Blossom

Song Han, overwhelmed by shame and indignation, hugged his chest and hunched over as he tried to enter the city, only to be stopped by the guards at the gate. "Second Master Song, it's not that we want to disrespect you, but the Eastern Depot has issued orders—you're forbidden from entering the city from now on. Anyone who offers you even the slightest aid will be treated as a rebel. Please don’t make things difficult for us!"

How could this happen?

He stood there dumbfounded.

How was he supposed to survive from now on?

Panicked, Song Han tried to force his way in regardless.

The guards, who had been polite to him moments ago, now kicked him mercilessly. "You really don’t know your place! Do you still think you’re the Second Master of the Duke of England's Mansion? How dare you ignore our words! If we don’t teach you a lesson, you’ll never understand what you truly are!"

Song Han staggered and fell to the ground.

Laughter erupted from all around.

Someone remarked, "This young master looks delicate and fair-skinned. What crime could he have committed? You lot are too rough!" With that, they reached out to help Song Han up. "Poor thing, even your clothes have been stripped off. My shop happens to need someone to serve tea and water. Why not come with me? You won’t get silks and satins, but at least you’ll have food and warmth..."

Before he could finish, another voice jeered mockingly, "Old Lai, every 'tea server' you take in ends up becoming your cash cow, doesn’t they?"

The crowd burst into lewd laughter.

Song Han fled in disgrace.

※※※※※

In the western heated room of the Palace of Heavenly Purity’s study.

The Crown Prince was reviewing memorials.

Cui Yijun entered quietly, replacing the tea.

Suddenly, the Crown Prince set down his brush and asked, "I heard the Duke of Yingguo has fallen ill?"

"Yes!" Cui Yijun replied with a smile. "Song Han was caught in an affair with the Duke’s concubine, and the Duke expelled him from the mansion. When the ancestral hall was opened to condemn him, Song Han, cornered like a desperate dog, grabbed the Duke by the throat and wouldn’t let go..." He recounted the incident in detail.

"So, Song Han has been cast out, and the Duke remains unconscious?" the Crown Prince mused.

"Indeed!" Cui Yijun bowed slightly, more deferential than usual.

The Crown Prince fell into deep thought.

In the past, Cui Yijun would have spoken up by now, but ever since the Crown Prince began reviewing memorials independently, he had refrained from interrupting.

He stood silently, eyes downcast, mind focused.

Abruptly, the Crown Prince asked, "What have you found regarding the matter I tasked you with earlier?"

Cui Yijun pondered before replying, "You mean the matter concerning Lord Song and Lord Ji?"

The Crown Prince nodded. "Though the Liao Wang affair shouldn’t be publicized, the Imperial Bodyguard currently lacks a Metropolitan Commander. I’ve been considering appointing Song Yantang to the position, but the Golden Guard also relies on him. Yet no one has ever held both the Metropolitan Commander positions for the Imperial Bodyguard and the Golden Guard simultaneously. Then there’s Ma Youming of the Divine Machine Battalion—if not for his fearless bravery that day, the outcome could have been very different. Since Wang Xu, the Divine Machine Battalion’s Metropolitan Commander, has requested retirement due to poor health, I thought perhaps Ma Youming could take his place..."

In other words, the Crown Prince intended to promote Song Mo.

And Song Mo was at odds with Ji Yong!

Cui Yijun’s heart skipped a beat.

Was the Crown Prince playing a balancing game?

His back bent even lower.

With utmost reverence, he said, "Lord Ji and Lord Song share a grudge over a woman!"

"Oh?" The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up with keen interest. "Tell me more—what exactly happened?"Cui Yijun said, "Although several families have tried to keep it quiet, the Dou and Ji families are both prominent clans with numerous marital connections. Especially Ji Yong, who remains unmarried to this day—no matter who proposes, they return humiliated. Some things can't stay hidden forever. It's said that Madam Dou and Ji Yong were childhood sweethearts, and Ji Yong was determined to marry her, with the Dou family also favoring the match. But unexpectedly, Grand Secretary Dou was serving in the Capital and unaware of the Ji family's intentions, while the Ji family assumed informing Grand Secretary Dou was enough. Through a series of misunderstandings, Grand Secretary Dou married Madam Dou into the Duke of Yingguo's household..."

"Such a thing happened?" The Crown Prince listened with amusement and couldn't help but laugh. "I heard Ji Jianming and Madam Dou are cousins. Do the two families still interact?"

"Of course they do!" Cui Yijun chuckled. "Not only do they interact, but Madam Dou is also very forthright. Whenever Ji Yong visits the Song family, she personally greets him!"

The Crown Prince nodded repeatedly and later recounted the story as an amusing anecdote to the Crown Princess.

The Crown Princess hadn't expected such a backstory. She remarked, "I always thought Madam Dou was no ordinary woman—no wonder Ji Yong now looks down on everyone else."

The Crown Prince laughed. "Should we play matchmaker for Ji Jianming?"

The Crown Princess smiled. "That depends on how Your Highness intends to use Ji Yong. If you merely wish to win over the Ji family, arranging his marriage would be the most dignified and honorable gesture. But if you truly want to employ him, I advise against interfering—he's so stubborn that he’s unlikely to appreciate such a gesture. Forcing a marriage on him would only make him resentful."

The Crown Prince had only mentioned it casually. The Crown Princess was highly skilled in handling familial relationships, so since she deemed it inappropriate, he dropped the matter and shifted the topic to Song Mo and Ji Yong: "I plan to appoint Song Mo as Metropolitan Commander of the Imperial Bodyguards while Ji Yong serves as a scholar in the Household of the Heir Apparent and Director of the Court of State Ceremonial."

This way, civil and military roles would remain separate, allowing mutual checks and balances...

The Crown Princess smiled. "Has Your Highness considered appointing Song Mo as Metropolitan Commander of the Divine Machine Battalion as well?"

The Crown Prince paused, then clapped his hands. "An excellent idea. Song Mo can oversee both the Divine Machine Battalion and the Imperial Bodyguards, Ma Youming can command the Golden Guard, and Dong Qi can lead the Five Cities Garrison."

Dong Qi and Song Mo also had a notoriously tense relationship, well-known within the Golden Guard.

The Crown Princess smiled faintly.

The Crown Prince then inquired about the Empress's condition: "How is she now?"

Recently, he'd heard the Empress had fallen ill, but the Imperial Hospital had only prescribed sedatives, which made him suspicious.

The Crown Princess lowered her voice to a whisper. "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager said the Empress fell ill from anger over Liao Wang's actions. The Imperial Physicians wouldn’t dare prescribe anything else."

Understanding, the Crown Prince changed the subject. "With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, aside from the usual medicinal gifts, let’s also send delicacies and perfumes to the Duke of Yingguo's household to show our warmth."

The Crown Princess cheerfully agreed.

The next day, however, the Crown Prince summoned Song Mo to the heated room for a conversation: "How is the Duke's health now?"

Song Mo sighed. "He’s regained consciousness, but his throat is damaged—he can no longer speak. He also suffers from recurring fevers. The Imperial Physicians say he’ll need at least two years of rest before his condition gradually improves."

"He can’t speak?" The Crown Prince frowned. "Not a single word?""He can only make incoherent sounds, like a confused child," Song Mo said with a troubled expression. "Without writing, we can't understand what he's saying. Father gets increasingly agitated during conversations, either throwing things or overturning the kang table. Yet the imperial physicians insist he mustn't get excited. I had no choice but to assign a longtime former attendant to care for him personally..."

"There was nothing else to be done," the Crown Prince consoled Song Mo. "Fortunately, the Duke of England's Mansion has hereditary servants. In time, His Grace will gradually adapt."

"That's what I thought as well."

After discussing Song Yichun's condition at length, the Crown Prince lifted his teacup in signal.

Song Mo was completely baffled.

But when he saw Cui Yijun personally holding the curtain for him, a suspicion began forming. That evening, he whispered to Dou Zhao: "The Emperor might appoint me to oversee the Imperial Bodyguard."

Dou Zhao was startled.

In her previous life, Song Mo had indeed commanded the Imperial Bodyguard.

"Did His Highness hint at this?" she asked.

"His Highness inquired about Father's condition," Song Mo smiled. "He must be concerned I'll observe mourning rites—with no Metropolitan Commander currently leading the Imperial Bodyguard, the palace is practically blind and deaf. I can't imagine any other reason he'd summon me specifically."

"Must you join the Imperial Bodyguard?" Dou Zhao hesitated. "Their reputation is terrible."

"Reputation depends on one's conduct," Song Mo replied dismissively. "There's one advantage to the post," he whispered in her ear, "at least I won't need to stand palace duty anymore..." His hand cupped her fuller bosom, a change from her pregnancy.

"What are you thinking?" Dou Zhao swatted his hand away, torn between amusement and exasperation. "This concerns your future!"

"At worst, I could be an unremarkable seal-holding Commander-in-chief at the Five Armies Commandery like Father," Song Mo pulled her into his embrace. "No matter how capable I am, His Highness wouldn't entrust both the Golden Guard and Imperial Bodyguard to me. I once sought to clear my uncle's name and uncover why Father killed Mother. Now that those matters are resolved, I only want to be with you and our child—to be a good husband and father, so our child won't endure what I did as a boy. Worldly achievements matter little now."

These years had been hard on Song Mo too.

If this was his wish, so be it.

Dou Zhao tenderly caressed his face. "As you wish. Your happiness is what matters."

"What good is my happiness?" Delighted by her consideration, Song Mo initially tried lifting her onto his lap before remembering her condition and settling for fervent kisses instead. "Your joy is what counts. Don't you want me by your side?"

After exchanging sweet nothings late into the night, they only remembered Jiang Bosun's impending departure for Liaodong the next morning when Gaosheng arrived from Jing'an Temple Alley delivering travel expenses.

Song Mo exclaimed, "Ayan hasn't paid respects to Fifth Uncle yet!"

Previously, Jiang Bosun's severe injuries and Jiang Yan's pregnancy had prevented meetings, as he feared frightening her. Now healed and about to leave the capital, with reunions uncertain, Jiang Yan couldn't miss bidding farewell to her uncle at the Hall of Cultivating Will.Dou Zhao smiled and said, "Look at you, is Yujiao Alley really that far from here?" She pursed her lips in amusement. "I already had the Old Women send an invitation to Chen Zan Zhi—since Sister Yan is timid, it's better for Chen Zan Zhi to relay the message than to tell her directly!"

"What's there to relay!" Song Mo said unhappily. "Fifth Uncle is her own uncle—would he ever harm her?"

Dou Zhao smiled without responding.

Song Mo sighed helplessly.

But in her heart, Dou Zhao thought, Eight or nine out of ten things in life don’t go as planned. If this is the only hardship in my life, then I’ll savor it like a delicacy!