This truly adds fuel to the fire!
Even someone as shrewd as Yan Chaoqing couldn’t help but wipe the sweat from his forehead, let alone the others. Only Gu Yu, who was enjoying the spectacle without fear of the consequences, cheerfully asked Song Mo, “Brother Tianci, those people are mostly here for the three positions in the Imperial Guards, right? If those positions are gone, they probably won’t be so eager anymore. Are we going to let those thieves go?”
“Two months from now, the Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command will have to give the Emperor an explanation,” Song Mo replied calmly. “If we continue to offer a hefty reward, won’t that put Lord Huang and Duke Dongping in a difficult position?”
“That’s true!” Gu Yu scratched his head and laughed. “The people from the Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command are saying all the thieves have been caught. If we keep offering rewards, it’s like accusing Duke Dongping and Lord Huang of killing innocents and taking credit. If the Emperor finds out, they’re finished.” He widened his eyes and asked, “Brother Tianci, what about the reward money? We can’t just give it to the Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command, letting Huang Qi and Zhou Shaochuan take the credit, can we?”
“If they dare to claim the reward, I will dare to continue offering it,” Song Mo declared proudly. “I’ve already given them a way out. If they don’t take it and instead try to climb the pole, they can’t blame me for being merciless!” He added, “This way, both the underworld and the authorities will know what’s going on. We can stage a show, have someone deliver the corpse of a thief, and we will still pay the reward. In due time, someone will help me continue the hunt. Anyone who dares to target the Duke Ying’s residence should be prepared to be hunted for life.” He instructed Xia Lian, “Make sure my words get out.”
Xia Lian responded respectfully.
Meanwhile, Huang Qi and Duke Dongping, upon receiving the news, let out a long sigh of relief.
“Although Song Yantang is a bit reckless, he knows his limits!” Duke Dongping remarked to Huang Qi. “I think the reward should be handled by the Duke Ying’s residence! Didn’t the Emperor also reward the Duke Ying’s heir with three positions?”
This implied that the Emperor had acknowledged Song Mo’s actions, so he should not stubbornly hold onto his views.
Huang Qi smiled wryly. At this point, what could he do if he disagreed?
“Then let’s send more personnel to patrol near the Duke Ying’s residence!” Huang Qi suggested. “In case someone gets into a dispute over the reward, we can support Duke Ying’s residence.”
Song Mo was indifferent to this, instructing Liao Bifeng, “The guards at the Duke Ying’s residence should each receive a meal every day.”
Liao Bifeng responded respectfully.
The people from the Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command cheered.
From time to time, news about the thieves came in.
Song Mo entrusted this matter to Yan Chaoqing and Xia Lian while he practiced calligraphy at home every day.
Dou Zhao asked him, “Aren’t you going to the palace?”
Song Mo smiled, “Aren’t I helping the Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command track down the thieves?”
Dou Zhao chuckled.
Song Mo took her hand and asked, “Have you finished your tasks?”
Dou Zhao had officially taken charge of Duke Ying’s household.
“It’s just some trivial matters regarding firewood, rice, oil, and salt,” Dou Zhao replied with a smile. “It’s quite simple.”
Song Mo smiled slightly.
With Dou Zhao’s intelligence, these tasks were likely very easy for her.
He said, “It’s time for the Chrysanthemum festival. If you’re free this afternoon, how about I accompany you to the flower market in Fengtai? We might find some chrysanthemums you like. We can buy them, and next year your flower garden will have a few more varieties.”
Finding rare chrysanthemum varieties isn’t easy, but Song Mo was enthusiastic. Dou Zhao didn’t want to dampen his spirits, thinking of it as a chance to accompany him for a break. She smiled and agreed, and the two set off to the flower market in Fengtai.
The flower farmers, accustomed to dealing with wealthy families, didn’t recognize Song Mo and Dou Zhao. However, seeing one in fine leather boots and the other wearing a pearl earring, they understood they were not ordinary people and cautiously presented their best chrysanthemums.
To Dou Zhao, these flowers seemed quite ordinary, not as good as those she had left in Zhen Ding. She casually looked around and bought a few pots for fun.
Song Mo knew these wouldn’t satisfy her, so he called the flower farmer over to ask, “Can flowers be transplanted at this time of year?”
“That depends on the type of flower,” the flower farmer, a man in his forties with an honest appearance, replied. “If it’s hostas or goldfish plants, it should be fine; they are sown in autumn and bloom in spring. But morning glories and marigolds won’t work; they are sown in spring and bloom in summer…”
“Oh!” Song Mo was surprised to learn there was so much knowledge involved in planting flowers. He found the man straightforward and asked him to help find some unusual plants. “My wife loves tending to flowers. Please deliver them to the Duke Ying’s residence.”
The flower farmer was both surprised and delighted, repeatedly agreeing.
Song Mo and Dou Zhao returned to Duke Ying’s residence.
A messenger from Song Yichun was waiting for Song Mo.
Upon hearing that Song Mo had returned, he immediately went to Yizhi Hall to seek an audience.
Song Mo took out the letter and glanced at it. It was filled with reproaches, only asking about the current situation at the end. He suddenly recalled how Dou Zhao had taken the opportunity to obtain the tokens during the chaos, and a thought struck him. He wrote back to Song Yichun, saying it was all his fault for being short-sighted, focusing only on Yizhi Hall and forgetting that it was part of Duke Ying’s residence. Now, having listened to his father’s teachings, he realized his mistakes and decided to take on the responsibilities of Duke Ying’s heir.
While his father was away, he acted on behalf of Duke Ying and instructed Tao Qi to repair the burned houses within fifteen days. He temporarily allocated fifty thousand taels of silver as a reward for the thieves who broke into Duke Ying’s residence and received the Emperor’s support, obtaining the three positions in the Imperial Guards as a reward, and so on. He detailed everything to Song Yichun and instructed the messenger, “Send this with express delivery, day and night, to the Duke immediately.”
The messenger did not dare to delay and set off with the letter.
Song Mo felt a lingering resentment and said to Dou Zhao, “If he doesn’t put me in a difficult position, he probably won’t let it go easily!”
Dou Zhao gently stroked his arm and said softly, “That depends on whether he has the ability. You’ve already died once; do you need to die again to prove your ‘filial piety’? What about your mother? She has invested so much effort in you; can you just forget about her?”
Song Mo chuckled, “Don’t worry, I’m neither blindly loyal nor foolishly filial. Just as you said, I’ve already died once. He can’t expect me to let him put a knife to my throat while I remain silent.” He then pulled Dou Zhao closer. “Shall we go back to Fengtai to buy flowers tomorrow? Even if we can’t find anything rare, it will be nice to get some fresh air.”
Dou Zhao smiled, pressing her lips together.
She probably didn’t want to stay home and be troubled by these trivial matters.
The next day, after lunch, Song Mo accompanied her back to Fengtai.
Someone provided information about the thieves’ whereabouts at the Duke Ying’s residence. The Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command worked together and quickly apprehended the suspects. Upon interrogation, it turned out that one of them was indeed a thief who had broken into Duke Ying’s residence, and shockingly, the informant was the thief’s brother!
The people from the Shuntian Prefecture and the Wucheng Military Command were in an uproar.
What was even more unexpected was that the thief, upon learning of the reward from Duke Ying’s residence, realized that even if he escaped Duke Ying’s pursuit this time, he would still face the wrath of his fellow thieves and the authorities in the future. He would have to live in hiding, constantly looking over his shoulder.
Rather than live in such fear, he decided to let his brother claim the reward, ensuring that his brother could support their parents with the money.
He instructed his brother to cut off his head to report the crime.
His brother couldn’t bear it, but fearing there would be no evidence later, he reported the crime in his brother’s name and hid in a small alley in the northern part of the capital, waiting for the authorities to come and arrest him.
Yan Chaoqing’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he instructed Xia Lian, “Make a big show of delivering that thousand taels of reward—let’s focus on the results, not the process.”
Xia Lian complied and left.
The underworld and the authorities in the capital became even more chaotic.
Meanwhile, the instigator was back in the flower farmer’s yard with his wife.
Someone pushed open the fence and walked in.
“Excuse me, is this the Duke Ying’s heir, Lord Song?” he smiled at Song Mo.
The title was somewhat awkward but revealed Song Mo’s identity.
The visitor knew Song Mo well.
However, Song Mo did not recognize him.
Calmly, he positioned Dou Zhao behind him, sizing up the stranger, and said coolly, “I am Song Yantang.”
Dou Zhao looked at the visitor with curiosity.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, with an ordinary appearance and simple clothing, but his eyes sparkled with intelligence, revealing a shrewdness that belied his age and looks.
She couldn’t help but feel a moment of confusion.
This person looked familiar!
It seemed she had seen him somewhere before.
Moreover, he seemed important, leaving a deep impression in her mind.
Dou Zhao furrowed her brow.
Why couldn’t she remember?
Zhu Yicheng, who had been instructed to keep his distance and follow them, approached quietly.
The visitor respectfully bowed to Song Mo and said, “I am Chen Jia, courtesy name Zanzhi. I serve as a small flag in the Jinyiwei. Years ago, I was ordered to escort the Duke of Dingguo back to the capital from Fujian…”
Song Mo’s expression changed dramatically.
Chen Zanzhi, however, seemed oblivious: “I have always admired the Duke of Dingguo’s noble character and straightforwardness. I have been trying to find out who in the Jinyiwei was ordered to capture the Duke of Dingguo, but unfortunately, my lowly position has yielded no progress.” He revealed a hint of sorrow, “Now that several years have passed, I truly fear that the heir has forgotten the grievances of the past. I know that meeting you in this manner is likely to be looked down upon, but after much thought, I still came. I only hope that the heir can help me investigate the cause of the Duke of Dingguo’s death and restore his honor…”
Song Mo’s heart raced with alarm.
The Duke of Dingguo had been dead for three or four years, and he had always been afraid to investigate his uncle’s death!
The Emperor’s grace is all-encompassing.
If it turns out that this matter is related to the Emperor, how could they possibly confront him?
It might even alert the Emperor, making him think that Song Mo harbored resentment. Not only could he lose the Emperor’s favor and end up imprisoned, but it could also implicate the already precarious Jiang family and his exiled fifth uncle.
The only thing he could do was wait.
Wait for everyone to forget about this matter, wait for the new Emperor to ascend the throne, and wait until he had enough power to force the new Emperor to make a choice… but not now. He was merely a newcomer in the officialdom, and it was unwise to touch this sensitive case, especially when the pirates were rampant and no one could stop them after his uncle’s death.