Blossom

The crimson lanterns beneath the veranda swayed in the night breeze, casting flickering light on Song Mo's face, making his expression appear inscrutable.

Song Yichun watched, his heart pounding, and shouted at Song Mo, "What have you done to Tianen?"

Song Mo remained silent.

The courtyard was eerily quiet, with only the sound of wind rustling through the treetops.

With so many people watching, surely Song Mo wouldn’t dare to kill him right here?

After hesitating for a moment, Song Yichun stepped forward.

"Where is Tianen?" he demanded, his tone harsh.

Song Mo took a step forward.

Song Yichun retreated three steps.

The bright lantern light illuminated their faces.

A trace of fear lingered in Song Yichun’s eyes.

Song Mo sneered and said softly, "Take Song Han and get out of the upper courtyard!"

Song Yichun widened his eyes. "What did you say?"

Song Mo smiled. "I said, take Song Han and get out of the upper courtyard!"

His voice was clear and firm, carrying far in the silent summer night.

All the guards, whether loyal to Song Yichun or Song Mo, lowered their heads.

"How dare you speak to me like this?" Song Yichun, humiliated and enraged, snapped. "The upper courtyard belongs to the Duke of England's Mansion. I decide who lives there! Don’t think just because you can stand tall before the Emperor that you can dictate things at home—"

Song Mo laughed, cutting him off. "If you’re not afraid of ghosts, then by all means, move into the upper courtyard with Song Han. I have no objections!"

Song Yichun’s words caught in his throat.

"I’ll give you half an hour," Song Mo said coldly, his gaze sinister, as if shrouded in dark clouds. "If you and Song Han aren’t out of the upper courtyard by then, I’ll show you just how straight my back is before the Emperor!"

With that, he strode away.

Song Yichun stamped his feet at his retreating figure. "Monster! Ungrateful wretch! How did I raise such a thing?"

Chang Guard lowered his eyes and quietly urged Song Yichun, "Your Grace, we should hurry and check on the Second Young Master."

Snapping back to reality, Song Yichun rushed into the inner chamber.

Song Han was slumped on the floor, leaning against the leg of the Grand Preceptor’s chair, gasping for breath, the red marks around his neck glaringly obvious.

Chang Guard carefully helped Song Han onto the chair and bowed to Song Yichun. "I’ll fetch a physician for the Second Young Master," he said before withdrawing.

"Father!" Song Han whimpered tearfully. "Brother tried to kill me! Am I really not Mother’s son?"

Song Yichun stiffened, then scolded him harshly. "Why are you so weak-minded, believing every rumor? Your brother committed treason and fears I’ll strip him of his heirship, so he opposes me at every turn. How can you believe his words? Don’t I know whether you’re my son or not?"

Song Han hung his head and muttered, "Brother said Li Dasheng, who served me, never returned home—that I killed Li Tiaoniang. But I don’t even know her! No matter how I defended myself, Brother wouldn’t believe me. His guards tortured me until I confessed, but then he said I was lying." He looked up at Song Yichun, tears streaming down his face. "I didn’t know what to do—whether to admit it or not..."

Song Yichun was stunned. "Li Dasheng is missing?"Song Han pouted and nodded, saying, "Brother said Li Dasheng is missing." Then he asked curiously, "Father, is Li Tiaoniang Jiang Yan's birth mother? Are Jiang Yan and I twins? If Jiang Yan looks exactly like Mother, how could she be Li Tiaoniang's daughter? Does that mean Li Tiaoniang also looked just like Mother?"

Song Yichun grew agitated by Song Han's questions and snapped impatiently, "Your brother was fooled, and now you're joining in. How did I end up with two such foolish sons?"

"Oh!" Song Han hung his head in shame.

Song Yichun then asked him, "What exactly did your brother ask you earlier?"

Song Han mumbled, "He asked if I knew Li Tiaoniang... if I knew Li Liang... where Li Dasheng went... whether I ordered Li Dasheng to kill Li Tiaoniang..." As he spoke, he tugged at Song Yichun's sleeve. "Father, Brother was really scary. Can I move in with you at Cassia Fragrance Courtyard? Please?"

If Song Mo dared to harm Song Han while he was still at home, what would stop him from going even further when he was away?

Song Yichun glanced around the room, still furnished exactly as it had been during Jiang Shi's lifetime, and felt a suffocating weight in his chest. The words Song Mo had spoken earlier echoed in his mind. He nodded and said, "Fine, you can move in with me. At least Chang Guard will be there to protect you—he wouldn’t dare act recklessly then."

If Chang Guard could really protect you, why would Song Mo dare to treat you as if you were invisible?

Song Han silently scoffed but sighed in relief, forcing a smile. "That’s great! Now I won’t have to be afraid of Brother bullying me anymore!"

Song Yichun inwardly cursed him as an "idiot."

At Song Han's age, Song Mo had already been capable of handling responsibilities independently, yet Song Han still understood nothing. Even when Song Mo was clearly out for his life, he still thought it was just bullying. Bloodline determines intelligence—some things just can’t be taught!

With a disdainful curl of his lip, Song Yichun called for guards to help Song Han move his belongings.

Meanwhile, Song Mo stood on the steps of the main hall in the Hall of Cultivating Will, listening to the commotion from the upper courtyard.

Dou Zhao urged him, "Don’t be angry. Come inside and have some tea. Watch out for the mosquitoes."

Song Mo took a deep breath and followed her into the inner chamber.

The room was scented with mugwort, its faint fragrance creating a warm and comforting atmosphere.

Dou Zhao personally poured him a cup of Biluochun tea.

Accepting the teacup, Song Mo sighed. "You should sit and rest too. All this family turmoil has disturbed your peace as well."

Dou Zhao sat beside him and smiled. "Which family doesn’t have its share of troubles? Compared to things like favoring concubines over wives or spoiling illegitimate children at the expense of legitimate heirs, fraternal strife really doesn’t seem like such a big deal to me!"

Song Mo couldn’t help but laugh. "You have no idea—I was so furious I nearly slapped that little bastard to death. But then I thought, that would be letting him off too easily, so I forced myself to swallow my anger."

Though he always maintained a composed facade in front of others, it didn’t mean he wasn’t seething inside. Now that he was willing to vent to Dou Zhao, she naturally hoped he could speak freely and release all his pent-up resentment.

Once the anger was vented, his heart would settle.

She held his hand and listened quietly as he poured out his grievances."People say I'm ruthless and cruel. But that's towards others. With my family, I've always been lenient, turning a blind eye to minor faults. Look at my uncles—when Father wanted to disown me from the family, they remained silent. Though I disliked it, I understood self-preservation is human nature, so I didn’t hold it against them.

"Song Han caused A-Yan to end up like this. Though I can no longer love him as a true brother, I never intended to drive him out of the Duke of England's Mansion or ruin his reputation. At most, I’d stop interfering in his affairs, redeem Mother’s dowry for A-Yan, and when he’s older, set him up separately. After all, the root of this lies with Father. It was Father who brought them to this state. Even when I later suspected he might have killed Li Tiaoniang, I could still understand his fear and worry... But to knowingly serve Mother poison—how could he? The thought of Mother drinking that poison, believing it was his filial devotion, is unbearable.

"I deliberately hid from Father what I asked him, just to let him taste the torment of suspicion and dread, living each day in fear. Even if he wishes for a quick death, that’s not for him to decide."

In his past life, Song Mo had even killed him.

Dou Zhao raised Song Mo’s hand to her lips and gently kissed it.

His expression softened immediately. "Song Han thinks that by refusing to talk, I’ll shift my focus to Father to uncover who poisoned Mother. He underestimates me.

"Mother’s death stems from her gratitude toward Father for supporting Uncle’s cause. Wanting to repay him, she proposed bringing Li Tiaoniang and her daughter into the mansion. Fearful Mother would discover the truth of the switched identities, Father bribed Xingfang, Mother’s maid, to poison her medicine. To ensure Mother wouldn’t suspect, he had Song Han, who was attending her, personally serve it.

"Mother would never suspect her own son.

"She drank it without hesitation.

"Later, when Father refused Li Tiaoniang entry, Mother grew suspicious. So Father went all the way, revealing the truth.

"Uncle’s death had already left Mother heartbroken and guilt-ridden. Learning the son she cherished was another woman’s child, while her own daughter was raised in obscurity—how could she not be enraged? How could she not succumb to despair?

"Song Han fears the truth would expose that he’s long known he isn’t Mother’s son. But his lies—nine truths laced with one falsehood—only fuel my fury." He gave a cold smile. "Now that all pretenses are dropped, I’ll walk my path, and they theirs. Let’s see how long they last against me."

Clearly, Song Mo had no intention of letting Song Yichun and Song Han off easily.

In his past life, exiled by Song Yichun, he acted without restraint—patricide and fratricide earned him only scorn. But now, as the Duke of England’s heir, bound by filial and fraternal duties, he couldn’t afford such recklessness.Dou Zhao couldn't help but feel concerned: "If you want to deal with them, you'd better come up with a foolproof plan. Damaging your own reputation would mean losing more than you gain."

"I know!" Song Mo laughed. "Uncle once said, 'To hunt wolves, you must be fiercer than wolves; to catch foxes, you must be more cunning than foxes.' If I get myself trapped just to deal with these two scoundrels, wouldn't I become a laughingstock? They killed my mother and forced my sister to flee her own home. Did they think they could get away with it? Not a chance! Just wait and see—I'll make sure they suffer in silence."

Dou Zhao believed Song Mo could do it.

She silently mourned for Song Yichun and Song Han's future for a moment.

A page entered and reported: "Young Lord, the Second Master has already moved into the Duke's Cassia Fragrance Courtyard."