Blossom

Dou Zhao settled Song Shize in Chen Qushui’s courtyard and said to him, “If anyone asks, just say you’re a friend of Mr. Chen.”

Song Shize hesitated. “What if someone recognizes me?”

“That’s fine too,” Dou Zhao replied with a smile. “You’re a seasoned member of the household, well-traveled and once the chief steward of the Duke of England's Mansion. You’re perceptive—just respond flexibly based on their intentions. I trust you can handle it.”

Song Shize couldn’t help muttering to himself.

So, his urgent rush to the Duke of England's Mansion also served the purpose of being bait!

But things had come to this. He had already chosen between the Duke of Yingguo and the Young Lord, leaving no room for wavering. Now, he could only wholeheartedly follow the Hall of Cultivating Will. If this could resolve the Young Lord’s inner turmoil, even as bait, he would accept it.

Having made up his mind, Song Shize let go of his resentment.

He bowed respectfully to Dou Zhao and withdrew with Chen Qushui.

Dou Zhao immediately went out to find Song Mo.

The Golden Guard’s office was located in the Five Armies Commandery, but they also had a duty room within the inner palace. Song Mo was on duty today, stationed there. She waited in a small teahouse near the Five Armies Commandery.

Perhaps because it was surrounded by the offices of the Six Ministries, the teahouse had an unassuming entrance but led to winding paths and hidden courtyards inside. Without Liao Bifeng guiding them, they would never have found such a place.

After instructing the teahouse attendant to serve Dou Zhao tea and snacks, Liao Bifeng withdrew to the veranda outside with Wuyi and the others.

Sitting in the quiet private room, Dou Zhao suddenly felt her visit might have been impulsive.

Before Song Mo and Song Yichun had fallen out, Song Mo had never doubted his father and thus only knew superficial details about Song Yichun’s affairs. But after their rift, Song Mo had investigated Song Yichun extensively, just as Song Yichun had probed into Song Mo. If Song Yichun had left any traces after his involvement with Tiao Niang, they would have been uncovered. It seemed Song Yichun truly had not repeated his mistakes, as Song Shize had said.

This was an old matter from over a decade ago, even before Song Mo was born. Why was she so fixated on it?

Dou Zhao chuckled at herself.

Yet she couldn’t deny her curiosity about Tiao Niang—what kind of woman could have tempted Song Yichun into such scandalous behavior?

She asked Ruo Zhu to refill her tea.

Song Mo arrived in a hurry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. He knew Song Shize had secretly entered the mansion, but Dou Zhao’s sudden visit worried him. He had even left his post despite being on duty with Dong Qi, asking Dong Qi to cover for him as he rushed out of the palace. “You could have sent a message. Why come yourself? In your condition, you shouldn’t endure the jostling of travel.”

Dou Zhao smiled and touched her belly. “Don’t worry, I came by sedan chair.” Noticing the fine sweat on his forehead, she knew he had hurried. She instructed Ruo Tong to bring water for Song Mo to freshen up, then turned to him. “I met with Song Shize. He shared some old stories, and I found them quite moving, so I came to see you.”

She sat beside Song Mo and recounted her conversation with Song Shize in detail.

Song Mo’s eyes widened as he listened. After she finished, he remained silent for a long moment before asking, “Is this true?” His expression was dazed.No one could feel good upon hearing that their father had once done such things.

Dou Zhao sighed softly and nodded. "It's been so many years, and the young lady has passed away, so it no longer concerns us. But considering your mother was pregnant with you at the time, her feelings must have been very complicated. That’s why I wanted to tell you—at least so you’d understand the hardships she endured..."

Perhaps deep down, she felt that the more indifferent Song Mo was toward Song Yichun, the safer he would be when confronting his father. That might be why she told him all this.

Song Mo’s mood visibly darkened. "So, Father removed everyone Grandfather left for me?"

He skipped over the matter of the mistress and went straight to the issue of the stewards.

"Yes," Dou Zhao replied. Since the message had been conveyed, saying more would only rub salt in the wound. "From what Song Shize implied, this was why no one warned you when the Duke acted against you."

Song Mo fell silent for a moment before saying, "I’ll look into this." His usual calm and composure returned.

Relieved yet heartbroken, Dou Zhao smiled and changed the subject. "Who owns this teahouse? It’s quite cleverly designed—each space is like a small pavilion courtyard. Besides tea and snacks, they also serve meals. Since I rarely get out, why don’t we have dinner here today?"

When she entered, she had noticed wooden plaques listing dishes on the screen wall, indicating that the teahouse also served food and wine.

Song Mo occasionally entertained friends or discussed matters with subordinates here. He knew the tea was decent, but the food left much to be desired. Still, seeing Dou Zhao’s enthusiasm, he played along and asked Liao Bifeng to fetch the menu from the tea master, ordering a few of the better dishes.

While waiting for the tea, Dou Zhao told Song Mo about her visit to the Source of Dharma Temple in Zhen Ding with Dou Qijun and others to enjoy vegetarian dishes.

Song Mo listened with great interest.

But Dou Zhao’s thoughts drifted to Wu Shan.

It had been a long time since she last heard from him. She wondered how he was doing.

The thought passed quickly, however, as she was soon captivated by Song Mo’s rare, bright smile, pushing Wu Shan from her mind.

Wu Shan stood before a pomegranate tree, staring blankly as the dignified and noble-looking man gently helped the familiar figure into a carriage.

Dou Qijun shook his head slightly.

Wu Shan snapped out of his daze.

He gave Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang an awkward smile. "Shall we go in? Otherwise, we might run into more acquaintances and spend half the day greeting them."

Wu Shan had invited Dou Qijun to celebrate his success in the Presented Scholar exams. After much deliberation, he had chosen this teahouse—only to unexpectedly encounter someone he thought he’d never see again.

The Dou family uncle and nephews hadn’t expected to see Dou Zhao here either.

They exchanged understanding smiles and let the matter drop.

Dou Dechang brought up Wu Shan’s marriage. "You’ve been engaged to your cousin for three years now. When will you treat us to the wedding wine?"

Wu Shan flushed. "After the Provincial Examination in September, we’ll hold the ceremony."

"Excellent," Dou Zhengchang said. "We’ll also be taking the exams this year. We’ll come celebrate at your place afterward!"

Wu Shan smiled and agreed.These days, he hadn’t been focusing much on his studies. Having failed the last Provincial Examination, he was now applying himself diligently to his studies. If he could pass and become a Recommended Man this time, and then marry his cousin as his mother wished, perhaps she wouldn’t oppose his interactions with the Dou family anymore?

He smiled and invited the uncle and nephew from the Dou family into the private room, yet for some reason, his heart was filled with inexplicable sorrow.

Meanwhile, Dou Zhao found herself unable to sleep after returning to the Hall of Cultivating Will. She called Ruo Zhu to her side and said, “Find a way to investigate why the maids in Cassia Fragrance Courtyard are always embroiled in such fierce conflicts.”

Previously, she had assumed it was petty jealousy and found it distasteful, unwilling to even hear about it. But now, she was eager to know the reason.

Ruo Zhu respectfully replied, “Yes,” and only then did Dou Zhao rest peacefully.

Two days later, Ruo Zhu returned with her findings.

“Madam, the Duke is easily swayed. He favors whoever serves him well, but within days, he punishes those same attendants over trivial matters.” Her expression turned peculiar. “The maids in Cassia Fragrance Courtyard go to great lengths to please the Duke, hoping to stand out in his eyes. They resort to slander and schemes, stopping at nothing. Yet the Duke only listens to flattery, turning a deaf ear to criticism. Over time, the maids have become like sworn enemies, each stepping on the other to climb higher. It’s said that Bai Zhi rose by trampling over Chuan’er, never expecting Chuan’er would be transferred to the Second Master’s courtyard. Before leaving, Chuan’er set a trap for Bai Zhi, nearly getting her banished to the farmstead. Bai Zhi, furious, sought revenge to teach Chuan’er a lesson…”

Dou Zhao’s interest was piqued. “Bai Zhi and Chuan’er both serve the Duke closely. Have they been taken into his chambers?”

Ruo Zhu’s face flushed crimson as she whispered, “No! Everyone in Cassia Fragrance Courtyard knows the Duke never lays a hand on the maids. At most, Bai Zhi and Chuan’er are just prettier and sweeter-tongued, earning his favor. But as for being taken into his chambers, since Madam Jiang passed, only one named Du Ruo has been kept in his quarters.” Lowering her voice further, she added, “From Luo Yan’s tone, that Du Ruo seems unusual. Aside from serving the Duke, she stays in her room all day, engrossed in needlework without lifting her head. She never seeks the Duke’s attention or pays heed to the other maids’ gossip…”

Dou Zhao instructed someone to send word to Du Wei to investigate Du Ruo’s background.

It turned out Du Ruo was the descendant of a disgraced official, reduced to servitude.

She then had Du Wei look into Song Yichun’s former bedroom servants.

None were from humble origins—either daughters of respectable families who entered service or those whose fathers or brothers were esteemed stewards in the household. Song Yichun treated these women well, showing them kindness and generosity during their service and providing substantial dowries upon their departure, ensuring they left without resentment.

How intriguing!

Dou Zhao sipped her tea, gazing at the lush wisteria outside the window.

According to Song Shize, that Tiao Niang was surnamed Li. Her ancestors had once produced a Hanlin scholar, and though her family had declined by her father’s generation, they still earned three hundred taels of silver annually—enough to support her brother’s education and save for her dowry.

It seemed Song Yichun placed great importance on a woman’s background. He wasn’t the type to lose his head over beauty; he had certain standards for the women who served him.There were both advantages and disadvantages to this.

The advantage was that these women were usually well-educated, and secondly, such women were more easily elevated to the status of concubines.

Yet, over all these years, Song Yichun had never taken a concubine.

Was it because he felt none of these women were worthy of becoming his concubine? Or was it because Madam Jiang disapproved?

Dou Zhao pondered for a moment, then went straight to ask Song Mo.

"What are you thinking about?" Song Mo had been rather busy lately and hadn’t paid much attention to Dou Zhao, unaware of what she had been up to these days. He chuckled and pinched her nose lightly. "After Mother gave birth to Tianen, her health wasn’t good. She even suggested finding Father a concubine. But Father picked and chose—either he wasn’t satisfied with their background, or they weren’t willing to become concubines. So the matter was left unsettled."