Among the people Song Mo knew, none understood Liang Jifen better than Dou Shishu, who was both Liang's colleague and rival. Moreover, in terms of perspective, no one had deeper insight or greater knowledge than Dou Shishu. So when Song Mo met with Dou Shishu, he didn't conceal his intentions—he told Dou Shishu everything that had happened to Duke Ding.
Dou Shishu hadn't expected Song Mo to still be seeking to overturn Duke Ding's unjust case.
A true man stands firm in the world, knowing what to do and what not to do!
His gaze toward Song Mo carried a new appreciation.
But to oppose Liang Jifen over Song Mo's personal grievances...
Never underestimate the young!
Dou Shishu studied the spirited Song Mo, silently holding his teacup for a long while before finally making up his mind. "From what I know, Liang Jifen is a timid and cautious man. At that time, he had just taken over the Grand Secretariat—facing the lingering influence of Zeng Yifen ahead, the forceful presence of Ye Shipei behind, and the watchful eyes of Yao Shizhong and Dai Jian on the side. His top priority was to secure his footing. To do so, interpreting the Emperor's will was paramount. Even if he harbored petty resentment toward Duke Ding, how would he dare defy the Emperor's wishes so brazenly?"
Song Mo's eyes lit up. "You mean someone else manipulated things?"
Dou Shishu nodded solemnly. "Since the Emperor regretted Duke Ding's death and has shown you such favor because of it, logically, if Duke Ding had died accidentally, the Emperor should have treated the Jiang Family kindly. Yet Duke Ding's death failed to earn the Emperor's forgiveness—this shows the Emperor was furious at the time, with no intention of pardoning the Jiang Family. Your uncles were thrown into the Imperial prison as soon as they arrived in the capital."
"Your strategy of feinting east while striking west was clever—discrediting Duke Ding made the Emperor believe he had lost public support, which led to leniency in punishing the Jiang Family. Men over five were exiled, while those under five and the women were reduced to commoners, and the ancestral home was left untouched. Later, Wang Yuan was sent to deal with those involved in Duke Ding's murder—this must have been the Emperor realizing his mistake and trying to make amends."
"Who provoked the Emperor's wrath? And what made him suddenly see the truth?"
"Based on your reasoning, the Emperor intended for Duke Ding to assist the Crown Prince after his passing. Even so, the Emperor wouldn't entrust the Crown Prince to a single minister—he must have had other arrangements for his succession. Why did things go wrong only with Duke Ding?"
"Then there's Ding Wei. A man without roots, his entire fortune depended on the Emperor. To become the Emperor's favorite, he must have been exceptionally skilled at reading moods—how would he dare harm the Emperor's chosen regent?"
Song Mo suddenly felt as if a veil had been lifted.
He said, "The matter regarding Liao Wang—I had Boyan inform you."
At this point, there was no more room for concealment. If Dou Shishu misjudged because of withheld information, they could all face irreversible consequences.
Dou Shishu was surprised, then showed a look of sudden understanding.
He had previously doubted whether Dou Qijun, given his status, could have uncovered Liao Wang's intentions.However, he acted cautiously, thinking that regardless of how Dou Qijun had learned this news, since such rumors had surfaced, they couldn’t be baseless. It was better to assume there was some truth to them.
He immediately instructed the Dou family to avoid stirring up trouble.
Then, following this lead, he thoroughly investigated Liao Wang’s background.
It was only upon closer inspection that he realized the extent of it.
Liao Wang had gone to great lengths in the Capital—not only did he have advisers and stewards stationed in his luxurious mansion to build connections with the nobility and influential officials, but he also managed a highly profitable business.
This confirmed Dou Qijun’s words entirely.
To his surprise, the source of this information turned out to be Song Mo.
That made sense.
Song Mo controlled both the Golden Guard and the Five City Military Office. Unless Liao Wang led an armed rebellion to storm the Capital, there was no way to bypass Song Mo.
During the palace banquet on the Lantern Festival, when someone impeached Song Mo, he immediately sensed that someone was targeting him.
As a member of the nobility, Song Mo moved in different circles from the Dou family. But his personal competence and close ties with the imperial family meant he was always the first to know about any royal movements. Though Dou Shishu now held the prestigious position of Grand Secretary, which seemed glorious to outsiders, the risks were immense. Keeping abreast of the Emperor’s mood was crucial for the safety of both himself and the Dou family.
He had to support Song Mo.
So he sent Dou Qijun to warn him.
Dou Shishu couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Now it seemed Song Mo was even more astute and capable than he had imagined.
With such an ally, the Dou family’s future would shine brightly.
Dou Shishu laughed quietly again.
There was no need to beat around the bush anymore.
Lowering his voice solemnly, he asked, “Did you reject Her Majesty the Empress’s goodwill?”
Given the gravity of the matter, Song Mo also spoke softly, “It wasn’t Her Majesty I refused—it was Liao Wang.”
This aligned with Dou Shishu’s suspicions.
He continued, “Is it possible that Duke Ding, like you, also rejected Liao Wang?”
Song Mo pressed his lips together and remained silent for a long moment.
Fujian was a den of smuggling.
Before Duke Ding’s arrival, not a single wealthy family there had clean hands.
After Duke Ding took charge, he began taking a cut—both to restrain the local gentry and to supplement the military garrison’s expenses.
Naturally, this blocked certain people’s paths.
Moreover, rebellion was an extremely costly endeavor.
Dou Shishu murmured, “Only then does this make sense. Ding Wei discerned the Emperor’s intentions and decided to act accordingly. Liang Jifen seized the opportunity to scheme, while Her Majesty the Empress…”
A little exaggeration was enough to ensure Duke Ding met a ruinous end!
Song Mo’s eyes grew moist.
To die at the hands of such people—Uncle, it wasn’t worth it!
He closed his eyes, not wanting Dou Shishu to see the tears welling up.
Dou Shishu sighed deeply.
The higher one climbed in officialdom, the more precarious the footing became. No matter how vigilant one was, there were always traps waiting.
That was why allies were so crucial!
He said, “Though your position is exceptional, your current role is pivotal. You must decide quickly—east or west.” Then he advised, “Indecision will only bring harm!”
“I know,” Song Mo nodded, thinking of Jiang Bosun far away in Liaodong.
If Fifth Uncle knew that the death of Eldest Uncle might be linked to Her Majesty the Empress and Liao Wang, would he still place his hopes on Liao Wang to clear the Jiang family’s name?
He took a sip of tea.
Dou Shishu said nothing more.Song Mo had not yet reached the age of capping, making it somewhat unreasonable to expect him to make immediate judgments and choices in the face of life-and-death situations.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he sighed inwardly.
His own two sons were older than Song Mo, yet they were currently struggling with the current essays assigned by their tutor. Compared to Song Mo, they fell far short.
In the future, the Dou family would naturally take care of his sons' imperial examinations and official careers, but if they encountered difficulties, he would likely still need to ask Song Mo for assistance.
Thinking of this, he found Song Mo even more agreeable.
"Take your time to think this over," Dou Shishu's voice unconsciously softened further. "If it's truly too difficult, pretending to be overwhelmed with fear and resigning under the pretext of illness is also an option. After all, you're not the only one afraid of Her Majesty the Empress." His tone carried a hint of mischief in the last sentence.
Was this being too familiar with him?
Song Mo still felt a bit uneasy, but he smiled and stood to take his leave.
Dou Shishu personally escorted him to the main gate before returning to his study.
Fifth Madam, who had been keeping an eye on the study, brought in a cup of hot tea.
"Master," she asked with concern, "has something happened at the Duke of Yingguo's mansion?"
"Nothing serious," Dou Shishu replied, keeping silent even in front of his wife due to the gravity of the matter. "He was impeached and came to seek my advice."
Fifth Madam let out a sigh of relief.
Dou Shishu suddenly brought up Guo Shi: "I recall she often took Jing Jie'er to visit the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. Has she been going these days?"
Her husband never spoke without purpose.
Fifth Madam replied solemnly, "With the New Year festivities, everyone has been busy. Guo Shi hasn't visited the Duke of Yingguo's mansion in two months."
Dou Shishu nodded. "Tell her to visit Shou Gu more often when she has time. Relationships grow closer with more interaction."
This was clearly an instruction for Guo Shi to befriend Dou Zhao.
Fifth Madam was taken aback but trusted her husband implicitly. Without asking further, she smiled and agreed, "Very well."
Meanwhile, when Song Mo returned home, Dou Zhao and Yuan Ge'er had already freshened up. Dou Zhao was playing with Yuan Ge'er, who was dressed only in a lined jacket, encouraging him to roll over on the heated kang.
Their son's adorable antics and innocent smile dispelled the chill in Song Mo's heart.
He kissed his son's little face, changed out of his frost-covered clothes, washed away the dust of travel, and sat beside Dou Zhao, mimicking her actions to coax Yuan Ge'er into rolling over.
Chen Qushui had already reported the details of the matter to Dou Zhao. Knowing he had gone to Huai Shu Alley, she smiled and asked, "Did everything go smoothly?"
"Very smoothly!" Song Mo replied. Dou Shishu was indeed worthy of being a Grand Secretary—his insight far surpassed that of the advisers around him. Song Mo recounted the entire incident to Dou Zhao.
"Her Majesty the Empress?" Dou Zhao murmured, her mind in turmoil.
In the world of politics, appearances were everything.
Because of Shi Chuan's actions, Song Mo could no longer align himself with Liao Wang. Now, with the Empress also displeased… neutrality was no longer an option.
Did this mean they had no choice but to side with the Crown Prince?
But Liao Wang was the ultimate victor in the end!
Dou Zhao twisted her fingers, thinking that the Crown Prince had been raised in privilege, surrounded by countless people vying for his favor. Even if Song Mo pledged allegiance now, it was unlikely he would become a trusted confidant.
This would only make their situation even more precarious!
What should she do?
Both husband and wife wished to remain neutral, and their current predicament weighed heavily on them. Song Mo held Dou Zhao close, neither able to sleep for a long time.Since the effect was known, tracing back to the cause became relatively easier.
Song Mo instructed Du Wei to follow the leads deduced by Dou Shishu.
Meanwhile, Chen Jia came to take Jiang Yan home.
Blushing, Jiang Yan returned to Yuqiao Alley with bundles of gifts prepared by Dou Zhao.
Noticing Chen Jia's stern expression, she asked worriedly, "Did brother give you a hard time?"
Jiang Yan could sense Song Mo's dislike for Chen Jia.
"Not at all," Chen Jia replied with a smile, gently patting Jiang Yan's head. "It's just some official business at the yamen. I'm thinking about how to handle it properly."
This was something she couldn't assist with.
"Oh," Jiang Yan responded softly, then tenderly helped Chen Jia with his washing up.
Chen Jia's smile reached from his eyes to the corners of his mouth.
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