Blossom

Song Yichun's words hit exactly what Dou Qijun had in mind.

Yet his expression turned cold as he sneered, "So the Duke knows that the letter of divorce must be written by the son."

Song Yichun's face flushed with embarrassment.

Dou Qijun continued, "Wealth tempts the heart. With hundreds of thousands of taels of silver lying around in your esteemed residence, even if the Duke and the Young Lord don’t covet it, others might. Since Shuntian Prefecture has sealed its official seals, I suggest inviting your brother-in-law or uncle to act as witnesses and settle the dowry transfer clearly to avoid future disputes."

Wouldn’t this involve the Lu Family?

Song Yichun hesitated.

Dou Qijun fanned the flames, scoffing, "Could it be that the Duke covets his daughter-in-law’s dowry?" He added, "Our family’s daughters are not to be casually judged. We’ll let go of what was said earlier in the hall, but after your remark—‘I wouldn’t want such a daughter-in-law even if she were given to me’—we cannot leave our paternal aunt in your household. We will take her back today, no matter what. Either you write a written pledge for us to take, or we invite the elders to mediate. Otherwise, don’t blame the Dou family for taking this matter to the Emperor."

Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?

No wonder the accounts took days to settle!

Song Yichun’s heart twisted like a cat’s claws—aching over the silver yet eager to divorce Dou Zhao and cut off Song Mo’s support. It took him a while to calm down and carefully consider the situation.

The Dou family coveted Dou Shi’s dowry. Seizing this opportunity, taking her back was secondary—their real goal was to reclaim her dowry from the Duke of Yingguo’s estate.

If this went before the Emperor, just summoning Song Mo for questioning would ruin everything. Not only might the divorce fail, but he might also become the laughingstock of the Capital!

He would never write that pledge.

Whether Song Mo acknowledged it or not, the Dou family might shift all blame onto him, claiming he was the one who wanted to divorce Dou Shi. He’d bear the disgrace while Dou Shishu reaped the benefits. Unless he’d been kicked in the head by a donkey, he wouldn’t do something so self-destructive.

Inviting his second uncle to mediate… didn’t seem wise either.

His second uncle was notoriously rigid. The moment he heard the full story, he’d summon Song Mo back—and once Song Mo returned, the plan would collapse.

Neither left nor right worked.

What a dilemma!

But if he missed this chance, there might never be another. After this blunder, bypassing Song Mo to divorce Dou Shi would be near impossible.

Song Yichun cursed Dou Zhao inwardly.

Why did she have to stir trouble during the New Year?

Now, with government offices sealed, only family elders could act as witnesses. The Song family had few relatives—aside from the Lu Family, there were no other suitable candidates.

Song Yichun glanced at Tao Qizhong.

Tao Qizhong was also at a loss.

This was a perfect opportunity to cut the problem at its root, but who could serve as the witness?

He lowered his head in thought.

Dou Qijun didn’t rush them, sitting calmly as he waited for their decision.

Suddenly, a page entered and announced, "The two uncles, Old Madam Lu, and Ningde Princess have arrived."

Song Yichun was stunned.Dou Qijun had already smiled and said, "Duke, my apologies. It was I who borrowed your name to invite the two masters and the old madam of the Lu family over. I knew it would be difficult for you to make this decision, so I took the liberty of acting on your behalf..."

Like a sudden blow to the head, Song Yichun's mind buzzed. He didn’t hear anything Dou Qijun said afterward. By the time he managed to calm down, before he could even gather his thoughts, Lu Chen and Lu Shi each entered, supporting their respective elderly matriarchs.

Dou Qijun hurried forward to greet them. After introducing himself, he said with a look of remorse, "For the affairs of us juniors to trouble the two old madams to make the journey is truly inexcusable. But since the Duke is determined to divorce our family’s fourth paternal aunt, it would be remiss of us not to intervene." He gave a bitter smile, his expression full of helplessness.

Old Madam Lu and Ningde Princess were both over sixty years old. The Dou family was related by marriage, and divorce was a serious matter, so they disregarded the usual proprieties between men and women.

Upon hearing Dou Qijun’s words, the Lu family members all turned their gazes toward Song Yichun.

Song Yichun hemmed and hawed, torn between admitting his intention to divorce Dou Shi—which would be morally indefensible—and letting the opportunity slip away, which he couldn’t bear to do.

His hesitation only confirmed to the Lu family that Dou Qijun’s words were true.

Old Madam Lu, furious, pointed at Song Yichun and scolded him: "I thought it was just hearsay! When the Dou family came to invite me, I didn’t even hint at it in front of your uncle. Yet it turns out to be true! Tell me, on what grounds are you divorcing Tianci’s wife? Which of the 'Seven Outs' has she violated?"

Song Yichun’s face flushed red, and he stiffened his neck as he retorted, "She spreads malicious gossip!"

"Just because she said the hall was too cold, she’s spreading gossip?" Old Madam Lu pressed aggressively. "Jin-jie acted disrespectfully toward her elders—why didn’t you punish her? Instead, you fixate on a single remark from Tianci’s wife. By your logic, even if maids and old women serve scalding tea, they shouldn’t be reprimanded? Then what’s the point of having so many servants? Are you afraid others might starve, working yourself to the bone just to feed those who have nothing to do with you?"

Song Yichun muttered defiantly under his breath, "Jin-jie isn’t just anyone."

Old Madam Lu was so angry she laughed. "So in your eyes, all lives are equal, are they? In that case, why don’t you divide the Duke of Yingguo’s estate equally among your three brothers? According to the laws of this dynasty, the title should be inherited by the eldest son of the main branch—shouldn’t the Duke of Yingguo’s title belong to Song Maochun?"

Song Yichun stammered, unable to respond.

Ningde Princess, whose status was extraordinary, usually stayed out of such domestic disputes. But when she heard Song Yichun was forcing Song Mo to divorce his wife, she was furious. After much deliberation, she decided to come along.

Now, seeing Song Yichun’s stubborn expression, she glanced at Dou Qijun, who stood respectfully to the side, and couldn’t help but say, "Come with me!"

Song Yichun was stunned.

Ningde Princess had already turned toward the heated room at the back.

Song Yichun had no choice but to follow.In the heated room with no one else present, Ningde Princess spoke earnestly: "Harmony in the family brings prosperity. Think back to the past. When Jiang Shi was around, everything in the household ran smoothly. You played the role of the master, never knowing the hardships of managing affairs. When money ran short, you simply asked Jiang Shi for more. Both sons were raised well—Tianci naturally so, and Tianen was innocent, lively, and clever. But look at you now. The home is no longer a home, and the estate is in disarray. Ultimately, it's because there's no proper person managing the inner household, and discipline has collapsed. Instead of entrusting the household to your new daughter-in-law, you shut yourself away like a petty woman, squabbling over trivial gains and losses. Is this how a Duke should behave?"

"I've heard that Marquis Changxing is single-mindedly eyeing the position of Commander-in-chief of the Five Armies Commandery."

"Duke of Dongping has always enjoyed the Emperor's favor. Now he's also been appointed Metropolitan Commander of the Five Cities Garrison—the Emperor certainly won't remove him."

"Marquis Guang'en has always been shrewd and flexible, willing to humble himself to please the Emperor. Even though the Imperial Bodyguards have uncovered his smuggling operations in the east, the Emperor still turns a blind eye. Ask yourself—could you ever grovel like him?"

"Marquis Anlu has spent years currying favor with the Empress Dowager and even married his eldest grandson to her favorite grandniece. For the Empress Dowager's sake alone, the Emperor will keep him firmly in his position as Commander-in-chief."

"Duke of Xingguo is low-key, steady, resolute, and never involves himself in court disputes. When the Mongols invaded years ago, if not for his heroic efforts, the northwest wouldn't have enjoyed these decades of peace. If there's anyone the Emperor trusts most, it's Duke of Xingguo. The Emperor would replace anyone before him."

"Tell me—aside from your ancestors' legacy, what else do you have to offer the Emperor?"

"Now that the Emperor favors Tianci, it's the perfect time for the Song family to rise. Not only do you fail to support your son, but you also drag him down. Every noble family in the Capital is laughing at you behind your back, yet you remain oblivious, making a scene. Do you really want to lose your position as Commander-in-chief before you stop?"

Song Yichun stood there, his face alternating between red and white.

Ningde Princess, recalling that he had always been muddle-headed since childhood—and that her own son wasn't much better, now a grandfather yet still incapable—softened her tone: "Just listen to me. Hand over the household management to Dou Shi and focus on court affairs. If you remain this careless, Marquis Changxing will seize the opportunity to replace you!"

"Besides, Dou Shi is already pregnant. If you divorce her now, what will happen to the child?"

"If she gives birth to a son, will he be legitimate or illegitimate?"

"Without clear distinctions between heirs, how can the Duke of Yingguo's mansion remain stable?"

Then, fearing he might not heed her advice, she provoked him: "I know the Lu family isn't what it used to be, and you may no longer value our opinions. Consider this meddling if you will. Your aunt and I came today out of concern. Ultimately, the decision is yours—after all, it's your life to live, and no one can live it for you."

As she spoke, she walked toward the door in disappointment.Song Yichun watched the receding figure, his heart heavy with unease. Knowing that once Ningde Princess left, the two families might become estranged forever. He thought of how he had no siblings, and how, when the Duke of Dingguo's Mansion was still around, his two cousins from the Lu Family had always supported him. Though Ningde Princess was of royal blood, she had treated him like a nephew... Unable to hold back, he called out loudly, "Princess!" and said, "Ever since his uncle's incident, Song Mo has grown distant from me. I had no choice but to act this way! Please tell me what I should do?"

Ningde Princess paused before turning around.

Song Yichun bowed sincerely to her.

After a moment of thought, Ningde Princess said, "Very well! First, go and apologize to the Dou family's uncle and nephew. Then, hand over the authority of managing the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion to Dou Shi. From now on, stay out of household affairs and focus your attention on court matters. Find a way to regain the Emperor's favor."

Handing over the household authority to Dou Shi... Would she scheme behind his back and isolate him?

Song Yichun hesitated.

Ningde Princess frowned slightly and said, "You are Tianci's father after all. Do you really think he would commit patricide? What are you afraid of?"