Blossom

Song Yichun nearly choked upon hearing this, while Dou Zhao's straight-backed figure, calm expression, and tone carried a hint of disdainful indifference that sent a chill through his heart.

Liao Wang was now his weak spot, and he dared not confront Dou Zhao head-on.

Gritting his teeth, Song Yichun called out in a low voice just before Dou Zhao stepped out of the reception hall, "Stop right there! Is that any way to speak to your father-in-law?"

Dou Zhao smiled faintly, appearing respectful on the surface, yet her expression betrayed a trace of contempt.

Being looked down upon by his daughter-in-law made Song Yichun's face burn with humiliation. He practically fled as he walked out, muttering, "Come with me to the study."

Dou Zhao followed with a smile.

The servants in the room exhaled deeply, exchanging glances filled with amusement, as if watching a play.

The Duke always tried to overpower Madam, yet every time, she effortlessly deflected him with minimal effort. Still, the Duke refused to accept defeat, seizing every opportunity to challenge her—only to lose again this time.

They dispersed in small groups, their fear and respect for Song Yichun diminishing further.

Of course, Song Yichun was unaware of this.

Dismissing the pages attending the study, he got straight to the point: "What about Liao Wang?"

Dou Zhao had no patience for idle talk either. "The Emperor felt humiliated, so he publicly claimed Liao Wang was summoned to the capital to attend to his illness, but in truth, he has imprisoned him. According to the Young Lord, Liao Wang won’t be interrogated until the Emperor moves to the Western Palace. I came today about Song Han. If he keeps spouting nonsense, even if the Young Lord intends to shield you, I doubt he’ll be able to protect the Duke. I suggest you strike first—disown Song Han on the grounds of attempting to violate his stepmother. That way, even if he spouts wild accusations, people will assume he’s resentful for being cast out of the family..."

Song Yichun’s face paled in horror.

He hadn’t expected Dou Zhao to approach him about this.

Even more shocking was how casually she spoke of such a ruthless scheme, as if discussing what dish she had cooked or what embroidery she had worked on today.

Had he underestimated Dou Zhao all along?

Unable to resist, Song Yichun scrutinized his eldest daughter-in-law.

Her upright posture, her radiant eyes, the rose-purple brocade back coat she wore with its two-tone gold embroidery, the faintly visible moon-white standing collar adorned with a gilded jeweled camellia—she was dazzling yet poised, graceful yet imposing, standing there quietly yet exuding an overwhelming presence.

Unconsciously, Song Yichun thought of a venomous beauty!

This woman before him—wasn’t she just like a serpent in disguise? How had he ever mistaken her for merely a shrew?

Song Han had wronged her, and now she sought to eliminate him. Since he, too, had played a part in that affair, would she also find a way to deal with him?

His throat tightened, and he instinctively took a few steps back, his gaze toward Dou Zhao now cautious.

"That’s out of the question!" he forced himself to say. "Doing so would ruin the reputation of the Duke of England's Mansion—sooner or later, it will be passed down to Yuan Ge’er. Surely you wouldn’t want him to inherit a disgraced estate?"

He had heard that Dou Shi personally nursed Yuan Ge’er. By invoking the child’s name, perhaps she would relent a little.Who would have thought Dou Shi would dismiss it nonchalantly, leisurely saying to him, "If I weren't concerned about this, I would have already sent Second Madam to Shuntian Prefecture to beat the drum and file a lawsuit. I merely want you to speak with the Emperor—as long as His Majesty agrees, what does it matter what others say? You could even take this chance to demonstrate your loyalty to the Emperor. Killing two birds with one stone—why wouldn't you do it?"

Forcing him to drive Song Han out of the family!

Song Yichun felt utterly overwhelmed. "This kind of matter requires opening the ancestral hall. Once the hall is opened, it can't be concealed. It's not as simple as you make it sound."

Dou Zhao scoffed. "Back when you wanted to remove the Young Lord from the family register, Eldest Master, Third Master, and Fourth Master didn't say a word. Why is it that when it comes to Song Han, these masters suddenly grow bold? Could it be you're reluctant to part with Song Han? That makes sense—without Song Han, what would you use to provoke the Young Lord? But at this point, you must think clearly. What's more important—irritating the Young Lord or saving your own life? The Young Lord has the Merit for Supporting the Ascension. If something happens to you, at worst, his merits and faults will cancel each other out, and he'll remain the Young Lord of the Duke of England's Mansion—no, perhaps the Emperor, in his anger, might strip you of your title and hand the Duke of England's Mansion directly to the Young Lord..." She smiled with a hint of schadenfreude. "In any case, I've said all I need to. Whether you listen or not is up to you." She stood up. "I'll take my leave now. The Young Lord will be back soon, and I must attend to his meal."

Song Yichun's hair stood on end.

How did Dou Shi know about what happened back then?

Could it be Song Mo?

Song Han was already in Song Mo's hands. Even if Song Han confessed everything, Song Mo had the means to fabricate a false confession and shift all the blame onto him.

Faced with the choice between Song Han's death or his own, Song Yichun quickly made his decision.

He called out loudly to Dou Zhao as she walked away, "Did Song Mo send you to tell me this?"

Without Song Mo's approval, how could a mere woman like Dou Zhao, even with such malicious intentions, dare to challenge him?

Dou Zhao smiled without answering and left the study.

Song Yichun became even more certain this was Song Mo's doing.

Still, Dou Shi had remained composed and unruffled from start to finish—she was no pushover either. Perhaps she had even helped Song Mo devise many of these schemes?

The thought sent a chill down his spine.

Song Mo might be ruthless, but he was still his son and wouldn't dare go too far. Dou Shi, however, was an outsider, and Song Mo doted on her. If she decided to cause trouble...

Song Yichun couldn't help but rub his temples and pace the room.

Why did Dou Shi hate Song Han so much? Aside from Song Han having dealt her a heavy blow, it probably also had to do with his own favoritism toward Song Han and Dou Shi's fear that he might pass the title to Song Han instead.

If Song Mo were to have a concubine-born son—one who was brighter, healthier, livelier, and more endearing to Song Mo than the son Dou Zhao bore—wouldn't Dou Shi turn against Song Mo as well?

Back when Li Tiaoniang was pregnant, hadn't Jiang Shi turned a blind eye and allowed his father to deal with Li Tiaoniang precisely because she feared Li Tiaoniang's son might threaten Song Mo?

At this thought, Song Yichun's mood suddenly brightened.

Though nothing was apparent now, Song Mo had not yet come of age, and he himself still had decades to live. Who could say what might happen in the future?He couldn't help but chuckle a few times, suddenly realizing that Song Han didn't seem as important in his heart anymore.

※※※※※

In the Hall of Cultivating Will, Dou Zhao was sitting by the window on the heated brick bed, weaving knots.

She occasionally glanced up at Song Mo, who was holding Yuan Ge'er while practicing calligraphy.

Unable to concentrate under her gaze, Song Mo looked up and asked, "What is it?"

Dou Zhao replied, "Aren't you starting Yuan Ge'er on recognizing characters a bit too early?"

"It's just to familiarize him with them casually," Song Mo said with a smile. "This is actually what your father taught me. He said children from the Dou family start recognizing characters as soon as they can speak. By the time they begin formal education, they read much faster than other children. He told me not to focus solely on official duties and neglect the child's studies."

Dou Zhao couldn't help but laugh.

Song Mo stroked Yuan Ge'er's dark hair and said, "Our Yuan Ge'er may not need to take the Presented Scholar exams, but reading more is always beneficial."

Dou Zhao agreed with this point.

She looked up and saw that Yuan Ge'er had somehow gotten hold of an ink stick and was vigorously scribbling on the inkstone, imitating Song Mo's earlier grinding motions.

Ink splattered everywhere—not only on the calligraphy Song Mo had just written but also all over his hands and clothes.

"Yuan Ge'er!" Dou Zhao quickly got off the heated bed and snatched the ink stick from his hand.

Yuan Ge'er tilted his little face up, looking at Dou Zhao with confusion and a hint of timidity.

Dou Zhao immediately regretted her sharp tone and softened her voice. "This isn't something to play with. Look at your hands—they're all inked up."

Yuan Ge'er examined his small hands and, finding it amusing, giggled.

Song Mo also laughed and reassured Dou Zhao, "It's fine. He's still young. He'll understand when he's older." With that, he kissed Yuan Ge'er affectionately, showing no irritation, and called for a maid to bring water to clean Yuan Ge'er's hands and change his clothes.

Suddenly inspired, Yuan Ge'er pressed his inked hand onto a sheet of rice paper, leaving behind several tiny fingerprints.

After a moment's thought, he turned and pressed his hand against Song Mo's chest.

Song Mo was wearing a gray-blue Hangzhou silk robe, and as soon as Yuan Ge'er's hand touched the fabric, the ink stains seeped in, standing out starkly.

Dou Zhao was stunned.

Yuan Ge'er, however, looked at Song Mo with pride and declared, "Chicken feet."

Both Dou Zhao and Song Mo stared at the little ink dots, failing to see any resemblance to chicken feet.

Yuan Ge'er extended his finger and pressed a few more dots on Song Mo's chest, saying, "The chicken is walking."

Song Mo looked at the trail of small ink dots stretching across his robe and suddenly grew excited. "You know what? It really does look like a chicken's footprints!" he exclaimed to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao couldn't see the resemblance but laughed anyway, then helped both father and son change their clothes.

Yuan Ge'er wanted to continue writing, but seeing how late it was, Dou Zhao coaxed him to sleep. "Write tomorrow in the sunlight—it'll be clearer."

Song Mo also chimed in, "Daddy will come home early tomorrow."

After a bit of cuddling in Song Mo's arms, Yuan Ge'er finally went off to bed with his wet nurse.

Song Mo settled comfortably into the Grand Preceptor's Chair and said with a smile, "Alright, out with it. What's the matter?"

Was she that obvious?

Dou Zhao gave an awkward laugh.

Song Mo grinned. "Every time you have something serious to discuss, your expression becomes especially stern."

Was that true?

Dou Zhao widened her eyes in surprise.

Song Mo chuckled, pulled her into his lap, and teased, "Hurry up and tell me, or I'm going to bed."Dou Zhao laughed heartily and recounted to Song Mo in detail how Miao Ansu had come to find her, how she had consulted with Mr. Chen, and how they had gone to see Song Yichun.

Song Mo’s expression grew increasingly solemn as he listened. By the time Dou Zhao finished speaking, his face was icy cold.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but feel uneasy and hesitated before asking, “Do you think I went too far?”

Even so, she had no regrets.

“No!” Song Mo shook his head coldly. “This was originally my matter…” As he spoke, he turned to her, his gaze fixed intently on her eyes. “Shou Gu, if something like this happens again, let me handle it. Don’t let it tarnish your reputation.”

But if he were to step in, it would harm his own reputation instead.

For some reason, Dou Zhao’s eyes welled up with tears in that instant.