Blossom

Dou Zhao was now heavily pregnant, her belly as large as a basket, which made Song Mo quite anxious. However, the midwife introduced by the Crown Princess reassured them with a beaming smile, saying, “No worries. Madam has wide hips—she’s built for easy childbirth.” Dou Zhao remembered her first delivery had gone smoothly, so she agreed with the midwife and comforted Song Mo, “Go attend to your duties. If anything happens, I’ll have Wuyi fetch you.”

The Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion was constantly bustling with social engagements.

After Ningde Princess’s birthday came the celebrations for Third Princess, Empress Wan, and the Empress Dowager. By the sixteenth of June, it was the Emperor’s birthday, followed by Liao Wang and the Crown Prince’s birthdays in the latter half of the year—not to mention the countless birthdays of other imperial children, princes, and high-ranking officials. Dou Zhao felt that if the Affairs Office didn’t mark these dates on the calendar in advance, they’d surely overlook some and cause a mishap.

Today, Song Mo had been discussing the Empress Dowager’s birthday gifts with Gu Yu and Yan Chaoqing when the midwife arrived. Song Mo immediately left Gu Yu behind and hurried in, leaving the gift selection unresolved.

“It’s fine,” Song Mo said softly, gazing at Dou Zhao’s belly with a mix of awe and concern. “My absence will give them a chance to voice their opinions freely.” Then, turning to the midwife, he asked, “But what if Madam can’t deliver the baby smoothly?”

The midwife’s eyes widened.

If she couldn’t deliver, wouldn’t that mean facing death’s door?

But how could she say such a thing aloud?

She hesitated before replying, “Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital will be present during the birth, and I’m also skilled in acupuncture. Nothing will go wrong.”

Song Mo then bombarded her with questions—which Imperial Physician specialized in gynecology, which in pediatrics, what tonics were best for newborns, and so on.

The midwife patiently answered each question with a smile, though inwardly she couldn’t help but wonder.

Aren’t these matters usually a woman’s concern? Why is the Young Lord of the Duke of Yingguo’s Mansion so involved?

Outsiders whispered that the Young Lord was a ruthless killer. Had the Crown Princess not personally requested her services, she would never have dared to come. Even then, her legs had trembled the entire journey. To her surprise, the Young Lord was nothing like the ferocious brute of rumors—instead, he was strikingly handsome, with jade-like features, piercing dark eyes, and an elegant, dignified demeanor. In her thirty-odd years, she had visited many noble households but had never seen a man more beautiful than the Duke of Yingguo’s heir. Most importantly, his tender care for his wife was unmistakably genuine.

What luck Madam has!

She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Truly, rumors could ruin a person’s reputation!

Dou Zhao, however, tugged at Song Mo’s sleeve and chided softly, “What tonics for a newborn? When Aunt went to Huguang, she left me with detailed instructions, and Sixth Aunt even sent Wang Momo to attend to me. Since we know nothing about these matters, we should trust the experts and not act recklessly, lest we disregard our elders’ kindness.”

Her implication was clear—stop causing trouble.

Song Mo chuckled sheepishly, reminding her to “rest if tired,” before returning to the outer courtyard.

Dou Zhao watched him leave, shaking her head with a smile.

How anxiety clouds judgment.

Even Song Mo could be like this.

How amusing.

Yet her heart felt sweet, as if she had a piece of candy melting in her mouth.

She instructed Gan Lu to reward the midwife.At the end of March, with Song Mo's approval and after Dou Zhao had inquired about the man, Su Juan was betrothed to a steward named Xu Liang from the outer courtyard's Affairs Office. However, Gan Lu's marriage was still undecided.

Gan Lu smilingly handed a heavy money pouch to the midwife.

The midwife was both shocked and delighted.

She had long heard that the Young Lord's wife of the Duke of Yingguo had a generous dowry, but she hadn’t expected her to be so lavish in her gifts.

After uttering a few auspicious words, the midwife left the inner chamber with Gan Lu, still smiling.

Dou Zhao, supported by Ruo Zhu, stepped down from the kang and strolled around the courtyard of the main house.

This was a lesson from her past life.

The more one moved before childbirth, the easier the delivery would be.

Gan Lu, who had just returned from seeing off the midwife, directed a few maids to arrange fruits and pastries on a small tea table.

First Madam Song arrived with her daughter-in-law, Tan Shi.

Dou Zhao, recalling that the madam had once recommended a midwife to her, assumed she had come out of concern for her impending delivery. Seeing the pleasant weather, she instructed the maids to bring embroidered stools and placed them under the grapevine trellis, inviting the madam and Tan Shi to enjoy tea and snacks.

After exchanging a few pleasantries about childbirth, the madam abruptly shifted the topic to Jiang Yi: "...I heard that young man is quite dashing. With your pregnancy, delivery, and recovery, it’ll be at least half a year. You should start making some plans for certain matters."

Dou Zhao was momentarily bewildered before realizing what the madam was implying.

She couldn’t help but laugh. "Thank you for your concern, Eldest Aunt. I believe the Young Lord has his own arrangements. As a woman, I shouldn’t meddle in such affairs."

The madam flushed crimson and hemmed and hawed for a while before hesitantly revealing her true purpose.

It turned out that Tan Shi’s father also served in the Five Cities Garrison and had recently been promoted to Commander of the Northern District. After Song Mo took office, he had visited Song Mo multiple times, and Song Mo had always received him warmly. Yet, when it came to promotions, Hao Dayong got the position instead!

After Hao Dayong took charge of the Five Cities Garrison, he grew increasingly disrespectful toward Song Mo, repaying kindness with malice. Not only did he target the Marquis of Jining, making things difficult for him at every turn, but he also recently launched a public investigation into the Marquis’ affairs. He exposed the Marquis’ partnership with a certain Mr. Wang in running a silk shop on East Street, stirring up a scandal that became the talk of the town.

The madam said, "Although imperial officials aren’t allowed to engage in commerce, which family among the court officials doesn’t dabble in some trade? Relying solely on meager salaries would starve them all! One should be lenient where possible. Hao Dayong’s actions have caused discontent throughout the Five Cities Garrison. My father-in-law fears the Young Lord might be implicated and specifically asked me to inform Madam, so the Young Lord won’t be deceived by that Hao fellow!"

Dou Zhao smiled without responding and glanced at Tan Shi.

Others might not know, but Tan Shi understood perfectly.

Her father was jealous of Hao Dayong and Jiang Yi for gaining Song Mo’s favor and was now trying to sow discord between them in front of Song Mo!

Tan Shi’s face turned bright red.

Only then did Dou Zhao leisurely sip her tea and say slowly, "In that case, I’ll have someone escort you to the front study—the Young Lord is currently discussing matters with Young Master Gu." Raising her voice, she called for Ruo Tong, making it clear she wanted no part in this.

The madam was startled and exclaimed, "Madam! The Marquis of Jining is your brother-in-law!"

Dou Zhao smirked, her tone both admonishing and warning. "The Marquis may be my brother-in-law, but the Young Lord is my husband!"

The madam’s expression changed abruptly, and she hastily took her leave with Tan Shi.Gan Lu knew that Dou Zhao always defended Song Mo in front of outsiders. Seeing that Da Taitai and her daughter-in-law had left, she lowered her voice and said, "This matter—shouldn’t you really ask the Young Lord about it?"

Dou Zhao replied, "The Young Lord has his own reasons for what he does. If I had to confront him every time someone came to me with nonsense, life would become unbearable."

Gan Lu flushed with embarrassment.

Dou Zhao quickly put the matter aside.

Because Chen Qushui had returned.

Not only had he returned, but he had also brought a man in his sixties with him.

The old man’s surname was Song, given name Jin, courtesy name Shize.

He was the grandfather of the girl originally named Meiyi, now called Fuye.

Though Song Shize was over sixty and not tall, his back was straight as a rod. His graying hair was neatly combed, his coarse robe spotlessly clean, and his eyes sharp and bright, exuding vigor.

He knelt before Dou Zhao, tears streaming down his face. "My ancestors were granted the surname Song by the Duke’s household. By my generation, we were further favored by the Duke’s mansion—I served in the old Duke’s study as a boy and later became a chief steward. After Madam Sun passed away and Madam Jiang took charge, with the old Duke bedridden by illness, I volunteered to retire to the Tianjin farmstead to live with my son and daughter-in-law. When the old Duke died, I even assisted in the funeral rites for the third... Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the Duke’s household would become what it is today! Not only have all the familiar faces vanished, but I couldn’t even uncover the reason. I wanted to seek the Young Lord’s guidance, but his guards are as dense as a forest—ordinary people can’t get close. I left the mansion before the Young Lord was born, so even if I introduced myself, he might not recognize me. I was frantic until I heard that Madam had instructed the Manor Head of Daxing Farmstead to send a maidservant to serve in the Hall of Cultivating Will. That gave me hope, so I sent my only granddaughter in... Madam, we’ve waited three long years for this day!"

He kowtowed repeatedly to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao raised an eyebrow.

To have assisted in the funeral rites for the third master of the household indicated that he had been a trusted and highly respected steward.

His departure from the Duke of England’s Mansion to retire to the Tianjin farmstead was likely due to the transition of power, making way for Madam Jiang’s people. Afterward, Madam Jiang favored the Jiang Family, leaving descendants like him with no opportunity to return to service in the mansion, relegating them to the farmsteads as ordinary farmers.

She motioned for Chen Qushui to help him up and had a stool brought for Song Shize. Calmly, she said, "Logically, the Duke is the head of the Duke of England’s Mansion. Yet you say you wanted the Young Lord’s guidance—meaning you already understand why those familiar faces disappeared. As for claiming you couldn’t uncover the reason, that’s simply absurd. Since you’ve come to me, you must have already formed a plan. Let’s speak frankly and deal with each other openly. Testing me with half-truths like this is a waste of my time and patience. You should know that besides your granddaughter, I also have someone whose grandmother served two generations of the Duke’s wives, and another who once worked in the old Duchess’s quarters. Though I don’t know their names, Steward Song, as a longtime servant of the mansion, surely does. If I could find you, I could find them too—it would just take a little more time."

Song Shize’s expression stiffened, then turned sheepish.The fact that the Madam of the heir could find him was partly because he had intentionally left clues, but it also demonstrated her shrewdness and capability. From the moment he learned that The Duke of England's Mansion was selecting maids from the farmstead's hereditary servants, he had been pondering how to both preserve the Duke's dignity and leave a good impression on the Madam during their first meeting. Yet who could have predicted such an outcome... Now, with matters reaching a life-or-death juncture, there was no room for further deliberation or hesitation. Even if he misspoke, the consequences couldn't be worse than this.

Gritting his teeth, he thudded back down to his knees before Dou Zhao.