Blossom

Chen Jia thought that since Jiang Yan was the younger sister, it was only proper for her to come out and greet Song Han when he was hosting him at home. Worried that Song Han might hold a grudge and give Jiang Yan a hard time, he encouraged her to visit the Hall of Cultivating Will on the day of the gathering. But he never expected that Song Han wasn’t just resentful—he was outright intent on humiliating Jiang Yan. So when Chen Jia went to the Duke of England's Mansion to pick up Jiang Yan, instead of waiting in the Small Flower Hall in the outer courtyard as usual, he asked the page who had brought him in, "Has the Young Lord returned yet?"

When Jiang Yan got married, the Duke of Yingguo had not shown up, and Song Mo often treated Chen Jia with disdain. Since Chen Jia had once served under Song Mo, the Duke’s servants couldn’t help but look down on him a little. Fortunately, Chen Jia was perceptive and generous, and as the legitimate brother-in-law of the Duke’s household, they wouldn’t outright slight him—though they were noticeably less restrained around him. When he asked about Song Mo, the page grinned and said, "The Young Lord hasn’t returned yet! Is there something urgent? Should I let Wuyi, who serves in the study, know so he can keep an eye out for you?"

Chen Jia smiled. "That would be much appreciated!" He slipped a few coins into the page’s hand.

"No trouble at all!" The page beamed, his eyes nearly disappearing into slits, and hurried off to keep watch.

When Song Mo stepped out of his sedan chair, he was told Chen Jia was waiting for him in the small hall. Puzzled, he asked, "When did Brother-in-law arrive?"

Though Chen Jia had married Jiang Yan, their relationship hadn’t changed much from before.

Hearing Song Mo refer to Chen Jia as "Brother-in-law," the page’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly replied, "Brother-in-law has been here for half an hour. He said he came to pick up our paternal aunt and has been waiting in the Reception Hall since he heard you hadn’t returned yet."

Song Mo nodded. "From now on, when Brother-in-law visits, escort him to the study in the outer courtyard and serve him tea."

The page hastily agreed and carefully led the way.

Song Mo and Chen Jia went to the study to talk.

Chen Jia didn’t dare repeat Song Han’s exact words to Song Mo. Instead, he said, "Song Han was recommended to the Imperial Bodyguard by the Empress. Though he’s just started, he’s already making waves. I even invited him for drinks today. He seemed quite full of himself. If it were anyone else, they might be humbled, but with the Empress’s golden backing, even Minister Shi would think twice before crossing him."

This was essentially tattling on Song Han.

Song Mo listened with a faint smile, but after seeing Chen Jia and Jiang Yan off, his expression darkened.

The Empress was trying to use Father and Song Han against him.

She must have miscalculated.

Song Mo called Chen He in. "Keep an eye on Song Han for me."

Chen He had once been his personal attendant and knew all his relatives and friends. After Chen He got married, Song Mo had assigned him to the Affairs Office, where he excelled due to his familiarity with various households.

"Yes!" Chen He bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Song Mo returned to the inner chambers of the Hall of Cultivating Will.

Dou Zhao was there with a few maids, sorting through bolts of cloth from opened chests.She looked up at the sound and smiled when she saw it was him. "You're finally back! I see you always put on a stern face whenever you meet Chen Jia—it must be exhausting for you. It was your idea to often invite Yanmei home as a guest, yet you can't help but show Chen Jia a cold expression. Look at Yanmei—she practically has to apologize to Chen Jia on your behalf."

"How dare he!" Song Mo snapped, though inwardly he had to admit Dou Zhao had a point. His thoughts became tangled, and unwilling to continue the topic, he casually tugged at the fabric in her hands. "What's this for? The color seems a bit dull."

It was a lilac-colored brocade embroidered with vase patterns.

Dou Zhao smiled. "Isn't Yuan Ge'er's first birthday coming up in a few days? I plan to take him to visit the old lady and bring some fine fabrics along for her autumn clothes."

A few days earlier, she and Song Mo had agreed not to invite the grandmother to Yuan Ge'er's birthday celebration but to visit her the next day instead.

Song Mo chuckled. "Pick out some good furs while you're at it. Once autumn arrives, they can be made into fur forehead bands and sleeveless jackets."

Elderly people always favored those two items.

Dou Zhao cheerfully agreed. The two spent a long time under the lamp discussing which guests to invite before finally retiring.

By the twenty-sixth day of the sixth month, the Song household was adorned with lanterns and banners, bustling with guests. The Emperor, Empress Dowager, Empress, Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and even Liao Wang from distant Liaodong, along with several other imperial princes who had established their own households, all sent congratulatory gifts, making the first birthday celebration both lively and dignified.

Dou Dechang, as Dou Zhao's successor brother and heir of the Western Dou family, accompanied Dou Shiying to the celebration.

Song Mo formally introduced Dou Dechang to his close friends and relatives.

Seeing Song Mo's friends politely rise to toast Dou Dechang, Dou Shiying felt reassured. His gaze swept across the reception hall, landing on Wei Tingyu sitting quietly in a corner, drinking alone. After the banquet ended and the guests moved to the veranda to enjoy the opera, Dou Shiying stopped Wei Tingyu, who was trailing behind. "Did Mingjier come?"

Wei Tingyu looked listless, as if he hadn't slept well, and replied languidly, "No—I was afraid she might cause trouble, so I didn't tell her about Yuan Ge'er's celebration today. I'll mention it to her when I get back."

Dou Shiying frowned.

Though he found Dou Ming unreasonable and headstrong, she was still his daughter. He believed Wei Tingyu's flawed character was the root cause of her downfall—Dou Ming had merely been influenced and harmed by him. For Wei Tingyu to receive the invitation and not inform Dou Ming was entirely his fault.

"After all, she and Shou Gu are sisters," he said coolly. "How deep can their grudge be? On occasions like this, you should encourage her to socialize. What will the Duke of Yingguo's relatives and friends think of her if she behaves this way? If her reputation suffers, it won't reflect well on you either!"

Wei Tingyu inwardly disagreed but meekly acquiesced in front of Dou Shiying.

Given the setting, Dou Shiying couldn't say much more, so father-in-law and son-in-law joined the others on the veranda to listen to the opera.

Returning home, Dou Shiying couldn't help but sigh to Dou Dechang, "Mingjier truly married the wrong man!"

Even if she had, it was a fate of her own making.Dou Dechang silently criticized but still comforted Dou Shiying with a smile: "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. Fifth Sister has a generous dowry, so you needn’t worry about her." Then he added cheerfully, "Tomorrow, Fourth Sister and her husband will bring Yuan Ge’er to visit the Old Madam. I plan to join in the fun as well. You should leave the yamen early tomorrow and join us for dinner there!"

He firmly remembered Ji Shi’s words before he moved to Jing'an Temple Alley: "No matter what, Mingjier is still your adoptive father’s flesh and blood. You must never get involved in her affairs. If you encounter any difficulties, just push them onto Fifth Aunt. Shou Gu is a married daughter—spilled water that cannot be gathered back. You are the adopted son, so Fifth Aunt can’t possibly blame you for anything."

Dou Shiying nodded. After a night of sighs, he went to the alley behind the temple early the next morning.

Dou Zhao was standing under the Chinese Flowering Crabapple in front of the main hall, chatting with Dou Dechang. Both wore bright smiles, looking very happy.

Dou Shiying felt relieved and quietly approached, suddenly asking, "What are you talking about? You both seem so cheerful."

The two greeted him with smiles. Dou Zhao said, "We were just discussing Twelfth Brother’s scholarly pursuits!"

Dou Dechang was preparing for this year’s Provincial Examination.

In her past life, he had gone on to take the Metropolitan Examination the following year, passing alongside Wu Shan and becoming a Bachelor of the Imperial Academy.

But during the Dragon Boat Festival, Ji Lingze eloped with him.

Though the Dou family did everything they could to help him, Dou Dechang’s reputation was already tarnished. Though he wasn’t dismissed from his post, he spent the rest of his life idling away in the Imperial Academy.

In her past life, Dou Dechang had been a member of the Dong Dou branch, unrelated to Dou Zhao. But in this life, he was her Successor Brother, and Ji Shi treated her like a daughter. How could she stand by and watch him ruin his future like this?

After pondering for days, Dou Zhao asked Song Mo, "If you had a good brother who fell for a widow from a prominent family—even willing to sacrifice his future to marry her—what would you do?"

Song Mo, ever sharp, immediately connected the dots: "You’re talking about your elder brother, aren’t you? Who’s the widow he’s taken a liking to? Why not take her as a concubine instead?" He added, "How did you find out about this? Whatever you do, don’t tell your father, or your brother will resent you for life."

Dou Zhao stared at him in surprise.

Song Mo affectionately tapped her nose and chuckled. "The people around you are limited. If it were someone like Duan Gongyi, remarrying a widow wouldn’t be a big deal—you wouldn’t be this conflicted. As for Gu Yu, he’d act first and explain later. After considering everything, it could only be your brother."

"You’re impossible!" Dou Zhao chided. "You leave no room for surprises."

Song Mo laughed heartily. "Who’s the widow? I’ll find a way to discreetly inform her in-laws. That’ll put an end to this marriage!"

But in her past life, Dou Dechang and Ji Lingze had been happy together.

Once, during a Lantern Festival, she had run into them on the street admiring the lanterns. Ji Lingze had even bought two sticks of candied hawthorns for Wei Ge’er and Rui Ge’er.

Even now, she could still recall the blissful smile on Ji Lingze’s face.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but sigh softly.

Song Mo pulled her into his arms and said gently, "In my opinion, life is what you make of it. As long as your brother is willing, it’s best not to interfere."Dou Zhao asked in surprise, "Why would you think that?"

Song Mo said solemnly, "Whenever I see Father, I often think of Mother. Their marriage was also considered a match made in heaven, but look how it ended up. As for you and me, if Wei Tingyu hadn't betrayed his promise and Father hadn't tried to control me, how could we have ended up together?" He held Dou Zhao tightly in his arms, with such force that she almost felt breathless. "I feel so fortunate!" He kissed her forehead and temples. "In the future, our children's marriages shouldn't just be about family status."

For some reason, an overwhelming tenderness surged in Dou Zhao's heart.

This man respected her, admired her, and cherished her.

What more could she ask for with such a husband?

Dou Zhao mustered all her strength to return Song Mo's embrace.

The matter of Dou Dechang suddenly didn't seem so important anymore.

If he admired Ji Lingze, then let him pursue her.

At worst, they could find a way to cover it up early if anything happened, so he wouldn't be disgraced.