Blossom

The next morning, Song Mo went to court. Chuan'er's face had been scratched by Bai Zhi. Although a physician was called overnight, the scars were too deep—even after healing, her appearance would remain marred. The upper courtyard couldn't employ a disfigured maidservant. Meanwhile, Bai Zhi was tied up by Song Yichun, who ordered her to be held until a slave trader could be summoned for her sale.

Dou Zhao frowned and asked Ruo Zhu, "Is Qi Xia involved in this matter?"

"It's unclear if she's directly involved," Ruo Zhu replied, her face pale. "But after Chuan'er realized her face was ruined, she cursed Qi Xia, calling her a venomous snake and wishing her a terrible death... Even if Qi Xia didn't do this herself, she must be connected somehow."

Ruo Zhu hadn't expected things to escalate this way. Not only was Chuan'er ruined, but Bai Zhi was also being expelled from the household. She felt uneasy.

Dou Zhao, however, grew irritated. These were just fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girls, yet their conflicts escalated to life-destroying measures. That these were Song Yichun's personal attendants spoke volumes about his character and temperament.

She advised Ruo Zhu, "We may have handed her a knife, but whether she uses it to threaten others or stabs them when they're unprepared is her own choice. Still, you should be cautious when dealing with Qi Xia."

"Thank you for your guidance, Madam. I'll remember it." Ruo Zhu bowed gratefully and withdrew, deep in thought.

Later, Song Han came to visit Dou Zhao. "You must have heard about the incident in Xiangxi Courtyard, sister-in-law," he said awkwardly. "Father is in no mood to attend to my affairs now, but the three maids in my quarters are already betrothed and can't wait any longer. Could you please speak to Father on my behalf and arrange for their release?"

How interesting, Dou Zhao thought with a faint smile. Despite the ruthless methods of Qi Xia, who served him, he showed such consideration for his attendants.

She replied amiably, "Such matters follow household conventions. The delay was only because replacements haven't been selected yet. That was my oversight—I'll have someone attend to it immediately."

Surprised by her apology, Song Han's expression flickered. "You're too kind, sister-in-law. I was merely impatient. Fortunately, my household affairs are light, so their absence isn't urgent. I only came to ask this favor."

After some casual conversation, Song Han took his leave.

Dou Zhao instructed Ruo Zhu, "Find out why the second young master is in such a hurry to release these three."

Ruo Zhu acknowledged but hesitated. "Madam, is it appropriate to release them just like that?"

Dou Zhao smiled. "Did anyone instruct me not to? I'm simply following the ancestral rules."

She could not only release maids of marriageable age but also assign new ones to Song Han without consulting Song Yichun—it was within her authority. She was merely observing how Song Yichun and Song Han would react.

What amused her was how easily Song Yichun's household had unraveled with just a slight nudge.

That afternoon, she released the three maids. By the time Song Yichun found out, a day had passed.

Furious, he sent Matron Tang to confront Dou Zhao, demanding why she had released the maids without his permission.Dou Zhao said indifferently, "Didn’t the Duke instruct me to oversee the household affairs of the Duke of England's Mansion? Why must the comings and goings of maids in the inner courtyard still be reported to him? Could it be that the rules of the Duke of England's Mansion are unique? No wonder, when the Cassia Fragrance Courtyard was in chaos, the chief steward came to beg me to settle the matter! It seems the people in this mansion need to be properly disciplined!"

Nanny Tang dared not mention Huang Qing. She had relayed Dou Zhao’s picky remarks back to Song Yichun.

Song Yichun felt a surge of anger in his chest and remained silent for a long while.

Since Dou Zhao had resolved not to let him rest easy, as soon as Nanny Tang left, she sent Happy’s wife to deliver a message to Song Yichun: "The Second Young Master is still young and full of vigor. When the Young Lord was his age, he only had a few rough maids in his quarters, and his daily needs were attended to by pages. Madam suggests that since the maids in the Second Young Master’s quarters are all of marriageable age and have been dismissed, there’s no need to replace them with more maids. Instead, a few pages should be added. This way, when the Second Young Master goes out, he’ll have attendants to run errands, and the ladies of the Cassia Fragrance Courtyard won’t have to feel uneasy. Madam wishes to know the Duke’s thoughts on this."

Song Yichun was so furious that the corners of his mouth twitched.

Happy’s wife, terrified, hastily bowed and fled.

Song Yichun raged in his room, cursing Dou Zhao for her lack of filial piety.

When Song Mo learned of this, his face darkened, and he muttered, "Disgraceful for one so old," before heading to the Drunken Immortal Tower.

He had arranged to drink with Ma Youming.

Ma Youming noticed that the small private room was set with only two cups and pairs of chopsticks, realizing Song Mo likely wanted to discuss his drunken episode that day. He felt both anticipation and fear. Only after three rounds of drinks, when their conversation grew congenial, did he muster the courage to ask Song Mo, "What are your views on Liao Wang and the Young Lord?"

Song Mo remained silent.

The room fell so quiet that the drop of a needle could be heard, and the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

Song Mo slowly poured himself a cup of wine and said leisurely, "Then why did you send your wife and children back to your hometown?"

Ma Youming’s face instantly paled, and his hand holding the cup trembled slightly.

At this moment, Song Mo murmured softly, "The debate between appointing the eldest son or the most virtuous has raged since ancient times. Liao Wang is forthright and shares my temperament. But a ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject. What need is there for us to judge?"

Ma Youming’s spirits lifted.

Song Mo was confiding in him!

He hurriedly replied, "To be frank with you, Young Lord, Liao Wang has been cultivating close ties with officials in recent years and has shown particular favor to the Divine Machine Battalion. Some time ago, someone asked me the same question you just did. Though I shared your view, I felt indebted and couldn’t answer so boldly. I planned to evade the question, but the other party insisted on a clear answer. As you know, our Divine Machine Battalion has always followed Lord Wang’s lead. I tried to sound him out, steering the conversation to this topic several times, but each time he deftly sidestepped it. Growing desperate, I had no choice but to send my family back to our hometown..." As he spoke, he set aside the delicate blue and white porcelain wine cup and grabbed the nearby wine jar instead. Breaking the seal, he took a large gulp and declared, "Young Lord, I wasn’t wrong about you—you’re a straightforward man. I won’t say more. I’ll follow your lead."

At the very least, he wouldn’t be betrayed by his comrades.He seemed to have shaken off the gloom of recent days, his expression appearing more spirited.

Song Mo smiled and asked, "You're coming with me? What if I make the wrong move?"

Ma Youming laughed heartily. "It's my own choice. The winner is king, the loser a bandit—I, Old Ma, still have that much breadth of mind."

Last night's conversation with Dou Zhao had been an eye-opener for him.

He shouldn't obsess over how to extricate himself from this quagmire. Instead, he should take the initiative, consider the deployment of Liaodong from Liao Wang's perspective, and thus avoid getting entangled in the struggle for succession.

Since the Divine Machine Battalion was an unavoidable hurdle for Liao Wang, why not start there?

Song Mo raised his wine cup with a smile. "I'll finish mine—you take your time!" He downed it in one gulp.

Ma Youming was taken aback, then burst into laughter, grabbing the wine jar and pouring it into his mouth.

Song Mo watched with amusement as Ma Youming finished the entire jar before leisurely remarking, "You should bring your wife and children back in a few days. Your reactions are too direct—be careful they might rearrange their plans."

Since neither side had concrete evidence of Liao Wang's ambitions, they could only act after careful planning.

Ma Youming's actions would only put the other side on high alert. They might even frame him for misconduct to secure the position of Divine Machine Battalion commander.

Ma Youming readily agreed, laughing sheepishly. "I know it's not ideal—if they want to deal with me, they won't spare my family. But I couldn't help clinging to a sliver of hope."

"That's only human nature," Song Mo said gently, sharing a few sympathetic words with Ma Youming before shifting the topic to Jiang Yi. "Don't you think his departure from the Divine Machine Battalion is somewhat against reason?"

Ma Youming frowned deeply.

Song Mo's voice grew serious. "From what I know, he once served as Wang Xu's clerk, and Wang Xu promoted him all the way to company commander. Logically, they should be on good terms, and Jiang Yi should visit Wang Xu often. Do you think Jiang Yi might have learned something and, to avoid suspicion, chose to give up a promising career and asked you to approach me for a transfer to the Five Cities Garrison?"

Ma Youming slapped his thigh in frustration. "That little rascal! After all I've done for him, he kept such important news to himself and washed his hands clean first!"

Song Mo chuckled. "How many people can be as straightforward as you and me?"

"True enough!" Ma Youming sighed after a moment's thought. "Luckily, I'm bold—otherwise, I'd still be tormenting myself alone!"

Song Mo smiled. "I think we should have a good talk with Jiang Yi."

Ma Youming hesitated. "Every man for himself—that's the way of the world. We have no choice but to face this, but he's young and low-ranking. Let's not drag him into it."

Song Mo nodded inwardly in approval but said with a smile, "I'm afraid that's not up to us—we still need to know Wang Xu's true stance, don't we?"

Ma Youming flushed slightly. "I'll go fetch Jiang Yi right away."

Song Mo gave a slight nod.

Soon, Jiang Yi arrived.

Noticing a chill about him, Song Mo asked casually, "You're not on duty tonight? Is it alright for you to leave like this?"

Since Song Mo also oversaw the Five Cities Garrison, Jiang Yi didn't dare be careless.

He poured wine for Song Mo and Ma Youming respectfully and replied, "We rotate shifts every five days in the Five Cities Garrison. Today happens to be my day off."Song Mo asked gently, "Then why did your hair start getting damp as soon as you entered the private room?"

Although it was already mid-spring, the temperature difference between morning and evening in the Capital was still significant. In high-end establishments like the Drunken Immortal Tower, the underfloor heating hadn't been turned off yet. People who stayed outside for too long would find their chill turning into moisture upon entering.

Jiang Yi looked somewhat flustered but didn't try to make excuses. She just stood there with tightly pressed lips, wearing a sorrowful expression, remaining silent.