Blossom

Jiang Yan asked Dou Zhao anxiously, "Can I... can I really do this?"

"Why not?" Dou Zhao smiled, smoothing her hair. "Every household has its own way of life. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. There's no need to compare how others live or how it differs from yours."

Jiang Yan nodded earnestly.

The atmosphere grew somewhat solemn.

Jiang Lizhu covered her mouth with a chuckle and asked Jiang Yan how many days she planned to stay at her parents' home.

Blushing, Jiang Yan whispered, "Zanzhi said he'd come to fetch me in two days."

Dou Zhao was taken aback.

Jiang Lizhu burst into laughter. "How domineering of him! Only letting you stay for two days?"

Jiang Yan murmured, unsure how to respond.

Dou Zhao recalled when she had returned to her parents' home for the "Visiting the bride's parents a month after the wedding" tradition, and Song Mo had come chasing after her to Jing'an Temple Alley the very next day... She couldn't help but laugh. "Then go back in two days. After all, you live close to the Duke of England's Mansion. You can visit whenever you like—there's no need to rush."

Jiang Yan sighed in relief.

Song Mo found little to say to his brother-in-law and instead inquired about Chen Jia's official duties. "I've heard Liu Yu has been making quite a name for himself lately. Has that affected you at all?"

Now that he was Song Mo's cousin-in-law, few would dare trouble him.

Chen Jia replied respectfully, "Both Commander Shi and Liu Yu have been very courteous to me."

Song Mo then asked, "Have you ever considered transferring to another post?"

What did he mean by that?

Chen Jia wasn't sure.

Song Mo continued, "The Imperial Bodyguard may be prestigious, but its reputation is fearsome, and it earns many enemies. To become the Metropolitan Commander of the Imperial Bodyguard, one must be the Emperor's trusted confidant. Your rank is still too low—even with my help, reaching that position would be difficult. My suggestion is to transfer to the Divine Machine Battalion or the Five Armies Battalion instead. There are more opportunities there."

The Imperial Bodyguard was hereditary. Officials of the fourth rank or higher had the chance to serve directly before the Emperor, and only such individuals could leave an impression on His Majesty. Chen Jia had inherited his position through indirect means, striving hard just to become a Captain. He had no opportunity to meet the Emperor, let alone have his name remembered—even if he worked tirelessly to make an impression. Gaining the Emperor's trust would depend on luck and circumstance.

Chen Jia understood this well.

His greatest aspiration had once been to become an Assistant Prefect or Vice Commissioner in the Imperial Bodyguard, then secure a hereditary Captain position for his descendants. That alone would have satisfied him.

He hadn't expected to achieve his goal so quickly.

It wasn't true that he didn't want to advance further. But the thought of leaving the Imperial Bodyguard and starting anew elsewhere felt troublesome.

After some deliberation, Chen Jia said, "For now, I'd prefer to remain in the Imperial Bodyguard. I'm already familiar with its workings, and handling matters there is more convenient. Transferring to the Divine Machine Battalion or the Five Armies Battalion now would require investing much effort in navigating new relationships..."

In other words, he wished to focus more on his family at this time.

Song Mo was very pleased with his answer. "Well, whether it's the Divine Machine Battalion or the Five Armies Battalion, the transfer is easy enough. Since you don’t want to leave the Imperial Bodyguard now, we can revisit this later. However, Shi Chuan and I aren’t on the best terms at the moment. Be extra cautious in the Imperial Bodyguard—stay out of any conflicts."

Chen Jia responded deferentially, "Understood," but hesitated as if wanting to say more.

Frowning, Song Mo said, "If you have something to say, speak plainly. What’s with this hesitation?"Chen Jia lowered his head in acknowledgment and said thoughtfully, "I've already heard about the impeachment against you in the court yesterday. I'm afraid this matter isn't simple. The Young Lord should take precautions."

Song Mo was somewhat surprised but recalling his first meeting with Chen Jia, his expression softened.

A page entered and reported, "Du Wei requests an audience!"

He must have uncovered some information.

Setting aside his preconceptions, Song Mo had to admit Chen Jia was a capable man. After a moment's thought, he instructed Chen Jia, "Come with me!"

Chen Jia hadn't expected that despite Song Mo's dislike for him, he wasn't treated as an outsider.

He followed steadily behind.

Soon, Du Wei entered.

Seeing Chen Jia, he showed slight surprise but quickly regained composure and said respectfully, "The censor who impeached you hadn't left his home during the Spring Festival but suddenly went to a mutton soup shop in the west city this morning. He drank soup with a scholar in a long gown. My men investigated and found this man once served as an adviser in Grand Secretary Mu's residence..."

Mu Chuan was the Empress's man.

Chen Jia was dumbfounded.

Song Mo murmured, "That makes sense... If it were Liang Jifen, he would have planned carefully before acting and wouldn't be so reckless... Only the Empress would cover all bases. If successful, she could replace me; if not, it would serve as a warning..."

As he listened, Chen Jia thought of a possibility.

His face turned deathly pale, his mouth agape, unable to recover for a long while.

Song Mo teased with a smile, "If you regret becoming my brother-in-law, I suggest you think of a way out now."

Chen Jia thought of Jiang Yan sitting gently under the lamp mending his clothes, his chest tightening. "The Young Lord worries too much. I don't regret marrying A'Yan! I just didn't expect..."

Song Mo smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.

Wu Yi rushed in, "Young Lord, Fifth Master Dou from Yuqiao Alley is here."

Dou Qijun?

Song Mo was surprised and invited him to speak in the study.

Knowing Chen Jia was Song Mo's cousin-in-law, Dou Qijun only showed anxiety after entering the study. "I have urgent matters to discuss with you."

Song Mo accompanied him to the adjacent heated room.

Dou Qijun whispered, "Fifth Uncle sent me to see you. He said the impeachment is likely connected to Mu Chuan and advised you to be cautious with Mu's people to avoid being exploited. If necessary, it's best to retreat and bide your time."

Song Mo never expected Dou Shishu to warn him and stared at Dou Qijun in astonishment.

Seeing his usually composed uncle-in-law surprised, Dou Qijun chuckled. "Fifth Uncle is worried about the family and specifically sent me to inform you."

Song Mo nodded, inwardly impressed. No wonder Dou Shishu was the Dou family's leader.

He said sincerely, "Please convey my gratitude to Fifth Uncle and assure him I'll be careful."

Dou Qijun agreed, then asked, "You didn't seem shocked to learn the censor was Mu Chuan's man. Did you already know about their connection?"

Song Mo replied reservedly, "I just found out."Dou Shiheng was able to uncover this connection largely due to his current position and the network he had built over the years. Yet Song Mo also learned of it so quickly... That was rather thought-provoking.

Dou Qijun cast an admiring glance at Song Mo before rising with a smile to take his leave.

Song Mo invited him to stay for Laba porridge.

Dou Qijun chuckled. "I still need to report back to my granduncle. I’ll pay a special visit when I have the time." He added, "If there’s anything you need me to handle, just give the word."

Song Mo saw him off at the gate before turning back.

Chen Qushui had arrived at the study at some point and was chatting idly with Chen Jia.

When Song Mo entered, Chen Qushui greeted him with a smile.

Many were now aware of the impeachment against Song Mo, so Song Mo assumed he had come for that reason and invited him to sit.

Seeing that Song Mo made no move to dismiss Chen Jia, Chen Qushui spoke plainly. "I’ve been pondering the affairs of the Duke of Dingguo’s Mansion this entire New Year. I recall once when Sixth Master from Huai Tree Alley was drinking with some of the Dou family’s young masters, they discussed the imperial examinations and mentioned Grand Secretary Liang. They said that since he came from humble origins, he particularly disdained the scions of noble families—preferring to employ scholars from modest backgrounds and favoring impassioned essays in his evaluations. If Grand Secretary Liang were appointed chief examiner for the Spring Examination, everyone would have to be careful not to be selected as the top candidate by him, lest they unknowingly offend His Majesty during the palace examination."

"Young Lord, I remember this was when Grand Secretary Liang had just taken charge of the Grand Secretariat, and the Emperor’s old illness had flared up again. Do you think his actions might simply have been out of disdain for the Duke of Dingguo’s prominence?"

Song Mo’s expression darkened. "What are you implying?"

Chen Qushui replied, "I mean, the Emperor might have feared sudden death and wanted the Duke of Dingguo to assist the Crown Prince. But he also worried the Duke was too unruly, so he sought a pretext to charge him. Ding Wei, who bore a grudge against the Duke, seized this chance to instruct Zhong Qiao to torment him. Meanwhile, Liang Jifen, newly appointed as Chief Grand Secretary, was eager to prove himself before the Emperor. Seeing the Duke as a warlord who flouted imperial authority, he turned a blind eye to his suffering. As for Zhong Qiao, a mere Commander, witnessing the Imperial Bodyguards torturing the Duke while the accompanying censors did nothing, he likely assumed Ding Wei had already secured approval from higher-ups. Thus, he acted without restraint, following Ding Wei’s orders to harm the Duke..."

Chen Jia, having been present at the time, carefully recalled the events and realized this was indeed plausible.

The Imperial Bodyguards and the Censorate belonged to separate circles, usually keeping to themselves. The only one who could silence both simultaneously was the Emperor—no one else.

His throat went dry, and he rasped, "Young Lord, we truly believed it was the Emperor’s will back then."

Song Mo felt as though he had a bitter gall in his mouth.

If Chen Qushui’s deduction was correct, his uncle had died a most unjust death.

But what filled him even more was grief and fury.

Liang Jifen, a Grand Secretary of the court—how could he judge men by their origins? Had all his studies gone to waste?

Song Mo thought of Liang Jifen’s stern, unapproachable face, marked by deep creases at the corners of his mouth, and clenched his fists tightly.

He called out sharply for Wuyi. "Go after Dou Qijun—bring him back at once!"

Wuyi dashed out and caught up with Dou Qijun’s sedan chair just outside the prefectural school.Dou Qijun turned back suspiciously.

Song Mo inquired about Liang Jifen's matter.

Dou Qijun recalled, "I also heard Sixth Uncle mention this affair."

Song Mo pulled Dou Qijun along: "Come, let's go to Huai Tree Lane together."

Dou Qijun didn't know what had happened, but seeing Song Mo's grim expression, he quickly agreed and went with Song Mo to Huai Tree Lane.

Dou Shishu was also on leave today. He had been speaking with several young scholars from the Imperial Academy when he heard that Song Mo and Dou Qijun had arrived together. After some thought, he asked his eldest son to host the guests while he went to his small study.