Blossom

Song Mo noticed the tender affection in Dou Zhao's expression, his eyes flickering as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said with a smile, "Let's take Yuan Ge'er to the front hall!" He didn't ask what Dou Zhao and Ji Yong had discussed.

Yet Dou Zhao felt Ji Yong's words were significant.

She recounted every detail of the conversation to Song Mo.

Song Mo was slightly surprised, his brows furrowing briefly before smoothing out again. He praised, "He truly lives up to his reputation for brilliance. Despite having little contact with Liao Wang, he saw through his ambitions at a glance."

Ji Yong's intelligence was undeniable. Dou Zhao nodded but voiced her concern, "Is Song Han really getting close to people from Prince Liao's Residence?"

Last time, Song Han had ambushed Miao Anping, an act discovered by the men Song Mo had sent to monitor him. Thanks to their report, Miao Anping narrowly escaped death.

Song Mo hummed in agreement and smiled. "I was just wondering how to discreetly push Song Han onto Liao Wang's ship. Who knew he'd jump aboard without me lifting a finger? An unexpected gain, I suppose."

Dou Zhao began to grasp Song Mo's intentions.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

In both past and present lives, Song Mo had never intended to let Song Han off the hook.

Still, Song Han was truly despicable. While Miao Anping was no saint, his crimes didn't warrant death. Yet Song Han would take a life over the slightest displeasure—such cruelty was hard to stomach.

As they left the study with Song Mo, they unexpectedly saw Ji Yong standing in the courtyard, arms crossed behind his back, watching them coldly.

Dou Zhao was taken aback. "You're still here?"

Ji Yong ignored her, his gaze fixed on Song Mo as he remarked, "In the blink of an eye, Yuan Ge'er has already learned to speak."

Song Mo responded with a composed and gentle smile, "Indeed." Yet for some reason, Dou Zhao sensed he was like a cat bristling at the sight of a rival.

She softly called, "Yantang."

Song Mo turned to her, offering a reassuring smile before addressing Ji Yong again. "I heard the Emperor has been keeping you at the Palace of Heavenly Purity for conversations lately. What brings you to Jing'an Temple Alley today?"

Ji Yong sneered. "Dou Dechang is my cousin. Why shouldn't I come?" His tone was prickly.

Unfazed, Song Mo replied with a smile, "How thoughtful of you, Lord Ji. We’ve prepared wine in the front hall. If you don’t mind, feel free to drink a few cups." His manner was that of a gracious host.

A vein pulsed on Ji Yong's forehead. Just as Dou Zhao braced for another cutting remark, he suddenly smiled, his hostility vanishing as he plucked a camellia blossom and approached Yuan Ge'er.

"Pretty, isn’t it?" he asked the child cheerfully, handing him the flower. "Give this to your grandfather. He’ll be delighted."

Yuan Ge'er didn’t recognize Ji Yong, but the man seemed friendly. The boy glanced back at Dou Zhao for guidance.

Song Mo's lips pressed into a thin line as he tightened his hold on the child.

Dou Zhao, caught between amusement and exasperation, chided, "Cousin Ji, flowers are for admiring, not picking. Don’t teach the child to pluck them."Ji Yong scoffed. "Whether it's for admiring or picking, as long as it serves its purpose, it's not a waste," he said, shifting his gaze to the child. "Yuan Ge'er, don't listen to your mother. She always nags without getting to the point. If you follow her advice, you'll end up a pedantic scholar. Take this flower. If your mother dares to scowl at you, come find me—I'm your uncle!"

What kind of uncle was he supposed to be?

Dou Zhao was both amused and exasperated.

Ji Yong had already stuffed the flower into Yuan Ge'er's hand, patted the boy's head, and strode out of the courtyard.

When Ji Yong touched his son's head, Song Mo barely managed to restrain himself from slapping the man's hand away. Now that Ji Yong had left, Song Mo casually took the camellia Ji Yong had given Yuan Ge'er and placed it on the leaning rail of the veranda. "Let's go," he said to Dou Zhao, carrying Yuan Ge'er toward the front hall.

Dou Zhao was sharp enough to sense Song Mo's subtle sensitivity toward Ji Yong.

She wanted to find a chance to talk to Song Mo about it, but as soon as they reached the front hall, they encountered an unexpected visitor—Kuang Zhuoran from Panyu.

He had come to the Capital to prepare for next year's Spring Examination, arriving early to pay his respects to Dou Qijun, Dou Dechang, and Song Mo.

Dou Dechang had a favorable impression of Kuang Zhuoran and grabbed his arm, saying, "We might end up as classmates in the same cohort!"

The others in the front hall were surprised. "Are you planning to take the exam again next year?" they asked.

Usually, someone in Dou Dechang's position would skip a round unless they were absolutely confident—passing as a Presented Scholar was no trivial matter.

Though Dou Dechang hadn't discussed this with anyone beforehand, he said somewhat sheepishly, "I want to press my advantage!"

Dou Shiheng and Dou Shiying both looked disapproving, but Song Mo felt this wasn't the right time to discuss it. He smoothly changed the subject, asking Kuang Zhuoran, "When did you arrive in the Capital? Where are you staying?"

Kuang Zhuoran, naturally quick-witted and even more polished after his family's upheaval, replied promptly, "I just arrived yesterday. I'm staying at an inn for now, but I plan to rent a place after paying my respects to Boyan and the elders..."

Dou Qijun chimed in, "Why rent? Just stay with me!"

For the moment, Dou Dechang's matter was set aside.

Dou Dechang's eyes flickered, and he took Yuan Ge'er to the courtyard to watch the fish.

Song Mo was thoughtful. That evening, he mentioned it to Dou Zhao. "Do you think this might have something to do with that paternal aunt from the Ji family?"

Dou Zhao's heart skipped a beat. "Why would you think that?"

Song Mo smiled. "When a man suddenly wants to stand on his own, what else could it be but for a woman?"

Dou Zhao was mortified.

First Song Mo, now Ji Yong.

If she hadn't glimpsed the events of this life, she probably wouldn't have noticed the palace coup. It just went to show that no matter how circumstances changed, capable people remained capable wherever they were.

Kuang Zhuoran moved in with Dou Qijun temporarily, while Dou Dechang shut himself in to study. Aside from one visit to Kuang Zhuoran, he never left Jing'an Temple Alley.

Knowing he would pass the imperial exams, Dou Zhao didn't pay much attention to Dou Dechang's change.

She instructed Liu Zhang to keep an eye on Song Han's movements.

Wife of Tao the Second came with news: Jiang Yan had been diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse.

Overjoyed, Dou Zhao packed a half-cartload of gifts and went to visit Jiang Yan.Jiang Yan was confined by Chen Jia to the inner chamber and not allowed to go anywhere. When she saw Dou Zhao, her face flushed with embarrassment, and she mumbled for a long time without knowing what to say.

Dou Zhao smiled brightly. After chatting with Jiang Yan about trivial household matters for a while and having dinner at the Chen residence, she sent the nanny who had attended to her during her postpartum confinement to Yuqiao Alley upon returning home.

Song Mo frowned and said, "Does Chen Jia not know how to take care of A-Yan?"

"It's not that he doesn’t know how to take care of her, but that he’s taking care of her too well," Dou Zhao replied with a smile. "I’m afraid Sister Yan will suffer during childbirth."

Jiang Yan’s constitution was already somewhat weak. If she continued lying around without proper movement or exercise, she wouldn’t have the strength when the time came to give birth.

Upon hearing this, Song Mo instructed Wuyi to summon Chen Jia.

Dou Zhao stopped Wuyi and said to Song Mo, "Don’t interfere in everything. Let A-Yan live her own life."

Song Mo restrained himself and didn’t bring the matter up with Chen Jia.

By the time Dou Zhao visited again, she saw Chen Jia supporting Jiang Yan as they strolled in the courtyard.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

When she returned home, she told Song Mo about it and said, "See? I told you they’d manage their own lives, didn’t I?"

Song Mo remained silent, but when he next saw Chen Jia, his expression softened slightly.

Liu Zhang informed Dou Zhao, "Someone has been tyrannizing the countryside and killed a person. They’ve been detained by the authorities but are trying to use Second Master’s connections to change the verdict to a fine. Second Master has been busy with this matter lately."

Dou Zhao sneered.

This Song Han—truly not a single good deed to his name.

She instructed Liu Zhang, "Don’t let him succeed!"

But Song Mo said, "If he seeks help from Prince Liao’s Residence and they are willing to intervene on his behalf, we shouldn’t interfere."

Dou Zhao was puzzled.

Song Mo replied indifferently, "Only after he’s been rejected everywhere and realizes that only Prince Liao can help him will he wholeheartedly pledge his allegiance to Prince Liao and serve him devotedly!"

It was indeed a clever strategy.

Dou Zhao smiled brilliantly, which reminded her of Song Yichun.

She cautioned Song Mo, "Do you think the Duke will help Song Han?"

"That depends on his fate!" Song Mo remarked sarcastically. "Given his character, he’ll never pass up an opportunity to strike at me."

When Prince Liao’s downfall eventually came, the fates of Song Han and Song Yichun would be predictable.

Dou Zhao grasped Song Mo’s hand.

Song Mo smiled faintly and led her to Yuan Ge’er’s room.

Yuan Ge’er was playing kickball with a young maid. When he saw his parents enter, he ran over with the ball and handed it to Song Mo, saying, "Daddy, play!"

Song Mo chuckled and took the ball from his son.

Dou Zhao went to the main courtyard.

With just over a month left until the New Year, she still had much to do.

Cai Shi suddenly came to visit.

Dou Zhao received her with suspicion in the heated room.

Cai Shi asked mysteriously, "Rumors are spreading outside that your Second Master had an affair with the Duke’s bedroom servant, and that the Duke beat both servants to death because of it. Is it true? If not, you should find a way to dispel the rumors. The stories are getting quite vivid."

So the rumors had finally reached someone like Cai Shi?

One bedroom servant had turned into two in the gossip.

Dou Zhao barely managed to suppress her laughter.

She sighed and said, "How can such rumors be dispelled? My sister-in-law is still living at the farmstead and says she won’t return even for the New Year."

Cai Shi’s eyes widened like Tongling.

She gasped, "No wonder it’s true!"

Dou Zhao neither confirmed nor denied it.Cai Shi left in a flurry of panic.

As Song Mo had anticipated, Song Han found no success in pulling strings anywhere. The person who had sought his help kept flattering him, saying, "You're the second young master of the Duke of Yingguo's household—even the Empress treats you like family!" They even offered five thousand taels of silver for him to use as bribes. Gritting his teeth, Song Han turned to Prince Liao's Residence for help.

Soon, the family of the murderer compensated the victim's family with a thousand taels of silver, and the matter was settled.

Song Han's reputation spread far and wide.

Instantly, the streets of Si Tiao Hutong bustled with carriages and horses, becoming lively.

However, the New Year was also approaching, and Song Yichun, Song Mo, and Dou Zhao would all attend the palace banquet for the family reunion dinner.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but think with a hint of malice—it would be quite something if someone brought up Song Han's affairs.