichun's eyes turned bloodshot. "Go and investigate immediately. Find out exactly what's happening!"

Guard Chang hurried off to comply.

But Song Yichun called him back. "Take Mr. Tao with you!"

Men like them had no idea how to conduct such an investigation properly.

With Tao Qizhong accompanying him, Guard Chang couldn't help but feel relieved.

Song Yichun had lost all appetite for breakfast.

Slipping into his shoes, he paced the room like an ant on a hot griddle.

Meanwhile, Dou Zhao received an invitation from Huai Shu Alley.

The note stated that Second Madam had invited her for a game of cards the following day.

After informing Song Mo, Dou Zhao prepared twelve gift boxes and set off for Huai Shu Alley the next day.

Huai Shu Alley was unusually quiet, hardly resembling a place hosting guests.

Guo Shi and Cai Shi greeted her at the Hanging Flower Gate.

After exchanging pleasantries, Cai Shi cheerfully tried to link arms with Dou Zhao, saying, "Grandmother missed you, Fourth Paternal Aunt, and used the card game as an excuse to see you!"

Dou Zhao subtly sidestepped Cai Shi's gesture and smiled. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I would've brought more spare silver."

"With all the dowry you have, Fourth Paternal Aunt, even a single strand of your hair is thicker than my leg," Cai Shi exaggerated. "We've been itching to take advantage of you, and now you've walked right into our hands. We'd gladly lend you a few taels just to earn some usurious interest!"

If she knew about usurious loans, she must be quite adept at handling money.

Dou Zhao smiled and, accompanied by Guo Shi and Cai Shi, proceeded to Second Madam's quarters.The wind carried a biting chill, so Second Madam sat by the window on the heated brick bed, watching the maids water the flowers and feed the birds through the glass panes.

Seeing Dou Zhao and the others enter, she quickly instructed the maids to serve tea and snacks. By the time Dou Zhao and her companions stepped inside, the young maids had just brought in the refreshments.

After paying her respects to Second Madam, Dou Zhao smiled and said, "When did the eastern chamber get fitted with glass? The room feels much brighter now!"

"It was your Fifth Aunt’s filial gesture—she insisted on installing it for me," Second Madam replied cheerfully. "I couldn’t refuse her, so I let her have her way. But it’s true, the glass does make the room much brighter."

As Second Madam and Dou Zhao chatted idly, neither mentioned the matter of Western Dou’s half of the family estate.