This was the first time Dou Zhao attended a meeting in the study with Song Mo. She had resolved to listen without speaking, but when Song Mo suddenly called her name, she was taken aback. However, she was not a stubborn person; given the change in circumstances, she decided not to hold back. After a moment of contemplation, she confidently expressed her views.
“Regardless of whether Chen Jia is seeking career advancement or acting on someone else’s orders, the conditions offered by the heir are quite tempting for him. In that case, why not listen to what he has to say before making any plans? If what he says is true, even if he is being manipulated, we may not necessarily fall into his trap. Conversely, if he is merely fabricating stories to advance his interests, we are under no obligation to assist him.”
“The key question now is how we can determine the truth of his claims?”
Song Mo and Yan Chaoqing nodded slightly in agreement.
Liao Bifeng couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. No wonder the heir held the lady in such high regard; she not only possessed quick wit but also had considerable strategic insight. Suddenly, a thought struck him. If one day the heir were to encounter a mishap, under the lady’s leadership, they would not collapse like a fallen tree, losing their backbone and quickly becoming pawns for others.
At that moment, he truly felt a sense of belonging to Yizhi Hall. He was filled with hope for its future. If the lady could quickly bear a child, Yizhi Hall would face no internal strife, and they would have no worries.
With these thoughts in mind, he stood up respectfully, refilled Dou Zhao’s teacup, and symbolically added a bit of water.
Zhu Yicheng, however, was not as contemplative as Liao Bifeng. After hearing Dou Zhao’s words, he was filled with confusion and wanted to question her, but due to the hierarchy, he hesitated to speak, his brow furrowed with anxiety.
Song Mo, thinking Zhu Yicheng had his own opinion on the matter, smiled and asked, “Zhu Huwei, what do you think about this?”
Zhu Yicheng was not particularly skilled in strategy. Previously, he had only listened during meetings in the study and had never spoken up. Now, with everyone’s attention on him, his face turned crimson, and after a moment of hesitation, he stammered, “I think what Mr. Yan and Mr. Liao said makes sense, and the lady’s points are valid too. I just want to ask, if Chen Jia is indeed being manipulated, and we investigate the Duke of Dingguo, will his backers seize the opportunity to use that against us and report it to the Emperor? I feel that since he can prepare a backup plan for himself, he must not be an ordinary person. Moreover, he is quite capable, excelling in both civil and military affairs. It’s best to be cautious when dealing with someone like him.”
Does he think my suggestion is too risky? Dou Zhao thought the same. In her previous life, Song Mo was unpredictable, and Chen Jia had managed to become his confidant, indicating that he was not to be underestimated. Yet, Song Mo’s actions made her feel that Chen Jia’s words had piqued his interest significantly. Otherwise, he could have simply sent a message to the Jinyiwei to eliminate Chen Jia and provide an explanation, without needing to convene a meeting with Yan Chaoqing and the others.
She had always believed that it was better to be open than to block paths. Moreover, the death of the Duke of Dingguo not only involved the injustice against the Jiang family but also related to the death of Madam Jiang and the conflict between Song Yichun and Song Mo. The Prince of Liao had already begun to show his ambitions. If Song Mo could resolve the issues surrounding the Duke of Ying before the Prince of Liao fully revealed his fangs, no one would be able to use the deaths of Song Mo’s relatives against him. With Song Mo’s calm and rational demeanor, they could safely navigate the upheaval in the palace four years later.
Furthermore, even if they misjudged the situation at this moment, there would still be opportunities to correct their course. Once the Prince of Liao revealed his true intentions, the political landscape would be chaotic, and right or wrong would be hard to discern. Remaining silent might even draw fire upon themselves, let alone the effort required to clear their names.
“The heir is currently favored by the Emperor and has not yet come of age. Since the Duke has entrusted household matters to his close aides and advisors after the passing of his mother, it is only natural for the heir to occasionally make mistakes. This is a perfect opportunity for him to listen to the Emperor’s teachings,” Dou Zhao suggested. “The truth of the matter is not as important as how the public perceives it, what they believe, and how they choose to interpret it!”
Song Mo smiled slightly.
Yan Chaoqing, however, became excited and exclaimed, “Heir, the lady has a brilliant idea! Let’s spread the word about the discord between you and the Duke to the Emperor. The Emperor has always favored filial piety, and you are one of his most cherished noble offspring. If someone reports this to him, you can use it to evoke his sympathy and prompt him to ‘discipline’ you. This would serve a dual purpose: it would deflect the criticisms against you and strengthen your relationship with the Emperor… It might even allow you to sideline the Duke through the Emperor’s influence…”
Liao Bifeng couldn’t help but clap in agreement. “I also think the lady’s plan is quite feasible!”
Zhu Yicheng murmured, “Is that possible?”
Song Mo chuckled, “It seems the lady has presented me with a challenge!” He looked at Dou Zhao with unmistakable appreciation and delight in his eyes. “Let’s proceed with this plan! I will handle matters with the Emperor; as for Chen Jia, he will likely contact us again, so I’ll leave that to Mr. Yan!”
Everyone stood up in unison, responding respectfully.
Not far from the Duke of Ying’s residence, in a hutong in Shuntianfu, there was a high-rise inn.
Hua Tang, the commander of the Weizhou Guard, wore a grim expression as he paced anxiously in the inn’s upper room, hands clasped behind his back. His attendant stood in the corner, looking respectful and not daring to make a sound.
After a while, a few cautious knocks sounded at the door. The attendant sighed in relief, hurriedly stepped forward, and opened the door.
A scholarly man in his thirties entered, dressed in a blue robe.
Seeing the newcomer, Hua Tang couldn’t contain his impatience and greeted him, “How did it go? What did the Wang family say?”
The scholar quickly replied in a low voice, “I did not meet with the Marquis of Yan’an, but the heir of the Marquis sent his attendant to relay a message, saying he would visit you at the inn later.” He then pulled out an invitation from his sleeve. “This is the invitation from the heir of the Marquis of Yan’an.” He paused, lowering his voice further, “As for the items we sent, the Wang family did not accept them!”
Hua Tang’s brow furrowed deeply.
The case involving his eldest son had come about strangely. For this matter, he had already enlisted the help of no fewer than seven or eight people, including the Marquis of Changxing and the Marquis of Anlu, spending over ten thousand taels of silver. Yet, the other party countered every move he made without showing any fear. This made him realize that the case was not simple. He had vaguely heard that the old woman was acting on someone else’s orders, but he had no connections in the capital. The Marquis of Anlu was also entangled in the water incident involving the Duke of Ying, leaving him in a difficult position. He had written to the Duke of Ying but had yet to receive a reply, so he could not trouble the Marquis of Anlu for his case at this time.
After much thought, he remembered the Marquis of Yan’an, who had almost become his in-law, and the well-connected heir of the Marquis of Yan’an. He hurriedly sent his aides with generous gifts to ask the Wang family for help in finding out who was trying to undermine him.
“What does the Wang family mean by this?” he asked. “The Marquis of Yan’an avoids me, the Wang family returns our gifts, yet the heir of the Marquis wants to visit me at the inn…”
Hua Tang’s aide, the scholar, pondered and said, “Do you think the heir of the Marquis is avoiding someone?”
Hua Tang’s heart jolted, and his expression grew serious. “That is indeed a possibility…” He quickly instructed his attendant, “Keep your eyes peeled and ensure no one discovers our movements!”
The attendant responded with utmost caution.
Just then, a young servant rushed in and whispered, “The heir of the Marquis of Yan’an has arrived.”
So soon!
Hua Tang exchanged a glance with his aide and quickly instructed the servant, “Quickly invite the heir in.”
The servant complied and left.
Hua Tang thought for a moment and went to greet him at the door.
Wang Qinghuai entered wearing a simple blue cotton robe, accompanied by only one attendant.
Hua Tang was taken aback.
Wang Qinghuai had indeed come to avoid suspicion.
Who had made the heir of the Marquis of Yan’an so cautious?
This also confirmed that there were hidden truths behind the case involving his eldest son…
Hua Tang hurriedly invited Wang Qinghuai into the inner room.
Wang Qinghuai was not polite, taking a seat opposite Hua Tang. After the servants brought tea and left the room, they quickly got to the point: “My mother was reluctant to let my younger sister marry far away, which is why our families could not become in-laws. As for your family’s case, many in the capital are unaware of the details, but our family has had the fortune to catch a glimpse of some clues. Seeing that your uncle is running around without a clear direction, I was thinking of finding an opportunity to inform him, but unexpectedly, he sent someone to visit. Given our family’s relationship, I cannot accept this gift, so please take it back. Regarding the matter of Brother Hua’s case, I will share a few insights, and I hope you will consider them.”
Hua Tang couldn’t help but smile wryly.
No wonder everyone praises the heir of the Marquis of Yan’an for being so diplomatic.
He was using this opportunity to clear the air between the Hua family and the Wang family!
But under the eaves, one must bow their head.
He endured and endured, finally managing to keep his voice free of resentment.
“Your words are mistaken, nephew! This only means our families are fated to be apart.” Hua Tang cupped his hands toward Wang Qinghuai. “I will remember your kindness, and if there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely repay you!” His tone was very sincere.
Wang Qinghuai was unfazed.
If he did not intervene, Hua Tang would likely continue to flounder about.
Now that he had explained the reasons to Hua Tang, he had helped Song Mo while also repaying a favor to the Hua family—two birds with one stone, and why not?
“Uncle is too polite,” Wang Qinghuai said modestly before lowering his voice to ask, “I heard you are planning to form a marriage alliance with the Duke of Ying’s family?”
Hua Tang couldn’t help but smile with pride. “You’ve heard about it too?” As soon as he spoke, he realized that Wang Qinghuai’s question was abrupt. His smile faded slightly, and he asked suspiciously, “Is there something wrong with this matter?”
“Not just wrong!” Wang Qinghuai said, feigning a look of deep concern. “Brother Hua’s case stems directly from this!”
Hua Tang’s expression changed dramatically.
Wang Qinghuai whispered, “The heir of the Duke of Ying, Song Yantang, hopes that his wife will manage the household affairs of the Duke of Ying and does not wish for the Duke to take a new wife at this time… Yet you have rashly intruded at this moment…” He shook his head. “Otherwise, with so many noble young ladies in the capital, why would none be willing to marry into the Duke of Ying’s family?”
Hua Tang was left dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
Wang Qinghuai thought he had made his point clear. If Hua Tang was foolish enough not to heed the warning, there was nothing more he could do. He stood up to take his leave, giving Hua Tang space to think.