Duke Ying’s wife, Song Mo’s mother, has passed away!

Dou Zhao felt a moment of disorientation. In her previous life, all of Song Mo’s changes began with the death of his mother. At that time, the Jiang family faced a massacre, and the Jiang matriarch, desperately trying to save her mother and brother, was consumed by guilt and regret, falling ill. This was entirely understandable. However, in this life, the Jiang family’s women and children survived, and while the male members were exiled, Jiang Lansun’s death meant the Jiang family had lost its chance for a comeback. Yet, the matriarch had endured through the deaths of Jiang Meisun and the military general Jiang Songsun, and she had been doing well since then. Logically, she should have been even more resilient at this time. So why did she suddenly die?

Was there a precursor to her illness that they had missed? But Song Mo couldn’t have overlooked it! Since the Jiang family entrusted such an important matter to Song Mo, it showed how much they valued their eldest son. Song Mo was meticulous and thorough; he couldn’t possibly have missed any signs. If the Jiang family had shown any abnormalities, how could Song Mo have come to deliver thanks?

Moreover, in her previous life, Song Mo had been implicated in a scandal during his mourning period, resulting in a pregnancy with a maid. A fourteen-year-old child, still naive and spoiled, could easily make such a mistake. Dou Zhao found it somewhat strange that Duke Ying reacted the way he did, but Duke of Ding had been convicted, and Duke Ying might have acted to appease the royal family. Every parent has their faults; although Duke Ying had made mistakes in the past, he had doted on Song Mo during his years as the heir. Yet, Song Mo ultimately committed patricide and fratricide in a gruesome manner, which was why Dou Zhao was particularly wary of him.

Consider this: a person who cannot forgive their parents’ mistakes shows how extreme and narrow-minded they are!

However, in this life, she had formed a connection with Song Mo and had come to see him in a new light. A thirteen-year-old boy who could force her to resort to trickery just to sit down and talk, even if he had been involved with a maid during his mourning period, how could he have allowed things to escalate to the point of being impeached by the censors while fully aware of the Jiang family’s information network in the capital?

Dou Zhao had been a marquise before. In noble families, the eldest son is especially valued, even more so in official families. In official families, the glory of the family is often tied to the success of the eldest son in the imperial examinations. The eldest son may not always be the best scholar, but if any of the children succeed in the examinations, they gain a voice in the family, and some may even establish their branches, separating from the ancestral hall. The rise and fall of a family often stem from this.

Noble families, however, are different. There is only one title; as long as you are the legitimate eldest son or grandson, you are entitled to inherit it. Even if you are like Zhang Yuanming, dull and disliked by your mother, as long as you don’t commit any major mistakes, your parents cannot arbitrarily strip you of your inheritance rights. If you are capable, you can seek a position; if not, you can live off your title and wait to die. After all, there is a salary to be had, though it may vary.

Thus, the responsibility of the legitimate eldest son and grandson to produce offspring becomes extremely important. They are not just having children; they are ensuring the continuation of the family’s honor.

Boys come of age at fifteen. Song Mo is thirteen this year, the eldest son and he has been granted the title of heir.

After Dou Zhao gave birth to Wei Wei, the Tians had repeatedly warned her that boys who engage in sexual matters too early would suffer from premature ejaculation, which would be detrimental to their future fertility. Before Wei Wei turned fifteen, the maids serving her should be mature and responsible, and she must not be allowed to be seduced. Whenever a maid was assigned to serve Wei Wei, the Tians would call her in and threaten or entice her. If anyone were to have a relationship with Wei Wei, they would be labeled a seductress, and not only would they be punished, but both the person and the child would be killed and dumped in a mass grave. If they obeyed, once Wei Wei turned fifteen, she would naturally take charge.

Even the Jining Marquisate understood this principle; Duke Ying’s household could not possibly be unaware. Moreover, Jiang Shi was a sensible person who had high hopes for Song Mo; she would not neglect to keep a close watch on the maids in Song Mo’s household. So how could Song Mo have done such a thing?

The more Dou Zhao thought about it, the more she found inconsistencies and doubts everywhere!

Suddenly, she felt a sense of panic, as if a storm was brewing and she was completely unprepared! What had happened at that time? Would this life replay everything again? Where was Song Mo now?

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but urgently ask Duan Gongyi, “Has Young Master Mei returned?”

Out of habit, they always referred to Song Mo as Young Master Mei during their conversations. She had a vague feeling that, given Song Mo’s character, since he had come to bid her farewell when he left, he would surely send someone to inform her upon his return.

Sure enough, Duan Gongyi replied, “Young Master Mei has not returned yet. However, I heard that someone has been sent to report.”

For some reason, Dou Zhao’s heart sank, and her nerves tightened. “How did Duke Ying’s wife die?” she asked anxiously.

Both Duan Gongyi and Su Xin sensed that Dou Zhao’s emotions were off. After hearing the news of Duke Ying’s wife’s death, she seemed particularly tense, even a bit fearful, reminiscent of her reaction when she first met Song Mo.

Su Xin recalled that if she hadn’t been quick to support the Fourth Miss back then, the Fourth Miss might have stumbled and fallen!

Duan Gongyi was puzzled; he had already explained clearly that Duke Ying’s wife had died of illness, so why was the Fourth Miss asking how she died? What other way could there be?

But since Dou Zhao had asked, he felt he should answer! He thought for a moment and shared what he knew: “I don’t know the specifics. When I arrived at Young Master Mei’s residence, the front was filled with white flowers, and all the people coming to pay their respects. I took the opportunity to slip inside. I heard from Mr. Chen that when the news of Jiang Lansun’s death reached the residence, the lady felt unwell. A few days after Young Master Mei left, she fell ill. The imperial doctors came and went, but her condition did not improve. Duke and the second son attended to her bedside, and even the Empress Dowager and the Empress were alarmed; the Empress even came to visit her personally, but her illness persisted for over a month before she passed away.”

Everything seemed normal, yet why did Dou Zhao feel increasingly uneasy?

After sending Duan Gongyi away and dismissing Su Xin, Dou Zhao pushed open the window of her study.

The large red lanterns illuminated the courtyard in a bright red hue, and a gust of biting cold air rushed in.

Yet Dou Zhao felt invigorated. When had Song Mo been driven from his home?

She couldn’t help but feel regret. Why hadn’t she paid more attention back then? Now, she wouldn’t be so anxious.

Dou Zhao sighed.

Just then, she saw Su Lan hurriedly crossing the courtyard, holding a red silk lantern.

“What’s wrong?” Dou Zhao called out to Su Lan from the window before she got closer.

Su Lan quickly knelt and greeted her but didn’t respond, lifting the curtain to enter.

Dou Zhao’s heart sank, and she sent away all the servants in the room.

Once the two maids had exited, Su Lan approached Dou Zhao and whispered, “Lu Ming wants to see you! Right now!”

At this time, the second gate had been locked, and Dou Zhao generally did not meet outsiders. Lu Ming had never requested to see her at this hour before.

Dou Zhao’s heart raced, and she quickly said, “Let him in!”

Su Lan nodded and, with a serious expression, went out. Before long, she brought Lu Ming in.

After Lu Ming greeted Dou Zhao, he stood silently in the hall.

Su Lan immediately dismissed the servants in the room, closed the hall’s doors, and stood guard outside.

Lu Ming stepped forward a few paces and whispered, “Jiang San Ye has passed away. Mr. Yan was sent by the Young Master to visit Lady Mei in Haozhou. Lady Mei was worried that the Young Master wouldn’t have anyone to assist him, so she sent Xu Qing to accompany Mr. Yan back to the capital. On the way, they were ambushed. Xu Qing was seriously injured, and Mr. Yan was shot in the shoulder, but they couldn’t shake off their pursuers. Mr. Yan set up a diversion and hid with Xu Qing in your estate, hoping you could send a message to Duke Ying’s residence for assistance.”

Dou Zhao felt a sense of foreboding.

First, the Jiang matriarch had died, and now Mr. Yan and Xu Qing were being pursued. Was there a connection between these events?

“Do you know who is pursuing them?” she asked, her expression darkening.

“I don’t know who it is,” Lu Ming replied, his face also grim. “The pursuers are like leeches, impossible to shake off. Even if Xu Qing captures one alive, they immediately bite their tongues and commit suicide. They are trained assassins. Mr. Yan is worried that they might have laid an ambush on the way to the capital, so he didn’t dare to proceed and could only send word to the residence for help.”

Dou Zhao didn’t respond immediately; instead, she sat there, lightly tapping her fingers on the table.

Lu Ming didn’t dare to breathe.

To be fair, the Fourth Miss of the Dou family had no close ties to Duke Ying’s residence, and there were gaps between her and the Young Master. As a woman, even remaining indifferent would be justified. Their request was indeed somewhat excessive.

However, since the other party dared to attack Mr. Yan and Xu Qing, and could injure Xu Qing while leaving Mr. Yan in the dark, it showed their strength. They likely already knew everything about them.

As the Young Master’s attendant, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to recognize him if they were determined.

Mr. Yan was afraid he would be recognized, which was why he had no choice but to seek help from the Fourth Miss.

As he pondered this, Dou Zhao’s expression suddenly changed, and she called out loudly, “Su Lan! Quickly go fetch Duan Guard!”

Duan Gongyi was the best fighter among the guards of the Dou family.

Lu Ming’s face also changed dramatically. “Fourth Miss, what are you doing?”

Dou Zhao ignored him and began pacing the room, her hands clenched tightly, showing signs of agitation.

Duan Gongyi was quickly summoned.

His hair was still somewhat disheveled, clearly having been awakened from sleep.

Dou Zhao didn’t care about that; she asked Duan Gongyi, “You said you slipped into the Duke’s residence. The outer courtyard is manageable, but the place where Young Master Mei lives should be heavily guarded. Given Mr. Chen’s special status, how could you have met him so smoothly?”

Duan Gongyi looked somewhat confused. “The Duke’s residence is too large. I originally planned to sneak in through the back door disguised as a servant carrying vegetables and coal, so I wore a uniform identical to the Duke’s servants. When I saw someone delivering offerings, I pretended to be a servant and went to help. Many visitors were paying their respects, and the gatekeepers were too busy to pay attention. It seemed the guards had also been called away to help. The few I encountered were just ordinary patrol guards, but I had to put in some effort with a few maids at the Draped Flower Gate. Fortunately, Mr. Chen was tending to the flowers in the courtyard, so I quickly found him…”

“That’s impossible!” Before Duan Gongyi could finish, Lu Ming exclaimed sharply, “The accounts office, the affairs office, the stables… each has its duties. It’s impossible to call the guards away to help! If they could do that at will, the residence would be in chaos…”

At this point, everyone in the room, except for Duan Gongyi, wore a grim expression.