Blossom

Dou Zhao pondered for a moment before saying to Chen Qushui, "The Young Lord is not one to act without purpose. Since he secretly recalled Lu Ming, he must be guarding against Prince Liao and the Duke of Yingguo. Please go and inform Master Duan and the others again."

"Rest assured, Madam. I will go and remind Duan Gongyi and the others immediately," Chen Qushui replied. "Apart from Lu Ming, Duan Gongyi and the others also discovered Chang Guard. He was hiding in the shadows with a group of people. Duan Gongyi mentioned that among them were several top-tier experts, all unfamiliar faces. He suspects they might be Prince Liao's men..."

Dou Zhao knew things weren’t so simple!

Her brows furrowed slightly as she sneered, "That Chang fellow must be tired of living! We spared him before because he seemed insignificant, and the Duke of Yingguo relied on him like a right-hand man. We thought it better to leave him be rather than deal with him and risk the Duke bringing in someone more troublesome. But now, he’s devoted himself to being the Duke’s lapdog, even daring to bite the Young Lord!" Her expression grew stern. "Mr. Chen, with these sudden appearances of top-tier experts, do Master Duan and Lu Ming stand a chance of capturing them if they join forces?"

"Lu Ming also noticed those men," Chen Qushui said. "Before coming here, I discussed it with Lu Ming and Duan Gongyi. Capturing them alive would be difficult, but if we disregard their survival, we can fight without restraint."

Song Mo was in the open, while Lu Ming operated in the shadows. Lu Ming was leaving the decision to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao smiled. "Then let’s fight without restraint! Even if we can’t capture those unfamiliar top-tier experts, take advantage of the chaos to deal with that Chang fellow!"

Chen Qushui acknowledged with a smile and withdrew.

Yet, Dou Zhao still felt uneasy.

It was like throwing a punch without knowing the opponent’s fatal weakness—just brute force.

She paced slowly back and forth in the room.

If she were Prince Liao and faced someone like Song Mo obstructing her plans, what would she do?

Kill him?

No!

Song Mo came from a prominent family and held an official position. The consequences would be too severe.

Then the only option was to frame him!

Embezzlement?

First, Song Mo never engaged in corruption. Second, fabricating evidence was tricky. Too many people would be involved. Even if successful, given Song Mo’s status, the Emperor might privately dismiss it with a laugh and publicly reprimand him. But if the plot were exposed, it would reveal Prince Liao’s ambitions—too risky.

Treason?

A thief wouldn’t dare cry "Stop thief!"

What could make Song Mo lose his position as Metropolitan Commander of the Golden Guard and earn the Emperor’s lasting disdain, ensuring he’d never be used again?

Dou Zhao sat on the heated brick bed by the window, sipping tea thoughtfully.

Character!

Only if Song Mo’s moral integrity were compromised, losing the Emperor’s trust, could Prince Liao and the Empress remove him.

Yes, that had to be it!

In her past life, hadn’t Song Yichun accused Song Mo of adultery with a maid of Lady Jiang during his mourning period? Wasn’t that the same tactic?

Why hadn’t she thought of this before?

Because she had already countered this move earlier?

Dou Zhao gasped and stood up abruptly. Without further thought, she called out loudly, "Ruo Zhu! Go and quietly summon Liu Zhang for me." She then instructed Ruo Tong, "Go and invite Mr. Chen over."

The two hurried off.

Liu Zhang, being in the inner courtyard, arrived first.

Dou Zhao asked him, "Song Han came to accompany the guests. Who did he bring with him?"Liu Zhang respectfully replied, "Apart from two guards, there are also two pages. Two coachmen, Second Madam, along with her two maidservants and two accompanying old women. The two guards, coachmen, and accompanying old women are resting in the heated room next to the sedan hall as per regulations. The two pages were stopped at the second gate, leaving only the two maidservants to follow Second Madam into the inner courtyard."

"Second Madam came over?" Dou Zhao was surprised.

Logically, since they had no mother-in-law, she should have come to pay her respects. It was understandable when Dou Zhao wasn't home earlier, but now that she had returned, Miao Ansu was still nowhere to be seen... Had she gone back? Or did she not know Dou Zhao had returned?

Liu Zhang explained in detail, "Second Master and Second Madam seemed unaware that the Young Lord and you had gone to Temple Back Alley. When Second Madam found you weren't home and that Liao Wang wasn't bringing any female companions, she prepared to leave. Second Master scolded her for making trouble and left her with Duke's bedroom servant Du Ruo. Second Madam was so angry her face turned pale, but with the Duke present, she didn't dare say anything and had to follow Du Ruo to the rear annex, where she's still being kept company by Du Ruo."

Leaving a proper wife in the care of a nameless bedroom servant—such a humiliating act was truly characteristic of Song Han.

Dou Zhao asked, "Does Second Madam not know I've returned to the mansion?"

Liu Zhang hesitated, "This servant doesn't know!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Qushui entered.

Dou Zhao nodded to Chen Qushui, gesturing for him to sit in the Grand Preceptor's chair nearby, then continued to Liu Zhang, "Go quickly and see what Second Madam is doing. Which two maidservants did she bring into the mansion to serve? What are those two maidservants and Du Ruo doing?"

Liu Zhang acknowledged the order, bowed to Chen Qushui, and hurried out.

Dou Zhao then shared her concerns with Chen Qushui.

Chen Qushui smiled, "This is the Duke of England's Mansion! Lu Ming and the others are still keeping watch in secret."

Dou Zhao disagreed, "Last time, it was during the Young Lord's mourning period for his mother! To achieve victory through unexpected moves—Liao Wang wouldn't come to the Duke of England's Mansion just to share a drink and reminisce with the Young Lord. You must understand, if they were to openly break relations, it would be a fight to the death."

Chen Qushui wanted to argue further, but recalling the inexplicable events that had previously occurred with Song Mo—which were nothing short of unbelievable—the possibility of more unexpected incidents didn't seem so shocking anymore!

Dou Zhao said, "Let's first see what Liu Zhang finds out."

Chen Qushui nodded.

The two then discussed Dou Dechang's Provincial Examination.

"What did Seventh Master say when you visited Temple Back Alley today?" As a repeatedly unsuccessful candidate, Chen Qushui was particularly interested in such matters.

"He didn't say anything," Dou Zhao replied, also concerned but not anxious due to her past-life memories. "I thought since the exam was already over, asking wouldn't make much difference. I was also worried that if Twelfth Brother didn't do well, he might not want to talk about it, so I didn't ask either."

Chen Qushui couldn't hide his disappointment. "I heard this year's Provincial Examination topic for the Northern Metropolitan Region was 'Illustrious Virtue. Resting in the Highest Excellence,' while the Southern Metropolitan Region's was 'The Mean is the Right Path of All Under Heaven.' Both are overused topics, making it extremely difficult to stand out. When the examination papers are released, I'll carefully study the top papers from both regions."

Dou Zhao chuckled.Liu Zhang rushed in to report: "The Second Madam has been staying in the back annex all along. She said she fell asleep while sitting there waiting idly, and no one was around to announce your return. As for the two maids she brought into the mansion—one named Ji Hong and the other Liu Hong—neither of them wandered off. They've been attending to the Second Madam in the back annex the whole time."

Liu Hong?

Miao Ansu had brought her out for social engagements again.

Song Han truly spared no effort in undermining Miao Ansu!

Dou Zhao felt uneasy and whispered to Chen Qushui, "Have Duan Gongyi check whether Miao Shi and her two maids, along with Du Ruo, are still in the back annex. It would be best to assign someone to monitor their movements. The Young Lord is quite skilled, and Lu Ming is lurking in the shadows, so I'm not worried about myself. What concerns me is that they might strike where we least expect it."

Earlier, Chen Qushui had felt confident. But after hearing Dou Zhao's analysis, he too began to waver. He hurriedly stood up and left.

Seeing that he was the oldest among the group, Duan Gongyi signaled to Lu Ming with a covert whistle, handed the others over to him, and went to pry open the tiles of the back annex himself.

Inside the cramped room, a dim copper oil lamp flickered. Three beautifully dressed maids sat quietly around the only canopy bed in the room, weaving knots. The bed curtains were drawn low, obscuring the view inside.

It seemed Miao Shi was resting behind the curtains.

Still, since Dou Zhao had instructed him, it would be best to see for himself.

Duan Gongyi hesitated, wary of alerting the guards under Chang Guard's command. He crushed a tile in his hand and flicked it with a sharp "clink" against the window lattice of the opposite wing.

"Who's there?" A maid from the opposite room stood up to investigate.

The noise startled Du Ruo in the back annex.

She came out holding a lamp. "What happened?"

The maid looked frightened. "I heard someone knocking on my door repeatedly."

The courtyard was eerily silent, devoid of people. A lone red lantern swayed in the wind under the eaves.

Both shivered simultaneously.

The maid's voice trembled. "Sister Du Ruo, could it be... a ghost? Let me sleep in your room tonight!" She bolted toward Du Ruo.

Du Ruo quickly replied, "No, the Second Madam is resting in my room!"

"Then let me serve her too?" The maid clung to Du Ruo's arm, shaking.

"I can't decide that!" Du Ruo was at a loss.

Hearing the commotion, Ji Hong stepped out and asked gently, "What's going on?"

The maid latched onto Ji Hong as if grasping a lifeline, begging to be allowed to serve Miao Ansu.

Song Han treated Miao Ansu with contempt, and Ji Hong dared not offend the maids of Cassia Fragrance Courtyard either. Moreover, she recalled that this maid, like Du Ruo, belonged to the Duke. Smiling, she said, "Just remember to stay quiet."

The maid thanked her profusely. After Du Ruo accompanied her back to her room to dress properly, she joined Ji Hong and the others by the bed, weaving knots.

Instead of luring anyone away, he had added another obstacle. Duan Gongyi regretted his move. Just as he was considering another way to draw the maids aside, Liu Hong stood up, stretching lazily. "I need to use the privy."

Du Ruo chuckled. "It's pitch black outside. Why not use the chamber pot here? I'll empty it for you."Liu Hong glanced at her and said, "Our second mistress is resting in your room. How could I possibly use your chamber pot?"

Du Ruo flushed and quickly replied, "Then let me accompany you to the outhouse? So you don't get lost."

"No need," Liu Hong said, pulling Ji Hong along. "I know the way. You don't have to mind me, lest the second mistress wakes and there's no one to serve her tea." Without waiting for Du Ruo or Ji Hong to respond, she lifted the curtain and walked out.

Du Ruo couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward.

Ji Hong hurriedly said, "Don't take it to heart. That's just how she is."

Du Ruo forced a smile. "I know. She's the maid who embarrassed your second mistress."

Now it was Ji Hong's turn to feel awkward.

As for that maid, the one Song Yichun had taken as a concubine, she was quite sharp. She quickly lowered her voice and said with a laugh, "Are you sisters hungry? I still have some rice noodles in my room. I'll go to the kitchen and get a bowl of pickles—we can have a midnight snack!"

Du Ruo pointed to the still-drawn bed curtains.

The maid stuck out her tongue playfully.

Ji Hong, seeing how lively she was, couldn't help but laugh along.

Suddenly, a shrill scream came from outside.