Blossom

Song Mo sneered and had Wuyi summon Liao Bifeng while he went to the study to retrieve a ledger.

"Take some men to the Upper Courtyard," he handed the list to Liao Bifeng. "Check every item on this ledger and make sure Song Han returns everything—down to the last needle and thread."

Liao Bifeng had already heard about the incident in the Upper Courtyard. Though he didn’t understand why Song Mo and Song Han had come to such a conflict, as Song Mo’s adviser, his duty was to act in Song Mo’s interests. Without a word of protest, he bowed respectfully in acknowledgment and led a group of guards, along with over twenty maids and old women, straight to the Upper Courtyard.

That night was destined to be sleepless.

Liao Bifeng and his team spent hours inventorying the items well past midnight, while Cassia Fragrance Courtyard, having received sudden notice, scrambled to prepare rooms, boil water, and serve tea, keeping everyone in chaos until late.

Jiang Shi had no sisters-in-law, and Song Yichun’s collateral relatives had long since moved out to live independently. The assets of the Duke of England's Mansion were effectively hers, and her dowry had long been indistinguishable from the household’s possessions—she used whatever she pleased. After Jiang Shi’s death, Song Han had continued living in the Upper Courtyard. When Song Mo had proposed splitting their mother’s dowry with Song Han, it wasn’t out of pettiness but to prevent their late mother’s belongings from being mistreated by Song Yichun in the mansion. He also considered that if Song Yichun remarried and had another legitimate son, Song Han’s position in the household would become awkward. It would be better for him to establish his own residence after marriage. Thus, Song Mo allocated to Song Han the farmsteads, shops, furniture, and antiques from Jiang Shi’s dowry, while he only took her jewelry, personal items, manuscripts, and paintings.

Since Song Han had received the lion’s share, Lu Fuli had even praised Song Mo for his generosity and brotherly affection.

As a result, the Upper Courtyard remained just as it had been during Jiang Shi’s lifetime. In spring, Huang Quan’s Peony Painting would hang in the central hall; in summer, large blue-and-white porcelain vases filled with lotus blooms adorned the rooms; in autumn, the chicken-wing wood screen inlaid with mother-of-pearl would be brought out; and in winter, Jun porcelain vases held plum blossoms—the epitome of elegance.

The ledger Song Mo gave Liao Bifeng was the inventory of items from the Upper Courtyard during Jiang Shi’s lifetime.

This included a pair of jade safety buckles bestowed upon Jiang Shi by the Empress in the spring of the fourth year of the Chenping era.

Since Song Han was to move to Cassia Fragrance Courtyard, his personal belongings naturally had to be moved as well—he couldn’t be left without even a teacup to drink from, forcing Zeng Wu to raid Song Yichun’s storeroom in the dead of night!

But when Liao Bifeng conducted the inventory, far more than just needles and thread were missing.

A set of tea cups with famille rose floral brocade patterns, a purple clay bamboo-shaped teapot, a glass lotus tea cup, a pair of chrysanthemum and peach crystal plates… ten pairs of phoebe zhennan wood chopsticks, ten pairs of ebony inlaid ivory chopsticks, ten carved red lacquer fruit plates with flower and bird motifs… six mutton fat jade lion curtain tassels, one light green jade tree root brush washer, one Hetian jade dragonfly water container… in total, no fewer than two or three hundred items.

Song Luo, who had accompanied them, broke into a nervous sweat and asked Liao Bifeng, "What should we do?"

"What should we do?" Liao Bifeng gave a bitter smile. "We go and demand them from the Second Young Lord, of course."

"But the Second Young Lord is in Cassia Fragrance Courtyard…" Song Luo muttered.

"Which is precisely why the Young Lord specifically instructed that even a single needle or thread must be retrieved from him," Liao Bifeng retorted with a disdainful glance. He then selected a few guards and headed to Cassia Fragrance Courtyard with the list in hand.Song Han lay on the bed, clutching his neck and groaning. The physician, summoned in the middle of the night, wiped cold sweat from his brow as he addressed Song Yichun standing by the bedside, "The Second Young Master is not seriously injured. A couple of doses of medicine will suffice." Upon hearing Liao Bifeng's purpose for coming, both Song Yichun and Song Han were dumbfounded.

Song Mo was tearing off all pretenses to eliminate them completely!

The physician inwardly lamented his misfortune, hunching his shoulders and bending his waist, wishing he could turn into a speck of dust in the corner where no one would notice him.

Song Yichun's face flushed crimson as he shouted at Song Han, "You wretched little beast! How could you be so shortsighted? Just some cups, chopsticks, bowls, and plates—used or not, you had to move them to Cassia Fragrance Courtyard? Do you think the manor's belongings aren’t accounted for? If you’re not ashamed, I am! Return all those things at once!"

Qi Xia hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

Song Han couldn’t suppress his grievances and retorted, "They were all things I used daily. How could Elder Brother even begrudge me these? Should I use Father’s belongings instead?"

Song Yichun choked on his words.

Song Han lowered his eyes and began sobbing.

Song Yichun had no choice but to say to Song Luo, who had brought in the inventory list, "Go inform the Young Lord that these items belong to the manor. Have Manager Huang record them under Cassia Fragrance Courtyard."

Song Luo wouldn’t have served in the Hall of Cultivating Will if he weren’t sharp-witted.

With a smile, he bowed to Song Yichun and said, "Then I’ll deliver the list to Manager Huang. However, some of these items were part of Madam Jiang’s dowry. Should we draft another list and have the Second Young Master issue a receipt to the Young Lord? That way, we servants can balance the accounts properly."

Song Yichun was taken aback and couldn’t help but glare fiercely at Song Han for causing such trouble.

Song Han, however, was well acquainted with Madam Jiang’s dowry. He might have inadvertently taken some of her belongings, but certainly not this many.

Considering how Song Mo now regarded him as an enemy, he said, "Let me see that list!"

Song Luo hastily handed it over.

Pointing to the entry for "Six mutton fat jade lions playing with embroidered ball curtain tassels," Song Han asked, "I also have a copy of Mother’s dowry list. Why don’t I recall seeing this?"

Song Luo smiled. "Second Young Master may not know, but these jade tassels were originally decorative pieces, displayed on a sandalwood tray atop the kang table for admiration. There were twelve in total. Do you remember that day when you went to pay respects to the Duchess and a strong wind blew the curtains wildly, nearly hitting your foot? The Duchess then instructed Zhu Jun to use these lion tassels to weigh down the curtain corners. Since then, the upper courtyard has used them as curtain weights. The storeroom later reclassified them as tassels. If you doubt this, I can fetch the ledger—it took us quite some time to trace their origin. As for this glass lotus tea cup, it was originally a pair sent by the Jiang Family’s Eldest Uncle. One was given to the Young Lord, the other to you. Yours broke, so the Young Lord gave you his. Later, the Jiang Family supplemented the dowry list, and this tea cup was included... But this is all recorded in the ledger. It’s not unclear. If you truly fancy that glass lotus tea cup, you may keep it. Just make sure to note it in the ledger so we can report properly if the Young Lord inquires."Song Han laughed in extreme anger, saying, "What account books? Show them to me—I want to examine them carefully!"

What nonsense about a curtain nearly hitting his foot. Those twelve lion-chasing-embroidered-ball ornaments were clearly birthday gifts from the Metropolitan Commander of Miyun Guard when he turned eight!

And that glazed teacup—it was one of ten his mother had specially commissioned from Guangdong for Old Madam Lu's birthday celebration. He had found it so beautiful he'd clamored to keep one. The purchase had been paid from the household funds—how could it suddenly become part of his mother's dowry?

Was he now a tiger fallen to the plains, that even a lowly page like Song Luo dared spout such nonsense with such conviction before him?

Yet Song Luo merely smiled in assent and turned to leave.

His departing figure showed not the slightest hesitation.

Song Han gnashed his teeth in fury.

But Song Yichun grew suspicious.

Regardless of whether the page's claims were true, how could he answer so confidently without absolute certainty?

He recalled Song Mo's enraged expression while throttling Song Han at midnight.

With Song Mo currently in such a temper—seeking trouble where none existed—if he dared confront Song Han now, he must have already laid a trap waiting for Song Han to stumble into it!

He'd done such things before.

Then it struck him—allowing Song Han to reside in Cassia Fragrance Courtyard had been a grave mistake.

If Song Mo was demanding even these trivial items from Jiang Shi's possessions, how could he possibly let Song Han keep the lands and shops previously allocated to him?

Without Jiang Shi's dowry, Song Han would own nothing substantial and become entirely dependent on him for support... Just when he himself was short on funds, here came another freeloader...

Song Yichun's head began to throb.

Song Han reached the same realization.

He'd tactfully mentioned his financial difficulties to Father, who had pretended not to hear, leaving him to bicker with Song Mo's page... How miserly!

If Song Mo reclaimed the dowry properties under his name, how would he survive?

No! He couldn't surrender the assets Jiang Shi left him!

In his panic, Song Luo reentered.

"My Lord Duke, Second Master, please examine this." He placed a thick account book before Song Yichun. "See this white jade lion-chasing-ball ornament? Then here—on the ninth month of Dingsi year, it's recorded as a curtain weight... Right during summer inventory. And here—fifth month of Wuwu year: twelve white jade monkey-chasing-ball curtain weights for the Main chamber, handled by Zhu Jun with his seal..."

As Song Luo flipped rapidly through the pages, Song Yichun saw only rows of dark characters—how could he possibly verify their authenticity?

Dawn light gradually brightened the room. From learning of Song Han's beating by Song Mo to this demand for restitution—alarm, unease, indignation, rage, agitation—this night had taken him from mountain base to summit, then sent him tumbling back down, leaving his entire body aching unbearably. He roared at Song Han: "Return every item you took from the main residence exactly as you removed it! You're the Second Master of the Duke of England's Mansion, not some roadside beggar dragging whatever catches your eye into your quarters! Can't you show some dignity instead of always behaving like cheap meat unfit for proper tables?"

With that, he stormed out, sleeves flaring.Song Luo's bright eyes sparkled as she gazed at Song Han, though inwardly she marveled at Mr. Liao's shrewdness. Discovering the missing items, he had immediately summoned the accountants to copy the ledger overnight—who knew it would prove so useful?

Should she urge the Second Master to hurry?

The Young Lord was waiting for their report!

Secretly pleased, she didn't notice Song Han grabbing the medicine bowl by the bedside and hurling it at her.

"Aiyo!" Song Luo cried, clutching her forehead.

Qi Xia turned pale with fright.

But Song Luo thought—if only it bled! When the Young Lord saw it later, he'd surely praise her for being diligent...